The Malian security guard comes every night to guard the house from robbers and thieves. They arrive at dark and stay until sunrise.
When I was in the town of Abengourou (Ivory Coast West Africa), it was just me and the night guard. I did not have much to do to pass the evening while in town because my friends were in the US. So when not out to the village, I was alone in the big old empty house. (It was nice and quiet). In the village there were always people around, and things to do. The evenings always passed quickly.
Anyway, I knew Nouhou from years back when I lived in Abenourou with my family. When I arrived in Ivory Coast to do village church planting work, Nouhou and I talked a lot over that month. We would order achekkie and smoked fish from a street side vendor and have a great feast while laying on a mat on the drive way. We would eat and talk about his family in Ivory Coast, and his family up north near Timbuktu, Mali.
He and his brothers were in Ivory Coast for the sole purpose of making money to send home and support their families up north in Mali, who were terribly poor. He shared about how a drought had killed many of their families cattle the year before and the family up north had nothing. He shared the frustration and discouragement he and his brothers face as they try to convince their family to leave their home and move further south away from the Malian desert, because it is simply to difficult to live there anymore. But you know how it is, how could the old people and chief and village leaders ever agree to the idea of abandoning their home?
We talked a lot about the Muslim faith, and about Jesus. The truth is he did not know much about this faith other than he needed to pray 5 times a day and celebrate Ramadan. He knew the daily rituals but did not really know why he did much of what he did as a Muslim. But I have seen that in Christians as well so I guess I can’t criticize him for that.
Together, we watched portions of the Jesus film in Jula as we ate. Over 5-6 nights scattered over the month, when I was in town, we managed to watched the whole Jesus film. Nouhou's conclusion was that Jesus was a incredibly smart and wise man. I tried to give evidence that Jesus he was more than a wise man. Nouhou told his brothers about our visits, and they invited me to sit with them at night as well. I spend 2 hours with them one evening, but I was not able to get back to them because of lack of time.
When in Town, other evenings I would came out with an arm load of bananas and oranges and we would roll out the mats and lady down under the stars and eat like pigs and talk and laugh. You know that is the part of mission work I miss so desperately. In Africa people are so open to relationships. They take time for each other. Here in Canada we have to work so hard just to try and break in to people’s lives. Often it’s just seen as an intrusion, unless they initiate it. In Africa one has greater freedom to initiate things. There are days Africa and the people’s demands can suck the life right out of you. However, there are the times when they seem so patient with us and eager to just “BE”- and BE with us.
I miss the way people smile when they hear for the first time about the love Jesus has for them. Sorry, but I have not had much opportunity to see that happen here. Maybe it’s my fault, I really don’t know. But it frustrates me to no end.
I miss being so free to talk about Christ every day. I miss being so free to spend time with people who really want to spend time. I miss hanging in the hammock at night in the village just “being” and chatting. I miss our Malian guards and the time I spent under the stars with them. I really hope to meet some of them in heaven some day. But I’m so so far away to do may part. Lord, send your Spirit to do what we feeble man can not.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Strange Ways we end Up doing Missions- Under the African Stars!
Missionaries Become Bi-Cultural People
But to the extent we identify with the people and become bicultural, to that extent we find ourselves alienated from our kinsmen and old friends in our homeland. This is not reverse culture shock, although we will experience that when we return home after a long stay abroad. It is a basic difference in how we now look at things. We have moved from a philosophy that assumes uniformity to one that has had to cope with variety, and our old friends often don’t understand us. In time we may find our closest associates among other bicultural people.
In one sense, bicultural people never fully adjust to one culture, their own or their adopted one. Within themselves they are part of both. When Americans are abroad, they dream of America, and need little rituals that re affirm this part of themselves—a food package form home, a letter, an American visitor from whom they can learn the latest news from `home’. When in America, they dream of their adopted country, and need little rituals that reaffirm this part of themselves—a visitor from that country, a meal with its food. Bicultural people seem happiest when they are flying from one of these countries to the other."
(“Crucial Dimensions in World Evangelization”, Multi-Authors but this chapter was written by Paul Hiebert, 1976, 4th printing, William Carey Library, Pasadenia California pg 51,52)
Reverse Culture Shock!
It’s extremely difficult for settlers to understanding Reverse Culture Shock. However, I will try to explain.
The shock we receive upon returning home from places like Africa, is more complex and difficult than the culture shock we first experienced moving to Africa. Yep, it’s harder to come home than go. It has taken me six years to crawl out from under my reverse culture shock.
The more deeply we bond and identify with the people of another culture, the more difficult it is for us when we get home. Why is that? Well our culture, our view of the world, has been inextricably and forever altered. We no longer think or view the world like the “folks at home”.
As a result we often feel like an alien in our own home town. I have never experienced a greater sensation of “alienness” than when I retured to Prince Edward Island. We have become what anthropologists and missiologists refer to as bi-cultural, meaning comfortable and at ease in more than one culture. In fact, liking some things about other cultures better than our own.
I have been returning to Africa each winter for the last 3 years to work with my old village friends in Church planting and leadership training. When I arrive in Ivory Coast, within 3 or 4 short hours, a tremendous sense of peace settles, and it feels like I have never left. There isn't any disorientation or need to slowly get my feet under me. However, when I return to Canada, that is quite a different story.
After returning from 6.5 weeks of village work, Lynn referred to me as a basket case.
I could not follow complete sentences well, because my mind was on information overload trying to process a wealth of African experiences & conversations.
Lynn has since made the policy that I’m not permitted to be around people for at least 2 weeks after my return. We have found it takes one month before I can even begin to process what happened while overseas. People anxiously ask questions, but I find it almost impossible to say much as my mind is overloaded with images, impressions, feelings and thoughts that are to hard to explain. I feel my words are inadequate to vividly explain what “really” happened, my words seem like a watered down version of “real life” and it frustrates me terribly to write or speak about it early on.
One year I was in the village doing a church plant with Prosper (See phote). As we ate, talked, and slept together in the village, over 4 weeks I lost 20 lbs, as we just did not eat much. Times were hard economically for the village people in Ivory Coast because of the coup and the rebel situation. Anyway, I did not see much volume, nor variety of food that whole month.
