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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Ministering Around The World- Part VII; Asia

Asia

The big area of the world that is made up of beautiful areas, thriving economies, some very authoritarian governments and is home to a lot of ours favorite food; is Asia. This area consists of large portions of the world's populations and exports many resources. It has always been largely on the world scene. From their parts in World Wars, to current Nuclear threats, their many highly trained professionals immigrating abroad and also the competitive rates they sell goods, Asia has been a major player.

But beyond the world view we would like to see what it is like for the families who have dedicated their lives to share the gospel with these billions of people. This month I have been able to talk to ladies in South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Japan. Let's jump in and see a glimpse of their ministries and lives.

The main religions in this area are Buddhism, Shintuism, and ancestor worship. These are the root religions that have molded their society, but in many ways in everyday living they are very atheistic. Most all of these countries still have many temples, festivals and rituals that are performed, especially in Japan. But these are generally not followed with devotion.

These countries in Asia are very, very populated! Hong Kong is an island of 8 million people. The real estate is so over-crowded that the costs are astronomical and the space excessively small. Many children remain living with their parents a large portion of their life due to the inability to financially afford their own homes. It is very common for 6+ people to live in 500sq.ft. I have seen pictures of the poorest people living in bunks with cages around them that they rent as their home! Due to the heavy burden the financial economy has placed on them the drive for education, work, and money is their first priority! Children will go 12 hours a day to school, often as young as 4 years old. People generally don't want to take time for church or the Lord.

In Japan you will be surrounded by 126 million. China has its ginormous population of 3 billion and counting. The staggering population resulted in their famous 1 child law. Korea comes in with the smallest population with a mear 51 million!

Most of these countries report 1% of the population claiming Christianity, except South Korea, which has 25% that are professing Christians of some kind. It is rumored that Christianity is on the rise in China as the stress of the communist regime presses in. We have friends who serve in China that are doing a great job reaching their area but also are plagued with regular government interference. That has made their church have to meet at different locations constantly. To avoid the authorities, the missionary family also is also transient,living on the move in different church member's houses. Prayers are definitely needed for those serving in restricted countries!

From the ladies I spoke to, Japan has the most missionaries at 21-40. China it is quite hard to gauge the amount of independent baptist missionaies since they are mostly serving underground, but under 20 seems to be a safe bet. The same can be said for South Korea. Hong Kong has farely strict regulations on church workers. A degree for teaching is needed to teach. A professional degree and training in another field or a sponsorship through a religious agency is necessary to obtain a visa. There aren't very many sponsoring agencies, further complicating matters. Hong Kong has less than 10 missionaries. The missionaries' visas are definitely an area that should be a matter of prayer for those serving there. Without visas their ministries are non existent. We must pray that God paves the way for them and opens the necessary doors.

The average time for someone to accept Christ, I'm hearing from all the ladies across Asia, is 1-3 years. All of which begin with relationships. Many times other ministries draw them in such, as English classes. In Japan, Becky Winters told me they have had a lady coming to church for two years now who still is not ready to accept Christ. It takes a lot of patience to serve in places like these. It is very unwise to push for professions or be impatient with these people. Doing so easily results in false professions, from people who don't mind giving you the answer you want, and "converts" who don't know they are "saved" and who won't be seen again. I think that most missionaries would attest that patience is one of the number one areas the Lord continues to build in us to be effective where we are called. Missionaries are led to fervent prayer for open doors in the hearts and minds of these people. Without God's intervention true conversions are impossible.

As always, I asked the ladies what is some of their greatest struggles where they serve and these were their replies. Hong Kong was language difficulties. The Abrams are serving in Hong Kong. They feel led to work with Cantonese living there, so they have been learning and studying Cantonese. Which by the way is rated one of the hardest languages in the world! And I've heard it! Whew, Lord help! Not only is it difficult to learn but all of the language schools are done through public universities. And being a modern country, that would be the equivalent of attending a college here in the States. That is a hefty cost for a missionary. So they have been faithfully working through study and private tutors but it is a long road to fluency. Praise the Lord, He has allowed them to make great strides thus far.

In China, the missionary wife spoke of her greatest struggle being far from home and loved ones. All missionaries love their families and is definitely an adjustment to be away from them and all the special events that make up their lives. Sometimes the Lord allows us to return and attend large events in our families lives but just as many people who live far from family that isn't always the case.

In Japan Mrs. Winters, talked about the struggle to get people to see themselves as sinners. Japanese people see sins as only those large things which get people sent to jail. And as of course most of them aren't in jail, that can cause a difficulty in their thinking. But praise the Lord their is faithful missionaries there consistently declaring truth to those confused hearts. In Korea amongst the higher percentage of professing Christians brings another set of issues. The prevailing form of Christianity is very water down, which makes true Christianity viewed as a cult. So sharing a clear plan of salvation and following up with discipleship is a big struggle for the Songs who are serving there. They often use dinner invites to make new acquaintances in order to share the gospel.

