INTRODUCTION
This is another long message.
If you want just the updates about my
situation then scroll to the bottom.
Look for the heading UPDATE or Simple
Daily Summary then go to this link.
If you want just the prayer requests then
scroll to PRAYER go to this link.
Pray for me to set up email versions for
each audience.
CALLING
The three words huge, complex and global
describe the ministry God called me to do.
Honestly I do not like that it is so big.
I wish it was much smaller.
Then I could control the variables.
Then I would not need to trust God every
step of the way.
I would not need to request prayers.
My faith and patience would not increase.
I would not become more like Christ.
Do you know what I want in my heart of
hearts?
I want to the following:
live in a cabin in the woods by a stream
near a lake
2 outside dogs that are friendly to go for
walks in the woods
1 indoor cat that is affectionate
a kayak and small sail boat for the lake
I would do the following:
commune with nature
write
publish online
get my healthy groceries delivered
do all my shopping online
develop lots of close online friends
have a few offline friends
grow old gracefully
die peacefully
But what if I had all that and neglected my
calling?
Then I am sure my conscience would trouble
me.
The Holy Spirit would convict me.
I would not be fully satisfied.
Sooner than later I would return to my
huge, complex and global calling.
I have attempted to deny, neglect and
turn my calling off hundreds of times.
It is my destiny to move forward with
this.
I may or succeed but it is embedded deep
in my soul.
I promise you I did not make up any of
it.
BACKGROUND
I was born in Houston Texas in 1953.
That makes me a Baby Boomer.
When I was born my father was an
engineer.
We lived in a duplex with one car.
My brother came along three years after
me.
My father attended night school and got
an MBA.
Then he got on the management track.
The company he was with was growing very
rapidly.
He began to travel more and more.
He traveled internationally which was not
common then.
He was one of the first Yuppies before
the term was born.
We moved to an affluent neighborhood when
I was in junior high.
When he traveled, his associates took him
out at night.
Thus he returned the favor when they came
here.
Often they came to our nice house.
They had a few drinks then went to a restaurant.
I met men from England, France, Italy,
Germany and Venezuela.
My father treated each man with dignity
and respect.
That was my early and formative
introduction to international people.
When I pray or worship in a group I sometimes
close my eyes.
I see the faces of people from every
culture.
It is like a parade of photos from
National Geographic.
I see Asians, Africans, Europeans, Latin
Americans, Eskimos, etc.
God has given me a genuine love for all
the people groups.
When I worked at the seminary for 12
years I enjoyed international students most.
When I read the Great Commission the word
all stands out to me.
It says to go make disciples of all
nations in Matt 28:19
That is the challenge the Lord gave.
Most mission agencies focus on one region
of the world or a people group.
In order to me true to my heart I cannot
leave out any precious people group.
Therefore the word global is central to
my calling.
There are more than 7 billion people and I
could never reach them all.
God has especially burdened me for those
in severe poverty.
There are about 2 billion people that
barely survive from day to day.
They live on less than 2 dollars a day.
Most of those 2 billion are in cities.
But many are in rural areas.
It is the subsistence farmers that I can
help the most for the least cost.
The Peace Corps and others have been
educating them for decades.
They improved how they farmed and raised
livestock.
They used the best tools and practices
they had at the time.
The new digital technologies will allow
us to reach and teach more and easier.
The Bible tells me that God has always
had a heart for orphans.
What I can offer to help them and any
others too is literacy lessons.
When a child can read then they can
access knowledge.
That can break the lead the way to a hope
filled future.
I have met many pastors from around the
world at the seminary.
In most cases they have very few biblical
resources at the local level.
We can provide untold value just on a
simple USB thumb drive.
There is big push to get out 100 dollar
laptops for those in developing countries.
Then what is needed is a basic printer.
The lessons and other resource could be
printed out.
I would give them permission to sell the
printed materials.
That gives the local people a profit
motive to educate their community.
The linchpin to the vision God gave me
are community centered libraries.
The librarian could choose to print out
items from the database we sent.
These would be bound in a durable way.
A library that fit in one small room
could transform a village.
There would be ways to ask the end users
for feedback.
We would use their comments, suggestions
and questions.
This would lead to revisions, new modules
and more.
This is obviously huge and complex.
I am sure this can be done.
It is just using technologies that are
working today in a different way.
The tools and processes proven by
businesses are applied to missions.
This will take many years and many people
working together.
I do not have anything better than to do
this.
My current challenge is to craft short,
medium and long presentations.
Then I need to get them online is ways
that are attractive and interactive.
Going to meet with people face-to-face in
various cites has much value.
But that takes lots of time and money.
Meanwhile while also preparing and going
there I can interact online.
I will always need intercessors, advisers
and donors.
This message went out to many dozens of people.
It will be archived and others will read
it later.
I will personally meet only a very few of
those people.
In the coming days, weeks and months more
messages will go out.
I will connect with more supporters
online than offline.
So pray for me to design and set up
systems that bridge those relationships.
UPDATE
I have been sleeping soundly and taking
daily walks.
The red spots on my left arm are lighter.
I have not yet heard back about the
garage apartment yet.
I have not yet connected with the key to
storage or the ATM card.
Making progress on segmenting the
messages that I will send to opt-in lists
I have got a good initial administrative
and time management base.
Next step is to focus on the nuts and
bolts of setting up the fund raising system.
PRAYER
May God grant me His wisdom, insights and favor.
Lord Jesus Christ guide me in using my
time very wisely.
God may I become a faithful doer of Your
Word.
Shalom
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