40

One of my favorite worship songs didn’t really start life as a worship song. It’s the song “40” by the band U2. It’s the song they used to end every concert with, their official encore. It’s their musical rendition of Psalm 40. I’ve been using it in worship for many years, in various churches.

“I waited patiently for the Lord,

He inclined and heard my cry.

He brought right out of the pit,

Out of the miry clay.

I will sing, sing a new song.

 

He set my feet upon the rock,

And made my footsteps firm.

Many will see,

Many will see and fear.

I will sing, sing a new song.”

The other night we ended the youth worship time with that song. We had spent a bit of time talking about the tragedies of the past several days and weeks, and how sometimes we can begin to lose hope. We look at the world around us and wonder if God really is at work. And if God is at work, why does bad stuff keep happening? Standard questions, right?

We talked about how what we see and hear influences us; how other people and their situations can impact us and our situations. We talked about how the world can bring us down.

Then we went to the Psalm. The writer of Psalm 40 states up front that he has been waiting for God to do something, and God does. God lifts the writer out of his troubles and sets him on a new foundation. To celebrate, the writer sings a new song of praise. This song will cause people to hear about how God takes care of him, and hopefully they will put their trust in God as well.

We can relate.

We’re coming to the end of the year. A year we didn’t expect to finish in the States. We figured we’d be in Thailand by now, sharing the Good News with a people who have never heard it before. That hasn’t happened yet. We’re still hoping, praying, and waiting.

The song ends with this: “How long will we sing this song?” How long, indeed? How long until we make our support goal and are able to follow our call overseas?

Lots of folks have told us that they want to support us, but haven’t yet. We get that, it’s a tough economy. If you’ve told us you want to, if you think you might want to be part of this great thing, we would ask you to do one thing for us. Pledge. You don’t have to begin giving yet, just let us know how much and how often. This will help us set goals, and determine how close we are to meeting our needs and being able to cover our expenses.

Please, help us to help teach the people of Thailand a new song.

The Oregon Trail

In the mid-1800’s, thousands of restless people began their journey across the American continent in search of… room, themselves, a new start. It was anything but easy; many died along the Oregon Trail. Disease, fatigue, and weather conditions all conspired to prematurely end the trip for some. Many of them did make it all the way to the coast. And many others stopped at various points along the way to homestead, feeling they could go no further and were better off to stop. At various points from the Rocky Mountains west you can see cities and towns as a legacy to the Oregon Trail and the push west across America.

We’ve been on our own Oregon Trail so to speak. Back in July, when we took a vacation along the I-5 corridor, we all decided that we were being gently nudged by the Spirit to go to Oregon. And so to Oregon we have come. We have “settled” in Springfield. And we all feel that this is where we are supposed to be… for the time being.

Of those who stopped and homesteaded short of the coast, most were content. They had made the right decision. But some undoubtedly felt they should have pressed on. They believed they had fallen short of their goal, of their true destination.

Springfield is not our true destination. The trail for us does not end in Oregon. For whatever reason, God has seen fit to deposit us here, for the time being. But not to stay, we’re merely to “winter” here. It’s a time to rest, to regroup, to plan the next leg of the journey. Our trail (for this journey anyway) ends in Thailand. That has never ceased to be our ultimate goal.

We continue to work towards this. We’re still working on building prayer partners and financial partners. We’re still learning about the culture and the issues facing us. And we’re continuing to press in to God so as to not miss whatever comes next.

Perspective

Honestly, it took me about an hour to admit the value of this episode.

Last week we took our car to the shop for the 150,000 mile check. The brakes were good, the serpentine belt was fine, the shocks were good. Everything checked out fine. Well, almost everything. I had a screw embedded in my right rear tire. The mechanic where we took the car didn’t do tires, so we headed to Les Schwab for their Free Flat Repair. (Note: This situation has been resolved, but it’s still a good object lesson story).

They pulled the tire. The mechanic came to me: “I can’t fix your flat. There’s not enough tread left and the patch won’t hold.” I knew the tires were close to needing replaced. “What I can do is sell you a used tire. It’ll get you along for a few days.” $40. I told him to go ahead. He came back a few minutes later. “I can’t sell you one tire. You have All-Wheel Drive. I have to sell you four matching tires. I only have one used one.” We went to look at prices. Now, when we bought the vehicle we didn’t realize that: 1) it has 17 inch tires, and 2) 17 inch tires are expensive. Four tires, mounted and balanced: $908.20.

As calmly and as pleasantly as I could, I told him to put on the donut spare.

As I drove away from Les Schwab, I was angry. Furious. Livid. I was supposed to meet the rest of the family at a small mall for coffee. I was not in the mood for that, but I had no choice. Sitting, drinking coffee, I was like a little black storm cloud. I was not at all pleasant to be around. We got up and went to look at a decorative fountain while Andrea did some window shopping. As I was standing, seething, drinking my coffee, a homeless woman walked up.

