Tecate Bound!

Our final Global Outreach (GO!) Team of 2008 leaves Friday (12th) for a weekend journey to Tecate. The city of Tecate is just over the US-Mexico border, east of San Diego and Tijuana. It is here we are partnering with a team from the National City First Christian Church in their dream of building and establishing an orphanage in this area. We have been part of this project for a couple of years now, and have seen the foundation and walls erected. The next phase is the construction of the roof, followed by detail work and furnishing the rooms. Cost for the roof is $25,000, of which $14,000 has been raised. We are working on the final $11,000 so the orphanage can open.

But until then, we are still connecting with the community there through a local congregation just outside the city. The team will host their 2nd annual Christmas Party this weekend, strengthening relationships with people there, and bringing smiles and joy to everyone! Please pray for the group (some of whom are shown in this recent photo) as they travel and serve. Pray also for the continued work to be accomplished on the facility, that it might be completed soon. For when it is opened, there will be children, orphaned for so many reasons, who will find hope and purpose that they may have never known.

Arizona Reflections

We've been back from the San Carlos Reservation a week now, and it probably takes that long (and longer) to assess lessons learned, positive take-aways, and future possibilities for us. I've been chewing on these thoughts throughout the week, and although there is much that remains difficult to wrap our hands around, there are some tangible products from our time with the Arizona Reservation Ministry, and the Apache people. Here are a few:

1. We took a team of 21, second largest in the eight years I've been at KACC. About half of the team was new to short-term missions and/or the San Carlos venue. We were able to introduce a new group of people to what God is doing (and wants us to do) in our own backyard. We made new and deeper connections with each other, and challenged our team to be the ambassadors for ARM as well as KACC GO! Teams upon our return;

2. We were able to further the work on two homes on the reservation, and our efforts mean that the homes will be ready for their occupants that much sooner. Sacrificial service will provide blessings for a few more people, and hopefully open them even more to Christ's message of hope;

3. We got to spend time with kids, loving on them and showing them that God loves them through our interaction with them. There are many walls of distrust built through years of conflict. We pray our time with these young ones will help break down some of those barriers and replace them with foundations of trust;

4. We connected with the ARM team and (hopefully!) were an encouragement to them. After all, groups like ours come and go, but these brothers and sisters live in the trenches, on the front lines of ministry in a desperate and difficult place. They can become discouraged and disenchanted, impacted deeply by the spiritual warfare in which they're engaged. One of our goals is to refresh them as they give themselves for the Kingdom. They've become our friends, and we theirs;

5. Our eyes and hearts have been opened, some for the first time, some a little more, to the needs and circumstances that exist- so close to our lives, and yet a world removed. We've been challenged, convicted, and shocked by what we've experienced, and now we're called to do something about it. It may look different for each of us, but one thing is certain- we cannot afford to be the same people that we were a couple of weeks ago. We know too much.

Thanks goes to each of you who, in some way, gave your support to those who did the legwork of this trip. We are a team together, some sending, some praying, some encouraging, some going. Your part, however big or small, was vital (perhaps more than you can ever know) and we are grateful. And so are a handful of people in eastern Arizona.

Our next trip to San Carlos will be April 23-26, 2009. Consider and pray about the possibility of joining us. And if you can't go in person, ask God how He might use you in a another way on this team. But in some way, plan to become part of a group seeking to make a world of difference among a people so close to- and yet so far from- us.

Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord

Today was a full work day for us, but some ways you might not imagine. We left Globe and traveled the 20+ minutes to the reservation to continue to work on one of the homes that we had worked on yesterday. We needed to paint (especially trim and molding), hang doors and install fixtures, as the house is nearing completion.

When we arrived on site, half went to work there and the other half piled back into the van for a prayer journey. Diana Lawrence (one of ARM'S founders) guided us through different communities of the reservation, telling stories, answering questions, and helping us understand better the overwhelming situation we see here. In each location she talked to us about people and circumstances. Several times she began to cry as she shared. The stories ripped our hearts out. Unbelievable. Incredible. Incomprehensible. Unfathomable. We cried as well. Fortunately, there were encouraging stories as well, which helped bring a sense of equilibrium to our time.

