Christmas Around the World

Here it is – Christmas, December 25th! We’re used to hearing carols played as we stroll through the crowded malls and stores. We’re familiar with the ringing bells and bright lights of the various businesses we frequent. It’s common to hear “Merry Christmas!” ring out from people we meet on the street, in the stores or at church. What a contrast for us this year.

This part of Central Asia has a high percentage of the population that has no concern for the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. The next largest group celebrates Christmas on January 7th, but doesn’t emphasize the good news of the gospel – Jesus became man to pay the price for the forgiveness of our sins. Just a very small percentage of people (less than 2%) have any awareness of the significance of this day. For the vast majority of the population, this is a normal day with work, school, chores and the usual mundane tasks. This really underscores the need for work in this area of the world to bring good news to those who are so spiritually impoverished.

Spiritually impoverished? Well, on one hand, they are a very religious people. There is an increasing identification with the dominant group (security concerns prevent the name), though it is predominantly cultural identification more than doctrinal. There have been studies conducted that determined the vast majority of the people affiliated with the main group don’t know the basic tenets of that group. (Barna has done research in the States and found that there is a frightening paucity of knowledge about primary Christian doctrines as well among those who identify themselves as Born Again Christians.) The people here are similar to Saul (before his conversion) in that they have a desire for God but don’t know where to look.

The need for building leaders for the future in this part of the world is critical. There are very, very few people who can say that one of their grandparents was a Christian. Most of the believers are first-generation Christians. It is wonderful to see people come to faith in Christ. One practical difficulty that is inherent in this situation is this: who does a young adult believer marry? There isn’t a wealth of candidates for the young man or woman looking for a life partner. Pray that God will raise up a generation of young people with a heart for him who will establish solid, Christian families.

We’re spending these days in study, reflection and working to look ahead toward creative avenues of service in this society. Whatever the model that is used, training new leaders for the church is critical. We still don’t know about our long term involvement in this country and are seeking God’s guidance for our own future. The promise is still true, God holds the future.

Just a note about the pictures. These were taken at a mall we occasionally visit. It caters to Westerners and upscale nationals. These were taken just before we got our three inches of snow. Interestingly, the mall was almost deserted. Most of the shopping at this point of the year seems to take place in the bazaars. And, no, this is not where we shop. There is a Western type "grocery" store that carries some things that have become staples for us - peanut butter, crackers, spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Milestones

Milestones. Have you given them much thought? Where does the word come from? What does it really mean? That came up today as I tried to explain to our Russian teacher what a milestone was/is.

This began when I told Irina that Suzanne and I had passed a milestone in our time here. We’ve felt in the past that there have been points of transition in our stay: someone actually asking us for directions. (Well, we think they were asking directions since we didn’t understand what they were saying.) Or, getting on buses by ourselves then getting off at the right place. We’ve passed another milestone. (Admittedly, these are “small potatoes,” but we get excited over baby steps. You have to when they’re the only type of steps you’re taking.) We were asked for directions and gave an answer that fit!

Suzanne and I attended the International Christian Fellowship this past Sunday. It’s a gathering of English speakers from about 24 different nations who want to worship Jesus. After church, rather than catching a bus nearby, we walked about 20 minutes to a popular area of town that features a market, a Western-type mall, and a park. From there we took a bus home that almost stops outside our door. On the bus, a young man turned to me and asked me a question in Russian. I didn’t have a clue what he said, but I answered confidently, “Nyet Russki.” (“No Russian.”) Not discouraged he tried again, “Do you speak English?” “Yes!” I answered with a fair amount of surprise. He proceeded to ask if I knew the way to a suburb which happens to be where our friends live. I told him to stay on the bus we were on, and after we got off it would be two more turns and then gave him the name of the bus stop. Wow! I’ve only been here three months and we’re able to help with directions!

You can see that we get excited over small things. It makes me wonder: what ever happened to our excitement over small things? We get excited when children accomplish small things. Why can’t we carry over some of that same excitement about the things that occur in our lives? What about our spiritual lives? Can we see progress? Perhaps we need some more celebrations to make our lives more exciting and less dull or routine. When we see progress let’s get excited that the Living God is active in our lives.

