Rev 7:9-10 “And behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
It has finally happened. We are now fully funded and on June 16th, we will board the plane for Kenya. Things have gotten very hectic. We received the formal news on April 14th and became Church of God Ministries employees on May 1st. My last day at Christian Women Connection™ (formerly Women of the Church of God) was Friday, May 7th. It has been almost 5 years since God initially blessed us with my position at CWC and I will greatly miss all of my sisters. As a going away present, they took us to see Hello Dolly! at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theater. It was truly blessed time.
Since then we have been focusing on departure preparations. Now, you may be wondering what kind of things have to be done to prepare for two year overseas assignment. The first question most people ask, “What do you do with all of your stuff?” That depends. Things are currently being sorted into three piles: store, get rid, and Africa. The first two are the biggest. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate over time. The store stuff will stay here in Anderson at a local storage place. The get rid will be either sold or given to charity. The Africa pile is the stuff we intend to take with us to Kenya. Some of these items will go on the plane with us and the remainder will be shipped separately, probably via Air. We are still evaluating costs. We will formally vacate our house on Monday, May 31st.
However, there is more than just packing. There are all manner of legal documents to fill out and update: wills, power of attorney, medical insurance, etc. You also have to figure out how to manage your finances. Will you have some here help you here in the US? Will you work with the banks in your host country? Will you do it all over the internet (an option that has just recently become viable)? Plane tickets, visas, and work permits are a whole other area of concern. Doctor appointments and immunizations are a must. And the list goes on and on. It makes me tired just writing about it. Well that is about it for now. We will continue to keep you posted on our progress. Drop us a line at dwbaylor@gmail.com if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you.
As a missionary, over the past 18 months, my family and I have visited numerous churches to acquaint people with our ministry and missions in general. During these visits, people often ask, “I feel that God may be calling me to the mission field, but I am not sure what it will look like. How can I prepare and discern what God is calling me to do?” Based on my own personal experience, there are 4 things that I have done over the years that have helped me hone my own calling.
Devotional Life
I know that this probably not what you wanted to hear. It sounds too simple, almost like a cliche. However, a strong devotional life is even more essential for the missionary than any other form of full time ministry. Consider how difficult is now, in your daily life, to maintain close connections with the Lord. Now, take those difficulties and multiply them by 10 or 100, for those serving cross-culturally. For the missionary serving in a different culture where the simple everyday tasks of getting food, clean water, learning a foreign language, or even just riding the bus are difficult, time with the Lord is at a premium. If you not have strongly ingrained habits of time with the Lord on daily basis, you will quickly become a casualty. The number one method the enemy has in preventing you from being fruitful and effective is busyness – busyness that saps you time, your strength, and most importantly your relationship with the Lord. So, your first task is get into the Word and spend in time in prayer everyday. Get close to the Lord and stay there. If you can do that, the door will be wide open for you to hear His voice and you will be miles ahead when you do reach the field. For the some helps in this area, check out the Discipleship Tools page on this web site.
World Events & Reading
After getting your spiritual life in order, the next thing you can do is start building your vision. One of the best ways to start building your vision is to familiarize yourself with what is going on in the world. While there are obviously many blessing to living in the US, one of the downsides is that we can become insulated from what is happening in the rest of the world. To combat this, you can look at non-US news sources, like the BBC (www.bbcnews.com). Web sites like foxnews.com and cnn.com may be first-class new organizations, but the coverage they give is mostly US focused, with a few snippets from outside the US. In contrast, sites like BBC, have a much broader range of regional coverage with little or no reference to the US or Europe. If you have some idea of a particular country that you are interested in, try to find a news source from there. For example, my family and I are going to Kenya. In Kenya, the leading new source is The Daily Nation (www.nation.co.ke) and I try to reference it from time to time for a Kenyan perspective on the news.
Another way to build your vision to read missionary biographies. There are numerous fine literary works about the men and women of faith that God has used in the past – William Carey (Missionary to India and Father of Modern Missions), Adoniram Judson (Missionary to Burma and First American Foreign Missionary), Jim Elliot (Missionary to Ecuador and Martyr). These are just a few of the possibilities. These are great tools to help build your faith, showing what God can do with people who are fully committed to Him and His Kingdom. Another possibility is the book From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions
by Ruth Tucker. Tucker takes a broad view of missionary activity from the First Century through the Present. This may sound intimidating, but in fact the book is very readable and exciting.