“Are you having a good day sir?” Making only limited eye contact I answered, “No, quite frankly, I’m not.” I had hoped that would deter her from sticking around… it didn’t. She proceeded to chat with me, telling me some of her life. She was pleasant and articulate, but I was simply not in the mood. I didn’t even really pretend to listen. But then our eyes met. She smiled at me and put her hand on my shoulder. She said, “But you love God, don’t you. And you know that God loves you, and that God is going to take care of whatever you need.”

Seriously, God? I thought. Really? You decided to send a homeless woman who has almost nothing but her faith to remind me of mine? For the past forty five minutes or so, I had been telling myself (unconvincingly) it could be worse. I was hard pressed to define how, but I suppose I was trying. Then, I was offered perspective from a woman who has far less than I do.

Throughout the journey of the past year, God has repeatedly found ways to provide for us when we needed it most, and it’s usually come from unexpected and unlikely sources. But I suppose that’s where God does the best work; in those times and those areas where it’s obvious that we have nothing to do with it. Those times and those areas where we can’t claim any credit.

I look at where we are and what we need to make it to Thailand. I look at where we are and what we need to make it through the next few days and weeks. And I have no idea how that’s going to happen. But for some inexplicable reason – no… it’s not inexplicable, it’s from experience – I know that we’re going to get what we need, when we need it. And like it always happens, we’re probably going to receive a new perspective from an unlikely source.

Mannaroni and Cheese

During our small group this week, we were talking about our progress with preparations for going to Thailand. We talked about our financial challenges and our looking for work and for housing. We were talking about how we feel like we’re moving, but we’re not always sure it’s forward. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we’re going anywhere. One of our friends made the comment: “You’re wandering your own wilderness. Macaroni and Cheese is your Manna.” I don’t mind Mac and Cheese, especially if it’s the good stuff. Not a fan of the three-for-a-dollar version. I like it with real grated cheese and little hot dogs chopped up inside. Not so sure I could eat it every day, but it is kind of symbolic.

In a way, we are kind of going through what the Children of Israel went through when they were in their forty year desert time. We know where the destination is, we just can’t seem to get there. We know we’ll get there eventually, but we don’t really know when or how. And sometimes, we’re guilty of doing the same kinds of complaining. “Have you forgotten us, God?” “This isn’t what we had in mind, God.” “I know the perfect solution to this, God.”

I hope God is more patient with us…

It’s hard to keep focused on a promise that doesn’t always seem to be in reach. It’s hard to keep focused on the future when it feels like you can barely get through the here and now. It’s hard to wait for something you feel like you’re ready for. I really can’t find fault with the Israelites for nagging God. Honestly, we’re been doing our own nagging.

Towards the end of their roundabout Palestinian tour, we get a few glimpses of the depth of their frustration. They are so done with wandering. And the people let their anger out pretty dramatically. So does God. It’d be nice if it were gentle reminders that everything is under control, but it’s not. It’s a really irritated parental “quit pestering me!” Again and again. We’re getting the same thing from God; thankfully it’s much gentler. Frequent reminders that we really are heading toward our call - toward our Promised Land - and that God really is going before us.

"Meesa Back!"

Jar Jar Binks. Star Wars, Episode One.

Qui Gan meets Jar Jar as he’s running through the fields of Naboo. Although he’s reluctant, Jar Jar lets Qui Gan convince him to take them to the underwater Gungan City. It seems that Jar Jar was banished. But he decides there’s no sense in fighting it; he needs to go home. He announces his return by shouting “Meesa back!” (Editorial note: This blog is in no way meant to validate the racism that many feel is present in the Jar Jar character; it is simply meant to illustrate the difficulty that we sometimes have with going home.)

People used to ask me if I would ever want to pastor in my home town. My answer was always no. I figured people who knew me when I was growing up would never take me seriously as a pastor. “I knew the pastor when he used to rock and roll.” That whole “prophet in his home town” thing. Looking back, I think I was more afraid that I hadn’t really changed.

Fast forward an hour or so into the movie. Jar Jar is having a chat with Boss Nass, the one who banished him. Boss Nass credits Jar Jar with uniting the Gungans and the Naboo. He is credited with making peace between the two peoples. And Boss Nass promotes Jar Jar – clumsy, bumbling Jar Jar – to “Bombad General”. None of Jar Jar’s previous problems is noted, just his current accomplishments. Isn’t that really the case with us most of the time too?

I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll). We all used to “Rock and Roll” in our own way. We have all been rebellious people. The Bride of Christ used to rock and roll. But if we can claim anything through Christ it is this: we’ve been changed. Maybe not who we are, but the way we are. And while we probably still see ourselves as bumbling and clumsy and unfit to promote Jesus with our lives, God sees what we have truly become. And for God, it is precisely because of our imperfection that we are made able to serve.

