Wise Use of Money!

"Western money must be used wisely in world missions in order not to create damaging dependency. The assumption that the West is the banker for world missions comes from the period when Western Christians became the paymasters for missions. This went along with a condescending attitude toward non-Western Christians, which spread the disease of dependency. Dependency caused non-Western Christians to assume wrongly that they had nothing worthwhile to contribute to world missions. The apostle Paul knew that money must be used carefully for it to be a help and not a hindrance to God’s mission (1 Corinthians 9:14-16). Consequently, he created no dependency either on himself or on funds he could raise."

(Robert Reese. "Best Mission practices for the 21 century" Christian Standard, November 29,2009. pg844-45)

Economical Church Planting Is Possible! Abandoning Western Church Planting Ideas!

"Mission methods must be cheaply reproducible for maximum effectiveness. Americans have developed expensive methods that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. In fact, we have come to rely so heavily on borrowed money that many churches are seeing declining contributions to missions because of needing to repay loans for expensive buildings. Such luxuries did not characterize the early church, which had no buildings for the first couple of centuries. For Christianity to spread rapidly throughout the world, missions need to return to sustainable methods that do not require huge sums of money for success."

(Robert Reese. "Best Mission practices for the 21 century" Christian Standard, November 29,2009. pg844-45)

Reachable! Bible Translation & Language Learning Pays

The Taliabo Story!

Why Complicate Church Planting? Just tell the story!

".... the oldest man in the room, about 70 years old, spoke up: `We planted 40 churches this past year.'
That blew me away! I crossed the room and sat at his feet. ~Brother, I need to learn from you. Teach me about church planting.'
He looked puzzled an replied, `It's not hard. Every morning my great niece reads to me from the bible for one hour - I can't read so she reads for me. Then I think about what she read until lunch. I think about what it means and what God wants our family to do. When everyone comes in from the field for lunch, I tell them what God said through His Word to our family. Then I tell them to tell everyone they know what God said to out family that day. And they do. That's all.'" (Bhojpuri man from North India)

(" A Movement of God Among the Bhojpuro" David L Watson & Paul Watson. Perspectives on the World christian Movement. William Carey library, Ralph D winter, 2009, pg 699)

How Repeatable is our Strategy for Poor Nationals?

“The churches that the apostles and Paul planted were, for the most part, light and lean `House churches’ without a great deal of institutional trappings… The most effective missionaries are multiplying churches which are very simplified.”

Stephen Hawthorne (Perspectives On the World Christian Movement Study Guide, William Carey, 2009, pg 50)

Principles our mission measures every strategy by. Every Plan must be;

1) Simple: Any plan must be easily remembers and orally repeated on no more than five fingers, without writing it down. If a 500 page church planting manual is required it's to complicated for a country with an adult literacy rate of 13%.

2) Economical/Cost Effective: Local Christian's often can't afford cars, and motor bikes, amps and speakers, or projectors. On a strategy "wagon wheel" we westerners are only one spoke(of 5 or 6) supporting no more than any other spoke, of the required participation to make a plan happen. If it requires more than the spokes can offer, the plan is scrapped for one that is economical enough. We are not willing to drain all the resources on one church plant. It must be economical enough that we can be planting many at the same time.

3) Easily Repeated: By this we mean a plan for church planting should be the plan for the whole body. Not just church leaders. Literate or not, young or old, the plan must work for ordinary church members too. We practice the "Priesthood of All Believers" Every plan must be simple and economical enough that church members look at what we are doing and say. "Hey, I can do that!" "Hey, I have something to offer here!" A can do spirit is developed within the whole body. Sharing the gospel and gathering people into churches is not merely the task of "leaders" or "Elite Professional", the commission is for all.

How Should Missionaries Choose Their Standard of Living?

"Adapting oneself to a new culture and worldview is never easy, and it does not happen automatically. Due to globalization, in many large cities of the world missionaries have the option of living in a quasi-Western bubble. They shop in Western-styled grocery stores, wear up-to-date Western fashions, maybe even take their kids to McDonalds on a regular basis.
The unpleasant truth is missionaries who uncritically follow this kind of lifestyle are unlikely to become bi-cultural.
However, rather than picking on the obvious extreme cases, this should serve as a reminder to all of us that we need to stop letting transnational corporations dictate our behavior. A missionary’s choice of lifestyle is just that—a choice—and one that we should be much more deliberate about since it sets the tone for much of what goes on in the rest of our ministry. I am not asserting it is morally wrong for missionaries to live a thoroughly Western lifestyle in the Majority World—this is not my call to make. But I am saying that such a choice can be massively harmful to the cause of Christ because it distorts the meaning of the gospel."

