Ascent of a Lifetime Laborer
by Dean Ridings
God
is calling numerous men and women to Himself through U.S. Navigator
ministries on military bases across the country. Mike Darnell is team
leader of one such ministry, at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North
Carolina. The team's passion is to carry out the Navigator mission
among Marines: "reaching, discipling, and equipping lifetime laborers
to know Christ and make Him known through successive generations." The
following story illustrates this idea of spiritual generations.
Beginning the Ascent
"So where do you climb around here?" It was the summer of 1999, and with this question, Mike Darnell formed an immediate friendship with Chuck Trego, the unfamiliar Marine sporting a climbing T-shirt at the Camp Lejeune chapel.
"Cooks Wall," Chuck responded. Mike knew it well. He had grown up in the North Carolina foothills and frequented all the hot climbing spots within a four-hour drive. The two talked over coffee and donuts after the service. At Chuck's request, they met again the following Tuesday in the barracks.
Mike realized just how serious Chuck was about climbing when he saw the small climbing wall his new friend had constructed in his room. On another visit he noticed a copy of The Holy Spirit by R. A. Torrey and wondered how serious Chuck was about spiritual matters.
"I invited Chuck to meet with a group of Marines who get together Wednesday nights to read and talk about the Bible," says Mike, who's served with the Navigator military ministry for more than a decade. Chuck agreed, and Mike looked on as he and a couple Marine buddies discussed several Bible passages.
"It was clear that neither Chuck nor his buddies knew much about knowing Jesus personally," says Mike.
Finding a Foothold
In early church days, the apostle Paul taught Christians in Corinth an important principle about spiritual growth—one that is often reflected in Navigator ministries. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow," he said (1 Corinthians 3:6).
This is exactly what took place when Mike introduced Chuck to Jesse Cox, a recent arrival at New River Air Station in Jacksonville. Jesse was an experienced rock climber with a vibrant Christian walk.
Mike met Jesse in January 2000, when Jesse called out of the blue with a specific request: "I need a spiritual mentor." Jesse had been involved with The Navigators in Pensacola, Florida, when he was in training there to become a helicopter crew chief. Upon learning of his transfer north, Nav staff gave him Mike's phone number at Camp Lejeune.
In that initial phone conversation, it was evident to Mike that Jesse was a solid believer who, in Mike's words, "seriously seeks to know Christ and make Him known." In fact, Jesse grew up in Kenya as an "MK" (missionary kid) and decided to become a Marine when he returned to the States.
"So, what area of your spiritual life do you feel needs help?" Mike asked when the two got together over lunch. Jesse responded immediately: "I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I don't really know how to communicate my faith with fellow Marines."
"Before he left my house that day," says Mike, "I taught Jesse about the Bridge Illustration." (The Bridge is a classic Navigator tool to share the Gospel.)
This proved to be a breakthrough for Jesse, who took no time putting the tool to good use with his friend Rob. After using the Bridge to illustrate to Rob God's love and plan, the problem of sin, God's remedy the Cross, and the need for a personal response, Rob's response was yes. They both learned a valuable lesson about God's timing; no sooner had the special class ended, than Rob was transferred to California.
Next Jesse shared the Bridge with his roommate, Grant, who also asked Jesus to be His Bridge. Today he's growing in Christ, with Jesse walking alongside him via e-mail since his roommate's transfer.
Scaling the Heights
Meanwhile, Jesse's passion for rock climbing made him a natural to be hooked up with Chuck. Mike remembers how the Lord orchestrated it all.
"Chuck desperately wanted to go climbing, but I couldn't get away," says Mike. "So I connected Chuck with Jesse, entrusted my equipment to them, and off they went.
"I don't have full details of Chuck and Jesse's conversations on the trip," Mike says, "but I recall Chuck saying that he had never understood things about Jesus like he did after that time with Jesse."
