So excited! :D

In just a few minutes I'll be leaving for the airport. I'm so looking forward to seeing my colleagues in Charlotte, NC for staff meetings and a weekend retreat. We've got Ray coming from CA, Ken from MN, Anthony from NY, Christie from Nigeria and other volunteers of TEN3 I've never met in person before. From what I'm seeing in preparations already, we'll probably be turning our priorities on their heads a few times over as we strategize!

Please be in prayer for us as we make plans for 2013, that the Lord guide us and we all be attentive to Him. Pray that we enjoy good fellowship and leave in one accord with an idea how to serve the Church here and in Africa.

Back in the saddle

Yes, I'm sorry, I so meant to post at least once this past month. Thank you for not giving up on me. For those of you who don't know, about twice a year I work at the South Plains College Bookstore (thanks to my dad who's the text manager there). It's 4-6 weeks of full time (or more) work, and after spending all day on my feet, unpacking, stacking, and counting books, or walking dozens of people around the store finding their books and filling internet orders, and some draining issues my family is working through, it was a fight to stay awake long enough to answer my TEN3 e-mails in the evenings. I'm really thankful, though, for the chance to earn some money without having to put my ministry on hold for more than a few weeks at a time. God takes care of me very well :)

Don't worry, I haven't been totally idle with TEN3, though! I got an upgrade to my Puppy Linux distro, which hopefully will solve some of the problems I've run into in the Spreadsheet Essentials conversion. If I have time, it would be good to test some of the word processing features I could never get to work (like bibliography entries) and see if we can bring those elements back with this upgrade. I also had an interesting Skype meeting with some partners in Nigeria, which I'll share about later.

I'd also had my Relationship Development Ministry (newsletters, this blog, meetings and other letters inviting people to pray and give to my ministry) more or less on hold, but as you can see I'm jumping on that again! Missed you all! I'll have some more news to share soon, but for now I thank you all for your faithfulness to remember and pray for me.

Do not forsake the work of Your hands

Christie tells me things have gotten a lot better in Jos over the past week, so I thank God for that. But I also learned that Anthony's stay in Nigeria, in which he was going to mentor teachers to offer and spread our Computer Training Outreach, was cancelled. Christie is going to proceed to offer the training Anthony planned. Please pray for her as she takes on so much responsibility amid distress and uncertainty.

Christie leading a devotion at the 2011 ECWA principals' conference

  7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.  
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. - Psalm 138:7-8

New possibility

Anthony and Claude, TEN3's president and CEO, had a prayer retreat this week, and Saturday they called me about an idea they had of an extra skill I could pick up that might help TEN3 and me significantly. We like the idea, but it would require a lot of time and potentially push back my return to Africa even further.

Please pray with us that the Lord make it clear whether He would have me pursue this idea or not.

Yay! ... zzzzz

Blow the fanfare, I have finished the Puppy Linux revision of Computer Essentials!!!!

I thank God the links actually seem to have cooperated (with a little urging), so I've got it nice and pretty and functional before Monday, which is when Anthony will start packaging them.

But of course, wouldn't you know it, tonight I can't seem to mount our server to upload them. Always something ... You know, I hope those storms didn't take out our work server! Wow, and I've been having trouble with FB and my work e-mail too ... But I ought to take this reminder to pray for all those affected by the storm and the heat.

Okay, time to go to bed before my tiredness manifests itself in loopy blogging!

A great explanation of the vision for transformational education

A lot of people have wondered how making an education system can be missions. In Missions Frontiers, an article called "Discipling Africa through Higher Education: A proposal for an African Christian University" explains why education is such a critical need if we are ever to see a significant percentage of Africans transformed by the Gospel. While Dr. Turnbull's approach is to implement it in one working university, we are working on a model that can be reproduced in any number of schools. Click here and start on page 16.

God is our refuge and strength

When I tell Christians I travel to Africa, Nigeria in particular, I am surprised by how often they comment something like, "Isn't it dangerous? You shouldn't go over there." I don't know how to respond to these attitudes that I must be really brave or foolish; I don't think either is a factor in my travel. And if it is, what do you say about the Apostle Paul's decision to go to Jerusalem when God had told him plainly he'd be arrested there? Not to mention all the places he was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked ...

What I do is nothing in comparison. I'm more nervous at airport security than I've ever been in Africa, where people go to great lengths to welcome us. The really brave Christians today are the ones who live in North Korea, Somalia, Iran ... their lives and families are on the line every day for their faith.

Yes, when I go to Africa, there's malaria and waterborne diseases to guard against. Yes, there is violence. It has ethnic, territorial, and religious aspects to it. Expatriates usually aren't involved, but terrorists have bombed a lot of churches there. So I do ask for prayer for the safety of my friends in Nigeria, and for my team when we go out. But I don't see why that should be a reason not to go, if hundreds of thousands of my brothers and sisters can live and worship there.

"I can't believe your parents let you go over there" is another expression I get. But it's my mom who told me that safety anywhere is an illusion. After all, any car ride could be our last. The only security anyone can really have is in the Rock of Ages, in whom there is no such thing as danger.

My soul rests in God alone.
My salvation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress--
I will never be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man,
would all of you throw him down,
like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place.
They delight in lies.
They bless with their mouth,
but they curse inwardly. Selah
My soul, wait in silence for God alone,
for my expectation is from Him.
He alone is my rock, my fortress.
I will not be shaken.
With God is my salvation and my honor.
The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people.
Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Surely men of low degree are just a breath,
and men of high degree are a lie.
In the balances they will go up.
They are together lighter than a breath.
Don't trust in oppression. Don't become vain in robbery.
If riches increase, don't set your heart on them.
God has spoken once; twice I have heard this,
that power belongs to God.
Also to You, Lord, belongs loving kindness,
for You reward every man according to his work.

--Psalm 62