("Decoupling Missionary Advance From Western Culture",Gene Daniels, EMQ OCT 2009, pg422)

How Missionaries Dress is a Critical Choice!

I have been there as a former minister. You get to the mission field and are so delighted to be free from wear a suit and tie. However, there are often the equivalents in new cultures. More than that, there categories of deficiency we need to learn in the host culture. Like it or not we must adapt. Here is a great illustration

"I know a hard-working missionary who had some success in winning young college men to Christ in a small Muslim city. He is well aware of the need to apply biblical insight and sound theology to his goal of developing local leadership for the church he is planting. However, he seems completely unaware of the strange spectacle he makes of himself as he bicycles around this same town in a helmet and bright-colored spandex bike-wear. Furthermore, the sight of his mountain bike and culturally inappropriate clothing is just one facet of his lifestyle that screams of contemporary Western culture. Despite several years on the field, he seems completely unaware that his behavior is providing his Muslim neighbors with irrefutable evidence that the gospel and “offensive Western culture’ are one and the same. The real problem is not his choice of attire, but that he is unintentionally confirming the warning repeated in mosques across Central Asia that Christianity represents a horrible clash of cultures and must be avoided at all costs."
("Decoupling Missionary Advance From Western Culture",Gene Daniels, EMQ OCT 2009, pg422)

Testimony Steve Saint End of The Spear

Testimony Steve Saint End of The Spear (Get some tissue!)

Avoiding Dependancy Good Example!

Avoiding Dependency (Example of Waodani - Beyond The Gates of Splendor)

Reasons for Global Mission Celebration...... Yet!

"As we come to the present day we have to be stunned by the magnitude of the movement to Christ. Never  before have so many people followed Christ. Never before has Christ been named in so many languages and obeyed faithfully in such a myriad of cultural styles. Never before has Christ been so viciously hated or His servants so widely persecuted. Yet never before has Christ been so openly worshiped."

(Perspectives on The World Christain Movement: Study Guide, Steven Hawthorne. William Carey Library, 2009, pg93)

Can we Pray or Sing "God Bless ........" All Nations?

"We in the west still struggle with cultural superiority. We are indoctrinated to believe that living in America is the best possible option. We are told that this nations is (or was) a God-fearing nation and that is why we sing, `God Bless America' but do we think or pray or sing, `God Bless China" or India or Saudi Arabia? This can make adjustment to another place difficult"

(In Pursuit of Effective Models of Mission". Greg H Parsons, Missions Frontiers, Sept-Oct 2009 pg49)

What Are "People Movements"

Excellent video explaining the concept of "People Movements".

"Sink" Yourself for God overseas? "Staying Power" ?

"Are we becoming short of missionary perseverance today? By all means let us acknowledge the value of short-term missionary assignments and see the divine purpose in many of them. But where are those who are ready to `sink' themselves for God overseas? Under the Lord's direction, let us look full in the face at such problems as missionary children's education and changing missionary strategy; but if men are to be won, believers truly nourished, and churches encouraged into the fullness of life in Christ, a great deal of `missionary staying power' of the right sort is going to be needed."

(Europe's Moravians. Colin Grant. Perspectives 4th edition, 2009, Ralph Winter, William Carey Library. pg293)

Becoming a Missionary Doesn't Make One a Hero -Just Obedient?

" A.C. Thompson, one of the main 19th century recorders of the early history of the Moravian missions, wrote:

• `So fully is the duty of evangelizing the heathen lodged in current thought that the fact of anyone entering personally upon that work never creates surprise...It is not regarded as a thing that calls for widespread heralding, as if something marvelous or even unusual were in hand.'

...Rev, Ignatius Latrobe, a former secretary of the Moravian missions in the United Kingdom during the 19th century, wrote:

• `We think it is a great mistake when, after their appointment, missionaries are held up to public notice and admiration and much praise is bestowed upon their devotedness to their Lord, presenting them to the congregations as martyrs and confessors before they have even entered upon their labours, We rather advise them quietly to set out, recommended to the fervent prayers of the congregation....'

No Clamor, no platform heroics, no publicity, but rather an ardent, unostentatious desire to make Christ known wherever his name had not been named."

