Prayer = Hard Work

I think it will always be more difficult to pray than it will be easy - but as it has been said, "nothing worth having is easy!"

Please join me as I prepare to leave London and fly to Singapore to minister on the Doulos for two weeks and then return to London for 24 hours to again leave for the Middle East. While there I will be ministering in a difficult country with much sorrow. These are my prayer requests.

1. To meet with Jesus everyday on my own - to feed from His Word

2. To be a servant, to be challenged with a servant's heart, to serve wholeheartedly

3. I want to have the chance to share the Gospel a lot this summer with unbelievers in the Middle East and to see some come to Jesus right there on the spot.

4. To see the needed funds come in for this summer and for next year's committment

5. Please pray for two men here in London that I have connected with, both from Cyprus and nominally Muslim. I've had the chance throughout the year to share my life and the Gospel with one and recently spent an entire evening with him. That night he gave me the opportunity to lay out the Gospel very clear to him. He doesn't believe that we are born with sin - to him a good life is good enough.

6. Please pray for a Vietnamese girl that I shared the Gospel with through Skype (www.skype.com) in Hanoi

7. There will be a lot of travel for both Geroge and I this summer. Travelling mercies!

8. Pray with me for Iraq and India (India is the country of the day right now on www.operationworld.com).

9. Pray with me for the group of teenagers in my parent's mission that I will be speaking to in August at their yearly Staff conference. I have sensed a leading to go through the book of Ephesians with them. Please pray with me as I prepare and seek to know what God would want to say to their mind, heart, conscience and will.

10. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the peace that is needed in all hearts globally.

There are always a lot more, so thank you for taking the time and let's believe that in prayer we move mountains, things change and God moves through our prayers. Bless all of you.

Nathan

This is Dion. He's my little brother.
We've been friends since '99. He's got one sister. He's got 2 brothers. His mom's name is Eloise. They live in Cabrini Green, Chicago. I was just there for Mother's Day.
Amazing story

We went to buy flowers for his mom to ssend to her work with the approximate value of about $25-$30. The lady was so inspired by Dion's desire to buy mother's day flowers that she gave us the arrangement for free and the delivery too. What a gift from God. I told him that and we thanked the lady and God and then went to G's greasy burgers and fries to celebrate. Please pray for my friend. I love him lots. His siblings are struggling through some heavy stuff right now. They say you either in trouble, leaving trouble or getting ready for some trouble. Multiply that by 10 and you got his family figured out. They've been fixin' to leave the projects for years but it ain't happened yet. Please lift him up to Jesus with me. They call him Toof, I call him my brother, Jesus calls him something that none of us knows. Peace

John Stott

In April I was able to go to All Souls and hear John Stott preach for the first time. His p.a. came up on stage and shared with us because apparently, that day (April 19th) was the 50th anniversary of working for John Stott. She sounds like an amazing woman and has been very committed over the years. John Stott preached on the importance of the deat but also the burial of Jesus. The tomb burial apparently is important for the purpose of the Resurrection. Very insightful. He had to be helped to the pulpit and then down the steps and into the foyer where he stood and greeted people on their way out. Very humble servant of God.

Chicago

I was able to spend an evening with my brother and sister in the second week of May. Chicago is still one of my favorite cities in the world after traveling to almost 25 world class cities on five continents and these are two of my most favorite people, Kamie and Lonnie. They both work at the same job and are very tall. Kamie is only about 1 inch shorter than me. We hung out at Denny's watched a movie and talked at the train station before I went back to my abode. It was special to see them. When you read this, please pray for my bro and sis, they are much loved by many. Enjoy your family and take them to Denny's, it's rock'n'roll.

Latest trip!

George and I recently returned from five days in a central Asian country that is little known ( it seems most of central Asia is) in the world today. George spoke in 7 different Churches in a city that only has about that many Churches (actual congregations) and we saw all the pastors come together and pray together and work together for this missions conference. What a great feat that is. In many cities across America this would be difficult, but maybe under the duress of being an Islamic country they can seem to lay aside differences for something bigger than themselves, Baptists, Pentecostals, 7th Day Adventist, etc... all supporting the same mission vision. It's not perfect and there is division but that will always be somewhat of a reality, the important thing is that there is always something more important - God's mission for the lost and redeeming all things to Himself and His Glory!

