The info I am about to share is very eye opening and down right shocking to be honest. By sharing these things I do not mean to shame anyone or try to bring guilt on any one in any way!!
The following facts and figures I read in a book that was written and given to me by a good friend of mine entitled “For what it's worth”, Author Simon Guillebaud.
In 1998, a UN Human Development report said that the three richest people in the world own the amount of wealth equal to the combined GDP of the worlds poorest 48 nations.
Basic education for the world only cost an extra $6 billion a year, while $8 billion a year is spent on cosmetics in the United States alone.
Installation of water and sanitation for the whole world would cost $9 billion, but $11billion is spent on ice-cream in Europe in one year.
Health care and Nutrition would cost $13 billion but $17 billion is spent each year in the US and in Europe on pet food.
$35 billion is spent on business entertainment in Japan.
$50 billion is spent on cigarettes in Europe.
$105 billion on alcoholic drinks in Europe.
$400 billion on narcotic drugs around the world.
$780 billion on the worlds armed forces.
In 1997, UNDP reports it would cost $80 billion a year to wipe out poverty from the planet until 2007, which is less than one half of one percent of global income and is about the equivalent of the combined net worth of the seven richest men on earth.
I have to be honest, reading these reports was very hard for me. Especially since I am living and working in what is considered to be the third poorest nation in the world.
Toward the end of last month we received an invitation from the Dutch embassy. It was announcing a party that would be held at the Netherlands ambassadors residence celebrating the national holiday “Queens day”. My wife and I got excited, wow I thought, a chance to get out and rub elbows with some of the high class locals and diplomats. Not to mention I knew there would a lot of free typical dutch food and as many drinks as I wanted.
Upon arrival I froze as I glanced around I could not help to feel like a fish out of water. There were around 400 people and as I said before the delicious food and drinks were flowing.
Immediately some one came and asked me what I would like to drink. As the night slowly progressed I found myself looking around and my mind taking me places that I didn't feel like being. I could not stop thinking about how much money was being spent on the free flowing alcohol and the countless trays of goodies that most likely had been flown in for this special event.
I then thought of all the embassies world wide, where I was sure similar functions were also happening at the same time or at least with in my time zone.
I began to feel sick to my stomach as I thought of all the aid and people that could be helped with the money that was being spent in just this one evening.
At this moment I had a choice to make, it was to burst into tears and leave the party or to some how turn myself off or at least my mind form what was happening to me. What I experienced next was what they call in psychology “disassociation”. This happens to many people in life during times of trauma, difficulty, hardship, and or when you find your self in a place / situation where you rather not be.
It is when the mind shuts off and you are there so to speak but also not. It actually is more common than people realize. You could call it a built in couping mechanism.
Have you ever heard the term the lights are on but no one is home?
This is what I experienced, part of me shut off and I then remember going through the rest of the evening having conversations and going through the motions. It was as if I was participating but not thinking of where or what was going on around me.
This reminded me of our trip back to the west (Europe & America) in 2008. I remember very well walking through large shopping malls and supermarkets. I would often be so over whelmed by all the stuff and all the choices, I would find my mind taking me back to Africa. then I would start crying as I thought about the orphans, the widows and the poorest of the poor that I had just spent the last 3.5 years of my life with. All of a sudden I would be pulled back into reality by one of my children making a comment or asking me a question.
All in all it was a difficult time, many times feeling uncomfortable with all the comfort, with all the choices. Don't get me wrong there were times of great joy and fun as well. But in all honesty it was bitter sweet. After a few weeks even my children were asking me when are we going home to Africa. Just that thought makes me want to cry again.
These last few days have got me thinking, what the hec is wrong with me?? There are times that I long for the comforts of the west! But when some of those times come, I find it hard to enjoy them. Why is it that even if I have the money to waste, or as they say burn. I find it hard to spend it on me or my family in the things that are considered comfort or luxurious here?
A while back some good friends of mine sent me and my family for a nice weekend at a five star hotel on a beautiful beach. They booked it and paid for everything, their only question to me was what week end are you going. They told me we are doing it this way because we know that if we just give you the money you will not spend it on your selfs, they were right. What a blessing!
I have have been wondering do all long term missionaries go through this?
Am I going crazy?
Am I ruined for Comfort???
I look back at those facts and figures above and ask the Lord this question. “if we could turn off comfort for one day around the world. What good could we do with all that money?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Persecution & Revival
I received an email resonantly from a friend asking us to be praying for the christian church in a particular location in India. It went on to say about how over 200 church's had been burnt down and many Christians killed by some radical Buddhist group. The treat that more church's were to follow with more deaths as well was eminent. Something sever is happening to the christian church in that Nation, and the request for prayer was maid.
Persecution; a word that is well known by the christian church, or in any religious setting for that matter. It has been there for as long as anyone can remember. I am not going to go into the why's, lets just say that it is there. We were warned about this from Christ himself when he said.(paraphrased) “you will be persecuted because of my name sake. In the same way they persecuted those before you, you also will be persecuted and even put to death. If they persecuted me they will persecute you.”
I don't know about you but I don't get any comfort from those words.... Those are the kind of words you read and then sit and think about if you want to continue on the path your headed.
As a boy growing up in church I learned these scriptures, read the stories over and over in the bible. Heard them taught by various pastors. But I really didn't understand them! Lets be honest, I had no point of reference. It didn't really fit into my cultural setting. I had the freedom of religion behind me, (thank you bill of rights)... unless being called a Jesus freak, holy roller, and holy man is considered persecution. I was taught that sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. This of course is not entirely true, names can and do hurt. In the culture I am in now I meet so many wounded people. People with names that mean; Not wanted, forgotten, having no one, alone, demon, pain, inconsiderate, and the list goes on and on... I guess it can be a form of persecution.
I grew up not thinking that name calling could be persecution but in my mind it was something totally different. Being beaten almost to death because of confessing Jesus as lord and savior of your life. Thrown in prison and having unthinkable things happen to you due to your faith. Losing your entire family as they right you off as being dead because you say that Jesus is Lord. Having a rope put around your neck and hung from a tree until dead because you believed in Christ as the son of God. Having your head cut off and put on a pole for show because you believed in Jesus as your savior. Many years ago In North Korea they rounded up the Christians they found from the underground church and laid them all on the road so that they could be ran over by a steam roller, starting at their feet and proceeding to the head.
All of these things and more have happened and are still happening today. We rarely hear about them, they have stopped to be reported. We put labels on some them such as holy wars, or terrorism.
This I do know as I look at the Christian church in the various nations and people groups that have been experiencing an seeing such horrifying acts as mentioned above one thing always rings through. You could say that history has continued to repeat it self. It is this, it produces a harvest of righteousness, the church grows, it becomes stronger, and the glory and power of God is seen in ways not known to us in the western church.
As I sat and pondered this I couldn't help but to think about my own Nation and people in North America. I found myself getting a bit sad almost to the point of tears. I thought to myself it's not fair why has the west been so blessed with your presence?
Why are we always experiencing so many revivals? God why is this? We keep being blessed by you pouring out your spirit. Fires of revival our breaking out all over the west while our brothers and sisters every where els our dieing.
The Christian faith in the west as a whole still seems so weak compared to our brothers and sisters abroad. Isn't time that the roles are reversed let revival break out among the developing Nations, among the least of these. Let the western church experience some real persecution for a while.
Oh crap did I just say that??? what am I thinking? Lord only you know, I am so glad I don't have your job!!
As I sit and meditate on those thoughts I am reminded of a conversation I had with this very wise and beautiful young women, my wife. She made a comment that struck me as we were discussing this one day. She said “ I wounder if God keeps blessing the western church with revival because it is during those times that the most resources are given to the persecuted church”. Ummmmm........
