Final Post

It has been nearly six months since Ann and I left Mozambique.  Our 15-year plan turned out to really be a five-year plan as the plans of man....well.....they aren't so reliable.  It is clear that we will not be returning and we have many more questions than answers about our time there but at the same time, we know we were faithful to His call on our lives.

We will continue to search our 'what is next' through prayer, reading, study, and seeking.  We are not at this time inclined to return to overseas service.

But regardless, it is time to end this blog since this particular journey has ended.  I offer the following summation:

1.  Our Call was real, it was specific, and it was for a purpose we may never fully understand.     The reality of that Call has never changed.  It was for Mozambique, and there was urgency in the Call but just as quickly as it came, it was removed.
2.  It was truly a privilege to work in Mozambique for the time we did and to work side-by-side with our dear Mozambican brothers and sisters.  We were given a love for them that was not something we could have ever generated in our own hearts.
3.  Blessings came from the most unexpected places as did the challenges.
4.  The things we thought would be hard turned out to be very easy or even not needed, whereas the things we thought would be easy, turned out to be hard and in some cases impossible.
5.  We were privileged to have the most incredible team of people who went with us, stood by us, prayed for us, sent us notes, called us, hosted us, visited us - the graciousness of God's people is beyond measure.  We could never say 'thank you' enough.
6.  With great gain comes great heartbreak.  But our life experience tells us that God will help us to remember the good with great joy and to cast aside the dung, for life is always full of both and we gain character from both.  Kind of like the movie - wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off.
7.  God loves us and is with us in the good and the bad.  When our hearts break, his heart breaks, for He has walked the same roads as us through His Son.
8.   God is less interested in what we 'do' than I had ever realized.  When we arrived in Mozambique, He was already there and to think that we are 'bringing something' is really kind of silly.  He allows us to participate in what He is already doing.  Everything has to come from being WITH Him, from being open to that leading from deep inside that comes from that Pure spirit deep within us that is His presence.  At 58 years of age, I know so very little of the things of God, for they are in many ways unsearchable and unknowable - but I can know Him and there is great peace in that.
9.  Sometimes the things we do in our compassion and strength are not the things that God would have us do.  Sometimes they even do harm rather than good because of our own frailties, insecurities, and presuppositions.  People need to see the love of Christ in our eyes and our actions.  Our money, our time, our lives are of little help if people cannot see Christ in us. Like those in the medical profession, perhaps we in ministry should also take the vow to 'do no harm' as a guiding principle.
10.  Lastly, we know that God will finish what He has started.  For we believe He is who He says He is.  May we learn how to simply 'be' with Him and trust Him.  There is no other way that makes any sense.

Thank you for standing with us.  May His name be praised and His will be done - on earth as it is in Heaven.

Much love,

Dave and Ann


"Hear O Israel:  The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give to your today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  Deuteronomy 6:4-7


"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  "Love your neighbor as yourself."  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  Matthew 22:36-40


May we love Him.

Book Recommendation

I don't recommend a lot of books on the blog, even though I tend to read quite a number of different ones.  One of the better ones recently that I recommend is "Bad Religion" by Ross Douthat.  It is more or less a history of 'religion' in the United States since about World War II, although it reaches back quite a bit.  It is current and ties a lot of things together in a thoughtful way.

Personally, to me, it reads a lot like my life....yup, did that, and that, went to those, attended those, yup - watched that, as I would kind of shake my head at some of my foolishness.

The subtitle is 'a nation of heretics' or something like that so if you are easily offended or so entrenched in what you think, maybe you won't like it - because not too many come off unscathed.  But if you wonder about Penn State, you wonder about the increasing division in the country, you wonder about the decline of America, or maybe you are one of those who sees the parallels between America and pre-exhilic Israel - this book will give you some things to think about.

Fundamentally it is a call back to orthodoxy - or at least that is what I got out of it and that has been kind of in our hearts through this 'dark night of the soul' we have been going through.

Maybe I could start a line of jokes:  "If you think that you have all the answers - then you might be a heretic" - Sounds like the old 'you might be a red neck' jokes.

Anyways, it's a great read that emphasizes the mysteries of the faith:

"What defines orthodoxy from heresy....is a commitment to mystery and paradox...."  Maybe that will 'wet your whistle' along with the quote below that I was surprised to see in a church bulletin last Sunday.

It's available on your ibook / kindle, etc. for a very reasonable price.

Blessings.

