Time travel? No thanks!

I really enjoy stories about time travel. The plots can get pretty complicated, but the idea of being able to see things in the past interest me. What historical event would you like to see? I’d love to see some of the events in the Bible: the feeding of the 5,000, the baptism of Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. There are other times that I’d like to visit. I’d like to see what some areas of the country looked like before development. I’d like to be able to witness some of the events around the founding of the United States: the signing of the declaration of independence and the adoption of the constitution. More recently, I’d love to be able to see some of the revivals of history, especially those following the Welch revival in the early 1900s.

Time passes. We all know that we can’t go back and redo something that’s already been done. As is said, “you can’t unring a bell.” We even talk about the unfairness of evaluating someone’s decision on the basis of information not available to them at the time. We call this “Monday morning quarterbacking.”

Time has gone fast for Suzanne and me. Last year we were in Central Asia celebrating Christmas with our ministry partners. This year we’re in Keizer, OR and were with part of our family and friends. The climate is different, the setting is different, the languages and customs are different. Yet, in the midst of all the change, there is a lot that is the same. God is still alive. He’s still on the throne. He is still good all the time.

We’re tremendously thankful for all that God has allowed us to experience in these last few years. We never dreamed that we’d have the opportunities of the variety of adventures we’ve experienced. We’ve been thrilled to visit the many countries we’ve seen in the last few years: Brazil, China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Central Asia. We’re more convinced than ever that the good news of Jesus Christ is what can change the world – the present conditions people live in and the hope they can have for eternal life.

2010 holds a lot of challenges for us. We’ll continue to work on building our support team as we endeavor to develop the work of OMS in the Northwest. We’re also planning three trips to Asia this year: March, June and September (?) to assist the national churches in their efforts to plant new churches.

Though time travel is just a dream, what God is doing among the nations is very real and it’s exciting to see what He is doing to build his church. Thousands of new churches were established last year through the efforts of OMS and its partners. Hundreds of thousands of people found a new life in Christ. We might not be able to go back into history and watch events of the past, but God is doing some great things that we can watch in our own time. PTL.

Grand News!

Grandchildren can make one feel aged - or ageless.There is a certain revitalization that is available through the vibrancy of rambunctious, young grandchildren. There are numerous stories of how much fun grandchildren are, especially when we're able to have the fun and leave the discipline to the parents. (I hope we understand how unfair that is. The preacher in me wants to make the point that parents and grandparents should work in tandem to raise children. Yes, the parents have the primary responsibility, but grandparents should, whenever possible, support and reinforce the principles and values of the home.

We are happy - elated - to announce that Michelle and Glen have presented us with a wonderful pair of grandsons! Yes, twin boys! We welcome Luke Warren Miller and Micah Roger Miller into the Warren clan. (Ok, we'll share them with the Miller clan if we have to, but I'm still going to claim them.) The two boys have already distinguished themselves from each other with personal preferences and in appearance. (Alright, I haven't seen them in person and all my information is second hand. Give me a break! Grandfathering is hard work.)

Suzanne had the privilege of being in Tucson with Glen and Michelle when the grandbabies were born. I leave in a couple days and get to spend a couple days with them. (I leave for ministry in Japan and Korea from Tucson on the 5th and return on the 23rd. I'll get to spend another couple days with them then.) Suzanne took 106 pictures. I'll bet I can take more.

Grand News - we have new grandchildren. Welcome to the world, babies!

On the Launching Pad

The time has flown and I’ve failed to keep current posting about the things that have been taking place. There’s really not a lot to relate – more waiting, but waiting with a purpose. At least, that’s what we’re hoping.

Suzanne and I have just completed two weeks of training at the OMS International headquarters in Indiana. With the other meetings we’ve had around those two weeks, we will total three weeks in Indiana’s Summer. The weather has been pretty nice. We did have one significant storm that led to some flooding, but the humidity has been much less than I had expected. We’ve walked and we’ve talked with each other and people from around the world. Some of these people are from the US and work internationally and others have been from almost every continent. It’s been a great time.