Another thought that came to my mind was the persecuted church does not need to be revived because they are already very much awake.
I am reading a book now in titled “The rising Revival” this book has many contributors (co authors) for the making. The main editors were Peter Wagner & Pablo Deiros. In the beginning of the book Peter Wagner gives a bit of history of revivals in the west. The focus is on the fact that with an exception of a few of them, most only lasted for 2 to 3 years. This is very interesting to me because the list of noted revivals with in the west is quite large and the effects have been pretty amazing. But why this constant on and off thing? Why only 2 or 3 years? Some times many years go by before anything happens again. What can be done to sustain it longer? Peter has some interesting thoughts as he writes about and gives examples of the revival that broke out in Argentina and lasted for over 15 years.
He says “I am convinced that many revivals have not lasted because they were focused on blessing those who were already Christians----renewing their faith in God, increasing their intimacy with Jesus, intensifying their worship experiences, healing their bodies, restoring broken family relationships, providing for financial needs, deepening their hunger for God's word, encouraging them with prophetic words and the like. Evangelizing the lost in the community and out in the world is invariably mentioned, but is frequently subject to an underlying assumption: we must first polish up the existing Christians and develop their walk with God first. Then when this is done, we will be properly equipped to move out to evangelize the lost. There is much truth in that assumption, but the fact of the matter is that many revivals have become stuck in implementing the first part and they have never gotten around to aggressively evangelizing the lost.
The Argentine revival was kicked off by an evangelist that never deviated a bit from his primary calling to reach the lost. Because the two main faces of that revival maintained singular focus in the early days of the revival, it kept it from falling victim to the “bless-me syndrome” that has been the down fall of so many others.”
As I look at other revivals that have happened outside the U.S. to compare them I can see what Mr. Wagner is talking about. With the exception of the east African revival back in the 70's which went on for thirty years. The Argentina revival is the only other recorded revival that I have found that has lasted longer than a few years.
The Focus on the lost is one of the biggest differences between theses revivals. We are talking about moves of God that radically blew through Nations changing everything in it's path. Nations that were known for their low percentages of Christians all of a sudden were being called and considered to be Christian nations. The Nation of Uganda particularly at one time had such a high rate of HIV Aids that it was said by experts that if some thing did not happen fast that Uganda would soon be no more.(paraphrased) Well something did happen, a miracle, all of a sudden with no way for man to explain it the HIV Aids rate drastically went down. This was due to the president of the nation in that time calling out to the church and dedicating his nation to the Lord.( ummm... Nation's leaders calling out to God.)
This is the kind of revival that is needed again, a revival fire so hot that it burns everything in it's path, transforming everything from politics to health care, to even the weather. Drought disappearing in the regions where only famine was known, HIV Aids disappearing and life expectancies increasing, Nations know for fraud, deception, and corruption will all of a sudden have a mantel of integrity and humility.
This is the revival that is being conceived on the continent of Africa where I am now residing. We are praying, working, and waiting for the labor pains to start.
Oh for the Joy set before us, Lord help us not to be weary but to fix our eyes on the prize.
Persecution; a word that is well known by the christian church, or in any religious setting for that matter. It has been there for as long as anyone can remember. I am not going to go into the why's, lets just say that it is there. We were warned about this from Christ himself when he said.(paraphrased) “you will be persecuted because of my name sake. In the same way they persecuted those before you, you also will be persecuted and even put to death. If they persecuted me they will persecute you.”
I don't know about you but I don't get any comfort from those words.... Those are the kind of words you read and then sit and think about if you want to continue on the path your headed.
As a boy growing up in church I learned these scriptures, read the stories over and over in the bible. Heard them taught by various pastors. But I really didn't understand them! Lets be honest, I had no point of reference. It didn't really fit into my cultural setting. I had the freedom of religion behind me, (thank you bill of rights)... unless being called a Jesus freak, holy roller, and holy man is considered persecution. I was taught that sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. This of course is not entirely true, names can and do hurt. In the culture I am in now I meet so many wounded people. People with names that mean; Not wanted, forgotten, having no one, alone, demon, pain, inconsiderate, and the list goes on and on... I guess it can be a form of persecution.
I grew up not thinking that name calling could be persecution but in my mind it was something totally different. Being beaten almost to death because of confessing Jesus as lord and savior of your life. Thrown in prison and having unthinkable things happen to you due to your faith. Losing your entire family as they right you off as being dead because you say that Jesus is Lord. Having a rope put around your neck and hung from a tree until dead because you believed in Christ as the son of God. Having your head cut off and put on a pole for show because you believed in Jesus as your savior. Many years ago In North Korea they rounded up the Christians they found from the underground church and laid them all on the road so that they could be ran over by a steam roller, starting at their feet and proceeding to the head.
All of these things and more have happened and are still happening today. We rarely hear about them, they have stopped to be reported. We put labels on some them such as holy wars, or terrorism.
This I do know as I look at the Christian church in the various nations and people groups that have been experiencing an seeing such horrifying acts as mentioned above one thing always rings through. You could say that history has continued to repeat it self. It is this, it produces a harvest of righteousness, the church grows, it becomes stronger, and the glory and power of God is seen in ways not known to us in the western church.
As I sat and pondered this I couldn't help but to think about my own Nation and people in North America. I found myself getting a bit sad almost to the point of tears. I thought to myself it's not fair why has the west been so blessed with your presence?
Why are we always experiencing so many revivals? God why is this? We keep being blessed by you pouring out your spirit. Fires of revival our breaking out all over the west while our brothers and sisters every where els our dieing.
The Christian faith in the west as a whole still seems so weak compared to our brothers and sisters abroad. Isn't time that the roles are reversed let revival break out among the developing Nations, among the least of these. Let the western church experience some real persecution for a while.
Oh crap did I just say that??? what am I thinking? Lord only you know, I am so glad I don't have your job!!
As I sit and meditate on those thoughts I am reminded of a conversation I had with this very wise and beautiful young women, my wife. She made a comment that struck me as we were discussing this one day. She said “ I wounder if God keeps blessing the western church with revival because it is during those times that the most resources are given to the persecuted church”. Ummmmm........
Another thought that came to my mind was the persecuted church does not need to be revived because they are already very much awake.
I am reading a book now in titled “The rising Revival” this book has many contributors (co authors) for the making. The main editors were Peter Wagner & Pablo Deiros. In the beginning of the book Peter Wagner gives a bit of history of revivals in the west. The focus is on the fact that with an exception of a few of them, most only lasted for 2 to 3 years. This is very interesting to me because the list of noted revivals with in the west is quite large and the effects have been pretty amazing. But why this constant on and off thing? Why only 2 or 3 years? Some times many years go by before anything happens again. What can be done to sustain it longer? Peter has some interesting thoughts as he writes about and gives examples of the revival that broke out in Argentina and lasted for over 15 years.
He says “I am convinced that many revivals have not lasted because they were focused on blessing those who were already Christians----renewing their faith in God, increasing their intimacy with Jesus, intensifying their worship experiences, healing their bodies, restoring broken family relationships, providing for financial needs, deepening their hunger for God's word, encouraging them with prophetic words and the like. Evangelizing the lost in the community and out in the world is invariably mentioned, but is frequently subject to an underlying assumption: we must first polish up the existing Christians and develop their walk with God first. Then when this is done, we will be properly equipped to move out to evangelize the lost. There is much truth in that assumption, but the fact of the matter is that many revivals have become stuck in implementing the first part and they have never gotten around to aggressively evangelizing the lost.
The Argentine revival was kicked off by an evangelist that never deviated a bit from his primary calling to reach the lost. Because the two main faces of that revival maintained singular focus in the early days of the revival, it kept it from falling victim to the “bless-me syndrome” that has been the down fall of so many others.”