Dave

"Thus orthodox Christians insist that Jesus was divine and human all at once, that the Absolute is somehow Three as well as One, that God is omnipotent and omniscient and yet nonetheless leaves us free to choose between good and evil.  They propose that the world is corrupted by original sin and yet somehow also essentially good, with the stamp of its Creator visible on every start and sinew.  They assert that the God of the Old Testament, jealous and punitive, is somehow identical to the New Testament's God of love and mercy.  They claim that this same God sets impossible moral standards and yet forgives every sin.  They insist that faith alone will save us, yet faith without works is dead.  And they propose a vision of holiness that finds room in God's kingdom for all the extremes of human life - fecund families and single-minded celibates, politicians and monastics, queens as well as beggars, soldiers and pacifists alike."  Ross Douthat, Bad Religion

Dead Sea Scrolls

While we were in Pennsylvania, we spend a weekend in Philadelphia.  Our daughter treated us to the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

The dead sea scrolls were found in 1947 (coincidentally same day when Israel became a nation again) by a shepherd boy who threw a stone in a cave that broke a clay jar that contained an invaluable treasure:  some of the oldest manuscripts we have of Biblical and extra-biblical books.

Great effort had been made to make the exhibit politically correct so-as to not offend, some of it seeming a little over-the-top actually, but that is the world that we live in today.  The exhibit kept building in emotion as an old testament history lesson, that corresponded beautifully for me in my 'read through the bible chronologically' program that I do each year.

They had various artifacts, money, common household items, and some of the pots the documents had been found in.

We were not allowed to take pictures or touch anything (for good reason) where there were pieces of the parchment.  Guards were posted everywhere to watch the exhibit.

In the large room at the end of the exhibit, they had some of the scroll pieces on display and their translations, comparing to the books of the Bible today.

 In this same room, an exhibit of the scroll of the 10 commandments was highlighted and as you pressed a button, the commandment was highlighted and read aloud - so the entire time we are in this part of the exhibit, we were hearing the 10 commandments.

Near the end was a three-ton stone block from the temple in Jerusalem.  It was affixed in a mock-up of the Western wall.   This was the one thing we were allowed to touch and touch it we did as people were brought to their knees - there was something very holy about all of this - like a gift from God - a linking of the dots from the past to the present - I am here, I AM who I AM.  People were praying, touching the rock, sitting on a bench by the rock, and many writing prayer requests to put in the cracks on the mock-up of the west wall in Jerusalem.  We all want to know Him better, to feel His presence and it was a moving time.

The prayer requests were to be gathered from the exhibit and taken to back to Israel - for there is something about Jerusalem....

Ann and I lingered together for some time, hands on the rock, praying, thanking God for His presence, and His working in our lives.

Great exhibit - I think it is one of those traveling deals so if it comes to your city - it is worth going to and cheaper than air fare to the middle east!

We give it five stars!

Much love.

Dave and Ann

"I did not see a temple in the city (the New Jerusalem), because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it....Nothing Impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."  Rev 21: 22-27

In Honor of Jim

I my last blog entry, I reported on my trip to Xavier's graduation and then went on to visit friends and family in Idaho as a part of that trip.  The main reason for stopping in Idaho was to visit my friend Jim (photo).  Jim is one of the finest men I have every had the privilege of knowing and he has been battling an aggressive brain cancer for quite some time.  We have been friends for thirty plus years as have Ann and his wife Marcie. They were big encouragers for us on our journey to and from Mozambique.

On June 28, Ann and my Anniversary, Jim went to be with the Lord.  In that one last visit at his home in Idaho, we agreed to meet again and sit and talk more on the other side of the River Jordan.  I will see you again then my friend.

We just returned from his internment in Mount Union, PA - one of the most beautiful places in the Nation.  A lovely service, a lovely and full but too-short life, a loving family, and glorious assurance of eternity.  Jim was faithful and an inspiration to all who knew him and I will miss him very much.

It is the journey we all must make one day, or the other, and may it be hand-in-hand with the One who has placed a bit of Himself in our souls.  May we all be as faithful.... Come Lord Jesus come....

Seek Him while you can.  He knows your name - but do you know His?

WIth love,

Dave and Ann

"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been give a trust must prove faithful."  
1 Corinthians 4:1 & 2

Reflections on Graduation

Xaiver at special brunch for students
receiving doctorates

Bakke Graduate University 2012 Commencement reflections:

Things I heard at the ceremonies where my friend Xavier received his doctorate (Doctor of Transformational Leadership):

What is your city?

Go love and serve your city in the name of Christ.  (the charge each doctoral graduate received).

Theology is the science of being blessedly loved for eternity.

I am from, Holland, Ethiopia, Philippines, Myanmar, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, California, India, Pittsburgh, Liberia, Hong Kong, Sierre Leone, Washington, Florida....(there were more!)

My dissertation was the Theology of Work and the Alleviation of Poverty in Mozambique.