Faces and Places

John (not his real name) lives in a village in the South on the outskirts of a large city. His village of several thousand is home to one Christian family – his. He says that it is important for him, everyday before he leaves home, to spend time with the Lord so his spirit can be renewed. John tells that as he walks the streets of his village, it is important for him to walk with his head up and smile at those he meets. This is the way his neighbors know that he has the victory. If he is downcast, they believe that their religion is overcoming John. John says that as long when he lets God show through him, the neighbors feel that John’s God must be greater.

The Southern portion of our country has a much more pronounced religious presence than the large city we live in. There is a higher rate of activity in a non-Christian religion as well as greater intolerance for Christian practice. John is an example of how important it is to have a Christian witness in all the cities, towns and villages of this nation. That Christian witness, like John, must “let their light so shine before men” that they will come to know the One who died for them.

As we’ve spent just about three months here, we’ve seen a number of things. I have a confession: I’m not the pray-er I should be. I have to consciously remember to pray for people we pass on the streets, ride the bus with, or encounter in stores. When I look at their faces, it’s not the light of the glory of God that I see. I see, most often, despair and hopelessness, hardness and distrust. With less than one percent of the population who know the Savior, there are few faces that share His light. That makes it all the more important for those of us who know Him to let Him be seen.

Paul tells us that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” We are just regular jars of clay. We’re fragile and there is little that adorns us of any value or beauty other than that which comes from the Lord. In our weakness, however, we find His strength. In our yieldedness we discover His empowerment. In our humility we find that He lifts us and sets us at His table.

We have a lot to smile about.

The Land of Almost?

Shortly after our arrival in Central Asia, one of the expats we met defined this country as, "The Land of Almost." She meant that just about everything here was "almost." It was almost finished, almost right, almost possible or almost whatever. You can tell that it wasn't meant in a particularly positve way.

Well, we've discovered our share of "almosts." We've been here eleven weeks at 11:30 tonight. (Wow! I'm a bit surprised.) I know that we're still newbies and don't know much about our new country. We have experienced a good number of disappointments about how things work here. Yes, of course it is significantly different than the States. Some of those differences are for the better and the States could learn a thing or two. There are other times when we've found answers that just don't make sense, or no answers at all. It seems that the old "Soviet system" created a society where initiative and responsibility is replaced by safety and self-justification.

One thing that we've been consciously working on is our understanding of culture. I've just read a chapter on "The Gospel and Culture" in a book I'm studying. One point it makes, that I've heard time and again, and tried to make myself, is that every culture has areas of strength and multiple areas that conflict with Biblical principles. That is the case here. It's also the case at home in the States.

We've had our frustrations, but we've also had some wonderful experiences. We've discovered God in a fresh way that has stimulated our wonder of Him and our devotion to Him. Yes, just as probably every region, this area has some wonderful scenery. God is Creator and he did a wonderful job. But this is also a land where people are striving to make a life, in some cases, amidst great difficulty. We've discovered some devout individuals who are examples of God's great grace. They strive to live a life of devotion and commitment where examples of that are few and far between.

"The land of almost" is a phrase that could be used for every nation. I'm reminded of the old song, "Almost Persuaded." Father, may that not be one of the "almosts" of America. May it not be used of Central Asia. May I be fully persuaded that You are God Most High with the wonderful words of life for all nations.

"What a week!"

What a week it has been! We left Central Asia on Thursday morning at 3:30 AM and have spent the last week in Japan. We have had some wonderful experiences during these days. Most of the time has been taken up with training sessions at the Sakado church. These sessions emphasized the importance of church planting and proposed a new model of church multiplication. In over 100 years of Christian missions in Japan, there is still less than 1% of the people that know the saving power of Jesus Christ. The most effective tool for rapidly expanding the church in much of the world has proven to be a model of rapid multiplication of existing congregations.

Christians are being challenged to "share their story." Every person who has experienced a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and allowed Him to transform his/her life has a story to tell. The model simply asks people to "tell their story" to anyone who might be interested. That receptive person is asked to invite a few family members or friends who might also be interested in hearing the story. Those who would like to discover a new life with Christ are incorporated into a small "house church" and encouraged to now share their own story of what Jesus has done for them.

Only the Lord knows how this past week will affect the kingdom, but the future looks bright for this congregation as it reaches out into new areas of the city to reach the many, many who need to hear of Jesus and life in him.