It is normal practice as we have discussed, for missionaries in these areas to find ways of outreach that allow them some social contact in order to reach their heart. This may be a helpful example to help you understand why that is needed. In the hustle and bustle of the busy culture of Japan, where people don't find themselves sinners or in need of God, the missionary can pass out a thousand tracts and not see one visitor. So they invite them to dinner, get involved in their communities, have church children's programs and teach English.

Every month we discuss some of the challenges that missionaries face but this month I also asked the ladies to share what is their favorite form of encouragement. I think you might be surprised to know that the prevailing answer was all forms of communication from friends, family and supporters in the states. They said that cards, emails, phone calls, IM and especially visits were a huge form of encouragement. You supporting friends make such a powerful impact on the hearts and spirits of your missionaries.

One of the other ladies also mentioned that listening to sermons online was a great lifter of spirits. Did you know that often times when missionaries go the field that it takes years to understand full sermons in the native language and begin to be fed by it. Can you imagine going to church but feeling like you hadn't been for that long? Yes you get some fellowship and you may hear the tunes you recognize but for a time you can't sing along and for years you aren't being fed at church by the preaching. I'll tell you friend, that is a long time and can weaken our spirits if we don't supplement it ourselves. For a few years when we were on the field we would regularly listen to podcasts sermons. It is such a blessing that in this modern age there are at least some churches that regularly put out podcast sermons or live stream. Thank you churches for taking the time to produce this resource! You are very influential in the spiritual uplifting of your missionaries.

Every ministry has little things about it that the Lord has orchestrated for them to serve Him in their own unique way. The Songs in South Korea have focused their ministry on reaching North Korean refugees fleeing to South Korea and internationals coming to a SouthKorea. What an opportunity to reach those living in probably the most restricted area in the world. Where very few missionaries have ever come and very few have heard about a Heavenly Father who would love to heal their hurting hearts and give them un-ending peace.

I was so blessed to speak with these ladies; Rose Songs, Beth Winters, Mandi Abrams & Amanda Heaberlin.

They are serving faithfully in Asia, doing a great work for Christ. I hope this has given you a glimpse of their lives and ministries there and helped you know how to better pray for them.

http://www.songstokorea.com/

 

 

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Every Morning Bells

Every morning...

My front porch...

     A cup of hot tea...

          My Bible...

               And the bells.




As I meet with my Saviour in prayer and in His Word, the stillness of the moment is interrupted.

Bells.

     Bells...

          Bells......

First one neighbor to my left. Then another to my right. Then behind. Then across the street. They ring them for several minutes, and with every new tinkling my heart breaks.

First it breaks for sadness for my neighbors.
Then it breaks for sadness for my Saviour.
Then it breaks... for me.

I imagine the Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers each day has the same effect to missionaries serving in Muslim countries.

The ringing starts as early as 5 AM and continues throughout the morning. It will be repeated again in the evening.

They are ringing the bells to wake up their gods.
The gods that cannot hear...
     The gods that cannot help...
          The gods that bind a people in darkness and hopelessness.





My heart breaks for them to know the one true God who loves them and gave His Son to save them.

My heart breaks for my Saviour because He deserves their adoration and praise, and yet He is not receiving it.

And my heart breaks for me...

I see their dedication.
     I see their faithfulness to false gods.
          And I am ashamed.

I am ashamed every time I rush through prayer... and they spend several minutes ringing bells.

They do it in bondage and fear and the hopes of earning a better standing in the next life.





What is my motive?

My debt was paid for me...
     I have liberty...
          I have a living Saviour who loves me...

I can call out to Him and He hears and answers!

Gratitude.
     Love.
          Hope.
               Closeness and intimacy.

They should call me to my knees. They should draw me to His throne. They should drive me to faithfulness and worship and praise.

Bells.

     Bells....

          Bells.......

I hate them. And yet as they ring I hear my Saviour call out...

"Call out to me. You need no bells. I hear you clearly. I am not sleeping. I am waiting for you."

Bells. So I sit out on the front porch and hear the bells that remind me how precious the Bible in my lap is and how priceless my time with my Saviour is.