Who says you can’t go home again? You can. People are far more likely to validate the changes they see in you than you are yourself.

This is Your Hometown

I’m back living in Eugene now. In a few weeks, Andrea and the boys will be joining me. I’m back in my hometown after almost twenty-five years. Several songs and thoughts have been going through my mind: Bruce Springteen’s “My Hometown”, the thought “You can’t go home again”, James Taylor and J.D. Souther’s “Her Town Too”… and of course the passage where Jesus talks about a prophet being honored everywhere except in his home town. Whew! Thankfully, I’m not a prophet. (That also brought to mind Nick Lowe singing “I Knew the Bride [When She Used to Rock and Roll]. More on that in a future blog).

Many people have asked if moving here means that we’re not planning on Thailand anymore. Not at all! We’re still working towards that. What it means is that it isn’t coming as quickly as we would like. It means that we want to take time to help both our mom’s get situated before we move ten time zones away. And, most importantly, it’s moving where we feel God wants us to be for the time being. Nobody in their right mind would move only to move again. Right?

I had kind of an epiphany this morning in church. We’re working our way through “The Story” as I’m sure many of you are. At one point the pastor talked about how God told Abraham, “Pack your stuff and move. I’m not telling you exactly where, you just have to do it.” And of course, Abraham did. The pastor then went on to say how crazy that was. He then asked if any of us would be crazy enough to do that. I turned to the person sitting next to me (who knows our situation) and chuckled. “Yes, in fact, I might have an idea of how Abraham must have felt.”

For whatever reason, God told us to move to Oregon. God told us to move to the Eugene / Springfield area. Why? I don’t know! But we’re both pretty certain that’s what he told us to do. In a few weeks, Andrea and the boys will be moving as well, bringing all our belongings with them. Hopefully I will have found us someplace to live by then.

Abraham and Sarah moved because they had faith. Now, I’m not going to say that my faith is anything close to Abraham’s. But maybe this is a test of just where our faith is. This is a pretty minor move, Idaho to Oregon; housing notwithstanding. But… if we can’t trust God with this small move, how can we possibly trust him with the big one that’s coming up?

Cross Town Traffic

Being from the West Coast of the U.S. (and for awhile a citizen of Seattle), I’ve always been kind of a Jimi Hendrix fan. And when I started thinking about this blog, the Hendrix song was playing in my mind. There’s really no connection between the blog and the song, other than the title. But this past several months has been a lot like trying to drive across town.

In Twin Falls, the main street of the city (really the only main street) is called “Blue Lakes”. It runs about five miles north and south through the center of town. And it is a rare occasion to make it from one end of Blue Lakes to the other without stopping for at least one red light. More often than not you end up stopping for most if not all of them. If you’re driving from one end to the other, that means about eight traffic lights. 

It can seem like forever.

Last October, we began our journey towards Thailand. It started out really quick, like a jackrabbit start from a green light. But, we had to stop for the next light, and it was a long one. We could see traffic going crossways from us, we could see people in the turn lane going past and heading off in their desired directions. And still we sat. Finally the light turned green and we were off, only to stop again shortly. More traffic moving that wasn’t us, more waiting. Stop and go. Stop and go. Frustration at the light that never seemed to turn. 

We’ve had several stop lights that we’ve sat at for seeming eternities, and we’ve had several times of traveling at comparatively high rates of speed. And the light always seems to turn green just at the time we begin to think we simply can’t sit any longer. But our direction has not changed. We’re still headed toward Thailand, we’re just not getting there as fast as we’d like. 

Some of you might be wondering if we’re ever going to really get there. We wonder the same thing sometimes. But we’re not giving up. Please don’t give up on us. We’ll make it, but right now we just seem to be hitting every light.

A Different Kind of Footprint

I got this from a friend (Okay, I took it from his Facebook). Like many of you, one of my favorite poems of all time is “Footprints”. I think that’s really the way it is. Jesus carries us in those times when we feel like we simply cannot go on. However, I also think it is one of the most overused poems of all time. When we’re going through difficult times and circumstances, it can be kind of hard to feel or even envision God carrying us. Well-meaning Christians throw this around like spiritual Prozac; “Remember, when you go through trials, it means God is carrying you.”

And, if we’re being honest; it implies that we’re always walking right beside the Lord, going the way he wants us to go; that the only work God really has to do is get us through life’s troubles. I’m not sure there’s a lot of theological accuracy in that viewpoint. While the above picture is a comic, I think it’s probably very true as well that God is sometimes dragging us.

The Spirit is pretty good about getting us where he wants us. Sometimes it’s gentle maneuvering. Sometimes it’s a shift in our wants and desires. Sometimes it’s being dragged.

