Willing Shepherds - Dan, Sam and Lucas

Dan Tietz, Sam Bondy and Lucas King are happy to be in Istanbul. The coolest thing in the Bul lately is that “Sadie” invited Christ into her life last weekend at a Turkish church service.

“Sadie” has been searching for Jesus for almost three years. She made built some relationships with the team at their coffeehouse outreach last year, and this year attended the Turkey Christmas Conference. Through weekly studying the book of Luke with two of Dan, Sam and Lucas’ teammates, ‘Sadie’ fell more in love with the person of Jesus and desired to follow him.

Last weekend one of the gals took ‘Sadie’ to a church to meet some Turkish Christians and worship with them. There she met a Turkish woman on staff who showed her answers to some of her questions about Jesus. ‘Sadie’ invited Christ into her life confessing her belief in Jesus and His death for her on the cross. This staff announced her to the church as their new sister in Christ and the whole church joined in the celebration. They all hugged and kissed her and welcomed her into the family of God. Sam said, “It was a sweet picture of the role God has called us to here: ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ ”

Sam writes, “God is drawing people to himself here and we’re asking Him to lead us to them that we may bring them into his body here in Turkey. Please pray for ‘Sadie’, that she would be rooted in the love of Christ and would stand firm against lies of the enemy. Pray for God’s protection and that His Sprit that lives within her would lead her into all truth when she has moments of doubt and confusion.”

Sam also writes that, “As servants in leadership of our team, God has been challenging us to step more boldly into shepherding the men and women on our team, especially initiative discipleship and encouragement. It’s easy to forget how important this aspect is of our role because we expect ourselves to be just as involved in Turkish ministry as everyone else. Yet, God has really called us to disciple and oversee our team, they are our ministry. To walk alongside them in what God has called them to in their ministry, to encourage, challenge, and be humble vessels of God’s love in their lives.

A scripture that God has laid on her heart since August is:

1 Peter 5:2-4 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be, not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

“It has been sweet to see God’s work in the women and the men on our team,” Sam continues. “I think, Dan, Lucas and I often think they don’t really want nor need a shepherd per say in their life, yet they really do and God has called us to this role. But it’s not about us and it’s not for us to depend on ourselves to fill it, but for God to do the work in and through us. Moses was a great example of this: he was NOT capable but God wasn’t asking him to be, God said to trust Him and that God will do his work through him. God equips the called, not the other way around. In being example to the flock, God has and I trust he will continue to help us in living in weakness, vulnerably and humbly alongside the people on our team. God will be the one to do his work in and through us, it’s not our job ‘to do’ anything. Yet that expectation (that its our job ‘to do’ something) can often keep us from moving forward in boldness and courage in Christ.”

May we all shepherd God's flock under our care...

• not out of obligation, but willing because God wants us to
  
• not out of greed (for money, reconigation, strokes or whatever), but eager to serve
• not lording it over, but leading as examples to the flock
  

Traveling Mercies

We haven't flown as a family in a year. Our last memory of flying with screaming running nose 7 month olds short of scared us off.

Satruday we ventured out. Robin and I have a conference to attend in SC that's only a couple of hours from where her parents live. So got a ticket for Luke too, sat the twins in our laps - probally the last tiem they will be able to fly free - and used miles to rent a car.

We also were trying to get our townhome reasy to sale. Since we will be gone almost two weeks, have it listed now so people can look at without us (well, Robin) having to pcik up quickly and load up the kids was key. So we pushed ourselves to get it ready. The last night we got very little sleep as Jack was sick.

But we went for it. I was in combat-mode. It was snowing in the plains and near the airport. I drove to the departure level. Got a luggage cart. Loaded it and left it and the boys with Robin. I drove and parked and ran and just got a bus in long-term parking. I got back to ticketing and the lines were wrapped around the airport. But it was my last few days of United Premier status so we got in that line and checked in. We made it through secuirty okay and went down elvalators and got the train and back up another. Jack and Drew screamed on the train.

We got our plane apologizing to everyone near us. "I know what you are thinking, we are your worst nightmare." There are no athesists in foxholes and there are no athetists on planes when a family of five boards. "Oh Lord, please don't let them sit near me!"