My second evening back home, my Lynn had to rescue me. I guess Lynn heard me saying, “Wow!” over and over again in the kitchen. She was concerned at the sound of my voice and she could hear me pacing around; she came out to see if I was Ok. Lynn peaked around the corner and watched. Apparently, I had been looking for a snack to eat. I opened the fridge and was so thoroughly overwhelmed by the shear volume of food in there, that I was stunned and saying; “wow!” I shut the fridge door and went to the cupboard and the same overwhelming experience happened again, then off to the pantry- same thing. I was on my 3rd round, and I did not even realize what I was doing. Lynn realized what was happening and she grabbed me by the hand saying; “Come with me”, and she led me like a little child to the bedroom and tucked me in bed.
Anyway, I don’t understand why, but coming home is much more difficult than going. I have had time to contemplate why this might be so. I think our mission minded Jesus wants it to be this way. He wants us to be less shocked about going, and more shocked about returning, from the needy fields of the world.
Maybe, just maybe, this was how Jesus felt as he left home and went from village to village?
Dunkin Donuts & The Jesus Plague- Unreached People Groups At our Door!
(Final Analysis, A decade of Commentary on the church and world missions, Jim Reapsome, EMIS pg 43) Huuuuuummmmmm?
Faithful National Leaders
Kuadio Ambrose's face slowly turned into a smile that became a full grin as all the men began to sing together for the evening worship. So did mine, for I had forgotten the power with which my African brothers sing. When these men sing at night, they sing loud. I am sure the whole village could hear us as I chocked back tears of joy.This was the beginning of a week long leaders meeting where we were to plan a church planting strategy for the next year. We had prayer, devotions, preaching and singing every night for 5 nights while we ate and slept together in the village of Adou.
He was almost in tears that night when he gave these words in testimony to his brothers near the end of the evening.
“What have I got back home? I go out to the campement and there’s nobody there. I work all day in the field and I come home to nobody. I walk 8 km to church, and I walk 8 km back home at night, and what do I have to look forward to when I get home? But when I am together with my brothers and sing to Jesus like this, it encourages my heart.”
Brother Kudaio Amboise, I’m praying for you today out there in that nameless bush where you scratch a living. You encourage my heart too. When I think of all you do, with what little you have been given, and for the little thanks you receive for doing it, brother, I know your victors crown will have many more jewels than mine, if it even has jewels. If it does, you deserve them most.
House Churches - A Strategy for Reaching International Cities.
However, the truth is that most western churches are ministering while living on the very edge of their financial ability. And it's largely due to the cost of their edifices.
I like what I have been hearing out of the Global Missions Movement about House Churches the last 10 years.
Often people tort to me that our mega church growth principles came from the mission field. If they did, the world missions movement abandoned them long before I became involved in missions; Lew Cass made me read the previous ten years worth of EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly - from 1985-1995) and it's was not a topic of discussion in any missions Journals since 1985.
Our western model of raising large amounts of money, buying expensive land, and build a building, does not multiply churches very fast. Certainly not fast enough to reach the millions in 3rd world mega cities. (3rd world has been changed to 2/3rds world as they are 2/3rds of the world) Most people in the world are poor; Did you know that? It is very expensive for us to buy land in cities, let alone the poor.
The Global missions movement seems to be united in thinking that House Churches are probably the only way to reach the majority of the world who live in 3rd world cities filled with the poor. 80% of the worlds people live in Asia, and 50% of them live on $2 a day or less. We live in the upper 5% of income in the world.
Some believe that in a few more decades 80% of the worlds population will live in fewer than 300 mega cities in the world. Guess where we are failing in the Great commission most? Yep, Our greatest failure in missions all over the world is in Cities. The single greatest concentrator and container of people in the world.
It seems that the larger a city becomes, the less influence Christianity has. We can't seem to get out of of the Western model of church planting. We say we need a building here to be respected, accepted, visible. Are we even achieving that with the edifice?
However, the 2/3rds world people can't afford this model on a 2$ a day family income. (That's almost half the people on this planet folks - that's how rich we are)
"House churches" are no different than a body of believers that meet in a "Church House." They are to set up the same leadership, practice the same ordinances. They are under the authority of God's word and Godly Leadership. They organized into a fellowship of interconnected beleivers form other home groups. For all intense purposes- all house church means is the house is the church building. That is it!
The goal of the House Church model in Missions jargon is this - to have house churches spread all over a city in every apartment building, every city block. Here are a few advantages;
1) More Money For Actual "Ministry" Our single largest consumption of God's money is edifices. We think we need them, say we do. Billions and billions of dollars of God's money is tied up in maintaining buildings and structures all over the world. We have the money to totally saturate every unreached people in the world with hundreds of thousands of mission workers. However the funds are all tied up in maintaining edifices, so is not available for ministry. This is not the case in house churches. With no church building overhead, a much higher percentage of offerings is invested in actual ministry, so they multiply faster.
2) More Intimate Fellowship. House churches generally foster deeper and real fellowship because homes are more relaxed, and the group is smaller.
3) Easily repeated by the ordinary every day folk, verses needing Church planting experts.
4) Provide greater and more intimate accountability.
5) House churches are the ONLY option for Christians living in persecuted countries.
It's interesting that everything we lament about in larger churches and church planting in the west are answered by the very principle of a house church. We try to emulate what house churches have naturally in our "Small Groups ministry".
Anyway, the house church movement is alive, well accepted, and well respected in Global Missions. But we are (myself anyway) not getting the information out. We seem to think this is going to be the answer, but I find little promotion or missions literature around the strategy. The How to? The results. I suppose it's hard to gather date on a mission house church movement?
I wish I could remember which African Theologian I heard say this. But he gave this prediction.
"Just as the church began in homes the first 300 years, so it will be back to meeting in homes when Jesus comes again." Interesting!
I planted churches that met under mango trees in Africa, as their homes are not big enough to hold a house church :-) However, I am 100% in favor of house churches. I do not think we can advance at any significant rate in the urban centers of the world without house churches.
I would love to discuss more about House Churches. I don't get overly excited talking about Church Houses but house churches I would love to hear more about. We need both kinds of churches, but it would be good to hear more on this subject.