(Europe's Moravians. Colin Grant. Perspectives 4th edition, 2009, Ralph Winter, William Carey Library. pg292

Mission is Trully "WORLD" Mission!

"Every human being who has a physical or spiritual need is a valid mission field for those who desire to incarnate the love of Jesus regardless of were they live."

(The State of the Gospel. Jason Mandryk. Perspectives 4thed 2009, Ralph D. Winter, William Carey Library, pg 366)

Which country has the most efficient missionary-sending church?

"One might guess Korea (16,000), the Philippines or Norway...But the surprising fact is that Mongolia tops the list as the most efficient missionary sending country. One out of every 222 Mongolian believers serves with a mission organization. In fact, of the entire global Protestant community, the most efficient missionary-sending countries are not wealthy ones....If Mongolia can send one missionary for every 222 believers, other countries are without excuse."

("The state of the Gospel" Jason Mandryk, 2006 speech -Perspectives, 4th ed 2009 Winter, William Carey Library, pg 365)

Hudson Taylor's Missionary Training Method!

"My Beloved parents neither discouraged nor encouraged my desire to engage in missionary work. They advised me, with such convictions, to use all the means in my power to develop the resources of body, mind, heart, and soul, and to wait prayerfully on God..... I Began to take more exercise in the open air to strengthen my physique. My feather bed I had taken away, and sought to dispense with as many other home comforts as I could in order to prepare myself for rougher lines of life. I began also to do what Christian work was in my power, in the way of tract distribution, Sunday-school teaching, and visiting the poor and sick, as opportunity afforded."

(The Call to Service in "Retrospect" Hudson Taylor 1865, Perspectives, R.D Winter. pg320, 2009, 4th Ed. William Carey Library.)

Enough Mission to Do At Home! Why Bother with other nations?

"That there are thousands in our own land as far from God as possible, I readily grant, and that this ought to excite us to ten-fold diligence to our work, and in attempts to spread divine knowledge amongst them is certain fact; but that it ought supersede all attempts to spread the Gospel in foreign parts seems to want proof."

(William Carey, 1792. An Enquiry Into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. Perspectives,Ralph Winter, 4th edition 2009, William Cary Library pg314)

Mission Helps "Disentangle the Irrelevant" ?

“One keen observer is convinced that 100 million middle-class Hindus await the opportunity to become Christians – but There are no churches for them to join which respect their dietary habits and customs. Is the kingdom of God meat and drink? To go to the special efforts required by E-2 and E-3 evangelism is not to let down the standards and make the gospel easy- it is to disentangle the irrelevant elements and to make the gospel clear. Perhaps everyone is not able to do this special kind of work.”

(The New Macedonia. Ralph D. Winter. Perspectives, 4th edition, 2009, William Carey library pg 356)

Mission Aiding Peoples to Play Their Unique Instrument

I personally have come to believe that unity does not have to require uniformity…healthy diversity in human society and in the Christian world Church. I see the world Church as the gathering together of a great symphony orchestra where we don’t make every new person coming play a violin in order to fit in with the rest. We invite the people to come in to play their won instruments, and in this way there will issue forth a heavenly sound that will grow in the splendour and glory of God as each new instrument is added.

(The New Macedonia. Ralph D. Winter. Perspectives, 4th edition, 2009, William Carey library pg 357)

God is NOT Colorblind. But He is Very Colorful!

"A shift in the epicenter for world mission occurred around 2005. The 3rd world, our mission fields, are now the majority voice in world mission, and the majority voice in world kingdom affairs for the church. The church of Jesus Christ has expanded so globally that ethnocentric westerners, for the first time, must sit down and listen to other nations, and watch what unfolds as our God is glorified, and the Kingdom is expanded, from the roots of other nations, languages, and peoples.

For example. The Unity movement seeking to promote dialogue between all three lines of Restoration Movement tradition (Non-instrument, Disciples, and Christian churches - see World Convention.org) reminds us that all three share a common heritage around the content of "The Declaration and Address". It is still our vision for a united body under Christ. Certainly, there are differences.

However, interestingly, this movement is now reflecting the colorful global reality. The current president of World Convention, B. J. Mpofu, is a native of Zimbabwe Africa. The majority voice of the restoration movement is now rising from the nations, other peoples, languages and ethnic groups of the globe. Exciting times! I praise God for his colorful work!