Being Rich...

Please pray for Richard with me and our team. He seemed to have been a homeless man before coming to the camp we worked at but his legs were badly swollen and scarred and he has congestive heart failure and diabetes. He only gets $250 a month from the government but it is probably from a life on the streets and not being concerned with the future, but who knows - blame isn't a cure.

Two sides to Paradise

The second week brought me into the book hold to work for two days and then I had a day off and went conch diving and ate fresh conch salad in the Ixuma islands with some of the hosts for our line up team. After that I returned and joined Charis (Ireland), Christine (the UK), Gary (Trinidad and Tobago), Esther (USA) and Marlene (South Africa) at an AIDS camp where we ministered by helping God clean walls, bodies and spiritual hearts and lives. There are definitely two sides to the Bahamas - I guess there always is two sides.

Logos II in the Bahamas

As the historic Logos II sailed into the Prince George port in Nassau, Bahamas where 3-7 cruise ships arrive daily, George and I and our friends watched as the ship was piloted in, but only after we rented a boat and met it out on the high seas (maybe high to medium high). Once on board I was able to paruse the massive book display with over 5000 different titles. George and I went right to work teaching the children, speaking in devotions and eyeing up their book hold. What a monstrous operation. Alongside all of this are many other duties inlcuding the galley, cleaning personnel, program personnel, teachers, deckies, secretaries and numerous other posts.

What's next?

It was only 7 months ago that I stood with other team members, being commissioned along with the 250+ other new recruits who are now scattered around the globe. On March the 11th, I will have been on the field with OM for 7 months. I have until August and then I will move on to the next phase that God is leading me towards. My first desire is to continue with OM and George Verwer for one more year and serve in 5 different fields throughout the OM world, two of which need to be India and one of our ministry ships. The other option is to return to school which I plan on doing eventually. Other than those two, I'm not sure what else is out there, but am praying and am open to whatever, whenever. I also need to serve on a field trip this summer. There is a couple of opportunities. One is a travelling evangelism team in North Africa. Another possible trip is to go to Lebanon to minster in evangelism with Gary Witherall and George's former gopher, Michael Kaspar. There are more but these two stand out. If anyone has any advice or insight, please pass it on. I continue to talk to Jesus about all of this

To See God's Face

I have been thinking for a long time about themes that run through the Scriptures and one that is coming up in Scripture as well as the financial and globalization books I'm reading (Re_Imagine, The World is Flat and Rich Dad/Poor Dad) is that personal responsibility is what gives freedom to creativity and freedom to lead by example. It is the embracing of pain as part of life, it is seeing people through God's eyes, seeing opportunities for money that don't depend on someone else except for myself, it is taking ownership of my gifts and faults and mistakes and victories all with humility. This is the kind of person that stands out and is given greater and greater responsibility by Jesus. The other side is that we depend on our boss for a raise and if he doesn't give us one, then we blame our arrested development in finance on him, we expect somebody else to teach our children the Scriptures and then when they don't receive the training they need to face the world we can blame our youth pastor, when pains comes we look for a reason or excuse or somebody to blame instead of just realizing that it is part of life and then move forward. So much in lack of maturity in leadership is the expectation that somebody else has to do it for me, explain it for me, teach it to me, give it to me, and when they don't we have the convenience of blame - that all started in Eden and continues today. I believe the truest and boldest leaders are the ones who take personal responsibility seriously and then use that posture to serve others. The wandering Israelites wanted someone to stand between them and God, because they didn't like to be that close to God, to have Him have that much personal contact with them. First they made a golden calf, then they told Moses to go by himself before God, then they blamed Moses for bringing them out into the desert continually and then they blamed him when they got to the Promised Land for bringing them to a death trap. The two spies took on personal responsibility and explained that "they" could do what God had called them to. Moses boldly asked to see God and not be hidden from Him. So in conclusion it seems that those who look to be most responsible personally with what God has given them and not depend too heavily on a leader, a politician, a wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend, a pastor, a parent, or anyone on whom they can formulate blame towards will end up being the bravest, boldest, kindest, most integrable and trustworthy servant leaders we have. How do we learn to be okay with owning our circumstances? How do we become whole-heartedly responsible for our every decision, both good and bad? How did He?