Mobility, Flexibility , Adaptability Keys to Being a Successful Missionary
He said; "We need to be able to flex and move with the needs of the new church work." He said; "If you need a building rent it. Rent everything, own nothing." The reason for this was Lew Cass's pioneering work mentality. Everywhere we begin is not the right place, The first town we land in is not always the right town, nor the real strategic center.
If we raise $250,000 and build buildings and a center, only to discover in 7 -10 years time that we should have been located 50 miles down the road because, as it turns out, this other town or region is the real strategic center for these people.
Rarely are we able to know this from the outside in the early stages of the work; most certainly it is difficult before hand even with good research.
Will that missionary write home and tell of his Compound building Location Booboo? Nope!
Why do I share this? There is a lot of wisdom in considering how our compromised Mobility might affect our Flexibility and Adaptability as missionaries. Think long and hard before building something nationals may not ever be able to afford to take over, and waste the Lord's financial resources when rental properties would have served the same function.
Stop and reflect how mobility, or lack of, might effect you ministry down the road.
strategy
2/3rds World Churches send Missionaries
(Jonathan bonk wrote this in his forward for (Stan Guthrie, Missions in The Third Millennium, pg xii. 2000, paternoster Press, )
The Shifting Tide of World Missions - Something to Ponder!
We have undergone an amazing transition in the tide of world missions. More than likely you did not hear about this amazing shift. You certainly did not receive an "official announcement" when it happened. The Day the tide shifted, we did not celebrate and praise God, nor did we weep in repentance on our knees in our churches either. Which should we have done?
Is it good news, or bad news? You tell me!
The day the majority of the worlds Missions Force shifted from "Us" to "Them".
There is good news and bad news to be found. 2/3rds world churches, our mission field churches, now send over 50% of the missionaries into the world. European & North American missionaries are now the minority on the mission field. This is astoundingly exciting, for this proves that the last 100 years of sent missionaries has had a tremendously positive effect. Those first young believers have matured and risen up with a passion for the lost world.
Yet we can't help but stand here in a daze wondering what this means for us, as church attendance declines.
3rd World Churches send missionaries
"The Christian "center of gravity" is no longer the comfortable West, whose Christian confidence has been steadily leavened by the subliminal agnosticism that almost always accompanies prosperity (Rev. 3:14-20). The vitality that marks the most dynamically missionary churches is today most readily observed in the great continents of
So "The Shifting Tide of World Missions" is it good news or bad news for us?
What does it mean? Does, this change our role now? What will "their" role be toward the minority us? What will our role be "to the world" in the future until Jesus comes? It's good news. However, does this mean the west is done? I don't think so!
Which is it - Settler or Pioneer?
We are settlers in the west, and have long forgotten what it means to be, think, and act like a pioneer.
I think that the biblical concept of being Aliens, Strangers, Sojourners, is more in line with mission pioneer thinking than with a settlers thinking. Then again, what about all the emphasis on "the land" in the OT? However, I‘m still afraid that I may have allowed to much of a settler mindset and not enough of a pioneer mindset to develop in me these days.
Some of you knew the missionary mentor I had in West Africa, Lew Cass. Lew died of cancer a few years after my arrival in Ivory Coast. With him went over 47 years of Pioneer missions experience. No exaggeration, not more than 1% of the worlds missionaries did what Lew and Vida did. It was an honour listening and learning from Lew & Vida. Every piece of information from Lew was a blessing. Wish I had 2% of his wisdom today.
Over 4:30 am coffee(the Mosque would wake us up then anyway) we would sit in the dark on the terrace talking. Lew warned “Do not loose your Mobility. Mobility is essential because mobility is linked to Flexibility and Adaptability, the two greatest qualities needed in a missionary.” Lew felt it was essential as a pioneer to have the freedom to flex and move with the needs of the Kingdom where ever that takes us. Lew Cass was into being able to respond quickly to the ever changing motif of mission. Lew was a real Pioneer with new church works- I really miss our early morning talks. They will resume in heaven.
I think we need more pioneers today. Having become a flock of settlers, we have forgotten how to think like pioneers for the kingdom. Freedom to move with a light load as the needs of the kingdom require is not even a consideration for the average believer. Settlement is just assumed.
With all my newly gained possessions, I fear I may have shifted from being a pioneer to being a settler too. This thought does not sit very well with me. In fact, there are times the thought breaks my heart. Why? Because despite what many missions are saying and churches think, I know in my mind and in the very pit of my heart that the day of the pioneer is not over. It's not over for the unreached people groups of the world, and what is more, it's not over for the west either. We are coming back into a time in the west when we need pioneers, courageous pioneers, again.
My concern is that our settler (Or should I say, settled?) churches are not ready for pioneers. Church settlers see no need for pioneers among us. Settlers are even suspicious of pioneers. Settlers rarely understand pioneer mindsets, nor are they at ease with the presence of pioneers.
Settlers can't even fathom what it is that drives pioneers doggedly forward. Settlers almost seem to think, hint, that maybe, just maybe, some of those pioneer tendencies may not be very "Christian". That is how settled we have become, distanced from our pioneer roots so severely we have forgotten how to think like a pioneer, alien, or stranger. What is more, because of this "distance" , settlers don't even know how disparately we need pioneers right now overseas, and at home.
No! The Day of the pioneer is still not over - It's just begun. I think Jesus is going to raise up one more great wave of pioneers.
There have always been settlers and pioneers, and the truth is, we need them both. However, I wonder if I have lost to much of my mobility, flexibility, and adaptability, on Jesus? Am I traveling light enough? Have I shifted from being a pioneer to a settler? For myself, I will be praying that it is not so. "Please Lord let it not be so!"
10/40 Window - Got What It Takes?
According to Vinoth Ramachandra, "Nine out of ten people in the world have never made a telephone call in their lives.
This is how imbalanced technologies and wealth are in the world. We assume the majority of the people in the world have access to such "Advancements". Nope most people don't have a phone, can't afford a phone so if your family & friends are all in the same boat"Who ya goin ta call?"
This is the reality in the last frontiers of the earth,
10/40 Window (Luis Bush)
(Tenth Degree to 40th Degree North of Equater)
Interesting facts about the nations and people who live in this Box called the 10-40 window.
1. 60% of world lives here. (3.2 Billion)
2. 85% of them are the poorest people on the planet.
3. 94% of them not evangelized by Christianity.