We also visited a church in Hadano that wonderfully manifests the oneness that comes through Christ. They have rented space for their church in a small office building for several years. They just stepped out and bought their own three-story building. The first floor will accommodate the Japanese church. The second floor will be shared by the other two congregations that have shared rent for several years - a congregation of Spanish speakers from Bolivia and a congregation of Portuguese speakers from Brazil. These three congregations have been sharing space for several years and have a unique shared ministry in Japan.

We found that there were some connections for Suzanne and me in this. The pastor of the Bolivian congregation attended school in Santa Cruz. He knows Bruce Moyer from our denomination and we have friends that have taught at that school as well. Marcel, the pastor of the Brazilian congregation, is from the coast of Brazil, just east of Sao Paulo. We visited that area two years ago with a prayer team from Colbert.

The world seems to shrink daily as we discover connections with people around the world. Two weeks ago in our new city I met a Seminary president from Moscow, Russia. We had a great meeting. He knew my friend from Green Bluff, John Southwick. The teacher of the course being taught had also worked with John in New York. It is mind boggling how we can run into people on opposite sides of the world, who know each other and who have the same mission in life - let others know about how great a salvation is available in Jesus.

We return to Central Asia tomorrow morning and renew our efforts to train leaders for that part of the world. It is exciting to know that the God who has done so much in us is also working through us to accomplish his purposes. He's not done transforming and building people. It's a great privilege to work with him in that task.

"I Lied"

"I Lied!" That was the statement I made many years ago to my future father-in-law after I made a statement that was in error. I was speaking about something and made a comment that I discovered was incorrect and followed that up by my stark confession. His response was, "Did you mean to lie? Or, did you just make a mistake?" Wow! That gave me something to think about. Actually, it taught me a fundamental truth about life. There are errors we make in our life that are unintentional that have an entirely different impact and import than those things we might do intentionally.

Well, "I didn't lie!" I did make some inaccurate statements about the city we live in. I had said that it was about the same elevation as Spokane - 1900 ft. I was wrong. It's about 1900 meters which makes it closer 5500 feet. Anyway we're on the edge of some majestic mountains that I can't wait for the opportunity to explore. We made a quick visit when we were here in June to a ski and skating area, but it will be fascinating to have a chance to do some more sightseeing.

Fall is a big thing here. The schools have special emphases on cleaning the streets and it really makes a difference. The churches also get into the Fall celebration and have "Harvest Festivals." We keep missing main part of the celebration - bad timing on our part - but here is a photo of how they decorate for the day. Suzanne said that it reminded her of the way the produce is displayed at our Interstate Fair in Spokane. It was rather cute, the pastor's daughter kept going up to the display and eating grapes. She finally picked up an apple and rearranged the fruit so no one would notice. The fruit and vegetables are good and the largest bazaar in the city is just up the road from us. It has the best prices for produce that can be found in the city. People come from hundreds of kilometers away bringing goods to sell and can purchase just about anything you can imagine.

Most of the people we have met have been very helpful and considerate. Of course, there are the other kind in every culture. What we have experienced is that people are willing to give assistance just about anytime we need it. We were on the bus the other day and our stop was next. When the bus slowed, I moved to the door to get off. An elderly lady reached out her hand and to get my attention and shook her head. The bus had made an unscheduled stop. I thanked her for her courtesy in her language and received a surprised look in return. (No, I wasn't able to make a complete sentence. But, I was able to say, "Thank you.)" We've appreciated that, and many other, expressions of graciousness.

We're continually amazed that God has allowed us the privilege of having this adventure. It is something that we continually thank Him for. We look forward to the opportunity to share more pictures, experiences, insights and other things on our return.

God has been good, is good and will continue to manifest His abounding goodness.

It's Always Something!

Have you ever thought that? "It's always something!" Murphy is supposed to have said that, "If anything can go wrong it will go wrong." It's been repeated so much people now call it a law - Murphy's Law.

Does life really seem like that? Or, is it just our limited perspective of what occurs in, to and around us. My guess is that the problem is in us - in me. I don't see far enough. I don't see deep enough. I can't understand all that's going on and that keeps me from believing that the things that happen are part of a plan being worked out according to His perfect will. If God is able "to do abundantly above all we ask or imagine," and make "all things work together for good for those who love him," then He is able to take those small - or large - things and use them for us and not against us. God help me to have your perspective.

