The Place of Short-Term Missions

Here is an excellent article on the benefits and short-comings of short-term missions, by Bill Taylor in 1996.

The Doctrines of Grace

More and more I am hearing phrases like the following:

• "We believe in the doctrines of grace."
• "Do you believe the doctrines of grace?"
• "I was enlightened by the doctrines of grace."

What I gather from my intentionally limited forays into the theological blogosphere is that "the doctrines of grace" are the five points of Calvinism.  I may or may not believe them, but may I make an observation?

I realize this isn't newly-coined terminology, but to call them "the doctrines of grace" seems unfair to those who don't embrace them and undermining to those who do.  This is unfair because it makes people who don't believe in TULIP appear like they do not believe in grace--they do.  This is undermining because it makes those who do believe in TULIP appear that they need straw men and arrogance to win adherents--they don't.

I would have less an issue if the chosen terminology was "doctrines of grace" or "these particular five doctrines of grace." But no, it is always "the doctrines of grace" (the only ones).  This seems neither accurate, fair to differing brothers and sisters, nor helpful to the Calvinistic position.

For the record, I believe strongly in the doctrine of grace. It continues to amaze me.

For The Sake of His Name

My friend Chris Anderson has blessed us with a rich missiological hymn text. Click here for links to the sheet music and live MP3 recording at the recent Student Global Impact Conference.

I'm all goose pimply and throat lumpy (for the sake of His name).

Go to the world for the sake of His name;
To every nation His glory proclaim.
Pray that the Spirit wise
Will open darkened eyes,
Granting new life to display Jesus’ fame.

Refrain:
In Jesus’ power, preach Christ to the lost;
For Jesus’ glory, count all else but loss.
Gather from every place
Trophies of sov’reign grace.
Lest life be wasted, exalt Jesus’ cross.

Love the unloved for the sake of His name;
Like Christ, befriend those whose heads hang in shame.
Jesus did not condemn,
But was condemned for them.
Trust gospel pow’r, for we once were the same.

Rescue the lost for the sake of His name;
In Christ-like love snatch them out of the flame.
Tell that when Jesus died
God’s wrath was satisfied. 

Urge them to flee to the Lamb who was slain.

Look to the Throne for the sake of His name;
Think of the throng who will share in His reign.
Some for whose souls we pray
Will share our joy that day,
Joining our song for the sake of His name!

P.S. Listening to the MP3 recording of this hymn was nice detox after my previous post.

The Shirtless Dancing Man (or, How a Movement Develops)

I deny having posted the following about "The Shirtless Dancing Guy."  I think it was a computer virus.

• After you read the following bullet points, then decide whether to click the link below.
• If you are offended at a shirtless guy dancing in the distance, please do not click below.
• If you are offended at a bunch of people dancing on a mountainside, please do not click below.
• In my defense: there is nothing I thought sensual about the video, but I admit is is somewhat gross.
• To my credit (hopefully): I think there are some important illustrations herein about being willing to be a fool for Christ and about training national leaders to reach their own people.

Click here to see the shirtless dancing guy unwittingly teaching us something about church planting movements.

The Father's Will

Recently an elder brother in Christ (who prefers to be anonymous) taught some of us a simple principle to help brand new believers to start spreading the Gospel before their heads hit the pillow on Day One of their new relationship with God.

You tell them something like this--right away:

The Father’s will is for your entire family to become believers on Jesus … and your close friends.

Many years ago, God spoke to a man named Noah and told him about a great flood that would destroy the world. Most people did not listen, but at least Noah listened and rescued his own family.  

Later, a man named Lot lived in a wicked city.  God told him He would destroy the city, but Lot was able to rescue most of his family.  

Later, a woman named Rahab saved two godly men from their enemies.  She begged them to save not only her life, but her whole family when God's judgment came.  And so she rescued her entire family. 

Much later a man named Cornelius asked a messenger of God to come to his house to tell him what he should do.  When the messenger came, he found the house filled with all Cornelius' relatives and friends.  They all heard the Word of God, believed, and were saved.  And so Cornelius rescued his family and friends.

Later a woman named Lydia heard about God's salvation while she was out working, and immediately took the message to her entire household and they were all saved.  She opened her house for people to come in and hear the truth, and so she saved many people.

Later some men of God were in jail and their jailor heard how he could be saved. That very night, he took the message to his household and they were rescued.

Another time, there was a man who lived at a graveyard. He was possessed by devils and cut himself with stones. Jesus came and healed him. Then the man wanted to follow Jesus and learn more … but Jesus said, "No, you must go home to your friends and tell them what God has done for you."

So if you have become a believer today [or in the last week], THIS is the Father’s will for you today: to take the Gospel to your family so they can be rescued too.

Then, it is recommended to write down some names of the person's family and friends and begin praying for their salvation … and also go with them if appropriate. In so-doing, a new believer gets "programmed" from day one to share the Gospel and reproduce.

Help Us If You Can ... Re: Group Health Insurance

One of the benefits of a mission board is group health insurance.  But many, like us, aren't part of a board; we're sent out by our local church, without the sometimes-necessary middle man. But we just discovered that we're paying more than twice as much for health insurance on our Bupa Denmark individual family plan than some missionaries are paying on their mission boards' group health plan (Aetna, for example).  
 
Does anyone know of a co-op of independent missionaries (those who aren't part of a missions board) who have pooled together to get the same kind of rates mission boards get--with a reputable insurance company?  Or any other solution?

Since we are talking about hundreds more dollars to raise per month (and therefore weeks and weeks more time off the field to raise and then maintain so much more support), we are desperate to find a solution and therefore be better stewards of God's time and money.

Any ideas?  Please comment!

Dispatches From The Front: "A Bold Advance"

My friend Dr. Tim Keesee and Frontline Ministries have produced another episode of the film I blogged about earlier. This second episode is set in our part of the world and tells the story of God at work through His servants in what has been a historically dark part of the world for missions.  I enjoy and watch dramatized re-creations of old missionary stories (I watched William Carey last night), but it is hard not to be aware that you're watching actors on sound-stages; Dispatches DVDs are so powerful because they are real-time, real-life documentaries of life as it unfolds on the mission-field battle-field.

The full DVD is around 53 minutes, includes special features and discussion guides, and sells for $15 individually (or $100 for 10) ... this and Episode One are worthy items for church bookstores and libraries.

On Adaptation (or, Should I Wear a Loin Cloth?)

On a recent post about praying for missionaries I urged people to pray for us to have wisdom in cultural adaptation, some missionaries going "too far in their adaptation, compromising their health or their faith."  ScottSB asked "Could you give an example of what you mean?"

So much has been written about cultural adaptation that anything I say will probably be redundant; but here are some simplistic examples to demonstrate where I was going with that ...

1. If western missionaries do not filter their drinking water in some locations, they could really suffer physically.  By drinking bottled water instead of the water the locals drink, have you failed in cultural adaptation?
2. My field is a cigarette culture.  I have developed mild asthma by breathing so much smog, dust, and second-hand smoke while evangelizing in coffee shops.  Have I gone too far in my adaptation?
3. I read on a blog called "American Missionary" that a guy started drinking, smoking, and watching R-rated movies in order to win folks "organically."  Has he gone too far in his adaptation?