3-D Homosexuality

I am more convinced that people (Christians included) really like black and white approaches. It takes away the whole aspect of trust. I am listening to popular preachers and hear how good they are and what they are preaching and teaching and I know that it is what is needed but I want to be taught complexity and how to handle difficult situations that require more of me and a heck of a lot more complexity. I know that certain people can preach from the Text in a way that nourishes the soul, but does it cause the soul to mature so that it can hunger more mature foods. I had a professor at Moody who taught, not to satisfy, but to make you hungry for more - like a salt lick. The issue of homosexuality is a complex issue, and those who don’t see it that way are innocent in a way of thier ignorance because they haven’t seen the other side yet. Many people won’t leave the black and white world because they don’t know another exists. I was just thinking about that and it dawned on me that in the past I could sense that there was something more (when I was also existing in black and white-still need it sometimes) but I couldn’t see it, much like those puzzles that were really popular that you would look at in a certain way and then a 3-D picture would eventually pop out. What broke me through to see what was there and not just accept simple answers to escape complexity was the hunger to love more deeply. I knew that if I broke through, my love for those I was around would grow and yet I didn’t know how to get there, but I knew that they weren’t being loved as they could be by me and this is what kept thrusting me into the question until finally I encountered Jesus as a grace-giver. My eyes were opened like never before and I was able to see how to love those whom I had ministered to but had never sensed I could love them past a certain point. I think that the hunger for true love is what draws people into the reality of the complexities that surround these issues with homosexuality, but one cannot give what one has not first received - I will pray for others to trully receive love from God - full love - true love. If as pastoral leaders we love the Bride of Christ well, will she in turn love well. Will she finally embrace the hurting, dying and rejected. We need qualified leaders who can trully love - and the first training they require is to be loved and accept it fully - not easy. What do you think?

British Museum

This week I am hosting some good friends, Tim and Mandi Taylor and their new born son, Levi. They are fellow Moody grads and a special couple. We will be visiting the London sites together and will have a special tour of the British Museum which is filled with amazing pieces. We will see the Rosetta Stone as well as many artifacts linked with the historical truthfulness of the Scriptures. The museum is recognizing the Scriptures with more and more veracity because of what they are turning up and what is being pieced together with all of their artifacts. Apparently they own the largest collection of foreign artifacts in the world, many of them stolen I guess. But there they are waiting to be studied and to prove the historicity of the Bible. It's free so if you get a chance to come to London, don't miss it. (This is not the Rosetta Stone)

My friend, Dan Pennington, who I have grown the closest to in recent years, isn't so close these days. He is helping to lead a YWAM base all the way in Brisbane, Australia where he met his beautiful and Godly bride, Catrina. They will be getting married on the 27th of August and I have been asked to be the best man, of which I am incredibly privileged. I will be finished with my first year with George just before that and am looking for a cheap flight to Brisbane, so if anyone out there sees a good deal (even a good deal seems expensive but hey, it's Australia) on a flight, or boat or train to Australia, please send it my way. Weddings are incredibly important to me the older I get because I see the long term relationship that it establishes with those who are committing their lives to each other. If you have friends who are getting married, give yourself to the process and become part of the community of friendship and accountability from start to finish. These days, it is definitely more difficult to keep those precious vows, and it takes the whole community to help keep them, not just on their own. God bless all of you!

Supernatural vs. just natural?

