Not this Summer

Well, it does not look like it is going to happen for us this Summer. As we looked at optional dates and even an optional country, we cannot make it work.

We concluded that it would not be prudent to attempt another entry into London so we began looking at Guatemala. After polling the guys it was apparent that very few would be able to fit another trip into their schedule. Most had planned new jobs and summer school to begin upon our return from the origional trip. So, we decided to begin looking forward to next year.

Advancing Native Missions will be reimbursing us for the trip. I will know the extent of that reinbursement when it arrives. But, we will have a great head start on next year's trip and all the guys who worked so hard to raise this money will be credited with what they raised, toward next year's trip.

It has been a wild ride and I have really enjoyed being able to express myself through this blog. This will be the last entry on "TIGERS IN LONDON", but, we have decided to continue utilizing this medium through the upcoming football season. Be sure to check out the website for the new link.

It has been a memorable summer, to say the least. Thanks to all who prayed and supported and thanks to all you guys who make what I do the most rewarding job on the planet.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

What's the weather like in Quatemala?

We were hoping to have something concrete by the end of the day today but, there are still some questions to be answered and obstacles to be overcome.

I just visited with Mike Twitchell of ANM and it appears that we are in agreement that another attempt at London might not be the most wise thing to do. With no guarantees that we would be admitted, and the paprework involved in obtaining work visas for an entire party, it just doesn't look like the prudent thing to do at this point.

Also, having heard from four of the players from the London trip, only one of the them can make the June 28-July 8 thing work. I am still awaiting word from the other seven players.

I believe if we could get at least half the guys originally scheduled available for the alternative dates, and ANM would reimburse for those who could not, we might be headed to Guatemala later this month. That would allow us to deposit funds designated for those who could not break loose now, for a possible trip next year.

If this does not work, ANM is raising funds now to reimburse the cost of the trip. This would return funds to our designated account here at ETBU and give us a great head start on wherever God leads us next year.

If you have not checked it out, the article in the June edition of "Christianity Today" is very interesting and will give you a perspective on what we encountered. It will also help you to understand the mounting opposition ministry based international travel faces today.

Also, if you didn't have a chance to catch the follow-up story on our London adventure on KLTV, you might want to take a look at it on their website; www.kltv.com. They did a good job of conveying the proper emphasis of the ordeal.

That's all the news today.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

We are not alone

Allan Thompson, our Director of the Great Commission Center here on campus sent me a copy of an article today from "Christianity Today" magazine that mirrors almost completely our experience. It is an account of the popular Christian singer Don Fransisco's encounter with immigrations at London's Heathrow airport. You have got to read it, page 13 in the June 2009 edition. Evidently there is a much larger movement afoot making it more difficult for Christian workers to enter most countries.

We should find out detail about the potential return voyage tomorrow. I have already heard from three of the guys who would not be able to go at that time so I am doubting it will happen this summer. It wouldn't be fair to those who couldn't go. But, we will wait and see what ANM proposes.

Reminder, tonight at 10:00 KLTV in Tyler will air the follow-up story non our trip. If you can't get the channel, check out their website tomorrow.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

We may have another shot

I heard from Mike Twitchell of ANM this morning and there is a possibility that we could return to London! The window is from June 28th to July 8. I have sent out emails to all the guys but if you are a relative or a friend of one, please help me get the word out.

Of course, the only way we would do this is if the vast majority could make it, and if our travel costs would be taken care of. I would not ask the guys to raise anymore money. I should hear from Mike with more details by Wednesday.

Also, Coleman Swierc of KLTV in Tyler will be here this afternoon at 4:00 for a post trip interview. He did the story before we left and would like to do a follow up. Keep checking the blog for the day it will air. If you can't get it live you can see it on their website.

We continue to get news almost daily, of the things our "semi-trip" to London is impacting. We have heard from several churches planning trips overseas who are adjusting and ammending their pre-trip training to avoid these sorts of issues. If all out ordeal does is prevent others from having to, i guess it has all been worth it.

Next time with more details.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

Thanks for the encouragement, Write a Congressman

It has really been incredible, the amount of encouragement and support we have gotten over these past two days. So many calls and emails expressing sadness for the way things turned out, while at the same time echoing the reassurance that God's plans were not thwarted.

Many have visited the blog, and I would encourage you to continue. Please sign in even if you do not comment, but please, by all means, let us hear your thoughts.

