On my way to Johannesburg to AIA GLC Meetings

AIA’s Global Leadership Council meets twice a year, face to face. This picture is from last April when we met in Istanbul. I have served on this leadership team for about 12 years and deeply value the days we spend TOGETHER. We live in 8 different cities around the world so being together is valuable as we evaluate, pray and plan for the future of AIA globally!
We will gather this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa. We will share some time with the national AIA team of South Africa as well as our team’s time together. Thank you for praying for these days together! 

A global wave of prayer for Susie Thomas

Dear prayer warriors on your knees. I subscribe my coligue's words and encourage you to join us in prayer for Sussie the next days.

"...The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness". James 5: 16

"Dear staff and friends,

As I have prayed for Susie and Ben recently and thought of her upcoming surgery on Tuesday morning here in Ohio, I have had a picture of a wave coming across the globe. I think this is a wave of prayer starting from our staff and friends in the South Pacific, across Asia to India into Central Asia and the Middle East, Africa and Europe then crossing the Atlantic to those of us in North America and Latin America!

When you awake Tuesday morning the 7th, join those who have already prayed and move the wave of prayer across the globe! Susie is expected to have surgery at 7:30 am here in Dayton, OH. This surgery may take 6-8 hours during which they will biopsy the brain tumor. From that they will know the next steps of treatment. She is expected to be in ICU for a couple of days and the hospital about a week.

They will be keeping their website, benandsusiethomas.com, updated so subscribe there for updates!

"Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable. 14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

Judy

Judy Kirkpatrick

AIA Global Leadership Council, NAME & PACT

AIA Global Strategies Leader"

Every Athlete, Every Country

With Cesar Jimenez, at Agape conference

Dear prayer warriors,

Last week we had an incredible time during the Agape (CCC) Spain annual conference. We drove as a family from Malaga to Platja d’Aro, Girona, over 800 miles, stopping in Madrid to spend the night and say hello to the family.

The conference, under the theme: “Called”, gather not only staff at the different ministries with Agape including AIA, but associates and volunteers and friends from our movements. 

Abraham, Pablo & Noemi, Tony & Eli, Arnau, Gala, Cesar, Jessie, Michael... We had an owesome group of a new generation for Athletes in Action. It was neat to see them listen to speakers like Javier, Felix, Natan or Edi, all of them at national or area leadership roles with Agape, but former AIA leaders.

Jesus really ministered and touched our hearts and minds. You can celebrate and pray with us that some of them are confirming their call relating to serving the Lord with AIA different ways.

Today, Lidia, our children and my in laws left me at the airport in Madrid and hit then the road to Malaga. I travel to Orlando, to join 45 Athletes in Action leaders from around the world for our Global LIFE Summit and for the International Sports Coalition ACE Conference with 650 delegates from over 120 countries. 

I’m looking forward to our time together with our dear brothers and sisters.  In addition to our AIA leaders the first days, we will also have several ministry LIFE partners joining us as well.  These are men and women who God has led to join us by giving their Life, Influence, Finance & Expertise.  It will be a true joy to be with them.

• Please, pray for Lidia while I’m away:
• For strengh, wisdom and stamina to deal with our 3 little ones.
• For health and protection for all of them.

• Please pray for AIA corporately that God would lead us as we:
• Seek Him through extended times of prayer, sharing and time in His word
• Hear more about our global direction as a global family around our vision to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport in every country
• Strategize around 3 key initiatives of country growth, our efforts surrounding the Olympics and how to effectively use our strategies such as sports teams to build local spiritual movements

• Please pray specifically for our ACE time too:
• God would give us a great time of being together during this awesome networking and strategic planning gathering.
• God would lead me as I lead and network with many others.
• Please pray for divine appointments and confirmation forward as relates to Road2London 2012 preparations.
• Pray for this time to be of great vision and encouragement to Chris Hughes from Oxford, Wouter and Jonathan from Holland and David & Ellen from Spain whom will be there as well from our area

Thanks so much for praying for us.  Lidia, Samuel, Josué, Lucia and I truly appreciate it. OneTeam with you in Jesus until the nets are full with Christ followers in every team, sport & nation,

Rubén, Lidia, Samuel, Josué & Lucía

On you Knees | October & Novenber 2011

Dear prayer warriors,

Thanks for your renewed care and support and for joining arms as one team. Let's stay toon and sharp "on our knees". Here's some "food" for your intercession. 