Service in progress

Work came before the curse, work is not a curse.  The word for 'work' is often translated 'worship'.  Whatever our work, we need to do it well for God as it is a way of serving Him and worshiping Him.

We were created to work.

Christians are embracing their humanity in new ways as God did through Christ.

Xavier being hooded - my camera chose this
time to freeze up on me.

Evangelical Christians try to climb a ladder to God but they need to learn to go down the ladder as He did and find peace in that journey.

We need to love every church because God loves every church.

The CRU Global Church Planting Program through a global alliance plans to plant 5 million churches by 2020.

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

A pair of Docs

Homes are shattered throughout the world.  Leadership begins in the home through Christ and extends into the community.

There are 10 million overseas workers from the Philippines.

As graduates you need to:

1.  Love the God of Jesus and continue to mine the scriptures as you go forward.
2.  Love your family and friends in a fresh way.
3.  Love God's mission and His church.
4.  Improvise.  Love God's projects in history but improvise into the future.

We need to improvise missionally:

1.  The world will always be changing and we are today in a new context; we are in a post-secular, post colonial world.  We to learn to live in these new contexts.
2.  'ONLY live your life in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ...' Live in this manner so that there is  NEW context for the world to see.
3.  We need to know God and see him in the missionary context (He sent Jesus to us).  We need to love this missionary God and follow him into pain and suffering.  
4.  We need to live the new Gospel, which is simply stated:  "Jesus is Lord".  A lord has a reign and is a king we should follow into the cities.
5.  We need to remember that the church was always intended to be mission and we need to improvise missionally so He gets all the credit, to God BE the Glory.

We need to learn to simply 'be'; to be in His presence.  Everything else flows out of this, and thus, Him.

Dave and Dr. Massingue

Congratulations Dr. Massingue and vai com Deus amigo caro.

Blessings

Dave

The completed table where each graduate (Masters
and Doctorate graduates) lighted their candle from
the staff's three candles

"Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  1 Philippians 2:9

"Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine.  Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne."  (Hymn, Take my Life)

What is YOUR city?

This is the balcony of the church where the graduates
went after the service and together sang to the
audience.  It was beautiful.

Seattle

Tonight I am in Seattle, looking forward to being with Xavier as he receives his doctorate degree from Bakke University tomorrow.  It is a privilege to be here with him and to present him with a congratulatory letter from the mission President.  Xavier is currently a professor and the Registrar for the OMS Seminary in Maputo.  He has an impressive resume that includes heading up the Bible League in Maputo, overseeing church planting work in a variety of countries in Africa for the Into-Africa Project, church planting work in Mozambique, church planting work with OMS seminary students, and initiating special classes on the Theology of Work and Alleviation of Poverty.

Ann and I have always been very fond of Xavier and his wife Marta and it is a privilege to be here in Seattle with him.

I enjoyed meeting some of his fellow students from various countries in Africa.  They all said the same thing, it has been a long and challenging road but they are all very happy to have finished well.  These are a few photos from our day today.

I look forward to seeing what how God will use him to change Mozambique for Christ.   He is an amazing fellow for whom I have a great deal of respect.

Much love.

Dave


"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way."  Ps 37:23

Xavier (middle) and some Doctoral Classmates

Newsletter and Our Team

Our snail mail newsletter will be going out next week.  An electronic copy can be accessed by the link "newsletters" to the left or by the following link:

May Newsletter

Ann is working up an email newsletter as well.

This stack of correspondence is a personal letter to our financial supporters - it takes an incredible team of very special people to keep a missionary in the field.  We have the best team ever and we thank you for making it possible, which is what that stack of letters is about.  Our actual mail list is over 10 times higher.   We have been blessed beyond measure with an incredible support team.  But it is not just financial!  In addition, we have people who have housed us, prayed for us, given us material goods that were taken to the field, mailed us things, helped us with medical issues, counseled us, encouraged us in more ways than we can count.  God has an incredible network of people who respond to his leading.  May we all continue to respond to His voice and His leading.

Ann, Grandson Caleb & Dave

He has a plan and we know that it is perfect!

[Ann laughed at the picture and said 'isn't that just like you to want to measure what you've done!']

With much love,

Dave and Ann

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:21

Team, Leadership, and Lady Vols Softball

When we returned to the States from Mozambique, we landed in Knoxville, Tennessee because that is where we had some things we needed, that is where the ‘family minivan’ was, and it gave us wonderful access to three of our four daughters.  It was our safe place as we processed and prayed through this unexpected life change.  Knoxville was also where we met and started our lives together some 38 years ago, where we both attended college, and where we became Christians, providing a familiar place and truthfully, a place we could just “be” for a while.