As I look at other revivals that have happened outside the U.S. to compare them I can see what Mr. Wagner is talking about. With the exception of the east African revival back in the 70's which went on for thirty years. The Argentina revival is the only other recorded revival that I have found that has lasted longer than a few years.
The Focus on the lost is one of the biggest differences between theses revivals. We are talking about moves of God that radically blew through Nations changing everything in it's path. Nations that were known for their low percentages of Christians all of a sudden were being called and considered to be Christian nations. The Nation of Uganda particularly at one time had such a high rate of HIV Aids that it was said by experts that if some thing did not happen fast that Uganda would soon be no more.(paraphrased) Well something did happen, a miracle, all of a sudden with no way for man to explain it the HIV Aids rate drastically went down. This was due to the president of the nation in that time calling out to the church and dedicating his nation to the Lord.( ummm... Nation's leaders calling out to God.)
This is the kind of revival that is needed again, a revival fire so hot that it burns everything in it's path, transforming everything from politics to health care, to even the weather. Drought disappearing in the regions where only famine was known, HIV Aids disappearing and life expectancies increasing, Nations know for fraud, deception, and corruption will all of a sudden have a mantel of integrity and humility.
This is the revival that is being conceived on the continent of Africa where I am now residing. We are praying, working, and waiting for the labor pains to start.
Oh for the Joy set before us, Lord help us not to be weary but to fix our eyes on the prize.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Promise Land....
Recently I revisited the story in the bible of how God had taken his children out of Egypt, led them through the desert and into the promise land. I found it strange that after reading and meditating on it, I couldn't help but to feel that the Lord was using this story to bring me comfort in my own circumstances. The more I thought about it the more lessons and similarities I began to see in my own life.
In 2005 the Lord led me and my family out of where we were. No we were not in captivity yet at times it might of felt that way. What I mean is that there was a promise land set before us and a vision from the Lord of what it looked like. We could not take all that we had but were extremely limited to the rules and regulations of flying. We had never been there before and really had no clue on how to go. But the Promise land was there and I knew it, I could feel it, I would see it in my dreams. So with God given vision and him as our guide we left on our journey.
From that time till now I guess you could say was our desert experience.... I heard a pastor once teach that the way that God took his people was not the shortest route. If you were to look at it on a map you would find that there in fact was an easier and shorter route they could of taken. I don't know if this is true, but it does some how make since to me. I have often asked the Lord “why is this taking so long?”
Along the way we have had some good times and some bad times. I cant help but to wonder if the best times had come due to our mermering and complaining, so out of the Lords mercy and grace he said ok here is some water, here is some mana, here is some meat. In our case it looked more like: “ok here are some miracles, here is some refreshing, here is a small taste of what it will look like.”
August of this year (2010) will mark our journey at 5years. Through this time I must admit there has been times that I have lost sight of the vision. Times of wanting to just give up and throw in the towel. Times of questioning: Is that really you God?, Did I really hear you? Why did you bring us out here to die? (spiritually speaking,...OK maybe physically also.) Times of feeling like a complete failure as a christian, husband, and father.....
It of course did not help our journey and understanding, having the nay Sayers around us. But just like God's people in the desert I believe it was necessary in a since. I don't say I understand it but I do see that God aloud them to be there for a season in the journey. It is unclear just what roll they play in the over all journey. Was it for discouragement? Was it to make us stronger, not to waver in our thinking? Was it that they just cared so much and their lack of understanding was just as great as ours, but they wanted to protect us from possible hurt?
The why & what questions have been the top questions for me in these last five years. Why does it take me 5years to get my ministry registered in a developing nation? What did I do wrong to be removed from a country twice? Why can't more people see my heart? Why did I have to give up 8 of my precious children? What did I do wrong? What law did I break? Why is it that injustice seems to be prevailing? Why can't more people stand against injustice and unrighteousness? Why do people fear something that can not touch them? Why can't people store up their treasures in Heaven?
I could go on and on, I do have answers to most of these questions but I am afraid they would not appease most.
As I sit now, I am on the banks of the Jordan river. The Promise land is on the other side. I see it! All we have to do is cross the river. No need to send spies into the land, it is already ours. We only need to cross and take it. I don't know how long it will take us to cross this river but we will cross and when we do the much awaited promise will be there.
The Lord has continued to remind us through this time that he is the one in control, he is the one leading and he is the one providing. God keeps pointing us to Deuteronomy chapter 8 in the old testament of the bible. The whole chapter is really nice but I will put emphasis on the verses that jumped of the page slapped me.
Deuteronomy8:1-20 Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.3b. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. 6. So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.
7. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with springs that gush forth in the valleys and hills. 10. When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. 12. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in.13. and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, 14a. that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the lord your God, 17. He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. 18. Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.
We to have a promise, a promise of a children s village that will raise up a mighty army of God of the least of these. That every one who steps foot on the land will be made whole, that if we do this Gods way and not mans way we will see his power, glory, and presents not only rest but rule and reign in the place. It will be a place where revival will be birthed in hearts of many, burning, and growing then be a launching ground into the Nations of Africa for the purpose of seeing the continent or Africa become a continent of Light and not darkness.
This is what I will say amen to, this what I will serve until the day I die....(Strong words require a stronger belief and a strong belief is accompanied by an obedience to the calling that goes beyond our human understanding.)
In 2005 the Lord led me and my family out of where we were. No we were not in captivity yet at times it might of felt that way. What I mean is that there was a promise land set before us and a vision from the Lord of what it looked like. We could not take all that we had but were extremely limited to the rules and regulations of flying. We had never been there before and really had no clue on how to go. But the Promise land was there and I knew it, I could feel it, I would see it in my dreams. So with God given vision and him as our guide we left on our journey.
From that time till now I guess you could say was our desert experience.... I heard a pastor once teach that the way that God took his people was not the shortest route. If you were to look at it on a map you would find that there in fact was an easier and shorter route they could of taken. I don't know if this is true, but it does some how make since to me. I have often asked the Lord “why is this taking so long?”
Along the way we have had some good times and some bad times. I cant help but to wonder if the best times had come due to our mermering and complaining, so out of the Lords mercy and grace he said ok here is some water, here is some mana, here is some meat. In our case it looked more like: “ok here are some miracles, here is some refreshing, here is a small taste of what it will look like.”
August of this year (2010) will mark our journey at 5years. Through this time I must admit there has been times that I have lost sight of the vision. Times of wanting to just give up and throw in the towel. Times of questioning: Is that really you God?, Did I really hear you? Why did you bring us out here to die? (spiritually speaking,...OK maybe physically also.) Times of feeling like a complete failure as a christian, husband, and father.....
It of course did not help our journey and understanding, having the nay Sayers around us. But just like God's people in the desert I believe it was necessary in a since. I don't say I understand it but I do see that God aloud them to be there for a season in the journey. It is unclear just what roll they play in the over all journey. Was it for discouragement? Was it to make us stronger, not to waver in our thinking? Was it that they just cared so much and their lack of understanding was just as great as ours, but they wanted to protect us from possible hurt?
The why & what questions have been the top questions for me in these last five years. Why does it take me 5years to get my ministry registered in a developing nation? What did I do wrong to be removed from a country twice? Why can't more people see my heart? Why did I have to give up 8 of my precious children? What did I do wrong? What law did I break? Why is it that injustice seems to be prevailing? Why can't more people stand against injustice and unrighteousness? Why do people fear something that can not touch them? Why can't people store up their treasures in Heaven?
I could go on and on, I do have answers to most of these questions but I am afraid they would not appease most.
As I sit now, I am on the banks of the Jordan river. The Promise land is on the other side. I see it! All we have to do is cross the river. No need to send spies into the land, it is already ours. We only need to cross and take it. I don't know how long it will take us to cross this river but we will cross and when we do the much awaited promise will be there.