The equipment worked fine, and the climbing trip went off without incident. Yet one spiritual rescue did take place that weekend: The Lord used Jesse to save Chuck's life for eternity.
Since then Chuck has become an eager participant at Navigator Bible studies. In fact, Chuck soon started taking part in the Nav outreach group so he could learn how to share his newfound faith with fellow Marines.
"I'll never forget the first night Chuck came to our outreach meeting," says Mike. "Less than six months earlier I was chasing him around from barracks to barracks, and now here he was joining us to talk with other Marines about Jesus! My heart was exploding with praise to God."
Mike matched Chuck with David Walters, a former Marine he mentored in the early nineties, who is now part of the Camp Lejeune ministry team along with his wife, Kathy. "David is well trained and competent in evangelism," Mike says, "so I paired him up with Chuck since it was Chuck's first time out."
That very night they went to the barracks and caught up with Joe, one of Chuck's friends. They introduced him to Jesus, and Joe made a personal commitment to Christ.
"Chuck was hooked!" says Mike. At Christmastime, Joe, now out of the Corps, sent Chuck a post card to say thanks and tell him he's had more impact on his life than anyone else.
Joining Base Camp
In July 2000, Chuck received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. He may have separated from the Marines, but he has recently returned to Camp Lejeune and the Navigator military ministry. Last month, Chuck entered Strike Force, a one- to two-year program that equips and provides practical ministry experience to people with a passion to share the Gospel with military personnel.
As a seasoned member of the Navigator ministry at Camp Lejeune, Mike explains that he has the rare privilege of seeing 2 Timothy 2:2 unfold before his eyes: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."
"I mentored David, David's mentoring Jesse, and Jesse's mentoring Chuck; that's what the Navigator vision is all about," says Mike. "How kind of God to allow me to physically see spiritual generations before my eyes."
Today, Mike says that the Camp Lejeune Navigator team is praying Psalm 67, and "crying out to God for laborers to be raised up to reach this generation"—lifetime laborers who know Christ and make Him known through successive generations.
Dean Ridings is senior editor of The Navigators. For information on the Military Ministry, visit www.navigators.org/military or write The Navigators, Military Ministry, P.O. Box 6000, Colorado Springs, CO 80934.
Beginning the Ascent
"So where do you climb around here?" It was the summer of 1999, and with this question, Mike Darnell formed an immediate friendship with Chuck Trego, the unfamiliar Marine sporting a climbing T-shirt at the Camp Lejeune chapel.
"Cooks Wall," Chuck responded. Mike knew it well. He had grown up in the North Carolina foothills and frequented all the hot climbing spots within a four-hour drive. The two talked over coffee and donuts after the service. At Chuck's request, they met again the following Tuesday in the barracks.
Mike realized just how serious Chuck was about climbing when he saw the small climbing wall his new friend had constructed in his room. On another visit he noticed a copy of The Holy Spirit by R. A. Torrey and wondered how serious Chuck was about spiritual matters.
"I invited Chuck to meet with a group of Marines who get together Wednesday nights to read and talk about the Bible," says Mike, who's served with the Navigator military ministry for more than a decade. Chuck agreed, and Mike looked on as he and a couple Marine buddies discussed several Bible passages.
"It was clear that neither Chuck nor his buddies knew much about knowing Jesus personally," says Mike.
Finding a Foothold
In early church days, the apostle Paul taught Christians in Corinth an important principle about spiritual growth—one that is often reflected in Navigator ministries. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow," he said (1 Corinthians 3:6).
This is exactly what took place when Mike introduced Chuck to Jesse Cox, a recent arrival at New River Air Station in Jacksonville. Jesse was an experienced rock climber with a vibrant Christian walk.
Mike met Jesse in January 2000, when Jesse called out of the blue with a specific request: "I need a spiritual mentor." Jesse had been involved with The Navigators in Pensacola, Florida, when he was in training there to become a helicopter crew chief. Upon learning of his transfer north, Nav staff gave him Mike's phone number at Camp Lejeune.