We switched places with the work group- they drove and prayed, we stayed and labored. Both groups worked. Following lunch and a good afternoon of painting and building as one group, we made our way back to where we were staying. Great dinner, then a good time of sharing, debriefing and seeking to put together some of what we are learning. Not an easy task but we had a great time trying.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we will worship here in Globe, eat lunch out with the ARM staff, then make our way back to Phoenix for our 6:30 p.m. flight to the OC. Please remember us in your prayers, especially that we will make the most of every opportunity we have until we are back home safely. Thanks!

Reservation Made

Our Arizona GO! Team is on site, settled in, working hard and connecting well here on the San Carlos Apache reservation. Everyone has found more than enough to do, and more than they probably thought they would see in the short time we've been here. We are painting one home for Ricky, who is currently living in a small tent. Although the structure that ARM has created is quite small by our standards (300+ sq. ft.) with just a living area/kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, to Eric it is beautiful. And it really is!

At another site, we're hanging cabinets, painting, installing doors and molding, and putting final (hopefully!) touches on a home that was badly burned. The grandmother who will live there again is excited to see what had been destroyed now rise from the ashes (literally) as something new and grand. Through this type of service, ARM is creating significant relationships with more and more in San Carlos and is being understood as a group of people who love the Apache people and who help provide hope.

Of course, the treat for our team is time with the children. The bus ministry rolled out Thursday afternoon for Bible stories and games with kids in one area, and we got some good "hang time" with many there. Yesterday, some of us went to a youth foster home and simply loved on the little ones there, some of whom get little of that kind of attention. It's hard to know who receives the bigger blessing, us or them!

Please continue to pray for us- for safety, health, unity an opportunity- as we serve the needs of the Apache and the needs of Arizona Reservation Ministries. We only have a short time remaining and we want to use it to the fullest for the sake of God's Kingdom. And thank you all for your prayers, partnership, encouragement and support- you are a part of what is going on this weekend, even from where you are! (picures coming tonight- we hope!)

AZ GO! Team On Its Way

Our team will gather tomorrow morning at 4:30 (or is that the middle of the night?!) at the church and make its way to John Wayne Airport as we wing our way to eastern Arizona for four days of service and connection with the San Carlos Apache Reservation and Arizona Reservation Ministry. ARM is one of the missions we support as a church, so our time serving them is important as is gives us the opportunity to more closely partner with them as they work with the Apache people.

Please pray for us as we fly, drive and pour ourselves out for the sake of others. We will be busy with construction projects, relationship building, kids' ministry, and assisting ARM in whatever ways they can use us. Pray for us as we deal with the spiritual warfare in the area. The reservation is a place of great physical, emotional, and spiritual need, and there is a critical call for hope in ways that we would probably never imagine. Our time there will be short, but we believe God can create change in the lives of people with whom we come into contact, as well as within us, while we are on site.

Thank you for your partnership with us as we go. You may not be able to go (this time!), but you can pray, encourage, finance and support those who put legs on Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). In this way, we all have a part to play, a place in this work, and a connection with each other. Please lift us before the throne of grace this weekend, and we will do our best to represent the Lord and you to the best of our ability.

Hope in East Africa

This is a post from my other blog site (http://www.edensdust.blogspot.com), and I apologize if you read both. However, I felt this was newsworthy enough to be posted in both places:

I'd like to introduce you to a very special person today. His name is Paul Mutendwa, pictured here recently with Stanley Mutunga, founder of Tumaini International Ministries (Paul is on the left). Tumaini (Swahili for hope), as many of you know, is an organization based in Kenya that provides for the sponsorship of AIDS orphans. Our church partners with them, and we currently sponsor more than 300 kids. Stanley and his wife Rose began this work not so many years ago, hoping to be responsible for 200 children. But, as is often said, we plan and God laughs. Now with more than 800 children being helped more than a THOUSAND on a waiting list (and yes, you read that right), Tumaini is impacting Kenya in a significant fashion.

Back to Paul. Stanley realized that as the work began to burgeon, someone was needed to supervise and oversee the in-country operations. He contacted Paul, who was successful in the business world, and challenged him to use his abilities and skills for the Kingdom in a specific manner. Paul responded to that challenge, left his secular position, and accepted the post of Country Director for Tumaini. For nearly three years, he has worked with and fashioned this outreach so it might expand according the the ever-growing needs around it.

Paul and his family are making a significant impact for the work of the Lord in east Africa. He is currently in the US this month, visiting supporting churches and working with the US board as they continue to consider Tumaini's role. He will be at Knott Avenue this Sunday (November 2), so if you are able, come meet him and discover another reason we believe so much in this vital work.