The Lord has continued to remind us through this time that he is the one in control, he is the one leading and he is the one providing. God keeps pointing us to Deuteronomy chapter 8 in the old testament of the bible. The whole chapter is really nice but I will put emphasis on the verses that jumped of the page slapped me.
Deuteronomy8:1-20 Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.3b. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. 6. So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.
7. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with springs that gush forth in the valleys and hills. 10. When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. 12. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in.13. and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, 14a. that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the lord your God, 17. He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. 18. Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.
We to have a promise, a promise of a children s village that will raise up a mighty army of God of the least of these. That every one who steps foot on the land will be made whole, that if we do this Gods way and not mans way we will see his power, glory, and presents not only rest but rule and reign in the place. It will be a place where revival will be birthed in hearts of many, burning, and growing then be a launching ground into the Nations of Africa for the purpose of seeing the continent or Africa become a continent of Light and not darkness.
This is what I will say amen to, this what I will serve until the day I die....(Strong words require a stronger belief and a strong belief is accompanied by an obedience to the calling that goes beyond our human understanding.)
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Glasses we wear...
I have found in dealing with life and living cross culturally, there are two kinds of glasses that people where. Or two ways that people have a tendency to look at things or live so to speak, there are those that compare everything they see and everything they experience to what they know. Meaning that they place everything into their own cultural context, this is more often than not a coping mechanism to make themselves feel more comfortable with all the differences they are seeing and experiencing.
They say to themselves and or those around them things like; we have that where I am from to, we do the same in my culture, People are people no matter where you are, etc..
There is nothing wrong with this per say. When put in a place where nothing is familiar and we are as uncomfortable as it gets, it is natural to try to make oneself somehow feel more at home by likening what is seen or what is being experienced to something that is well known to us. . When or if this does not occur can cause someone to go into what is called culture shock. There are various levels of culture shock that one can go through that I will not go into.
The truth is; People are people not matter where you go. That is the same as saying no matter where you go, there you are… You can always find some underlining things no matter what culture you are in, this is because of the fact that we are all made by the same wonderful creator. It is also true to say that, that same wonderful creator is a very creative creator. Meaning there is not two people on this earth that are exactly the same.
I will call this pair of glasses the “I” glasses. I believe at one point in time all people who live and or work cross culturally wear these glasses, it is how we fit into places and how we help others to fit into our world (life). We must relate everything or most of everything to what works for us or fits into our understanding. To put it plainly, when we don’t understand something or it is to different from what we know or have experienced our first reaction is to either reject it completely or reason it into our own cultural understanding. This is sad but the truth and can easily be seen through the way we live our lives, from practical to the spiritual.
It is unfortunate that the above scenario is the most common pair of glasses we as people wear.
This is not just about how we see things, no it is more than that. It is our perspective on life, the way we relate to others and live around them, what we except into our lives as normal or what we shun.
I remember when I was in my 20’s there was this one day I found myself staring at this huge mural (painting ) on a wall. I remember being so captivated and engaged in it. I was in awe of the detail and the size of it. It was a painting of the earth! It showed everything, every continent, every country, every little island, everything! I looked at where I was at the time and where I had been in my life. I was speechless….
All my life, I had spent between 3to4 States on the west coast of the United States. As I stood there staring in awe of how big the world was and how little of it that I had seen or experienced. I couldn’t speak… All I kept thinking was “WOW” So many people, so many countries, so many cultures, and none of them are like me. They celebrate different holidays than I do, they eat differently than I do, they think differently than I do, they speak differently than I do… Everything I know, and everything I think I know is different and I don’t know any of them…
I learned early in my walk with the Lord that the word or the term we use to be a “disciple” means in the original Greek text of the bible “to be a learner”. Now we of course need to apply this to our spiritual life but why shouldn’t it go further than that… “To be a learner” in life, of life, through life! I know, heaven forbid that we would have to admit that we don’t really know something.
The last 16 years of my life have been spent observing, talking, living, asking questions, and learning how others live and experience life in their countries and cultures. It is by far the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Our God is so amazing!!! When I look at the map of our world today I realize now that I have had the joy of living and working in more countries than states I have visited in the U.S.
The other pair of glasses that I speak of has to do with what I just talked about in the above paragraphs. I will call them the “learner” glasses. These glasses are not always easy to wear sometimes they can be uncomfortable and at other times downright painful to have on. It requires us to take off our “I” glasses and when we do that we feel vulnerable, blind, and confused. Why would we consider doing such a thing you ask? When we do this we are putting ourselves aside and putting others above ourselves.
This is of course a very biblical principle, placing others above oneself. If everyone would just do this a little bit, the world could be a better place.
Having the learner glasses on means asking lots of questions, Questions about others; like what makes them tick? What makes them happy, sad, mad, etc. where did they come from (geographically, or just about their upbringing). What about their family, do they have siblings? Do they have both their parents, only one parent, or no parents? Were they exposed to religion at a young age, if so what, and what effect did it leave on them? What kind of traumatic events have they experienced in their lives? War, death’s & or decease, divorce, abuse;(physical, verbal, emotional). The list of questions can go on and on… this is how we learn, this is how we know people. In this moment it is all about them and not about you. I frequently ask my wife questions like, what do (you) like about the way I communicate. How can I communicate better to (you)? Do (you) like how I touch (you)? What can I do to make (you) feel more turned on? Do (you) like it when I, _______??
You see it is about what she wants and what she feels that is important to me! The largest part I play is the listening and learning then my actions will reflect how much I learned.
I have found that when I go into a relationship, another country or culture with my learner glasses on, what I gain personally can never be taught to me in a school or book. It is about the questions I ask and the attitude I have in the situation that will determine how much I can gain.
With the learner glasses on it is also important to ask questions to yourself as well! Questions like; what do I believe about______?? Why?? How has it affected my life? When _________(this) happened to me, why did I react the way I did? When _________(event) took place in my life, how did it affect my life and what did it make me believe about myself?
You see if we will just put on the learner glasses and ask the right questions, we can gain so much knowledge about God, others, ourselves, even our enemy.
I have actually experienced that the longer I wear these glasses the more comfortable they become. The more adventurous and enjoyable life also becomes. When I try to put back on the “I” glasses, they don’t fit right and I feel very uncomfortable in them. Life is really not as fun when all I see is “I”.
We all carry both glasses around with us but can choose which ones we wear. So how about it, what glasses are you most comfortable in??
They say to themselves and or those around them things like; we have that where I am from to, we do the same in my culture, People are people no matter where you are, etc..
There is nothing wrong with this per say. When put in a place where nothing is familiar and we are as uncomfortable as it gets, it is natural to try to make oneself somehow feel more at home by likening what is seen or what is being experienced to something that is well known to us. . When or if this does not occur can cause someone to go into what is called culture shock. There are various levels of culture shock that one can go through that I will not go into.
The truth is; People are people not matter where you go. That is the same as saying no matter where you go, there you are… You can always find some underlining things no matter what culture you are in, this is because of the fact that we are all made by the same wonderful creator. It is also true to say that, that same wonderful creator is a very creative creator. Meaning there is not two people on this earth that are exactly the same.
I will call this pair of glasses the “I” glasses. I believe at one point in time all people who live and or work cross culturally wear these glasses, it is how we fit into places and how we help others to fit into our world (life). We must relate everything or most of everything to what works for us or fits into our understanding. To put it plainly, when we don’t understand something or it is to different from what we know or have experienced our first reaction is to either reject it completely or reason it into our own cultural understanding. This is sad but the truth and can easily be seen through the way we live our lives, from practical to the spiritual.
It is unfortunate that the above scenario is the most common pair of glasses we as people wear.
This is not just about how we see things, no it is more than that. It is our perspective on life, the way we relate to others and live around them, what we except into our lives as normal or what we shun.