The training we’ve had is in Church Planting and Multiplication. There is a tremendous movement that is impacting many areas of the world and has led to exponential growth of the church. Though the principles that underlie this movement have been practiced at various times of the past, its just in the last fifteen years that they’ve been rediscovered for our day. (If you are interested in what is happening, I’d recommend David Garrison’s book: Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a World.) We’ve heard numerous examples beyond those in the book of how the application of these church multiplication principles are leading to thousands of conversions in some areas. Our responsibility in this is to find ways to apply this training to Japan and Korea.

Our assignment moving forward will be in two areas. The first and primary responsibility will be as Regional Director in the Northwest for OMS. We have the opportunity to promote missions in the region (Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada) through relating to churches and recruiting people that are interested in changing the world for Jesus. The second area will be working with national churches in Japan and Korea to plant new churches. This is where the CPM training will come into play. We’re hoping to make three trips per year to each country training leaders to train other leaders in church planting principles. One further responsibility will involve a continuing role in Central Asia with ministry training. I was placed on the seminary board and will have a ongoing responsibility to assist the leadership of the school.

We return to the Northwest in a couple days to move the rest of our things in Spokane to our new home in Keizer (a suburb of Salem), Oregon. Almost immediately I leave for Korea with another OMS official to conclude a training agreement with the national church. Once I get back, and in good graces with Suzanne, we begin the process of building a funding network for our ministry.

These are interesting days. God hasn’t failed to lead and provide. We’re confident that the future is in His safe hands.

Waiting

There is an excellent little book entitled In God’s Waiting Room. I’ve forgotten the author, but I love the title and enjoyed the book. The idea of waiting is something that all of us have and will go through.

It’s really nice to be back in the United States after living in Central Asia for nine months. We’ve just had a little over a week with our daughter and son-in-law in Tucson. What a refreshing time we had! There were three things that struck me over these last days:

1. The number of “things” and conveniences available to us on a regular basis that we learned to do without while in Asia.
2. Our daughter – my “little girl” – is pregnant with twins. O my!
3. The uncertainty about our next assignment.

I’ve reflected a lot over the last number of months about how God has shifted our focus from the local church to a worldwide call to missions. We’re anxious to get busy doing what we believe we’ve been called to do, but find ourselves waiting. Oh, we’re not the only ones in a waiting period. We realize that. There are many people who are waiting for God’s deliverance, direction, touch, etc.

We’ve been greatly privileged to see God redirect us into a new career, or at least a new direction within ministry. The process He has used has been pretty gentle in our way of thinking. There have been many others, some of our friends, who have been redirected in some pretty tumultuous ways. Our path has been clear and gentle, though, at the same time, challenging and stretching.

Though we believe we know our role in the future and would love to begin working toward the goals we see, we sense a check in our spirit to wait. Wait? Yes, wait for the signal to begin the race. In a track meet, the runners are called to the starting line, told to get set, and then they wait for the starting gun. I believe that we’re at the point where we’ve been called to the starting line. Like the track athlete, we’re waiting for the command to “get set.” The runner uses the time from the “Runners – to your mark!” for the final “shake out” of the muscles and to place themselves in the starting blocks. They place their hands at the starting line, their feet in the blocks and look down the track at the finish line. (Ok – that’s only for the shortest races, but, this is my story!).

I feel like the days in Tucson – and now in Joseph, OR – are the days for us to get ourselves to the starting blocks for the race before us. How soon will the command to “Get set!” come? When will the signal come that starts the race? I don’t know about either of those. What I do know is that our task is to be ready for when the signal comes that we might “run with perseverance the race set out before us.”

The last two years have been a fascinating period in our lives. We’ve learned a great deal about each other, ourselves and our Father. We’ve seen His clear direction, heard some gentle whispers and felt His hand as we’ve followed His lead. This period is not over, it’s just moving on, however slowly, to the next period when we find God’s faithfulness demonstrated anew. In the meantime – we’re sitting expectantly in His waiting room.

Ready - and Waiting

Here we are - just about an hour from leaving for the airport to return home. In many ways it's hard to believe that we've gotten this far. Of course, there are other ways in which we wonder how it could have taken so long to reach this point.

It's hard to put into words the things we've discussed related to our time here - these last few days in particular. In fact, I can't take the time to work through those things right now since we still have to finish packing.

That is one of the frustrating things. We're trying to fit everything in and it just won't work. There are some things that we've already given away, but there is more that we're going to leave - I'll hope to pick them up if I'm able to return in the Fall.