There are no cut-and-dried answers for a million questions like these, but I would like to throw out some general thoughts on adaptation:

1. Some missionaries seem to think that the acid test of a "true" missionary is 100% cultural adaptation: "I'm gonna be a 'hard-core' missionary, incarnational just like Jesus, so I'm gonna drink the water that the locals do."  I say, "OK, whatever floats your boat"--but just remember that it's hard to have a Jesus-like ministry--being out meeting people in the harvest fields--if you have to stay continually within 10 yards of the toilet.  And I would add that faithfulness, fruitfulness, genuine humility and love are much higher on my list of "acid tests" for missionaries than a legalistic standard of cultural to-dos that you've brought in from your cultural anthropology class.
2. That said, I think most of us missionaries do too little, not too much, in learning our new cultures well enough to engage them effectively. 
3. Hudson Taylor wore Chinese garb, shaved most of his head, dyed the rest, and grew a braid to bridge a gap to a people that had an arguably deserved chip on their shoulder about westerners and their ways.  It was effective for Hudson, but most people think it was merely because it endeared him to the people--"Ooooooh," say missiologists, "let's all be like Hudson Taylor." But what was going on?  There were foreigners on both sides of a rebellion and his foreign clothing immediately cut off one audience or the other, or both, and immediately stigmatized him.  People still knew he was a foreigner by his accent and admission, but his Chinese attire helped him cut through the politics and get to his message. It wasn't his new look that made him effective, but his character, passion and God's power on his life.  So is Hudson's model for us?  Are you going to wear a loincloth into your new jungle neighborhood to be like Hudson?  Sorry, but in many cultures that's going to backfire and you're just going to look strange.  In America, we might notice that immigrants from India stand out a bit, sporting a heavy accent and a red dot on their foreheads, but it might be even weirder for them to attempt a southern drawl and wear cowboy boots and a baseball cap ... we'd be like, "this person is trying just a LIT-tle too hard."  They'll know you're a foreigner anyway, and unless you're younger than 10 years old, total adaptation will be nigh-impossible.  So don't force the adaptation thing from Day One.  Sure, when possible and appropriate, learn to blend in.  Study.  Learn. Ask questions.  And use common sense. As a very young missionary starting out in a culture which valued age, I tried to dress UP like the men here, both to blend in and to counter-balance for my young age, improving their perceptions of my credibility.  But clothes do not make the man, nor does adaptation make the missionary. 
4. Yes, I have damaged my health by frequenting the Balkan coffee shops which are essentially tobacco saunas. That's where the men are. Have I gone too far?  Well, I hope I am on the right side of the fine line between sacrifice and recklessness.  But now I am trying to find other solutions, like choosing coffee bars with chairs outdoors. All of life is about balance, and we should try both to reach people and preserve our health.  If I am invited to dinner and am served lettuce rinsed in questionable water, I'm going to eat it.  Nor will I squirt anti-bacterial gel on my palms every time I shake hands (I've seen this done, and it seems to send a pretty awful message).  But when I can, I want to make healthy choices.
5. Will I take up beer-drinking, cigarette smoking, and watching filth-saturated flicks to advance the cause and connect with more sinners?  I don't think that's exactly what Paul had in mind in the concept of "being all things to all men" or what the synoptics meant to teach when they describe Jesus as eating and drinking with sinners. 

In the end, I wonder if we overvalue cultural adaptation as a missionary virtue.  Any missionary who thinks he's hot stuff because of his acculturation, or who puts more emphasis on it than holiness, has adopted a skewed missiological philosophy.  Becoming Albanian is not my goal; rather, it is becoming like Christ.  It's not about the house I live in or the clothes I wear or the food I eat ... it's all about MINDSET--"Let this MIND be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ..."  It's about having the mind of our Servant-Lord.  Sure, adaptation includes learning the host language and culture and trying to avoid faux pas and blatant offenses. But if you are humble and respectful and love your God and your people; if you can resist becoming bitter and critical and sour; if you can learn (or if you are trying hard to learn) the people's words and ways, then they will probably not expect you to live just like them and wear a loin cloth; the love you will be demonstrating to them will "cover a multitude" of cultural differences, boo-boos and no-nos.

How To Pray For Missionaries

Is there more to missionary intercession than “Lord, please bless all the missionaries”?

Much missionary prayer is shallow. Yet prayer is a vital part in the fulfillment of the Lord’s Great Commission. Every Christian should be involved in world evangelism through faithful, biblically based prayer. Here are some suggestions I think will empower your intercession:

• Love for God. The most important commandment for all Christians, including missionaries, is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind.”  Like Martha of Bethany, missionaries can become so service-oriented that their worship grows cold.
• Genuine love for others. Because missionaries face cultures which often seem (to them) difficult, it is easy for missionaries to become frustrated and angry at the people to whom they minister. Also, relationships with coworkers can become tense on the mission field. Pray for harmony and patience.
• A deeper relationship with God. Missionaries do more than go door-to-door witnessing each day! They must wear a thousand hats, from auto mechanic to accountant, not to mention preaching, evangelizing, discipling, counseling, providing theological education, home schooling, etc., all in a different culture and language without the help of secretaries or paid church staff members! Wives must do all cooking from scratch without electricity for much of the day! Hence, missionaries are tempted to skip or skimp on their time alone with the Lord. The only result is frustration. Pray for consistent devotional lives.
• Vital, supportive home churches and individuals who are willing to pray fervently and faithfully.
• The supply of financial need. Missionary ministries are more expensive to maintain than expected. The problems of money exchange, the fall of the dollar, inflation, endemic bribery, etc., are constant points of concern.
• Cultural adjustment. Culture shock hits in the first term, but culture stress continues in every term. Many missionaries cannot make the adjustment to new foods, life styles, languages, value systems, and attitudes. Some return home disillusioned and with a sense of failure, others react wrongly on the field and hinder their fellowship and witness; yet others go too far in their adaptation and compromise their health and sometimes their faith.  Pray for wisdom, balance, and flexibility.
• Protection from Satan’s attacks. In many areas Satan’s strongholds have never been challenged. Missionaries are attacked through bad health, loneliness, depression, threats, and even well-meaning Christian workers. They need victorious faith.
• Family life. For some, the missionary call may mean foregoing marriage for the sake of the Gospel. For others, family life may be made difficult by living conditions, inadequate amenities, lack of finance, or be disrupted by long separations, many visitors, and overwork. Missionaries’ children can sometimes become resentful or rebellious in their teens. Pray that missionary families may be an effective witness and example of all that a Christian family should be.
• Single life. Many missionaries are still single and struggle with loneliness, doubts, lack of direction, and temptations. Some have purposefully surrendered the married life for the sake of the Cause. Others have strong desires to be married, but would rather use their singleness for the Lord than waste it hopping from singles group to singles group looking for a mate back home. These blessed servants of the Lord can be amazingly effective because they can “log more hours and travel more miles” than many married missionaries.
• Fruitfulness. All workers desire an effective ministry that bears fruit. They need clear objectives and time to achieve them. Too much time can be spent on survival and handling trivial interruptions, and too little on the real task.
• A sense of urgency. Expulsions or enforced departure from the field could suddenly terminate a ministry. The missionary needs to work hard to train his successors and help local believers to maturity.
• Homecoming for “furlough.” Missionaries need wisdom and good counsel from their home churches and mission boards about when, why, and how long to take so-called furloughs. Many missionaries chuckle at the word “furlough” because it is anything but restful. Pray for an effective ministry with churches at home, grace during reverse “culture shock,” and spiritual refreshment and refocusing.
• Health and strength. One of the top requests from missionaries are health issues, because they often live in unsanitary conditions with insufficient medical facilities. Also, many parts of the world are becoming more and more hostile to foreign missionaries. Pray that the Lord will grant the strength, health and protection that will bring His greatest glory and the greatest good for the missionaries.
• Specific ministry needs. Stay updated and informed! Perhaps the biggest way to encourage a missionary is to tell him, “I’ve been praying for the outreach in Timbuktu, how did the Easter evangelistic service go?”  It is always refreshing to hear someone say, “I pray for you regularly.”  But it’s even better when someone asks specific questions revealing that they really HAVE been reading websites and updates, and have been PRAYING for the needs specifically!

Note: This article is not entirely my own ... many years ago I read a similar article, modified it, and saved it. Unfortunately I do not remember the source, or even how much of this is modified from the original.  I would love to quote the original source if anybody turns it up.

Notice Anything Different?

Men, don't you hate this question?  (After three wrong answers, you're pretty much doomed.)

I've recently discovered how to add a menu of pages to this blog.  So just above this entry, you will notice several new pages, or tabs, including Top Posts, Links, and Got Questions?.  I hope it will help people navigate and make more efficient use of the growing content of this blog.

- David

Does Election Preclude Tears for the Lost?

I recently reported the following to our prayer supporters:

This weekend, we will have two more evangelistic services in the mountains. On Sunday, a national pastor told how he invited a former co-worker who had rejected Christ many times; the guy promised to come, and our pastor was "on Cloud Nine"; but several days ago, the man was killed on a treacherous mountain pass. As the pastor reported the death to us, he couldn't hold back his tears--another soul, lost eternally. Astrit's sensitivity choked me up, reminding me that while Christmas should be "merry," it is an extremely serious rescue operation which brings about the joy!