I remember when I was in my 20’s there was this one day I found myself staring at this huge mural (painting ) on a wall. I remember being so captivated and engaged in it. I was in awe of the detail and the size of it. It was a painting of the earth! It showed everything, every continent, every country, every little island, everything! I looked at where I was at the time and where I had been in my life. I was speechless….
All my life, I had spent between 3to4 States on the west coast of the United States. As I stood there staring in awe of how big the world was and how little of it that I had seen or experienced. I couldn’t speak… All I kept thinking was “WOW” So many people, so many countries, so many cultures, and none of them are like me. They celebrate different holidays than I do, they eat differently than I do, they think differently than I do, they speak differently than I do… Everything I know, and everything I think I know is different and I don’t know any of them…
I learned early in my walk with the Lord that the word or the term we use to be a “disciple” means in the original Greek text of the bible “to be a learner”. Now we of course need to apply this to our spiritual life but why shouldn’t it go further than that… “To be a learner” in life, of life, through life! I know, heaven forbid that we would have to admit that we don’t really know something.
The last 16 years of my life have been spent observing, talking, living, asking questions, and learning how others live and experience life in their countries and cultures. It is by far the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Our God is so amazing!!! When I look at the map of our world today I realize now that I have had the joy of living and working in more countries than states I have visited in the U.S.
The other pair of glasses that I speak of has to do with what I just talked about in the above paragraphs. I will call them the “learner” glasses. These glasses are not always easy to wear sometimes they can be uncomfortable and at other times downright painful to have on. It requires us to take off our “I” glasses and when we do that we feel vulnerable, blind, and confused. Why would we consider doing such a thing you ask? When we do this we are putting ourselves aside and putting others above ourselves.
This is of course a very biblical principle, placing others above oneself. If everyone would just do this a little bit, the world could be a better place.
Having the learner glasses on means asking lots of questions, Questions about others; like what makes them tick? What makes them happy, sad, mad, etc. where did they come from (geographically, or just about their upbringing). What about their family, do they have siblings? Do they have both their parents, only one parent, or no parents? Were they exposed to religion at a young age, if so what, and what effect did it leave on them? What kind of traumatic events have they experienced in their lives? War, death’s & or decease, divorce, abuse;(physical, verbal, emotional). The list of questions can go on and on… this is how we learn, this is how we know people. In this moment it is all about them and not about you. I frequently ask my wife questions like, what do (you) like about the way I communicate. How can I communicate better to (you)? Do (you) like how I touch (you)? What can I do to make (you) feel more turned on? Do (you) like it when I, _______??
You see it is about what she wants and what she feels that is important to me! The largest part I play is the listening and learning then my actions will reflect how much I learned.
I have found that when I go into a relationship, another country or culture with my learner glasses on, what I gain personally can never be taught to me in a school or book. It is about the questions I ask and the attitude I have in the situation that will determine how much I can gain.
With the learner glasses on it is also important to ask questions to yourself as well! Questions like; what do I believe about______?? Why?? How has it affected my life? When _________(this) happened to me, why did I react the way I did? When _________(event) took place in my life, how did it affect my life and what did it make me believe about myself?
You see if we will just put on the learner glasses and ask the right questions, we can gain so much knowledge about God, others, ourselves, even our enemy.
I have actually experienced that the longer I wear these glasses the more comfortable they become. The more adventurous and enjoyable life also becomes. When I try to put back on the “I” glasses, they don’t fit right and I feel very uncomfortable in them. Life is really not as fun when all I see is “I”.
We all carry both glasses around with us but can choose which ones we wear. So how about it, what glasses are you most comfortable in??
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friendship Redefined...
You know the cliché “A friend that sticks closer than a brother”? We in the west have a certain mindset when the term friend is mentioned. Go ahead, allow yourself to go there. Think about your friends, think about the different depths of relationship that you have with those whom you call your friends. Those who know you more than your own family, the ones that have mutual interests, those that are there for emotional support, those that are there for social activity, those at work, and those who are just there to call friends.
You might find yourself having multiple different circles of friends, some of those circles might mix or maybe there is only one circle, this more likely not. In our friendships we find that there are different levels of emotional attachment. Is there not? None the less we put a great deal of emotional effort in our relationships. This is to say that when we lose a close friend or friend in general, it can be a very emotional and sometimes traumatic experience for us. When we are miss treated by a close friend the same can occur.
Our friendships are built and defined by our culture and or the way we have been brought up in our families. I have never thought until recently about the fact that people outside of my culture even outside my Continent might view relationship and building friendship different than I.
With the vast amount of time I have spent now out of my own culture (America) I begin to see that the above mentioned thought is in fact true. For example in America some people I would call or classify as friends, in my wife’s Culture (European) they would be considered as acquaintances. I have come to realize that what is norm to call friend to me is not the same for her.
It got me thinking about all the other many cultures I have been living in and around. What is a true friend to them? I was reminded of when I was in Costa Rica in 1995 doing ministry through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) I had locals approach me with photos of people whom they had meet 2 to 3 years prior to me being there. They were asking me if I knew them because they were also American and were doing ministry there through the same organization. They referred to the people in the photos as their good friends, some best friends. But come to find out even though these people had made some sort of obvious in pack in the locals life. They had not seen or heard from them for 2 or three years and most likely never will again. Yet they were called and considered as friends/good friends/best friends….
Are there people that I call friends that perhaps don’t consider me as a friend or vice-versa? This is highly probable.
I have recently been learning a great deal about friendship in my now host culture Burundi Africa.
Many of the cultures in the nations of Africa have similarities. Building relationship/friendships is one of those things. Of course you must be careful not to stereo type. None the less you will find many aspects that travel across the borders.
I started reading a book by David Maranz entitled “African Friends and Money Matters”. I consider this a must read for any one that is living and working or even considering to come to live or work in Africa. For those of us that have spent a good stretch of time on this continent (Africa) it will make you laugh, node your head and you may even have a lot of Ohhhh’s and Ahhhh’s in there as I know I have.
Reading this book has made the culture I am in come alive in ways that I cannot explain. I am so grateful to also have some great local friends that I always go to when I want true understanding and to bounce things off of. We have a great many laughs as we fumble around together trying to understand each other’s cultures.
Now back to friendships in Africa. In the following paragraphs I will be quoting and referring back to Maranz book a lot. As it has mostly all been confirmed through my experiences of living here.
“In African friendships there is a dimension of interpersonal behavior that Africans emphasize when describing relationships of equality or inequality, namely, obligations to give material goods, food, gifts, financial help, property, and babies. Relationships are frequently characterized by Africans primarily in terms of the type of material transaction involved: Who gives what to whom and under what conditions.”
I have had people I know who have wanted to give me their babies and they were very serious…
“In contrast with the western attitude (genuine or hypocritical) that the emotional component in interpersonal relations is more important than any transfer of material goods involved (the latter being thought of as something incidental), Africans are frankly and directly concerned with the material transfer itself as indicative of the quality of the relationship.”
“Friendships in Africa is much more than friendly relationships between two or more people. It involves concepts of solidarity, hospitality, sharing of resources, obligatory frequent interaction, and living as community is, practically as a large family.”
I guess you can say that to have a network of friend’s means to have a network of resources.
“Friendship and mutual aid go together. The more friends, the more security, A friendship devoid of financial or other material considerations is a friendship devoid of a fundamental ingredient: Mutual dependence. A disinterested friendship is something without sense. It is only natural to expect material benefit from friendships. To a westerner this comes close to buying friendship, or of seeking and having friends for what one can get out of them.”
When I have talked about this with my African friends they have disagreed very strongly to any suggestion that their way of friendship involves buying friends! How can we explain this then???