We just heard that the legislation to bring new controls and restrictions on religious practice that was pending has passed and awaits the President's signature. We will have to do much work to discover how God wants us to proceed from this point. We're believing that this didn't come as a surprise to Him and that he already has a plan for us. We just have to discover it.

Usually, when we hear that expression, "It's always something!" it's used in a way that indicates some bad thing happened. For God's child we could/should be using that for the way God blesses us. "It's always something" could mean something good. PTL!

Connections

What a surprise we had at church last Sunday. We attended a nearby Russian church where there was no interpreter. It was a very small congregation (I think Suzanne and I made nine) but we were given a hymnal and the pastor told us the numbers in english. We sang a couple songs that we knew in English and followed the scripture. The pastor's wife knew a little English and shared some prayer requests from the congregation. Low and behold she asked for prayer for Texas in regard to the hurricaine! Here we were on the opposite side of the world and this small congregation of Russian speaking Christians was praying for the residents of Texas! What a great God we serve!

We've been here over three weeks and have begun some of the normal emotional ups and downs. There are things (and people) we're missing from home, as well as experiencing an onset of frustration when supposedly simple tasks become complex due to the conditions. We've learned from our limited experience to treasure the times things go well and just sigh when they don't.

We've gotten a little more adventurous in taking busses. (I mean a little more.) We've taken another bus route and had a bit of a walk today to our friend's home. We have high speed internet access and they're very accomodating in allowing us the opportunity to use their connection. In fact, we're sitting in their living room right now.

Our area of service is still working hard at meeting the government requirements to teach. We're working on a plan that would allow us to grant a BA degree. This will be a huge step for us for two reasons. The first is our orientation as a Christian institution. The second is that the government leaders would rather not have small schools. We're pressing on and seeking God's wisdom for who to contact and how to adjust. We're also working on some options that might be available should our attempts fail. Please pray that God will open all the doors that should be open and our eyes to see the open doors.

I began by remarking about how great God is. In the midst of this culture we're confronted time and again by reminders of how great he is, how much he loves and how needy these people are for the gospel. Back in the 60's Elton Trueblood described the American society as a "cut flower generation." His point was that a freshly cut flower retains all of its beauty for a while, but then death sets in and the decay is evident. I've thought often about his description of America over these last years and believe that he was right. My point is that this culture doesn't even have that background. I have not only appreciated America more, but understand better the impact the gospel can have on a culture as it changes the people.

Pray for Central Asia. There is a great lostness here. There is also great opportunity and richness.

We're Here!

We attended a minister's conference some years ago and the main speaker shared a jewel of wisdom he'd learned over his many years of pastoral ministry: "Wherever you are - be there."

Well, we're here! We arrived in Asia in an uneventful manner - Whew! (When traveling, uneventful could be associated with boring, but I'll take it since the opposite of boring can terrifying.) We were met at the airport by our partners, Kris and Sarah. They have been a blessing and continue to be a blessing to us.

There are, of course, many new things to experience. The people of our new country share two different cultures and languages. Everything is interpreted unless one knows two languages. That's not us. We're going to begin working on language training in a week. We're still processing what language to learn since both have advantages. We might decide to each do one and hope to cover both bases.

We've enjoyed the food so far. We know that there may, will be surprises coming, but to this point it has been good. We've been shopping and found a store that does have many of the basics of home, if not the brands we're used to. (I noticed today that Suzanne had found Heinz Kechup.) We have found a couple brands from the States that we had never heard of, though our partners were familiar with them from the East Coast. It's been helpful having a "taste of home" now and again.

The situation at our place of service is delicate. There are some legal issues that we're working through and there are signs that restrictions on our line of work may increase. Hence, you'll notice a little more circumspection than in the past. If you think about some of this you'll figure it out - or just pray for us and the situation in our organization.

We appreciate those who keep up with what we're doing and support us in prayer and finances. We couldn't do this without you. Feel free to leave comments if you'd like. It would be good to see if anyone reads these.

