Survey Monkey

Our Design Team for STINT Team Leaders training is meeting next month and we would welcome your feedback on the training. Look for the link on the right-hand side. It's a short 10 question survey. I know its been a while but we like hearing what you think after leading for a semester. The survey will end on March 20th because that's when our design team meets. After that date, you can just email me any thoughts you have.

Prayer: The Work of Missions

Here is a link to a talk John Piper gave in 1988 in Denver - Prayer: The Work of Missions. One of my co-workers, John Lamb, said that in August of 1988 when he was the CD at Colorado University, that he, his staff team and their student leaders listened to this talk on tape at their annual Leader’s Retreat. JL said that this message helped spark a revival and a movement of prayer at CU that was sustained for several years resulting in dozens of students following the Lord’s leading in joining our staff and other ministries. Even today CU is at the top in our region in sending laborers to the world. CU grads are in Santiago, Chile; Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Seville, Spain; Krasnodar, Russia; Germany, Singapore (well, they are on furlough) and Kazakhstan. Next fall we can add Mexico City to that. And those are just places I am thinking of the top of my head. The world is different because of what was started in 1988!

What if your team and your key students read this together? JL says its dangerous. We need that kind of danger to where students from the campus you are working on one day are raised up to take God's glory around the globe.

The Johari Window

I saw this on my cousin's blog Cozy Reader. I am well aware of the Johari Window and like the feedback it gives you to potential blindspots. Basically it gives three areas: things seen by you and not by others, things seen by both you and others, things seen by others but not you, and areas unseen. The unseen area could be things seen by God and not you or others.

I would appreciate your participation, especially from those who know me best. You can go to Andy McCullough's Johari Wondow. You pick at least 5 words that you think describe me. Afterwards, you could sign up for one for yourself.

The Flight was Fine

Hey in an in SC at my in-laws today. Manning has entered the 21st Century as they have a coffee shop with free wireless. Though it is tucked into a corner of a dress shop so I feel a little out of place.

We made it! Luke did not get upset though he did say he wanted the plane to land. We got a lot of help along the way. One of my co-workers Ryan volunteered to go with us in the morning to the airport and help with check-in. That was a big help. And we saw Sean Penn. I was tempted to yell, 'dead man walking!' but was reminded by Ryan of how he punches cameramen over less.

At the gate we had to check in two car seats and our strollers. A nice man help Jack while I held Drew and Robin collapsed the stroller. Then he carried on car seat down the ramp for us. Because of the limited number of airbags we had to sit on separate rows but the babies did great and no major crying or fussing. The flight attendants asked to hold the babies and said I made their day. They made mine by helping! They even brought a fresh baked cookie from first class for Luke.

Luke went with me to get the rental car and I came back to get Robin, Jack, Drew and the luggage. I had to run in to tell her I was there. I was gone less than 30 seconds and traffic cop was about to write me a ticket for leaving my car in a no parking zone. I talked her out of it when she saw all our stuff and kids.

Man if I knew flying with three little boys would have got me special treatment, I would have them fly with me all the time! A potential long-day turned out to not be so bad. Thanks for praying.

Luke's Fear of Flying

Tommorrow is a big day. it could potentially be the longest day in our lives thus far. Our whole family is getting on a plane and flying to Charlotte. Robin and I have a conference in Hilton Head, SC that starts on Sunday and in order for Robin to attend we are leaving all the boys with her parents in South Carolina for a week. Her sister is actually flying in too to help. We choose Charlotte to fly into because after the conference we are going to drive up to Georgia to see my parents, my sister Laura and her family. Charlotte is the best place to fly where it is not too far from either of our parents.

Sunday we told Luke. He instantly declared that he was not going to fly and that he was going to drive to South Carolina. You have to understand that Luke has flown a bunch and has always loved it. The boy has flown to Spain, Mexico, Florida, and Georgia. It's just an irrational fear - but very real to him. He said he would drive by himself in our blue van. He was really upset. He is okay getting on the plane but says it should not leave the ground.

Before this the biggest anghst for Robin and I was just loading up everyone and each having a baby on our lap for several hours. Lugging bags, a pack-n-play, stroller and carseats while carrying babies in a baby bjorn are big enough. Doing that with a hysterical 3 1/2 year old seems like a nightmare. I can just see him screaming or trying to run away when we can't leave our luggage or a baby to go get him or even carry him.

Our doctor has told us that we can give him benedryl so we are hoping that at least makes him sleepy. We certainly appreciate your prayers..... So will everyone sitting around us!

Croatia update

From Taylor...

