The Trailing Spouse
Venezuela Through Time
Making Connections
tell magazine
Transformation in Taiwan Missionaries use Sports & English to Introduce Teens to Christ
Team Expansion’s Log of Love
www.teamexpansion.org
Fall 2013
tell
letter
tell
magazine
What is the tell?
STATE of the MISSION Welcome to our 2013 edition of the tell magazine.
A
s I was preparing to write this letter, one of our workers dropped by to get my opinion on whether or not she should route her departure for the Middle East through Heathrow airport. About 72 hours ago, we began monitoring stepped-up chatter from terrorists who reportedly are planning threats to that airport using surgically implanted bombs in young female suicide-bombers. Of course, Heathrow might actually be the least of our worries. The truth is, about half of all our 350 full-timers labor in places we can’t really name, for security’s sake. In this issue, for example, six of the stories are from sensitive locations. But the way we look at it, bomb threats aren’t our only concern. For example, see Elizabeth’s story about “Trailing Spouse Syndrome.”
And, after all, just browse the bullet-points of your favorite online news source. From the western edge of North Africa all the way to the Pacific shores of Indonesia, there are stories of sexual trafficking, earthquake, famine, and sword. It almost sounds like a passage from the Bible. But wait – we know the end of the story, and, Whoa! Does the story ever have a good ending for those who endure! We plan to endure, one way or another, not only in the pages of this tell, but also around the globe. Join us!
Doug Lucas Team Expansion President
Revelation 7:9-12 paints a beautiful picture of every nation coming before the throne of God to worship Him. The tell, Team Expansion’s Log of Love, has functioned as a bridge between ministries around the world and the local church since 1992. It has been our hope to radiate the goodness of God and the progress that we are making together through this publication. Until that moment before the throne, may we all continue to play our part in fulfilling the Great Commission!
The tell is produced by Team Expansion, all rights reserved and implied.
Writing Editor CARLA WILLIAMS cwilliams@teamexpansion.org Design Editor SHAUNA PETERSON speterson@teamexpansion.org
Team Expansion Transforming communities among the unreached by planting Biblical churches. Team Expansion 4112 Old Routt Road Louisville, KY 40299 www.teamexpansion.org 1.800.447.0800 (toll-free) 502.719.0007 502.719.0008 (fax)
f Like us on Facebook! t @teamexpansion 2
fall 2013 • tell
CONTENTS 2
State of the Mission
4
Trailing Spouse
6
The First Arabic Kairos
8
Baby Jesus, Melted Pants, & a Gecko
on the cover
Letter from the president
He heard, “Go!” and I said, “No!”
An opportune moment in Africa
The tale of one memorable Christmas party
10
Taiwan
14
Permaculture
16
Ask. Seek. Knock. Repeat.
20
Venezuela
24
Making Connections
27
Living the China Miracle
30
Setting the PACE: India
How sports and English can change a nation
Sustainable farming as ministry
Learning about audacious prayer
Transformation through time
Effective short-term trips
How the spiritual climate in China has changed
Adopting an unreached people group
News & Notes 32
Updates from around the world
The soccer class warms up with drills during Sports & English Camp in Taiwan. (photo by Carla Williams)
35
Full-Time Opportunities Team Expansion’s urgent needs
member care
tell
Trailing Spouse: T
He Heard, “Go!” and I Said, “No!” by ELIZABETH TROTTER
he Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
I thought I was facing a permanent relocation, regardless of how miserable I might become – and I was convinced I would be quite miserable. I believed I would live in a hut somewhere in the jungle and spend my days lugging water for laundry and gathering firewood for cooking. Housework would so consume me that I wouldn’t have time to homeschool, and I would never see my husband again. I thought a missionary husband is never at home, but instead serves the needs of his community, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, for years on end. I’m also some sort of unstable cross between a Germophobe and a Hypochondriac. This condition can lead to some rather interesting conversations about deadly infectious possibilities, and is especially virulent during pregnancy and childbirth. As a woman who had recently given birth, but who was also quite sure she wanted another baby, I didn’t take my husband’s missionary suggestion well. My situation has a name: Trailing Spouse. The term can apply to spouses of missionaries, diplomats, members of the armed forces, and international businessmen. In my case, it meant that my husband had a strong call to missions, and I did not. I could not manufacture a call. Believe me. I tried. I thought, however, that in order to be a good wife, I was required to go. I wanted to have the faith of Sarah, who followed her husband Abraham away from her homeland through the desert to a land they didn’t even know.
would never tell people not to obey the Great Commission and become missionaries, would He? And God would never tell a husband one thing and a wife another, would He? I felt guilty for not wanting to apply with Team Expansion, and in my guilt, I agreed to apply. I was not happy about this decision. Each morning when I woke up, I would suddenly remember the path we were plodding, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to live anymore. It took a lot of work to get out of bed in the morning to face a life I didn’t want to live. I studied Saint Patrick, the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. I tried conjuring up my high school dreams of being a Peace Corps worker and doing grand things in some developing country. I tried to emulate Sarah, who followed her husband, who was following God. I even dragged my husband to my grief counselor to discuss this issue. Her advice? We needed more information in order to make a reasonable decision. In an effort to gain more information, and in spite of the fact that I still didn’t feel a call, we attended Launch, Team Expansion’s two-week orientation. Everyone at the home office was excited about missions, and their excitement was contagious. At the time I thought that excitement would be enough for me to overcome my doubts. After Launch, my husband made a survey trip. He made the trip alone because I was in the first trimester of a new pregnancy, and far too scared to visit a third world country. He explored Phnom Penh, uninhibited by my many fears. He returned home with a love for the Cambodian people and quite convinced that we could survive in the capital city. His research about daily living details, which are of utmost importance to me, was thorough enough that I, too, was convinced of the live-ability of Phnom Penh. However, when we tried to set an actual departure date, I froze in fear. I realized I couldn’t go. I had too many fears. There were simply too many unknowns. In my mind, my abundant life in America was filmed in color. I looked ahead into a future in Cambodia, and saw only darkness. What on earth were we going to do about this?
TRYING TO BE SARAH
HEARING MY OWN CALL
When my husband first told me, rather excitedly, that he wanted to apply with Team Expansion to become a missionary in Cambodia, I did not in any way share his excitement. I had many mistaken ideas about missionary life - mistaken ideas that told me, “No! Never! Don’t go!”
MISTAKEN IDEAS
I could not manufacture a call. Believe me. I tried.
So we did what we had always done for big decisions: we asked God what He wanted us to do. I tried hard to listen to God’s voice, but it seemed like my husband’s voice was so loud, I couldn’t hear God. I felt tremendous internal pressure to say yes, because, after all, God
4
fall 2013 • tell
We took a week-long break from discussing Cambodia with each other. (Remember how I had difficulty discerning God’s voice from my husband’s voice?) For one week, we planned to talk only to God about it. During this time of seeking, a veteran missionary shared her
S
story with me. She spoke of fear and faith, and how she learned to trust God to go with her to new places, even though she was afraid – and she was often afraid. She said her fear problem was really about not having enough faith. Her faith story helped me see that God was going to go with me wherever I went in this world. I had not thought that God would go with me to new places. I unconsciously thought I would step on a plane and leave Him in America – as if God is confined to one place. She advised us that whatever decision we made, both of us needed to be 100 percent sure. I couldn’t go to Cambodia and make my husband feel responsible for ruining my happy American lifestyle. He couldn’t stay in America and make me feel responsible for ruining his missionary dreams. During that week we also asked our church’s elders to meet with us. When we met, they spoke of husbands loving and sacrificing for their wives. They spoke of God’s love and esteem for marriage. I absorbed all the wisdom we had received that week, and I began to understand that this needed to be a joint decision – not one person submitting to another person, but a unified decision. I had been listening to my husband’s call for a long time, and had told myself I didn’t need a call if he had one. I thought I could simply follow him, like Sarah. In the end, I’m not sure I had enough faith to use my husband’s call as my own. I needed one myself, and God graciously provided. My call wasn’t a big epiphany moment or an audible voice, but I had a deep sense of peace about going overseas that I had never had before. I needed to know that God would go with me, and that gave me the courage to say yes to His call. I didn’t know how He was going to
In my mind, my abundant life in America was filmed in color. I looked ahead into a future in Cambodia, and saw only darkness.
help with my fears. I didn’t know how all the daily living details were going to work out. But I knew God was with me, and that I was safe with God. Suddenly, He didn’t feel distant to me anymore. I knew I could choose to go or stay, and either would be OK. For the first time, I could say, “Yes” in my heart without hesitation, but I could no longer say, “No” without hesitation.