Arizona GO! Team Preparing

November 6-9 are the dates for our next Global Outreach (GO!) Team to be in service, this time in eastern Arizona. The 21 of us (a big group!) will partner with Arizona Reservation Ministries (http://www.azrez.org), a group serving the needs of the San Carlos Apache Reservation, just outside the city of Globe (2 hours east of Phoenix). Our four days there will be spent working with kids on the reservation, assisting with construction projects, and doing whatever else will benefit either ARM or the Apache people.

I cannot overstate the great needs that exist in this place. Not only are there physical and material needs (as much as 85% unemployment, over 50% of homes with no running water or electricity), but there are tremendous emotional, psychological and spiritual issues as well. Perhaps no other place I've visited needs hope more than here. So please pray for us as we attempt to demonstrate the hope of Jesus in all we do and say during this time.

Taking a Walk

I'm currently reading through the OT book of Proverbs as part of my daily devotional time with the Lord. I'm reading a chapter daily, concurrent with the day of the month (today I read chapter 10, since it's Oct 10). Makes it easier for me to remember where I left off, and that's a nice help as I get older! I try to find at least one verse that jumps out and speaks to me for the day, and use it as a guide, since it is God's wisdom given to me.

Today there were a few verses and principles that spoke loudly to my heart and life circumstances, but I wanted to simply share one of them with you- Proverbs 10:9:

The man of integrity walks securely,
But he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Integrity is a crucial issue for us, whether in the Church or in the world. Just look at the integrity issues being thrown back and forth in the presidential race. Someone said that integrity is what you do when no one is looking at you. It's how you conduct yourself at every twist and turn, whether or not anyone else knows it. The very word speaks to a wholeness in our being (remember the term integer in math class?), in which what we claim to be matches how we live out that claim.

Solomon reminds us that those who walk in integrity don't have to worry about being found out. They are secure because they walk their talk. They won't face the kind of destructive issues that plague so many others because their conduct keeps them away from involvement in things that come back to bite them. Conversely, the person who takes crooked paths (a picture of walking in sin and deception) will eventually be caught. Sooner or later his (or her) sin will catch up and responsibility will have to be taken. It usually happens in this life, since it's hard to keep our secret sins and paths secret very long. But even if we make it through our lives here with no one finding us out, we will stand before the One who sees it all- and there will be no way out of that one.

The challenge for me, then, is to walk in integrity, so there is nothing to be "found out" that would damage me or those around me. Keep my paths straight, keep my eyes straight ahead, keep my feet walking where they should and keep my destination firmly in focus. Not always easy in a world of crooked paths- but doable, with the help of God and my brothers and sisters.

Walk well this week!

Atascadero Update 2

I wanted you to see a photo (click to enlarge) of the Atascadero Team the morning they left (it was 4:45 a.m. and they were all awake!). The team is complete, sans Hans and Lara Linneman, who met them in Atascadero:

This team did a tremendous job working, sharing, serving and giving of themselves to residents and staff alike. They arrived home safely and wish to thank all of you who supported them through prayer, finances, encouragement or in any other manner. They were another great example of what God can do through His people when they focus on giving themselves away and giving Him the glory.

Atascadero Update

The Atascadero GO! Team is hard at work there on the the California central coast, blessing the lives of the residents of the Christian Home there. Scott Graham, one of the team, sent the following update and pictures (click on photos to enlarge):

The Atascadero mission team dove into assignments Thursday afternoon upon our safe arrival. Members are working on projects at the Home and also at Country Care hospital. Some are on the roof painting fascia, others are digging areas for four (4) cement pads to be poured soon. We have women on the team who have trimmed "thousands" of rose stems. Others have planted flowers to beautify the entrance. More importantly, the team has met, talked, and prayed with residents and staff at both locations. They have shared in devotions, visited with residents at each meal, and joined in singing at a Hymn sing-along. We have dealt with sore backs and muscles (especially the cement preparers!). Some have sacrificed by sleeping on a mattress on the floor - more stars in their crowns. We all praise God for His love and care.

Please continue to pray for this great team as they work, share and travel home Sunday afternoon. Ask the Lord to not only keep them healthy and safe, but to provide those kinds of "God-moments" with others who might need to know more about what it means to have a growing relationship with Him.