To my prayer warriors in Jesus Christ,
Thank you for all the encouragement and prayers for our situation. I wanted to update you quickly on what is going on in our situation. It appears that there is no school in Rijeka that we can attend that is approved by the Ministry of Croatia (needed to get a visa) without already having a visa. It is a catch-22 created by all the new laws passed in the country. It is possible that through the connections our director has in Zagreb that we could get into a class approved by the Ministry in Zagreb and drive there every few weeks. Zagreb is set up to accommodate foreigners wanting to stay better than Rijeka is. Another option is to have our land lord who is a lawyer at the Hague make a few phone calls to help us out. He is a very influential man but not one that we have had the best interactions with in the past as he raised our rent from the contract price. We are also meeting with a Croatian lawyer who believes that he might be able to help. None of these options feel very secure currently, so we are trying to keep our hope in the Lord. He is our dwelling place and will take us where He desires. If we are deported, we will most likely move to another Eastern European country together to do ministry there. We do not know where yet. It is possible that we be deported in 2 weeks or in a few months. The Croatian police department doesn’t work very quickly, so we really don’t know when even though they said around 2 weeks.

Please pray for:
· That we would represent Jesus Christ in everything. We want to respect Croatia and be completely ethical and blameless in this even though it feels like we are not being treated well.
· That we would be granted our visas, God willing. As we are meeting with students, it is so hard to tell them that we might be leaving. We want to keep working with them and speaking God’s truth to them.
· For unity as this is very stressful. Some people on the team need their space to deal with these things, but please pray that God would bring us back together.
· For peace and encouragement. There are some on our team who have been feeling very discouraged for many reasons. Others need peace as they feel like our lives have not had a lot of stability recently with all the traveling, especially during the Islamic demonstrations in Sarajevo, and now the threat of deportation.

A War Hero's Return!

Eric Swanson has several great posts about his son Jeff coming home from Iraq. (Jeff is the one standing.) I first got to know Eric and Liz and their family in 1990 so I have known Jeff since he was a little boy. He is one of the finest young men I know. I so proud of him and so overjoyed for his family including his young bride Ashlie and their little boy Gentry. Jeff got to come home for a leave (I think a month) when Gentry was born but I know he will enjoy connecting with his little boy and reconnecting with his wife.

Update on My Dad

I spoke to my dad last night. On Thursday (16th) he went in for a check-up and his heart is back to an irregular heartbeat. He is on medication now (Chemical cardioversion) and will have another check-up in two weeks and if that doesn't work he may have another Electrical cardioversion.

You can read about his Electrical cardioversion here that he had on January 19th. Also this link tells about the cardioversion and atrial fibrillation.

Appreciate your prayers for him! Again you can also read my orginal post in October on what kind of heart he has. Thanks. You can also email him. He has never been on-line himself but my mom will print them out for him.

The Google ads

Okay I just went to my own blog here to edit my post and I saw an ad above on...

well I am afraid to say because google probally just pulls words to make an ad. Let's just say I don't recommend someone going to learn powers outside of Jesus. In fact to help create a better ad... Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

There take that!

(Added after refreshing: Hey it worked.)

Fearing God and Not Just Steadying the Oxcart

One of my co-workers, John Lamb led a devotion for our office last week on David's prayer of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16. This is after the ark is brought back to Jerusalem. It follows a not-so-funny scene a few chapters earlier where this guy tries to steady the ark being pulled by oxen and he dies on the spot. If that didn't put the fear of God into the Israelites, what would?

JL was focusing on another part but I found myself noticing the connection between 'fearing God and the world'. (Okay I know I have been very one track of late.) David in this psalm mentions over and over the need to declare among the nations who God is. In verse 8, he says, "make known among the nations what He has done." He says in verse 14 that God's judgments are in all the earth. In verse 23 and 24, he says the whole earth should sing to to the Lord. In verse 24, he says that we should "declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples." In verse 28, it is the families of the nations that should ascribe Him glory and strength. In verse 30-31, David writes that all the earth should tremble before Him and that it should be said among the nations that "the Lord reigns!"

But why? In verse 25-26, David points out that the the Lord who is great and worthy of praise should be feared above all gods. He should be feared because all the gods of the nations are nothing but idols made by man but the Lord made the heavens. God should be feared. He should be praised. His glory should be declared all over the earth. Missions is not just some nice little activity. It certainly is not a thing you do before you get a 'real job'. It is necessary because the whole earth should fear God and worship Him and at present they don't. Taking this message to the people of the earth is worth dying for like Nate Saint and Jim Elliot did. I like that familiar quote by John Piper in Let the Nations be Glad that 'missions exists because worship doesn't'.

