Tony and I have had the privilege of visiting many different countries (30+), many of them in a ministry/teaching context. Here’s what I love about international travel: Hearing incredible stories of how God is at work in different nations. Many of them cannot be publicly spoken of, but they help to raise my faith level and challenge… Read More
Category: Missions
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God at work in the Congo
Rolland and Heidi Baker are seeing an incredible move of God across Mozambique and other countries of Africa with miracles and deliverances, healings and salvations, resulting in thousands of churches being planted. We love what they are doing and have a particular interest in it for a couple of reasons. Tony was at school with… Read More
Women are often undervalued and sidelined in the church, especially when it somes to strategic thinking and planning. Leadership equals servanthood (Matthew 20:25-28), and we, the church, are supposed to be listening to our head, Jesus, and following what he says. Since women are used to serving, and they often hear him more clearly, it… Read More
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What is an insider movement?
In some countries, changing religion to Christianity is tantamount to a death sentence. In many other countries, new disciples face huge social consequences; they may lose their jobs or their housing. In villages in India, for example, believers may not be allowed to use the village well or buy rice at the local store. There's an… Read More
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If I were a missionary…
Photo Credit: rogiro (Creative Commons) Some people might say that Tony and I are already missionaries. Firstly, we have crossed cultures from the UK to the USA. (I sometimes wonder why here to the affluent West which is already so heavily Christianized when we would have willingly gone to any country in the world.) And… Read More
Photo credit: yewenyi (Creative Commons) In many Third World countries, there is a high level of illiteracy. For example, according to Human Development Report for 2009, the literacy rate in Bangladesh is 56%, Sudan 27% etc. This does not mean that people are not intelligent. They are often highly intelligent. It just means that they have never been… Read More
Photo credit: SadieMaeGlutz (Creative Commons) We have friends in India who are seeing large numbers of both high-caste Hindus and people from other religions become followers of Jesus. They use the sacred books of those religions to point to Christ. When they have clearly demonstrated Christ within those books, they can then point them to… Read More
There are many pitfalls for the unwary in a cross-cultural context. Here are some bloopers I, or those with me, have made: India: placing my Bible on the floor. Mozambique: beckoning someone to come with my palm facing up, rather than down. Muslim nation: offering (as a woman) to shake hands with a man when… Read More
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Potential missionaries, beware!
Photo credit: EugeniusD80 (Creative Commons) We were sitting in our hot tub with some dear friends who are long-term missionaries in Japan. Jim’s wife is Japanese, so they have a unique understanging of that nation. They and their family are planting simple/organic churches there. As usual, our conversation ranged widely as we put the world… Read More
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So you want to be a missionary?
Photo credit: breezy 421 (Creative Commons) Nothing magical occurs when a person moves into a cross-cultural situation. Arriving on foreign shores, a new missionary doesn't suddenly morph into an evangelistic go-getter. When we come across people who are about to go onto the mission field, while standing in awe of their commitment to Jesus, our… Read More