One day on a lark, we were driving by the University of Tennessee (UT) and saw a sign that said “Lady Vols Softball game TODAY.”  (Women’s sports at UT are known as “Lady Volunteers [Vols] with the men’s sports being known as “Volunteers.”)  We looked at each other and said ‘why not?’.   This was completely out-of-character for me (not so much for Ann who loves sports!) as I have never been much of a sports fan and my experience in ‘team sports’ is limited to a couple of years of ice hockey in middle-school.  

We entered the softball stadium and sat down.  The team came out laughing and smiling, appearing relaxed and confident as the game started.  The pitcher’s smile of pulled me in and then everything seemed move in a slow motion I can’t explain.  She walked to the outside edge of the pitching circle as her team tensed.  Placing her left foot on the circle, I could sense her entering ‘her groove’.  The intensity of her concentration only increased my own.  She stepped up to the white line; turning her head sideways as she rotated the ball in her hand; lining up as she would everytime in a disciplined process that blocks out all distractions as she made her final mental preparation to pitch.  (To quote the movie “Utopia” - See it, Feel it, Trust it (SVT)).  When the moment was right, she fired that ball with a speed I didn’t think was possible with a softball.  STRIKE - with the batter looking around as if she had no idea what had just happened. Wow, I was hooked.

The entire team responded to each pitch as if it were a choreographed ballet.  It was beautiful to watch as in unison they would all step forward with the pitcher as she threw the ball. With each pitch, with each play, the team encouraged one another.  The catcher looked to the coach, who provided direction.  It was clear that the coach was ‘in charge’ yet the team was functioning as ‘one’ in an orchestration that had clearly been drilled and planned out before the first pitch.

But, then I moved my focus to each player and saw the excellence and unique gifts brought by each of these talented ladies.  With each player I saw the same intensity of focus and yet, relaxed in who they were on the team, knowning their role, not trying to ‘one-up’ their team mates.  The unity of purpose was inspiring.   

When errors happened (not often!), the team didn’t blame but came together and would encourage the errant player, affirming their importance to the team, building them up.  When good plays happened they would draw together as a team and celebrate the success.  Fun in excellence.  When players became tired and were replaced, the team affirmed the leaving player as well as the new player and the focus on the task at hand would continue.  

The training and work happened before the game, but with the game in play, the coaches were there to affirm, to correct, and to make small changes, but the outcome was clearly in the hands of the team.  When a player made a mistake or perhaps dropped a ball, the coach would pull them aside and there would be an intense time of instruction while at the same time, you would see the coach gently patting the arm of the player.  You could see the great affection the coach had for each player, whether batting, striking out, dropping balls, or catching seemingly impossible balls.  It didn’t matter, they were the coach’s girls and although excellence was expected, there was no question that each girl was important as a person.  Many say this was the reason for Pat Summit’s incredible success in UT basketball, because even in her incredible intensity, each player knew in their hearts that Pat loved them in an unconditional way as she drove them to excellence….because she did.  You cannot fake that kind of love and there is tremendous power in sincere love, not for the purpose of receiving something back, but because you truly love.  (1 Corinthians 13)

From that first game, we have made it a point to attend as many home games as we can and we listen to many of the away games via the Internet.  The team has become ‘our lady vols’ and we feel like we know each one of them, even though they have no idea we are even there.  I envy that they have experienced such a positive team experience and pray that they will take much from this experience as they enter into life after college.  I celebrate their ability to have fun in the intensity of what they do week after week.  I find joy in each player’s uniqueness and how together, they have built a team personality that is one of the best in the nation.  I admire the skill of the coaches to work with this team of young ladies with full hearts and how they allow each to express their individuality within the context of a larger group with a common goal.  It is magic to watch.

The team has a habit that I think probably drives the coaching staff and the fans crazy.  Although the team is amazing, sometimes they seem to play to the level of the opposing team.  In one case, we watched them play a non-rated team from a small college in Ann’s hometown.  Our girls had just come off a difficult weekend against a SEC team and now were playing what should have been an easy game.  The other team came focused as they knew they were playing against one of the best teams.  That team played well and were ahead of our ladies, two - nothing.  I wonder how often we do that in our own lives - play to the level of our opponents?... 

But here is where leadership comes in.  Before the fifth inning, the coaches did some serious motivating in the dugout.  I don’t know what was said, but I imagine it was along the lines of ‘enough already, where is my team?  Go out there and do what I and your fans expect you to do…’  I have no idea but everything changed.  The intensity changed, the pitching changed, the hitting changed, and before we knew it, the game was over 8-2.  

I have seen team and how it can work.  It is based in love, working towards a common goal, with each sacrificially giving his or her all for the team, and in that, encouraging each of the team members as they reach for individual excellence, but in concert with the others to reach a commone goal.  But crucial to lasting success is leadership that exercises genuine caring (love), where direction, discipline, and doting are part of encouraging individuals to be the best they can be but not at the expense of the team not being the best it can be.  There are great spiritual lessons in all of this.