We're looking ahead to the future. There are many ways in which God is working in this country. I attended an early prayer meeting totally run by some of the young people here. It went for about an hour and a half with prayer and scripture. It was really encouraging to see their hearts for God and the dedication they have to seeking his face. I don't know about everyday, but I'll join them again.

Homeless in Portland

Well, it happened. Suzanne and I worked hard (she worked harder), and with the greatly appreciated help of our two sons, Steve and David (it wouldn't have happened without their help), we finished moving out of our home for the last 26 years and left Colbert for Portland. We're now staying with Suzanne's parents in Tigard, a suburb of Portland. We're due to leave for Asia in less than a week.

There is still a myriad of things that need to be done. Everyday a new item appears, or on old one that had been forgotten comes to mind. We've been working on banking issues and rediscovered the old adage, "If it can go wrong, it will." We've been blessed to have a very helpful contact at the bank in Greenwood assist us through the process of getting things squared away. We've just received a form that needs to be filled out by our doctors. We have to get them back to Spokane to be returned to the main office. That won't happen before we're supposed to leave.

On to fun stuff! Sunday morning we attended church at Trinity Evangelical with Suzanne's parents. (Many years ago, during the summer break between my junior and senior year of college, Suzanne convinced her father to hire me as a "gofer" during the construction of the church.) What a suprise when we discovered the Werner and Debbie Seibert were there! The Seiberts are moving to Colbert next week to take the reins as pastor. Trinity's pastor did a good job of sensing that God had something in mind for the service. Attending that day were Trinity's former pastor, present pastor, Colbert's former pastor and new pastor. The way various components of the serivce fell into place, or related to other things that occurred, gave a clear impression that God was communicating to us and that this wasn't a chance encounter. For my own part, there were two passages of scripture that connected. The first was Isaiah 55 that Suzanne and I had looked at that morning. The second was from Matthew 19 and the "Rich Young Man." One point was that he had "great wealth." Other readings use "many possessions." That is something that we found as we were moving out of the parsonage. We had "many possessions," or one could say, a lot of stuff. The second point was that we are leaving the things that Jesus was talking about.

We've known for several months now that God has a plan for us, and we're discovering that he's continuing to confirm his direction to us. It is an amazing thing that the God of the universe would take notice of us. What an honor to be part of his plan.

We're waiting for the return of our passports. They were submitted to the embassy for visas for this trip. We'll need to receive them in order to board he plane for Asia. We were told that we're scheduled to receive them Friday. That's cutting it close, but we're confident that Father knows all about it and has it under control.

A God Blessed Service

Blogging. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be! I spent close to an hour last night honing a new post to describe our last service at Colbert Chapel, read it to Suzanne for her approval and – poof! It was gone. Yes, gone gone! So, I’ll try again.

The day finally came. In spite of Suzanne’s and my clear leading about our transition to Central Asia, we’ve not looked forward to the final service at Colbert. It’s our home church. It’s where our friends are (most of them). It’s where the people are that we’ve walked hard roads with and won victories with. I calculated that I’ve preached about 1200 times on Sunday mornings. Our feelings for this group run deep and saying goodbye isn’t something that would come easy.

My concern for the last several months about the service was that it be about Jesus – not his servant. I told Suzanne that if I was preparing a farewell service I would go about it one way. What were prepared was a worship service and I wanted the whole thing to point to the One who is worthy. Suzanne and I worked to select scripture and music that fit that model. I planned the sermon to focus on the essence of the Gospel and a time to clearly state the core message of reconciliation with God. The congregational leadership had another or, should I say, additional plan.

The man who assists in leading the service hijacked it part way through and had Suzanne and I meet at the center of the platform and sit in a couple chairs. They had some gifts for us. The first was a gift for our ministry in Asia. The goal was $5000 and they surpassed it. PTL! The second was a digital picture frame which will be helpful in our presentations and in Asia. The third gift was an opportunity for the congregation to share thoughts and memories. I don’t know just how many people spoke, but it was very meaningful for Suzanne and me. It was also very humbling. They closed that time by having us gather in the center of the church for a time of prayer. As the people gathered round and prayed there were many tears and much sniffling among the group. There was also a sense of God’s blessing.

When we believe that there is a God who is sovereign over all, lovingly involved in the affairs of people and directing the paths of those willing to be led, why is it a surprise to us when he demonstrates his pleasure in our presence? Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God will “rejoice over us with singing.” (NIV) What a thought! Wow!