Assuming our flights are all on time, we will land just about twenty-four hours after we leave our flat. Of course, we'll have a couple hours at this airport just waiting. We'll have another four hours to sit around in Frankfurt, Germany. But, the next stop is Portland. PTL!

We still have questions about why we were chosen to come to Asia for this assignment. I don't know if those questions will ever be fully answered, but we've had some clues in the last few weeks. None of those clues point to academic issues, but we are still confident that we are here at the Father's direction. We now leave confident of the Father's re-direction for the next stage of our ministry. We're also more convinced than ever about the critical role missions plays in the great story of God's redemptive plan. To have even a small part in that drama is a great privilege.

More Pictures

I'm trying to put some pictures up in a different way. We'll see what happens.

Picture Day

I'm going to attempt something new and I don't know how it will turn out. I'm not used to putting pictures on the blog, though I can do all right in other applications. There has to be a better, easier way to do this, but I haven't found it.

It's always hard to decide which pictures to include in a blog. There are considerations regarding security along with the normal questions about quality, appropriateness, etc. I decided this time that I'm going to write just a little and post more pictures. We'll see what happens.

Transitions - Again

Our time in Asia is coming to an end in just a few weeks – actually 44 days, but, who’s counting? We’re experiencing a variety of emotions as we look at concluding our work here and transitioning into full-time mission work based in the States. There are projects we have to finish – I’m scheduled to do a series of classes on Philippians this week at a local church. There are decisions to make – which direction the school ought to pursue as the need for a license persists and the acquiring of one seems as far off as ever. And, there are preparations to make – for the transition of leadership at the school and personally for our move home.

We completed a trip to the capital city last week where we had meetings to determine the likelihood of obtaining a license. Besides those meetings, we had a wonderful time with a local pastor and his family in their one-room flat. There was a kitchen and one other room used for meals, daily living, and sleeping. It wasn’t too crowded since all their five children were never there at one time. The city is rather new. Fifteen years ago it was a small city in the north of the country. The decision was made to move the capital and tremendous growth has occurred. The center of the city is a monument to what man can do apart from a Creator. (I was reminded of the Tower of Babel and Nebuchadnezzar’s garden.)

We’re still struck by the people of Central Asia. Beyond the difference in appearance from “White Westerners,” there is a large gap in ethics and mores between the two cultures. The longer we’re here, and the more people we speak with as we analyze the differences, the clearer it is that the communist system of years gone bye damaged, and perhaps nearly destroyed, the indigenous cultures of Central Asia. As difficult as it is to bridge normal cultural differences, the extra mix of communism and the Russian culture has made reaching these people with the gospel especially difficult. There was a great openness to the gospel shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. That period has passed and the work here is hard and progress is slow. The need for leadership training which deals with biblical content and a Christian lifestyle is great. Discipleship activities that lead to changed lives are absolutely necessary – just as in the States.

We’re definitely in Spring, though the temperatures fluctuate widely. Last week we were in short sleeves. (I say “we” because we were the only ones. There were still many people as bundled up as during the depth of winter.) This week has been kind of rainy and cool. That’s not a problem, though the fact that the city turned off the central heat has made our flat a bit cool. During the deepest part of winter the temperature in the flat was a constant 68 degrees. In the last month the temp rose to 75-78 degrees round the clock. (I got out a pair of shorts for lounging at home.) Last Sunday morning we awoke to discover our batteries (radiators) cold and the temp around 70. The last couple days has been cooler. We began today at 64 and have seen the temp rise to 66. Of course, we have lit three candles to assist.

It has been great to find out that walking is a pleasant experience. We’re tying to get in about five miles a day and accomplish that or more most days. We’re interested to see how our walking practice transitions as we go home. We’ve never walked to the store like we do here. Since we have to carry everything home, we never use a shopping cart. We do use a basket, but we find we have to make more trips to the “magazines” (the local stores) than we do when we’re home. We might carry on this practice if we locate reasonably close to shopping. (“Reasonably” being defined as less than a couple miles.)

So, here we go into another transition. Who would have thought it “at our age?”

Looking Ahead

We’re finding ourselves doing a lot of reflecting these days. At the same time, we’re spending a good bit of time looking ahead. Talk about being pulled in two different directions!