A person who I do not know responded with the following message (in its entirety) ... this person, without any introduction, wrote:

I feel bad for the national pastor, but I am always a little confused by these stories. If the Biblical doctrine of Election [sic] is correct, no one goes to hell [sic] that was intended by God for salvation. The fact that he was presented the gospel several times and never responded is an indication that he was not one of God’s chosen. I will continue to pray for your ministry.

A strange email and I didn't understand its purpose.  To me it read like the airing of a theological pet-peeve.  Was he confused that the national pastor cried about his friend going to Hell?  Does being sad about the eternal death of the wicked somehow contradict the biblical doctrine of election?  In his mind, does a more Calvinistic view of Biblical election allow for tears to be shed at the fate of the lost?  Does it allow us to continue to call sinners to repent and believe, even though they have rejected once or twice or twenty times?  So I think out loud, and blog the following thoughts ...

1. To be biblical, your theology of election must never, ever dry your tears for the lost (and I'm not talking about GOD laughing at the calamity of the raging heathen, I'm talking about the lost WE are commanded to rescue).
   
2. Any theology of election which tends to dampen your compassion for the lost or make you shrug and say, "Well, I guess that guy wasn't God's chosen--oh well," is a skewed theology.
3. Tears for a friend who has gone to Hell does not mean that you think that God failed to save one of His elect.
   
4. Any theology of election which causes grammatical errors (or Freudian slips) like capitalizing the noun "election" and failing to capitalize the proper noun "Hell" may be indicative of a dangerous theology. I've met far too many people who focus so much on election that it has become Election while Hell has become hell. (Interesting that the author of this email "feels bad for the national pastor"; I feel bad for the guy in Hell!)
5. The fact that we feel sad for our friend in Hell does not mean that we think God is unjust. The guy rejected Christ. One too many times. He is guilty, not God. And how sad it is that he rejected his many chances to have been saved!
   
6. To the author's defense, I think he was reacting to an idea that sometimes so much responsibility is placed on our hands as missionaries that a sinner's personal culpability is ignored. They so emphasize man's role that they ignore God's role and can give us such a guilt trip that we begin to be fueled by guilt rather than joy. I can sympathize with this tension but also welcome all the Biblical "guilt trips" like "How shall they hear without a preacher?" I really do believe that blood will be on my hands if I fail to warn the wicked.  But that anyone in Hell will be there because of his own sins, not mine, and certainly not God's.
   

Simple Church Growth

Whereas Jesus is building His church ...
(cf. Mat. 16:18, Acts 1:1 note the word "began"--Jesus is still at work!)

And whereas He has chosen to use human witnesses (i.e., us, gulp!) to build His church ...
(cf. Acts 1:8)

And whereas He empowers us for bold and convicting witness through the Holy Spirit ...
(cf. Acts 1:8)

And whereas we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit ...
(cf. Ephesians 5:18)

And whereas the consistent fruit of being filled with the Spirit is witnessing ...
(cf. Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31, 6:3, 6:5, 6:7-10, 9:17-22, 13:6-12, 13:52 ...).

Therefore can we not conclude that being filled with the Spirit is the sure and simple way to see supernatural church growth--not the transfer-of-membership, "our-church-is-the-cure-for-the-common-church" kind, but the making disciples kind--all over the world (including where you happen to live right now)?

And how do we be filled with the Spirit? I cannot find a verse that says "this is how" explicitly. But I shall never forget Dr. Stuart Olyott who came to Albania and taught from Ephesians 5:18, saying, "You get drunk by ... drinking; you get filled with the Spirit by ... drinking. So drink and drink and drink and drink and drink of the Spirit."

Therefore, it is not the grand strategies scribbled on a legal pad which will drive men to Christ and accomplish the task, but the natural outflow of the Spirit of whom we have drunk ("out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" / "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard").

Children, Obey Your Parents

(Yes, he's our kid.)

Is It Safe To Be A Missionary?

Once while growing up, an evangelist came and told us about a missionary family who left the field because they were afraid their children might be bit by the poisonous snakes in the region. Not long after their return to the USA, two of their boys were playing in the yard and unwittingly uncovered a snake nest. They were bitten. The dad threw them in his Suburban and rushed them to the hospital, but to no avail; the two boys died. Then the man came home and, to his horror, discovered that his wife had died of a heart attack because she watched her husband roll over and kill their two daughters when he had backed out of the driveway to rush the boys to the hospital. This kind of story adds to the guilt former missionaries encounter and to the fear many current former missionaries encounter if forced to consider returning from the field (but that's another topic altogether).

The evangelist's point was "it's always safer in God's will." -Which is a nice spiritualized cliché, but is it true?

Well, no. Absolutely not! Just ask the wives of the five Through Gates of Splendor missionaries who were speared by the Auca. Just ask the wife of Tillman Geske who was tortured, slain, and buried in Turkey. Or ask just about anyone familiar with New Tribes missionaries. Or statisticians who work at life insurance policies (who immediately deny policies to missionaries). No, Christ has never given the guarantee of physical safety to His missionaries. Quite the contrary. But He has promised to be with us and give eternal reward, and that's better than safety.

Is God's will safe?  NO!  Is it best?  Yes!

Doran's "Human Sympathy vs. Missionary Compassion"

Dr. Dave Doran's post is well-worth reading--one of those posts that make you stop and wonder why you haven't thought about a certain concept before. Even Doran admits he is just thinking the concept through, asking questions, not pontificating.  Some crux excerpts to help you get the idea are below:

Should the current deprivation of some people create more motivation for missions than the relative prosperity of other people?

The tendency to motivate Americans for missions by appealing to the deprivation of other people is really a base attempt to turn our materialism into an ally of the gospel. Instead of seeing people as headed toward an eternity apart from Christ, they are presented as objects of our pity because of their desperate [physical] circumstances. If you doubt that this is what’s happening, imagine the presentation full of rich kids dressed in designer clothes or young adults chatting in a Starbucks.

My responses to the post are below, but like Doran's post, they are thoughts out loud rather than dogmatism:

• No, missionary motivation should not be rooted in a target group's poverty or prosperity, but in God Himself, the Great Commission, our love for Christ, jealousy for His name, and God-infused compassion for lost people (despite their economic condition).
• Arguably (from the Scriptures and church history), the poor are the ones most likely to turn to Christ. Yes, there are the Lydias, the Zaccheuses, the Corneliuses, and the like, but "not many" of those who come to Christ are high-born (1 Corinthians 1:25-31). In this sense, we might have justification to give the poor a bit more weight in our presentations and targeting.
• No, I do not think our materialism can be an "ally of the Gospel" in the sense of making human sympathy a motivation for missions; but poverty may be an ally to reveal materialism as a great hindrance to missionary volunteerism.  I do think there is probably some benefit, missiologically, to seeing people in poverty or sickness, in the sense that it may awaken our consciences to our abundant self-love and stuff-love. I can remember the cup of ice-water that my first missions trip was when I was confronted by poverty and the unusual (to me) responsiveness to the Gospel among the poor.  And as we made our final descent back into Washington, God used the plethora of opulent city lights beneath my wings to bombard my heart with the question, "So what are you going to live for?" My materialism wasn't necessarily an "ally" of the missions call, but was revealed to me by the poverty God dropped me into for the week. Perhaps it was something like the law which "revived sin"--how would I have known materialism if I had not been awakened by poverty? God wanted it smashed before it could take over my life.
  
• It is probably a sign of spiritual maturity to have compassion on someone richer than you (so long as your "compassion" is not a masked, spiritualized jealousy).
• Finally, Dr. Doran, if you ever invite me to Inter-City Baptist to seek financial support, I promise you that my slide show will display the rich neighborhoods here (and of course, to "become all things to all men," I'm going to need a good amount of financial support from you guys).

Student Global Impact Conference 2010

If you can make this conference, make it!  Just get there!

Featured speakers ...

JD Crowley, Cambodia (missionary I'd most like to meet)

Matt Hoskinson, pastor Heritage Bible Church (I respect him more than he could imagine)

Tim Jordan, pastor, Calvary Baptist Church (his 2008 message still convicts me, and makes me laugh)

Mark Minnick, pastor, Mount Calvary Baptist Church (my favorite expositor).

Here's what I said about SGI in 2008.

Tips for Staying Warm?