Well, we leave for Portland in five days to spend a week with Suzanne’s parents. Sorting and disposing, storing and packing all need to be completed. There are still some tasks that need to be done, some people we need to see, some projects completed in the next few days. There used to be lots of time to get things done. We’re now at “crunch time.”

I wrote on another blog that when we came to Colbert we landed on our feet. That didn’t have anything to do with us. It was the result of God’s choice and the good people of Colbert. We wouldn’t be at this point without either one of the two. We’re amazed at the goodness of God. He is good – all the time.

God's Generous People

Suzanne and I had the wonderful priviledge of visiting the Great Lakes area of Africa last year. It was a trip that, for many reasons, helped us know that God was leading in our international endeavors. I won't go into the many different pieces that came together before, during and after that trip. Let me briefly mention one.

While in Bujumbura, Burundi, the captial, our team had the opportunity to visit the American embassy. To make a long story short, we wound up meeting the Ambassador, Patricia N. Moller. To a small group of wandering and weary American travelers Ambassador Moller was very gracious. In a later email correspondence, she related to me how impressed she is with the willingness of so many Americans to give so much to travel so far to try to assist others in need. I've come to see some of that American generosity first hand as we continue to move along this road to Central Asia.

We've believed from the beginning that this call is from God. We have said for years that when God calls, he will provide. It's one thing to believe that and another to have to live by that. In our new venture we are having to depend upon God at a level, and in a way that we never have before. We haven't known where the funds would come from to support this commitment. We believed that it was important to honor our commitment to the Conference and the church by finishing out the year's assignment (our last Sunday is coming in four days - August 10th). Doing so meant that there would be no time for traditional deputation or funding. We didn't have any idea where the funds could come from, but we said we trusted God to provide. (That doesn't mean that we haven't wondered how it could possibly come together.)

PTL! He has proven faithful. We haven't yet seen all the funds come in, or even pledged, but God has demonstrated his generosity through our brothers and sisters. Literally thousands of dollars have come from unexpected sources. We are thankful, and humbled, by such trust.

We still have a ways to go in our funding. The prices for some things have lurched higher (think airline tickets). Other things escaped our plans and haven't been budgeted for (think furnishings at the house). We are truly confident that none of this has escaped God's attention - nor will it escape his provision.

Receiving funds from friends, family, acquaintances and even some unknowns is more than a blessing. It is part of the fulfillment of a lifelong commitment to do God's will and trust for his blessing. God is pouring out a blessing on us. Lord, find us faithful.

Suzanne and I leave Colbert in just over one week. Three weeks from today, God willing, we will have arrived in our new city and be working to prepare the house. Is time going quickly? It's just a blur.

Travel Plans

Our plans are set for our travel to Central Asia. We received permission yesterday to proceed with purchasing tickets for our move. We will drive from Colbert to Portland on August 16th to spend a few days with Suzanne's parents. We fly out of Portland on Monday, August 25th about 1 PM. Since we cross the International Date Line we won't arrive at our new home until Tuesday close to midnight. I don't know just when we'll get to the school. It will almost certainly be a few days before we move into the house. There is an apartment in the city that might be available, but, the more likely option will be a small apartment at the school that is used for visiting professors. I believe that we'll be there for a few days while the house is made ready. (Note: the first picture in the previous blog post is a view south from the room at the school. Pretty cool, huh?)

We've discovered that the cost of airline tickets has gone up. Is that a surprise to anyone? The round trip (we're scheduled to return to the US on June 23, 2009) is about 25% higher than it was a couple months ago. With the increases in air fares we're having to rethink our option of returning to the States around Christmas. We have been planning to do some fund raising for a couple projects at the school while in the States. We included that trip in our budget for the year along with an ECC trip to Japan. There is now another ECC trip to Bangladesh I'm encouraged to make. We'll have to watch the fares and make sure that the schedule at the school is clear to make such travel plans. We also have to pray about wisdom to know what travel has His approval.

