How much do I care?

New technologies have created limitless opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Trans World Radio utilizes many of these methods to reach untold millions of individuals, families, and communities every day. I am so thankful for new ways to shrink the gap between me and the rest of the world. However, I was overwhelmed recently with a sense of responsibility as well. Not so many years ago I could blame my apathy and inaction on the outrageous cost of traveling to distant lands or even the high price of a long-distance call to a different state. If a friend moved to another state or even to another town outside of my area code, I could count on not talking to her again except the rare case that I might visit her or she might visit me. I could always write letters, but life frequently got busy and she usually just faded from my memory, thoughts and prayers and was filed into the mental folder of “people I used to know.”

Now, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and the like, I probably quickly find out where that friend in California ate breakfast today and who she was with (there might even be a mobile uploaded picture as proof.) “So the world is flat. What’s the big deal? ” you may be wondering. Just the other night the big deal occurred to me. I am now able to minister to others that I might have mentally filed away. Each and every day many people post status updates, photo albums, tweets, blog posts, comments, etc… I believe that each of these is a silent request for someone to care about my world and what happens in it. You might say, “I just like to post things.” You might be right. Be just think. Would I spend any time writing this post if I knew that no one would ever read it or be affected by it? You see, I can now reach outside my “Christian bubble” each time I get online. The walls are being broken down. I might be afraid to walk up to someone I haven’t seen in years and begin a deep conversation with her, but I might not be as afraid to write on her wall or re-tweet a comment.

For this reason, I ask you to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to “…set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess” (I Peter 3:15, NET). Also, keep in mind that your testimony as a Christ-follower is on the line. With new technology comes the blessing of a higher level of accountability among believers but also a greater responsibility to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) as geographical borders become less of a limitation.

I would love to hear of some ways you have used new forms of technology to connect with others in a meaningful way to show others how much you care!

Reach Higher

Hey guys! Thanks to everyone for praying - we had a safe trip there and back. Also, our prayers were answered in every way possible. God provided travel protection (we nearly missed a flight - but made it just in time), clear vision, financial provision, Christian fellowship, and a very refreshing time as well.

Although we still have some more steps in the appointment process, God has shown us very clearly what our next step is. The ministry that is being accomplished from Bonaire is absolutely incredible. There are hundreds of house churches in Cuba that meet DAILY because of the ministry of TWR in that region. There are over 800,000 confirmed TWR listeners in Cuba and over 3.5 million in Venezuela. Over 3,000 pastors from Columbia owe their salvation and much of their Bible training to TWR as well. There are remote villages in the jungles of Brazil that meet DAILY to hear God's Word taught to them in their own language.

I believe that God calls every believer to serve Him wholeheartedly wherever he or she is. I also believe that God uses our past experiences and our passions to direct us in how we serve in ministry. The incredible ministry of TWR on Bonaire cannot be properly maintained or expanded without adequate staff. After meeting the staff currently serving there and seeing firsthand what God is doing there – we feel led to partner with them in spreading the Gospel message throughout that region. I (Brandon) feel that many of my passions, education, and experiences have prepared me to fill the need and work alongside other dedicated Christ-followers at the Bonaire station. He has prepared and equipped Laura to assist me in this service. We plan to proceed in pursuing this opportunity unless God directs us otherwise.

We covet your prayers and continued support in the coming months. Thanks again to all who have already been praying – please continue! And to those who have supported financially – Thank you!

We plan to keep you all informed as we progress through this process. Below, you will find a link to a video recently produced by TWR. It gives a glimpse of how anyone can use their talents, skills, passions, and abilities to serve the Lord throughout the world. Whatever you do – wherever you do it – do it to the glory of God! Thanks and may God richly bless each of you!


TWR Reach Higher Video on You Tube- Click Here!

What a mighty God we serve!

I wanted to take just one more opportunity to share just how good our God is. As many of you know, we were not yet fully funded for the trip when we left. We were confident that we were right where God wanted us, however, and He provided for and protected us completely through your prayers and generous financial gifts. We just received the final giving report and found that we not only met the goal, but exceeded it! The additional funds will give us a jump start when we begin the support-raising process after appointment. I know that there was a huge outpouring of prayer on our behalf during the trip, I appreciate your continued prayers in the days ahead.

Bonaire Update- Thursday, August 13, 2009

Bon Dia from Bonaire!

Thank you for staying updated with our family. Your prayers have been so meaningful during this time. Yesterday we were able to become more familiar with the island and also spent some time with a wonderful US-retired couple we met at the church on Sunday. They were very sweet and gave us lots of information about the area.

Today we are in more meetings at the TWR office. I plan to visit some more stores today. We are really trying to get familiar with what items would be important to bring and which items we would leave in the US.

More updates to come!

Bonaire Update- Tuesday, August 11, 2009

We had another very long, but insightful day today. Brandon spent the day at the office being briefed specifically on the role and expectations for the Business Administrator here. The Site Director has been quite busy performing the duties of about 5 people and would be extremely relieved to have some of these additional duties off his plate. As a Business Administrator a key part of Brandon's role would be to learn the Dutch language (along with the local language Papiamentu) and assimilate into the Bonairian culture to work alongside the local government and make sure that TWR-Bonaire is operating legally and in a way that is beneficial to Bonaire while still reaching the intended listening audience.