GOING INTO THE LAND GOD SHOWED US
I was finally able to lay down that Trailing Spouse label. I survived hard times in our first year overseas – difficult transitions, illnesses of all kinds, even an attempted break-in – without blaming my husband. I have assurance that I’m supposed to be here, and not just because God called my husband here, but because God called me here. I am glad I followed Him. I have seen my already-happy marriage blossom as a result of following God to Cambodia. Our family has grown closer together. I have watched my children grow in flexibility, maturity, and spiritual sensitivity. I am a different person myself. I’m less rigid. I’m no longer such an extreme Hypochondriac and Germophobe. I’m less judgmental of others. I’ve experienced God in deeper ways than ever before, and He has helped me see and meet other people’s needs more readily. I would never go back to the way I was before. This journey is just beginning, but each day, I’m more thankful that I finally said, “Yes.”
Follow Elizabeth’s ongoing journey on her blog, www.trotters41.com member care
5
tell
1 kairos
The
“I
st
Arabic Kairos by A WORKER IN NORTH AFRICA
t’s not enough to have a relationship with God and enjoy his presence in our life, we should also let other people experience that by spreading the Gospel of God.”
This was the response of one Kairos course participant after the first day of being exposed to God’s global Kingdom purposes. When she took the course, she had only been a believer for a couple of months. She is a young North African woman and one of more than 20 local believers who have successfully completed the Kairos course. Our team has worked to make Kairos available in the North African country we live in. It is a 99% Muslim country. The Christian believers in this country make up a tiny fraction of the population. Kairos, however, serves as a tool to impart vision to these believers for reaching their families, nation, and region. In a country where millions of people live and die without ever hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel message, this small group of believers realizes how incredibly blessed they have been to hear and respond to the Good News. Kairos helps these believers see that the blessing also comes with a responsibility – to be a blessing to the rest of their nation and ultimately the ends of the earth.
FIRST KAIROS IN ARABIC
Our team facilitated the process of translating the course into Arabic. The first step was getting the glossary translated and the new terms defined and agreed upon. During the first phase, the reader, video transcripts, handouts, and prayer booklet were translated. The video transcripts were then taken and put as subtitles into the videos.
6
fall 2013 • tell
Kair s God, the Church and the World
In a country where millions of people live and die without ever hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel message, this small group of believers realizes how incredibly blessed they have been.
Phase 2 included the translation of all the devotional and chapter introduction PowerPoints. The notes and guides for presenting were translated as well in this stage. Currently, the training manuals and remaining PowerPoints are being translated. The course was translated into standard Arabic so it can be used throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
PARTICIPANT CHALLENGES
The challenge of translating the course into Arabic was small compared to the challenges participants face every time the course is offered. Although more than 20 local believers have completed the course, significantly more have started, but have been prevented from finishing. Deaths in the family, sickness, and transportation issues have kept several from finishing the week. The most common challenge that participants face, however, is when their parents have found out what they are doing. Several have been beaten or kicked out of their home when their parents learned where they had been all day. Many participants struggle to finish the homework because they can’t bring the Reader into their parents’ home. There are very few public places (libraries, coffee shops, parks) where Arabic materials about global Christian mission would be welcome. Even finding a location to host a course and subsequent facilitator training courses can be difficult. Doors must remain closed, noise levels need to be monitored, and course materials can’t be taken out of the room.
KAIROS AND BEYOND
Despite these challenges God continues to use the course to raise up more workers for the task of reaching this nation. These workers have counted the cost, considered Jesus worth it, and already know the language and culture inside out. Our team has been blessed to partner with these brothers and sisters to make Kairos more available to other believers, but ultimately we look forward to working with these believers to make disciples who make disciples and churches that start new churches. The course challenges and equips believers no matter where they are in their journey of following Jesus. We’ve seen participants who have only been a believer for a few weeks and we’ve seen gifted, mature pastors finish. One of those pastors summed up his experience, “I do not mean to underestimate the importance of the study of theology, but what we have learned from the Kairos course can’t be provided by the largest faculty of theology in the world. Kairos is very important for those who care about missionary work, but also for church leaders all over the world. Kairos is not an educational material, but it teaches a new way of life.”
For more information: kairos@teamexpansion.org www.kairosusa.com
Now in over 60 countries and 30 languages, Kairos is engaging the global Church in God’s mission to all nations. Find a course, get involved, join the movement that’s making a global difference.
www.kairosusa.com
storying
7
Baby Jesus, Melted Pants & a
by A WORKER IN A SENSITIVE FIELD
T
Gecko
he Christmas season was upon us, and my teammate and I had decided to put on a special series of parties for our local neighbors and friends. “River City,” the place where we lived, was a very conservative place. The parties would be ladies only, as is the custom, and would include tea, snacks, and a careful telling of the Christmas story.
8
fall 2013 • tell
PANTS ON FIRE
The first of these parties was at my house. We were readying my hosting room by setting out tea cups and trays full of cakes, cookies, and nuts. Stepping back to count dishes, my teammate stepped a bit too close to the propane heater and accidentally melted her (apparently) polyester pants to her wool socks. I scoured my dresser drawers trying to find a pair of the local baggy pants that might fit my friend’s tall frame. She stands about 7 inches taller than I, so the pants, of course, looked a little on the ridiculous side. Everything was set out and ready. The doorbell rang, and the ladies started pouring in. We laughed and ate. We poured endless cups of green tea seasoned with fragrant cardamon. I handed out gifts of tiny bottles of perfume for the women, and small hair clips for the little girls.
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
We explained in our simple, broken language about how much God loved them, that he sent Jesus as a gift for them and for all the world. He was the gift the entire world had been waiting for, and He is the most perfect and precious gift the world has ever received. I realized that this household, the women alone numbering 23, had never heard this story before. Their understanding of Christmas, in that very moment, was pure and simple: Christmas meant Jesus. I felt a tinge of jealousy for a moment, knowing that my western mind had attached so much baggage to this sacred holiday. “God, forgive my materialistic heart,” I thought. They raised some concerns they had about Jesus, as we had expected, but their appreciation for the celebration somehow outweighed their need to contest our views.
UNINVITED GUEST
As we continued to chat and talk about Christmas, the women suddenly started screaming and cowering toward a wall. “Oh no,” I thought. “Some uncle is here to reprimand them.” Wrong. A gecko had fallen from the ceiling and through the propane heater flame. He was obviously injured, but not enough to keep him from spastically gimping around the room. What ensued was unadulterated pandemonium. My first instinct was to get my husband to kill it, but that would violate every cultural rule of gender decency in the book of “River City.” He was not allowed to see these women, so that was not an option. I grabbed a shoe in attempt to coax it into another room, only to accidentally break the ugly thing’s tail off and watch it jump and seize while the actual gecko limped away for cover under a pile of burqas. Nooriah, the strongest and toughest daughter in the bunch, grabbed my hand. “Go get a broom and dustpan. Now.” I brought back her weapons of choice, and she quickly and swiftly killed and swept up the gecko and its twitching tail into the dustpan. “Go bury it,” she instructed. I obeyed. Nooriah and her family talked about that party for months. It was not long after that we were forced to evacuate “River City.” It pains me that I’m no longer able to sit with them, share with them and talk about our mutual disdain of geckos. Leaving them and the city I had grown to love was excruciating, but I take enormous comfort in knowing that my God does not need me to complete His work. He is still in “River City” and will not let His word return void.
