http://www.send.org Copyright 2010 SEND. All rights reserved Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:25:00 EDT
Churches in Poland are small and the number of Bible believing Christians is around 0.5 % of the population. The SEND team and the pastors have set goals to increase effectiveness as church planters in seeing more church plants move toward establishing and reproducing, to cast vision and see more nationals involved in church planting, and to realize the vision of the District and the mission of SEND North Central Europe. Pray for effective communication in the seminar presentations and for visits to different church planting sites in the Silesia Region to consult with the church planters.
-Dick Walton]]> Thu, 9 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT
Leanne stood and reflected on the exchange. People here will trust you to touch their eye, but won’t trust you to talk about their heart. Relationships are key to evangelism and discipleship of people are very reluctant to let you into that circle of trust. It is that way the world over, but with time and perseverance is possible. Please pray for us as we and the Ukrainian believers work at this task.]]> Wed, 8 Sep 2010 08:45:00 EDT
He went on to say that in such areas as Europe, “The process of secularization has produced a serious crisis of the sense of the Christian faith and role of the church.” No announcement was made as to who might lead the council.

What’s to be done? Christians need to do the same things as they have always been called to do: continue in sound, biblical teaching, and learn and practice consistent Christian living. It is the way we live that makes our beliefs plausible in the first place. The word of God is not bound. Please pray for the expansion and proclamation of the gospel through the lives and the words of the believers that exist here in Europe.]]> Tue, 7 Sep 2010 08:40:00 EDT
The eight applicants traveled from all over Ukraine to meet with Talbot staff and professors, and to take the English-language entrance exam. (Though extension classes are taught in Russian or with Russian translation, half of the required reading is in English.) 

These eight are the first applicants for the class that will start in 2011. 

The Talbot — Kyiv Extension offers Slavic students the chance to earn a Western-accredited Master's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies without having to journey to the West. Classes are held twice a semester during intensive two-week modules, a schedule that encourages students to continue their ministries, even as they work toward a degree.]]> Mon, 6 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT -Mike and Carolyn Ballast]]> Thu, 2 Sep 2010 02:30:00 EDT Wed, 1 Sep 2010 01:15:00 EDT
I poured a lot of hours into the two youngest teens, a son and daughter, and I didn’t feel I knew the older four very well. But we’d often hold something just for teens and college age kids at our house -- games, food, Bible study, hang out. Our house was generally open game, and our carport had the only ping pong table in the neighborhood. Teens and twenties gathered regularly. My husband played ping pong – I provided food and drinks.

Fast forward 30+ years. Two of Esteban’s sons have lived in the US for years. We know them as Dandi and Bingo. We saw Esteban in January in Manila and he said, "Your daughter is living near Dandi and Bingo. I'll connect you."

Last week I had a phone call from Dandi asking when we were coming his direction. Yesterday we had another phone call from Dandi. "Can we all come see you this afternoon? Bingo's daughter is singing in a noon concert at the university near you.”

Four o'clock the doorbell rang and in poured the two men, their wives, and Bingo's teenage son and daughter. The guys enveloped us in huge bear hugs. Then the wives hugged us, and then the teens hugged us. Instantly the living room was carpeted with people in every chair and piece of floor space, talking full blast. I had our five day old granddaughter in my lap and they kept shifting seats so they could watch her. The teens had never seen a baby so young.

Bingo said to his son, "This guy here (pointing to my husband) -- he was the village holy man, ya know. We didn't have a priest so he was IT." And from there the men launched into "Do you remember the time we...." "You know when we brought G over..." “Do you have pictures of the shaving cream game? The Hat game?” "Do you still make pizza?" Most of which, well, we DIDN'T remember but they did. Who would have thought that a ping pong table, food, silly games, and Bible study would have made such a deep impression?

Hours later we were still talking. Topics spanned the ocean, multiple cultures, and the years. The teens said little, but when I thanked them for coming they said, "Oh, we wouldn't have missed it. We've heard so much about you, and this was really interesting."

Dandi and his wife were the last to leave. As he went out he said, "Who is doing youth work now in the sub?"

"Filipinos," we said. "Your parents' church has over 3000 people. And now there are lots of other churches in the area. All the churches do youth work."

"Good," he said. "It was really important to us."

A little like the ten lepers that were healed and the one who came back to say thank you.]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:55:00 EDT
I asked this student’s aunt, "Why do you fast?" One of the personal reasons she gave me was that in refraining from food and drink, it helps her to identify herself with the poor around her. She added that unless we experience what they experience, we will not truly know what it is like to be poor.

In that moment, I felt as though the Lord was reminding me why I was here  – to "fast" from my home country and the familiar for the summer to better understand what it is like to walk a day in the life of those who are spiritually poor, lacking the truth and transforming work of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord in their lives.

My time in Asia has been formative. I am spurred on to pray for Muslims daily, now that I know many by name and have become friends with them. I am encouraged to mobilize others to pray and even go to the Muslim world, as I've seen the great need. Lastly, I am encouraged to continue pursuing the call I believe the Lord has gently and quietly been placing on my heart to go to a Muslim people long-term in the future.]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT
For about a week, we invited kids every day to a nearby park.  Our theme was "Kids Count," communicating to them that they are of great value, to us, to society and foremost to God.  All week long we sang a special Bob the Builder version of "Jesus Loves the Little Children."