We haven't moved in 26 years and are out of the habit of packing up. We've discovered that we collected too much stuff over the years and it's hard to get rid of some things. As part of this move we have to set up a home. We have the blessing of a house on the school's grounds, but we will need to provide the furnishings. We are trying to purchase the previous president's things to set up the house. He and his family have left the country and moving their possessions wasn't an option. It is an advantage for us to be able to purchase them as we don't have to go through the process of shopping and transporting. This, however, is also proving to be more expensive than we had planned. (Actually, we hadn't budgeted to furnish the house. That is an extra expense we're hoping to provide for through the sale of our own household things - at least partly.) I guess we're learning as we go in this transition.

The emotions we had were interesting when we received permission to purchase our tickets. It was kind of, "Ok, it's now really real!" It kind of took our breath away. We are still convinced that this is the right move. And we're continuing to trust His leadership.

"It's Official!"

We've just returned from Portland and our Conference's annual business session. Each year our church joins with the other churches in the Conference for three days of business, inspiration and deliberation. Every year there are issues that are dear to someone. This year was no exception with the question of what to do with our conference center the key question. (We chose to retain it and, hopefully, develop it.)

Within our denomination's structure local churches are assigned to pastors. Every assignment is for one year and no assignment is considered "official" until it's read at the "Stationing Service." Well, after hearing our name read in relation to Colbert Chapel twenty six times, last night I heard another name read when Colbert's name was called. Bob Warren's name was read later under the category of "Special Assignment" as "Missionary, OMS International, Central Asia." It's now official. We're leaving Colbert and heading for Asia.

It's difficult to express the complex mix of emotions during the last few weeks which came to a head in the last couple days. We're tremendously sad at leaving our friends, our home, our family, our church. People ask us, "Aren't you excited about your new adventure?" Yes, there is a great deal of excitement. However, it's mixed with a great deal of "other stuff" that tempers the excitement. We are confident of God's leading and blessing on this change. That makes the topsy-turvy swale of emotions bearable.

We're anxious to hear what has developed at the school over the last few weeks. There is still a restriction in effect that prohibits that school from educational activities. The Board and administration are looking at what options exist. We're praying that God will grant wisdom in which option to pursue. This is not the time to "push the envelope" with the courts. However, God has a plan for the school and its our responsibility to discover that plan.

We're getting close to the funding level we need to make travel arrangements. We'd rather not wait too long since airline tickets prices seem only to be moving in one direction. We're praying that the last bit will come in soon so we can move ahead.

Meanwhile, we're sorting, packing some things and preparing to get rid of others. Some of those will go in another yard sale. Some things will be given away. I imagine some will find their way to the dump. I hope "treasures" won't disappear.

Well, onward. I'm reminded of the final volume of Lewis' "Narnia" series. The characters are climbing a hill that seems to get bigger and steeper as they go. The cry, however, is "onward and upward." I think that fits us right now.

"Short Timers"

Our time in Spokane is growing short. It is really easy to spend a great deal of time talking about how much there is to do. (In some ways, it's easier to talk about it than it is to get to the sorting, packing and disposing of all the stuff we've accumulated over the 25+ years of ministry here. We're finding that there are many items that bring back memories and are hard to get rid of. We won't be able to keep everything, probably not even half. But, it will be good to make changes and learn to appreciate what we have.

The school we're going to work in has undergone some serious changes this summer. There have been some retirements of key individuals and others who are just experiencing "normal" transitions. One of the primary tasks Suzanne and I will have is to build "team" at the school. There will be two aspects to this: the first will be a sense of team among all the staff. Whether one is the maintainence person or the business manager they will all need to understand that the team succeeds together and needs each part. It will also be important that we develop a leadership team to help with visioning and goal setting. Just from the little we've observed so far, it will be a major task to help the leaders take responsibility for leadership so that they will have an ownership of the mission of the school.

It has been really exciting to see the confirmations about our direction come day after day. God has blessed us with people who affirm God's direction. He has also faithfully provided funds for our venture. We're not yet "fully funded" but we are steadily progressing. It is encouraging to see the progress in such a short time. PTL!

Our last Sunday in Colbert will be August 10th. We expect to load that week and travel to Portland to spend time with Suzanne's parents. Our move to Asia is expected to take place from there.

The First View

We've returned from our visit to Asia. We visited the school and met many of the staff. We attended the graduation ceremonies and met some of the students. What a great group of people! God is so good in granting us the privilege of His calling and also allowing us the opportunity to visit the campus.