Take a Perspectives Class
One of the most significant steps in my personal journey was taking the Perpsectives on the World Christian Movement class offered through the U.S. Center for World Mission in Pasadena, CA. This is an in depth class that looks at the biblical foundations of missions, the history of world missions, the current situation and the task remaining, and strategies for completing the task of reaching the furthest corners of the earth. This class is not just for the person going to the mission field, but for anyone who wants to get a vision for God’s plan for the world and wants to find their place in it. The class can audited for personal enrichment or taken for college credit. Classes are offered throughout the US and you can find a class near you at www.perspectives.org. It is possible that there are no classes meeting in your vicinity. For those in that situation, it is possible to take the class online via the internet – Click Here for further details regarding online opportunities.
Go See for Yourself
Finally, go see for yourself. There is no substitute for being there – seeing with your own eyes, touching with your own hands. One of the many blessings that modern air travel has made available is access to literally any place in the world. You can get on an airplane tomorrow and be any where in 24 hours. This has opened the door for all manner of Short Term Mission Trips. Anyone in reasonably good health can go from Asia or Africa or Latin America. The only limitation is your imagination and your budget. But do not let money stand your way. Most groups plan to go several months in advance and work through various fund raising activities. For a few possibilities check out the Church of God Global Missions web page – Eye on the World. Here you will find a lisitng of upcoming trips, with contact information, from churches across the US.
Conclusion
In closing, I want to encourage you stay on the path. For ideas regarding current cross-cultural opportunities with Church of God Global Missions check out this link: Current Opportunities.
We have a Big God who can handle Big Dreams – DREAM BIG. Remember William Carey’s motto:
“Expect Great Things from God. Attempt Great Things For God.”
It is about 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Acts 1:3, tells us that Jesus used the time between His resurrection and His ascension back to the Father to teach His disciples more about the Kingdom of God. Near the end of this time, Jesus gave His disciples what is now popularly called the Great Commission:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, as you are going, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.
Similarly in Acts 1:8, what I like to call the Acts Commission:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
It has been nearly two-thousand years since Jesus commissioned those original disciples to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As His disciples today, His command is no less binding on us than ist was on the eleven standing on the mountain in Galilee. So, how are we doing in the task? How much has been accomplished? How much work is left to be done? Let’s look at a few statistics:
Current World Population: ~6 billion.
Christians: 1.97 billion (32% – From all traditionals and commitment levels)
Evangelicals:648 million (Christians actively involved in the Great Commission)
Other Faiths:
Islamic: 1.3 billion (21%)
Non-Religious: 938 million (15%)
Hindu: 820 million (13%)
Buddhist 400 million (6.5%)
All Others: 572 million (9.5%)
Now I realize that these are big numbers and probably a little hard to get your brain around, so another way to think about this is in terms of people groups. The total population of 6 billion people can be divided into 24,000 people groups. Each of these people groups each have their own dialect, history, foods, and relational structures. Of these 24,000, 10,000 people groups are considered unreached. This means that they have no viable witness within their culture through which they can hear the Gospel – no Bibles, no radio, no literature, no church on the corner, not a single believer to speak for Christ.
So it seems very clear that much work still needs to be done. Thousands are entering a Christless eternity everyday. So, what is being done to reach these people with the love of Christ. Surely, with all of the missionaries that have been and are being sent, we are well on our way to bridging this gap. Let’s take a look:
76% of all Christian Workers work in majority Christian areas (60%+ of the population claim some relationship with Jesus).
97.6% of all Missionaries are working among the Reached People groups. This means that 2.4% of all missionaries are working among the 10,000 unreached people groups.
Of the 6,909 recognized languages in the world today, 2,393 have no Bible in their heart language.
It would seem that something has to change. We need to be creative in our thinking. The old ways simply will not work any more. The answers that can be offerred to solve this problem are almost unlimited. However, I believe one of the keys to solving this problem is mobilizing the non-Western Church. In years gone by, the center of Christianity has been in Europe and North America, but during the last century this changed. There are now more Christians south of the equator than north. There are now more missionaries from Non-Western countries than from Western countries. Instead of the Western Church acting like the big brother of the Non-Western churches, we need to start partnering as equals, realizing that each has something of value to contirbute. Furthermore, if we can equip and energize the Non-Western churches, their missionaries can go places and do things that no Western missionary ever could.