Many places in the world have bad or no insulation, no central heating, etc.  We're looking for some good tips to stay warm without electricity ... here are some of our favorite tips but we are looking for some good ideas to add to our repertoire.  Missionaries are some of the most creative and resourceful people in the world, so I hope to see some great comments to employ this winter ... I'll get the discussion going:

1) Hot water bottles to warm the bed ... but not too hot ... once I was so tired that I slept through a bottle branding my right knee ... the burn scar remains to this day ...

2) Fleece sheets are the most amazing winter gift we've ever received.  Forget flannel sheets--FLEECE is amazing.

3) Helly Hansen LIFA thermal underlayers ... my first roommate Jon Faucette recommended this to me and it is amazing how it traps in the warmth under other layers ... and since it is made for sports, it is thin and made for action--great for evangelistic forays into the mountain villages ... keeps me warm and wicks away the sweat ...

4) Warm feet. I consistently have problems here, and when the feet get cold, everything gets cold. Ideas?

5) And how in the world do you keep the tip of your nose warm?  

Comments anyone?

(Thanks to my brother-in-law John for this photo ...)

Quarterbacking

It's Thanksgiving and I just returned from the Turkey Bowl, gathering with a bunch of American missionaries. All four teams were good. We won because we had the best quarterback, or at least the best one on this day.

I don't like football as much as other sports and don't know the game well. But I learned today why quarterbacks are the highest paid players in the NFL ... because ...

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

My quarterback today called most of the plays. He threw accurate passes ... floating bombs for us to run down ... Roesthlisberger-to-Holmes-like bullets just whizzing over the fingertips of the defenders ... and when needed, some little pitches for first-downs.

He also threw some incompletions, taking responsibility for them. But he was the difference. He made us look good. He led us to victory and gave the credit to his receivers.

On my motorcycle ride home with my son, I thought, "I am the spiritual quarterback of my family ... and I also take some snaps in the ministry, leading churches. Jesus is my Owner, Coach and Captain--but he has put me on the field."  How am I doing?  Because ...

Everything, and I mean everything, rises and falls on leadership.

Preaching Illustrations via Bento

Missionaries, like all preachers, need a good system for recording and remembering their illustrations--and we come across them every day. In the past, we had to depend on file folders and index cards. Now most of our input is electronic. I recommend a good database program.

For Mac users, Bento is one of the most effective software programs available. I had never used a database before, but now my Bento is always open, and, oh so very maccie.  Some of my favorite libraries I use within Bento are: Encrypted Passwords, Sermon Ideas, and Notes. But by far the most useful is Address Book with Mac Address Book integration, which allows me to keep up with our supporters (directions, gifts received, related emails, last visit there, etc.)

For Mac/Bento users wanting a good way to store their sermon illustrations before they slip away, try my free template now on Bento's website.  I get no commission for this, just passing along a helpful tip!

On Tentmaking

Recently I recently joined a group of friends, pastors, missionaries and educators in a discussion about tentmaking as missiological strategy. It's a topic I am unversed in and therefore unqualified to teach. So at the start, you might consider taking a detour to several thoughtful and more reputable sources than me:

• "Why Did Paul Make Tents" by Ruth E. Siemens.
• Tentmaking 101 and other informative articles and papers from GO.
  
• Tentmaking: Business as Missions, a book by Patrick Lai.
• Today's Tentmakers, a book by Dr. J. Christy Wilson Jr. (often considered the seminal work).
• www.tentmaking.org, links to tentmaking sites and organizations.

I have much to learn (if I have the need and the time); but I've learned a few things already and am developing some first impressions.

Recommended Resources and Reading About Islam

B.P., a young single interested in missions, just asked me: "At your convenience, would you mind providing some guidance?  What would you advise that I start reading, studying, exploring?  Recommended books on reaching Muslims for Christ?"

Marrieds, Let The Singles Singly Serve!

I've gotten interesting and emotional feedback already from a previous post on singles. One single sister expressed the "challenging phenomenon" of the when-are-you-getting-married? comments from the peanut gallery in church. I remember that now--but I had forgotten, as we often forget when we move from one stage of life to another.

Married folks, don't look at the singles like the undergrads of the church, just hoping that they will "graduate" to marriage. Don't treat them as if there's something "incomplete" about them. If they continually get that impression at church, how will they ever learn that we are complete in Christ? How will they ever not appear "desperate" to would-be suitors who are not "in" to the desperate type?

Of course we, as married people, should be pro-marriage! Our marriages should be so awesome that singles should desire such a life, if the Lord wills it for them. But often our problem is that we think we have to convince singles that they should get married, as if they are anti-marriage. In our sincere desire for their long-term well-being, we say insensitive things like ...

There Is NO TIME

A dear friend of mine bought and sent me this book. Here is my review:

There is NO TIME is a missionary fable by J. Paul Nyquist of Avant Ministries (and now president of Moody Bible Institute).  Its purpose is to advance the idea of "Short-Cycle Church Planting." The parable begins with a war-hardened African boy soldier guarding Dave, a missionary who was kidnapped for financial gain and who was to be killed imminently. Dave narrowly escapes death and returns back to the US after only six years on the field--and no indigenous church to show for his labors.  He assumed he would have more time.

Back in the States, he reflects upon the changing world and the fact that some of the most needy places for evangelism are hotspots like the one he narrowly escaped. No longer can missionaries go "where Christ is not named" (Romans 15:20) and expect to have 40-50 years of service there.

Singles, Get a Divorce!

Single adults--and there are many of you out there--please leave your wives or husbands for the sake of the kingdom!  "But I don't have a husband/wife!" you reply.

Exactly. All the more reason to get a divorce.

Does God Exist?

Fun video someone emailed me about "the impeccable wisdom of man" (ahem).

Direct link is here.

The Wizard of Oz on Missionary Preparation?

OK, granted he wasn't really talking about missions, but when the Scarecrow asked him, "Can't you give me brains?" the Wizard of Oz replied:

"You don't need them. You are learning something every day. A baby has brains, but it doesn't know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get" (Baum, L. Frank,  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, chapter XV).

Pretty good analysis there. Sure, read some books on evangelism and missions and benefit from the experience of others (lest you think your experience is the final authority); but in the end the only sure way to learn how to meet people and tell them about Jesus is ... to meet people and tell them about Jesus. 

Two Strong Arguments for Sending Single Missionaries

1) Jesus.
2) Paul.

(More on singles being missionaries in a future blog.)

Guide My Sword

Inigo from The Princess Bride is trying to find the man who can help him get his long-desired revenge against the six-fingered man who murdered his father. He prays to his father, "I cannot find him alone. I need you. I need you to guide my sword. Please, guide my sword."

Missionaries sometimes feel like a lone voice in a vast wilderness, a small drop in a massive ocean, a solitary sword-thrust into the din of a raging battle. There is so little time and so much need! Some will die if we try to rescue another. And shall we go to this village today to the neglect of others? Though one missionary is not the only voice, it can seem as if he is, and the Word confirms that the laborers are indeed few. Amidst a million dying men, to whom shall we administer the Remedy today? And so we ask the Spirit of God to direct our triage. We might cry out, "Heavenly Father, I cannot find that ready soul alone. I need you. I need you to guide my Sword. Please, guide my Sword." And like Inigo, it may often seem that the prayer has not been answered. The Sword has run into a knot. And then a door swings open. God has directed His Sword and His swordsman. Dear Father, guide my Sword.

Smile!

"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions ... by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God" (2 Cor 6:4-7). Someone has said that a smile is the best gift you can give someone. It disarms, diffuses, befriends and calms. Sincerely offered with direct eye contact, a smile should be one of the first steps in any evangelistic outreach (unless eye contact is immediately offensive in your culture).

My Two Cents

I've known Pastor Chris Anderson since our university days. Loved his fellowship then and love his blog now (My Two Cents). He recently asked a bunch of missionaries for their "two cents" for a sermon he was preaching. I thought the questions were good and I post my answers here.

Non-strategies for reaching Muslims

A friend of mine recently attended a seminar about Islam and reaching Muslims with the Gospel. He wrote about the teacher, Georges Houssney: "His biggest theme throughout the week is boldness. He brought up over and over again most strategies to reach Muslims are born out of failure and not out of success. They fail because of the fear of man. He said the best thing we can do is be like Jesus and PREACH the Gospel."