Those of us who have kids: think about it like this. You’re heading in a specific direction with a specific time frame. You’ve got a goal in mind. The problem is that you’ve got the kids with you. They want to stop and look at everything along the way. That’s not always a problem, but sometimes it is. And we end up kind of dragging our kids along in order to get done what we need to have happen. I’m quite sure that’s how it can be with us and God.

Our family has been through a lot over the past couple years. And while I’d love to believe that Jesus was carrying us, I wonder if he wasn’t more dragging us. We knew we were called to something, but we thought it was something far different. Southeast Asia was not on our radar. And yet, here we are, preparing for a missionary journey to the literal other side of the globe. Was God carrying us through difficulties or dragging us along to get us where he wants us?

There can be a lot of whining and complaining when we drag our kids, especially if they don’t know where they’re being dragged to. But usually, once they get there they end up enjoying it and seeing the value in it. We had no idea where the Holy Spirit was leading us, and yet here we are excited beyond belief at the privilege we have before us. Partnering with Christ and taking the Good News where it’s never been heard before.

When we die, we need to look for the footprints. They’re the difficult times, the times Jesus carried us. But maybe we need to look for the ruts too, the times we were dragged. They might just lead to something good.

God Moments

We just spent the past two weeks touring I-5 between Eugene and Seattle. It was great seeing friends and family that we hadn’t seen in awhile, and it was cool experiencing God’s amazing sense of humor. We had several “God Moments”, but one stands out. (Editor’s note: “God Moments” refers to those times when God shows up in surprising ways).

I had sent out a request via email for folks to talk to their pastor/mission committee/anyone who would listen and ask if there was a chance we could share a bit of the vision God has given us for the people of Thailand. Several responded, among them, my aunt. She had passed our name on to a man I knew from a Bible Study 20+ years ago (Kip), who had passed us on to another gentleman from the Mission Committee of their church (John). They wanted to meet with us on Sunday the 15^th.

On Sunday, we went to this church – Shoreline Community Church in Coos Bay – without my aunt. Now mind you, I haven’t seen Kip in more than 20 years and I’ve never met John. But we trusted that God would do what needed to be done. In this, we weren’t disappointed!

Upon arriving (unannounced), we were given a bulletin. The Scripture for the morning included this passage from Romans 15: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: ‘Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.’” This is one of Pioneers’ theme verses. We were also given a “Welcome Gift”. It was a DVD talking about the wonders of God’s universe, subtitled in Thai. There was fudge too.

We knew we were in the right place. However, we still didn’t know how we were going to find Kip or John.

After the final song, the pastor stood back up. He started talking about a fund-raising dinner. Then he asked the organizer to come up and talk about it… Kip. Kip spoke for a few minutes, then directed the man that everyone was supposed to pay to stand up… John.

I could almost hear God chuckling.

We received a couple more churches that are supporting us, and more family and friends as well. It was a wonderful trip. For those we were able to see, it was wonderful! For those we missed this time, you haven’t entirely dodged that bullet. But perhaps more than anything else, this two weeks was another chance for God to confirm and affirm that we’re going where we’re supposed to be going. Our hearts are more than ever with the people of Thailand, and our hopes to be there soon remain undimmed.

Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers, and for standing with us as we raise the necessary finances to soon be overseas.

Technical Difficulties

I had hoped there would be a video here. La Cabane.

I have been trying unsuccessfully to upload a video of an interview that Andrea did with Paul Young, the author of The Shack. It’s a really cool video too. Here’s how it all came about…

A couple of months ago, a friend of ours - Ted Angell - suggested to Andrea the possibility of interviewing Paul, and translating the interview into French. Ted and Paul had done similar interviews into Spanish and Portuguese. After a bit of anxiety, she agreed.

We met Paul in Portland on the 18th of July. They started out by chatting a bit about Third Culture Kid stuff and just kind of getting acquainted. She briefly mentioned some of the questions that we had kind of thrown around as ideas. While they were doing that, I was busy setting up a small handheld video cam and doing a back-up with the webcam on my laptop.

The conversation was entirely spontaneous. Paul presents first in English, then Andrea translates into French. He managed to incorporate every question and idea into pretty much a monologue, on the spot. I got two really good videos of the interview.

Unfortunately, I am only a “Level Four Geek”. Apparently there is something wrong in the code… or it’s too long… or I’m simply inept. I don’t know. But for the life of me I cannot get the video (almost half an hour long) to load to YouTube or this blog, either in MP4 or Windows Media File formats. I have tried multiple times and get error messages each time.

Needless to say I am greatly disappointed. I plan to give it a few more tries (and if anyone with a higher “Geek Clearance” than me wants to offer advice I’ll happily listen). Hopefully soon! In the meantime, I might be able to send it as an attachment if you want to see it, although I make no guarantees. It really is a cool vid.