I spent most of the morning with the Site Director's wife familiarizing myself with shopping here. I was astounded by some of the prices. For instance, a gallon of fresh milk is close to $10. Fresh milk is imported onto the island from the US and has several taxes and duties added on top of the already high cost of shipping. This significantly raises the cost of living. However, there are other options available. Shelf-stable milk is available in boxed form and is a great alternative for a price much closer to those I am used to. While many American products are available, cost is prohibitive in most cases. There would be an adjustment to my shopping style, but with some flexibility and creativity some very healthy and tasty options are available.

Brandon and I have had a wonderful time getting to meet some of the people here. They have been very friendly. Stay tuned for some neat new words we have learned!

Update from Bonaire- Monday, August 10, 2009

Praise the Lord! Several other prayer and financial partners have come on board even throughout the weekend. God has provided $1,513 of the needed funding for this vision trip and we have been encouraged and protected by your prayers for us.

We had a safe flight to Bonaire, N.A. on Saturday. We had one close call with our connection in Miami going to Bonaire since the flight from Charlotte, NC was delayed. We were very thankful that we only packed carry-on luggage or else we might not have made it to check-in. However, we did arrive in time and God even worked our seating out for each flight so we were able to sit together (our original seating assignments were not near each other.) Additionally, God worked it out so we had exit row seating on two of the flights. What a blessing!

We had a wonderful time worshiping the Lord with the congregation at the International Bible Church of Bonaire on Sunday morning. Brandon sang "Amazing Grace" during the morning service and many church members shared that they were blessed. The pastor gave a very encouraging message on the many spiritual blessings through salvation in Jesus Christ and the Sunday School lesson was about Ezekiel. We were able to meet several Americans living on the island in addition to Dutch immigrants and local Bonaire residents or Antillians (from the Netherlands Antilles.) One of these Antillian families happened to be the family of a dear Liberty University graduate that I met a couple of years back. What a small world!

Today was absolutely packed with meetings and touring the TWR facility. We were able to get a much clearer idea of the vision and vast scope of TWR's ministry to the people of Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

We learned of many believers/pastors who rely on Trans World Radio-Bonaire's broadcasts for discipleship since they cannot afford or are unable to attend seminary. Some of these believers meet in groups each night for a 3 hour broadcast and afterwords discuss how God used it in their lives. God is giving people a hunger and thirst for the transforming power of His Word through this ministry. What a vital impact this location has.

We also learned of the great need for staff/missionaries here as well as the importance of funding to repair braces on the towers. Without repair, these 4 towers could collapse potentially costing millions to repair and leaving millions of listeners in the "dark."

We thank you for your continued prayers as God shows us His will for our lives and hope to update you as often as we have internet access.

Will you be 1 of 28?

We only need 28 more people to donate $10 each to complete the matching gift of $600. Will you be 1 of 28? It's easy online:

Go to https://www.twr.org/projekt/602
Missionary Name: Brandon and Laura Neal
Support Designation: Support Fund

See your $10 turn in to $20. It's not too late!

Prayer Points for the Days Ahead

Thank you for your many prayers and financial gifts as we continue to seek God’s face for His guidance and direction in our lives! Your faithful prayers have been instrumental up to this point, and we know that God will continue to strengthen us and protect us from the Devourer because of them.

We are getting ready to head to Cary, NC tonight and will fly out from Raleigh, NC tomorrow morning. We should arrive on Bonaire tomorrow evening. We have seen so many people rally around us during these days and feel so blessed by your many words of encouragement. We now have over 200 members staying updated on The Neal Family's Missions Updates Facebook group as well as several people who have committed to partner with us through prayer and financial gifts.

We do plan to continue to post updates at www.thenealnotes.blogspot.com and hope to even get the chance to post some while we are on Bonaire.

You can still sign-up to receive updates or partner with using the form on the right. We promise we won't sell your information or anything. Everything you fill in comes straight to us and is used only as you direct so we can keep in contact with you. We do have spaces available for daily prayer partners on August 9-15th. Additionally, there are still matching funds available. If you were planning to give, now is a great time to see your gift doubled through a generous donor's $600 matching gift.

Here are some specific ways you can pray for us in the days ahead.

Throughout the month of August-

• Pray that God would continue to make His will clear to us.
• Pray for strength and health during our busy month.
• Pray for safe travel during our trip to Bonaire, N.A. (August 8-15^th), visits with our partners, and candidate orientation in Cary, NC -TWR Headquarters at the end of August.
• Pray that Brandon will be effective and efficient at work and Laura will have energy to keep up with our very active son as well as other responsibilities at home.

During the week of August 8^th-15^th –

Pray for:

• Spiritual transformation in the lives of the many people who will hear the Gospel through TWR’s broadcasts
• Safe travel free of delays, missed flights, or baggage issues
• Safety and health for our son, Benjamin, who will be in Indiana with family
• A clear sense of God’s guidance and direction for the days ahead
• Increasing oneness of purpose and spiritual vitality as a couple
• Donors for TWR-Bonaire’s brace replacement project
• Health and few (or no) mosquito bites
• Many opportunities to be an encouragement to the missionaries already serving on Bonaire

We would also love to stay in touch with your family and to pray for any specific needs you may have. We can be contacted through Facebook, Twitter, our website, email, phone, mail, etc...

Thanks again for connecting with us.

The Neal Family

A Renewed Spirit

God gave us another blessed Sunday. This past Sunday we were able to fellowship with believers at First United Methodist Church of Hillsville in Hillsville, Virginia. Brandon sang specials in the two morning services and sang and shared in the evening service along with the church's praise band- Souled Out .