Book I refer to is on the right in this photo.

I just finished an interesting book on leadership called ‘Leadership and Self-Deception’ by the Arbinger Institute.  It’s an easy read and talks about being ‘in the box’ and ‘out of the box’ and it rings so true of my life before missions as well as my experiences in mission.  The bottom line of the book is that we need to see people as people, with families, spouses, dreams, interests; that we need to respond to those times when we know we should be doing something to help others instead of deceiving ourselves with why we shouldn’t (or rationalizing why we don’t have to) and then ascribing blame to justify why we are not doing what we know ‘darn-well’ we should be.  If we are blaming or self-justifying, we need to consider that perhaps we are the problem and we are in the midst of self-deception, where we lose all perspective.  I have been on both sides of this fence and cringe as we cry out in song, ‘change my heart oh God….’

The secret may be to see people as people of value, not units, resources, departments, men, women, black, white, yellow, republican, democrat, churched, un-churched - but rather, people of value.  We are each wonderfully and gloriously made in His image.  Being on team should not mean sacrificing your identity or uniqueness.  We need to value diversity and the richness it brings, just like we see in our Lady Vols, who we see as Ivy, Ellen, Melissa, Raven, Lauren, Ashley, Tori, Madison, Hannah, Kat - precious young ladies at the beginning of a new phase of life where we pray God will lead and direct.  Wouldn’t it be something if we could all get on God’s team and together submit to His coaching?  In this case the song is “wouldn’t it be loverly…” 

We have so far to go in this game we call life as we continually fight the battle to lose ourselves and gain the whole world.   As we all try to work on the various teams in our places of employment, our schools, our churches, and our families, may we regard others as better than ourselves, as people of value made in the image of Christ, as people better than ourselves.

Ann at prayer walk station

This day, our Sabbath, we were privileged to spend four hours together on a prayer walk where we were able to walk in isolated woods to specific locations to consider Grace, Adoration, Stillness, Surrender and Rest.  We poured out our hearts, knowing that we are His children, and we simply need to ‘Be’ as he heals our wounded Spirits and accepts our worship, our surrender, our praise and repentence.  It was truly a time of renewal where we stopped to ‘be’.

Be still and know that I am GOD

Be still and know that I AM

Be still and KNOW

Be STILL

BE

It is a state of ‘being’.

With love,

Dave and Ann

When I doubt His love, I hold to His wisdom.

When I can’t understand His justice, I cling to His mercies.

When I wonder about His faithfulness, I cherish His grace.

When I fear His sovereignty, I bow to His holiness.

In that, my heart can rest.

Verdell Davis

[Note - this blog was actually written some weeks ago; just never got around to posting it...]

Worth Reading - Vanderbilt discriminatory non-discriminatory policy

As many of our friends know, one of our daughters and sons-in-law work with CRU at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, raising and mentoring future Christian leaders.  You may not know that they have been embroiled for some time in a new policy established at Vanderbilt that I tend to describe as the discriminatory non-discriminatory policy.  I have followed it through video feeds of meetings, articles, and it has the potential to be one of those land-mark kind of issues.

The issue is even being discussed at State-government levels here in Tennessee as folks begin to understand how it discriminates against faith-based organizations.

I was greatly moved this morning reading this write-up that explains CRU's decision to not agree with the policy, despite the difficulties it will cause for them.  It is a great devotion and clearly articulates the Christian message - lives transformed through Christ.  It's not an intellectual assent to Christ, but a radical transformation from the inside-out.

Here is the link.

http://cruatvanderbilt.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/so-why-are-we-as-cru-at-vanderbilt-continuing-to-have-faith-based-leadership-requirements/

I will write more in the coming days as I have good news on the expansion of the church planting work of Mozambique into two new areas - one of them a goal we established over four years ago that is coming to fruition.  I am awaiting promised pictures.  One of these areas is a difficult work where a different kind of discrimination occurs.   We so take for granted the precious freedom we have to worship in America.

Strength through hardships, persecutions and difficulties....

Blessings this day.

May we be 'real' today....whatever that might mean in your context.  The world notices.

Dave and Ann

or as the apostle Paul says:

"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10

Something for Nothing

In our personal devotions this morning we were discussing the significance of Good Friday.   We also discussed the rapid change in Jesus’ life from Palm Sunday to death on the Cross less than a week later all those years ago.  

