Cross Cultural Ministry

While at OMS, we received a book that we are finding absolutely incredible.    The title is "Cross Cultural Partnerships, Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission" by Mary T. Lederleitner.  It takes up where "African Friends and Money Matters" left off.  It is new (2010), it is current, and it is relevant to how we live as well as how we relate cross culturally, whether it be here (for there are many sub-cultures we operate in wherever you live) as well as for those in other countries.

At the risk of being a little vulnerable, Ann and I went through tremendous culture shock and continue to wrestle with this phenomena of working in what we call Majority World cultures.  We have done some things well and some things very badly and we continue to learn every day.  However, we find the book to also be a challenge as to how we see the world around us and even better yet, how we respond to it.

The last 10 years or so we have been learning, and today's events in Japan really bring home the fact that the American culture is not the predominate culture in the world.  We Americans come from a very individualistic culture where it is about the individual.  There are other countries like this, but I'll leave that for others to debate.   The majority of the world is more collectivistic.  That is why we don't see looting in Japan when people are in great crisis, for example.  In the collective / community cultures, the community is more important than the individual.

Thus the great tension.

Ann and I have gone through great culture shock just going from middle-class America and work cultures that were very precise with clearly defined lines of authority and responsibility to a missionary culture where things are very undefined and imprecise.   I have always associated responsibility with authority - for how can you be responsible for something if you have no authority to do anything about it?  The mission world doesn't work that way and honestly, that culture shock has been greater than the shock of moving from America's individualistic culture to Mozambique's collectivistic culture.  I really think this is a significant subject that deserves a book that can help Finishers (second career people who go into missionary work later in life) understand and navigate this dramatic change.  Maybe I need to do that, but I'm still working through it and that last chapter isn't yet clear in my mind.  But this book on Cross-Cultural partnerships to me is a big part of working out that last chapter.

When I read this book and reflect upon our first term in Mozambique, it is sobering.  It helps to explain why we felt the way we did, react the way we did, and personalize things the way we did.  By the end of the term, we felt like we'd come full circle and as we read this thought-provoking book, I think it will help us in the coming term.

I believe with all my heart that each of these cultures (recognizing that we are broad-brushing things in a major way here to only 'two' general cultures) are biblically neutral.  The Bible speaks to both, warns both about the issues each has to deal with, and points us to relationship with Christ.  No one should ever say one way (culture) is better than the other for both have tremendous virtue as well as tremendous opportunities for sin.

At the root of this is something that really spoke to us, called "negative attribution".   We all have a lifetime of experiences that dictate how we will respond to things we experience.   However, our response may or may not be logical actually based upon our experiences, although we are most certainly sure that they are!  (Where is Dr. Spock (Star Trek) when you need him?).    So, when we experience something "new",  we have three choices as to how we respond:

1.  You think it is right.
2.  You think it is wrong.
3.  You think it is different (neutral).

The bad news is that generally, we don't take a neutral position and we often will ascribe some negative attribute to whatever it is, and over time we subconsciously build cases against (you pick the topic) that may or may not make any sense at all.  (Thus the need for people you can talk to openly and help process these kinds of things without judgement!).    This results in great conflict over time and people entrenching into their "I'm right" kind of thinking regardless of whether it makes any sense or not.

This can be applied in individual relationships, business relationships, family relationships, and cross cultural relationships.

We need to take a deep breath and NOT seek to quickly to ascribe value to things that are different.  It is not something humans do easily and but for the grace of God, go I.

And what is underneath all of this?  The books says, "Control."  We all want to control our lives, our situation, and others.  I have experienced it and am guilty of that as well.   If the ongoing catastrophe in Japan has taught us nothing else, it has taught us that we have very little control and we need to release that control to the God who cares for us each individually and collectively.  He is the God of all cultures and situations and it seems to me we need more than one life-time to figure it out, which is probably why He offers us eternity through faith in Jesus!

There is so much more in this book that speaks so strongly to what we have experienced in our first term and that I pray we can apply in our second.    I think it even challenges the fundamental basis of some of the programs we execute across the world with good intention but flawed process.   I personally think it should be required reading for every missionary, every homeland support person, and everyone with even a passing interest in missions, because as in all of these things, it comes down to how we respond personally.  Not just read it, but maybe even write a book report on what it means to me and how I need to improve the way I live before a holy God!  It just rings true.

Have a great day!  He is full of Grace and Mercy!

Dave & Ann

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"  Luke 6:41

Japan - opportunity to help through OMS

In my last blog, I mentioned our friends Donn and Daisy who are OMS missionaries to Japan.  We, like you, have watched with horror the incredible events happening in Japan.  This old world that we live on is a dynamic and changing place and the more we think we (as humans) are in control, the more it seems life demonstrates that we really aren't.