I have learned that in many African ethnic groups, within their languages there are different words used for describing the word “friend”.
Burundi,language Kirundi; Friend: Umugenzi, general friend, one that has less than a close relationship. Umugango, A friend that is like a brother, looked at and treated like family.
In the language Kiswahili, used much in east Africa they use the word Rafiki, meaning general friend. If you want to say more than a friend you would say Rafiki Mupenzi sana, one that is so close and loved like a family member.
“In Senegal the Wolof group has two words for friend, xarit, meaning general friend; and Wollere, two persons that have a long history of friendship, mutual help, exchanges of hospitality, and solidarity tested through difficult situations. A tie stronger than a simple friendship, a tie that requires each party to be ready at any moment to come to the defense of the other, even at the price of painful sacrifice. It is founded on reciprocal esteem.”
“Africans build friendships in somewhat different ways. Many westerners have the impression that because African friendship normally includes material considerations, it must follow that such friendships are devoid of significant emotional satisfactions. I don’t think this is true, when talking to them it is obvious that they take a great deal of satisfaction from friendships”.
I am positive that Africans have deep, close, friendships. To doubt this would be crazy.
“I have had many westerners ask me, “How can Africans get satisfaction from friendships when they know that money is a major component in them?” “How do people get satisfaction from having/visiting friends when they know that money is involved?” Westerners consider these kinds of relationships not as friendships but as self seeking manipulation. Real friendship (to the westerner) must have a balance between self and other, whereas in Africa, they believe, the emphasis is on what the self can get from the other.”
There is really much to say about this subject of relationship building in Africa. Honestly there is not enough space to fit all the good lessons.
I have learned that it is not impossible to have good close friends between the westerner and the African. But it requires a great deal of work, as the cultural differences are so great! I have learned as you observe the Africans you find that many of their friendships are with socioeconomic equals. Where the majority of the time this factor makes it an added difficulty between the African and westerner’s relationship. As more often than not the two are on very different socioeconomic levels.
Relationships are funny things, if I have learned one thing in all the cultures I have had the privilege of being in and around in my life it is this; we may all be human but we sure are different!
The singing group DC Talk has a song called “colored people” wherein it says “By God’s design we are a skin kaleidoscope”. This can’t be truer, we are colored people in more ways than one.
Open up your eyes, you may be surrounded by people of different cultures. Let’s not assume they are just like you. Who are they really??
You might find yourself having multiple different circles of friends, some of those circles might mix or maybe there is only one circle, this more likely not. In our friendships we find that there are different levels of emotional attachment. Is there not? None the less we put a great deal of emotional effort in our relationships. This is to say that when we lose a close friend or friend in general, it can be a very emotional and sometimes traumatic experience for us. When we are miss treated by a close friend the same can occur.
Our friendships are built and defined by our culture and or the way we have been brought up in our families. I have never thought until recently about the fact that people outside of my culture even outside my Continent might view relationship and building friendship different than I.
With the vast amount of time I have spent now out of my own culture (America) I begin to see that the above mentioned thought is in fact true. For example in America some people I would call or classify as friends, in my wife’s Culture (European) they would be considered as acquaintances. I have come to realize that what is norm to call friend to me is not the same for her.
It got me thinking about all the other many cultures I have been living in and around. What is a true friend to them? I was reminded of when I was in Costa Rica in 1995 doing ministry through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) I had locals approach me with photos of people whom they had meet 2 to 3 years prior to me being there. They were asking me if I knew them because they were also American and were doing ministry there through the same organization. They referred to the people in the photos as their good friends, some best friends. But come to find out even though these people had made some sort of obvious in pack in the locals life. They had not seen or heard from them for 2 or three years and most likely never will again. Yet they were called and considered as friends/good friends/best friends….
Are there people that I call friends that perhaps don’t consider me as a friend or vice-versa? This is highly probable.
I have recently been learning a great deal about friendship in my now host culture Burundi Africa.
Many of the cultures in the nations of Africa have similarities. Building relationship/friendships is one of those things. Of course you must be careful not to stereo type. None the less you will find many aspects that travel across the borders.
I started reading a book by David Maranz entitled “African Friends and Money Matters”. I consider this a must read for any one that is living and working or even considering to come to live or work in Africa. For those of us that have spent a good stretch of time on this continent (Africa) it will make you laugh, node your head and you may even have a lot of Ohhhh’s and Ahhhh’s in there as I know I have.
Reading this book has made the culture I am in come alive in ways that I cannot explain. I am so grateful to also have some great local friends that I always go to when I want true understanding and to bounce things off of. We have a great many laughs as we fumble around together trying to understand each other’s cultures.
Now back to friendships in Africa. In the following paragraphs I will be quoting and referring back to Maranz book a lot. As it has mostly all been confirmed through my experiences of living here.
“In African friendships there is a dimension of interpersonal behavior that Africans emphasize when describing relationships of equality or inequality, namely, obligations to give material goods, food, gifts, financial help, property, and babies. Relationships are frequently characterized by Africans primarily in terms of the type of material transaction involved: Who gives what to whom and under what conditions.”
I have had people I know who have wanted to give me their babies and they were very serious…
“In contrast with the western attitude (genuine or hypocritical) that the emotional component in interpersonal relations is more important than any transfer of material goods involved (the latter being thought of as something incidental), Africans are frankly and directly concerned with the material transfer itself as indicative of the quality of the relationship.”
“Friendships in Africa is much more than friendly relationships between two or more people. It involves concepts of solidarity, hospitality, sharing of resources, obligatory frequent interaction, and living as community is, practically as a large family.”
I guess you can say that to have a network of friend’s means to have a network of resources.
“Friendship and mutual aid go together. The more friends, the more security, A friendship devoid of financial or other material considerations is a friendship devoid of a fundamental ingredient: Mutual dependence. A disinterested friendship is something without sense. It is only natural to expect material benefit from friendships. To a westerner this comes close to buying friendship, or of seeking and having friends for what one can get out of them.”
When I have talked about this with my African friends they have disagreed very strongly to any suggestion that their way of friendship involves buying friends! How can we explain this then???
I have learned that in many African ethnic groups, within their languages there are different words used for describing the word “friend”.
Burundi,language Kirundi; Friend: Umugenzi, general friend, one that has less than a close relationship. Umugango, A friend that is like a brother, looked at and treated like family.
In the language Kiswahili, used much in east Africa they use the word Rafiki, meaning general friend. If you want to say more than a friend you would say Rafiki Mupenzi sana, one that is so close and loved like a family member.
“In Senegal the Wolof group has two words for friend, xarit, meaning general friend; and Wollere, two persons that have a long history of friendship, mutual help, exchanges of hospitality, and solidarity tested through difficult situations. A tie stronger than a simple friendship, a tie that requires each party to be ready at any moment to come to the defense of the other, even at the price of painful sacrifice. It is founded on reciprocal esteem.”
“Africans build friendships in somewhat different ways. Many westerners have the impression that because African friendship normally includes material considerations, it must follow that such friendships are devoid of significant emotional satisfactions. I don’t think this is true, when talking to them it is obvious that they take a great deal of satisfaction from friendships”.
I am positive that Africans have deep, close, friendships. To doubt this would be crazy.
“I have had many westerners ask me, “How can Africans get satisfaction from friendships when they know that money is a major component in them?” “How do people get satisfaction from having/visiting friends when they know that money is involved?” Westerners consider these kinds of relationships not as friendships but as self seeking manipulation. Real friendship (to the westerner) must have a balance between self and other, whereas in Africa, they believe, the emphasis is on what the self can get from the other.”
There is really much to say about this subject of relationship building in Africa. Honestly there is not enough space to fit all the good lessons.