I have been in correspondence with John Bucchi of Advancing Native Missions over the past two days via email and telephone regarding any effects this might have on our passports and travel status. As far as we can tell, and according to what we were told while detained, there will be no negative consequences of this denial for future trips. We were assured that it was not, "deportation", simply denial to enter. We should not be on any blacklists and hopefully it will not cause any "flagging" in the future.

I have had reports of some of our parents writing and emailing congressmen, informing them of our situation. I think that if done with the proper attitude and with due respect, this could certainly bring about an awareness that could get some things changed. If you are so inclined, I would encourage you to do the same. Locally, two men I know would be interested are Louie Gomhert and Bryan Hughes. We had guys on the trip from all over the state and I would encourage you to help us make sure government officials from all those areas are aware of the difficulties we faced. If nothing else, just contact them and refer them to the blog.

Mr. Bucchi actually suggested that we look into trying to go back next week. That would be great but I had packed the summer schedule around this trip so tightly that I just can't pull it off. We are looking into July and early August to see if there would be any opportunity at all. It may just have to wait till next year, or at least till after the Stagg Bowl in December. You know, the Stagg Bowl, the Div. III National Championship game. We'll see, you just never know!

God bless and Go Tigers!!

I received a call yesterday from a member of the Advancing Native Missions board of directors expressing the agency's frustrations over what transpired and to thank our guys for the way they handled the ordeal. He informed me that through the many years they have been involved in this ministry all around the world, this was the first encounter they have had of this nature.

He was apoligetic for what we had endured but as our conversation continued, he quickly realized that he really had not known the full extent of what we were put through. He followed with an email requesting details for a scheduled board meeting in which our situation was at the top of the agenda. I directed him to the blog.

So, another potential positive to come from our experience will hopefully be the changes needed to keep this from ever happening again. I also think it will serve as a wake up call of sorts that things are changing in our world. It is quickly becoming a less hospitable place, especially when it relates to Christian activity.

One of the things that may have been lost in this whole turn of events is the work that we were scheduled to do at Elam. I hope you will join me in praying for Pastor Sam and that ministry, that God would provide the man power to complete the projects we were not allowed to. Pray for the continued harvest in Iran and the safety of those Elam students as they put it all on the line for the cause of Christ.

I will post one final entry when I receive additional information or reports on things that may have been a result of our trip. For those of you following our program, we have decided to continue utilizing the blog throughout next season. We feel it can be a great tool in communicating with parents and supports regarding program news, reminders, and announcements.

Also, anytime you check out our blog site, please sign in so we will have a better idea of the extent of its usefulness. Any comments you have, please feel free to post them.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

What now and What's next

After a somewhat normal night's sleep and having had a little time to reflect on our weekend, some things begin to come clearer and some still cause those feelings of frustration, disappointment, and even anger. It all seems like it was a dream, that I will wake up tomorrow and we will load up for the trip. But, I know that is not the case.

We begin today to put the events of the weekend in perspective, to squeeze every possible drop of positive out of them we can. To make sure that the we are able to learn all we possibly can from every encounter. To be able to see value gained even from the negative things we experienced.

We also begin today to watch and listen for God's purposes in what appears to us as a failed attempt. Some evidence may become obvious as events occur and things play out. Still so many other things that we may never know this side of heaven that our miniscuel appearance in God's grand scheme of things was intended to affect.

It's a bit like a scene I watched on the flight home from the Benjamin Button movie. You know, the one where he is born old, and gets youger as time passes. There was a scene in the movie that was read from his journal, in which he describes the unbelievable string of events and circumstances that came together that led to his marriage. He states how so many of these events that were so seemingly unrelated to one another, had become intertwined to produce this outcome in his life. He states how that if even one of these things had not occurred in exactly the proper time, the results would have been completely different. I think that is how we must see this entire ordeal.

We sometime lose sight of the fact that God is at work in every life at all times, not just ours. His infinite purpose for me could be being played out half way around the world involving people I may never meet. We could be playing the same role right now for countless others.

As I mentioned last time, we must do all that we are instructed and compelled to do while always trusting that God will orchestrate the circumstances to fullfil His plan.

But what an experience for our young men! Certainly I can see all the benefits to have been gained if we had stayed. But, we didn't. It is now time to make certain we not fail to focus on those opportunities to grow and learn while lamenting the things we may have missed.

Thanks again to all who have prayed for us. We are safely home with an experience we will never forget. And, chances are great that it has been for the purpose of preparing us for what is ahead in our lives individually, as a team, or on a larger scale, as believers in a world now firmly positioned against the ways of God.