It was very helpful to see the community and the setting. The school is in a suburb of a major city. It has enough property to allow room for the students to have some outdoor activities. There is also some room for possible expansion. The primary building houses the classrooms, dormitory and offices. There are a few other buildings that are used for storage or other maintenance purposes. There are a couple houses for married students and a house available for the president's residence. All of these buildings are in need of basic upkeep. That is not something unusual in our experiences overseas. Paint is often seen as a luxury and is low enough on the priority list that there usually aren't funds for appearance issues. The grounds are nice, though, from our perspective, somewhat overgrown. We almost missed the blooming roses. There was large rose garden and it seemed that they all bloomed on Monday. Tuesday was our last day on the campus.

The school is in a great transition. There have been five active board members for the last few years. Two of the original members, including the chairman, retired from the board. The president of the school has left (that's why we're going) and the dean of the school has retired. There is also another important position in the school that's required by the govenment. They insist that there be a designated individual to sign official documents and to meet with government officials. He also retired. There is a significant change of leadership in the school. It will be interesting to see how God moves people into leadership positions. Am I up to the task of developing leaders in another culture? God knows.

We found that the infrastructure of the area is fairly weak. The main roads are adequate - in some cases very good. What we would call the residential roads are past very bad. It's difficult to drive at a walking pace. Electricity at the school went out about every day for anthing between a few minutes to a couple hours. I heard that is not unusual. Most facilities (school included) have generators to provide power when the outages occur. The house for the president doesn't have one yet. We'll have to see about acquiring one.

We discovered on this trip that the task is greater than we expected. We shouldn't be suprised about that. We also felt again that this is God's direction and we're willing to walk the path. We'll look forward to seeing how He works his plan out.

Preparing to Visit

Preparations for our transition are proceeding quickly - more quickly than is comfortable for us. It goes without saying that there is a lot to get done in the next three months. Some of our tasks have seen a start, others are on our "to do" list.

We leave for a visit to our new field of ministry on Memorial Day. We'll be there for a little over a week while we meet the faculty, staff, Board and some of the students at the school. I've been asked to submit a list of topics on which I can lecture for one or two session (three hours each!). I find the thought intriguing and wanted to say "yes" quickly. Determining what topics would be options was more difficult. I should find out soon whether I have to (get to?) teach or not.

There are also a number of things that we hope to clarify during this visit to Central Asia. We hope to be able to confirm where we will live during the next year. The options are a house on the school grounds or an apartment in the city. There is a significant difference in costs and convenience between the two options. We look forward to seeing what's best next week. We also hope to learn more about the school schedule. We know that we'll need to be in the country by the end of August. We have a couple questions about the possibility of traveling during the year. I should make a visit to Japan, hopefully in October in conjunction with a training session. Another opportunity would be to Bangladesh in March. I don't know if those will be possible, but we hope to get answers during this visit.

We'll spend a few days in Hong Kong on our way home. I've wanted to show Suzanne some of the things that God is doing there since I had the opportunity to visit in the Spring of 2007. At that time, our team visited several churches in one district of Kowloon and were very impressed with the vision and energy of the church leaders. We also visited some of the other religious sites that showed us something of what the enemy is up to. I was surprised at the darkness in Hong Kong. I would have expected a greater penetration of the Light into that city/region due to the British influence over the many years. Unfortunately, there is a smaller percentage of the population that identifies itself as Christian than the government of China acknowledges lives in the mainland. Suzanne and I hope to do some follow-up visits to a couple of the churches.

In the midst of all the hub-bub getting ready to go, there is still a strong undercurrent in our soul that this is the right direction at the right time. Yes, we are anxious about the details. Yes, we are concerned about the future of our present church. But, God has consistently said that he will never leave us or forsake us. We have read that all the promises of God are "Yes" in Christ Jesus. We understand that he will meet all of our needs through the riches of Christ. We're in good hands.

Preparing for Adventure

Hi,
We're preparing for a new phase of our lives! After 30 years of ministry in the States we're heading to Asia for a year of work in a school to train pastors.

Our intent is that this blog will be a tool to keep our family and friends updated with news of what occurs over the next year. We'll try to post some pictures as well as just words.