Team Expansion
is looking for more intercessors to join its umbrella prayer group,
THE PRAYER FORCE. Would you commit to being one of those intercessors? You will receive daily prayer briefings via email.
Is God calling you to be an intercessor for global evangelization?
Sign up at www.teamexpansion.org/prayerforceblog
tell
dsoto
TAIWAN
How Sports & English Can Change a Nation
10
fall 2013 • tell
by CARLA WILLIAMS
(Clockwise from top) Three of the main idols of Taiwan stand on top of a temple. A missionary and her helper from the U.S. teach students how to bake. Campers learn a basic block in Taekwondo. A swimming student prepares for her class. A boy focuses his attention on hitting the ball.
taiwan
S
tell
PIRITUAL CLIMATE
There have been missionaries in Taiwan for hundreds of years, and yet, Taiwan remains more unreached per capita than its big sister, China. According to Operation World, only about 2.5 percent of Taiwan’s 23.6 million people are Christians, with many parts of the country at less than 0.5 percent. The major religion in Taiwan is a mixture of Buddhism and Daoism, or the worship of one’s ancestors. They believe they need to provide the food and money their ancestors need in the afterlife, and they believe they need to get blessings from the gods in order to be healthy and successful. There are also demons or ghosts that just need to be tricked or avoided. Their gods don’t know them. They don’t love them. They just need to be appeased. The Taiwanese people spend a lot of time and energy keeping the gods, ancestors, and demons happy. Sometimes it’s to get a blessing, and sometimes it’s just to be left alone. Fear is a worldview in Taiwan. Everybody is worried. At some temples, there is even a statue outside where you can store your worries. You put them in there before you go in, and then you pick them back up when you come out. There is no peace. The Taiwanese people are devout. They’re faithfully trying to do enough to take care of their ancestors and please their gods. They’re working really hard, but they are slaves of emptiness.
SPORTS AND ENGLISH CAMP
Teens in Taiwan are busy. They go to school early in the morning and don’t come home until after dark, when they then do homework. They have a lot of pressure. They have a lot of stress. They are singularly focused on their futures. Even within the few churches in Taiwan, it’s difficult to minister to the teens. They’re simply unavailable. Eight years ago, as the Team Expansion missionaries thought about how to effectively reach the teens in Taiwan, Sports & English Camp was born. The camp is appealing because the teens have very little time for sports in their busy lives. They want to learn how to play the sports - to be active without the pressure of performing at a perfect level. They desperately want to learn English, too, because to be successful in their futures, they need all the English practice they can get. They also often idealize the United States, and the camp is a chance for them to make friends with Americans. The camp staff is very forthright when they advertize the camp: The focus is Jesus. The parents and teens know that the camp is hosted by Christians who will spend the whole week trying to convince the students that Jesus loves them. They come anyway. This year, seven hours after the registration opened at midnight, the camp had filled its 144 slots and had a waiting list 40 people deep.
STAFF AND STUDENTS
About one third of the campers were Christians before they arrived at camp. Some of them had made decisions at camp in previous years, and taiwan
11
(Right to left) One camper prepares for her shot. A student attempts to get his kite in the air. A camper smiles and poses during free time. Students hold hands while singing during the last night of worship.
some had a Christian parent. The other two thirds of the campers came with little to no knowledge or understanding of Jesus. The campers ranged from 7th-12th grades. Most listed themselves as having an intermediate English level, which generally meant that the students could understand a lot more than they could speak. Very few would initiate conversations in English, though almost all of them would delightedly practice their limited vocabulary if someone approached them. The staff consisted of three categories of people. There were Taiwanese adult believers, who knew the culture and language perfectly, as well as the cost of following Christ in their environment. There were the American missionaries who live in Taiwan. They had a great balance of being able to speak Chinese while also still having that “cool American” appeal. And then there were the American guests who came just for the camp. When paired with a local believer or missionary, they could have great impact with their relationships and testimonies. Each English class and sport would include a variety of the staff to create the best experience for everyone. In some ways, the Taiwanese teens are just like American teens. They think about fashion and school and the cute boy/girl who keeps smiling at them. They spend a lot of time on their phones. They want to make money and travel to exotic places. They worry about their futures, about their families, and about how to balance it all. There are definite differences as well. In the U.S., individuality is prized. In Taiwan, the greater emphasis is on the family or the group rather than on the individual. It’s more important to bring honor to the family than it is to achieve your personal dreams. Taiwanese teens spend a lot of time in conformity. They are quick to follow the rules and accept instructions as they are. One miserable afternoon, in blazing hot sun and demoralizing humidity, there was a group photo scavenger hunt. Even though they were clearly hot and exhausted, they kept going from location to location. They didn’t complain. They didn’t question. They didn’t give up. They obeyed, because that’s what they know to do.
The Taiwanese teens are also disproportionately focused on their futures. They feel a tremendous amount of pressure to study hard, excel in their schoolwork, and earn a prestigious job. The kids in one English class were given a list of goals and asked to circle the three things they were seeking the most. Almost all of them said, “A good future.” Most also said, “Peace.”
DAILY ROUTINE
English class was in the mornings. The kids were divided by grade and English level, with the appropriate staff dispersed throughout the groups. Leaders used predetermined stories from the Bible to teach English vocabulary and conversation, while also emphasizing the truths in the stories in their own language. English class, like every part of camp, was structured but casual. The staff worked very hard to create a pressure-free environment. Sometimes, that meant that the Bible story led to a in-depth discussion entirely in Chinese. After English class, the sports time would begin. The campers signed up for a sport when they registered, so they knew before they arrived what equipment and clothing to bring. For two hours each day, they would learn the skills and concepts necessary for their specific sport. This year, the camp offered baseball, basketball, tennis, swimming, soccer, volleyball and taekwondo. They even had a baking/cooking class. The afternoons were full of a combination of rest, free-time, and fun group activities. Everyone would come back together for dinner in the evening, then have their worship experience with a speaker. These were always done in both English and Chinese, so that the students could hear the Gospel clearly in their own language. This year, the staff changed the worship style. In the past, they used a skilled band and worship leaders. This year, they used karaoke-style worship videos and volunteer students. They wanted every part of the experience to be reproducible after camp. After these challenging messages, the campers would split up into “Transform” groups, which were groups of 3-4 students. The students picked their own Transform groups the first night of camp so that they
While the path ahead of these students will certainly be difficult, Taiwan needs them to succeed.
12
fall 2013 • tell
could be in a comfortable setting with friends they already knew and trusted. They would meet after the nightly message to talk about what they had heard and experienced that day. Several Transform groups who were from a similar area would then meet up as an “Impact” group, which included a variety of camp staff. In Impact groups, everyone could raise and answer questions and grow together as a small community. One of the Team Expansion teams in Taiwan explained the purposes and expectations of these groups: This year we envisioned teenagers all over the island meeting in small groups with their friends, family, or classmates when they returned home to worship and learn more about the Bible. To make that a reality, we modeled and practiced each aspect of these autonomous small groups during camp, giving the students the tools they need to begin to study the Bible on their own. Some changes were simple, such as building family groups out of kids from the same geographic area so they could build relationships that can continue after camp. Even these simple changes made a difference in the atmosphere of camp. Because students in family groups already knew each other, we noticed the trust level of students among their peers was greater than ever before, allowing students to more freely share thoughts, feelings, and questions.