Friday, July 7, 2017

Flawed Missionaries, Flawed Methods, God's Blessing


I will never understand why God wants to use people. He knows what we’re like. Even so, He chooses to use flawed, crazy, and sometimes even cranky people in His work. The Bible says, For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

Foolish things? Check. Not strong? Check. Not noble? Check. Unwise? Check. Weak? You’d better believe it! Every time I’m with a group of missionaries, our flaws are all too evident. We’re quick tempered. Some talk behind others’ backs. Some missionaries don’t even like the natives they’re trying to reach! When we look around at each other, we can only say, “Wow, God sure had a sense of humor when he chose us to be missionaries!”

And, so it is in all our fields. No missionary is perfect. Every guy and gal has imperfections and weaknesses. Missionaries are unique—for some, that’s putting it mildly! Every single one is a work of God in progress. He’s learning how to walk with the Lord, just as you are.

If anyone ever gets saved in any of our ministries, it’s only because the Holy Spirit spoke to a heart. It’s all of God and certainly not of us. Yet, God wants to include human beings in His work. It’s one of the most humbling concepts in the Bible.

It’s such a mistake to think too well of ourselves and be critical of our fellow missionaries. God wants an atmosphere of harmony in ministry.

Years ago, a situation came up which necessitated implementing the biblical process. After studying the Matthew 18 passage, my husband and I learned some practical insights about what’s supposed to be done. I’ll guide you through this short passage.  (This is talking about actual disagreements and issues—word or deed—not dreamed up or crimes.)
  • Step 1Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Notice who’s supposed to approach whom. It is the offended person. He goes alone to confront the offender—a private meeting.  We’re talking about offenses in a church context. Both are believers.
  • Step 2—If that person will not make peace, the next step is necessary. Notice again who takes witnesses with him: the offended person. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. This way, there is a little more pressure for the offending person to get things right.
  • Step 3—If the offender is stubborn and will not make peace with his Christian brother, the next step comes into play: And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican (Matthew 18:15-17).

The Bible clearly says that God wants Christians to get along. If there’s a quarrel, forgive—as Christ forgave!
  • Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful (Colossians 3:12-15).
  • Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself (Galatians 6:1-3).

What if someone in the church commits a crime? Report crimes to the police. This isn’t a church matter. Crimes are anything against the law. They include: child and spousal abuse, robbery, embezzlement, assault, and many other offenses. When someone in the church is involved in a crime, it’s important that the church report it to the authorities.

Let’s pretend the head missionary on your field has a “brilliant” idea. You work in a ministry team, and many of the co-workers disagree with his proposal. What do you do? First, examine his idea and make sure it’s okay biblically. If it’s not, one of the men should go to him alone and let him know why it’s not a good idea. If it’s not against the Bible, you either do what he has in mind because he’s the leader or you can discuss a variety of ideas in a sensible manner. There’s no reason for “mutiny” or strife.


How should we serve God on our mission field?
  1. Gladly and with singing. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing (Psalm 100:2).
  2. Trusting God to lead us. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
  3. Humbly and purely. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:7).
  4. Tithing and giving. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase (Proverbs 3:9).
  5. Following Christ. Jesus said, If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour (John 12:26).
  6. In spirit, and praying for the people to whom we minister. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers (Romans 1:9).
  7. Selflessly serving others. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).
  8. Patiently joyful and trusting through trials. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:2-4).
  9. Asking God for wisdom. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

May the Lord help us as we strive to serve Him to the best of our ability. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:24).




Thursday, July 6, 2017

Missionary Lock-Picking

So what do you do when you are 10,000 miles from the States and July 4th is coming?

You invite fellow missionaries over and plan an adventure!
OK, so I invited them over to teach them how to steal, pick locks, and plunder. Let me explain.

Holidays like the Fourth of July can be tough for missionaries. No fireworks. No familiar decorations in the stores and no large family cookouts.

Many missionaries make the best of what they have. Their family dons the red, white, and blue. Mom finds a way to make a red, white, and blue dessert. They grill a hamburger if they can. And they pray to thank God for His goodness on America.

Many missionaries live quite a distance from other missionaries, so they celebrate quietly as a family.

What does our family do? We have chosen to reach out to other missionaries from around the valley and invite them to celebrate with us. Some of them have to travel long distances to get to our home, so we try to make it worth their trip.

The first year we hosted this event, we had confetti poppers filled with treats and played a trivia/charades/Pictionary style game to earn the right to pop the confetti poppers.




The second year, there were tons of children, so we planned a carnival with a ring toss game, knock the cans over game, and more. The children earned prizes when they won their game.




We could not host the Fourth of July party in 2015 because of the national disaster we had here. It also fell on a church day, but we we were all so busy with disaster relief work that it would not have worked on any day of the week. We missed getting together with them. In 2016 our family was on furlough. Again, we missed this special event with our friends.

It's 2017 and our family refused to miss another year. We longed to see our friends smiling, laughing, and enjoying fellowship around the goodness of God for our country.