Now you may be asking, well what about you. Aren’t you going to Kenya, one of the most Christianized nations on the continent of Africa and you would be correct. We are going to Kenya, but we are going to help train and empower the churches in Africa to go and the do the work. Furthermore, while I believe that God is calling our family to long term service, we are not necessarily tied to one type of ministry or one location. My ultimate goal is work myself out a job. I long to see the KIST (Kima International School of Theology) Extension program be completely staffed and administered by the African churches. My desire is to see the Church fully equipped to carry out the work of the Kingdom.
I do not claim to have all the answers, nor the perfect solution to these issues. What I do hope is that we might discuss and think deeply about these issues and seek God for the solutions. May we have the courage move on from here.
Israel…two-thousand years ago…and all is not well. Israel is in a time of great distress under the rule of Roman conquerors and tyrants like Herod the Great. As in the days of old, the people called out to God for relief, for a leader to save them, for a Messiah. And as before, God heard them, but when Israel was asking for a mighty king to lead them in a rebellion against the Romans, God chose to answer them in the must unlikely way possible. He answered them with a baby. This in and of itself is extra-ordinary enough, not to mention all of the other miracles that Matthew and Luke record regarding Jesus’ early years. However, one of the aspects of this story that grabs me every time I read it is the breadth of people involved in the story.
Of course we see Mary and Joseph, but there are many others of all descriptions and stations in life. Most notably, there were two very unlikely groups – the shepherds and the wise men. First, if you were planning to make great announcement, how would you do it? Most people would take it to the influential and the powerful, but who did God choose? He chose shepherds, some of the lowest of the low in Jewish society. Due to their work with animals, and the hours this required, they were considered ceremonially unclean and often were not able to keep up with all of the rituals of a “proper Jew.” Second, who could have predicted Gentile kings would come to worship at the manger? How could they know? After all, they were not Jews and did not worship at the Temple. Yet God chose to include them. Just as the entire nation of Israel was looking for the Messiah, both of these groups were on the same journey, looking for God’s miracle, following the star.
As followers of Jesus, we are all on the same path today. We are each seeking to the follow the bright Morning Star, Jesus (Re 22:16) and sometimes we get so focused on our own journey that we fail to notice those on the path with us that are so different from us. There are people on this path that we cannot even begin to imagine – rich and poor, powerful and powerless, famous and unknown – from every people, nation, and tongue on earth. The path that leads to life may be narrow, but is also very crowded. Every follower of Jesus is on the same path to a Heaven that is big enough for us all. Praise God, that He is big enough for us all!
Who has God placed on the journey beside you?
Is there someone that seems like an unlikely candidate for the path that you could reach out to? Someone not yet on the path? A brother or sister?
Yesterday evening (New Years Day), I watched one of my favorite movies, End of the Spear. If you have not seen it, you need to. The movie centers on the events and aftermath surrounding the tragic loss of 5 missionaries in the Ecuadorian jungle in 1956 during an attempt to bring the Gospel to a tribal group known as the Auca’s (the Quecha word for enemies). In the attempt, know as Operation Auca, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully, lost their lives. The subsequent publicity through Life magazine, and other outlets has inspired generations of missionaries, including me. Since I do not want to spoil the movie for those unfamiliar with the story, and the fact that several other books have been written dealing with every aspect of these events (See a list of resources at the end of this post), I will not go into further details regarding the movie.
What I do want to talk about is the current work of Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint, through the Indigenous Peoples Technology Education (i-TEC – www.itecusa.org) Center in Dunnellon, FL. After the death of his aunt, Rachel Saint, Steve Saint, along with his family, moved to Ecuador to live among the Waodani people (formerly known as Aucas). During their stay with the Waodani, they asked
Steve to help them gain skills that would allow them to better interact with the outside world and better care for their own people. As was typical for most of the 20th century through out most of the world, missionaries had ministered to the Waodani by giving them things and doing tasks for them: medical & dental treatment, building churches, giving them equipment, etc. As a result, the Waodani got the message that they we not capable of doing these things for themselves. They were dependent on outsiders. i-TEC was founded to deal with this issue – to provide the Waodani with the skills and tools needed for them to not only care for themselves, but to be better equipped to take their place in God’s Great Commission. Even today, with an estimated population of 2,000, only 80% of the Waodani have heard the Gospel with only 40% professing faith in Jesus Christ (Christianity Today, Jan 2006). The best hope for all Waodani to hear and respond to the Gospel lies with the Waodani themselves and they must be empowered to do the work that God has called them to do.