I would be remiss not to point out the passage that JL had us focus on. In verse 11-12, David says we should look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always and remember the wonders he has done. It's easy for me to get pumped up by the need to go to the nations and send others to go because the world needs to fear and worship God. But I wonder how often I do this in my own strength? Do I do the missional activities without really seeking Him myself? Do I desire for nations to worship Him and neglect to really worship Him with my life always? Am I just like this unfortunate dude - Uzzah - who thought he was really serving God by steadying the oxcart when in fact he was not taking seriously the full glory of God?

May I fear Him while helping make Him known among the nations!

Goed Back Down

A conversation that Robin overheard from the kitchen yesterday....

Luke: "My milk came up into my mouth and stayed there, then it goed back down, Jack."

Though she didn't she his reaction, I am certain Jack just looked at him with his tongue half sticking out.

Prayer Request for Croatia team

The Rijeka STINT team today(14th) found out that their request for student resident permits were denied after being told last month they would be approved. They had decided to apply for the student visas because the law states that tourist visas are good for 3 months and then the individual needs to leave the country for 6 months. Somehow they need to try and either have MUP (Minister of Internal Affairs) recognize the language school they are attending as a valid school or apply for the boaravka on a different basis. They have 2 weeks to do this. Please pray for wisdom, patience with the authorities and grace in our conversations with MUP.

--Matt Mikalatos

International Etiquette Quiz

Sure you all have this etiquette down pat!

Sola Fida, baby!

I don't agree with his opinion of Jews, but I am feeling like I resemble his girth.

You scored as Martin Luther. The daddy of the Reformation. You are opposed to any ideas of works-salvation and see the scriptures as being primarily authoritative.

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Fearing God the Spring of Living Water

Okay here's another thought on Fearing God...

Last week I was studying a passage that always convicts me. It is in Jeremiah 2:13 where God says that His people have committed two sins. He uses an analogy to paint this picture. One sin is that they have forsaken Him the spring of living water. The second is that they have dug for themselves cisterns that cannot hold water. It would be foolish enough to neglect a perfectly good spring, but can't you just see the foolishness of someone then going hewn out of stone a cistern. But what makes this crazier is that after all this hard work, these cisterns are broken and cannot even hold water.

I can relate. I like the old hymn says find myself prone to wander and prone to leave the God I love. Why on earth do I, like the Israelites, do I forsake the source of where all satisfaction is found? Why do I struggle to hewn out cisterns that cannot even hold water?

The Lord goes on to talk about how the Israelites have gone toEgypt to drink from a tributary of the Nile and Assyria to drink of the Euphrates. Its would be one thing that God would call these things foolish but he calls them sins. He calls it wickedness and backsliding. He says it is evil and bitter.

'Bitter' reminds me of a time in the summer of 1994 when I was on missions project in Mongolia. Every day we traveled to a new town to show the Jesus film and along the way had to pump water from whatever source we could find. One day we got to this one town and we heard of a spring. While the women on our team showed the film, Chad and I went looking for it thinking we would serve them by pumping water. The first thing we do when we get to the spring after bathing in it, is empty all of our teams' water bottles and starting pumping what we thought was fresh water. I will never forget the feeling of despondency when we drank our first swig. It was salty! We could do nothing but just continue to pump and for several days all we had to drink was this salty water. (There's another story to this that I will tell later.)

How does this relate to fearing Him? In verse 20, the Lord says that this forsaking of Him - the foundation of living water - is because they have no awe or fear of Him. If we were truly in awe of who He was, how grand He is and that He alone satisfies us, we would never forsake Him and go after worthless other sources.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing... Here's my heart. O take and seal it; Seal it for thy courts above.

Resolving Conflict and Ignoring Nay-sayers

Two of my really good friends, posted two things I thought it was worthy to share.

One is from Steve Morgan in Mexico. He and one of the staff on his national team, David Bedolla, recently traveled to visit one of their teams in Mexico who needed a little help in reconciling some issues. This is good post of a resource to have when helping those on your team resolve conflict.

The other is from my buddy Craig Johring. He shares about what is happening at Peru State. Not the country, but a small school in Nebraska. (If you can't find the exact post of Craig's when you hit the link, it is the Feb. 8th post.) It is like the Book of Acts! He shares how 4 1/2 years ago, people told him not to expect anything there and yet how they built into the DNA of what is happening now. Even though it's Nebraska and probablly not exactly like where you are, it does make me dream of what could have 4 years from now on the campuses you work on as you build that same DNA into the movements you launch!

Craig emailed me and said that the funny thing is that when you talk to students at Peru State, it seems normative to them to see people continually coming to Christ. Also said that in student-led movements, a success criteria that he always see proceeding something like this being launched on a campus is a lot of non-stop prayer taking place.