Please hold specially Lidia and the kids in your prayers. For Lidia's strength and safety for all of them, as I will be lots travelling until the end of November.

Knock hard on heaven's doors!

• Pray for our visit in Barcelona next October 13-15. Abraham and I will meet with Julio Pérez, Pastor at Betania Church, who's partnering with HBE as host in Barcelona and his leaders, and with Jonathan, Michael & Jouke (AIA Netherlands) & Eduardo Souto (Agape Spain), preparing the way for 2 stint girls from Holland coming to Barcelona (Francine & Jessie)

• Pray for our AIA Spain team meeting at Agape Spain annual conference next Oct 28-Nov1 in Girona.

• Pray for our AIA European and global delegates at International Sports Coalition ACE (Athletes, Cities and Events) Nov 9-15, and AIA Int'l meetings Nov 6-8, both at Orlando. Pray for safety, the sacrificed families, and productive strategic and partnership developments.

• Pray for significant outcomes for synergy and development as many AIA leaders will be representing their national leadership teams gathered at Agape Europe RT Forum, next November 15-19 in Girona as well.

• Pray for Abraham (2nd year) and Pablo, interns with AIA IN Malaga, their development and confirmation as potential staff.

• Pray for AIA consolidation in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, UK, Greece & Italy.

• Pray for the steering and design teams that have will be advancing AIA European and globL involvement at HeartBeat Tallinn and Road2London.

• Pray for the HBE projects in several European cities fully in motion already some of them. Pray for the Dutch stints that are in application for Barcelona, Rome and London.

To Seoul, Korea, tomorrow!

Dear prayer warriors,

Thanks so much for your prayers.  Lidia, me and West European family of Athletes in Action truly appreciate them.  Tomorrow, I will head to Korea, to meet with the Global Leadership Council of Athletes in Action.  This is the team that Lidia and I have the privilege of serving with as the group leads the strategic future of Athletes in Action.  We meet twice a year.

The focus of our time will be:

*   To seek God's face together for the future of our ministry.  We will be spending 2 days praying on the mountains of Korea, one of those days will be in the DMZ as we look into a closed country and seek God's face for what part He wants Athletes in Action to play in reaching closed countries.

   *   Please pray that we would seek God well together, we would hear His direction for us, and we would worship Him together in spirit and in truth.

*   Continue to refine our strategy to reach our vision of seeing, Christ-followers on every team, in every sport in every nation.  Our GLC has identified 30 countries that we will have an intentional focus on over the next 2 years.  We are hoping to come out of our time in Korea with a clearer sense of what we will need to do to reach these countries.

   *   Please pray for God's wisdom as His plans are beyond ours.  Pray that we would be willing to have our faith stretched and do the work of planning, preparing and implementing.

*   To be a blessing to the ministry in Korea, both AIA and CCC, and some of our leaders from other countries in the region.  We will have  a special time with the Taekwondo in Action team on Sunday, Seoul Campus team on Monday, and AIA leaders from East Asia, Mongolia and Singapore through out the week.

   *   Please pray for hearts to encourage and serve our dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.

In addition to these things I would ask that you would pray for Lidia and I personally.  As I leave tomorrow. Please pray for her as she takes care of the kids by herself while I am gone.  Please also pray for me that God would grant me wisdom as I seek the Lord and seek to implement His direction for us.

Lidia and I are so thankful that we can team up with you to serve this family in Europe and worldwide that we get to serve.  We are thankful for each of you that pray for us, encourage us and support us.  Thanks for praying.

Until the nets are full,

Rubén & Lidia