DECISIONS
On the last night of camp, the campers were offered two invitations. There was a chance for those who wanted to follow Christ in obedience and baptism. Several teens decided they were ready for that step of faith. A few were baptized at camp or immediately after, but some parents withheld their consent. Almost no one in the entire country is a Christian. The teens are not even going home to a neutral setting. Everything about the culture is specifically against them. The things that are important are different – even opposite. To follow Christ in this setting, they are going to need support. So, the other invitation was to start or join a Transform Group in their school, neighborhood, or community. The missionaries were
delighted with the overwhelming response, and explained, “This year we added the invitation to start a Transform Group with 2-4 of their friends where they can use a website our team designed that is full of resources to worship, study, ask questions, invite us to visit their group, and much more. To our amazement (Why are we always amazed at the way God works?!), 60 student accepted this invitation.” Campers could go home with a small community of support already established.
AFTER CAMP
After camp, the visiting staff from the U.S. had to get on the plane and fly back home, leaving the real work to the missionaries, local churches, and the campers. They jumped right in to the work of discipleship and continued study. Many students began Transform groups right away, while others are still looking for open opportunities. It is not easy for them – their school and family pressures have not gone anywhere and the culture is still against them. In the U.S., it is common for teens to experience a rush of emotion and new resolutions after an encounter like camp, but then those feelings fade as they return to their everyday life. This is true in Taiwan, but the reality they are returning to is dramatically different. While the path ahead of these students will certainly be difficult, Taiwan needs them to succeed. The empty rituals and costly sacrifices in Taiwan are keeping its people enslaved, but the love of Christ can set them free. There have been missionaries in Taiwan for hundreds of years, and hopefully more missionaries will come. There is a desperate need for Christians in Taiwan. But the nation has not yet experienced the transforming power of a movement of students who are passionately praying for their country and living out Christ’s hope in their families, schools, and communities. With God’s help, those students could easily change the direction of the whole nation.
For more information: asia@teamexpansion.org
taiwan
13
tell
permaculture
The development of the Permaculture Training Center site began with little top soil after road construction years ago.
Permacul ure by TERRY AND AMY RUFF
W
(Clockwise on left) A team of Permaculture experts visits regularly to design the property and teach the workers. Alossis, the site manager, stands in a spice garden surrounded by hedges, Acacia trees, and various fruit trees. Paul Yeboah, the main Permaculture trainer in Ghana, shows a black pepper plant growing up a tree.
hat began as a stripped, gravel-covered, dumping site for road construction waste has become a prolific oasis in less than two years. While still in its development stages, the center has already affected the surrounding communities. Permaculture – permanent culture – is sustainability among people and resources with the value of building a legacy of abundance to pass on now and to future generations. The three basic ethics of the movement are care of the earth, care of people, and the sharing of surplus. Each of these movements has Scriptural support. Bill Mollison, the founder of Permaculture, encourages people to think, observe, plan and encourage harmony in all of nature, and to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children. It is upon these principles that the Permaculture Training Center of Buipe, Ghana, West Africa has been founded.
BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
There has been some reluctance in the Christian community to embrace caring for the earth for various reasons, but the necessity to do so is addressed from the beginning of creation. Genesis 2:15 is a call “to tend and to keep” the garden in which God first placed man. God took great care in every detail of creation, and He saw all that He created and He said it was very good! It needs to be cared for and developed for future generations, but by the sinful nature of man, it has often been stripped and abused, leaving desolation in the wake. Romans 8 describes creation as groaning to be liberated from its bondage of decay. Man was affected by the sin he committed, and so was all of creation.
CARE OF THE EARTH
A key concept in Permaculture is developing the skill of observation. When one observes the grass and woodlands man has not touched, it is easy to see God has created a system that needs no fertilization or watering to be beautifully sustained.
14
fall 2013 • tell
Observing God’s creation teaches us the necessity of a covering for the earth. Birds have feathers, animals have skin, fish have scales, trees have bark. Permaculture emphasizes the importance of creating a self-sustaining covering that helps retain water in the soil, control weeds and build the nutrients in the soil through composting, the cutting and stripping of leaves and grasses and the propagation of nitrogen and nutrient fixing trees. Permaculture also teaches the concept of creating food forests by intercropping and multi-layer planting. For example, potatoes grow under the ground, many foods grow on the surface of the ground, some plants bear food while climbing on other plants and some foods form above the ground on trees. A myriad of other Permaculture methods also serves as bridges to teach as Christ taught using simple stories to explain complex spiritual truths. It sounds simple but looking closer at how the systems God put in place work together takes time. Interestingly there are Scriptures that urge us to observe the workings of nature. For instance, Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” And Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.”
CARE OF PEOPLE
Each system supports and sustains the other and when we change one, the others in turn are affected. The same is true for observing the culture of the people with whom the Gospel is to be shared. On the surface some things can be observed, but until closer, deeper observations are made about how each culture affects the other, the ability of the Gospel to penetrate the hearts of any people will be weak. Jesus made it clear what our relationship to each other should be when he answered the expert in the law’s question as to which is the greatest commandment. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
A few of the current features and future projects of the Permaculture Training Center of Buipe, Ghana, West Africa Jatropha seeds for living fences Moringa seeds Cinnamon trees African nutmeg trees Fruit trees: mango, banana, plantain, papaya, star fruit, orange, lemon, tangerine, date, cashew, cocoa, avocado Insect repellent: lemon grass, peppermint, sweet basil, lemon basil, onion and garlic Living fences Moringa soap Bee hives and honey Oyster shell mushrooms Water retention pond Tilapia Rabbits Chickens Sheep Goats Composting Topsoil development The care of people is at the forefront in consideration of development, sustainability and moving toward abundance. Self-reliance and voluntary community responsibility using the resources at their disposal is promoted. The earth is not above people, but neither are people to be without earth care. Galatians 6:7-10 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” What better way to love others than to share what Christ has done through the cross that no one has to pay the penalty for their own sin?
SHARING OF SURPLUS
Ezekiel records a warning from God that addresses surplus of resources: “As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?” The term sustainability is used frequently in mission circles, but it goes further than that. A mentality of abundance must be cultivated. Surplus must be reinvested into the soil, given away and exchanged for other resources to ensure no waste. There is an African value of leaving the earth as it was or better. The Kiluba tribe proverb says, “Kishiya bashiya; Kitana batana,” which means, “This is how we received it; as we received it is how we have to leave it.” Christ taught that He came not only to give us life, but that we might have it abundantly. ( John 10:10) He has provided in the world
around us, everything we need for life and godliness. The intent is to use the resources we know, discover new ones and develop them.
PERMACULTURE TRAINING CENTER
Through the example of earth care and teaching these principles, we have access into the villages of northern Ghana. We are partnered with a Ghanian man named Paul Yeboah who is a Permaculture expert and who designed the Permaculture Center. He is referring to it as a Permaculture demonstration site and brings many to tour what we are doing. We have been developing the demonstration site for less than two years, but soon we will be able to provide seeds and seedlings as well as training that will empower nearby villages with ways that they can build the soil by composting, mulching and planting plants. Some plants add nitrogen to the soil. Some plants, such as lemon grass, onions, and garlic, naturally repel insects, while also improving food production, nutrition and increased income generation. We can share the Gospel of grace, mercy, and love in coordination with principles of intercropping, living fences, managed grazing, medicinal herbal gardens, water management and catchment and much, much more, all for the glory of God. Each month more and more seedlings, seeds, and cuttings are given away to people wanting to try where they live. It is to this aim that the Permaculture Training Center of the northern region of Ghana exists. With the addition of new team members and continued development of the center, we are poised to love many to Christ in the villages where we plant churches. In Romans 11:36, Paul says, “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”
For more information: www.ruffupdate.com permaculture 15
A sk . Seek . Knock . Repeat. by WORKERS IN EASTERN EUROPE
16
fall 2013 • tell
(Left to right) The traditional Islamic 99 names of God are written in Arabic and the local language. The green painting represents the shades of belief in the country, and the map symbolizes the different workers sowing seeds. The whole wall contains images and symbols that inspire prayer for the nation. Muslim prayer beads help guide local pray-ers through the names of God.