For the final day we also invited the parents and we had very positive feedback both from the kids and parents.

We use this week as a starting point for a regular kids program. Next time will be in September.]]> Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:25:00 EDT
Justin has also been busy working on the pee-wee football league that he is starting up as an outreach to kids in the area.  The first Pass, Punt, Kick competition is scheduled for October 3. Pray that a number of youth workers and youth from the church will participate with us as a show of God’s love to the community in Zagreb. We are praying that this competition will serve a number of purposes:
- to get the youth in the church together and perhaps be a catalyst for the beginning of a “youth group” at church.
- to be a light to the community that shows God’s love in a practical and fun way.
- to spawn interest and participation in the pee-wee league so that kids will be introduced to Jesus through the medium of American football.

The Pass, Punt, Kick Competition is scheduled for October 3rd. Pray that kids will come, the community will see the love of Christ, and that this program will bring the youth of the church together as well.]]> Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:40:00 EDT
One woman is a doctor and the other lady is a lawyer. Both are very strong women. The lawyer had a difficult time setting that role aside during our discussion time. In one discussion she said there was something in her that makes her want to be argumentative and that she had to work hard not to be. She said she likes coming to the camp because it is a sanctuary for her and she sees good there. She said she considered herself to be an agnostic and that faith was only an electrical activity in the brain.

She said she had to see proof of God, some sort of miracle in her life. She indicated she had traumatic experiences in her past. My response to her was that if she saw any good in anyone at camp it was because she was seeing God and maybe the reason she was coming to the camp year after year that it was God giving her the desire to come. Later she responded that it was not her human will to decide to come.

When she said she had to see proof like the table or chair where we were sitting I used the example that you don't inspect the chair before you sit down; you simply sit. I also told her the compulsion that was within her to be combative was because of the enemy we have within. She said she didn't believe there was a devil. I understand that every year she comes she is verbally combative in the group she is in, but interestingly she isn't this way during the monthly Bible studies. I was also told that she and the doctor are among the first ones every year to sign up for the camp with their sons.]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EDT
A drummer comes by my street about 3:20 am to wake people up to eat and drink before the fast starts around 4:25 am.  He woke me up on Thursday morning but I didn't hear the drum on Wednesday or this morning.  Every night I have a new plan on how to try to sleep through the drumming.  People are not supposed to eat or drink from 4:24 am until 8:16 pm tonight.  I honestly don't know how they can go through the day without water in this heat.  Most people don't have air-conditioning in their homes so you can just imagine what it is like to try to go without water or work in this heat. 

I am asking the Father to use this time to show them His love in a special way so they would realize that He doesn't desire them to fast as a way to please Him. He has done the work through His Son which allows us to have a relationship with Him.]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:00:00 EDT
For several in our group, this was their first time to travel outside Alaska.  I had so much fun seeing this group have new experiences!  Before we set out from Soldotna, we gave everyone two of the objectives of this trip: "to learn things and to meet people."  From discovering grasshoppers to free refills to car washes to hotel etiquette, everything was new and exciting and everybody soaked it in.  Whenever they had an opportunity to talk to people they did it:  bikers at rest stops, campground managers, the kids of people we stayed with, the photographer for a kit plane company, pilots, etc.

Highlights of our travels included Laird Hot Springs, Alaska Christian College (ACC), School of Missionary Aviation and Technology (SMAT), the Creation Museum, West Edmonton Mall, and of course, the Fly-In Air Show at Oshkosh. Our hours in the van were filled with journal writing, singing, story-telling, Scripture memorization, and drooling over all the nice cars and bikes that passed by us on the road.

The fact that this was an aviation trip made it different from the other trips we’ve led. Several in the group have little or no involvement in church but to my surprise, these were the ones who were most open and receptive during our evening talk times.  I know of one decision that was made for Christ, and I am looking forward to seeing other fruit grow out of the seeds planted and nourished on this trip. 

SEND North missionary]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EDT
“At the end July, I was invited to share with the sisters in a southern church here. I shared with them how God worked through the prayers of many to break through my struggle over being called to Japan, got me to the mission field and His grace during these five years of service there.  

“As I finished, a grandmother in her 80's said to me, ‘I hate the Japanese fiercely!’ I stopped in my tracks and she continued, ‘The Japanese destroyed my family. They killed my father, my brother…; I hate the Japanese!’ My sharing that day had hooked the most hurtful memories in this grandma’s heart. After the meeting, I prayed with her for God to heal the deep wounds she carries from this hurt.
 
“I have shared or spoken nine times since returning to Taiwan and more than thirty have come to talk with me in a similar way.  May God help me to not only bring the spiritual needs of Japan before people, but also to be a channel of healing and reconciliation.”]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:00:00 EDT Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EDT Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EDT
Eileen writes, “We know that these parenting materials work well in other cultures because they are based on the way God created us. Our positive approach to parenting is not the traditional approach of Russian parents. However, the parents and leaders who participated in the workshops could see how it would help them overcome some of the negative results they have seen in their children. When we showed them that the principles are consistent with the way God, as our Father, deals with us, they were ready to embrace the concepts and eager to put them into practice.

