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Go360 is changing its international outreach strategy. I found this six-part documentary that captures the problem with the traditional short-term mission trip.
We are moving to a more wholistic approach, still going but teaching local doctors instead of treating local people. We want to transform the community in a way that is sustainable through training leaders to lead combined with a church planting strategy. Stay tuned for more on this six-part series and Go360’s direction.
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I met Barb Garcia when we were youth coaches at a Halloween party. She spiked her hair and the kids loved it. Spiked hair in 1985 was a big deal. Little did we know that spiked hair in 2011 is not even noticed.
The story really begins about 18 years ago. At the time Barb Garcia, a single woman from CCV, went to Guinea West Africa with her colleague, Yolanda Shimada. They were two white girls, moving to a remote primitive village in a third world country. Please understand, there was no running water. There was very little electricity [sometime there was electricity, sometimes there wasn't] these two women didn't speak the language of the people they were going to live with and the language wasn't written so there was nothing for them to "study". Two white women in black Africa, alone. In a remote village. Get the picture?
Over time, the girls learned the language and began working on translating. They were working with a team of people and so the work began to make some good progress. The book of Ruth was the first completed project. Nationals were hired to assist in the translation work. Soon the nationals became good friends with the girls and other translation workers.
Well, the entire Bible is now complete. It took 18 years to do it. Plenty of hard work. More tears than anyone can measure. A lot of sacrifice and personal pain too. Some of the pain was physical; some of it was emotional, and even spiritual. Every time a book of the Bible was about to go to print, everything went wrong. The printer broke down. Electricity was cut off. Manuscripts were damaged or lost. People would not get along. The enemy clearly did not want the Word of God translated and printed for people to read. But our God is greater and the Bible has been translated. Just think, it started without any written language. . . . and now the Bible is written in both the roman alphabet and the Arabic alphabet. Amazing!.
They have invested 18 years of their life in this tiny third world country. They have given up hot water, constant electricity, comfort foods, friends, family, and a comfortable lazy way of living to take Jesus to a very dark culture. While 18 years seems like a long time to us, to the Father it is less than a day. Barb and her family know more about being "ALL IN" than most of us ever will. We thank God daily for folks like Barb and her family who are going into the world and making disciples.
I need that reminder often. I understand that God is good all the time because I know that there is a plan bigger than what we can see and after all, we are all mature Christians, all rock solid in our faith, right? Oh how we wish that was true. Even if we could grasp that, what about or kids? Are they able to understand and accept that life is not fair but God is good all the time?
I thank God that my good friend Gary has taught his family to understand that life is not fair but that God is good all the time. Gary’s wife Jen has a terminal illness. Doctors say nothing can be done. That’s hard news for all of us who know Gary and his family but imagine how their two daughters Spencer and Sydney process that news. It’s been a journey for the Gillespie’s. But 13 year old Sydney understands that God is good all the time even though the time right now is hard. Sydney is still able to muster enough love to help others in her situation.
I don’t need to explain. Check out this Channel 5 report.
I came across the below news feed and I can’t help but to wonder what I would do. I’d like to think that I would be as brave as Yusuf Naderkhani but then I know myself well enough that I would be thinking about things like, God has more work for me, and how wrong it would be if I could not provide for my family. Following God’s Word no matter the consequence is common among Christians in those parts of the world where Christians are persecuted. CCV's ministry partners at TCM who train pastors from Eastern Europe hear about their persecution first hand. Those of us who have had a chance to go on a mission trip to Austria and work with TCM have also sat with these pastors and heard their stories of their imprisonment and beatings. Some of these pastors hide God’s Word in their hearts and heads because it is illegal or unavailable in any other format. Then, when the time is right, God has enabled them to recall it.
Pray for Yusuf Naderkhani. As of this writing he has less than 12 hours to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ or be killed.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to allgenerously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:2–5)
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Just a note to say thanks for all your prayers, encouragement, and genuine interest you have shown over the past several months as I have have stepped out in faith trusting God to lead and guide me as I minister at the 4th Ave jail in Phx. AZ. I am now conducting 8 services a week with approximately 20-22 men in each service. I also mentor a number of men (one on one) on a consistent basis. I find myself waking up early every day with great excitement and can hardly wait to get to the jail to give God's Word to the inmates. I am amazed at the hunger and interest I see among the men who want to learn more about God's forgiveness and to understand His Word. I start each service with a word of prayer asking God to open their hearts and minds so that can they might understand His mighty love for them. We then go into a time of worship with music videos which men thoroughly enjoy and embrace. Many of the men have never heard or experienced God's Word and it has been exciting for me to be God's messenger of His love and grace. Every week I challenge the men to memorize scriptures that I have quoted to them and to my amazement a number of them have now memorized well over 50 verses! It is so exciting and rewarding to hear them stand up and quote verses in front of other inmates. My prayer is that God's Word truly changes and transforms them into a vessel that He can use so that they do not return to their life of sin and their families would also experience God's transforming and saving power. Recently, a group of men ask if they could "rap a song" during one of our morning services. I didn't know what to expect as they walked up front but received such a blessing as they began to tap out a song of praise to God thanking Him that He had answered their prayers by sending Rick to preach to them and teach them how to walk with God. I had tears running down my cheeks as I listened to the words of this talented group rapping from their hearts. I found myself understanding them even more as the men so freely gave me a snap shot of their wounded hearts. This past month, I have been leading the men through the book of John teaching them about forgiveness, love, salvation, and how God wants them to be part of His great family. Many of the men are receiving Jesus for the first time and are asking to be baptized and requesting Bibles so they can study in their pods. Please remember to pray for these men to stay strong in their faith as they are released back into society or sent to other prisons where we do not have access to encourage them. Pray they will understand the great commission and will boldly share the Good News to others. Pray they will not grumble under persecution from their peers and family members. Many of them will not have jobs when they return home and this can cause them to become discouraged. Pray they will seek God and remain strong and that God will send other Christians along their side. Pray for Janice and I as we continue to seek God's Face for His will in our lives. Pray I have physical stamina to not only preach but as I continue to operate my business of 40 years on my off hours from the jail ministry. I am very thankful that our son Vance has stepped up and helped with many of the electronic jobs that have come in. My prayer is, that one day soon Vance can take over the business and release me to work full time in God's great vineyard. God Bess each and every one of you! In His Love, Rick and Janice Wappel |
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I recently came across an article from Mission Frontiers, a news publication from the U.S. Center for World Missions. The article is about William Carey. His “Wholistic” approach to missions is right in line with our direction.
When Englishman William Carey (1761–1834) arrived in India in 1793, it marked a major milestone in the history of Christian missions and in the history of India. Carey established the Serampore Mission, the first modern Protestant mission in the non-English-speaking world, near Calcutta on January 10, 1800. From this base, he labored for nearly a quarter century to spread the gospel throughout the land. In the end his triumph was spectacular. Through his unfailing love for the people of India and his relentless campaign against “the spiritual forces of evil” (Eph. 6:12), India was literally transformed. Asian historian Hugh Tinker summarizes Carey’s impact on India this way: “And so in Serampore, on the banks of the river Hooghly, the principal elements of modern South Asia—the press, the university, social consciousness—all came to light.”…… Read More about William Carey.