Update on Thursday, August 18

Good afternoon (EST),

I've been home for two and a half days.  I arrived Monday evening, and I slept until Tuesday afternoon.  Reacquainting myself with life here has been fairly easy, though I can honestly say that two moments of anxiety caught me off-guard. I attribute them to a lack of rest (which is different from sleep) and lack of schedule.  Once you remove structure from a person's life, you remove the likelihood of any meaningful forward progress (because you're no longer on track to some desired destination).  Thankfully, I did have some minor plans to implement upon returning, and so I've been at work on those (unpacking, looking into some work opportunities, writing some reflections on my time in the Balkans, considering how my capacity for ministry has changed and where I now fit as a servant in the local church, etc.).  Catching up with friends and family is also wonderfully comforting.  Most of my stories are probably not the typically expected missionary story, because I didn't travel as a typical missionary.  Some of my most exciting stories are how God opened up people to accept me into their lives so that I might offer them advice.  One time in particular, a man's destiny was revealed in a meeting - though I'm unsure if he'll move forward in that direction immediately (I hope he will).  The other day I unwound by reading my uncle's novel.  It's a great story about a Lutheran minister who volunteers as a local police chaplain - and the thrilling investigation which overtakes his community and life.  The story is riveting.

I'll probably be presenting about my travels at a church service in the weeks ahead.  We have several missionaries back on furlough this summer, and my pastor's series on "Encounters with the Holy Spirit" will soon start.  Thus, I will probably have something short and sweet to offer near the end of the month during a break in the service.  If you're interested in watching it, the streaming video will be available here.

So...I'm trying to identify the most promising path for moving forward, and I recognize that my commitment to that "groove" will only deepen during the next phase of my days here.  If you have some thoughts of your own that could help me move forward and use what I've learned to help others and also fit some model for financial compensation (a.k.a. job, work, start-up business, etc.), then please share them with me.  I'm sure you have a lot of wisdom and know a lot of people.  ;)

Some of my other readings alongside the Bible (Dr. Professor Horner's Bible Reading Plan - check it out!) at this moment are:

• "The Ultimate Proof of Creation:  Resolving the Origin's Debate"
• "Global Negotiations:  The New Rules"
• Essays on Christology
• Essays on Global Politics
• An essay on Islam
• A couple books about professional sales

Please pray for me in putting together a solid, representative PowerPoint presentation for my church family and having a clear vision for what I will share in the time I'm given.  Please also pray for the continued fruitfulness of the mission fulfilled in the Balkans.  And, pray for this transition in my life as I look for work that aligns with my passionate mission to follow Jesus, to call others to do the same, and to use our influence and abilities in the marketplace and gifts in the church to increase the presence and power of godliness in our cultures.

The end draws near...I am coming soon.

I am returning soon - in less than a week.  As the end of my days here approaches, I have much to think on and consider.  Reflection is and will be my exercise of understanding so that wisdom might abound through obedience. A few more opportunities to consult may arise, and so please keep praying for discernment about speaking truth in love when I am to speak and that I would hold my tongue when I ought so that presumption doesn't strike my soul.  I praise God that He continues to birth new faith in my heart and that I grow in hope.  Pray the brothers and sisters here live by faith and not by sight - because the days are dark even though the truth is shining in our hearts.  Do not be deceived and fall into cynicism yourselves.  The Lord has overcome the world, its ruler, and their darkness.  He is the Lord of all.  If you aren't living like He is, begin today. 

Friday, July 29, 2011

I'm heading to Romania earlier than planned.  Instead of going by train Sunday night, I'll leave today with Christian (a BL brother) into northern Bulgaria in about an hour for some BL work, probably visiting a gathering or two and maybe speaking.  We'll meet up with one of the Romanian brothers tomorrow evening, and I'll head with that brother to Bucharest.  I'll be there until the 13th of August, at which point Nicky from the BL BG will pick me up and bring me back to Sofia.  I'll have the 14th in Sofia, and I'll start my return journey on the morning of the 15th, arriving in FW in the late evening.

Thanks for the continued prayer support and please don't let up.  The Romanian situation is that it may be the most ripe among the countries for work, as the evangelical presence is stronger there than even in BG (according to the brothers  in the other parts of the Balkans).  This may mean my potential for helping will increase as the "light is already shining" and a dominant attitude of hopefulness is present. 

Update on Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Greetings all,

I'm currently on a train from Bourgas, Bulgaria back to Sofia, Bulgaria, and it's about 10:10pm. 