4. Only 27% of our missionaries work here.
5. Only 1.2% of missions giving is invested in the 10/40 window.
6. These people are predominantly Muslim, Hindu, & Buddhists.
7. 55 of the most unevangelized countries (97%) are in this box.
To Reach the last of the world, it will take.
1. Extreme commitment to Language learning. (80% of all missionaries work where they can minister in English) English is not even an option in any of these countries.
2. Willingness to submerge in different culture.
3. Probably tent making- These countries are hard to get into.
4. Flexibility & Adaptability.
5. Satisfaction in small results.
6. Living simply.
What Not to Wear?
Every "reasoning" and every "view" is sandwiched in "Christianisms" intended to make each conclusion sound so much like the gospel itself. "Give your best to the Master". "Dress decently and modestly". Shall I go on? You know the lines.
I am concerned with modesty - especially these days. That is a biblical teaching. But again, the limits of modesty do vary among men and women, culture to culture, and conflict can result again. I prefer to simply teach the principle of modesty and let the individual believer work it out between them and God. I personally would never have a compulsion to ask someone to change their dress, if they came to my church. Also, "giving our best to the master" does not mean we have to go buy the best, does it? I find myself dressing to please people more than God. To keep people happily quiet. I really don't think God cares much. Why exactly do I think like this you ask.
Well, I remember a young boy about 7 yrs old who came to church every week, in a village in West Africa where we planted a new church. He came every week with the same T shirt and pair of shorts. His T Shirt had the collar ring intact. However, the front was ripped from the collar ring and hung open down his chest about 6 inches. This is what he wore to church every week for a year or more. It was the only shirt he had. He wore none all week. That was the only shirt God gave that poor boy in his rural African setting. Was it modest? Was it best? Was it appropriate?
Well, it just goes to show that only the rich and affluent have the time, money, and spare time to get worked up about and debate such trivial and mundane "Spiritual" things. I for one don't really care to waste my time even talking about it anymore.
Anyway, if I look a little impatient when these topics surface, remember the glazed look is probably because I am thinking of this poor boy who loved Jesus enough to come listen and learn with a smile - Because no one was telling this boy "What not to Wear".
We Have Almost Won! Five Hundred to One Should Stimulate a Missions Craze!
For the first time in Christian history, we are on the verge of completing the task. Oh, not saving the whole world. However, for the first time in Christian history we could have Christian workers and churches in every country and among every people group of the world.
This kind of news gets me insatiably excited. However, and element discourages me as well.
We have difficulty finding workers willing to go to these hard places, or when we do finally find them, we have extreme difficulty rallying churches to send them. No small task when the average missions giving per church member in North America is $7:80. Yep "Seven dollars and eighty cents".
Anyway, we should be riding an excited missions craze ( Craze- An interest followed with exaggerated zeal) right now. The Church has advanced further than it ever has in Christian history. We could very well see the Gospel preached "to all nations" in our life time, if we developed some kingdom fortitude and missions imagination.
Matthew 24:14 (TLB)
Dandelion Delight! ........So West Africans Think!
However, right now there are a few die hards who fight the annual battle. Personally, I know very few. The Majority have thrown up their hands and just made peace with the pesky plant.
Needless to say, the average lawn on PEI tends to have droves of Dandelions.
My recent trip back to West Africa saw me sharing pictures of my family with some village African friends. A few shots where on the front lawn of our house, of course a nice crop of Dandelions were scattered over the lawn. My African friends immediately zeroed in on, "All pretty flowers we had in Canada." "There were so many of them and they were so yellow." The white poofy ones were extra amazing to them, as I explained they were the same flower ready to send seeds. Also when I explained they grew wild, we did not plant a one of them them, "WOW!" they exclaimed with big eyes. They could not believe so many pretty flowers just grew naturally for us like that. Of course I told them dandelions are a weed, and explained that many people pay money to have them killed with spray. They were horrified to think we would kill such beautiful flowers, and waste good money in the process. I had to swiftly divert the subject, as the concept was just not registering with these rural Africans very well. You see, their yards are swept down to the bare dirt so that poisonous snakes and scorpions can not hide near the mud hut.
Anyway, I for one, don't spend money to, "kill pretty yellow flowers". But it goes to show, that it's all about perspective & attitude. Point of view does make a difference doesn't it? Something to remember; when God made things if nature; for each one God said "It is good". So who am I to question that exclamation with any authority? My African felt we have none. :-)
What SOme African Theologians are saying about Western Money!
Quotes From (Professor Zablon Nthamburi, Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church In Kenya in The Church In Africa: Making Its Way From Dependency to Self Reliance)
Wide Spread Myth - The Tithing Poor of Africa Can't Afford To Fund Ministers & Ministries God Places On Their Hearts!
Without this extensive input of foreign funds, many ministries as now functioning would collapse in Africa. However, the lie is that the tithing poor in Africa can't afford to hire and pay their own missionaries, ministers and ministries. A tithing African people and church can fund most if not all their own ministries and servants. I will share personal witness to this in a future article. One very well respected missionary/missiologist speaking out about this crippling dependency, believes that it would take only 4% of African Christians tithing, and not a single dollar more would need to be invested from the west to run all the current ministries on the continent. Is there an imbalance in giving? You bet ya!
I realize this concept is a bit of a surprise and extremely hard to process for some. It is common thought that missionaries should pay to build church building, hire pastors, and support most of the ministries. That is not partnership! Take time to process this, as you wait for future articles. My African colleagues and I saw first hand how 10 churches planted were lead from day one by a tent making minister and leaders, with each church building their own modest building on their own. Not one Leader ever received a salary from us in any capacity over the years. Only free training was provided by us missionaries in their local village area. These same men still lead their churches today for free as they earn their own incomes. If these men ever receive a salary, it will be when they finally earn the trust & respect of the church people themselves, not our trust. Also they will only be supported at the level the local church chooses. Imagine that now!
The African Sense Of Humour! Introducing The African Milkman
One day a group of African friends were speaking about some man. Most in the group did not know this gentleman so they began to describe where he worked in the market and identifying him as the man, and I translate this from French; "A little tall and `Vrai Noir' or true black." Honestly, I was a bit taken back by the "true black" comment. "What do you mean by True Black?", I asked.