We’ve been in Central Asia for seven months. We arrived in the Summer. We enjoyed the brief Fall and, we’re now seeing the passing of Winter. That’s not to say that April in this part of the world is not able to get a parting shot from Winter, but if Spring isn’t here, we can see it. There are some shrubs and trees that are displaying blossoms of various colors. We’re careful about making too much out of these teasing indicators of Spring – but we are hopeful that we’ll wake up tomorrow and find that Spring has sprung.

We’re looking ahead to June 2nd, our return to the United States. It will be great to set foot on our home soil and see family after these months away. We’ve been asked numerous times, “What are you going to do first?” or “What restaurant are you going to first?” There are different answers to those questions. We could say that the first thing we’ll do is line up to go through immigration control. We’ve thought about the restaurant question quite a bit. I don’t think we want to plan that with all the uncertainties.

More than restaurants, we’re looking ahead to a new job and setting up a new home when we get back. Our plan is to continue in ministry through serving in the area of missions. We’re still working through the process of determining the specific role we’ll play, but we’ll be based in the Northwest serving in various places. We’ll continue our involvement assisting with church planting in Japan. Beyond that, there are several other opportunities of short term assignments in Africa, the Caribbean and various places in Asia. We’re a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities, but we’re confident that God will continue to give us direction in the days ahead. We’ll have the privilege of working with a great OMS Northwest team which has been put together recognizing the strengths of the gifted people on the Northwest team.

We’ve been asked, “What will you miss in Central Asia?” The answer to that is easy. We’ll miss people. We’ll miss our partners who have made it possible to survive these months away from our family and friends. We’ll miss people that we’ve worked with getting through a difficult period in the history of the school. We’ll miss brothers and sisters we’ve met from around the world (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England, Germany, Russia, Korea, Central Asia, Nigeria, Canada, and even the US) in the various church’s we’ve attended.

We’ve been on quite and “adventure” over this last year and a half since we were first approached about coming to Central Asia. There have been struggles and stumbles. There has been laughter and celebration. We’ve seen numerous examples of God’s graciousness and kindness during these months. So, we look back at what has been and ahead at what is yet to be. The temptation is to reflect and dream without focusing on the here and now. We have a job to finish in these next eight weeks. We might not complete the task of obtaining a license, but our role will be to continue to build a team that can move on into the future training church leaders for Central Asia. May God help us.

A 4-Christmas Season!

Central Asia has held given us some unexpected surprises! We came with expectations, as does anyone who moves into a new culture. Some of those expectations were absolutely “off the wall” and are, for the most part, long forgotten. Some expectations were logical and have been realized, like finding wonderful people. There have been some things that have surprised us – we never expected them. Here’s one.

Even though we did some reading about the area before we left the States, it didn’t sink in that we would find two Christmases here. The predominant Christian church, Russian Orthodox, celebrates Christmas on January 7th. We learned about that after we arrived and were planning our schedule accordingly. As we spoke to some of the believers we work with, they told us, since they are not Orthodox, they celebrate Christmas on December 25th. We asked whether they celebrated the Orthodox Christmas (a national holiday) as well. Their answer, “Of course! Why not?” came as a bit of a surprise. Well, when in Central Asia, do as the Central Asians do. We began to look forward to two Christmases.

December 25th came and went. There were decorations in the city for Christmas in December – more than ever before. (Our partner told us that the level of awareness of Christmas in December is increasing in the last few years, though, many of the decorations are for the HUGE New Year’s celebration.) Suzanne put up a few homemade decorations in our flat and we celebrated Christmas Eve with our friends. We had a great dinner at their home and attended the International Fellowship’s Christmas Eve service. Suzanne and I spent Christmas day together and celebrated with a dinner of “Sweet & Sour Spam.” It was good! Life in the city went on as normal: schools were in session, businesses were open and people went about their normal routines.

When January 7th came around, though a “public holiday,” it didn’t appear any different than a regular day. We had a pastors meeting and businesses seemed open as normal. After our meeting, Suzanne and I had a quiet dinner and evening together. We thought Christmas 2008 (and 2009?) was over. We hadn’t thought it through.

