MoveIn ministry

Today's MissionPrep lesson included a field trip to MoveIn headquarters. What's MoveIn? Glad you asked.

It's the simplest mission model I've ever heard. If you're a Christian with a heart for making disciples among the unreached, keep your regular job and just change living situations. Move in to a poor unreached community. In big cities, there are whole apartment buildings in which the residents are over 90% from unreached ethnicities, and so likely have never heard the gospel. Then talk to your neighbors as you wait in the elevator, the laundry room, the lobby. Knock on their doors and offer them a pie. They'll probably invite you in and eagerly converse. No 4" orientation manual, no support raising, no creative visas, no traveling troubles. Just move in and prayerfully live life among the lost and hurting ... like Jesus did. 

As we got in the car to head back to the conference building, one of the attendees, Eric, echoed my thoughts almost exactly: "It seems like that should be the default Christianity." I really hope that catches on--Christians being intentional about incarnational ministry among those within their reach.

MissionPrep topic: Theology of Suffering

I'm finishing my first of two weeks of MissionPrep in Toronto. Yes, it's cold! (I'm really hoping I get to go ice skating sometime while I'm here!) This is the last phase of required training before I can move to Zambia. Yay! The subject is how to minister effectively and thrive personally in another culture. Topics have included spiritual formation, cross-cultural communication, different worldviews, theology of suffering, and incarnational ministry. All these are breezed over pretty quickly; the idea is to introduce issues and get us to ask questions to pursue on our own.

Probably the topic that has stuck out to me the most has been the theology of suffering, and the topic of risk assessment tied into it. I already understood that suffering is part of the Christian life, that it brings us closer to Christ and allows us to share in His glory. Likewise, risk is part of missions--after all, the mission field is essentially the front lines of the cosmic war we are in. There will be casualties. But the question that troubles me is, what's the line between being willing and being foolhardy? That's so hard to say since there are many biblical examples of fleeing, avoiding, and embracing suffering. Now, Zambia is far from a high-risk area--it's quite peaceful, which is one of the reasons I've been assigned there rather than a "hotter" area of Africa. Anthony's risk/benefit analysis was that it would be better for everybody if I were to be in Zambia. And honestly, I don't think I'd have any anxiety about going to a more dangerous place if it was decided that's where I could minister most effectively. The question bothers me more on an emotional level, with personal risks I've chosen lately--choices for growth and potential blessing that I knew also would hurt. I guess the scary part is not knowing how much pain I'll find before it's all over. And for that reason, my think-it-through mind sometimes freaks out, because I want to know what I'm getting myself into. It's like anytime I'm getting stuck with a needle, I watch--because I cope better knowing the gory details than wondering what's happening. And yet I recall in my prayers over this decision, somehow I was more at peace with the idea of going forward with the unknowns than walking away. The ever-so-still words that came were, "This will change you. It will have a cost, and it will be worth it."

Please be in prayer for the remainder of this training, and that I will indeed hear a word behind me when I turn to the right or to the left saying, "this is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21). Finally, praise the God who loves us enough to suffer.

First Mini Mission Trip Sunday

Whenever I blog, it seems, is the only time I remember that I should have blogged multiple times over the last few weeks, but I got so busy with everything going on I forgot how much I have to tell :)

So for today I'll just focus on the event I'm excited about for Sunday: the mini mission trip. I'm taking my church on a 90-minute "mission trip to Africa." They're going to help set up some donated laptops into a mobile lab for a teacher in Africa to offer the CTO. During that time, I'll get to share how important it is to know God's story if we are to use the computer for His glory rather than let sin use it to rule us.

I'm a little nervous about the time limit--the mini mission trip was designed to be a 4-hour event, and while I am cutting out the biggest time-consuming part of the event, I have no idea if it will work out to take the proper amount of time or not. I'd appreciate prayer that we get through it with no unsurmountable glitches, and more than that, that the Lord will use it both to reach students in Africa and to bless everyone who comes with this experience with what the Lord is doing to make His glory great among the nations.

Which is better: one, or one million?

If anybody gets tired of me raving about the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course, please count that against my communication skills rather than the radiant course content. If you don't believe it can be that good, take it and see if your heart is not burning every week!

I've told people the course really took me "full circle." The first few weeks were incredibly affirming, because its focus was exactly what TEN3's passion is, telling the whole story of God's glory, making disciples whose lives sing that song. However, the next section made me struggle, because the focus was on Christ being worshiped in every people group. It made me want to give everyone that glorious vision. But then, I wondered, how am I supposed to then ask them to support me when I'm working with reached people groups, with people who are already Christians? I started to think I wasn't doing the really important work for the Kingdom like the missionaries who go to the unreached.

But then the last speaker pointed out that to get the task done, we don't need everyone with a passion for God's glory among the nations to be goers, or even goers and senders. We also need mobilizers. Imparting the vision, training, and resources to go to the unreached can be even more strategic than going oneself. "Which is better, 16 or 54?" he asked. He showed us the math of how if some of us take the role of mobilizer, it will multiply the number of goers. I think I heard God quietly ask me in that moment, "Which is better, 1 or 1 million?"

We in TEN3 believe that the most dangerous player for the Kingdom is the African church. Their passion for God is incredible. They are in a great strategic position to advance the Kingdom because they have not yet been consumed with the -isms that are crippling the West and hindering Asia. That's why they've been hit so hard by the enemy: in the mid-1900s, political and economic moves took the education system away from the Church, and it crumbled. It has left Africa behind in this rapidly changing world, dependent and still struggling in many places with basic survival when they should be storming the world. The entire continent was largely immobilized.