I have learned that it is not impossible to have good close friends between the westerner and the African. But it requires a great deal of work, as the cultural differences are so great! I have learned as you observe the Africans you find that many of their friendships are with socioeconomic equals. Where the majority of the time this factor makes it an added difficulty between the African and westerner’s relationship. As more often than not the two are on very different socioeconomic levels.
Relationships are funny things, if I have learned one thing in all the cultures I have had the privilege of being in and around in my life it is this; we may all be human but we sure are different!
The singing group DC Talk has a song called “colored people” wherein it says “By God’s design we are a skin kaleidoscope”. This can’t be truer, we are colored people in more ways than one.
Open up your eyes, you may be surrounded by people of different cultures. Let’s not assume they are just like you. Who are they really??
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Different Thanksgiving...
You know with the American holiday thanksgiving approaching, all I could think about was all the marvelous food that I would be missing out on. My mind then began to drift back to my childhood with all the Thanksgivings we spent at my grandparents. Oh it was always about the amazing food, I would stuff myself silly and pay for it the next day or two. It didn’t change to much as I got older and was on my own. Thanksgiving was always a time of stuffing myself until the point of popping but I also really enjoyed being together with my family. As this did not happen very often due to me being overseas so much doing missions. My celebrating thanksgiving got less and less, most of the time forgetting it completely. Out of sight, out of mind I guess you could say.
This year because of Face book it was brought back to my memory due to all the friendly chatter around it. I did enjoy readying all the comments, allowing my mouth to salivate thinking about all the yummy food. I must admit that I started to get a little sad, thinking, I wish I could go visit family.
My Thanksgiving took a different route though.
As you know the Lord has brought us to Burundi to start HTE (Heaven Touching Earth) “An Orphan children's village”. We also hope to be here when God begins to pour his spirit out on this nation and the so long promised and waited African Revival will start to become a reality. We spend a great deal of time encouraging the locals to not lose hope but to begin by praying it in.
We are very much aware that just like our time in Rwanda our battle here is not against flesh and blood. God has got some amazing things in store for this place. But as Satan knows what will happen when this out pouring of the Spirit takes place. He works more than over time to see that the Heart of Africa stays weak. This means that our times of thanksgiving are sometimes short lived. As soon as God begins to do something the enemy tries to snuff out any excitement by following the God thing with several bad things.
As you may have read in our last newsletter, this last month has been a very busy time for us. God has really showed up and some awesome things have been happening.
Now on the day before thanksgiving I got a phone call from the Minister of foreign affairs office. This is the office that all international organizations have to go through to get an agreement with the government to start working in the nation. I was asked to come in to see them. To make a very long story short, I show up and they share with me that we have been denied permission to start our organization here. So they are going to draft up a letter of rejection then we are expected to leave.
This immediately did not sit well in my spirit. I said one of those quick little prayers like “God this is not your will and it is not my problem. I am here on your terms not my own. Please fix this!”
Now what I have not told you is that in the last couple of weeks, more than once. We received the same message from God, yet from different people, from different nations. It went something like this “Don’t worry, God is in control and he is going to bring many different people into your path that are going to be there at just the right time to act as stepping stones to get you to the next spot that you need to be.”
Well this was one of those times, a local guy that we have been building relationship with all of a sudden was there and the next thing I know he is talking to the director of foreign affairs and the people in the office. The director agreed to let us have another chance. As for our new found friend he looked at me and told me that he is going to oversee this until we get our agreement with the government. All I can say is Hallelujah.
On Thanksgiving Day, no let me back up a bit more. Without an agreement for our ministry with the Gov. we can only get three month tourist visas, a visa is $240 per person. This is meaning that I have to pay every three months $1200 for me and the non Africans of my family to stay here. Divine and Yaida because they are Rwandan get to stay for free. We put in a few weeks ago for our new visas, I was back every other day to check on the progress of them being finished. I would not offer to pay any under the table money (bribe) this is why I was told almost every day for weeks, sorry try again tomorrow.
When one of my friends found out that we had still not gotten our visas he was there talking to them and on Thanksgiving day all of a sudden a few week process was finished in one day, imagine that….
So my Thanksgiving was spent with me taking my family out for Pizza as we praised and thanked God for his Sovereignty. He really is in control of things!
The way I look at it, every time Satan puts his finger in Gods path of our life here. We are going to chop it off. He’s bound to run out of fingers at one point.
This year because of Face book it was brought back to my memory due to all the friendly chatter around it. I did enjoy readying all the comments, allowing my mouth to salivate thinking about all the yummy food. I must admit that I started to get a little sad, thinking, I wish I could go visit family.
My Thanksgiving took a different route though.
As you know the Lord has brought us to Burundi to start HTE (Heaven Touching Earth) “An Orphan children's village”. We also hope to be here when God begins to pour his spirit out on this nation and the so long promised and waited African Revival will start to become a reality. We spend a great deal of time encouraging the locals to not lose hope but to begin by praying it in.
We are very much aware that just like our time in Rwanda our battle here is not against flesh and blood. God has got some amazing things in store for this place. But as Satan knows what will happen when this out pouring of the Spirit takes place. He works more than over time to see that the Heart of Africa stays weak. This means that our times of thanksgiving are sometimes short lived. As soon as God begins to do something the enemy tries to snuff out any excitement by following the God thing with several bad things.
As you may have read in our last newsletter, this last month has been a very busy time for us. God has really showed up and some awesome things have been happening.
Now on the day before thanksgiving I got a phone call from the Minister of foreign affairs office. This is the office that all international organizations have to go through to get an agreement with the government to start working in the nation. I was asked to come in to see them. To make a very long story short, I show up and they share with me that we have been denied permission to start our organization here. So they are going to draft up a letter of rejection then we are expected to leave.
This immediately did not sit well in my spirit. I said one of those quick little prayers like “God this is not your will and it is not my problem. I am here on your terms not my own. Please fix this!”
Now what I have not told you is that in the last couple of weeks, more than once. We received the same message from God, yet from different people, from different nations. It went something like this “Don’t worry, God is in control and he is going to bring many different people into your path that are going to be there at just the right time to act as stepping stones to get you to the next spot that you need to be.”
Well this was one of those times, a local guy that we have been building relationship with all of a sudden was there and the next thing I know he is talking to the director of foreign affairs and the people in the office. The director agreed to let us have another chance. As for our new found friend he looked at me and told me that he is going to oversee this until we get our agreement with the government. All I can say is Hallelujah.
On Thanksgiving Day, no let me back up a bit more. Without an agreement for our ministry with the Gov. we can only get three month tourist visas, a visa is $240 per person. This is meaning that I have to pay every three months $1200 for me and the non Africans of my family to stay here. Divine and Yaida because they are Rwandan get to stay for free. We put in a few weeks ago for our new visas, I was back every other day to check on the progress of them being finished. I would not offer to pay any under the table money (bribe) this is why I was told almost every day for weeks, sorry try again tomorrow.
When one of my friends found out that we had still not gotten our visas he was there talking to them and on Thanksgiving day all of a sudden a few week process was finished in one day, imagine that….
So my Thanksgiving was spent with me taking my family out for Pizza as we praised and thanked God for his Sovereignty. He really is in control of things!
The way I look at it, every time Satan puts his finger in Gods path of our life here. We are going to chop it off. He’s bound to run out of fingers at one point.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I Saved That One...
An OVC, (Orphan or vulnerable child) is child that has only one parent or no parents, one that is abandoned with no links to family! A child in extreme poverty, that is malnourished, and or with HIV Aides. A child that is 18 years or younger forced to live on the street.
This is an Orphan or vulnerable child defined by the culture I am now living in. They are everywhere! I see them every day and it is not easy! I used to see them from only pictures or on the TV screen or over the internet.