Well said. There is a place for some strategy. We must not be cultural nincompoops in the name of fearlessness; but sometimes we think we have to come up with innovative strategies when The Strategy is so clearly laid out for us in Scripture ... pray, meet people, tell them about Jesus.

Dispatches from the Front

Dispatches From the Front Trailer from Frontline Missions on Vimeo.

The Dispatches from the Front DVD series is a missiological travelogue highlighting the work of Christ’s victorious church in remote locations. The first episode focused on “Islands on the Edge” in Asia.

One of my favorite people in the world is Dr. Tim Keesee. He's like Indiana Jones, but humble and Christian, risking his life to find treasures in the most difficult places of the globe--not golden relics to be put in a museum--but Gospel treasures, being delivered by earthen vessels ... national pastors, missionaries, persecuted believers. He travels the world finding the people with most beautiful feet (Romans 10:15), helping them and equipping them.

Tim has a talented pen ... when you read his journals, you actually smell, hear, taste, and feel. You come away wanting to BE "Indiana Jones" for Jesus (OK, let's better say Paul or Hudson Taylor). The Dispatches DVDs provide his journals in video format. Basically a small film team follows Tim around and matches the images to the journal. A simple concept. A powerful result.

It is no secret that our enemy uses media to spread his poison. But we harness it for the Gospel!  If financing comes in, the second episode will be filmed in Albania this fall and will be released in 2010. This will be a full-feature documentary, not a little promo. We are thrilled that our ministry and others in Albania, Kosovo and Montengro will be presented in such an amazing and powerful way. 

Our eyes are inextricably linked to our hearts. That's why Paul's spirit was stirred in him when he SAW the city wholly given to idolatry (Acts 17:16). That's why Jeremiah said, "mine eye affecteth mine heart" (Lamentations 3:51). These DVDs are opening eyes!

God Made Watermelon

Some of my favorite sounds are crunch of fresh snow under my feet, the words "I love you" from a voice that matters to me, and the French horn wailing at 2:26 in David Foster's "Water Fountain." This summer I am infatuated with the dull crack-thud of Albanian field-ripened watermelons when split down the middle. And today I am in love with the God who made them.

My extended family is going through a major trial, one involving my niece who will be another victim of the American foster system, which seems to be run by people who have never had children, never met children, never been children. But they do have child psychology degrees.

The girl, after years of being hockey-pucked to different homes, finally landed in a loving home with parents who understand and know how to shepherd children. Over a year later, the troubled child is adjusted and attached to the new home. Just now, all of the sudden, the experts say it is time to whack the poor little puck to a new home.

In Christ, there is no such thing as "irreversible damage," but this is getting as close as it comes. Imagine if your three-year old was wrested from your home ... just when she thought it was safe to trust you to protect her ... just when she thought it was safe to let herself love again. In such situations, when we are weakest, when we are in the fog, Appolyon unleashes his worst (he waited until the end of Christ's fast to tempt Him): "How can this plan be right? How can God be good? How can God be God? Look here, He broke His promise."

Simple Church (1 of 2)

The purpose of this article is to clean up what I just spent a few hours scribbling into a yellow legal pad, so I can have it for future reference. Maybe it'll help somebody out there? Soooooo, a friend of mine invited me to have coffee with him and some other missionaries to discuss the concept of "simple church," which he discovered at a conference for missionaries in Europe. The conference speaker had served as a missionary in Central America and then in a restricted access nation in Asia. That setting--the one hostile to open evangelism--forced the missionary to rethink "standard" church planting techniques. Thus emerged the simple church idea in his mind, as it has in the minds of others. I thought it intriguing, so I went. Glad I did, especially since the café--right across from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran--served up the best cappuccino I've ever tasted. I'm going to record some random thoughts about what I was told and have learned, and then give some off-the-cuff reaction:

Simple Church (2 of 2)

The book Simple Church I just referred to was 272 pages long. I have not read it. But if I had written it, I think this would be the entirety:  

About the author: Dave's a pretty simple guy.  

From the publisher: Enjoy the book. Oh, and there's no copyright. We know that's unusual for a powerful publishing company like us, but we're trying to keep this simple.
 
Introduction: A simple church is a group of Christians organized according to the New Testament and obeying the commands of Jesus. This book is about how to start a simple church.
 
Chapter 1: Pray.  

Chapter 2: Meet some people.  

Chapter 3: Tell them about Jesus.  

Chapter 4: Call them to repentance and faith.
 
Chapter 5: Gather with them and other disciples to teach them to observe all the things Christ taught us.  

Chapter 6: Send a bunch of them out to repeat this process.  

Blurbs on the back of the book:

• John Piper ~ "Savored it."
• John MacArthur ~ "Exegetically sound."
• Mark Dever ~ "The Xth Mark."
• Joel Osteen ~ "I dunno, pretty deep."

A Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Waste Surfing the Internet

The following page isn't a bad choice for your "home" page or "start" page on the Internet:

http://www.merlinmann.com/rightnow/ ~ just to keep things in perspective!

How NOT To Drop A Missionary's Support

In my seventeen years as a missionary, we've had some friends and churches make unexpected donations to meet special needs. What a blessing! But few missionaries make budgetary decisions based on those kinds of supporters; instead they need to rely on long-term, monthly or annual support partnerships. Over these many years, some of our regular partners have had to drop or reduce our financial support. Fair enough. We don't have a problem with that, for a few reasons:

"Ten Little Missionaries"

My youth pastor, Sam Aylestock, is one of the many mentors God has put in my life, one of the many who blazed missions into my heart. He wrote a powerful poem I love to quote while encouraging more to offer their lives to missionary service:

Ten little missionaries heard God’s call divine;
Mom steered her child away from it – “Enough,” she said, “is nine.”

Missionary Questionnaires

When missionaries gather for fellowship, you might overhear them talking about the creative questionnaires they've had to fill out from supporting churches (or potential ones). Missionary men rant on together about the most awkward questions they've ever gotten just as normal men rant on about the biggest fish they've ever caught. Missionaries get some whoppers! I don't think the problem is that missionaries resent questions or questionnaires. We actually welcome and want churches to get to know about who we are, what we believe, what we've done, what we want to do, etc. Obviously, it would be the epitome of arrogance to ask people for support and simultaneously resent them for asking questions that are important to them! Missionaries ought to have patience and humility. Nevertheless, here are some reasons why a missionary might sigh when getting a questionnaire in the mail:

Recognizing Potential Church Leaders

A few months ago I attended a pastors' conference at which were invited guest speakers Pastor Scott Ardavanis and Dr. Stuart Olyott (who knew Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones personally). In Q&A, someone asked how to recognize potential leaders. Pastor Ardavanis gave a great formula in the shape of an acrostic, F-A-I-T-H. Potential leaders are:  

F - Faithful (Without which all is vain.)
A - Available (Some are faithful, but they never seem to have time for extra ministry.)  
I - Initiative (Take note when you see someone serving without having been asked.)  
T - Teachable (Does the person have a humble heart? How does he frame questions or pose arguments?) H - Heart for God (This is the indispensible subjective, the passion and fire needed in a prophet of God.)

Pastor Olyott suggested one way of discerning leadership potential is to sit down and read a book together -- a book chosen by you fit for the level you think is good for the potential leader. Read a few paragraphs and discuss. Read and discuss. Read and discuss. Great practical tip!

Pastor Tasered in Arizona

The pastor who was tasered in Arizona appears to be a brawler, having a quarrelsome nature. It's as if the guy was begging to be tasered. My heart sank when the reporter said he was the pastor of an independent Baptist church (what lovely publicity). It's a good thing the guy isn't a missionary; he'd have gotten a lot worse than a tasering if he smart-mouthed officials like he did in some countries I've tread! Whether or not he was wronged or perceived to be so, Christians and especially leaders must respect people in positions of authority. I'm siding with the policemen on this one!

That said, I want to admit there have been a few times I have been so frustrated with local officials here for being unquestionably unrighteous or plain stupid that I have responded to them with sarcasm or disdain. On two occasions, I returned an hour or so later to ask forgiveness, and they were stunned -- so stunned that I had to explain why I returned -- because of Jesus Christ. They softened and listened.

Forgery on the Mission Field

I have one thing to say about this topic, and I'll be very dogmatic about this: forging documents is almost always wrong!