Zero Known Believers

(by a Pioneer in East Asia)
“I just returned this morning from a ten-day trip teaching English in small, unreached villages in Central Asia. After multiple instances where we thought we wouldn't even make it across the border, the Father opened the doors for us to enter and remain for longer than initially intended! We spent the mornings teaching and the remainder of the day enjoying milk tea and traditional meals with various families.

“While this small, unreached people group (with zero known believers) is by far the friendliest culture I have ever met, the soil of their hearts is hard and rocky. This discouraged me throughout the time there. Why have I heard the gospel over and over, and they have never heard? What impact can we have in the few days we are here? He reminded me that, ‘It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy’ (Romans 9:16).

“And God is working! A couple of trips ago, a young girl had a dream three nights in a row that Jesus was on a cross in her front yard. When her mother discovered that her daughter was talking to foreigners about this she beat her and forbade her to speak of the dreams again.

“So let's pray for a long-term presence in these villages! It was a privilege to work alongside an East Asian sister who passionately taught and loved the children and families there. She would love to work there long-term. Pray that God would provide a partner to go with her.”

While the number of known believers in the area we’re hoping to go to is larger than zero, it is still a disturbingly small number. It is still one of the least evangelized areas in the world today. And it’s not going to be for just a few days. While the shortest time Pioneers will support a team in the field is two years, we anticipate being in Thailand for a longer period of time than that. Because even though the intention is to raise up leaders to pass the ministry on to, even that takes time. 

Around the world, almost one third of the people on earth have never heard the Good News that many of us take for granted. Many of these people live where we want to be. 

Will you help us get there?

Unengaged and Unreached

“We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the First.” – Oswald J. Smith.

In reality, it’s about a third of the world that has never heard. Of the seven billion people that call earth home, more than two billion of them have never heard the Good News. They are the Unreached. Of those, most live in areas that don’t have any kind of Christian presence, or at least not of sufficient numbers to possibly share that Good News. They’ve never seen a missionary or had access to one. They are the Unengaged Unreached.

One of the core values of Pioneers is to try to see that everyone has a chance to learn about Jesus for themselves. Their focus is sending missionaries to these Unengaged Unreached. 

The videos paint a pretty dim picture. And I feel like I need to print a bit of a disclaimer. There is nothing wrong about missionaries going to serve among those who are already Christians. Paul reminds us that one plants, another waters, still another harvests. All of those roles need to be filled. Discipling new believers is vital. Training them to be missionaries themselves is vital. But discipling and training can’t happen without there being any initial contact. And two billion people right now have no need for discipling or training. They haven’t heard the Good News. 

In the Isaan region of Thailand, there are some 21.5 million people. On average, 1 out of every 634 people in Isaan is Christian. In some provinces, the ratio is as high as 1 out of every 1303. If a thousand people in Isaan gathered to watch a football game, on a good day two would be Christian. Think of it this way. Visualize Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. Safeco Field has a seating capacity of 47,860. If every one of these seats were filled with a person living in Isaan, 132 of them would be Christian. That doesn't even put one Christian in each section. 

These are the Unengaged Unreached.

Isaan is the driest and poorest region in Thailand; all of Thailand’s ten poorest provinces are in Isaan. It has a history of being dominated and oppressed by various regimes over the last 800 years. It is a socially outcast area. It is looked down upon by Thai’s because of its Laotian and Cambodian influences. In Isaan, 70% of the population is considered impoverished.

We’re hoping to work at planting churches, finding people who are open to hearing the Gospel. This is not about going to convert or Christianize people. This is about going and telling them about who Jesus is. But also, we go to serve the people in the Name of Christ, following his mandate to care for “the least of these”.

Some are called to serve the church here, bringing Christ to their immediate sphere of influence. Some are called to serve the church in another part of this country, in another city or state. Some are called to go to those who have come to Christ, but who need to be trained in how to live their faith out. And some are called to bring the Good News to a place that it has never been. We believe that is where we are being called. 

Will you help us get there?

Charity Begins at Home

“Why do you want to go to the other side of the world? There are poor people / people who need ministry right here in Idaho/Oregon/Washington/the United States. Why not stay here and do ministry?” After questions about life and culture and ministry in Thailand, these are the most common questions we get. Why not care for our own people and their needs? Charity begins at home.

When I was doing Youth Ministry and Campus Ministry and people talked to me about Missions, that was usually my response too. I have always thought of Youth Ministry as being like “Domestic Missions”. I haven’t really changed my mind about all that. I think sometimes we make overseas mission work sound more holy than domestic ministry. It isn’t. Just because we’re getting involved in foreign ministry doesn’t mean we think it’s somehow godlier. And ministry to our own is not less important. Jesus was pretty specific about telling us that we need to care for the poor and downtrodden. He wasn’t very specific about which poor and downtrodden. 