We should be humbled as we see God raising up a new wave of global "Passion", surprising as it may be to some, among other peoples and languages of the earth. We for too long have though that we are in control of God's purposes of uniting a people in worship of his glory. God is moving on to the nations with us, and is some cases without us. Find Him there, and join him please!
I relish the international flavor of our movement. It's good to see Africa and Asia at OUR Table, only to realize it is now predominantly their table.

Is God Colorblind? God is not colorblind, but He is colorful. He craves the unique worship that only each unique tribe, language, people and culture can give him. God loves, desires, relishes in, and actively seeks out, the colorful variety of worship from the diverse nations. So the next time you see youth "Popppin"worship with some new form of christian music, or some Asian native in colorful dress swaying or dancing as he worships, or some Africans playing drums very enthusiastically in worship, just remember this; maybe "I don't like that", but who cares! Let's both be quite. You and I are not the measure of all things. God is colorful, and He desires to receive the unique kind of worship that only each generation, culture, language, tribe or ethnic group can bring, only they can bring it, to HIM. To God be the Glory!"

(Quote from Writings of A... R... West Africa.)

"Western Christianity? Nothing Western About Christ Anymore!

"It is heartening to see the Majority World missions enthusiastically embracing the Great Commission. Korean churches were among the first to pioneer among the peoples along the old Silk road (They wish to follow it back reaching all unreached peoples and back into Europe). Churches in China have long pursued a vision of doing their part in completing the task if world evangelization in accord with the `Back to Jerusalem' movement, focused on the remaining unreached people groups in Asia and the Middle East. Nigerian mission movements have pledged to meet the Chinese in Jerusalem as they evangelize across Islamic North Africa and the Middle East. Latin Americans are major players in Evangelizing the peoples of North Africa."

(“New Pioneers Leading the Way”, Yvonne Wood Honeycutt. Perspectives On the World Christian Movement. Editors Ralph D. Winter & Stephen Hawthorne. William Carey Library 2009, pg 281)

The Great Commission Loses Meaning for the Church of the West?

"(There)..... is the vast ignorance of its own members about the texts and traditions of their faith. A clergy friend of mine put on their calling card “Great Commission minded.” When his spouse gave that card to a friend who was in trouble, she looked at it and said, “It says here that you are Great Commission minded. How big a cut do you take of the offering?”

(So Beautiful. Leonard Sweet. David C Cook, 2009. pp37)

Mission Is Leading People to Discover The "True"

" Every lurch forward in the christian tradition springs from the recovery of the true, not the discovery of the new"

(So Beautiful, Lenonard Sweet. David C. Cook, 2009, pp29)

Supporting Nationals & The "Unspoken" Issues

"Many mission societies still hire national workers to evangelize the unreached. These men know their culture, are expert in the local language, can survive on a minimal salary, and are extremely mobile. But the credibility gap that exists between their lives and message is often severe. The non-Christian tends to regard such “agents” merely as paid employees of the foreigner. They have no more status than a medicine salesman. Preaching is looked upon as a profession, not a passion for which no sacrifice is too great. It is all too easy for the Muslim to sneer at and ridicule such paid evangelists."

(Muslim Evangelism, Phil Parshall Gabriel Publishing, 2003, pp199)

I will simply add that this is a reality in Africa where we pioneered new churches and a new grassroots leadership training program. There is this authoritarian "power pastor" mentality deeply rooted on the continent of Africa that I despise as very non-biblical. Character and integrity is questionable in many leadership training candidates.

I have often been criticized deeply by other missionaries for sharing this. They begin to questioned the "True conversion" of the men we worked with, or the methods we use. But they simply had their head in the sky. We began training 68 various men over the years, and came down to a handful to lead the 15 churches we planted. Even many of them still have issues. I will spare you. This is not the exception, this is the norm in all the churches in the country of all stripes. We simply knew the truth for our training program not at an institute, but decentralized into the bush near the people and villages. We hung in hammocks and ate with these men and we were among their people often. We knew the truth and sought to work with them with the truth of the situation. One missionary who was critical of this "situation" was simply unaware of the life of the few men he worked with. How do I know you ask? Members of his churches would come and speak to me about the conduct of their leaders because they were discouraged by it. I never bothered to share this with this fellow missionary. He simply refused to see.

Having explained the reality, this is not to suggest that there are not many godly men doing a great job. I know many. However as Leonard Sweet commented about the west;

"It is less that Western Christianity needs a course correction than a character correction." (So Beautiful, David C cook, 2009 pp38)

The same is true on the mission field where I served also in Pioneer work, not 2nd or 3rd generation works.
Every trained leader in our churches are self-supported farmers, carpenters etc.