Check out the video below featuring Steve Saint explaining the problem and the how the work of i-TEC is seeking to equip the Waodani, and others, for ministry among their own people and beyond.
Well, its January 1st again and many people will be thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. According to About.com, some of the top ten News Year’s resolutions in the general US population include: Spending more time with family & friends, Fitness, Lose weight, Quit smoking, Quit drinking, Get out of debt, Get organized, etc. Yet despite all of the good intentions, according to a Marist poll taken in December 2009, of those who made resolutions last year, 65% made a valiant effort at least part of the year while 35% did not. Of the same group, 70% of men stuck with their commitments versus only 59% of women.
Among Christians there are other trends that seem to be more disturbing, especially in the area of biblical literacy. According to the Chicago Tribune in June 2007, the Bible is still the best-selling book in the US at 25 million copies sold annually. The same article states that 75% of Americans believe that the Bible is the word of God or inspired by the word of God. Yet despite the wide spread sales and availability of the Bible, it seems that this does not necessarily translate into esteem for or knowledge of the Bible.
Recent Barna Research Data gathered in Oct. 2009 showed that among young Christian adults (18-25):
Only 30% consider the Bible to be totally accurate in the principles it teaches.
56% believe the truths of the Bible are conveyed by other sacred texts, such as the Koran.
While many young adults are active users of the Bible, the pattern shows a clear generational drop-off – the younger the person, the less likely then are to read the Bible.
These trends are reflective of the general lack on biblical knowledge in US culture. According to Gary Burge, Professor of New Testament studies at Wheaton College, of incoming freshmen:
33% could not identify Matthew as an apostle.
33% could not point to the book of Acts as the place to find the missionary travels of Paul.
50% could not sequence the following: Moses in Egypt, Isaac’s birth, Saul’s death, Judah’s exile.
What is the reason for this trend toward biblical illiteracy? Why is it that even Christians do not know their Bible? Perhaps one of the most succinct explanations comes from Woodrow Kroll of Back to the Bible:
When we speak of creeping Bible illiteracy in America, we are not talking about the inability to read but the choice not to read . . . This failure to read the Bible consistently, or hear its truth consistently, is the major factor in Bible illiteracy in America.
Now you are probably asking, “Why did you quote all of these depressing statistics and trends?” The reason is that I am hoping that it will spur Christians everywhere back to the Bible – to read it, to study it, to memorize, to apply it to everyday life. To this end, I have included several links to resources to help you do just that in the coming New Year. Make it a priority for your life. Remember:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)
August 14, 2003, is day that many citizens of Canada and the United States will never forget. It was on this day that one the largest power outages in history occurred. It was on this day that many of us realized just how much we take electricity for granted and how dependent on electricity we have become as a society. Suddenly, unexpectedly, air conditioning, televisions, telephones, stoves, and traffic signals ceased to function.
Fortunately, the wide spread nature of this incident has not occurred again. Yet this situation is an everyday occurrence in many parts of the world. For example, in Africa, during the rainy season, you can expect the electricity to fail at least once a day for hours or days at a time. And this does not account for places like Kenya where drought has reduced production from hydroelectric plants reducing the availability of electricity to only 4-5 days each week. That of course assumes that electricity is available in any form. Much of Africa and central Asia not do have any access to electricity at all. In these places in the world, the only light available at night comes from fires, torches, or flashlights and even these are problematic. Fire is not easily portable and can be dangerous. Traditional flashlights run on batteries that run down quickly and are expensive or impossible to replace. With generating capacity and transmission infra-structure decades away, what can be done in the short term to address this situation?