And of course, because of my 'before missions' life, I have watched with fascination the nuclear problems, never believing that with all the safeguards and design redundancies, that such a thing could happen.  Again, we think we humans can control every eventuality - we can't.   We do the very best that we can to plan but in the end, we depend upon faith, whether it be in our government, our leaders (be nice if we had some), our technology, and our desire that nothing should change (it does!).  There is only one place you can put your faith and trust with confidence.   Our time here on earth is but a vapor and their are no guarantees. Tomorrow a comet could crash through the atmosphere changing everything we consider as normal.  Peace only comes through trusting in a God who loves us and who is not limited by time, knowing the beginning and the end all at the same time.  We have the promise of eternal life and the peace that surpasses all understanding as we work together to do what we can to make this world a better place.

The following is from our friends living outside of Tokyo as of today:

Donn and I went to bed early last night and were sleeping when we were
jolted awake by a strong aftershock that we heard later was centered in
Yamanashi prefecture, near Mt. Fuji.  The shaking was so severe that we
scrambled out of bed to throw on some clothes and go outside, but the
shaking stopped before we got that far.  We continue to speak, "Peace
be still" to the shifting foundations of this nation in crisis, as
Jesus did to the winds and the waves in the midst of a storm, and to pray
against fear which is contributing to the crisis here.  The following was
posted on one website:


JAPAN EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION
"Please refrain from over-stocking supplies 
"Food and supplies are selling out from the stores in the Tokyo
Metropolitan area, however this may cause in running short of supplies for
the worst stricken areas. Japanese government has announced that there are
enough supplies in stock. Please act calmly with patience." 
Panic buying continues to be a big problem.  One of the other missionaries
said she saw one woman buying four or five loaves of bread (Japanese-style
loaves, of course), and some of my students said the stores were out of
toilet paper.  Some shelves at the grocery store we visited yesterday were
completely bare.  
Although totals are changing constantly, here are some figures recently
posted:
"About 850,000 households in the north were still without electricity
in near-freezing weather, Tohuku Electric Power Co. said, and the
government said at least 1.5 million households lack running water. Tens
of thousands of people were missing. 
"Hiromichi Shirakawa, chief economist for placecountry-regionJapan at
Credit Suisse, said in a note to clients that the economic loss will
likely be around 14-15 trillion yen ($171-183 billion) just to the region
hit by the quake and tsunami." 
Please continue to pray with us for power/water/gas to be restored to
these homes soon and for the missing to be found.  


People have been asking, "How can we help?"  The following is
part of an email from Joel Silverman at OMS Greenwood:


"We are getting a lot of inquiries and questions with regard to the
OMS response to the Tsunami in placecountry-regionJapan. We have set up
project account #404180 for all donations. These donations will be used
for relief of those affected by the disaster. The exact use of these funds
will be forthcoming as we assess how we can best help the victims and
effectively witness for Christ among those suffering. As usual we want to
coordinate through our church partners in country-regionplaceJapan." 


The Nuclear crisis continues to be a huge cause for concern as all workers
were removed briefly from the building today because of escalating amounts
of radiation being released.  However, they have since returned.  Please
continue to pray for this crisis to be brought under control, as well as
praying for peace for the families of Japan missionaries who are in the
States and very concerned about their loved ones.

Lord, in our limited capacities, we have a hard time understanding the tragedies that occur across this world.  We see this tremendous problem in Japan and it overwhelms our understanding, yet every day in the cities within our own borders, as well as across the world, great tragedies continue to happen where man, without God, and in his own self-centeredness, perpetrates great harm to others.  A world without Christ is actually a hopeless place.  Come soon Lord Jesus.

Please guide the relief workers and thank you for the resources good people are bringing to bear on this horrific event.  We need Your help, the organizations responding need Your help, and the people of Japan need You and Your help.  Help us oh Lord.  Amen.

Help to Japan through OMS:

One Mission Society
Japan Relief - #404180
PO Box 1648
Monument, Co 80132-1648

Dave and Ann

The disciples asked Jesus in the crisis of their own age: "...what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?


Jesus answered: '...for many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginnings of birth pains.... for there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again....


Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come...."


Matthew 24

Travels

The first half of March has been a busy but blessed time for us.  We left the cabin for an appointment in Trenton, Missouri, stopping for the night in Nashville, where we enjoyed our Grandson Caleb - it is going to be extremely hard to leave the States with this precious little guy being here.

Watching the incredible changes from birth to now, we know what we will miss over the next few years.  Plus, his parents are pretty special also!

From Nashville, we traveled to Trenton Missouri where we had the privilege to speak and worship at the First Baptist Church.  The Pastor of this church had visited us in Mozambique with a team and we had stayed in touch with him after the visit.  We stayed at Pastor Chestnut's house and had a wonderful time of catching up.  The only clitch was that my power point presentation didn't work for some reason - something to do with switching from their system to my computer - it worked in 'practice' before the service but wouldn't cooperate at the time.  But, in all the times we've spoken, this was the first 'glitch' and it really didn't affect much of anything!  We were cared for very well and enjoyed an incredible lunch after the service.  We gave a mini-talk to the kitchen staff who worked hard to prepare the church-wide lunch but missed the service!  We are putting on weight because we are fed so well everywhere we go!

The drive through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri was relaxing; beautiful farms.  We know that if God ever allows us to retire, it will be in a small town somewhere in a rural setting. That is where we are the most comfortable.  Beautiful states.