Well I guess the Agni describe fellow black people in the French langauge this way.
Bien Clair - Very light
Clair - Light
Un peu clair- A little light
Noir - Black
Vrais noir - True Black
Vrai Vrai noir - True True Black.
Of course they pointed to people in our gathering, or passers by, who fit each classification as an illustration. It made sense, and to this day I can identify a person from almost every part of West Africa by color shades, facial features, or body proportions. I can tell if an African is from East Africa as opposed to West Africa too. However, at the time I was a bit puzzled trying to distinguish the subtle difference between "clair" and "bien clair", "vrai noir" and "vrai vrai noir". Seeing the gears grinding by the puzzled look on my face, my Agni friend's further added that black shades are like Coffee. "What?", I said as my blond eyebrows when up.
Coffee with a lot of milk.
Coffee with some milk.
Coffee with just a little touch of milk.
Weak black coffee.
Black coffee.
Strong black coffee.
I jokingly asked where I would fit into this categoric system. One young man immediately offered, "Coffee with a lot of milk." Ever other Adult African male in the whole group said in loud unison French, "NOOOOOON!" and laughed. They said, "No he is not "cafe au Lait" (Coffee with milk), he's just Milk."
We had a good chuckle over that ever since. The first trip I made to the Village of Bebou- 50 km into the forest, I was introduced to the people, and the village Chief, as a "Peau Rouge" - a red skin. Meaning this guy introducing me figured I was an Indian with my strawberry blond hair and freckled arms and face. They had many a white person pass through. However, I was the first freckle faced person they had seen and they did not know what my "tribe" was to have skin like that. Must be Indian!
Man, oh man! Do I ever miss Africa today. They made this "milkman" feel like he was home.
"We're All Trying To Get To The Same Place!" Answering Critics!
When a conversation shifts to world religions, eventually, someone in the group will make a statement like; “Well, we're all trying to get to the same place anyway”.
Please do not misunderstand me. I'm trying to be antagonistic here. But I do realize many people are not use to being challenged.
At the risk of being overly simplistic. Let's compare other religions places of after life with the concept of Heaven in Christianity.
B) Hindu’s Don’t Want To Go To Heaven but Reincarnation, then to Nirvana. There prayer is they at death of the body their eternal soul will be reincarnated (More accurate - term transmigration of the soul) back in a new from as something better. Transmigrating the soul into human, plant or animal form. There karma (good or bad deeds) effects what they are in the next life. The old them is gone, lost and no longer exists. When they finally become sinless with perfect Karma, there final or last reincarnation being to the state of Nirvana. Nirvana is the state when all desire, suffering, and individual consciousness is extinguished. The goal is to loose consciousness and emotions and desire of any kind. Like an empty shell, we are freed from the restrains of the body and one with the cosmic force.
C) Buddhists Don’t want Heaven. They seek to become Enlightened. Similar to Hinduism (it's origin) Buddhists long to become one with the cosmic universe and loose their own existence, life, soul and meaning to this cosmic energy. They don’t want a body in heaven, rather to lose and be freed from their body. Buddhists do not what to be, or remember themselves. They desire to loose self consciousness, self awareness, to the point that they no longer exist as they blended with the cosmic energy of the universe.
D) Agni Animists- Want to go to another place on the earth, where they can not be seen by the living. There they can be with their ancestors and then help control the affairs of their living relatives by inhabiting trees, rocks, water sources, mountains etc. If proper respect is not shown to the ancestors memory by respecting these "sacred" trees, waters, tombs or mountains they inhabit, they can be vengeful if need be.
E) Mormon’s What to Go to the
F) Christians want to go to heaven for eternity and worship around the throne of God & the Lamb Jesus
We are self- aware, fully self-conscious of the life we lived, still the same person, simply in a transformed and redeemed body that is raised from the dead and re-united with our Soul at the resurrection. We have a home there. That is what heaven is. Heaven is a teaching taught by Jesus Christ and it's the place Christians are striving to reach, and as you can see it's nothing like the place many people are trying to reach.
Heaven is a Christian word that many in the western hemisphere twist to mean, "Anything I believe about after life". Heaven is just another catch all word for after life. Sorry, it does not work that way! Unless you're inventing your own religion? If not you don't get to define the terms from the outside.
All us "religious" people who worship via one of the major religions of the world simply giggle when you tells us "We are all trying to get to the same place". No! We are not! Sorry, I simply do not wish to lose my self-awareness, self- consciousness as I blend with the "stuff" of the universe, even though some look forward to that idea.
Are you inventing an after life place of your own? Do you want to go to heaven? If you want to go to heaven, you need to read the scriptures and read what Jesus said about the path to there.
What place are you trying to get to, and exactly how do you think you're going to get there?
Just wondering!
Mission Vision!
Personal Addition - S Korean Church has almost 11,000 sent missionaries. A staggering amount of whom are working in 10/40 window.
Analyzing theStatement "I'm Here to Help Them - Not Do it For Them"
This this philosophy is prevalent today. "I'm not going to do it for them, but help them to do what they feel God wants them to do." That is a support staff mentality. Frankly, I'm not sure it is consistent with good mission thinking. Since most new missionaries are not pioneers, rather going to fields where there is already a significant history of national churches with trained leaders and national ministers, they forget pioneer missionaries do not have this partnership advantage. The often quoted statement mistakenly assumes and only applies to a place with "Ready Made Church & Leadership".
This mentality will do little assist us in refocusing on, or penetrating, the 10/40 window.
We planted the first churches by ourselves, there are few Christians or leaders in the area. We must train up the first leaders ourselves, but that happens later after the first few church plants. Even after we had 5-6 churches, not all church plants were the result of the existing churches or leaders input.
If, they were in the planing stages of something or not, I was personally responsible as a pioneer church planting missionary, to be out in the villages planting new churches with or without their help. My church planting was not hinged on the the local leaders vision or lack of. I feel strongly about this. If there is a national church, by all means encourage them to plant. Assist them and partner when we can. However, when they are not moving on church planting, don't sit around and wait for them, get out into the village and spend time doing studies, and developing cells, rubbing shoulders wit the people and plant a churches. Be an example to them.