“We had lots of invitations to return and do family camps, church meetings, and more training. We are committed to training a few leaders who will be able and willing to carry on the ministry in many communities in the Far East of Russia. With that in mind we hope to return next year to the same locations and do more training. We pray that many who attended this year will come back, learn more and then be ready to teach others.”]]> Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:30:00 EDT
The season started off early for Bonnie and Lydia. They both helped out with Camp A for 6-10 year olds. Before any camper arrived, Bonnie was hard at work, ensuring that the camp program was not, "over the heads" of the campers. Here's how Bonnie describes it...

"What do tetherball, baseball, a water slide, cinnamon rolls, and the song 'I Wanna Be Like a Tree' have in common? They were all new activities for Camp A this year – we added an American flavor to our youngest Croatian camp. This was my first year at the 6 to 10 year olds Croatian camp. It was lovely to work with my favorite age group for a whole week and we had a great staff who was mostly from Split, a Croatian coastal city. I led the English electives, did the rock climbing instruction and assisted Kate Wurzberg, who was leading the camp for her first time. It was a great week of fun with a focus on the Kingdom of God. We had some good conversations come from the Bible study and evening talk times."

Next was camp B. This camp is for ages 11-13. This time Bonnie, Lydia, and I all served at camp while Ellie Beth attended. Bonnie spoke one night about God as our Mighty King. She also served as a girls counselor and had a great room of girls who she enjoyed connecting with. I had a room of 6 guys and spoke to the campers about loving God above all else.

This age group is a lot of fun to work with and it is exciting to model a life of loving God with these campers throughout the week. What strikes me at this camp is a comment a parent made to me last year. He said, "you sure do love our children, I appreciate that." It's funny how sometimes we can reach the parents through their children. That family sent their children to camp again this year, and we'll be visiting them later this week on our vacation.

One of our highlights of this camp was getting several hugs from campers as they went home. Our prayer is that our lives impact these campers in such a way that they clearly see Jesus.

I was the only member of my family to serve at Camp C. To be honest, this was the most difficult camp I have served at. A number of the campers were from a local foster home/orphanage, and it seemed that at any given moment there were two groups of campers doing something wrong. This required me to try to stop both problems while also trying to lead an activity. This constant need for discipline kept me from having the opportunity to play and interact with the campers. At one point, I simply felt that I had little or no connection with the campers. But, by weeks end, they started coming around.

I spent a lot of time getting the campers to know that I expected respect for camp leaders and camp property. In time, a number of them started to get the idea that if they followed the rules, I would give them freedom and have time to play with them. I think that week was a good start to a relationship with these campers, and I look forward to seeing them next year.

Our theme at camp was faith factor. I spoke the opening night from Hebrews 11:1 and encouraged the campers to spend a week exploring faith through Jesus Christ. On the fourth night of camp I was asked to fill in for another speaker. With a couple hours of prep time, I spoke on Rahab from Hebrews 11:31. I challenged the campers to see that even though God had sent the Israelite's to destroy Jericho and all inside, that Rahab still took faith in God that she and her family could be saved.

In spite of the difficult week, I am ready to hold camp C again and look forward to future opportunities to engage with these young people regarding who Jesus Christ is.

Finally, we had MK Camp. Bonnie served as assistant cook and I served as camp director. Lydia and Ellie Beth were campers. The theme at MK Camp was also Faith Factor. Prior to camp, we had two days of staff training and getting to know each other. Then the campers started arriving from all over Europe. Again, I started the camp with a challenge to the campers to spend a week exploring faith, and to consider following a simple process of Listen to the speakers and Bible studies; Communicate with others about the topic of faith; and then take Action on what they had learned.

The defining trait of MK Camp is worship. These campers get together each night and worship the Lord in English. It is exciting to participate with them as they praise God in their native language. It seems that they hold nothing back. At one time during the week, nearly the whole camp chose to have an extra worship time rather than free time. What a blessing that was.

If Facebook is any indicator, many of the campers are saying this was the best MK Camp ever. At the end of camp, we ask campers to help us explain what MK Camp means to them and one camper wrote this, "MK Camp is an encouraging, spiritually-renewing week filled with the people who understand you the best. It was one of the highlights of my summer". I guess the campers say it best.

Now that the camps are over, we start our retreat season. There are several retreats coming up and lots of planning to do as we continue to move in the direction of broadening our reach through camp. Please keep our family and our ministry in prayer as we move into the fall season.]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:25:00 EDT
Twenty-six children, almost all from non-Christian homes and in the age bracket from kindergarten to sixth grade, heard something of the gospel during this time. Sandwiched in the middle of the 5-day program, we held a barbecue on Sunday evening, August 1, having invited the parents of the kids to come too. At that time it was good to meet some new children and mothers for the first time (but we were disappointed that no fathers showed up). Please pray that the seed that was sown will bear fruit. Pray also for good opportunities to build on these relationships in the months to come.]]> Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EDT