February 2009 News

It has been a month since I began this journey at AMG, and I am excited about what God is doing in my heart, in my family, and with friends. As a missionary, it is my distinct pleasure to attempt to develop a team of people that will pray for us, give to support us, and even plan to join us on the adventures we will be taking. I have been thrilled with the responses of people that are joining with us. I am looking forward to great things.

This year so far, we have 20 short term missions trips planned - Guatemala (4 trips), Peru (5 trips), Mexico (2 trips), Haiti (4 trips), Uganda (2 trips), Greece(2 trips), and the Philippines. I will have the privilege of going on 3 of these trips, and I look forward to some of you joining me in the near future.


Dee and Kendra in Peru '08

My work so far has been to help plan these trips, paperwork, filing, scheduling, pursuing airfare, documentation, insurances... yeah, I know it sounds like a lot of fun :-)

Please pray for the people that are planning to go on these trips. Pray for financing to be available. Pray for their hearts to be prepared in advance. Pray for the people we will be ministering to, especially the kids, that the Holy Spirit would go before us to prepare their hearts as well. Pray for health and safety, and balance that prayer with a prayer for lessons in trust and dependence on God. Pray for wisdom. Pray for cultural sensitivity.

See - there is much work for you to do - that is why I need partners like you. Thanks.

Why the title "broken things... mount with wings"?

Just the other night, I got my wife a drink and as I handed her the glass I realized it had a hairline crack in it. I alerted her to the problem, and told her I would get another glass if she wanted it - she declined and enjoyed her drink. Needless to say, after she finished her drink, I threw the glass away. Why? Broken things are useless. I've broken bones, tools, a number of rakes (in just one raking season), windows, picture frames, glass tables... and on and on the list goes. However, I do not recall ever using those broken things for a greater purpose than originally intended. I have used broken rakes to allow my son to help me - the shorter handle made it easier on him. I have used peices of a couple of broken things to make one good fixed thing - ie my 2 novas that became 1.

Anyway, I say all of that to say that my God allowed me to be broken that He might use me in a capacity greater than I had dreamed. My pride and arrogance - broken by His love. My confidence in my own abilities - broken by His love. My vision for my life - broken by His love. For so long I concluded that my sin had broken me beyond use... I fully expected to be discarded by God. However, God uses broken things and allows them - if they will submit to His direction - to mount up with wings as eagles (Is. 40:31). I am an evidence of God's faithfulness, grace, mercy and love - taking a broken thing and giving it wings.

Would you consider taking a short term missions trip?

What is your fondest memory? As you look back on your life, what event was the most meaningful? Does anything jump out as the most significant thing you have ever done?

I would challenge you to think about taking a short term missions trip with me. You see, as I look back at my life, my fondest memories are my camp and missions trip experiences. From working at a mission camp in Alaska to hanging out with kids in Brooklyn, New York, from working on a church building in Puerto Rico to playing games with kids in France, sharing Jesus Christ with people through relationship is the greatest experience a person could ever have - apart from accepting Christ as their Savior themselves. I have seen glaciers in Alaska and the phosphorescent bay in Puerto Rico. I have climbed to the Eiffel Tower in France and the Statue of Liberty in New York City. From beach side sunrises to moutain top sunsets, the beauty of our Creator screams of His glory and majesty. However, nothing is more beautiful as sharing a laugh with a child and sharing with him the truth that this glorious Creator desires to have him as a part of his family.

Would you consider going to visit orphans in Uganda to share the love of Christ with them? Or how about traveling with me to the mountains of Peru and handing a bible to thousands who have never heard of Jesus before? Would you think about working in a clinic helping sick people receive physical aid and spiritual instruction? Or maybe you would be best used in a camp situation teaching kids to play ball and give them life lessons as well?

THINK ABOUT IT - these memories do not fade quickly, and the fruit can be eternal.

Isn't technology great?

I have been informed that the way of the world is blogging and facebook, so I am being brought up to speed. Yes, I now have both a blog and a facebook page - both of which are basically blank. In just a few short weeks however, I anticipate them being filled with articles and images that anyone in the world can review.

The obvious question is, "Is that a good thing?"

I mean, why would anyone be interested in reviewing pictures or thoughts from me? And if in fact they are, for what reason?

Is this new technology the means by which we will keep track of each other? The means by which we will relate with one another? The method by which we will communicate our passions, our goals, our successes and our failures, our likes and dislikes, our opinions...?

It seems to me that as I sit here and write these thoughts, that there is little risk of saying whatever I would like, and I fear very little reprise as I assume it will not be read anyway. However, Tomatu in Zimbabwe or Song Lee in Singapore or John Smith in Philadelphia may have typed in the word "technology" on their search engine and they end up reading thoughts from some guy in Tennessee.

I wonder if this amazing tool of internet blogs and communication can be successful in developing real relationship, or if it hinders our ability to interact with others in a real way. Real relationship involves risk. Real relationship involves work. Real relationship involves vulnerability. Real relationship involves honesty that might be painful. Can these necessities of real relationship be met by electronic interaction?

On the contrary, psuedo-relationship requires very little reality, and can flourish without the work required for real relationship. However, what are the products of psuedo versus real relationships? Real relationship produces true friendships -psuedo-relationship produces false friendships. Real relationship produces security within the friendship - psuedo-relationship produces security regardless of the friendship. Real relationship produces interconnectedness of lives and stories - psuedo-relationship produces connectedness apart from other relationships.

I love what technology allows us to do. I love the ease at which we can reconnect with people and places that have played a key role in our development. I love the simplicity of hunting down the information that I desire as a result of being part of the "google" generation. But the questions must be posed - At what point does the latest and greatest technological advances stop helping me relate to others, and begin isolating me from others?

I am not certain that question has been answered - and probably by most not even asked.