Jaeson's Journal: Revival at Asbury College

Thought some of you might like to read this blog at jaeson's journal: REVIVAL AT ASBURY COLLEGE!!!

Revival at Ashbury College

Thought you might like to read this from Jaeson Ma about a Revival at Asbury College. You can also read about the 40 Days of Prayer for Revival on College Campuses.

For the Sake of the Call

I served on two STINTs. My first one was in Kazakhstan. My second one was in a large Asian nation that shall remain nameless. It was definitely a contrast in many ways.

My first STINT was back in the day when the Soviet Union first fell apart. It wasn't like we didn't see anything happen our first semester but it was hard to tell if we were making any impact or just gathering random people who wanted to learn English. In January, we had this conference in Moscow for all the staff serving in the former Soviet Union. We affectionately called it 'Diet Camp' because there was virtually no food only kasha and maybe a few cold sturgeons. I had the flu all week and was miserably cold. We went from there to a midyear in Switzerland. Talk about culture shock. It was impeccably clean. The grocery stores were packed with stuff I had not seen in months. I didn't want to leave. I was skiing in the Alps for heaven's sake! Surely they need a team in Switzerland right?

On my second STINT our team had an unbelievable fall. In fact by the midyear everyone on my team was discipling at least one believer and most were discipling several. We had this cool Christmas party in early December for all of the believers. I still remember the 'ah ha' moment when they realized that the 25 or so people who were at that party were all new believers and they were a part of a family. I enjoyed the midyear in Thailand but I really couldn't wait to get back. I was looking forward with an expectation of what God was going to continue to do on our campus and among our team.

I don't know where you are on that spectrum. Maybe you and your team are really looking forward to the Spring semester or maybe you wished you could have stayed at your midyear especially if it was on a warm beach.

One passage that really speaks to me about getting back in the game is John 21. This is the scene that starts with Peter saying to his team, 'I am going fishing.' Here is a guy who left his everything to follow Him. But Peter didn't live up to his own high expectations and maybe he was ready to rethink this STINT of fishing for men. Being the leader he was, his team followed him on the expedition. Then Jesus shows up causes them catch a miraculous amount of fish after fishing all night to no avail just like in Luke 5 when he left everything. I don't think this was an accident. I think he was reminding Peter of that time. It was like Jesus was saying, 'Pete, you remember when you left everything to follow me? What changed, bro?'

Jesus cooks the eleven breakfast on a charcoal fire. I look at that and think, 'why charcoal?' Surely there is driftwood along the shore. I wonder if that is significant too. The only other time in the NT that you find a charcoal fire is when Peter warmed his hands up to such a fire and denied that he knew Jesus. In Isaiah 6:6, the seraphim take a charcoal ember from the altar to cleanse Isaiah's lips. I like to think that the charcoal fire is a reminder of the need of forgiveness and the cleansing that only comes from Christ. Whatever excuse you have for staying on the sideline, Jesus dying on the cross trumps that.

You know the rest of the story, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him and each time Peter responds with an honest answer but not quite the fullblown love Jesus was asking about. Each time Jesus tells him to get back at the job of shepherding. Jesus even lets Peter know how he will die. Then when Peter tries to change the subject and talk about John, Jesus says in essence 'what does it matter about Him, you do whatever you called you to do."

As you head back into country and start up a new semester maybe these questions will help you and your team think through no matter where you are: what caused me to sign-up for this anyway? Has anything changed? Do I need forgiveness and cleansing from anything that is holding me back from finishing well? Do I really love Jesus? Am I willing to do whatever He calls me to no matter what it costs me?

When we left Switzerland back on that first STINT, after first stopping in Moscow, I boarded my Aeroflot plane back to Kazakhstan. In my walkman I put in a tape of Steven Curtis Chapman. (Remember this was a long time ago and he had even a mullet back then.) I remember listening to the song 'For the Sake of the Call' and committing again like those crazy fisherman to leave everything at the shoreside for the sake of the call.

The United States of Appalachia

Last week I finished a pretty good book The United States of Appalachia. It was really interesting and informative. The author, Jeff Biggers, does an excellent job breaking down stereotypes that Appalachian people are all feuding, banjo-playing, cousin-marrying, Anglo-Saxon hillbillies.

I was not totally convinced by his entire premise though. Biggers' subtitle is "How Southern Mountaineers brought independence, culture, and enlightenment to America." While he builds a strong and readable case for some huge influencers being from this part of America, I think it would be better stated that "Southern Mountaineers helped bring..."