Bribery on the Mission Field

Many cultures are bribe cultures, from the bottom to the top. People in those cultures often dislike the practice, but recognize it as a part of life, plain and simple (whether or not they partake). Should a missionary ever give a bribe? Here are some random thoughts:

Dancing on the Mission Field

After the response I've been getting from my last post about alcohol on the mission field, I've decided to post now about dancing on the mission field. Lorem ipsum dolor vallezimi sit amet, consectetur gjendet adipisicing elit, sed do ne eiusmod librin tempor incididunt ut labore e tatummy shenjte et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim dhe ad minim veniam, quis duket nostrud exercitation se ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ka ex ea commodo raste consequat. Duis ku aute irure dolor in vallezimi reprehenderit in voluptate miratohet velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Ka excepteur nje sint occaecat kohe per cupidatat të lortiset dunt vallezuar non proident, por sunt in culpa me qui officia deserunt mollit anim hije id est laborum. Oops, something must be wrong with my keyboard.

Alcohol on the Mission Field

Many American missionaries carry with them to the mission field a practice and even a biblical position of total abstinence from alcohol. Some, like me, grew up in Christian cultures where drinking wine was considered sin; we never rubbed shoulders with any serious Christians who drank and thus our conclusions have been mostly unchallenged.

Across the ocean, many Europeans have grown up Christian cultures where drinking wine is considered a blessing, and have never rubbed shoulders with any serious Christians like us who abstained as a matter of principle; thus their conclusions have similarly gone unchallenged. One European brother of mine chided the abstinence position as “an American doctrine, not a Bible doctrine.” When I heard that, I got mad, then decided that a more prudent response would be to evaluate my position and his claim.

How To Know If God Wants You To Go

In 1915, twenty-eight men were alone, trapped in the ice-covered waters of Antarctica's treacherous seas. "Frozen," as one man put it, "like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar." These were the men of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in the coldest climate on earth. They suffered frostbite, gangrene, hysteria, starvation, all for the glory of being the first ones to cross the Antarctic continent from sea to sea, the greatest polar journey ever attempted to date. The leader of the expedition, Sir Ernest Shackleton, had put an ad in the newspaper that read:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. Ernest Shackleton."

And 5000 people applied.

Why?

The Tech Equipment Missionaries Need

A friend of mine in college recently asked my opinion for a project he is doing for a missions class. He was given a good sum of "pretend money" and told to spend it on technological equipment he would need for his ministry. Here were some ideas I sent him:

Albanian Folk Tale About Taking Care of Your Parents

Our national pastor who was raised in a mountain village just told this tale to us, as related to him by his grandfather. Once upon a time long, long ago, the Albanians in the mountains villages dealt with their aged fathers by putting their hunching bodies into a large basket and carrying them on their backs to the highest peak in the mountain range to be tied up and abandoned. There the elderly would die, facing wild beasts and starvation. The cruelty of the thing seemed blunted by the fact that this was a custom as ancient as the mountains themselves. Such was the way life, an end to be expected from childhood. One man loaded his dementia-ridden father into his basket and took him to the summit. Drenched with sweat and feeling a lump welling in his throat, the son began to bind his father, who, to his surprise, began to laugh! The son asked, "Why are you laughing? I would think you should be crying." The father replied, "I'm laughing because you are going to join me here in thirty years!" To this reply, the son looked down on the lower peaks, then to Heaven, and back upon his father (who was still laughing). Then the son let out his own belly laugh, put his father back in the basket, and carried him home. And from that day forward, the Albanians have kept their elderly in their own homes, treating them with utmost care and respect to the very end.

Church Health

A church is a body. My doctor tells me that a physical body's health depends on genetics, diet and exercise. A church's health depends on the same three factors:

1. No church has a problem with genetics: we are born again with incorruptible seed.
2. Most churches I know personally don't have a problem with spiritual diet: they get healthy doctrine every week.
3. Our biggest problem seems to be lack of exercise. Paul often compared his evangelistic work to exercise. Imagine if every believer "worked out" three times per week for 30 minutes, praying, meeting people, and telling them about Jesus. I imagine they would get grilled with questions they do not know how to respond to; I imagine that would drive them to study the Scriptures. I imagine they would meet people who are suffering; I imagine that would drive them to be less selfish.

The 3-Minute Challenge!

A missionary friend of mine recently listened to a veteran missionary to restricted-access Muslim countries, places where evangelism is illegal. He suggested to Christians there that, within the first three minutes of conversation with a new contact, they should make their faith known. Why? Because many Muslims have an intense curiosity about the Bible, some have seen dreams relating to Jesus, and all need to know that access to Jesus has drawn nigh. Ahem, ... within the first three minutes? To ... Muslims? In places where evangelism is ... illegal? Does anyone else want to stand up and shout, "What on earth are we Christians doing hiding our Gospel in places where evangelism is ... legal?!" This year I'm going to take the 3-minute challenge! Anyone else?

On Planning a Missions Conference

Dear pastors and other church missions people, If I was in your shoes, preparing a church for a missions conference, I would want to prepare it for the maximum benefit of both my church and my missionaries. I would want my church to be enlightened about and enthused for missions; I would want my missionaries to be encouraged and better equipped for their mission. Here are some practical things, from a missionary perspective, that I would suggest you do or not do:

Slain Pastor

Can you miss someone you've never heard about until he died? Yes, if you think you would have loved to know him and are sad to see his good influence gone. I miss Fred Winters, the slain pastor of First Baptist Church Maryville. I never knew him, but today I spent my time with God with him, looking at the church website and listening to his final Sunday sermon preached on March 1, a message on giving and contentment. Here's why I like -- and will miss -- Fred Winters.

Stuck in Grammar Learning?

If you are stuck in foreign grammar, put it aside for a while and learn more vocabulary words.

Albanian grammar is infuriating, with its clitics, cases, and genders. (I have grown to love the English word “it”—I wish the Albanian grammar engineers had neutered their words too.) When I was learning Albanian, I loved vocabulary words because they didn’t require much comprehension and gave me immediate progress. Albanian grammar, on the other hand, is a horror film. I still have nightmares about Unit 6 of Colloquial Albanian (this book came out before communism ended, and I just know author Isa Zymberi's intent was to make sure foreigners didn't stay in the country longer than six weeks!). But when you beef up on your vocab--those nice, organic, rooty words--you are at least going to stay in the conversations longer, despite the fact that you confused the 54th conjugation with the 38th. So take those flashcards with you!

A Woman's Work

Missionaries, your wife works at least four times harder on the mission field than she would have to back home. Quadruple your love and appreciation for her.

Who Has The Right-of-Way?

While driving in third world countries, the other guy always has the right of way (he also has the pistol).

Driving in developing countries is all about surviving: navigating intersections without traffic lights, knowing how to handle corrupt policemen, being cut off by truckers and tractors, fitting into spaces more narrow than your vehicle, slamming on your brakes for animal herds, and avoiding potholes which are more like chasms. Rolling down the window and folding in the side mirrors is as common as using your blinkers. A visiting American teenager, riding shotgun, exclaimed to me, “Dude! This would make a great video game.” I said, “Yeah, something like Frogger (but he didn’t know what in the world I was talking about). When coming to a mindless intersection, he asked, “Who has the right of way?” I said, “the other guy,” because, over a dozen times, I have seen half-drunk drivers pulling out pistols to solve insignificant traffic disputes “like real men.”

Mooch-ionaries?

Raising support is not begging for money; it is seeking eternal partnerships. One of the biggest roadblocks I had to overcome before surrendering to be a missionary was the idea of raising support. I remember joking about “mooch”-ionaries giving the “missionary handshake” (an outstretched beggar’s hand). I like being independent, not dependent. Then I met Missionary Mark, and he said, “David, that’s just pride. You’re not begging. God’s not begging. What you are doing is offering people back home the opportunity to be involved in something awesome—something they could never touch unless they touch it through you. Consider yourself the rich one, giving them an opportunity to mooch some of the reward." He was right (if not almost on the arrogant side). My hesitancy was just my pride. And the new mindset helped me to overcome my self-righteous self-sufficiency.

The Best Book on Missions

Read the book of Acts and write out all the principles of missions you can find there. Consult it often.