SN-2 Flashlight
The SN-2 and the MiniBogo
One company that is working in this area is SunNight Solar Enterprises of Houston, TX. Through grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and assistance from the NASA Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, SunNight Solar has developed a rugged, dependable, solar rechargeable line of flashlights (SN-2 and MiniBogo) certified for use in third-world environment. The SN-2 model is a 2nd generation design utilizing 3 NiMH AA batteries that recharge via the built in solar panel and only need to be replaced every 2-3 years. By simply setting the flashlight in the sun for ~8hrs, the batteries are fully charged providing 4-5 hours of reading quality light. Both lights utilize high quality white LED lights with life expectancies of 10+ years. The light also features a carbiner style hook on the end to allow it be easily suspended from a nail or rope from the ceiling. This 2nd generation design, unlike its predecessor (the SL-1) includes 6 power settings to maximize battery life depending on the specific needs of the user. (See full specifications for the SN-2)
Personal Testimony
While it is true that the foregoing discussion does sound like a TV infomercial, it sounds that way because I have used SunNight Solarflashlights for almost 3 years and I am completely sold on this product. My family and I are heading out to Kenya as missionaries in the next few months. As a part of our preparation, we attended the HEART Missionary Training Institute in the fall of 2007 (See the November 17 posting for further information re. HEART.) The training took place in the context of third-world village with virtually no electricity. There were no indoor or outdoor lighting of any kind except for white gas lanterns. So flashlights were a necessity if you had to do anything after dark. Just before leaving for our trip, I discovered the SL-1 solar rechargeable flashlight on the web. Over the course of the 15 weeks were there, all of the other flashlights people had brought along slowly disappeared. They either could not take the punishment of the rugged environment or were too expensive to maintain in batteries. The only flashlights that remained throughout the entire 15 weeks were our two SL-1s. Each morning we would lay them out in the sun, and every night they would be fully charged ready for use, including reading books. They were the single best investment we made in preparation for our training and we are still using them almost everyday at home. My wife and I are so convinced, were have purchased an SN-2 for each of our family members and one for our vehicle for use in Kenya when we arrive.
Social Responsibility
African Boy w/ SunNight Solar Light
In addition to providing a excellent product, SunNight Solar has partnered with a number of NGOs (both secular and faith-based) in order to provide affordable lighting in some of the most needy parts of the world. They do this through a number of avenues. First, when you purchase a SN-2 or a MiniBogo, you have the opportunity to provide an additional light to an organization of your choice at a reduced rate. For example, if you purchase a SN-2 for $39.99, for additional $19.01 you can provide one additional light to an NGO. Second, you can contribute money for shipping lights around the world: 1 – $6.95, 2-$10.95, 3-$13.95. Third, you can buy an entire case of 50 MiniBogo lights at a reduced rate (50 for $750.00 or $15.00 each – Normally, $19.99). Thus, you can help individually or work together on a group project. Either way will give the gift of light in some of the darkest places in the world.
Needless to say, I think this one of the best products on the market with great potential for use at home and helping to meet the needs of people all over the world. If you would to know about my experiences with the SunNight Solar flashlights just drop me a line at dave@forthemultitude.org.
Over the years, as I have talked to people returning from overseas, especially from those returning from the third-world, one recurring theme has been that people were shocked by the cultural differences they encountered. In some cases, it was the differences in food. For others it was the different understanding of time, personal space, or privacy. For some it was the lack of reliable electricity or the constant struggle to have pure drinking water. Others were almost paralyzed by the poverty and desperate situations they saw. Whatever the reason, those serving overseas, whether short or long-term, experience all of these things to some extent. No one in immune. The key is how you respond to issues like these and it is your response that will determine how effective you will be in the ministry that God has called you to. If you are able to move past the initial shock and adapt to the situation, you will be able truly identify with the people you have come to serve and be able to reach out effectively.
This type of situation is not unique for people moving into a cross-cultural situations. Those who serve our communities in the military, law enforcement, or fire/paramedic rescue are well aware that dealing with stressful, shocking, or unfamiliar situations is difficult and that only way to ensure that they will respond in an appropriate fashion is preparation. In each of the aforementioned cases, people in these professions study, train, and rehearse what they will do when confronted by difficult situations, so when the time comes, they automatically know what to do and do it. Similar opportunities are also available for those who a planning to serve cross-culturally, especially for those serving in the third-world. One of the best facilities for this type of training is the HEART Missionary Training Institute in Lake Wales, FL.