Talk to you tomorrow.

God bless and Go Tigers!!

Frequent flyer miles the hard way...British beaurocracy will not relent

Well, we are back. Rolled into Marshall about 20 minutes ago. The galant efforts of diplomats, ministers, and govenment officials were not able to dent the resolve of the Immigrations Department at London's Heathrow Airport.

And galant they were. As I spoke directly to the Immigrations Supervisor this morning after returning to the airport for our early ride home. I was informed that several influential people had indeed made contact on our behalf but it proved to be to no avail. As I requested one final time to be granted at least a business day to generate the necessary paperwork for entry , the answer was, without hesitation, no.

So, we proceeded to add to our frequent flyer miles, departing at 10:50 AM London time for Houston. There we connected to DFW and from there home, thus ending a 58 hour period in which we were either in route to an airport, in an airport, returning from an airport, or airborne, for all but 9 of those hours. I cannot sleep on a plane so I realized a few moments ago that I have had 3.5 hours sleep since I awakened at 6:15 AM on Friday morning. The guys are in much the same mode, just younger. But at least we didn't see Seattle!

So, how do you assess a situation of this sort? Here is how I see it.

First of all, as believers who truly desire to see God's will accomlished, I mean really want His will to be done, we must have two principles of faith firmly established in our lives. The first is the understanding that, as His people, we are RESPONSIBLE to do all that we are instructed to do regarding the execution of His plan. Secondly, we must also have complete TRUST that His perfect plan will be accomplished regardless the opposition or seeming impossibility.

We have things set forth by God for us to accomplish and complete in the active pursuit of His will in all situations. There are preparations we must make, steps we must take in the process of faith. It is not a "hide and watch" approach that gets things done in God's Kingdom work. He expects us to get our hands dirty, to roll up our sleeves in doing all we know to do to ensure success.

We also must come to understand that He will accomplish His purposes regardless of opposition or conflict. We must realize that there is no power in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, that can compete with Him!

Therefore, as a believer who diligently seek, pursue, and perform what he or she believes His will to be and does not see it come to pass as he or she may have planned, there is always the peace that comes in knowing HIS WILL SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED! Just because it was not accomplished according to our plan, does not mean it was not accomplished.

So, I must believe that if God had wanted us there more than 48 hours you can rest assured we would have been. We did what was required to get ourselves in a position to be used and did all that was within our power to stay. We sent up prayers and petitions as we are instructed to do in scripture and still it did not occur. But, whatever God intended to occur, did occur. You can bet on that.

We may realize it tomorrow. We may see His purposes years ahead. Or, we may not know till we ask Him face to face. But I do know that if we; Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding , if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS!

Thanks to all of you who supported this effort. Thanks to all who prayed last night for our opportunity to stay. Thanks to all those faithful parents who have entrusted me with some of the finest young men on the planet, and thanks be to God who makes all things work together for our good.

I will continue this blog until we have finalized the plan for reimbursement from ANM on this trip. Mike has assured me that they will make things right for us financially and who knows, maybe next year....

God bless and Go Tigers!!

Coach Sartain

"The First Day Blues" of International travel

Well, I don't really know where to start other than to ask for a miracle that will allow us to remain here. Let me explain...

The flight was an uneventful 8.5 hours, most of it over the Atlantic. We arrived at London Heathrow airport at 8:30 AM London time, 2:30 AM CST beginning what looked at that point, to be an incredible day. We saw the sun rise over the Atlantic as we began our decent, and hit the ground to a beautiful sunny UK day. Little did we know that would be the last sunshine we would see for 12 hours!!! We were detained at immigrations and quickly became, "illegal aliens" and official detainees of the United Kingdom, thanks to an over efficious immigrations inspector and a change of policy enacted only three months ago. You just will not believe this.

Before I go any further, our prayer is for a miracle that would cause the immigrations office to allow us to stay. Numerous attempts have been made to reach our embassy. If something doesn't change we head home Sunday morning at 9:00 AM. We have been denied entry.

We arrived at the immigrations entry to the airport and, as you know if you have ever traveled internationally, you must present your passport and disclose your reasons for and the extent of your stay. Ten of the thirteen members of our party were allowed in with no issues, but the last three of us were routed to a different inspector who proceeded to interigate us extensiveley as if he could not believe we were coming to a foreign country to offer our services to a minisrty for free. It was almost as if he had been assigned to oppose us and seemed to really enjoy his position of authority over the big American Christian football players.