We need to personally be busy planting & teaching new people ourselves, when the leaders are moving slow on some plan. This "I'm not here to do it for them!". I understand we are to train up leaders. However, we are not planting churches "for them" - but for God. How can a missionary be there saying "I'm not here to be in the village starting churches and leading studies myself. I'm to help the locals do it". This support staff mentality can be misguided. We are not there to simply teach them how. We are there to MODEL HOW! We have to be "doing" what we are are trying to support them in doing so they can see & experience the fruit.
Theological Education By Extension (TEE) Considerations!
The TEE model simply takes the teacher to the people, not people to the teacher. Meaning large sums of money to build training centers is bypassed. We personally adopted a policy that we would rent facilities rather than build them, if and when we did need them. This way we can keep our mobility as missionaries. The advantage of this TEE model is that we do not in inadvertently promote a "Paid Clergy" mentality. The Church will support who they wish when they wish at their level of income.
Choosing to train people near their homes over an extended period of time has advantages.
1. Leaders provide their own time and pay their own way since TEE is so economical.
2. The leader can remain with his family and community. (Future & present ministry field)
3. Leaders can keep their paying job as they become a "tent making" leader, rather than a paid staff. Our Leaders were gardeners, cocoa and coffee growers.
4. The local congregation, knowing the Leader, holds him more accountable for his conduct than we ever could. (Its not healthy to have leaders accountable to only us, because of salary and thus by passing the local church).
5. The local believers get to see the leaders personal growth over the years. Confidence & respect in the leaders ability is slowly built as a visible pattern of integrity and loving service is manifested. Not forced on the churches because the leader came home with a paper in hand.
Who we choose may not be the person they wish to follow for reasons we know nothing about.
Theological Issues to Conider When Supporting!
Then I read about the Macedonian churches. There, I see the giving "attitude" that all Christians should have in both the west and on the missions fields. Giving is not optional, so no, Africans are not too poor to be exempt from giving.
"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." 2 Corinthians 8:1 - 4 (NIV)
I have seen poor African people give very generously to the needs of others, and ministry needs too. How is this possible?
".......they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will." 2 Corinthians 8:4 (NIV)
So in our missions work we decided early on that it was going to be built ground up, assuming that when churches were planted and Christians were born, they would be taught to be be generous. We did not feel we should be the support of their expression of worship and spirituality. God, as he blessed them according to their means had to be left to do his amazing work. If they new Christians felt they needed a building, they were to build it themselves. If they want a full time servant, they were to hire them themselves. They were to choose how, when and who. It worked!. With self supporting churches lead by unpaid tent making leaders.
I simply do not beleive that God gave the African people the great commission task, without the resources, blessing or Grace to accomplish it.
Back to the original question on giving, can Africans or Indonesians so poor as to be exempt from supporting Kingdom work? Let's approach this question another way. Can we westerners give enough on their behalf to please God in their stead for not tithing or giving generously?
These two questions are basic theological questions that need to be answered first, before we establish patterns of support. True partnership with them should see significant national financial input too. You do as you wish. I simply refuse to relegate my task as a missionary to being a bank roller. I'll plant churches using low cost methodologies and show them how it can be done at their income levels. I beleive that we in the west are under the erroneous assumption we need to give more; that ministries in Africa or Asia can't function without our support. This is simply not true in many situations (But not all).
Amazing Hidden Potential!
I was in church one week and they told the men to stay after and help fix the Thatch roof. The third time in a month the winds damaged it. I was helping and commented how a tin roof would sure help this problem. A Young man said; "Yes why don't you do that for us." I laughed and said; "What difference is it to me? I'm only here every 6 weeks or so. If the roof leaks, it drips on your head all week, not mine. If I plan to come here and it begins to rain and I know your roof will drip on my head - I'll go to Bebou instead". All the working men laughed.
I did ask them how much tin it would take to do the job, and they calculated 5 packages. So I offered one pack of tin. The young man informed me that this was not enough, and I informed him back that this was all I was offering. I also further inform him that I would not be giving my tin until the church had their bought their 4 packages first.
It took 5 months, but the men of the church finally came by my house asking for my contribution. I gave happily. This church that saw 800 cfa in the offering each week raised 375,000 cfa for the lumber and tin to put on a tin roof on their church. Also they added windows and doors. They surprised even themselves. You know what else? This church to this day still only receives about 1200-1500 cfa in the offering each week. But when a serious ministry need arises, hundreds of thousands appear from the people. Many leaders to not know the giving potential of their churches because they do not give themselves. This kind of giving is possible all over rural Africa. Don't let the meager looking offering plate on Sunday fool you. It''s about faith and what they get excited about. And Of course with 100 years of mission dependency, they will always hold back in the hopes the missionary will fund it for them.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A Star Night Delight!
We dropped our youngest son off at Canoe Cove Camp for the week, and my two older boys at a friends house for the evening. Could Lynn & I even comprehend the possibilities of an evening alone? Would we even be able to figure out an action plan? Do we even remember how to do "alone"? It happens so rarely for families who home schools their kids. Alone, how does that feel?On our return trip we bought a mound of chocolate and snuggled up and watched a movie together. At 11pm we spread a blanket out on the back deck, but soon moved to the middle of the driveway for a better view of the upcoming Perseid meteor shower scheduled for that night. From under a fleece blanket we watched as meteors streaked by leaving some awesome contrails. We laid there on the driveway under Gods awesome creation in each others arms until 1:30 am. It was nice to celebrate God's creation of marriage too. Such a nice simple evening. It simply had been too long since we watched the stars together at night. It was refreshing, energizing, bonding, yes even romantic. Of course the brightest star that evening for me was my sweetie Lynn. It was nice to just "BE" with her.
Pixie, our border collie, was kind of freaked out over the whole situation. No kids to herd, her owners laying on the driveway at strange hours. She kept circling and looking at us as if we were crazy.
Maybe we are. But it was a star night delight in my view.
Give it a try some time.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Why I love Mornings, Marriage, Post It Notes, and Recreational Companionship!
I like mornings. I'm alone, the house is quiet, and it's my best time to think, reflect and read. After 7Am little of that seems to happen in my life. The "to do's" seem to set in heavily after that. The truth be known, I encounter Christ better in the mornings. I make better decisions in the early mornings. The tired me just can not focus well on Him, or them, after 7 Pm.