W
e do not want this article to be another commentary on the war that took place here 20 years ago. There is no question that the scars remain, both on the people and the land itself, and the need for healing remains. But what we are encountering now is person after person, ready to patch up the bullet holes (physical and emotional) and move on. They are seeking hope. The vast majority are finding it in one of two places: materialism or Islam. If they choose materialism, they are not remotely interested in what we have to say. With a sense of pity, they release us to foolishly believe in something beyond our own abilities to make a better life. As far as they are concerned, they are their one true hope. But if they choose Islam, then they already believe in something else, because nothing of this world has satisfied the deep longing in their soul for peace. It is here that we meet on common ground. Before we share the Word that we know will bring peace that surpasses all understanding, we must pray. We know that the Word speaks for itself, and we are witnesses to the power the Good News has in breaking down barriers. But sometimes, no matter how much truth you speak into the lives of others here, it is clear that they have stopped up their ears and covered their eyes and closed their hearts for so long, that prayer must first precede the Message, or it will never be received.
TEACH US TO PRAY
Like the disciples in Luke 11, we are asking that Jesus would teach us to pray. When Jesus answered the disciples’ request, he started with sharing the Lord’s Prayer. Besides daily bread, all the other aspects of this prayer have an eternal perspective. We ask for the Kingdom to come, for forgiveness for ourselves and grace for others and that He would guard our hearts against temptation. The focus is offensive (as opposed to defensive). We are fighting a
spiritual battle daily, but often we were finding ourselves focused purely on the “daily bread” part of that prayer. We have begun finding ways to pray proactively, not simply staving off the enemy’s attacks, but launching our own. We meet three times a week for an hour to pray offensively for our local friends to have the veil removed from their eyes. We ask for the same names, over and over and over, just as Jesus told his disciples to do in the parable of the man who woke his neighbor at night to ask for food for his guests. Jesus says to ask with shameless audacity, expecting to be answered! So we continue to ask. And ask. And ask again. We’re not just praying for the souls of these people we have come to love, but praying with them. On several occasions, our local friends have shown up at this strategic prayer time and prayed with us. Yes! Non-believing friends! As Muslims, they understand the power of prayer and are drawn to it. Now we aren’t just knocking on our neighbor’s door, asking for bread for our guests. Now we bring the guests with us! Who could refuse us then?
posters, pictures and statistics; for specific places with maps; for washing; for kneeling or prostrating; and for just about any other way we could think of to experience prayer as true communion with the Father. In this place we pray three times a week together, randomly throughout the week individually, and sometimes for 60 hours straight in shifts! This room is more than just a meeting place. It is a Meeting Place – a thin place where the space
Before we share the Word that we know will bring peace that surpasses all understanding, we must pray.
A MEETING PLACE
The space where we gather in our office on the main walking street in the center of our city is devoted to the sole purpose of prayer – and not just the sitting, headbowed kind, but experiential prayer. We have stations around the room for creating (painting, drawing, singing); for writing down our petitions, dreams and visions on scrolls or in journals (sometimes even on our walls); for confessing; for communing; for interceding for others with their photos and paper and envelopes to leave them specific prayers; for strongholds such as abuse, abortion and corruption with
between us and Heaven feels somehow less. The power isn’t in the place itself, but as we return time and again to pace and prostrate and pray, we are wearing a hole in the floor and in the strongholds around it.
TEACHING OTHERS TO PRAY
In following Christ’s example, we have also sought to teach others to pray, not because we are experts, but because we are disciples – pilgrims on this journey together with other pilgrims. We take our responsibility seriously to pass on what God has taught us to anyone whom He chooses to set in our path. Anyone who visits for any length of time will leave knowing better how to pray for this place. The focus of our short-term teams is prayer. We spend time in the prayer room together, we prayer walk the city, we invite them into our homes to pray for our family and friends and neighbors, and as much as possible, we try to engage all their senses in the process. We want them to smell it, taste it, hear it, feel it, see it – to take home 1,000 daily reminders of this nation and God’s
prayer
17
Where will your quest take you?
Quest
6 months to 2 year apprenticeship Individually designed and training provided www.teamexpansion.org/quest
(Clockwise from top) Different elements help individual prayer times, including a guitar for worship. Pray-ers are reminded to surrender the country and ministry into God’s hands. John 1:1 is at the top of the 99 Names in Arabic mural, and a copy of the Bible in the local language is available to read.
desire to see them turn so that He might heal them. For those who don’t get a chance to pilgrimage to this land (and we pray that many do), we’ve committed to sending weekly updates to keep others praying specifically alongside us with names, places, faces and happenings in real time. This battle is timely, and we must be armed and ready daily for that day’s battle! During Ramadan, we update daily for 40 days as the fray thickens every year at this time, and our offense must be ready to charge forward and not lose footing. Every year we see miracles, signs, and wonders during this time of intensive, specific prayer. Even though they do not yet believe, we seek to teach our Muslim friends how we pray. We invite them to do so with us, to come to our prayer room and watch and participate. When they come, they are greeted by a wall mural that has listed the 99 names of God in Arabic. Like our Word, the Qu’ran has name after name to describe the character of God. The Merciful One. The Holy One. The Defender. The Mighty One.
Through this mural, we share with them how we pray very personally to a God that is all 99 things and so much more. For many, this is the first time they have considered that this prayer isn’t just reciting the 99 names aloud (as many do using prayer beads and in Arabic, often not even understanding the meaning of the names), but asking God from their heart to His character for protection or mercy or forgiveness. It’s powerful. We are honored to watch as they consider, for the first time, speaking to God from their heart and not just their head.
LEAVING A LEGACY
We share our journey now not to say we have it figured out by any means. We continue to seek ways to be even more audacious and shameless. We desire to find new ways to pray specifically and strategically for the Kingdom work here by networking with other workers (who are often not connected in any other way) and inviting them to come and use our prayer room, even bringing a temporary prayer room to them for weekend 24/7 prayer events.
We hope to see things like an interactive website devoted to prayer for our nation and a Twitter account that enables us to ask for prayer even more in real time. We dream of having a guest house specifically for hosting pilgrim after pilgrim who come to devote days, weeks or months to praying for this land. We will continue to pray, “Lord, teach us to pray!” because we truly believe that we can call on the power of the Most High God, He will answer, lift the veil, they will turn, and He will heal them. We hope to leave a legacy, not of the work of our hands that we may boast, but of our helplessness to do anything without the power of our King. May we continue knocking tirelessly until His Kingdom comes! Amen!
For more information: europe@teamexpansion.org prayer
19
tell
venezuela
Civil unrest starts to rock the nation.
The leadership approves Venezuela as Team Expansion’s second field.
The first church is planted through the use of a Pathways team. Many of the Pathways team return full-time. The country is 0.7% evangelical.
Team Expansion full-timers begin to arrive.
20
fall 2013 • tell
The Hoy Con Cristo Congregation is established in a missionary’s apartment on the west end of Caracas.
The team experiences conflict and division. The country is shaken by a military coup led by Hugo Chavez. He is arrested and imprisoned. The whole world will hear more from The churches begin him later. to support missionaries to the unreached Warao tribe of the Orinoco River delta.
Some workers begin to leave the field.
The team plants the first daughter church in a barrio in the hills that encircle Caracas called “La Dolorita.” The church is started in the apartment of a church member and headed up by two team members.