We traveled to another part of the country in the middle of January to work with some pastors. (See our Christmas newsletter and the February 6th blog entry, “How Are You?”) Upon our return, we discovered two boxes had arrived from our son’s family including Christmas presents! So, we had another “Christmas” on January 24th!
We knew that our daughter had sent something to us for Christmas on December 6th and another just after Christmas. We had not seen or heard about either of them. We thought about them periodically and felt badly for her expense for the lost packages. WELL, this week they arrived! On February 19th we had our FOURTH Christmas when we got to open more Christmas presents!

We do feel blessed to be cared about and supported. The people, family and friends, at home have been wonderful in sending notes, emails and packages. All the stuff is appreciated and the people are loved. Thank you. (By the way, we’re beginning to look at heading home in just a few months and don’t need anything more.)

Living in the Mystery

Florence Howard was a saint of a lady at our church in Monmouth, Oregon. I was a young pastor still wet not just behind the ears. Florence was long term mainstay of our small congregation. She had been treasurer of the church for nearly twenty years and Sunday School treasurer for much longer than that. Florence was a wealth of information about the community, the church and life in general. She lived on a large lot just outside of town. It was a modest home and the property was filled with flowers, shrubs and a large garden of which she regularly shared with the pastor’s family.

Shortly after we met, I heard her share one of her bits of everyday wisdom: “You don’t have to look very far to find someone who’s worse off than you are.” When I heard that I chalked it up to just some tidbit that was, perhaps, false modesty. Over our years at Monmouth, I had many occasions to see Florence in all kinds of settings. That phrase was something often expressed and, more often, exemplified through her attitude. Her's was not an easy life. She had the normal issues that affect someone in their eighties. There were also some family issues that were difficult to deal with. In our last year at Monmouth, Florence contracted cancer which was found to be far advanced. It was in that period of time, when she was undergoing unpleasant treatments aimed at extending her life, that the truth of her phrase was truly lived out. Never did she complain how difficult things were for her. She still looked out at others and wondered how she might serve them. In her need, she looked at others and saw their need.

Suzanne and I were assigned a book to read for our “Most Excellent Adventure.” Moving into a culture different from the one you’re familiar with is stressful, can be difficult and is usually challenging. The book is Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer. I found it to be a great book with challenges in every chapter to “be Jesus” among those we’ve been called to serve. I found one quote that deals with this issue of suffering that made me pause and reflect. Here is the quote:

God is trustworthy even when we can’t see, feel or hear him. He guides us in decisions and promises never to leave us, even when his guidance takes us into the fog, mystery and suffering. He is there in the fog, he is active, and he is fulfilling his glorious purposes. Our role is to trust—even if it takes ten years. . .

Sooner or later, often later, the fog slowly lifts. Things begin to make sense. Understanding replaces confusion. Confidence replaces doubt. Belonging replaces a sense of abandonment. Hope returns. God was there all along, working actively, not only on your behalf but in ways that enrich the many other servants he loves. The fog obscures his presence and his purposes, but when it finally clears, we realize that God has kept all his promises to us (see John 21:45). And on those occasions when his people go to the grave with pieces of their past still shrouded in fog, he remains the loving, faithful God worthy of their trust even though the fog never lifted. While not desired, walking in mystery shouldn’t be feared; God, though not visible or audible, walks by our side, and the walk is always worthwhile for the patient, faithful servant. (pp. 184-185)

Christians living in this world cannot avoid issues that confound the rest of humanity. We are part of this world and one doesn’t have to go very far to see those who live in desperate situations. Whether in Central Asia, the middle of Africa, the slums of Brazil or the streets of the US, we see, hear and feel the lostness and pain that go with being human. We see the afflicted. We hear the cries of the hurting. We are part of the world around us and share, to some extent, its pain.

Why? Why all the heartache? Why all the tragedy? Why evil? It’s possible for the Christian apologist to explain the meaning behind it. It’s possible to make sense intellectually of the pieces that are left of lives that have been shattered. But I don’t believe it’s possible to answer the questions of those in the situations satisfactorily.