I've been keeping on track with my daily Bible reading, and prayer has been more difficult, though God has given me more grace by giving me times to pray when I attended the youth conference and was unable to join in singing because of not knowing the songs or when praying and not knowing the language (and being without an interpreter).  I continue to be exceptionally blessed in traveling.  I have some small summaries of my daily activities during the past 2 weeks, but they are not very helpful without extended summaries.  Listening and learning has been the primary emphasis of these weeks.  I'm reevaluating the Bulgarian situation with churches, church-planting efforts, and business opportunities.  The brothers continue to show me great kindnesses in spending time with me and answering my questions and telling me their testimonies.  Because you have been praying for such I know I can tell you that God has granted me the wisdom asked for, both in sustaining my behavior and giving me the understanding and insight useful for my service.  I have been able to encourage many brothers and sisters during my recent stays.  And, I too have been encouraged with many words of affirmation from the brothers and sisters.

I am thinking about the opportunities all around me.

Unity and partnership are tricky things - because humility is foreign and a difficult subject for all of us.  It takes real vulnerability to willingly allow someone the chance to slam the door in your face, crush your heart, and diminish your status in front of others.  But, that's necessary for true partnership.  Partners aren't equals in the sense that each has the same responsibilities and authority.  Partners are equal in the sense that they are concerned for the good of the other and the accomplishment of the mission for which they've partnered.  When one partner is more concerned about something other than that mission and to the detriment of the other partner, you realize that you don't have a partnership.  You have something more akin to a parasitic relationship.  When I'm talking with church planters and pastors and I heard them speak about many problems, particularly problems that are the result of other pastors and church planters, my first thought is:  how are you humbling yourself to be a part of the reconciliation needed.  I spoke with one brother at length about this today.  He could be incredibly useful for a specific NEEDED change that would positively affect his entire country for generations into the future, but I noticed some bitterness in him because he had been hurt by another leader in the country - to the point that partnership is not even an option in his heart.  Here's the deal:  no one wants to admit the power of someone else to hurt his or her feelings.  But, the most ironic thing is that being hurt by those you love is at (at, not is) the heart of Christianity.  Jesus was bruised for our sake.  It sets the tone for our relationship.  When dealing with leaders, if you humble yourself, others will either humble themselves or not be ready for partnership anyway.  Thus, if you are humble toward other leaders, you will always be able to partner if partnership can be helpful.  That means that partnership is not helpful if the other party is not yet mature enough to enter the relationship humbly.  They will likely do more harm than good.  Be aware that you could be that party.  I could be that party.  So after speaking with that brother about this issue, I encouraged him to open the lines of communication and perhaps be the voice that needs to be heard on this issue.  We say, "all of these works and ministries are about Jesus and not us," but sometimes we don't act that way when the trials/tests are revealed.  But, we should be joyful to put our faith into action - that's what the Bible says - because every test is movement along the path to becoming more like Jesus.  When we have to put our reputations on the line for the good of others, we shouldn't balk.  The time is too short and the mission too important to get caught up in a vanity fair.

Please pray for my brothers and sisters in Bulgaria - especially the leadership.  There is so much opportunity for the growth within the church (maturity and service) and the advancement of the Gospel (growth of the church in size and scope of mission).  They have ripe harvest fields and need more laborers.  The leadership is constantly under attack with the rest of the country.  It's a land of mixed darkness with great sensuality and depression led by a masquerading demon.  Pray that unity in the church would prevail by the power of the Spirit and that hope would abound in the believers.  Pray for humility among the leadership in accepting counsel from one another and outsiders.  Pray that pride deriving itself from past experiences and circumstances would be eliminated in hearts.  Pray that a desire to serve in reproducing godly leadership for the next generations would fuel changes in the churches' practices.  Pray that those who see the problems and know the Biblical solutions would be bold to stand up and speak forth.  Pray that we would all have circumcised hearts and ears to hear what the Spirit says to us.  Pray that dependency on foreign aid in any form (missionaries, funds, creative ideas, theological materials, hope/joy, foresight) would be transformed into partnership with foreign brothers - with each serving the other in a vital way in good measure.

I have been re-reading two great books recently when I've had some down time before bed or on buses and trains:  John Owen's Sin and Temptation (abridged version) and J. Oswald Sanders's Spiritual Leadership.  I encourage anyone who has not read these to pick them up and feast a day at a time.