There are four events associated with Thursday:  the washing of the disciples feet, the Last Supper; Jesus’ Gethsemane prayer, and the betrayl of Jesus by Judas.   Each of these events were significant as Jesus gently shared with his hand-picked band of disciples what was to come.  His example of humility and tender care was demonstrated the practical washing of the disciples feet, dirty and sore from travel.  It was love by example.  Then came the agony of prayer as he ‘was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death’ as he relented His will to the Father’s.  It was only the previous Sunday when Jesus came into Jerusalem a victor to the praise of the people on Palm Sunday, only to be betrayed and reviled by the same people a week later as the Messiah they longed for was not the Messiah they expected as their reality was skewed.  I think the only time you can be virtually sure you are in error is when you are marching with the masses, moving with voices of the culture.

We tend to see the world through our own reality filters and often put way too much confidence in our perception of reality.  The people wanted a Messiah, but their reality was skewed and the Messiah they received was so much more, canceling the impossible burden of being ‘good enough’ to be loved and accepted by a Holy God.  They wanted the military leader who would lead the mob in rebellion, like we see across the world, time and time again ultimately leading to ruin, war, cruelty and calamity.

Even in the world’s failing political dramas, we look for a messiah to provide for our every need, to enforce some sort of flawed man-made reality of ‘fairness’, as we seek to find our salvation in governments, leaders, systems, agencies, religious institutions, etc.

Our realities are skewed because we are incapable of seeing how all the pieces fit together as an infinite God ‘hovers over the waters’ (Genesis 1).  There is a plan that far exceeds anything we can see or imagine.

The human condition seems to be to 'want something for nothing'.  We see it in the headlines every day in one form or the other across our culture and across the world.  We see it as we hear the debates of ‘fairness’ - whatever that might be (and certainly 'fairness' is about as subjection a term as there is).

Well, God has met that condition by truly doing all the work - we can receive an abundance we cannot fathom or contain.  Instead of complex rules and regulations that we cannot possible fulfill, He has made a way to receive God’s favor through Jesus’ death on a cross; this is the way we can receive the peace that surpasses understanding through a simple recognition of our lost and selfish state, and seeing that there truly is a God who loved us enough to give us a choice: to believe, or not.  

The expection?  Repent and believe - that’s it.  With that will come a life-time of transformation as we trust in Him.  It’s like receiving everything, for virtually nothing.

I wonder if Jesus came today, would the religious of today - would we recognize Him because of our need to appear pure on the outside, yet resisting the cleansing power of relationship with Him, that power that transforms us through and through.  May we all be  “real,”  whatever that might mean in the context you find yourself.

Sunday marks that blessed day, He is alive; He is risen; it is finished.

May God’s presence touch your heart and soul this special weekend as we celebrate receiving eternity for virtually nothing because God knew we were incapable of receiving it unless He did it all.

Thank you Lord.

Celebrate Sunday for He is risen.

Dave & Ann

“...Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  John 7:37 - 38

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”  John 20:30 - 31

Peace in the Storm

We continue to adjust to no longer being in Mozambique. As many of you have discerned, there is more ‘story’ to the story but basically God used a ‘storm’ to speak to us clearly, that our time of service in Mozambique had come to an end. It was comforting to hear a voice of peace in the storm. We spent many days questioning what we heard because we didn’t want to leave Mozambique. In the end, we realized that there is a ‘story above the story’ as God’s Spirit moves and accomplishes His purposes in ways that are “the secret things of God” (Deut 29:29). As in all storms of life, it isn’t the storm, in fact the ‘story’ really has no importance other than whether we will choose to trust Him to take us through it, or not….Do we trust Him, ...or not? Is He in control, or not?

The book of Ezekiel begins with a storm (“I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light”) and yet, after a time of waiting in the midst of the storm and a discouraging time in Ezekiel’s life, God raises him up (“As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.”) What comfort there is in serving a God, who is with us in the midst of the storms of life, and who speaks to us in ways that challenge our comprehension and full understanding but yet ring true in our hearts.

We freely admit we returned to the States depleted and heartbroken but at the same time full of God’s peace - that we had accomplished that task He had set forth before us and that our part in His story in Mozambique was over. We went to this beautiful land without expectations, agenda, and complete openness to whatever He might lay out before us. We were blessed with the precious work he did set for before us, making disciples through the Village Church Planting program. And now this work continues forward in the capable hands of the National Church as it should. Independent not dependent.

This philosophy is what we had always loved about OMS, that the first thing is the first thing, lives changed through the transforming power of an encounter with Jesus; teaching and making of disciples; that the sons and daughters of a nation are the ones most able to win their country for Christ (Matt 28). All else pales in comparison to this transforming encounter with our Creator. What a privilege to witness this transformation that is not accomplished through the work of men, but rather through the work of God’s Spirit, one soul at a time.