What is Church Planting? (WEC)

Are we to Reform cultures as missionaries?

"We are not here to transform or reform someone else's culture. Culture is not to be conquered, or converted, but incarnated, inhabited, and impregnated with the seed of the gospel....Jesus disciples are like water: We can take the shape of whatever person or culture we are without losing the essence of who we are. Like all water, we turn bad by standing in one place and not being in motion in mission."

(So Beautiful. Leonard Sweet, David C Cook Pub, 2009, pp182,3)

God as Father Is Not One of 101 Islamic Names for God

"The Muslim faithful have 101 names for God. They are missing only one: Father! This is our treasure."

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, 2003 installation address in Rome. (www.opusdei.us/art.php?p=6908)

The Mission Invitation Is To Come Encounter Jesus

"All lives are changed that encounter Jesus the person. Evangelism is a Spirit-led encounter with the resurrected Christ. The same can be said of teaching, preaching, play, fellowship, sacraments, worship, justice, and all the other `church' activities. Unless we are pointing to Jesus, introducing and helping others to encounter this Word-made-Flesh who challenges our core assumptions, engages with us in unexpected ways, and turns our lives bottoms up, then we are not functioning as a church."

("So Beautiful". Leonard Sweet. David C. Cook Pub, 2009, pp 104)

Warning! Can Community Development Offer Ease & Comfort at the Expense of Relationships?

"South African pastor Fourie Vandenberg tells of leading a mission trip to the north of Namibia. The first thing the team noticed in the local kraal (Village) in which they were staying was that the women had to walk every day to a well with a huge heavy bucket on their heads to fetch water..
`We immediately decided to do something about it.'
Within two weeks flashy new water pipes were delivering water to every little hut in the kraal.
Within a week after the installation of the plumbing the villagers removed all the pipes and piled them politely on the out skits of the kraal.
When Fourie asked why they had plundered the plumbing and undone all their hard work, the Namibians explained that it is customary for the women to walk to a well with other women sharing their experiences about life. Carrying heavy buckets on the head while chatting with friends:`It's not a bad thing: it's a good thing.'
When the walk to the well was taken away and life was made `never so good,' life was really made ever so difficult."

(So Beautiful. Leonard Sweet, David C. Cook Pub, 2009, pp 102)

Often times I feel we have things to save us time, just so that we can crazily run after other things, things that just don't matter much.

Relationally we end up cutting ourselves off from one another. For example; eating a meal together in many cultures, and throughout history, was/is a deep meaningful event. It communicates unity, acceptance, shared journey, relationship. Now we view eating as something to get out of the way quickly, so we can run off and do something "productive". We take both hands and shove a sandwich in, wash it down with some coffee, and run.

We have lost the spiritual importance of feeding our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and inviting others into proximity with this temple, by sharing a relaxed meal around a table in conversation.
Relationship always trumps stuff.
Relationship always trumps lists.
Relationship always trumps production.
Well at least in a dream world.

Oh How I miss the relational elements of Africa some days.

The "Missing Link" for the "People" of South Sea Islands

In 1833 Charles Darwin went to the South Sea Islands looking for the so- called "missing link." As he studied the cannibals who lived there, he concluded that no creatures anywhere were more primitive, and he was convinced that nothing on earth could possibly lift them to a higher level. He thought he had indeed found a lower less developed Level of humanity. That would fit his theory of I evolution.

Thirty-four years later Darwin returned to the same islands. To his amazement he , discovered churches, schools, and homes occupied by some of those former cannibals. In fact, …..Many frequently gathered to sing hymns.

The reason was soon learned: Missionary John G. Paton had been there proclaiming the truths of Salvation! Darwin was so moved by their transformation that he made a generous contribution to the London Missionary Society. Darwin's "missing link" thus remained missing. -Henry G. Bosch

Is the Devil Ignoring You?

"I believe hat the enemy divides all people into two categories; those
he can ignore and those he has to fight. I want to be one of those that
he has to fight."

(Robert Logan & Tom Clegg. "Releasing Your Church's Potential" regal 1997, pp 4-12)

Gandhi &The Power of the Scriptures

"You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more
than a piece of good literature."