The Tragedy Of Vargas. Unrelenting rain triggers mudslides in Caracas and La Guaira that cost more than 10,000 people their lives and 8,000 homes are lost. People are moved to government housing outside the region and one small church loses its pastor and some members. The team is approached by a group of lay leaders and asked to send them a pastor. The team opts to work with this leadership core to establish the Catia La Mar congregation. Hugo Chavez is elected President of Venezuela and the love of American culture ends. A great time of national upheaval begins that continues to this day. Over the ensuing years, many Americans and other foreigners begin to leave. The missionaries stayed – without doubt, the best years for the Kingdom were ahead.
During the Team Leader Summit, some of the divided team members The key Latin decide to attempt to leader in the rebuild and begin to Guatire Church function again as a plant is ordained team. A vision is cast to into the ministry establish “12 self–supand the team works porting, self–governalongside him to ing and self–propaestablish the church. gating churches In 2002, God calls that by 2010.” man to the mission field, where he now serves as one of Team Expansion’s most effective workers to Muslims in North Africa.
The team partners with Latin leaders to plant the Guatire Christian Church in a bedroom community about half an hour to the west of Caracas.
venezuela
21
tell
venezuela
The team, along with members from the Guatire Church, launch a daughter congregation in Nueva Casarapa. It later becomes the largest of all the works.
The “Siempre Con Cristo” congregation is established in a bedroom community one hour to the south of Caracas. A national evangelist, sent out by the churches establishes a church in San Cristobal, close to the Colombian border. Ten churches have been planted and the combined works have hit 1,000 in attendance. The team continues to work to make the churches selfgoverning, self-financing and self-propagating.
Two more church plants are attempted. This brings the total to 14 churches planted with 1,400 in attendance. The last five have all been headed up by Venezuelans. Some of the plants don’t make it; but the Venezuelans are showing a wonderful passion for Kingdom growth.
A work is started and led by a Venezuelan in the very dangerous barrio of Mamera. The team leads the birth of a church on the east end. There are now eight churches with more than 700 believers worshipping. (El Bosque, La Dolorita, HCC, Guatire, La Guaira, Casarapa, ICE, Mamera) The Christian Churches of Venezuela send Diana Molina to join Pedro Jimenez in reaching the Warao Indians. In her first year, she ends up, by default, spearheading the establishment of a church in Juanakasi. Venezuelans open a church plant in San Antonio and that brings the total to 12 churches planted.
22
fall 2013 • tell
Led by Dave Linn, the team begins to pray and dream about “Vision 20/20” -to establish 120 churches inside and outside of Venezuela by 2020. Plans are also made to establish a formal Bible Institute – the “SEMIC.”
Annual conference begins to promote the “Vision 20/20� and the Bible Institute starts to function. By 2013, 160 students are enrolled.
Jonathan Training is held in Venezuela. Plans are drafted to establish 16 different new church plants. Dynamic Church Planting International training is also offered. One new church is planted. But the Lord and the Venezuelans are working.
Venezuelans lead out in planting 13 house churches, bringing the total number of churches to 28 with almost 2500 people attending! At this point, 25 of the churches are led by Venezuelans. The country is 10.8% evangelical.
1 to 9 week cross-cultural trips Trips may include cultural experiences, prayer walks, work teams, evangelism, teaching, leadership training, medical services, marriage enrichment, sports camps and more!
www.teamexpansion.org/connections connections@teamexpansion.org village of hope 23
Making Connections Effective Short-Term Trips
S
TEPPING OUT
Talking to strangers is hard for me. If I have the choice, I’m one who prefers observing from a corner, laughing with the crowd, and snapping memories through the lens of my camera. When our host on a Connections trip to Dearborn, Michigan, challenged me to walk around a grocery store and find out what “fatoosh” was and how to make it my heart skipped a beat. This was no ordinary grocery store. Dearborn is a town outside of Detroit that has the largest population of Muslim/Arabic people in the United States. In Dearborn, signs are in Arabic, the restaurants are mostly Arabic,
blabbed, “I’m supposed to make fatoosh tonight for some friends, but I don’t know what it is or how to make it. Will you help me?” One woman, about my age, smiled and told me that it is a type of salad. She rambled off several items that go in it. An older lady, seeing my eyes glaze over, stood up from comparing items on a lower shelf and asked me if I had a pen and paper to write the ingredients down. As I pulled out my iPhone, she began to tell me all I needed to know. I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be your typical caesar or garden salad! Thankfully, she was kind, thoughtful, and patient with me. My nerves melted away. This trip was eye-opening on several fronts for Stephanie Giese, another woman on our Connections trip who was also stepping out of her comfort zone, “I went on the Connections trip for a number of reasons. I had never been on a missions trip and wanted to go. Everything just seemed to work out, the time, the place, even the cost of the trip made it very convenient. I also really did not know much about the Arab culture and wanted to know more about it. With the combination of the suggested reading before the trip and the different activities and interaction with the Arab population, I have learned a great deal about the culture.” She went on to say, “The fear and hesitancy towards the culture has gone away. I have had some interactions with Arabs since being back in
I found myself in the throes of another culture right here in the USA. most women wear burkas - many wear the whole hijab - and baklava is readily available. In this store, in addition to the usual groceries, there was a wide variety of products catering to the Arabic demographic. I found myself in the throes of another culture right here in the USA. Scanning the aisles, I saw several Muslim women whom I prayed would be kind to my nerves. I walked up to them and my distress shone through my words like the noonday sun as I smiled and
24
fall 2013 • tell
by SHAUNA PETERSON
connections
(Clockwise from far left) Two Connections participants bonds with a Muslim woman in the grocery store. A boy paints seed markers at the Williamson Street Community Garden. Katie Sponseller helps weed one of the plots with a neighborhood girl. Several ladies take time out from weeding for stories and fellowship with more Williamson Street neighbors.
Louisville and it has been a good experience. I have felt that I have been called into missions and it really was a way to confirm that calling.”
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Team Expansion has wanted a short-term program for years. Connections is finally taking off and, with our first trip to Dearborn, making a huge impact. Ken Marsh, Connections Coordinator, says its mission statement is to, “provide information, planning, and training to churches, organizations, and individuals to have a successful short-term missions trip of one to nine weeks to an unreached people group. These trips are to expand the participant’s worldview of missions and to offer potential opportunities to those seeking full-time mission service.” “This Connections trip opened my eyes to the opportunity to share the Gospel with those of the Islamic faith through our love and actions here in America,” Katie Sponseller, another of my traveling companions, stated. And Connections is true to its name. Thirteen women from Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and North Carolina were on this particular trip. We made connections with one another, our hosts – Neighborhood Group Initiatives (NGI), and numerous Arabs in Dearborn, including the fatoosh-making-genius I met in the grocery store. Upon our return, we shared our experiences, our photos, and the lessons we learned with family, friends, and our churches back home. Connec-
tions are made across the board. Relationships are established, strengthened, deepened. Missionaries are encouraged. Seeds are planted.
tell
Connections are made across the board. Relationships are established, strengthened, deepened. Missionaries are encouraged. Seeds are planted.
PLANTING A GARDEN
Speaking of seeds, during our long weekend trip to Dearborn, we spent an afternoon helping out at a community garden. The city is buying up vacant and dilapidated houses in this struggling Detroit area. They then tear them down, leaving behind empty and often trashy lots. NGI asked City Hall if they could turn some of these empty lots into community gardens. So far they’ve allowed one, and NGI is hoping for more in the near future. The Williamson Street Community Garden lies in the middle of a Yemeni neighborhood. Many in the neighborhood have chosen plots in the garden and they all help weed, prune and water. The kids especially have enjoyed the garden and come out whenever NGI is there to point out and admire the new growth and budding flowers. To our delight, the kids came out during our afternoon there and helped us weed, cut water bottles to use as planters, mark their handprint on a fence with gutters nailed to it to plant herbs, as well as a picket fence
connections
25
(Clockwise from left) The entrance sign greets neighbors and visitors to the community garden. The Connections group and several of the Williamson Street neighbors pose after a long day of weeding and fellowship. One of the neighborhood boys gets ready to paint his handprint on the garden herb wall.
with rows of more gutters. Some of the kids, like me, were shy at first but warmed up with a simple smile and nod. More connections.