Duane Elmer touches on something that is important not to forget: we don’t have all the answers and we may never have all the answers. Life for the Christian (really for everyone) involves the mysterious. But, if we really believe in a God who is transcendent, holy and all the rest of the astounding attributes, why should we ever expect to have all the answers? Why should we expect to figure it all out? Is the God we believe in trustworthy enough that we can leave the answers with him? I don’t mean that we don’t ask, or don’t seek, or don’t knock. I mean that, after we ask, seek and knock and still have no answer, we can still trust that the loving Father has things in control and we can still trust him.

If you ask Suzanne, she’ll tell you that I like having answers. As we look at our future, I want to know now what we’re going to be doing in July, and August, and September and on, and on. Is life a mystery for us? You bet it is. But it’s not as confounding as life for the child who’s father has abandoned him. It’s not as difficult as for the young woman who’s trying to cope with abuse. Or for a cancer patient. Or for any number of other people we come across everyday.

Life, as a Christian or otherwise, is a mystery. However, for the Christian, we have One who understands and knows the answers. One day, perhaps on the other side of the grave, we’ll know the answers as well. In the meantime, we trust the One who is trustworthy.

"How are you?"

100 years ago, when I was in seminary, Suzanne and I attended and ministered at Lynwood Friends Church. There was a dear lady attending there who loved God and enjoyed being around His people. For a variety of reasons, she had never learned all of the social skills that so many of us take for granted that smooth interpersonal relationships. Sunday after Sunday people would greet her with, "Hi, Martha (not really Martha). How are you?" And she, not knowing any better, would tell them - everything!

We get lots of similar questions from home. "How are you doing?" That's a difficult question in normal times. What kind of answer are they expecting? Do they really want to know, or are they just being nice? Should I be specific? Should I be candid? How much can I share? All of these questions and more go through our minds. We usually find some compromise and try to match the answer to the person and our relationship with them.

We're doing well physically. This is more than a little issue. It is a great blessing to stay healthy. The work is going, well, that's difficult to qualify. We still progress on working toward a license, but are in a holding pattern on some parts. We have gotten involved in some training which is encouraging. We made one visit to another part of the country which was rewarding. We were asked to try to return in the Spring when, they say, the area is beautiful. We hope to return to see the area, but mainly, to work with the people.

Something that we've come to experience, though the same could be said for almost any situation, is that there is a lot of routine. We're grateful for the opportunity to do some extra study and have the time for growing together in ways we'd not experienced previously.

Life goes on, the winter is passing, and we're thinking of home. Must keep oriented, however, to our present situation. One speaker many years ago gave us this admonition: "Wherever you are, be there!" That's good advice whether you're in the Northwest or in Asia.

70 More Years? Can't wait that long!

Suzanne and I had the opportunity last month to attend a two-day meeting of English speaking expats, most of whom are kingdom workers. There was a time of worship each day with one person designated to open God’s Word to us. The rest of the time included informational times regarding the new legislation that is still pending, visa and accreditation issues, Bible translation issues and cross-cultural adjustments. It was a good time and really helpful for us.

One of the speakers has worked here for nearly fifteen years. Mike (not his real name) has worked in church planting most of that time. He shared that he has done an informal study of church planting movements in various areas of the world. Some areas are experiencing phenomenal church growth using materials that focus on “telling your story” to your family and friends, then teaching them to do the same. We heard story after story of how this method has been blessed beyond measure and the church is growing in leaps and bounds in some countries. The question our speaker asked is: “Why there and not here?”

Mike related that, as he looked at the history of the areas where CPM has exploded, it was always about 200 years after the gospel was first introduced to that people group that the exponential growth began. He recounted a number of countries or people groups that supported this observation, most of which were in Asia but also Latin America. Pioneer missionaries would give themselves to spreading the gospel in virgin territory and encounter great difficulties in sometimes harsh settings. Those pioneers would pay a great price to establish a fledgling church. Other workers would come along behind them to conserve the gains for Christ and continue the work of expanding the kingdom of God. Mike noted that it seemed important that the people could point to at least three generations of Christians in the family line.

The gospel was introduced to Central Asia just about 130 years ago. Does that mean we have to wait another seventy years for a significant growth of the church? I hope not! That is a long time to wait to see hundreds and thousands of people enter the kingdom. We hear the reports from India, South Asia, East Asia, the South Pacific – even reports of hundreds coming to faith in Christ in Iran! Why not here? O God, pour out your blessing, early if need be, but bring people to you. Build your church.