I am thinking about Romania.  I need energy and wisdom for my brothers and sister there.  I should be of the greatest aid to them.  I must serve them at least as well as I have my other brothers and sisters, and should give more now that I have so many more experiences to glean from. Pray that these last few weeks are exponentially effective by God's grace for His name.  Pray for my relationships with the brothers and sisters there, that we would quickly align our hearts in mutual faith.  Pray that I would quickly find comfort in the surroundings and that my purpose in being there would be understood by the brothers.  Pray that they might be prepared for my arrival with ideas and service for me to partake in.  I have certainly been blessed with abundant opportunities to share the Gospel throughout my journey, and I know this has been vital for my reception in many ways.  By checking my spiritual competence in preaching and advising they have some gauge on my ability to give practical advice and business counsel - knowing the faith from which it sprouts and to which I give credit.  This might take place in Romania as well, and so if I am asked to share and preach or teach, pray again that I might speak the truth in love with power according to the grace given me in Jesus, and that the word takes fruitful root and is not stolen away.  I cannot repeat it enough:  God has heard your prayers for me and I have advanced much more quickly with must greater blessing in this mission because of your faithful obedience to pray.  If you have read these and haven't prayed, just know that others have, and God heard them.  If you pray for me too, know that my mission will speed forth more quickly and successfully and you will gain in my joy also.


I have a new dream in my heart for the future.  I will share about it in the weeks after I return.

Update

The intensity of my travel and experiences is resulting in a lack of time to continue with elongated updates.  I haven't always had a computer with me or the internet recently.  Thus, I'm relaying that to you so you understand why I might skips some days here:  7/17-7/22.

I've had two prophecies given about me, and one more at the BCPN conference.  Please keep praying for me as I continue in the ministry and consider these words in my heart and pray about many things myself.

I am in Burgas, Bulgaria at the moment, and will attend this national youth conference (ages 12-48) to meet with some of the leaders as well as meet with a local church planter who is exceptionally entrepreneurial-minded.  I'm here to help counsel him in his business and humanitarian ventures as well as encourage his spiritual leadership of these works.  Pray for me to have and offer clear vision and abundant hope.

If I'm able to return to Macedonia, it will be on the 27th and 28th.  Please pray.

I leave for Romania next Sunday (30th) night by train.

Saturday, July 16

I woke and helped everyone leave the camp and cleaned up the grounds to prepare for the next group coming through (kids 6-11).  The kitchen staff bought me a camp t-shirt as they appreciated my care for them during the week.  I gave a few people my family picture (including Goran, my roommate).  I packed my own gear and Kiki and I drove a few girls to Mitrovica where Goran and they all live.  I was going to stay in Mitrovica until Danko came later that evening with his family, and then we would all stay at Pr. Mika's home (Goran's uncle) and Danko would preach the next morning at the church.  We had a great afternoon.  Goran and I went out at one point and I grabbed a few things from the store, including some Serbian chocolate (Yo-Yo).  It's a chocolate mixed with Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal.  Fantastic.  We then went back to the house where a group of Americans were also staying for the week as they are attending and serving at the English camp.  They come from Good Shepherd church in Portland, OR.  The group consisted of 6 teenagers turning seniors in high school (16-17) and three young adults (one married couple).  Goran and I left the house again to go to the church to see a friend of his who was having a birthday.  That friend was one of the fathers of one of the girls at the teen camp we had been at, and so those girls we brought home came to the church too.  After some time, we returned home where we saw Danko, and where the rest of the group was thinking about going for a walk.  Danko's family and I stayed behind.  His wife and kids went to bed, and he and I talked for a bit.  Then I headed to bed and slept until the rest of the group returned, and then it took a little while to get back to sleep.  It was a great day.