GROWING DEEPER
The children became comfortable as the day lingered. The weeds were pulled, soil was laid down, seeds were planted and watered, and laughter filled the air. All 13 women talked easily and enjoyed our job well done with our new Yemeni friends. The guys of NGI deepened their relationships with some of the neighborhood men close by. The sun was out and so were the smiles. All of the inhibitions and prejudices had been pulled up with the weeds. Serving tends to do that. As we serve, love others, and share Christ, our connection with God deepens. And Connections is most certainly about service. “Connections must be built upon ‘We are here to serve and not be served.’ As we serve those who have dedicated themselves to reach the unreached people groups, we need to teach and train others the need of true servanthood. We need to teach that it is not ‘I’ but ‘others.’ We want to train Christ-followers that in sharing the Good News our own wishes and needs sometimes have to take a back seat to the needs of others. Whether that is in the U.S. or abroad the same goals and purpose is intact,” said Marsh. At the start of the trip we were each given a towel as a symbol of servanthood. Remember when Christ washed His disciples’ feet? Jesus said,” Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Paul wrote to Philemon, “I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has
26
fall 2013 • tell
given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.” Serving is sometimes hard. Sometimes scary. Yet always worth it. We brought smiles to the ladies in the grocery store, prayed for the children and families who would play in a park where we picked up trash, worked and sweated alongside the Williamson Street neighbors in the community garden, and laughed, prayed and encouraged the men of NGI. Our understanding of, “every good thing we share for the sake of Christ” was most certainly deepened. Hearts were refreshed. As our Connections trip came to an end, there was not a life unchanged. MARSH IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS TRIPS FOR 2014. • Dearborn with a women’s prayer team • Inner-city men’s prayer team • Group to Japan • Trip to Peru We are also ready to host teams to Emerald Hills for cross-cultural training in the Louisville area.
For more information: connections@teamexpansion.org www.teamexpansion.org/connections
Living the China Miracle T by A WORKER SERVING IN CHINA
he smell of varnish hangs in the air as worshippers flow into the house church’s new downtown sanctuary. Contemporary music blasts from the stage. A worship band with guitars, drums and six singers leads a congregation of several hundred. Later, one of the church staff makes announcements about Sunday school, a blood drive, and delivery of quilts to needy families.
When I arrived in China around 20 years ago, I could not have imagined today’s scene. We have lived through the kind of miracle that’s exciting to read about in church history books.
Bibles and Christian books, smuggled them across the border and lugged them home. Today our city has two legal Christian bookstores, plus the ones selling Bibles through the official church. Online, options are even greater. Last year at Christmas, I ordered online 20 copies of a legally printed evangelistic Christmas book to give out as gifts. Two days later, they were delivered to my doorstep. Unimaginable 10 years ago! China’s Amity Press is one of the largest producers of Bibles in the world. Although it is still heavily subsidized by overseas Christians, it also prints foreign language Bibles to offset the cost of printing affordable Bibles for domestic use. Study Bibles and online Bible study aids bring Bible literacy within the reach of many urban Christians.
HEARING THE NAME OF JESUS
WHO’S AT CHURCH?
BIBLES FOR CHINA
In the early years, during our holidays we made the three-day train journey to Hong Kong, bought
In the beginning, the small fellowships we partnered with were largely young adults who were recent converts. Virtually all were the first believers in their family. Most had heard the Gospel from an expatriate worker. Leaders of Chinese churches themselves were new to faith and their knowledge of the Bible was shallow, leaving them wide open to cults and heresies. Today it seems most people in churches heard the Gospel from a Chinese person. A wide spread of ages are reflected in congregations. Although women still outnumber men significantly, now whole families come to church together. It is not uncommon to run across a Christian leader who was raised in the church—and who has a deep and mature understanding of the Bible and church life.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Though only God knows exactly how many Chinese have come into the Kingdom in the last two decades, observers agree church growth has been exponential. Here are some of the small ways God’s enormous work has come home to us. In the early ‘90s, we had the privilege of sharing Christmas songs and the nativity story with students wide-eyed and wondering, who for the most part, had never heard the name of Jesus. Today when we share the Gospel, there is usually a nod of recognition. They know something about Jesus, and many have a relative or friend who is a Christian.
china
27
tell
china
While we are amazed at the 100,000 sheep God has brought into his fold in our city, we can’t forget the 9 million waiting outside without hope of Christ. CHURCH CHANGES
With the exception of the few official churches (four in our city of five million), simple house churches were the norm in the 1990s. House church Christians prayed fervently, read the Bible together (and memorized it), shared the Gospel boldly, sang scripture and songs of suffering. There were few Sunday schools, meetings for youth or worship teams. Today’s city churches are often multi-ministry. Services can look quite similar to those in the West, with PowerPoint, worship bands, and a preaching schedule. They have Sunday schools for children, youth groups, and marriage ministries. Many send out short-term mission teams within China, or even overseas. One church in our city has started a food bank to minister to the poor.
MISSIONARIES COMING AND GOING
28
fall 2013 • tell
In this vast country, the situation facing Christians varies enormously. While churches in our city may meet in large groups without undue police interference, in other cities or in rural areas, the same actions may have serious repercussions. The work here is certainly not completed. While we are amazed at the 100,000 sheep God has brought into his fold in our city, we can’t forget the 9 million waiting outside without hope of Christ.
LOOKING AHEAD
Taking stock of what God has done over the past decade or two whets the appetite for what He will do in the coming years. As Christians increase in number, they influence the kind of society China is becoming. That, in turn, is a major factor in the shaping of our world in the next decade. God who kept the tiny, beaten-down, isolated, Bible-deprived Chinese church in the ‘70s, who caused the rural revival in the ‘80s and an explosion of faith in China’s cities in the ‘90s, who has blessed and caused His church to flourish in this first decade of the millennium, is actively and amazingly at work in this great nation. To God be the glory for the things He has done!
For more information: asia@teamexpansion.org
Revelation 5:13
In the 1990s, most of the missionaries in China came from America or other English-speaking countries. Throughout the last two decades an increasingly large proportion of foreign missionaries in China are from Korea. Today’s church in China is catching hold of missions in a big way. The Kairos missions awareness program has exploded throughout the country, giving Chinese Christians a vision for the unreached in their own cities and beyond, and equipping them to give, send, and go. The vision God gave early Chinese church leaders that Chinese Christians would take the Gospel across their nation and central Asia “Back to Jerusalem” is gaining momentum with the maturing of the church and as Chinese are increasingly free to travel abroad as businesspeople, tourists, and workers.
CHINA IS BIG!
home
29
tell
aRefuge
India 2013
Setting the PACE:
by A TEAM EXPANSION FIELD COORDINATOR
“W
e feel compelled to take the Gospel to a group of people that have never heard about Jesus, but we just have so many questions that it’s hard even to get started.” That’s where the 400 members at Rogue Valley Christian Church (RVCC) in Medford, Ore. found themselves. Then, they heard about Team Expansion’s PACE partnership, and it seemed like the right place to begin.
PACE
PACE is an acronym for Pray, Activate, Commit and Enlist. Team Expansion facilitates PACE partnerships with churches who want to adopt and reach a specific people group. It is a proven strategy that churches can employ to connect with unreached people groups worldwide. PACE churches join a network of consultants and other churches whose resources help them carry out a vision for global missions. There are monthly webinars with church leaders carrying out similar projects in points all over the world. They share and hear lessons learned, receive input from experienced PACE coaches, and pray alongside like-minded peers. In the process, God raises up church planting movements among the unreached people groups they embrace.