As the conflict intensified, I produced papers explaining our mission and providing them with contacts with Advancing Native Missions as well as Elam, our place of service. Unfortunately that must have prompted the recollection of the three month old policy that requires all foreign visitors entering Great Brittain for work, voluntary or not, to either have a valid work visa or a letter of sponsorship through a registered agency.

We had neither, mainly because our trip was planned before the policy change occurred and ANM was not made aware of the need to be registered and issue letters of sponsorship. So they proceeded to mug shot and search us and our luggage, finger print and interrigate us while in lockdown under guarded observation. Sounds like fun huh!

Finally, at the seven hour mark of our introduction to British beaurocracy, we were finally informed that we could not stay. Efforts had not been successful in obtaining the necessary documents for our legal entry. And here is the really good part. Their initial solution was to wisk us to a terminal for the next avaiable flight to the U.S. , which would take us to SEATTLE, WASHINGTON where it would be the airline's option as to how we got from there back to Texas!!

I know this is already too long but you just have to hear this.

Of ourse, I protested. bad call Mr. Official. Just so happened it was an immigration official. As I attempted to explain to the assitant who had been sent to deliver the message, just how rediculous that would be to expect of this group, I realized I was making no progress, burned a time-out to speak to the referee. And Praise God for shift change!! The supervisor who had just come on duty actually listened to learn our story. I think his name was Charles.

Charles actually came to us in detention and heard me out. He eventually agreed that Dallas via Seattle and was indeed, "a bad plan". He went to work for us, not at record speed mind you, but he did go to work.

Charles promptly returned...an hour later to inform us we could wait till morning and did not need to see the Great Northwest. He then did something we had not seen all day, he actually volunteered an act of compassion. He said he would allow us to get a hotel if we would promise to return for our departure on Sunday morning. Of course, they kept our passports, and of course it took another 2.5 hours to do the paperwork for our release.

I finally made contact with Mike Twitcell, our ANM rep and we are now staying at Elam where we were suppose to be. Our flight leaves at 9:00 AM, unless we get the miracle. We made it here around 9:30 PM and WOW, what a cool place and incredible people! I so hope God allows us to stay. More about that later.

Now for the good part.

Through it all, these young men were absolutely incredible. Never rude, negative, or disespectfull. Always laughing, complying, and overwhelming these people with their manner and attitude. I am so proud of them. Never a complaint, never a display of anger or frustration, (wish I could say the same for me), they quickly won over every Britt that would pause long enough to speak.

At about the 5 hour mark, just before we were told we had to leave, I was compelled to share what I had planned to share tonight in an evening devotional. I Corinthians 2:14 ; "But praise be to God who continually puts us on display for Christ, and through us, spreads the smell of Him everywhere we go". I just wanted the guys to realize, that if we are forced to leave, He has already, "put us on display", and they had been faithful to "smell up the joint for Jesus"!

We were able to develope an especially sweet bond with Lindsey and Ken, the two security people assigned to us during our confinement. They simply could not resist the guys infectious manners and humor, and were somewhat overwhelmed to see the attitude they took toward the whole matter, throughout it's duration.

As they went off shift just before we got sprung, We had an opportunity to share with them the real reason for the attitudes they saw in us. We were able to share with them, that if we did have to return home in the morning, that God had arranged this whole trip so we could meet and share this with them. We gave them a Tiger Football T shirt and with hugs and blessings, our guys said goodbye. Who knows what seed may have been planted.

Well, around 9:30 we finally got Elam, a stunning 150 year old English hunting manor on 19 acres of the most beautiful European country you can imagine. Just before dark we got the tour. I do hope we get to stay. I will need to describe it to you more later. We met the Pastor, staff, and the leadership of the previous team. Such an incredible group of believers. It would be such a blessing for these guys to get to spend the week with them.

Around 10:00 we were taken to a genuine, authentic English Pub for supper. Not what you think. Here, they are absolutely the best places to eat and anything but the ideas many of us have about the atmosphere and patrons.

Well, it is 1:00 AM Sunday morning here and I have been awake since 6:15 AM Friday morning. It is for that reason I ask you to excuse mispelling and micues, etc... The guys are in London. The staff here believe our miracle will happen, but they want to make sure these guys at least get to see a few sites.

Pray that God's will be accomplished. He never misses and never wastes anything his children go through. Pray that the dozens of attempts today to reach our U.S. Embassy will yield a miraculous phone call or God just changes a heart!

God bless THE U.S.A., and Go Tigers!!

Coach Sartain