In that initial phone conversation, it was evident to Mike that Jesse was a solid believer who, in Mike's words, "seriously seeks to know Christ and make Him known." In fact, Jesse grew up in Kenya as an "MK" (missionary kid) and decided to become a Marine when he returned to the States.
"So, what area of your spiritual life do you feel needs help?" Mike asked when the two got together over lunch. Jesse responded immediately: "I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I don't really know how to communicate my faith with fellow Marines."
"Before he left my house that day," says Mike, "I taught Jesse about the Bridge Illustration." (The Bridge is a classic Navigator tool to share the Gospel.)
This proved to be a breakthrough for Jesse, who took no time putting the tool to good use with his friend Rob. After using the Bridge to illustrate to Rob God's love and plan, the problem of sin, God's remedy the Cross, and the need for a personal response, Rob's response was yes. They both learned a valuable lesson about God's timing; no sooner had the special class ended, than Rob was transferred to California.
Next Jesse shared the Bridge with his roommate, Grant, who also asked Jesus to be His Bridge. Today he's growing in Christ, with Jesse walking alongside him via e-mail since his roommate's transfer.
Scaling the Heights
Meanwhile, Jesse's passion for rock climbing made him a natural to be hooked up with Chuck. Mike remembers how the Lord orchestrated it all.
"Chuck desperately wanted to go climbing, but I couldn't get away," says Mike. "So I connected Chuck with Jesse, entrusted my equipment to them, and off they went.
"I don't have full details of Chuck and Jesse's conversations on the trip," Mike says, "but I recall Chuck saying that he had never understood things about Jesus like he did after that time with Jesse."
The equipment worked fine, and the climbing trip went off without incident. Yet one spiritual rescue did take place that weekend: The Lord used Jesse to save Chuck's life for eternity.
Since then Chuck has become an eager participant at Navigator Bible studies. In fact, Chuck soon started taking part in the Nav outreach group so he could learn how to share his newfound faith with fellow Marines.
"I'll never forget the first night Chuck came to our outreach meeting," says Mike. "Less than six months earlier I was chasing him around from barracks to barracks, and now here he was joining us to talk with other Marines about Jesus! My heart was exploding with praise to God."
Mike matched Chuck with David Walters, a former Marine he mentored in the early nineties, who is now part of the Camp Lejeune ministry team along with his wife, Kathy. "David is well trained and competent in evangelism," Mike says, "so I paired him up with Chuck since it was Chuck's first time out."
That very night they went to the barracks and caught up with Joe, one of Chuck's friends. They introduced him to Jesus, and Joe made a personal commitment to Christ.
"Chuck was hooked!" says Mike. At Christmastime, Joe, now out of the Corps, sent Chuck a post card to say thanks and tell him he's had more impact on his life than anyone else.
Joining Base Camp
In July 2000, Chuck received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. He may have separated from the Marines, but he has recently returned to Camp Lejeune and the Navigator military ministry. Last month, Chuck entered Strike Force, a one- to two-year program that equips and provides practical ministry experience to people with a passion to share the Gospel with military personnel.
As a seasoned member of the Navigator ministry at Camp Lejeune, Mike explains that he has the rare privilege of seeing 2 Timothy 2:2 unfold before his eyes: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."
"I mentored David, David's mentoring Jesse, and Jesse's mentoring Chuck; that's what the Navigator vision is all about," says Mike. "How kind of God to allow me to physically see spiritual generations before my eyes."
Today, Mike says that the Camp Lejeune Navigator team is praying Psalm 67, and "crying out to God for laborers to be raised up to reach this generation"—lifetime laborers who know Christ and make Him known through successive generations.
Dean Ridings is senior editor of The Navigators. For information on the Military Ministry, visit www.navigators.org/military or write The Navigators, Military Ministry, P.O. Box 6000, Colorado Springs, CO 80934.