Atascadero GO! Team Heading North

It was 4:30 this morning as I stood with our Atascadero GO! (Global Outreach) Team and prayed with them in the church's parking lot. They then quickly loaded themselves into the various vehicles and began their jaunt northward toward the city of Atascadero, and the opportunities waiting there for them at the Atascadero Christian Home and Country Care Facility.

The team will spend their time combining projects around the grounds with time spent with residents there. I was reminded of the importance of this kind of time when I was there once. I was talking with an elderly lady who was staring off into the distance as we sat on a porch. She told me that we were the only ones who had come to see her. That her son had not been visited even once since he had placed her in the home over a year earlier. I asked where he lived, certain it was a far distance. I was surprised and heartbroken for her when she sadly replied, "Atascadero."

Many fail to appreciate the great need our elderly have for connection and relationship, and how they have been too often failed by those in their lives. The great thing about this kind of outreach is that we don't have to look far to find ways to reach out and make a difference for those of the "Builder Generation."

Please keep the team in your prayers as they travel, work hard, and share their lives. Pray for their unity as a team, and for open doors as they share the hope of the Gospel with those yet to know it, both residents and staff.

What Do You Do With All That Money?

I was asked twice again yesterday. It's a pretty common question, actually. Just how do we allocate our missions spending at KACC? How do we know where and whom to support? Do we have a structure, a plan, a strategy for our financial investments throughout the world?

There's a lot to be said about this topic, more than I will cover in this post alone. But I do think it's important to share the overarching support strategy of our Global Missions Team.

It begins with a statistic I heard back in 1990. It was that as much as 95% of all money designated for missions in U.S. churches never leaves the U.S. 95%! How can that be?! But when I considered the kinds of projects that end up in the missions category (camps, Bible colleges, scholarships, local church planting, etc.) I realized that this number just might be pretty accurate. I thought then that if I were to ever be responsible for a church's missions budget, I would make sure that such a number could never apply to us.

When I arrived at KACC eight years ago, I found a healthy missions budget (10% of the giving) that was spread throughout the world, but without a lot of specific intent or strategy. During my time here, we have refined our thinking about how we are going to make a world of diffrence. First, we determined that at least 2/3 of our budget would go to regular support of missionaries and projects (the remaining 1/3 to be used for our ministry's local expenses- benevolence, operations, urban, etc.). We then chose to use Jesus' words in Acts 1:8b as our model for financial distribution:

"...and you will be my witnesses, in Jeruslam, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We chose to align our support along these four quadrants, with present-day designations for the areas Jesus mentioned, and a percentage of our giving assigned to each area:
> Jerusalem= California (local)- 15%
> Judea= the United States (national)- 15%
> Samaria= the western world- 25%
> ends of the earth= the rest of the world- 45%

Our current missionaries/projects were then placed in their corresponding geographical "pockets" and (unbelievably) everyone/thing fit perfectly! Now we have a global paradigm that helps us maintain a balance in our giving, and allows us to actively seek out new opportunities when we have the opening to do so. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but it does give us discernible shape and tangible guidelines as we seek God's direction for our church's involvement, whether around the corner or around the world.

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:21 that where we place our treasure is where we'll find our hearts. At KACC we want to have a heart for the world, just as God does. So we're trying to making sure our treasure is invested, not only outside our front door, but throughout the earth.

After all, don't you suppose it's all just outside God's front door?

On the Road to Atascadero

One of the closer GO! Team trips that we make is to the Atascadero Christian Home, located a few hours north of us on the central California coast. This missions opportunity is unique from all others that we make because the people group is that of senior citizens- those who have chosen (or need) to reside in an assisted living situation. The facility contains both assisted living units and a hospital facility.

Our team will spend four days (Oct. 2-6) serving the needs of ACH. There are projects (gardening, painting, building, repair, etc.) to be done throughout the grounds, and opportunities to spend time with the residents. That's important, since several of them have few or no visitors. The connections we make give us the chance to share with many the love and need of Jesus (residents and workers there don't necessarily know Him) in their lives. And that's so important, since many of these folks are close to meeting Jesus anyway.

Please keep this team in prayer as they gather themselves and prepare to go. We will post their picture soon. Pray that they will be bold in their witness and find those chances to both demonstrate and speak the truth of the Gospel. This is a "cross-cultural" experience of a different kind, but as much a challenge and a joy as anywhere else in this world.

For more info about the Atascadero Christian Home, go to www.pacificchristianhomes.org.