We have been in, what I would describe as, a time of recovery and adjustment, trying to exercise, walk, read, pray as we seek God’s direction for our ‘what is next’. But the message is to rest and recover and this time will hopefully culminate in April when we meet with others in ministry to brainstorm and discover avenues for continued service.

We were walking on a trail to a waterfall in the Smoky Mountains, one that we have walked many times in our lives. A part of the trail went through a large area that had been devastated by tornados last year and only recently reopened. As we walked through this storm-ravaged area, I could sense God’s presence (as I often do when ‘in nature’) as He gave us an object lesson on how He makes our paths straight through the storms of life and has a place he is leading us towards. How much easier to walk His trail than to forge one of our own through the tempests of life. As we stopped at the wonderful falls and enjoyed the sound of the rushing water and the dancing rainbows in the spray, how could we not trust Him who created all of this? HIs ways are not our ways but we know that as His children, he wants to give us bread and not stones, that he wants to hold us in our trials and despair and to come to him as children come to a loving parent. What peace there is in this walk with Him!

As we left the beauty of the forest, we had to stop and wait for two snakes (Eastern ribbon snakes) passing across the trial. After having experienced a precious time of God’s presence, I was almost afraid the snakes were going to turn and speak to us! The temptations of life never stop, the whisper of our enemy never ceases and it is ours to walk around and pass - to not stop and engage him. His goal is to kill and destroy and we see the evidence of his destructive work all through this fallen world.

A beautiful day that did much to restore us and revive us. On the drive home, we had to stop because of an horrible and sudden thunderstorm accompanied by massive amounts of marble-sized hail. It came out of nowhere as most storms in our lives do. We took refuge in a small store at the foot of a mountain, drinking coffee and sampling fudge. Peace in the storm.

May all of us walk that path that He has prepared before us - it is as real as the one we just took through the tornado flattened forest. It is the path we need to desire to walk, for it is the path of peace and the path prepared for us from the beginning.

As the hymn says, Only trust Him, Only trust Him...

With love,

Dave and Ann

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deut 29:29

“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed…” Ps 107:29

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 15:26 as Jesus encouraged his disciples.

Fifth Generation Church!

Four times a year, we issue a listing of all the church plants in Mozambique, who their leaders are, the approximate membership, and other statistics relative to the churches.  This report was just issued today and I am very pleased to report that we have our first FIFTH generation church.

This means, a church, that planted a church, that planted a church, that planted a church, that planted a church.  Those are expanding circles of influence impacting multiple communities and families with the Gospel.  In church planting, we talk about instilling "church planting DNA" into the churches, so it continues from one church to the next - that this gospel will branch out from one place to another to another.

I was so blessed to see this - and thank God for how His Spirit is moving across beautiful Mozambique through the dedication of wonderful men like Pastors Juka and Abel.  May God guide and protect them as they do so much to change lives for eternity.  Pray for this new church in a place called Chirrute.

This made my day!   We serve an amazing God.  

See the attached pictures of a baptisms in a Nevogorro yesterday.  Pastor Juka, my dear friend, is in the tie.


Dave & Ann


"For the LORD is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."  Ps 100:5

Celebrating Graduations in Mocuba

In previous postings, I have written about the evangelism and church planting program we were privileged to participate in during our time in Mozambique.  The program consists of a four-year structured program where church leaders were trained.  These young men and women start churches in their communities and at the conclusion of their training, can be ordained as pastors in their denomination, assuming they have a good testimony and meet the other requirements outlined in the New Testament.

Juka, our church planting program coordinator sent us the wonderful photos of the graduation ceremonies in Mocuba.  Denominational leaders made the long journey from Maputo to participate in the special event.

We received the photographs with joy at this milestone in the church planting program in Mozambique, but also with heavy sadness because we were not there to share in the joy of the event that culminates what we were working on the past years.  Yet at the same time, they are doing a great job and it remains clear that our time there has concluded.  What a privilege it has been - truly.

You will notice that the meeting is under a temporary structure built from the roofing material that was blown off of the training center in the recent cyclones that passed through Mozambique.

 As it is the tradition in Mozambique, the graduates received a special shirt / covering identifying them as the graduates and they also received Bibles and books to celebrate the day.

The graduates were honored by sitting at the front of the assembly.

One of our most prolific church trainer / planters, Dinis, is shown in the white shirt at the front of the assembly in a couple of the photos as he was a key participant in the event.  Dinis was one of the leaders ordained in a special service last fall in Maputo that we had the privilege of participating in.

In this photo, Juka Fernando is on the right and next to him is denominational leader Daniel Maduel, who also teaches in the seminary in Maputo, and who made the long journey to participate in the wonderful event.  Daniel was the keynote speaker.