Thursday, June 7 - Friday, June, 15

7.7
Woke, had worship, coffee with vladica and Pr. Stanka, then had bfast at vladica's and met his family, went to bus station, bus was 40 min late, read on bus (bible and owen's sin and temptation), danko and dusan picked me up, we went to BL office, hungout with Dusan, played bball for 2 hours, picked up pleshcawitz and ate, to danko's for hangout and first "taste" of potato gun, back home, uploaded updates and videos
7-8
Woke, read, sang, with dusan to mail/bfast/Chinese shop, to BL office to leave and see Dragoljub and talk before leaving for Orosac for the day and Saturday, picked up Danko and left, went to a large grocery to pick up food an drinks for our retreat, settled in at Dragoljub's place and ate some plums from his trees while trying to fill his pool, shot the potato gun a lot, had some relaxing time and conversation until the evening where we grilled and had a great dinner, then we went into the city for walking and drinks, we returned for talking and some cold tea dragoljub had prepared and put in the refrigerator to keep cold, using herbs from his garden (he's super-healthy as a lifestyle and 2nd job/business), I headed to bed earlier than the rest,
7-9
Woke, read a little, talked with dusan and dragoljub, went with dusan to a local gas station for some snacks, came back and hungout and packed until we left, one thing we did was film a short video for Dragoljub's facebook account as a kind of spoof with me as a world traveler for discovery channel finding some ancient beanstalk seeds in Serbia, friend Dragoljub and join his group (over 4,000 members) to see it soon, we left and visited a local mountain lookout (one of the best in the country), and then we went into town for some bfast, we dropped Dragoljub off and headed back to Belgrade, when we returned dusan and I did some laundry in the sink and relaxed a bit, we went to the store and grabbed some food and ate in the process, in the evening he took me into the city to see it on a weekend night and some of he sites including the citadel/castle used to defend against the Turks, It was a crazy nightlife, apparently it's the #2 party city in Europe and I realize why, we had some pizza before coming back, and we walked so much that we crashed when we returned having to rise early in the morning for church
7-10
I packed and shaved for the first time in over a month and it felt great, then dusan and I hustled to meet danko to ride with him to church, but we arrived a little early and so we grabbed some drinks while we waited, and then we left, because we were so early for church because danko was leading the youth in a youth service, dusan and I went to a local bakery and I grabbed some small pastries, and we ended up going back about 10 min later to grab danko's daughter a snack, the service involved a few greetings as one work team was leaving and another had just arrived, it was incredibly hot, and after service danko took all of us to a great mall for lunch and we also grabbed a few things at the grocery store inside - just to give the facts I have now found out there is no law against public displays of nudity as it pertains to magazines and pictures as long as no sexual act is displayed...this means you might be in line at the supermarket and you turn around and one such magazine is on display, and not hidden by any other magazines...it's just there in front of you, when I hear about the frustration of Serbians with Clinton's administration bombing them I think, you cannot destroy the evil in men with bombs, I look all around and though the land is exceedingly beautiful it's poisoned by perverted and sexually provocative marketing, the world is drowning in this filth, I don't wonder why the churches aren't filled with more men, it's because jezebel's church has them.
After the store we headed to a local pool, one of the best in Belgrade, it was ridiculously full, and if I thought the ads were bad, the pool and surrounding hills were sin, after that we went back to the office for me to finish packing/cleanup/and eat something before heading to camp, then danko picked us up and we headed to camp after dropping by the BL warehouse for some materials for the camp, danko and I continued on after dropping Dusan off somewhere else, we had some celebratory meal for a brother who became a grandfather that day, then danko left and the camp leaders had a meeting and afterward we got some sleep
7-11
Woke early to construct some large tents with a dew other guys before the heat became too oppressive, afterward Kiki (a co-leader with me studying at Novi Sad Theological Seminary) and I grabbed water from a local spring, filling 15 five-liter bottles.  We brought them back and had some breakfast before doing some other work, then I sent out that email and got to know one student and played some music for some of the other leaders, I decided to go for a walk as no one was doing anything and found a local park and sang and prayed, later I played some bball with some younger guys, and then I cleaned up and read before helping one of the brothers hang some camp signs, from there we were called for dinner, and then we had our evening session, I'm going to teach a workshop on breakdancing this week as they needed a workshop leader for dance and we'll have a part in the week's final message, we also have a talent show and sports activities, the setting and organization of the camp is unlike camps I've experienced in the US...somewhat because the culture and size of the camp (about 50 students) and experince of leadership, I'll head to bed soon, god bless, please pray for the youth to have ears to hear the messages from God and to deny the whispers of the enemy who desires them to hear nothing of te truth and to be bored and uninterested in God's word - pray that God would wake many from their slumber to a vibant life of faith
7-12
Woke
Read the Bible
Morning exercise
Bfast/devotion/planning
Small groups
Teaching 1
Pause
Teaching 2
Worship
Break
Dance workshop
Lunch
Cleaning hill
Swimming pool
Break
Volleyball
Dinner
Creative worship/message/skit/announcem

ents
Campfire
Bed

7-13
Woke
Read the Bible
Morning exercise
Bfast/devotion/planning
Small groups
Teaching 1
Pause
Case study - Samson
Teaching 2
Worship
Break
Dance workshop
Lunch
Cleaning (girls' dorms)
Skit taping and forest Bible games
Break
Volleyball
Dinner
Creative worship/message/skit/announcements
Cafe/summer garden
Bed

7-14
Woke
Got new water with Kiki
Shaved
Read the Bible
Morning exercise
Bfast/devotion/planning
Small groups
Prayed
Teaching 1
Break
Case study on Ezekiel 47
Teaching 2
Dancing
Lunch
Break
Dishes cleaning
Rest
Swimming pool
Snack
Sports
Dinner
Break
Skit/game/talent/worship/testimony/fire/throat hurting to bed

7-15
Woke around 5:40, throat hurting
Went with Kiki to get water around 6:20 and then took trash to the dump
Came back and read te bile and prayed a little
Had breakfast with leaders
Small groups / Samaritan woman at well
Teaching 1
Small groups / peter's sermon in Acts 2
Teaching 2

Dancing
Lunch
Break
Dishes cleaning
Rest
Water Olympic Games
Snack
Final Sports Game (took a nap in office)
Dinner
Break
Skit/game/talent/worship/Goran spoke (prayed in room)

Outdoor hangout (all night long)