PRAYER
The first step in RVCC’s journey was to lay a solid foundation of prayer. The elders prayed about this idea together for several months
30 fall 2013 • tell
before bringing it to the congregation. As they then engaged the entire church in a movement of prayer and fasting, the layers of questions began to peel away. For example, during their first session they focused on, “Where is God calling us to go?” They believed God clearly answered, “India.” Then they asked, “Which part of India?” and God pointed them to Northern India. As they continued to follow God’s leading, they sought out which religious group they should target. Their prayers were answered when they chose to look for groups enslaved in Hinduism.
VISION TRIP
Two questions remained: What city and which unreached people group? To help shed light on that, Team Expansion and RVCC set up a Vision Trip to Northern India. Together they identified three target cities and set off to apprehend what were the needs, opportunities, challenges, and potential partners in each place. The survey team included prospective missionaries and church elders from RVCC, and the Team Expansion field coordinator. When the team arrived, they saw how God was already on the move. They prayer-walked, saw extremes of wealth alongside abject poverty, heard stories of both inspiration and tragedy, visited small rural churches in dusty villages, saw how communities are being transformed through adult literacy or after-school children’s programs, worshiped with house churches, and spoke with young leaders
focusing on upper caste influencers in the city. Along the way, God gave them clarity and insight into potential entry strategies and practical issues for local living conditions. To close out the trip, the team committed to another round of prayer and fasting before making a report and proposal to the congregation. In doing so, God confirmed a specific city, as well as a new goal to engage a cluster of unreached people groups, rather than just one.
REFLECTION
Throughout the RVCC’s PACE project so far, the team at RVCC has wisely chosen to approach the task as a long-term process, rather than rushing in, picking a name off a list, and claiming victory in the battle. God has progressively revealed His will as they have sought Him through prayer and fasting. He seeks faithfulness one step at a time. Ecclesiastes 4:12 speaks of the power of partnership, and in this situation, it underscores how God uses the local church and mission agency working together to accomplish more for His Kingdom than either can do alone. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
OPPORTUNITY
It’s a tremendous feeling to see God’s plan unfolding right before your eyes and realize that He will do amazing things through and in you if you simply obey. It’s not just something that mega-churches can do. God is using 400 committed believers from a small town in Oregon to transform the lives of thousands with the power of the Gospel, and He can do that for you too. God has given us the privilege and responsibility to be His ambassadors, and to carry the message of restoration through Christ to every corner of the earth. Partnerships like the PACE project make an eternal difference in the lives of people in great need – physically, economically, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. Is God calling you and your church to do the same?
For more information: www.teamexpansion.org/pace pace@teamexpansion.org
(Clockwise from opposite) A local church cheers in response to the question, “Is Jesus Lord?” The RVCC survey team meets with a local church planter. The physical poverty and decay emphasize the spiritual needs in the city. Nancy, one of the RVCC team members, engages with a woman from a rural church.
aRefuge
31
tell
news
News and Notes
Updates and information about a few of Team Expansion’s fields around the world
4 3 5
1
2
1 - Jordan - Syrian Refugee Relief As millions of Syrians flee their homeland and pour into neighboring countries, one Team Expansion team studying language in Jordan has been able to minister on a daily basis to these displaced and traumatized people. There are more than 1,650 Syrian families in their town, most who left with only their clothes on their backs. The team is helping to provide food, mattresses, cooking supplies, and other essentials for these families. They are also meeting spiritual needs by providing comfort, compassion, and prayer with each family they meet. Recently, Team Expansion requested and received a $30,000 grant from IDES to help with the relief costs, which will provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of some of these displaced families.
2 - India - New Church A team launched a new church among Upper Caste Sikhs in India, which grew to more than 40 people in attendance in its first month. Many of those coming are young adult seekers who are interested in learning the truth about Jesus and Christianity. Some of the young adults have brought their mothers. Unfortunately some of the fathers and husbands have started to forbid them to come to the worship. Many have resisted and still come, but it is difficult. There
32
fall 2013 • tell
are great hardships when becoming a believer in this area. Many do not tell their parents where they are going, because they know their parents will object. The team has already seen miracles in the form of answered prayers in this growing community, and many attendees are beginning to ask about baptism. Please pray this small body of believers will win many souls and lead this country into the Father’s grace and truth.
3 - Italy - Evangelism Tour Tour Giallo, a touring evangelistic group in Italy, partnered with the local churches in Ancona to present a week of activities on the area beaches and piazzas. After the week, Tour Giallo gave the churches a list of 400 contacts of people who indicated they wanted to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus. The local believers will contact and follow-up with those people. Two of the nights, the group did the Gospel presentation in downtown Ancona. The group reported to the local pastors how surprised and disappointed they were that very few people came forward wanting to know more about Jesus. They have been doing this kind of ministry for five years and had never seen such little response. To the missionaries in Ancona, this was not a surprise, as they know how hard the work is there. They keep praying that God will break through the hearts of stone and bring life to those in Ancona.
4 - “The Hills” - Dreams of Jesus The team has transitioned from fulltime language learning into a new phase of focused ministry. They are launching a prayer initiative for their country, as well as developing a strategic plan for abundant Gospel sowing. Recently the team met a Muslim woman who had been having dreams
about Jesus. She dreamed that He told her his name and asked her to follow Him. She didn’t know any believers, so she bought a King James version of the Bible and began reading through it. Over a period of several weeks, each night she would have a dream where Jesus would appear to her. He would speak to her, teach her, and incred-
ibly, she would read what He spoke to her in the morning when she awoke. Her family is suspicious of her new faith, but the team and believers in the country are rejoicing in the miraculous demonstration of God’s faithfulness.
5 - hope international University Personal Evangelism Training A Team Expansion workers has been named the Chair of World Evangelism for Hope International University. The university wants to become a leader among Christian universities and schools in evangelism training. The worker is developing an eightweek online class titled, “Relational Evangelism; A Peace Treaty with God.” Students will learn how to use the revision of A Peace Treaty with God, an effective tool for sharing the Gospel. They hope to train hundreds through this course. Once started, it will be offered many times throughout the year. The Peace Treaty is currently being translated into several languages, including Filipino, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese. Learn more by emailing PeaceTreaty@teamexpansion.org.
news and notes
33
tell
prayer
VISIT
Emerald Hills in Louisville, Kentucky
Pray
Winding prayer trails through beautiful Kentucky woods Prayer shelters and pavilions Interactive prayer room Endless resources on praying for the unreached
Retreat
Facility rental Camping and RV availability Quiet reflection Service and volunteer opportunities
H
Learn
Low and high ropes courses Training conferences Experienced and passionate staff Resources for all ages
Old Routt 34 4112 fall 2013 • tell Road, Louisville KY 40299
800.447.0800
www.EmeraldHills.info
f /emeraldhills
Team Expansion 4112 Old Routt Road Louisville, KY 40299
www.teamexpansion.org 800-447-0800
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CLEVELAND OH PERMIT NO. 1702
f Like us on Facebook! t @teamexpansion Team Expansion is a 501 (c) 3 organization. Any inquiries should be directed to: 1-800-447-0800.
Discipleship School of the Outdoors is an experiential education program that fosters personal growth and builds teams in an outdoor learning environment. Our course consists of low and high ropes. We offer programming for schools, colleges, universities, sports teams, churches, businesses and corporate groups. We encourage consultations prior to planning so we can better serve your group’s specific needs. All of our programs are led by experienced facilitators who have a passion for adventure and experiential education. If you can’t come to us, we can also come to you.
www.dsoto.org f /dsoto.eh
dsoto@teamexpansion.org
Leadership Development Trust Communication Cooperation Conflict Resolution Confidence Building Problem Solving
§ § § § § § §