We’re trying to be straightforward in asking for support from people in our quest to minister to the people of Thailand. But I feel like I need to make a disclaimer here: if you already have a habit of giving to ministries and outreach here in the States, we don’t want you to stop. We don’t want to take money being given to someone else. If, however, you aren’t involved in supporting a specific ministry, please consider us. Please.

In the Great Commission, Jesus talks about making Disciples of all nations. At the beginning of Acts, he speaks of sending his disciples to Jerusalem; where they live, the people they see every day. He talks about Judea; the people of their culture, but in the wider countryside. He talks about Samaria; people of a somewhat different culture, but who are still close by. Then he throws in the “uttermost parts of the world”; which is pretty much everywhere else. Every one of these groups is supposed to be touched with the Good News. Every one of them is supposed to be given the hands and feet of Christ. He didn’t place any kind of hierarchy of importance or blessedness. He doesn’t like one better than another. But he does want them all to be done. 

For whatever reason, the Holy Spirit has placed it in our hearts to go to an unreached people group eleven times zones away from where we are now. We have been called to share with and care for a people in that “uttermost part of the world”. That same Spirit has placed in some of your hearts to partner with us in this; to be a blessing to a people you might never meet. “Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2).” 

We’re ready to be sent; to the uttermost parts of the world.

Keep to the Code

A little over two years ago, I preached a sermon about lessons learned from Captain Jack Sparrow. It included several points; you determine who you are, aim high, wait for the opportune moment and seize it, never apologize for who you are, keep a sharp eye, and keep your sense of humor. But perhaps the most important lesson to take from Captain Jack Sparrow is the last one: Never give up.
 
Persistence is all the more impressive when the odds are clearly against a person. From the time of the mutiny aboard the Black Pearl to the time Jack regained control of his ship, ten years passed. An entire decade. Sure, he may have taken some detours, but he always returned to the goal of getting his ship back. With patience and a bit of assistance, Jack succeeded. And through this he shares the most important lesson; never give up on what matters most to you.

I have to confess, there are times when we have a little trouble with that last point. 

If you’ve been following this blog for very long, you’ve realized that we’re preparing for overseas mission work. We’re selling off unnecessary possessions, learning all we can about the culture and the language (hence the blog title), telling everyone who will listen about what we hope to be doing, interacting frequently with the Thailand team we hope to join and with our pre-field coaches, and trying to raise up people to support us in prayer and in finances while we’re there. We have many people who have agreed that they want to come alongside us in this venture. 

Okay, honestly, we’re not losing hope. No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it. And we feel your prayers being lifted for the people we hope to soon be serving, as well as for us and for our support. We feel the excitement that many of you have for our missionary journey. Many of you have said how passionate we sound when we speak of our impending work in Southeast Asia. But the most difficult thing ahead of us at the moment is waiting. 

We had been hoping for this coming August for several reasons. We want to get through Language School and begin working as soon as possible with the team in their new area. We had hoped to be there before the new school year starts for the boys. Now, it seems like it might not be that soon. We’re thinking more along the lines of October for a Survey Trip, and after the New Year for our deployment. But who can guess what God’s time frame might be? (Hopefully, not an entire decade…) In order for us to begin planning our departure, our funds need to be at 80%. In order to purchase our tickets, we need to be at 90%.

We know that God is behind this whole thing, and that God will get us there exactly when he wants us there. We know that what seems insurmountable to us is nothing to God. And, like Captain Jack, we’re not giving up on what matters the most to us. 

We’re thankful for the many of you who are standing beside us, who also sense the hand of God in this. With patience and a bit of assistance, we will succeed.

The World is My Parish

Our dishes keep breaking. Every week or so, one more of them ends up being dropped or damaged. Plates, cups, glasses; we’ve lost some of each. We still have enough to get by, but we’re wondering how soon it’ll be before we don’t have enough for a full dishwasher load.

We’re hoping this is a sign, some “still-small-voice-ish” way of telling us we’ll be departing soon. God doing away with stuff we don’t need, getting it out of our way. At least, that’s what we tell ourselves every time we hear another crash. We can leave behind our broken dishes. We’re far more concerned with broken lives. 

The trafficking of human lives is a strange thing. Sometimes it’s done out of greed; parents want more stuff. Sometimes it’s done out of necessity; the family simply cannot afford to feed and care for all their children. Sometimes it’s done out of family loyalty; the child might even agree in order to help financially. And sometimes it’s done out of faith; agreeing to be used and exploited in this life for the hope of a better next life. But no matter what the motivation, it leaves behind a wake of human wreckage. 

Often the family will begin to worry and realize just what they have done to their child. Often the child will escape with nothing left of who they were. They’re left with picking up the broken pieces of a life tragically misused. 