The HEART program (Hunger Education and Resource Training) is a unique facility, located in central Florida, with the primary goal of preparing missionaries and community development workers for service in the third-world. The training takes place in the midst of a simulated third-world village where the students live and work as if they were living in the third-world. Shelters are simple 2×4 plywood cabins. There is not indoor plumbing, limited or no electricity, water that must be pumped and purified, pit latrines, and the students live together, in community working together to carry out the tasks necessary for daily life. Were this the entirety of the HEART program, this in and of itself would invaluable for people planning to serve cross-culturally. While it is not exact, the students get a strong sense of what life will be like in the third-world, in a safe and controlled environment. The net result is that after going through the HEART program, the realities of life in third-world loose their sting because the student has already experienced and survived in a similar situation.
However, the HEART program does not stop there. In addition to the experiences of community life in a third-world setting, HEART offers a fully accredited set of courses in community development, cross-cultural ministry, and personal spiritual development. The community development curriculum includes courses in sustainable agriculture, appropriate technology, nutrition, health care, and small animal husbandry. The program is offered in two formats. Starting in the Fall, each year running from September thru December, the program is offered in a 15 week semester and can be taken for college credit. This is the premiere program offered through HEART and provides the most benefit for the student. The second format is a 3 week condensed version of the training that typically runs in May each year. Both programs are appropriate for singles as well as families. The shorter 3 week program is especially appropriate for those who are serving on a short term basis.
In our preparation for our ministry in Africa, this was one of the best things that my family and I ever did. If you are considering the HEART program, send me an email and I would be glad to share about our experiences in greater detail. You can also check out HEART’s web site a www.heartvillage.org.
As you know from my last post, my family and I are currently attending pre-field training at Mission Training International in Palmer Lake, CO. This week we have been attending our final week of the PILAT (Program in Language Acquisition Techniques) program. During this week we have been learning about how to choose a language helper and the realities of life during the language learning phase of ministry as well as more about working language helpers and phonetics.
In the past, language learning has been viewed as a necessary evil (i.e. time wasted) that is an obstacle that must be overcome in order to get on with real ministry. However, in recent years, the concept of “language learning” as ministry has been introduced. At first glance, some might say that this is just a cute way of justifying inefficiency on the mission field. While it is true that when a missionary spends time on language they are not standing before people preaching the gospel, the charge that they are not engaged in ministry is simply not true. For decades, the western church has been enthralled with the idea of preaching the Gospel to huge crowds, thinking that just getting the message out will bring people to Christ. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this is not the case. Some decisions made in the large group situation are genuine, many others not, and many people are turned off by such presentations. Instead, the more effective way of reaching people is through relationship. If you can get to know someone in daily life, opportunities will naturally arise to discuss issues of faith. In this type of setting, people feel more comfortable and they have the experience of seeing Christ in your daily life. Decisions made for Christ as the result of relationship a generally much more lasting and vibrant. This has been found to be true here in the US and even more so overseas. Most non-Western cultures are relationship based – the most important thing in life is relationship.
For the new missionary on the field, the period allotted for language learning is a critical opportunity for developing relationships in the communities where they are serving. Most people, when encountering someone attempting to learn their language, are thrilled. Some people will bend over backwards to help new person who shows interest in their culture and language. For the missionary who is willing to get out into the community, this period of language learning will provide them with innumerable contacts – neighbors, people walking to work, shopkeepers, etc. Overtime, as the new missionary’s language improves, solid relationships will be formed that will provide many opportunities for ministry. Rather than being an outsider who comes to conduct a big tent meeting through an interpreter, the missionary will have earned a place in the community and the right to be heard.
Now having said all that, you may be asking “What does that have to do with enhancing a short term mission trip?” Well, one of the things that make short term mission trips difficult for some people is that they never get over the feeling of being an outsider. Granted, one is not likely to become an integral part of the community during a 10-14 day trip. However, if you could take on the attitude of “language learner” Yyu may find your short term mission experience much more fulfilling. Just as the long term missionary develops relationships with people through contact, the same thing can happen for short term missionaries. Make a conscience effort to get out into the community. Take a walk down the street and greet every one you meet. Stop in a few shops, see what’s for sale and talk with the shopkeeper. If you are with team, be sure that the team leader knows where you are going and how long you plan to be gone. Also, check with your hosts to see if there are places you should not go or cultural things that are important to know. If you do not feel comfortable going by yourself, go with a team partner or with one your hosts. If possible, you should learn a few simple sentences explaining your name, where you are from, and what you are doing during your visit prior to your departure from home. Another way to do this is work with your host by pointing at various things around the room and having them speak the proper word in their language.