Once again we planned a special day that I hope they will remember for a long time.

Here is what we did:


Food:

Everyone pitched in on the food. We had barbecue sandwiches, potato salad, fruit, veggies with dip, corn on the cob, cole slaw, chips and dip, fried apple pies, and no-bake cookies. Since everyone pitched in on the food, no one was overwhelmed with preparation.


Devotion:

Yes, missionaries treasure any time we get to fellowship around God's Word. The devotion was wonderful! We are thankful to be Americans, but we also long to see God exalted in our host country.


The Games:

For the younger children we set up a play room. One of the moms of two of the younger children helped me set this room up. Toy train, Hot Wheels cars, a road floor mat, Tinker Toys, a puzzle, balloons, and more.





Game #1

Red, White, and "You"
About half the people were given white clothes pins to wear on their shirts. If they said the word "you," someone without a clothes pin could steal their clothes pin. If they kept the clothes pin throughout the game time, they got 5 points. (Limit one clothes pin per person)


Game #2

Oh Say Can You See?
I had hidden red clothes pins around the house. If they found one, they got 5 points. (Limit one clothes pin per person)



Game #3

Wear Oh Wear?
If they wore red, white, and blue, they got 5 points. It had to be clothing, not accessories, nail polish, or undergarments.


Game #4

Freedom
Have you ever heard of the escape/breakout rooms that are so popular in the States right now? We created our own version. Instead of locking people in the rooms, we locked our little dog MoMo in a room with a combination lock on the door. (Everybody loves our sweet dog, MoMo. She was good motivation to rescue her from her prison.)


Here was the story line:


Captain MoMo of the American Army was captured by the British. She has lots of information that the American Army doesn't want the British to have access to. The Army has selected three groups to try to rescue Captain MoMo. They have to solve clues to figure out the combination to set her free. The first group to set her free gets national appreciation as well as a promotion in the Army.


We divided the missionaries into three groups. I set up three rooms with all the exact same clues. I also included some distractions that had nothing to do with the game just to make it a little tougher.

The three groups went to their assigned rooms and began working feverishly to solve the clues. There were eight clues total. They had to have all eight clues in order to get the combination. 






Here are the clues:


Clue #1:
I taped numbers and a plus sign on the spine of books in a series. To get the right number, they had to put the books in series order with the math sign at the beginning.
This clue was +267.




Clue #2:
I removed covers from DVD cases and put white paper on the inside. Then I used permanent marker to write the number for the clue. I wrote other numbers on the case with dry erase marker. In order to get the number, they had to figure out that some of the numbers could be erased. The answer to this clue was -982.



Clue #3:
I wrote a thank-you note thanking my mom for a shoe. This clue actually held a hint for clue #4. On the left side, I drew a picture of a shoe with Morse code that when solved read "plus 12." They would have to use their phones to look up Morse code. The solution for this clue was +12.


Clue #4:
In the room I had a couple of pairs of shoes against the wall, but then with those shoes I had a single shoe. Inside that shoe was a paper that read "-117."

Clue #5:
Hidden in the room were two index cards. One card had numbers and math signs. The other had holes. When the holey index card is placed on the other card, it reveals the correct numbers.
The solution to this one was -181.




Clue #6:
I wrote the number on the back of a greeting card cover. Then I cut it into a four-piece puzzle. The pieces were hidden around the room. One piece was hidden in the dry erase DVD cover.



The solution to this clue was +345.

Clue #7:
I opened a hymn book to a patriotic song. I took some wooden letters and wrote the number for the clue on the back. In order to get the order of the number right, they had to remember from music class "Every Good Boy Does Fine."
The solution to this clue was +1037.





Clue #8:
In the room, I placed batteries and I placed a flashlight without batteries somewhere else in the room. The goal was to get them to try to place the batteries in the flashlight. But inside the flashlight battery compartment was a small part of an index card with a number on it.
The number was -45.
The solution to this clue was -45.


The lock was tried many times.



When all the numbers are totaled, the final number is 336.
That was the combination to the lock.

Distractions in the room:
A receipt
a pile of coins
Other books
Other DVDs
A plate, bowl, and fork
Other greeting cards
A pencil

It took them 45 minutes before someone solve the puzzles. Many said the time seemed to fly by because they had so much fun.

The winning team members all received 5 points each.

We tallied the points up from all the games. The winner received a basket full of American goodies that everyone pitched in and donated. Ranch mix, chili powder, banana nut muffin mix, nutmeg, a Yankee candle, Bath and Body Works lotion, and much more!

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From our field to yours, we hope you all had a wonderful July 4th. Please remember to pray for missionaries who may not have other people to celebrate this special day with each year. Reach out to them and encourage them.

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