I'm pretty excited today because, again, I'm on the receiving end of some "Recreational Companionship." We are going day tripping with the sea Kayaks today. The plan evolved into doing extended day trips rather than the a full 5 days. We are paddling to a deserted sand dune island to hike the beaches for the whole day.
You know I like to "play" with my family when I can. Ben will be leaving home next year, with another son soon to follow. So time is getting more and more precious. I like to "play" with the boys when we can these days.
But you know something else? I also like to play with my wife as well. Let me explain that before your mind goes a wondering there - Hold back buddy.
Years ago we read a marriage book together that proved insightful for both of us. "His Needs- Her Needs". Many excellent things were articulated in this book. It's not the be all and end all of marriage books. However, my summary would simply be this - There are certain things a woman & a man needs (Or is it wishes for?) to be happily married. Sure one can be married without these basic needs being met. However, if the 5 basic needs of men and the 5 for women (They are different) are not acknowledged and focused on intentionally, one or the other, or both, will live in a marriage wishing for "Something" more.
Married people feel that at times. Feel like they really love their wife or husband, but there is just something , some little thing, not right? Well this book took a stab at articulating what those "somethings" might be.
Like most young newlyweds - we thought we had it all figured out, but we really did not.
These 5 basic needs of men and women were articulated so well that it changed us. We found ourselves enlightened and saying; " So that is what you were trying to say. OOOOOK I get it. I'll work on that."
So we developed a system that has worked very well here. We have the list of the top 5 needs of a man and woman on a "post it" note on the corner of our bathroom mirror.They are listed in the order of importance for each of us. The list is there to reminded us to work intentionally on these five things for each other every day. However, when either of us feels one area needs special attention, we write it down on a post it note and stick it on the mirror for "emphasis" that week. This one area receives a special effort for the whole week. One might post conversation, affection, domestic support, or admiration, whatever, for emphasis that week. We do not approach the "post it" with drudgery like; "Oh great, another "To Do" list. " No, I love my wife and it's good to have these things concretely & clearly spelled out. I will do my best with the time I have to focus on her needs, she knows that, and that is all she asks of me. I love it!
Anyway, one of the needs for a guy is called "Recreational Companionship". This is the desire for the girl he married. The one he had before kids came along. The one he had before house work, dishes, and heaping loads of laundry came in as an exhausting swell into their marriage and smothered a guy from just having fun with his girl.
Let me put it in lady language for you ladies.
"The Royal Knight wants to ride up to The Princess and fling her onto his battle horse with him, and ride off into the sunset together for some adventure together, any adventure, come what may, every now and then."
You use to be interested in him and all that he did back then. You went and did things he liked, played a game, or a sport, or were present for some hobby of his. Simply put, you tried to be involved anywhere and everywhere you could in his life. You were genuinely interested in "playing" with him. Why? Because you wanted to be in every part of his life back then. Now? Well, you answer that for yourself. Guys really miss that girl as the years go by.
Anyway, this is why I'm really excited about our Kayaking trip today. I get to play with my Princess today, and man oh man, I sure do like that!
There are 2 things I have always reminded Lynn about me.
1. "Don't treat me like I'm one of your kids". That is a real huge turn off to a guy. You will have no "Knight" if you treat him like the squire. I don't need nor want another mother. I didn't marry you to be a mom to me.
2. "Remember, I married you for companionship". I want to be with you. I do not wish to do things without you. It does not necessarily mean you have to be totally involved. Just be in view so I can smile, wink, and think about you. Some simple close proximity in activity. I realize that is not always practical nor easy. However, it's our (my) desire none the less. We guys sure appreciate it when you jump on the horse with us from time to time for a play adventure. Even it is means your just hanging on and coming along for the ride.
So today I'm pretty happy. Lynn is coming out to play, like she often does.
I really really appreciate that!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Dandelion Delight! ........So West Africans Think!
Dandelions, PEI is famous for them. There are just so many vigorous Dandelions, that by and large, people on PEI have just about given up trying to control them. Our Capital city is even considering making a bylaw against spraying in the city limits now.However, right now there are a few die hards who fight the annual battle. Personally, I know very few. The Majority have thrown up their hands and just made peace with the pesky plant.
Needless to say, the average lawn on PEI tends to have droves of Dandelions.
My recent trip back to West Africa saw me sharing pictures of my family with some village African friends. A few shots where on the front lawn of our house, of course a nice crop of Dandelions were scattered over the lawn. My African friends immediately zeroed in on, "All pretty flowers we had in Canada." "There were so many of them and they were so yellow." The white poofy ones were extra amazing to them, as I explained they were the same flower ready to send seeds. Also when I explained they grew wild, we did not plant a one of them them, "WOW!" they exclaimed with big eyes. They could not believe so many pretty flowers just grew naturally for us like that. Of course I told them dandelions are a weed, and explained that many people pay money to have them killed with spray. They were horrified to think we would kill such beautiful flowers, and waste good money in the process. I had to swiftly divert the subject, as the concept was just not registering with these rural Africans very well. You see, their yards are swept down to the bare dirt so that poisonous snakes and scorpions can not hide near the mud hut.
Anyway, I for one, don't spend money to, "kill pretty yellow flowers". But it goes to show, that it's all about perspective & attitude. Point of view does make a difference doesn't it? Something to remember; when God made things if nature; for each one God said "It is good". So who am I to question that exclamation with any authority? My African felt we have none. :-)
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Two Amazingly Memorable West African Pilgrims!
In 1997, we took the family out for a day to get away. As we drove we saw the cross at the top of a small mountain in West Africa, so we pulled over and hiked up to the the top of the steep hill. On top was a small "A" frame church with heavy carved wooden doors weathered by years of torrential rain and scorching African sun. We pushed the wooden doors open and stepped in to see that it was barren except for an alter stationed at the front. It was made from a single 6 inch thick piece of rough sawed African lumber about 4 feet wide. The small chapel was obviously not used, and it never was really used as a "church", we were later informed.However, so the story goes, the small chapel was built by a German Pilgrim. Many years ago he had come to West Africa in pilgrimage seeking the will of God about something. This German pilgrim, moved by what insight or work God had done in him while living and praying and studying in solitude on this hill, built this small place of worship and erected the cross for all to see miles in any direction. We could have seen 15 miles in every direction, except for the dust coming down from the dust storms of the Sahara Desert drifting down from the North.