His case to me is not as strong as for instance Arthur Hermen's How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It. While the later presents a presents a compelling argument that the prime players in Western Civilization were Scots, Biggers presents more of a case that some strong players in American culture that you might not have been aware of or even thought of were Appalachians. The author also uses examples beyond 'Southerners' and even 'Mountaineers' like when he describes cotton mill strikes in Gastonia, NC. But I would say Gastonia is not in Appalachia but in the Piedmont. My nitpicking keeps me from giving this book 5 stars but I would give it 4 1/2. It is a very enjoyable read that gets stronger as you go. This is a really good first book for Jeff Biggers.

Groundhog Day

Yesterday was like Groundhog Day for us. (The movie - you know feels like it will never end - and not necessarily the prognostication of a long winter. At least I hope not.) Around 4 am yesterday morning, Jack threw-up in his crib and then on me as I picked him up. Shortly thereafter, Drew had a little one and a big blow-out the other end. I stayed at home for the day and in the afternoon took Luke to the huge REI in downtown Denver. He had been sick for a few days so though they got it from him only worse. After looking at camping stuff and not finding any boots that I like though I need a new pair, we spent a good part of our time playing in the indoor Kid's area.

Last night as Luke and Robin came home from AWANAs, and Luke threw-up twice. (Again we thought he was fine. I sure hope kids who played at the indoor play area and AWANAs didn't get it too but sure they did. ) We spent the evening cleaning up the carpet after borrowing a neighbor's steam cleaner. Then Robin got sick before going to bed and in the middle of the night Luke did again.

Thankfully today I haven't followed the same pattern of the rest of my family but I do feel a little queasy. Just hoping its psychosomatic and not the real thing. (Also hope I am not passing this psychosomatically on to you.)


Gotta go, everyone was napping but now I hear Jack waking up and having a major blow-out near me.

End of The Spear

I saw the End of the Spear the other day. I highly recomend it. It was really well done and the best thing is that Kirk Cameron does not play Nate Saint. In fact he is not in it at all.

As I watched I kept thinking, ‘this world is not worthy of these missionaries.’ One of the best lines in the movie is when little Stevie Saint asks his dad if they will shoot them if they attack and Nate says, “No son. We will not shoot them. They are not ready for heaven, but we are.”

Here’s the rest of what Nate Saint typed a few weeks before he died. This follows the passage in his journal that is at the end of what I posted in December about this film.

“Would that we comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail… those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death… those who think all men in the world are killers like themselves. If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all of our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.

“Lord, God, speak to my own heart and give me to know Thy Holy will and the joy of walking in it. Amen.”

Best of January

With the risk of offending people I might leave out, I thought I would post links to the best blog posts I have read this past month. In no particular order...

1. Blue Star chronicles American Strength. My Cousin Beth's poignant and powerful post on the passing of a soldier and others who have sacrificed for our nation. I have read few better.

2. Ruthlace's Love is the Most Powerful Force in the Universe. My aunt Ruth's post on a story of great love and sacrifice. Much like the story of love and sacrifice I saw in the movie The End of the Spear yesterday.

3. Steve Van Diest's The Journey We Find Ourselves In. Steve writes about why he and his family are moving to Mexico City.

4. April Showers' Part of Me. My friend April French's post on how she is torn between going back to Siberia among other things. I like her honesty.

5. The REST of Michael's Story's Doors. Another honest post by a friend who lost her husband less than a year ago. She is now a young widow with four kids facing uncertain doors.

6. Movement Planting University's University of Central Nicaragua. A story from my friend Steve Morgan and how a of Campus Crusade leaders from all over Central America went on a campus and launched a movement in 16 hours!

7. My Life Commentary's Walk Like an Egyptian. Emily, who is a STINT team Leader in Russia, writes about her vacation time in Egypt including an experience hiking Mount Sinai. Just thought it was cool reading the perks of being on STINT.

8. MovementsEverywhereRant's Attack or Attract. Shane Deike's rant about the balance between being bold in ministry vs. being relevant. He writes about this in light of Crusade ministries but its a good question for all believers.

9. Insprivival's The Highest Good. Tyler, one of our young staff in Omaha, writes about the priority of enjoying our love relationship with God over just the benefits of that relationship. He is leading our Silk Road project this summer and I think this team that will be in good hands.

10. Eric Swanson's A Little Quiet Time Gem from Moses. A classic post that I have heard before from Eric but glad it blogged it. Few people I know have a devotional life like Eric. As my regional director when I was a campus director, he would motivate me to spend time with the Lord just by sharing what he learned.

Drew's 1st tooth

Okay a few hours after my last post where I said Drew didn't have any teeth yet, he cut his first one.