In this photograph, Juka Fernando and his wife Elina are passing out the gifts and certificates.

As you can see, our precious church leaders did a marvelous job of hosting and setting up this event.  We are so very proud of them.

With much love,

Dave & Ann

 "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.  Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."  2 Timothy 2:1-3

"...guard what has been entrusted to your care...."  1 Timothy 6:20


Father God, bless them, guard them, and keep them as they serve you in Mozambique.  Amen

E Letter

We've received a number of notes that seem to indicate that some of our friends did not receive our email newsletter that occurred time-wise between our last two blog postings.  So, we are including the bulk of that text below, although updated a bit.  Yes, it is true that we have left Mozambique and are presently state-side.  This was a sudden change but we realize God is over all of our plans and steps, all are ordered by God  May you be encouraged by realizing all that has been accomplished.

Milestones  

March 2012 Village Pastors Graduate from the rural training centers.  This is the first graduation at our extension seminary sites.  Thirty students will graduate, thirty more will graduate in August 2012, and 10 will receive certificates of participation.  Many of the student pastors have already started churches and some of those churches have planted other churches to the 4th generation.  Over the last 4 years, these students have studied and received guidance and discipleship from their training pastor.  Now the training pastors will start new training centers in other unreached areas, thus expanding the Village Church Planting (VCP) program.  May God provide all that is needed to saturate these rural areas with churches. 

February 7, 2012  classes began for the 3rd year at the Maputo Biblical and Theological Seminary.  We are especially thankful that the VCP training and the foundation year of our Maputo seminary are essentially the same, bringing standardized theological instruction to all of Mozambique.  Our Maputo seminary students planted 23 new churches this past year!  All of the seminary educational focus, whether at the Maputo seminary or the village training centers is focused on pastoral training, church planting and multiplication.  Xavier (professor at the seminary) told us that when the students received the training, they said "we have to do what we have been taught for the Glory of God" and the fruit was 23 new worshipping groups.  Only God can receive the glory for this!

February 2012 marks our 5 year anniversary of service.  During the last 5 years, we have labored to develop 14 rural training centers, each training men and women to plant and pastor churches in unreached village areas under the guidance of the OMS 'Into Africa' program.  Simultaneously, we endeavored to develop a young denomination, Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva, to have a 'Great Commission' heart.  This has been a monumental effort and came with tremendous struggle and sacrifice and would have been impossible except for the Lord's provision.  One of our long standing goals was to push into the Niassa province with VCP.   A new training center will open in Niassa in mid 2012. Thanks be to God.

Reorganization, Redirection and Resting in God's Hands

We have spoken before of the OMS Mozambique reorganization.  In times of war, changes in strategy, personnel and equipment are used to bring a fresh assault.  In missionary work, we are in a full war.  We have fought many battles and continued forward as God gave one victory after another.  But, make no mistake, the battles have been costly.  At this time, OMS has decided with an intentional strategy to reorganize our Mozambican team and work.  Let us all support this plan with prayer.

We have been asked to move into the overall Village Pastoral Training for the Portuguese speaking African countries.  We are praying about this expanded role now and will be speaking and meeting with our South Africa and US partners over the next few months to understand the logistics and specifics of such a change.  This is not an obvious or easy decision for us and we need to know we have God's Call to move in this direction.

The Mozambique Village Church Planting (VCP) work will remain partnered with the OMS partner denomination, Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva.  After these years of modeling, assisting and discipling, we have released the management of our work to the Mozambicans we have trained.  We think the evangelism and church planting work will continue to grow and thrive as it is God who has chosen this time for us to release the work.  Cover this change of command with prayers of protection and provision.  The Wesleyan Church has come along side to lend support during this transition with logistics related to the Jesus Film and coordination and selection of new areas for the training centers.

As our days in Mozambique have come to an end, we wish to thank you all for standing with us so faithfully.  We are now praying for the green light to accept the expanded role with OMS South Africa or other roles within the world of OMS.  Please pray with us.  A change in country and work is not easily done lest the Lord direct the way.  We hope to have something concrete to share with you very soon regarding future missionary assignment.

We remain thankful for our support team of individuals and churches.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for wisdom and vision to discern the next step to take in ministry.  We have many decisions to make in the coming weeks.  May all that we do bring honor to God.

Pray for protection and guidance for Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva as they step out and step up to reach their country for Christ.  They will now partner independently with the Into Africa project and move toward a ministry partnership with OMS.  This is a big step for OMS and for PV.

Cover our field team with prayer during the months of February and March as many events and changes are occurring.  

The first graduations of the Village Pastoral training will take place in the north of the country, the Maputo seminary began it's 3rd year on Feb 7th.   

For now, we are resting in God's hands

Love,

Dave and Ann

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:21