Caring for these is only part of what we hope to be soon doing in Thailand. Pioneers is committed to planting churches. We will be working with the team meeting people and introducing the Gospel to them. These won’t be the kinds of churches we’re familiar with. We’ll likely be meeting in homes or other small places; worshiping, learning, and discipling. Loving the people and showing them Jesus. 

John’s Gospel records the Great Commission this way, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” “The Church is and always has been about mission. That we are sent and how we are sent are equally important. Jesus has it in his heart and mind that we go in both word and deed to proclaim the good news of the Gospel: that Jesus Christ is Lord and has been raised from the dead. All our going must correspond with the way he came. (Jon Brown, "Words of Hope" Devotional, April 14, 2012)."

And in case you’re wondering, we’re all ready to go anytime. It’s a matter of when not if. Every day our hearts break more and more for the people of Thailand. Every night the boys pray for the funds to come in soon so that we can be in Thailand soon. We have been chatting at least once a month via Skype with the team we hope to join.  We’re learning the culture, learning the language, and learning of the challenges we will be facing. We’re planning to head off on a survey trip this coming July, and we intend to be there full-time by August of this year, but we need your help to accomplish that goal. Please consider partnering with us in this ministry.

Hands and Feet

This morning, our three pastors spoke about the idea of “Missional Church”. The congregation is in the process of raising funds to build a new children’s wing, in order to accommodate and serve more children. This is not simply for the families within the congregation, but for the larger community as well. The focus is on being Missional; on being Jesus to the people around us, whether or not they are connected to the community of faith.

One of the pastors made the statement, “Lots of people head out to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but it’s hard to be the hands and feet if you’re not connected to the rest of the body.” And, being a visual thinker, you know where my mind immediately went with that?

Thing. The disembodied hand from The Addams Family. Yes. Really.

Follow me on this. Thing runs around the family home like a manic five-legged spider. He (she?) manages to communicate with the rest of the Addams family by use of jumping gestures. Thing is very expressive. And Thing manages to care for the homestead in spite of being just a hand. In return, the family cares for Thing and makes Thing feel welcome and honored and loved. 

Though Thing is disembodied, Thing is not without a body. That’s Missional.

We’re preparing to head off to the other side of the world from where we are now. We’re heading off to be the hands and feet and eyes and ears of Jesus. And we’re leaving the congregation and friends and family that have been so close to us for years. We’re about to be somewhat disembodied. But… we hope to not be without a body. We will still be connected intimately to the Body of Christ. But we also need to be connected to you all, our body. Christ’s Body for us. Our support, our nourishment. Our sustenance. 

You nourish us now. Many have joined with us and are standing alongside us praying and supporting us. But developing partners can be a long process, and one that is occasionally discouraging. The numbers don’t always grow as quickly as we would like them to. It’s important for us to know that we are not the body-less hand. It’s important for us to feel as connected to you as you hopefully feel to us. If there are ways that we can connect more with each of you, please let us know. Please let us know. And know that we hold you all very close and are very grateful for each of you, and that we cherish our connections with you.

You Get Credit for Trying

One of my favorite scenes in the whole of the Pirates of the Caribbean series takes place between Pintel and Ragetti, the two most consistent supporting characters of the Black Pearl. The exchange takes place towards the beginning of the second movie, Dead Man’s Chest. They are paddling a small boat toward an island. Pintel has hopes of “salvaging” the Black Pearl, but Ragetti refuses. Pintel is paddling while Ragetti squints his one good eye at a book. It turns out to be the Bible. 

Ragetti: "Anyways, I ain't stealing no ship."  
Pintel: "It ain't stealing. It's salvaging. And since when did you care?"  
Ragetti: "Since we're not immortal no more. We gotta take care of our immortal souls." 
Pintel (after a pause): "You know you can't read."  
Ragetti: "It's the Bible. You get credit for trying."

I love that! You know why I like it? Because I believe it. Wholeheartedly!

Pintel doesn’t. Pintel: "Pretending to read the Bible's a lie. That's a mark against... (Points up)"

Sound familiar? How often do we hear that kind of thing in church? How often do we say things like that or imply them? “You’re not doing it right, so God isn’t going to like it.” Maybe God isn’t going to like you either. 

I definitely think God would rather have us try and not get it quite right than to not try at all. 

We don’t know much at all about planting churches, and we especially don’t know anything about planting them in Southeast Asia. We’re like the one-eye man squinting at a manual we can’t read, trying to make sense out of it. But that isn’t going to stop us from trying. And we believe that God is going to give us credit for trying, and pick up our slack. 

This coming Sunday is Easter. Worldwide there are two billion people who won’t celebrate Easter because they know nothing about it. In the Isaan region, 1 out of every 634 people is Christian. In Ubon city, it’s 1 out of 814. We want to plant a few house churches, lead some Bible Studies, Disciple new believers. We want to try. 

“Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the Good News not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.’” ~ Romans 15:20-21. That’s our goal; will you help us get there?

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

This has always been one of my favorite U2 songs. It’s a song of longing. It’s a song of seeking. It’s a song of not being content with the world as it is being experienced at the moment. It’s a song about the idea that; now that we’re children of God, what’s next?  Just claiming and accepting the love of God simply can’t be the end of the story.

“I have spoke with the tongues of angels, I have held the hand of the devil; it was warm in the night, I was cold as a stone. But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” I hear him echoing Paul; “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NRSV). I’ve done these things, both good and bad, and I’ve made my choice. But it’s not enough if I don’t take the Gospel to the next level.

The last verse of the song has Bono singing: “You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains; carried the cross and all my shame, all my shame. You know I believe it. But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Some think this is a rejection of the salvation story. I don’t hear it that way. I hear it as asking what the next step is. If we’re content with simply taking the Gospel into ourselves and leaving it at that, we’re missing something. That’s what I hear Bono saying. “Is this all there is? Or do we now have a greater responsibility?” For me, this is not a song about looking for an alternative to the story of the Man who “carried the cross and all our shame…” It’s a song about what we do with that story now that we believe it.

We still haven’t found what we’re looking for. But we’re still looking.

How is the Gospel fulfilled? When we take it somewhere it’s never been. My family and I have found a way that we can take the story somewhere it’s never been. We have that chance. We have the opportunity before us to share the love of God and the story of Christ with people who have not had the experience of hearing it before; helping to bring the Holy Spirit into a land of spirits. The call of God leads us to various places. For us, it is leading to Thailand.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14a NLT).

We haven’t found what we’re looking for, but we know where we’re going to look next.

Bring Me That Horizon II

August seems so far away. There’s a thin blanket of snow on the ground and we’re keeping busy working and going to school. Our church has agreed to support us, we’re preparing for our survey trip in July, we’re starting to learn the language, we’re putting together our growing list of financial supporters and prayer warriors, we’re looking at our budget and how much we need to raise before we can go…

Wow. August seems so close. 

We’ve been Skype-ing with a team in Thailand that we hope to join. They are doing some amazing things through the Holy Spirit, and have some great plans for the next phase. There is a huge need in the city we’re looking to be in; very few churches, very few missionaries, and lots of poverty and need. Many families enlist their children in the human trafficking trade, in order to make enough money for the rest of the family to survive. The Isaan region of Thailand is the poorest in the country. Many of the people are not native Thai’s, having come from Laos or Cambodia, so they are considered second class citizens at best. Every day our hearts break more for the people of Thailand.

August seems so far away.

We know that God is moving us in this direction; there is no question at all of that. And we know that God will get us there in exactly the time frame that he wants us there. And we know that God is going to provide us the people to make that happen, at just the time that we need them. All we can do is wait, and prepare, and continue to look toward and long for that horizon.
August.

The Country Club Church

My family is currently attending a rather large church in Twin Falls Idaho. Not long ago, the pastor mentioned that at times this congregation has been called a “Country Club Church”. I started thinking back. It occurred to me that every church I have ever been a part of has been called a Country Club Church. 

When I think of a Country Club, I think of a place that gives special benefits to its members, and is sometimes exclusionary towards non-members. It provides comforts and pleasures that the members pay a high price for. The clubhouse is usually stylish and plush. It is very exclusive.

For the record, when you’re referring to a church, this is not usually a compliment. 

But it begs the question: what exactly is a “Country Club Church”? Is that what we mean? Only the finest and best of everything? A club that looks out for its own members and sometimes seems exclusive? Places a high premium on membership? 

Compared to most of the world, every church in America is a Country Club Church. That’s not meant to be an indictment; it’s a statement of reality. And I confess, I’ve gotten kind of used to that myself. I like nice sound systems and comfortable seats and lots of room for meetings.

In a matter of months, we’re planning to move to a part of the world that most certainly won’t be accused of having country club churches. There’s not really all that many “broom closet” churches either. There’s not many churches period. Part of our work is going to be helping to plant some of these broom closet churches. Part of our work is to make them self-sustaining, and self-duplicating. No big budgets, just a more or less comfortable place to meet.

We’re hoping to partner with some folks in these country club churches to help support our efforts to do that. The goal is not to get them to the point of supporting a pastoral staff, much less paying us for coming over. That’s why we need you to partner with us. We need the country club churches to help us help plant the broom closet churches.

Maybe being seen as a “Country Club Church” can be a compliment after all. Maybe not only that, maybe it’s an honor and a privilege. Maybe it’s that whole “blessed to be a blessing” thing. “Freely, freely, you have received. Freely, freely give.” “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke 12:48 NLT.

May we all be that blessing!