You know what I am talking about, all the children that look dirt poor with bloated tummies and flies in their eyes, rags draped across their bodies as cloths. These images and countless others are used to stimulate our sympathy and compassion. We see the pictures, video footage, etc. and begin to realize that we really don’t have it all that bad. Then it is brought to our attention that for so little money we can change the life of these little ones.
Many people then start supporting a child monthly, never really understanding to the fullest of what they are doing for this one little life.
Yet the number of people that do nothing is off the charts! I agree that it can be over whelming. The problem is way too big and what can one person possibly do? I use to think like this, I would then follow it up with a list of excuses like how can I be sure that my money is really helping or going to this child. This and other excuses like it were used to make me feel better for not doing anything.
I once heard a story that went like this. There was a man that decided to take a walk on the beach when he saw another man running franticly up and down the beach picking things up and throwing them in the water. As he got closer he saw that the things the man was picking up and throwing were star fish. As he observed he saw that star fish were in fact everywhere, hundreds if not thousands of them. He asked the man “what you are doing”? Without even slowing down the man yelled HELP ME! I am trying to save them, if they don’t get back into the water they will all die. The other man was taken back by this answer, how absurd, as he continued to watch the man throw one after another star fish into the water he said “this is crazy, you know you will never save them all” The other man stopped dead in his tracks, starfish in hand, looking into the other mans eyes he threw the starfish back in the water and said “I saved that one!”
Here we have two men one that is overwhelmed at what he see’s and thinks what possible difference can I make? The problem is way too huge. The other man who is determined to make a difference no matter how big or small it might be.
A while back I ran across a song from Beethoven’s last symphony done by a group called young Messiah. As I listened to it I cried and cried, it touched me very much. I want to share the words of the song with you.
Who is this child that I’ve never seen before? Who is this child that I’ve not seen till this day?
Who dares to fall asleep outside my door, if we should wait a while I’m sure she’ll go away.
To be involved with this would surely not be wise. For in the final words she means nothing to me.
I learn the trick is that we just avoid her eyes and the question what she means too….
What is this life? There will be other lives!
Soon to arrive, surely some will survive, she is but one and there are many more. She’s the same as any other.
Who is this child, what does she mean to me?
I close my eyes and still her face I see. She is but one, her kind is everywhere.
Can’t you see there’s no way I should care?
I need a moment now; I have to clear my mind.
Is there a limit law, just to being kind?
There is no way in life that each child can be saved.
Should I be looking with regret at every grave?
There are no guarantees in life, she should be warned. I’m not responsible for this child being born, I’m not responsible in any kind of way. For every child that life can gather.
What is this life? There will be other lives.
Soon to arrive, surly some will survive. She is but one and there are many more. Could this one life really matter?
Who is this child? What does she mean to me? I close my eyes and still her face I see. She is but one, her kind is everywhere.
Can’t you see there’s no way I should care?
Can you see it in the life; can you feel that it’s out there? It’s the harking of a life and it’s hanging in the air, though I try to close my eyes and pretend that I don’t know.
In my heart I just can’t let it go!
There has to be another way for me, a way that leads from this insanity. A way that leads from my destruction, as I say, can you see it in the life, can you feel that it’s out there? It’s the harking of a life and it’s hanging in the air, though I try to close my eyes and pretend that I don’t know.
In my heart I just can’t let it go.
Now here I am, I see these children every day they are no longer just photo’s or images on my computer and TV screen. I live with them, they are my neighbors. It does something to you when you look into their eyes and they wrap their arms around your legs or waist because they are starving for affection. They are filthy, many stink, but oh my goodness are they precious, It is impossible to close my eyes and pretend I don’t know when I am tripping over them.
Can you feel it that it’s out there? It’s a harking of a life and its hanging in the air.
In my heart I can’t let it go! Can you??? It seems crazy and over whelming at times but I want to be able to say,
“I SAVED THAT ONE!!!”
This is an Orphan or vulnerable child defined by the culture I am now living in. They are everywhere! I see them every day and it is not easy! I used to see them from only pictures or on the TV screen or over the internet.
You know what I am talking about, all the children that look dirt poor with bloated tummies and flies in their eyes, rags draped across their bodies as cloths. These images and countless others are used to stimulate our sympathy and compassion. We see the pictures, video footage, etc. and begin to realize that we really don’t have it all that bad. Then it is brought to our attention that for so little money we can change the life of these little ones.
Many people then start supporting a child monthly, never really understanding to the fullest of what they are doing for this one little life.
Yet the number of people that do nothing is off the charts! I agree that it can be over whelming. The problem is way too big and what can one person possibly do? I use to think like this, I would then follow it up with a list of excuses like how can I be sure that my money is really helping or going to this child. This and other excuses like it were used to make me feel better for not doing anything.
I once heard a story that went like this. There was a man that decided to take a walk on the beach when he saw another man running franticly up and down the beach picking things up and throwing them in the water. As he got closer he saw that the things the man was picking up and throwing were star fish. As he observed he saw that star fish were in fact everywhere, hundreds if not thousands of them. He asked the man “what you are doing”? Without even slowing down the man yelled HELP ME! I am trying to save them, if they don’t get back into the water they will all die. The other man was taken back by this answer, how absurd, as he continued to watch the man throw one after another star fish into the water he said “this is crazy, you know you will never save them all” The other man stopped dead in his tracks, starfish in hand, looking into the other mans eyes he threw the starfish back in the water and said “I saved that one!”
Here we have two men one that is overwhelmed at what he see’s and thinks what possible difference can I make? The problem is way too huge. The other man who is determined to make a difference no matter how big or small it might be.
A while back I ran across a song from Beethoven’s last symphony done by a group called young Messiah. As I listened to it I cried and cried, it touched me very much. I want to share the words of the song with you.
Who is this child that I’ve never seen before? Who is this child that I’ve not seen till this day?
Who dares to fall asleep outside my door, if we should wait a while I’m sure she’ll go away.
To be involved with this would surely not be wise. For in the final words she means nothing to me.
I learn the trick is that we just avoid her eyes and the question what she means too….
What is this life? There will be other lives!
Soon to arrive, surely some will survive, she is but one and there are many more. She’s the same as any other.
Who is this child, what does she mean to me?
I close my eyes and still her face I see. She is but one, her kind is everywhere.
Can’t you see there’s no way I should care?
I need a moment now; I have to clear my mind.
Is there a limit law, just to being kind?
There is no way in life that each child can be saved.
Should I be looking with regret at every grave?
There are no guarantees in life, she should be warned. I’m not responsible for this child being born, I’m not responsible in any kind of way. For every child that life can gather.
What is this life? There will be other lives.
Soon to arrive, surly some will survive. She is but one and there are many more. Could this one life really matter?
Who is this child? What does she mean to me? I close my eyes and still her face I see. She is but one, her kind is everywhere.
Can’t you see there’s no way I should care?
Can you see it in the life; can you feel that it’s out there? It’s the harking of a life and it’s hanging in the air, though I try to close my eyes and pretend that I don’t know.
In my heart I just can’t let it go!
There has to be another way for me, a way that leads from this insanity. A way that leads from my destruction, as I say, can you see it in the life, can you feel that it’s out there? It’s the harking of a life and it’s hanging in the air, though I try to close my eyes and pretend that I don’t know.
In my heart I just can’t let it go.
Now here I am, I see these children every day they are no longer just photo’s or images on my computer and TV screen. I live with them, they are my neighbors. It does something to you when you look into their eyes and they wrap their arms around your legs or waist because they are starving for affection. They are filthy, many stink, but oh my goodness are they precious, It is impossible to close my eyes and pretend I don’t know when I am tripping over them.
Can you feel it that it’s out there? It’s a harking of a life and its hanging in the air.
In my heart I can’t let it go! Can you??? It seems crazy and over whelming at times but I want to be able to say,
“I SAVED THAT ONE!!!”
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