In our recent visit to Nigeria, we were able to minister to between 4000-5000 Nigerian Church leaders. We also handed out between 4000 - 4500 free books, 1000 of which were titled, "AIDS and You" by Patrick Dixon. The crowd appreciated George's ministry but it was a slow start. Everything picked up though when just a second after he stepped off of the stage from his first message (a difficult message to hear), thunder and lightning, incredible winds and torrential rains immediatley errupted. It continued for at least 20 minutes and tore most of the banners hanging up around the colloseum while rain poured in horizontally through to the back. To those inside it was a physical affirmation
of the message and the messenger. They showed
this by erupting into spontaneous worship and prayer and the globe was taken all around the room and held by those there while they interceded for the nations and those greatest needs that lay on the side of the road for us as "good samaritans" to minister to. Those outside who were selling thier wares, mainly books, did not have the same sentiment as much of their merchandise was ruined. Our host returning from town, said that it hadn't rained in town and there was no lightning as she queried us for what happened. Is it possible for God to do something like this - to affirm a message with a physical manifestation? When God acts in such a way, if HE does, is it always going to benefit everybody or will it leave behind a mess for some to clean up. When God shows up, do we expect it to be neat and proper? In a culture that believes in the reality of the supernatural, Christian or not, on a daily basis, you most likely couldn't convince them otherwise. WOW! One more thing, George was just himself, nothing different, nothing altered, just himself, a man who is passionate about the globe, even to the point of wearing global pajamas.

Messianic or Syncretistic?

We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the salvation of the Jews. There are so many views on what is and isn't supposed to happen in regards to Israel and the Jews. I was just interacting with a book the claims that present day Judaism is not really the direction that Messianic Jews should go in because Judaism is no longer Old Testament Judaism and has become something cultic and apart from the true Judaism of the OT. If this is the case, then those who claim to be Messianic Jews and form their religious order and worship after present day Judaism are actually in danger of crossing over into sycretism and are not "completing" themselves by calling themselves "Messianic Jews" and not "Christians". The author explains that he happens to be a Christian who is a Jew and is in favor of worshipping like a Jew but will not cross over into cultic Judaism in order to be "Messianic". Something new for me - any thoughts?

God bless you from Jerusalem where my friend (fellow Moody grad) and I walked down the trail from the Mount of Olives where Jesus would have historically walked down. It was a magnificent view of the city looking toward the "Golden Gate" and the temple mount. So much has taken place here over the centuries and it was a unique experience to be able to minister in the midst of it all.

Townships

I have just returned from Capetown, South Africa. My first experience after stepping off the plane was to visit a "township" Church meeting. This is where the poorest of the poor live in the area of the city. Local statistics were in the range of 1.5 million people live in six to 12 foot shacks (some bigger) that are thrown up in a day. I received a warm welcome and was shown some interesting music and dancing. It was an awesome experience. The Churches thrive in the townships. There are very few other faiths present there although there is a large contingent of Muslims that live nearer to the city. I haven't seen that much poverty in one single area ever in my life. AIDS has a growing stronghold there though. We were able to visit "Beautiful Gate", a division of YWAM that works with AIDS orphans there. It was amazing to see what is required to care for a single individual and then to enter back into the fray of need outside the gates of that compound. Overwhelming is the word that remains consistently on my mind - not impossible, overwhelming.

Well December has come and has gone, even though it was a month ago. It was not so full with travel although a lot did happen. The first part of the month saw us in Split, Croatia where we linked up with the team working on the new OM Ship (picture with all of the rugged looking people. It also brought me to a team in London to do something I had never done before, Muslim evangelism. I was put on a diverse team which included Canadians, Dutch, Koreans, Americans, an Egyptian, a Pakistani (whom I am standing with) and a Mexican - some with different levels of English speaking ability, but all intent on sharing the Gospel with whomever we could find. I was also able to travel to Portugal for the first time. That trip was so George could speak to a large group of University students who had organized this mission's conference from the ground up without any organizational backing. Very grass roots! While there both George and I had an amazing opportunity to be interviewed by some new friends in a film crew who were reporting on the conference for Portugeuse National T.V. Some of the students came forward to the globe and laid hands on a country that they felt God may be leading them to serve in cross-culturally. This seemed to be a genuine time for those students who did come forward! I was also able to spend some of Christmas day with George and Drena and their daughter and grandsons. It was a privilege and a memory that will last.