(Mohandas Gandhi)

Missions Is Deeper than "Going"

Most people tend to think that missions is all about getting people to the field. This is an important part of the picture, and we do work vigorously to mobilize people to go. But the vital thing is to be doing the most strategic work in the smartest way possible. You can work very hard to get a lot of people to climb a ladder only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall. The Cause of Christ needs good information and good strategies in order to succeed.

(Rick Wood, Mission Frontiers. March-April 2009, pp4)

36 Km of pure Humility. I Cried Like a Baby Last Night!

36 km that humbled me Last night

Got this email from a co-worker in Africa - Eugene is on the right. Taught the guy many times, and know his home village of Bebou like the back of my hand. Here is the story about what his "Mentally Handicapped brother did after the leaders Graduation yesterday where Eugene graduated as a church leader.

"After all was over and we were taking picture after picture after picture, a guy showed up looking really angry and covered with sweat (Left). It looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water on him. It was quite amazing. Wisdom brought him to Eugene and had me take their picture together. The guy acted a little strange and didn't say a word. Then I realized it was Eugene's brother. I've always heard that he has Down's Syndrome. Looking at him, I don't think that's the case, but he's obviously mentally challenged or however you say that in PC terms these days......Anyway, Eugene's brother walked the 36 kms from Bébou yesterday morning to be there for Eugene's graduation. That's why he was so sweaty. He missed the whole thing but he didn't care. He grabbed Eugene right after this picture and started sobbing crying "Pastor!" "Pastor!" It was really really touching. Eugene just hugged him and told him it was okay and he was glad he was there and to stop crying. Bless his little heart. 36 kms on foot in blazing sun to see his brother become a pastor. That's love, disabled or not."

Had A Nice Relaxing Archery Day!

I know, I need to relax more. It's easy to see from this blog that I need some things to do besides work. Well I dug out my Sons Parker Wildfire XP 60 lb compound bow and slapped a few arrows in the bag. Boy that sure was relaxing. I was not in the mood for variety so just kept shooting at 30 yards. Hitting 4 inch circles too :-) Not bad for the first time out since last fall.

Anyway, it has been a long time dream of mine to Archery hunt. as a Youth I hunted and trapped avidly, walking a 7.5 mile trap-line in the woods every day, rain (snow)or shine, September to late November. Besides being good exercise, I really got to enjoy the intricacies of various terrain in the forest. Wet areas, that most avoid, are the most interesting areas. Cool fungus growths, interesting animal's, plants, and animal behavior in swampy areas.

While I was out shooting, I got to thinking how I never actually got around to ordering my own bow last spring. I went inside and check out National Archery Supply and I nabbed a sweet Bowtech Factory clear out. A 2008 Bowtech TomKat for a whopping 45% discount.

They are setting up and tuning my TomKat it to my personal specs right now. 70 lb at 29 inch draw, with a D-loop. They are tuning some custom carbon arrows in 100 grains. The TomKat shoots a whopping 318 ft per second. Anyway, can't wait for it to arrive next week.

After I ordered I had my usual guilt. All hungry children in the world issues (You know me). I spent the rest of the day figuring out how to tell Lynn. But she was gracious :-) I think she realizes hobbies get me off her back, and carrying less of the worlds problems on mine.

Anyway, it has been a life dream to do bow hunting for a deer and a moose. However, I think this fall we will try predator hunting right here on PEI for Coyote, and some grouse.

Also purchased a fletching jig and some replacement veins so my Son and I can re-fletch our carbon arrows and save some bucks.

Wish it was not raining today as I would be back out with the Parker at dinner time for a few shots again! Back to work.

NOT Called to Plant Churches?

“You might say `I’m not called to plant churches.’ Yes, you are! It’s always the will of God to have a people who worship His Son in the nations. You’ll never have to worry about making God mad if you try to plant a church. It seems crazy to me that people are under the delusion they need a special calling to save souls, to disciple them, and to get them together to love Jesus”

("Apostolic Passion", Floyd McClung. "Perspectives on the world Christian Movement", 1999, William Carey Library, Pasadena California . Pg 186c)

Waiting for a Mission Vision?

“If you can’t see very far ahead...go ahead as far as you can see.”

Dawson Trotman

("Skills for the Task". Greg H Parson, Mission Frontiers Jan-Feb 2009. Vol 31, No 1, Pg 30 USCWM)

First Irrigation Installed!