There are many missionary classics out there: biographies, textbook types, fire-us-up books, etc. They will keep coming, because publishing must be funded. The best text is the transitional book of Acts--filled with all of the above, authored by the Holy Spirit, and containing a "choose your own ending" ending that we are choosing to ACT out, right in this moment! I know it’s not good hermeneutics to apply everything in Acts to current situations. It tells us what happened, not necessarily what is supposed to happen. But there is no better source for pioneer missions.

The Centrality of Christ in Proclaiming the Gospel

The Gospel is Christ; hence to argue for the centrality of Christ in proclaiming the Gospel seems as absurd as arguing for the centrality of food when promoting dining. Surely in dining we may have peripherals like etiquette and utensils, but we can survive without the peripherals; we cannot survive without the food. Likewise in evangelism we may utilize techniques and strategies to present the Bread of Life, but too often our evangelism focuses on the method instead of the Mediator.

Wanted: Used Tea Bags

I feel left out. I've heard this urban legend that missionaries get used tea bags in their care packages, along with truly "holey" hand-me-downs. I must be living in a different missionary age. At the risk of letting the cat out of the bag and shattering the "poor missionary" image, I have to admit that we've never been treated with such disrespect, nor have we heard of any colleagues so mistreated. Don't get me wrong: we don't expect generosity. God's called us to a life of sacrifice. We love, use, and pass on good hand-me-downs. We shop at Goodwill and the Albanian "aid piles." (And this isn't sacrifice, just stewardship!) You don't have to be a missionary to enjoy saving money, having a budget, and loving a bargain. But rarely are we given hand-me-downs. If some supporter decides to get us clothes, it usually comes with the tags and a gift receipt. We've been given many different teas through the years, but never Castoff Chamomile or Pre-Dampened Darjeeling. We've experienced more than we deserve from our friends and supporting churches. When I first went to Albania, I was gathering clothes for the orphans. One girl from my home church had received a new coat for Christmas and her parents suggested she donate her older one. She asked them, "Do you mind if I give the NEW one?" (Now there's a great set of parents!) That's been the spirit we have experienced over and over again. We've been showered with gifts at missions conferences, have received lovely care packages, and have been given substantial love offerings. No, we're not living high-on-the-hog. We're not home-owners. We often struggle to make ends meet, just like most Christian people. However--and maybe it's just because we have the best supporting churches and individuals in the world--it sure seems to us that God's people are the antithesis of the used tea bag-sending stereotypes; they really care about our needs and some of them actually go overboard trying to honor their missionaries. We don't deserve it. We don't expect it. But we are grateful! And at least once I'd like to receive a little box of used tea bags, just to see how it feels.

Pastors Preparing for Missions Trips, Read This ...

Those preparing for a short-term mission trip would be well-served to check out Pastor David Doran's perspective at Missions Mandate.

Prayer Central Asian Style

Recently my friend T.S. was invited to a prayer meeting in Central Asia. With his permission I am relaying parts of his email explaining the meeting:

On the Hosting of Mission Teams

I'm not going to beat around the bush. I shouldn't say what I'm going to say. If you have ever visited me on the field, or if you are thinking about visiting me, please stop reading. No missionary would ever want his guests to hear what I'm going to say now from his own lips (but he might want them to read it in some other missionary's blog).

The Long Walk From Stern To Bow

Today I read an interesting article on short-term missions trips in The Washington Post (of all places).  It's worth reading for all those involved in such trips, and echos some of the points I made in an earlier blog. The most troubling statistic of The Post's article is the decline in long-term missionary volunteers, despite the explosion of short-term trips.

Blessed are the Hungry

Today I am remembering the late summer of 1992.  In Albania's capital, Tirana, we were following up on hundreds of people who had made professions of faith in Christ.  In one visit, I gave a 14-year old girl a New Testament.  Two weeks later, I visited here again and asked her if she had read her new Bible.  She said "yes."  I asked her which parts she had been reading.  She was perplexed at the question.  I explained it again, and, almost offended, she said, "Well, I've read the whole thing.  Twice."

Oh, for those days again, for such hunger, such revival, such openness.

The Hats Missionaries Wear

Evangelist. Prayer-warrior. Husband. Father. Pastor. Theologian. Preacher. Professor. Mentor. Friend. Musician. Linguist. Author. Musician. Translator. Editor. Fund-raiser. Educator. Project-manager. Proposal-writer. Proofreader. Construction worker. Accountant. Mechanic. Consultant. Messenger. Trader. Janitor. Financial planner. Globetrotter. Driver. Grammarian. Analyst. Electrician. Missiologist. Manager. Moneychanger. Diplomat. Interpreter. Inventor. Paralegal. Handyman. Negotiator. Nurse. Interior-designer. Jack-of-all-trades. Organizer. Administrative assistant (to himself). Bridge-builder. Problem-solver. Red-tape navigator. Social worker. Travel agent. Itinerary scheduler. Fisherman. Accountant. Legal adviser. Librarian. Plumber. Guitarist. Pianist. Illustrator. Logistician. Story-teller. Importer. Computer technician. Real estate developer. Garbage collector. Innkeeper (i.e., visitors). Emergency Medical Technician. Bus-driver. Counselor. Worship leader. Mediator. Webmaster. Zookeeper (missionaries have lots of kids and sometimes animals). Currency trader. Minivan trader. Artist. Where-there-is-no-doctor doctor. Barber. Navigator. School-teacher. Builder. Film producer (i.e., furlough). Graphic artist (i.e., prayer cards). Camp director. Camp counselor. Carpenter. Chef. Ethnologist. Pilot (sometimes). Geographer. Buckstopper. Forgery specialist (just kidding). Blogger. Privileged servant of the Lord.

Euro 2008

The European 2008 football championship is in full swing. We have no TV but I've been able to watch a few match halves and see a few clips of some goals. My impressions are:

1) This championship is of far better quality than the World Cup. European teams are phenomenal. England didn't even qualify!

2) I root for gritty underdogs, but they haven't fared too well this year, except Turkey who came from behind and won 3-2 and confirmed again why coaches fear being up 2-nil ("pride cometh before a fall").

3) Based on #2 above, I was rooting for underdog Austria to win over Germany, but they were actually so pitiful that I switched sides mid-match, for the sake of quality football (once Germany bows out of any tournie, something dignified is lost). Good thing the Austrian goalie didn't touch that set piece blast from Michael Ballack.

4) I think I'm rooting for Holland, because I like hustlers, because I like orange, because I still think they deserved a win back in 1998 against Brazil, and because their goalie is older than me (once ALL the players are younger than you, you know you're REALLY over the hill).

Are We Starving Our Missionaries?

Such was the title of an article I picked up recently. It discussed many factors combining to make life very difficult for missionaries: skyrocketing food and fuel prices, general inflation, changing tax laws in foreign countries, and the continuing plunge of the US dollar (which multiplies all these problems exponentially). The article demonstrated how missionaries are all struggling, from Niger to Argentina to Japan.

What Is Missions?

It has been well-said that "if missions is everything, then missions is nothing" (if anybody knows who first said that, please comment it in for me!).

Most people never think about defining missions biblically, which I suppose is OK if you're actually doing it. But sometimes there is great value in wrestling some words down to a page to clarify and crystallize; at the least, I think every pastor and missionary should write down or adopt a succinct statement.

My personal favorite is adapted from George Peters in his book A Biblical Theology of Missions (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972, p. 11) (my adaptations are italicized):  

Missions is the sending forth of authorized persons beyond the borders of the New Testament church and her immediate gospel influence to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in gospel-destitute areas, to win converts from other faiths and non-faiths to Jesus Christ, and to establish functioning, multiplying local churches who will bear the fruit of Christianity in that community, to that country, and to the whole world.

What Do Missionaries Do All Day Long?

Once upon a furlough, a sweet but naive man told me, "I bet it's so incredible to be a missionary, to have nothing else to do but evangelize all day long." (At this point my missionary readers are chuckling audibly, because they all know that sometimes the simplest tasks can be all-day events in developing nations.) Yesterday, as I must do each summer, I re-registered my Ford Transit van--and that's about all I did yesterday. Here was my day:

Step 1. Drive out of the city to the police station with all the documents that were required of me last year for the same process.

Step 2. Wait in a line for an hour in the sun (OK, I'm being generous -- this is NOT a line, it is a mob of other sweaty, stinky men, all mashed upon you, jockeying for position, elbowing into one another's ribs in front of a small barred window, behind which one man is processing what seems to be the whole world's vehicle documents, by hand. Three other employees are sitting with him, drinking coffee but, predictably, doing nothing.)