On Sunday, we did a 'two-fer', being in Trenton, Mo, which is in the northwest corner of the state, high-tailing it to Belleville, Illinois for an evening service with Men for Missions International (MFMI) Director Warren Hardig.  As you know, our first trips to Mozambique were through MFMI and we initiated the MFMI world-wide prayer ministry for Mozambique, now so wonderfully administered by our dear friend Karlene.

Ann working at Our Lady of the Snows

Our time at Saint Matthews United Methodist Church was wonderful, meeting up with Warren and his wife Velma, and speaking to one of the several services Sunday night.  This church is a very mission oriented church and we had many wonderful conversations with people after the service.  We also ran in to some people we had met at Avon Park, Florida, once again demonstrating how small this world of ours really is!  The church put us up at a nearby Catholic retreat center (Our Lady of the Snows Shrine) which was beautiful and peaceful.  Monday, we just stayed there most of the day doing office work and reports and taking advantage of their fast Internet and the beautiful surroundings.  That night, we went to a supporter's house in St. Louis, Missouri, some friends from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who relocated to St. Louis many years ago.  Again, a wonderful time to reconnect and catch up.

From there, we traveled to Evansville, Indiana where we reconnected with David and Faith Clark.  David is a childhood friend of mine (we played Cowboys and Indians when we lived in Idaho at the age of 5 or 6) who God brought back together in our early 20's in Idaho through a church.  David introduced us to OMS when he went to Haiti for a year to work on the radio station.  That is when we began supporting OMS missionaries all those years ago.  Again, a wonderful time to reconnect.

Next, back to OMS headquarters for meetings and an inexpensive place to stay before going back to Olney, Illinois, where we participated in a MFMI weekend at Grace Evangelical Church.  Olney is know as the home of the white squirrel.  We heard people talking about it, but then discovered that in-deed, the sign says and people talked about the white (albino) squirrels that are seen throughout the city!

The Olney white squirrel!

We spoke Saturday night at the MFMI banquet (lots of amazing food!) and I preached at the Sunday service.  This church is solidly behind OMS missionaries and it was a privilege to be there.   We were hosted so very well by Pastor Boostrom's parents and through their little duplex house was exactly the floor-plan we'd like to retire to some day, God willing.  After church, we went to an incredible local restaurant with an incredible buffet with lots of my favorite - fried okra!

A highlight of this trip was meeting Millie.  When I put a picture of Juka on the wall in the banquet, I could see that she was visibly moved by the photograph, with tears running down her face.  Afterwards, she talked with me and explained how she had been a part of the Prayer Initiative for Mozambique for many years and had been praying daily for Juka and his family for many years but she had never seen his face.  She asked many questions, clearly involved through prayer and totally knowledgeable of all the work that is going on in Mozambique.  A real prayer warrior, making a difference in Mozambique, living in the central US with a heart for a precious family on the other side of the world.  Only God can do this!

Ann with Millie

So, we find ourselves back at OMS before heading back to the Pittsburgh area for this coming weekend. This weekend, we will be at a church near Grove City - one of the first ones we ever visited and one we have always felt especially connected to.  When there last time, we stayed with our friends the Townsends, who are now in Japan with OMS.  That's another story for another blog....

Today they are running tornado drills all around the area and we have this constant sound of emergency vehicle sirens and tornado sirens.  With the world events today, one can understand the value of emergency drills.

Tomorrow we are headed back to the Pittsburgh area.  We should receive approval from OMS within the next couple of days to purchase our return tickets to Mozambique.  We have delayed our return to represent the field at Headquarters for the June meetings that happen every year.  Pray for us as we make our plans for return to Mozambique.

Sorry for the long post - my intention is more frequent smaller posts but this month got away from us!

30,000 miles by auto and continuing!

Dave & Ann


"...each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.  This is the rule I lay down in all the churches...."  1 Corinthians 7:17

A Good Meeting

We passed back by the cabin near Boone for a few days to do our wash, work on taxes, and prepare for the next travel tour.  The weather was beautiful and the flowers are starting to pop up here and there around the cabin.  But a highlight of this time was meeting with former missionary Nathan Glancy in Boone.  Nathan is returning to Mozambique to be the country director for Samaritans Purse and was in Boone for training (where their headquarters is located).  You might remember that Nathan left the field with his family due to health issues right after we first arrived in 2007.  He has fully recovered, praise God, has completed advanced education, and is a perfect fit for this job in Mozambique although it is sad that OMS has lost him.  He already knows the culture, the language, and the lay-out of the land so to speak.  We sat in a small diner in Boone for dinner and talked and talked, closing down the place as we caught up on what God has been doing.  It was a special time that passed way too quickly.  We had the privilege of carrying on the work that Nathan had started in Mozambique, benefiting from his hard work and dedication.  I don't know how to explain it, we could just sit down and speak the same language.  I think the waiter got a little frustrated because we were too busy talking to look at the menu.

God always has a plan and can be trusted.

Dave & Ann

"Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…" – Isaiah 43:1-3