Here is the first Irrigation System installed. Running off a 5 Gallon (20L) bucket. Notice the garbage around the area? Yep this is where we had to scrap out a plot to grow stuff for Hourna's family. He works hard and is a very smart man (Black T Shirt) They neighbours all came to watch and when we added water and they saw how the Drips of water worked they were pretty excited. Anyway, tomorrow we will be installing for a family who has no house. They are squatting in an open garage. They have NOTHING!'

More Photo's here

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=206196&id=705360133&saved#/album.php?aid=206196&id=705360133

Islamic View of Sin is Often Vertical Rather than Horizontal Shame versus Guilt

This is a keen insight that also apply to the animistic people I lived among. Relationships are paramount.

Guilt is a normal reaction of a Western Christian to sin. His conscience is smitten; this leads to remorse and often to repentance. Sensitivity to and the definition of sin depends on many factors. Conscience is conditioned by culture, moral codes, and parental teaching. Sin is regarded primarily as a rebellion against God and secondarily as rebellion against fellow man.

"By contrast the Muslim focuses on the penalty for sin. He does not usually experience sin as guilt but rather as shame and embarrassment losing face is the crucial issue. Lynn Silvernale describes this reaction to sin in the life of a Muslim Bengali. “Shame or embarrassment is a primary social control, that is, it causes a person to try to keep himself in a socially acceptable position.. . . The Bengali governs his behavior by asking himself, ‘What will people say?”

Three-wheeled cycle rickshas are very common in one Muslim country. The drivers arc notorious for their behavior on the road. Often the police will grab one of these drivers and punish him by making him grab his ears, stick out his tongue, and do scores of deep knee bends. The public laugh and ridicule as they pass by. The embarrassment of this simple, nonviolent mode of punishment bums deeply into the heart of the offender.

A consequence of the Muslim perspective is that it is difficult to communicate the biblical meaning of sin to a Muslim. His outlook is horizontal rather than vertical. Often the key criterion of a definition of sin is whether or not a person is caught. ......Repentance and tears come quickly to people with this perspective when they are apprehended in the act. But seldom does guilt lead Muslims to take the initiative and confess a sin of social consequence. The ideal would seem to be a merger of the vertical and horizontal guilt before God along with the shame and embarrassment one feels in relation to other human beings. These forces acting in concert can serve as an effective deterrent to sin."

(Muslim Evangelism: Contemporary Approaches to Contextualization. Phil Parshall. Gabriel Publishing. 2003 p. 96-97)

Muslim Cultures see Extraction Evangelism as Abhorrent!

A case for family conversion & methodologies

"Note also the remarks of Michael Youssef, who says, “As a Christian Arab, I know that Arabs do not like alienation. Their whole life is centered upon family, friends and peer groups. We, therefore, have put unnecessary barriers before them in emphasizing the individualistic approach in evangelism.”

This last point is of greatest importance. Up to the present, the most common form of evangelism employed by Westerners has been to win individuals to Christ. This has, in group-oriented cultures, led to extraction from society and, often, to total alienation. This approach should be repudiated. In Western culture, which sees individualism as a positive trait, this is an acceptable form of evangelism. In Muslim countries, however, it is abhorrent. New approaches must be probed that allow for whole groups to come to Christ at once. The high value given to the interrelatedness of society must be retained. This is a good and positive sociological characteristic that must be appreciated and preserved.

(Muslim Evangelism: Contemporary Approaches to Contextualization. Phil Parshall. Gabriel Publishing. 2003 p. 90-91)

Missionaries - Put your watch away & your Calender down if you Love these people!

It's hard to adjust to new Cultural views of time & events. But buck them and cause relational damage.

"In another part of Africa, a church service went on and on without regard to the lateness of the hour14 The missionary looked again and again at his watch as his level of irritation soared. The service continued on into the night as more people than usual wanted to testify of the work of God in their lives. When the African pastor stood to preach, it was nearly midnight. The missionary was so upset that he stormed out of the church and went to his home nearby. When the service showed no signs of ending, he switched off the main electricity supply, causing the church to plunge into immediate darkness. Usually the lights at the mission station were switched off at ten o’clock, so the missionary felt he had been more than reasonable. When the African pastor realized what had happened, he broke down and cried. The missionary was highly time-oriented in a Western sense, whereas the national church was event- oriented. They were enjoying themselves immensely and had planned to stay on, without regard to time, until the event ceased to be meaningful."

(Muslim Evangelism: Contemporary Approaches to Contextualization. Phil Parshall. Gabriel Publishing. 2003 p. 44)