Step 3. An hour later, when I finally elbow my way up to the window, I learn that this year I need to go to get a pre-inspection, down the road, so they can make sure my van isn't stolen. My first hour in the sun amidst the aroma of body odor has been in vain.

Step 4. I wait behind other cars for pre-inspection, and after 30 minutes, it is my turn. But the people need to see my passport and visa. I have in my hand the originals and photocopies. But no, they want a notarized photocopy. Logically, there is no notary nearby. I must drive back into town.

Step 5. The notary takes 40 minutes to put a stamp and signature on two documents.

Step 6. Back to pre-inspection. They inform me that my van is my van. Thanks. Then they spend 20 minutes filling out forms by hand verifying the same.

Step 7. Back to the police station to rejoin my mob friends, back in line to repeat Step 2. A young Italian priest shows up for the first time here. I think he is offended by my newly-acquired body odor.

Step 8. Finally, my documents make it into the hands of Mr. Processor. He pulls out files of forms to fill out by hand. Poor guy. The mob is insulting him. He must have incredible job satisfaction. Ten forms and $500 later, he tells me to return in an hour and a half, because the chief needs to sign my papers--but he is in "an important meeting."

Step 9. I have my laptop, so I go to a nearby coffee bar to work on Sunday's message. The chief is there having coffee with friends, watching reruns of last night's Euro 2008 soccer matches. This is his "important meeting." Thirty minutes later, he leaves.

Step 10. I return after the full 90 minutes, and Mr. Processor tells me the chief is still in his meeting and that I should return in another hour. God tells me, "Patience." I have just enough time to run home, wolf down a bowl of soup, offend my family with my acquired bodily aromas, and drive back out to the station.

Step 11. This time, the chief has come back and my document is ready. I look it over. They have mistaken my middle name for my last name, so the vehicle is now registered to David Edward, not to David Hosaflook. This could result in the police confiscating my vehicle, so I ask for a redo. Mr. Processor first tries to convince me that my name is actually David Edward, but I insist that I am indeed David Hosaflook, and he agrees to ask the chief for a redo. He says, "I hope he is still here," and I hope for the same!

Step 12. Thirty minutes later, they have redone my registration. David Hosaflook still owns his van. Now I can go get the thing inspected. As I am leaving the mob, I notice the Italian priest again. He's mumbling long, colorful, Italian words at a rapid pace, and he has body odor.

Step 13. Inspection. Five more forms to be filled out by hand and two more people to pay. The actual inspection has just one test: inside a huge building that looks like an airplane hangar, I must accelerate up to 35 miles an hour and slam on my brakes. If I leave nice long skid marks and manage to stop the vehicle before slamming into the inspectors and the inspection offices, I have will have passed inspection. If my brakes should fail, I will have killed the inspectors. This is beautiful, one of the few extant vestiges of communist genius.

Step 14. The inspector congratulates me on my beautiful skid marks as I emerge from the van massaging my whiplashed neck. I have passed. After 15 more minutes of paperwork, I am presented four stickers I can now affix to my windshield.

Step 15. I go home to get a cold shower and start nursing my sunburn.

A Strategy of Saturation for Syncretistic Peoples

Imagine a huge knot made up of a million cords pulled so tightly together that you can't get a needle between them. So intertwined they are that you can't distinguish cord from cord. And your job is to extract a cord, a specific one, from the mass. Welcome to the evangelism of syncretistic people.

Why I Find It Hard To Report Conversions

Every once in a while, missionaries get notes from supporting churches requesting statistics like how many hours they spent on door-to-door visitation, how many people were converted last week, how many churches they planted last year, etc. Fair enough. Some missionaries complain about such questionnaires, but I've always thought that if I'm eager to accept their support, I should be eager to answer whatever questions they deem important.

Blessing the Missionaries

I thought John Piper's blog from December 17, 2007 was terrific: 13 Ways to Bless Missionaries Without Paying for Postage; however, Pizza Hut isn't here yet.

My Dream About the Problem of Islamic Worship

Several nights ago, I dreamed I ran into a friend from college. After we “caught up” with each other concerning family, jobs, etc., he told me that he has recently been studying the Kuran and the teachings of Islam, causing him to doubt the Holy Bible and Christianity. He noted that he thought their worship was somehow more authentic or devoted and wondered if those stories of the Kuran’s compilation might be true after all. My friend’s only question was whether or not even their seemingly more devoted worship than his own could be accepted.

The Power of Love

Wits of the ages have wearied the theme
Volumes of pages have spoken the scene
Rhyme set in meter, pictures in prose
Assonance, dissonance ("love" they compose)

Literature's fantasy blows on its blaze
Theaters thrive on the passion it plays
Drama and opera, sonnet and song
Dances and trances (melting the strong)

Four Wives

It isn't often that guys like him approach me with a smile on their face, saying, "Hey David!" I didn't recognize him at first, disguised beneath his long, patriarchal beard. Then I realized that this guy, years earlier, had attended our church. He moved away to England and came back soundly Muslim. He said he had found brotherhood and true righteousness in his Islamic roots. He brought up how backward the Albanian government was because it prohibits polygamy. He couldn't conceive how that would possibly be a problem. He wants four wives. "With four," he said, "a man won't have problems with lust." Yeah, right. I didn't probe why the magic number was four, instead of three or seven. I didn't engage him in a debate. I did ask him if he had ever lusted. He had. I asked how he will be forgiven. He answered, "through my Islamic rituals." We were on the side of the road. He was in a hurry. I had just enough time to remind him that Jesus died for his sins, the Just for the unjust. What a beautiful Gospel, the clear voice of Jesus ringing out like a clear bell over the din of the imams! Open their ears, Lord!

Good-bye, Mona Lisa

It was the nasty mice which started it all. Our rented home was infested with them, but due to my allergies to cats and my general disdain for them, we resorted to mousetraps. Still, they overcame, and my wife woke up daily to vermin turds all over our baby's bed. One day, at a Florida pet store, my mother-in-law asked, half-jokingly, "Ever heard of a dog that goes after mice?" The guy said, "Of course, Schipperkes!" So embarked a long process of studying and getting one of these terrific animals. Ours hailed from northern California. We named her Mona Lisa, primarily because "MONA!" shouts so well, important during the training months. (Go ahead, give it a try, I know you want to). Mona was perfect for us: beautiful, the perfect size, great with the kids, not a mindless yapper, smiled and wiggled when we came home, and always protecting, ever willing to attack the bad guys. A big dog in a little dog's body. We loved her. She also eradicated our home from the mice. But she got Erlichioze, or Leshmania, no one really knows, as these awful diseases are hard to pinpoint and our local vets are ill-prepared. At only 6-years old, we had to put her to sleep and bury her in the Albanian mountains. Our home is curretly a somber place!

The Irony of Chains

People join the Kingdom of Heaven when they repent and believe on its King. They subsequently testify that they have been delivered from chains of darkness. Some of us recognize the Lord's work in our lives to be a real invasion, permeating into our darkest corners as leaven affects an entire lump (Matthew 13:33). As we surrender to the invading King, we are freed. Ironically, those who are resisting the intrusion of Heaven do so under the deception that, in so doing, they will get their freedom. They say: "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" (Psalm 2:3). "Off with authority! Let good times roll!" But they are always bound; they never gain what we have been gifted.

"Free," they go down to the pit struggling like a fat man in quicksand.

"The Day I Left My Home" (The Pain of a Third-Culture Kid)

I first saw Jill when she was about six, hiding shyly behind her mommy's dress at the crumbling Albanian airport. She was the youngest child of my co-workers, a family who labored with us for 10 years before leaving for a new ministry. Jill recently wrote a descriptive essay for her high school and chose the day she left Albania as her theme. It is what most MKs get to look forward to. I give you "The Day I Left My Home," by Jill DeHaan:
 

As I scan the yard full of those I love, my heart clenches tight at the thought of never seeing them again. These are the people with whom I have grown up, with whom I have shared my life and all of its memories. During the past ten years in Albania, these people have become closer to me and nearer to my heart than most of my actual relatives. For this reason, leaving them is the most difficult thing that I have ever had to face.