It was one of the most touching places I have ever been. It moved me! I think I knew, in part, what questioning desires might have been in the heart of that pilgrim man. I realized the difference between him & I was simply that we sought answers & direction from God differently. Anyway, on the top of that hill, I made a connection with a German pilgrim whom I did not know, and a Father God whom I did know, in prayer.
When I finally pulled myself out of the place after praying in there, I made another immediate connection with yet another pilgrim. I came out and walked around back of the small Chapel to see Lynn sitting on the low stone wall that surrounded this place. She was watching the kids run and play. I stopped and looked at her with a heavy heart full of realization as I took this picture of her there. I was overcome by the realization that my dear sweet Lynn is a pilgrim, of the greatest kind, too.
This gracious, beautiful, and godly young woman (Click photo to enlarge) has made clearer to me the meaning of grace than any preacher I have ever heard. Why she did, I don't know; but she has followed me at my side to some of the dampest and driest corners of this earth. She has ministered by my side to hordes of kids in rain forest villages, and alone, when I was out in forest churches for days and days on end. Lynn was (is) an effective servant in her own right & capacity. I wondered why she followed me here to this hard African place. As I looked at her, I knew why she did- because like that unnamed German pilgrim, Lynn was a pilgrim too.
It has not been easy for Lynn, but I have never heard her complain about what this pilgrimage has called us to do, or where it has called to do it. Lynn continues to help me go back to Africa each year, even when I know it's hard for her home alone for weeks on end. Lynn is my constant encourager. Week after week, as I drag myself into the pulpit to speak a word of God, finding myself asking sometimes; "For what good?" Lynn reminds me for what good.
Since that day on that small African Mountain, I knew why Lynn did it all so graciously. Because she is a true genuine pilgrim, and she fully accepts that I am one too!
Together, we have once for all set our hearts on Pilgrimage, and I'm honored & blessed that God allows me the grace of walking with this one!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Beer Bottle Blues! ......This Bud is For You!
We bought a 5 acre woods to build our new house. The kids enjoyed running around the trees playing, shouting, and hiding. All kinds of treasures where hidden in the woods just waiting for the boys to discover them. The Kids found a host of old car parts, and beer bottles. I guess the formerly vacant woods was a good place for “celebrators" to pitch their beers bottles while driving down the road. The Kids started collecting the beer bottles for cash. It was a long time before we took them to the consignment for a refund. The bottles stood inside by the garage door for a year or more. One day, on my way out of the garage, I was a bit startled when I realized how terrible it looked for a preacher to have a bunch beer bottles sitting by his garage door. It's strange that this had never occurred to me until that moment. I said to myself; "Man this does not look very good". I seriously wondered how many people had traversed in and out this door over the year, each one seeing our collection of beer bottles, and seriously wondered who might have been talking.
The first conversation with myself went like this. "I should hide those Beer Bottles in the corner and cover them." Then I realized; "You know, if I hid them in the corner and they get noticed there, it would look like I was trying to hide them, and that would be even more complicated.
What should I do? Hide them? Leave them where they are?
I reflected on the situation a few brief seconds and settled on leaving them there.
I walked out thinking; "If people coming to my house don’t know me better than that, they will believe anything people say about me anyway." Eventually we took them and dropped them off for a refund – Even that is flamboyantly humorous. The preachers kids making money off of someone else’s beer bottles.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Our 13-14 yr old Kids are Viewing P*rn!
Research by the By Sonya Thompson,
Here is what our 13-14 yr olds are telling researcher Sonya Thompson at the University of Alberta, when she did research on our kids ages 13-14 yrs old.
Accessing sexually explicit media content at least once.
90% boys
70% girls
33% of boys reported viewing pornographic DVDs or videos "too many times to count", 8% for girls said the same.
74% View p*rnography on the Internet.
41% Saw it on video or DVD.
57% Specialty TV channel (Or Satellite Dishes & Cable).
9% Accessed p*rnography because someone over 18 had rented it.
6% Rented it themselves .
20% Viewed it at a friend's house.
“The media environment …. makes access to p*rn easy for teens and viewing p*rnography at a young age can set children up for problems later on” Sonya Thompson,
60 % said their parents had no rules about what kinds of movies they watched,50% said no one bothered to monitor their Internet activity.
“And while the majority of teens surveyed said their parents expressed concern about sexual content, that concern hasn't led to discussion or supervision, and few parents are using available technology to block sexual content.”
“Rural boys also reported a lower incidence of parents talking with them about sexual media content. Urban girls were most likely to have had discussions with their parents.”
50% Rural youth (Country kids) have seen p*rnographic video, 33% of Urban kids have. Thompson is unsure why rural teens access porn more on video and DVD, but suggests that parents may think distance acts as a buffer. "Maybe they have a false sense of thinking they are far away from unhealthy influences."
"It indicates there is plenty of room for better parenting around p*rnography use. Parents need to improve dialog with their children and their own awareness level.” Thompson said.
Anyway, I need to go for a walk after this one!
Condensed from: “1 In 3 Boys Heavy Porn Users, Study Shows.” (Link)
“Porn rampant among 13-year-old boys” March 7, 2007 (Link)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Jewels in an African's Crown
Kuadio Ambrose's face slowly turned into a smile that became a full grin as all the men began to sing together for the evening worship. So did mine, for I had forgotten the power with which my African brothers sing. When these men sing at night, they sing loud. I am sure the whole village could hear us as I chocked back tears of joy.This was the beginning of a week long meeting where we were to plan our strategy for the next year. We sing every night for 5 nights while we ate and slept together in the village of Adou.
He was almost in tears that night when he gave these words to his brothers near the end of the evening.
“What have I got back home? I go out to the campement and there’s nobody there. I work all day in the field and I come home to nobody. I walk 8 km to the village, and I walk 8 km back home at night, and what do I have to look forward to when I get home? But when I am together with my brothers and sing like this, it encourages my heart.”
Brother Kudaio Amboise, I’m praying for you today out there in that nameless bush where you scratch a living. You encourage my heart too. When I think of all you do, with what little you have been given, and for the little thanks you receive for doing it, brother, I know your crown will have many more jewels than mine, fand you deserve them most.