These are just a few ideas. Again, you will not become fluent in such a short period of time, but you will feel a much greater connection with the community and the people you are going serve. If you can make it clear that you are learner seeking to know more about the culture you are visiting, you will be surprised how people will open up. So the next time your are traveling abroad, why not try a few of these things and see what happens. I think you will find that you will have much more meaningful and productive experience. If any of you are brave enough to try this, email me some your experiences.
Over the next several weeks (5 to be exact), my family and I are attending two training sessions that will help prepare us for the mission field. The first is a two week program called PILAT – Program in Language Acquistion Techniques. This is program not aimed at learning a specific language. Instead, it focuses on providing us with tools and methods that are universally useful in learning another language. For example, for the last two days we have practiced working with a language helper using variety of methods. Many people learning a new language will employ a language helper. This person is typically native speaker of your target language whose main job is to help with language comprehension, pronunciation, and cultural understanding. An example of training with a language helper might include walking around the room, pointing at various objects, and having your language helper say the proper word. In response, the learner may repeat after the language helper, with the language helper correcting the learner’s pronunciation. Another example of how a language learner can help is in the area of gestures and contact. For example, among the Jeh people of Vietnam it is okay to point your finger at someone, provided that your palm is up. However, if you point your finger at someone with the palm down, you are accusing them of being a lair. These are just few of the things we are learning in our training. I am hoping to write a new post each week in order to keep you up to date.
In addition to the training that Bonnie and I are receiving, Joshua and Michael are having similar training, geared to their level. They have learning games to help them learn new words and they are studying how our mouths move to make different sounds. As might be expected, Colorado is beautiful, but we are much closer to winter than we would be at home. We actually had snow yesterday, but it did not stick. We are expecting much more during our stay since, according to the locals, Colorado always gets their biggest snow fall of the year in October. Well, that is about it for now. If you have any questions about what is going on, just leave a comment below or send us an email. Look for our next update next week.
It has finally happened. We are now fully funded and on June 16th, we will board the plane for Kenya. Things have gotten very hectic. We received the formal news on April 14th and became Church of God Ministries employees on May 1st. My last day at Christian Women Connection™ (formerly Women of the Church of God) was Friday, May 7th. It has been almost 5 years since God initially blessed us with my position at CWC and I will greatly miss all of my sisters. As a going away present, they took us to see Hello Dolly! at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theater. It was truly blessed time.
Over the years, as I have talked to people returning from overseas, especially from those returning from the third-world, one recurring theme has been that people were shocked by the cultural differences they encountered. In some cases, it was the differences in food. For others it was the different understanding of time, personal space, or privacy. For some it was the lack of reliable electricity or the constant struggle to have pure drinking water. Others were almost paralyzed by the poverty and desperate situations they saw. Whatever the reason, those serving overseas, whether short or long-term, experience all of these things to some extent. No one in immune. The key is how you respond to issues like these and it is your response that will determine how effective you will be in the ministry that God has called you to. If you are able to move past the initial shock and adapt to the situation, you will be able truly identify with the people you have come to serve and be able to reach out effectively.
As you know from my last post, my family and I are currently attending pre-field training at Mission Training International in Palmer Lake, CO. This week we have been attending our final week of the PILAT (Program in Language Acquisition Techniques) program. During this week we have been learning about how to choose a language helper and the realities of life during the language learning phase of ministry as well as more about working language helpers and phonetics.
Over the next several weeks (5 to be exact), my family and I are attending two training sessions that will help prepare us for the mission field. The first is a two week program called PILAT – Program in Language Acquistion Techniques. This is program not aimed at learning a specific language. Instead, it focuses on providing us with tools and methods that are universally useful in learning another language. For example, for the last two days we have practiced working with a language helper using variety of methods. Many people learning a new language will employ a language helper. This person is typically native speaker of your target language whose main job is to help with language comprehension, pronunciation, and cultural understanding. An example of training with a language helper might include walking around the room, pointing at various objects, and having your language helper say the proper word. In response, the learner may repeat after the language helper, with the language helper correcting the learner’s pronunciation. Another example of how a language learner can help is in the area of gestures and contact. For example, among the Jeh people of Vietnam it is okay to point your finger at someone, provided that your palm is up. However, if you point your finger at someone with the palm down, you are accusing them of being a lair. These are just few of the things we are learning in our training. I am hoping to write a new post each week in order to keep you up to date.
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