Now they are fighting back. West Africa has set a goal of sending a quarter million missionaries across the unreached of North Africa, and then to the rest of the 10/40 window. But they may still be immobilized by economics, instability, syncretism, etc. unless the Gospel penetrates the thinking of the whole culture. They need sound, Christ-centered education directing their understanding of all of life, or they will ever be needing people to come provide them with clean water and medical care instead of not only doing that for themselves, but also sending it to others. If we can give education with a sound biblical worldview, godly use of technology, and biblical health and life management, combined with our partner ministry Integrity Advance training them on essential values for sustainable institutions, to enough students to awaken them to the power of living under Christ, it can transform their helplessness to the power they've always meant to have in the Kingdom.

Part of me hopes that someday I'll get to go to the unreached. But for now, I'm not asking that people support me to reach one people group for Christ. I'm asking for support to mobilize an entire continent to advance the Kingdom of God to the unreached.

Pray for growth that is both fast and slow

In working with Anthony on our programming course, he had a lesson to teach me. Basically, I had been taking a shortcut that would teach some habits that would lead to problems down the road. He gave me an elaborate exercise defining and changing global, class, and local variables make sure I learned that there's a better way, and we need to make a habit of doing it right from the very beginning. That very much reflects TEN3's overall strategy. There are much faster ways of going about bringing education. Lots of organizations are using them. But they don't bring about lasting results in Africa. Why?

• They don't advance students to comprehension of the information they absorb.
• They don't take into account the realities about resources. If a course requires a daily or even weekly internet connection, there are lots of places it won't work. If it requires a library, there will probably not be one available.
• They don't use pedagogical principles like learning by doing, immediate practical application, and oral transmission, and mastery learning. 

The Lord told us that for education to be truly valuable in Africa, it would have to be built from the ground up. That takes time. Yet we also sense the urgent need for it to spread on a large scale before certain irreversible changes happen that will take over all education worldwide - and which the enemy will be able to use to capture minds across the world.

So fast or slow? Careful or quick? We have a great program in the Computer Training Outreach, but as we try to get it implemented and develop new material, please pray it will be simple enough to spread quickly, but solid enough to endure and enable young people's minds to be rooted and grounded in Christ. Please pray for its implementation in countries across Africa and the Caribbean, that it gives the world an education that is based on the real beginning of knowledge - the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7)

The #1 deterrent to new missionaries

"How do your mom and dad feel about your going overseas?"
"That must be hard on your parents."

I hear that kind of thing often, especially in church. I find it a little difficult to answer, since yes, I know it's hard on them to think of their daughter across the world. I'm pretty sure it's easier on them when I tell them I'm going to Zambia (probably the world's most peaceful country) than, say, Nigeria, or when I talk about possibilities in Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. Wherever I go, they track my flights so they know in real time what longitude I'm at. But it's not as if I'm at odds with them about it. They're proud of my career choice. They wanted to be missionaries themselves when they were young--I got my heart for God's renown from them!

Last night I realized why I hear those questions about my parents' response so much. At Perspectives, it was reported that for young-adult Christians, the number one deterrent from the mission field is Christian parents.
That's sobering to me to realize just what state Christianity is in. Yes, we want to go to heaven, we'll go to church and listen to Air1 and share the "biblical values" memes on Facebook. Just don't ask us to sacrifice.

It's so sad to me that these Christian parents don't know God's heart at all, don't see that when God invites us to pray that He be gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us, it is SO THAT we may be a blessing, making Him known among the earth, His salvation among all nations. As Bryan Padgett said last night, being a disciple who loves Jesus means being willing to lay down life and limb, and yes, even family, at the opportunity to make His Name glorious among the nations.

Turtle-herding mad scientist not selling anything

     Now that I'm full-time, what's my job like these days? Well, sometimes I feel like a salesman. I'm visiting lots of churches asking if they'll consider helping acquire and set up laptops. Even though I'm not selling anything or even asking for money – I just want a way to bless churches as they bless Africa – it does have the challenges of "cold calling." But when I get to meet with people who have a heart for the Lord and His kingdom, it's such a delight. I've raised about 15 laptops so far; please pray for many more. Also, please help by making this need known. I have brochures I can send you to share at your church or workplace. You can also help by sharing our Facebook link.
     Sometimes my job feels like herding turtles. That's when I'm running slow processes on several computers at once. While waiting on one, I go to another, and then turn back to the first one, exclaiming, "Wait a second—what are you doing!?"
     Lately I feel like a mad scientist. A mad scientist in the discipline of geekiness attempting to restructure the anatomy of a hard drive, accidentally killing it, and now trying to resurrect it.
     The programming course we've been working on continues to make progress, albeit with difficulties. We're mainly struggling through the technical side now, so please pray that for that as well as the discipleship within the course.
     And what is all this accomplishing? Christie got to share Mothers & Media with 700 pastors' wives recently. She has many requests to teach it to church congregations as well. Parents are starting to sense that technology is taking their children's minds and hearts from them and from the Lord, and are pleading for help to fight back. Please pray for helpers for her to spread this ministry all over Nigeria. She also told us a few weeks ago that she's had five more CTO students give their lives to Christ.
     I am so thankful for all of you who keep praying for me. In the war for the hearts and minds of the millenial generation, there's obviously a call for my work (silly analogies and all), but the vital need is for prayer warriors.