Speaking of praying, Luke asked me to pray for me during takeoff. The problem was he asked right as we left pulled out of the gate and we still had to deice ad taxi for awhile. It would have been a sweet hour of prayer so I told him i would pray when the engines revved.

The flight was realtivelly calm. The lady on the aisle next to Luke moved. (Don't blame her at all) So Luke, Jack and I had a row to ourselves. Robin and Drew sat behind us because we can't sit on same row with two lap babies.... not enough air masks. Robin was in last row and her seat didn't recline but she said she wouldn't have been able to anyway.

We arrived but two of the three car seats didn't. they were still in denver. But United loaned us two seats and today (two days) later they drove them to her parents.

Well better go eat. Luke, Jack and Drew will stay with grandparents all week as Robin and I go to the conference tonight. It's a conference but it will feel like a vacation to be w/o kids.

Selling and Buying

Our town home is now listed on MLS. We will be available for showing Saturday. This happens to be the day we leave for almost 2 weeks. We are praying that we would get an offer before we return on March 8th. This would make it so much easier not to have times where Robin has to pick up as best she can and load up the kids before a showing.


The morning I went with my Realtor to look at a house. Robin's aunt is in town so she wasn't able to go. Has a lot of things we'd like...

• Large fenced-in backyard for our boys to run and play in
• Mature trees
  
• Large newer deck
• Incredible view of mountains
• Backs up to open space
• On cul-de-sac
• Trails nearby
  
• Less than 10 miles to work
• 1/2 a mile to a bus-stop that would be a direct bus to work and free with my eco pass
• Closer to church and friends I work with
  
• Newer, open kitchen
• Newer roof
• a/c
• Maybe less sq ft than we'd like but a lot more than we have now

Big Big Prayer Requests
1. That we would receive an offer on our townhome before March 8th.
2. This house would remain on the market. (It's been on since December but they have dropped price.)
3. The owners accept an our offer or at least come down some from what its listed for.

Sitting by the Well - Paul Crichlow

Paul Crichlow, pictured on the right, is the Team Leader in Barbados at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. UWI Cave Hill is now getting ready to host some practice games for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2007 which the West Indies will host. Barbados will also be hosting the final.

Paul found out back in September that his co-leader was not going to STINT leaving him with a two-man team. So while its not Paul and Barnabas or Paul and Silas, it is Paul and Michael… Michael Toppin, another Barbadian, pictured with him.

While Paul and Michael are like the disciples sent out two by two, there are also some very dedicated female student leaders in the ministry. Paul writes, "At UWI Cave Hill, the Servant Leadership Team has really done a lot of work. They help organize and execute prayer meetings, and limes (get together) two Fridays a month at an apartment."

From January 5-8, a group of 8 students went along with them to a Leadership Training Institute in Trinidad & Tobago. Earlier this month for Valentines Day they had a promotion called "I Did It for You" where they gave out 90 hand made cards telling of Jesus' love for us. They also recently started an Ultimate Frisbee outreach. Paul asks us to please pray that it will grow and be successful.

Leading this year has been a faith-stretcher for Paul. He writes, "God is definitely teaching me the importance of relying on him for every need. I have seen my faith grow so much in the last few months."

Moses was another man of faith who found leading forced him into dependence. He was humble, a shepherd, called a friend of God, and a man who stood in the gap for others. I believe he also played a little Ultimate and a mean game of cricket in his day too. I have heard that as long as he held his cricket bat in the air, his team, the Wandering Jews, never lost. In Hebrews 11: 24-26 we see learn that the critical point in his life of faith was an identification issue; he choose the eternal unseen reward over the temporal seen treasures.

In Exodus 2:15-17, we find Moses in Midian after he fled Pharaoh and those treasures. He sat down by a well where he saw the seven daughters of Jethro drawing water for their father’s flock. When some shepherds came to drive the shepherdesses away, Moses did something that is worth a closer look as it relates to leading. (He also gained a wife out of this but that’s another story for another day.)

He sat by the well. > The Lord is called the Spring of Living Water. Sure it may be a symbolic stretch but his dependence on God is definitely different than when he took matters in his own hand in the preceding verses. Moses means 'drawn from water', so maybe this is where he should have been all along. Are you hanging out by the well? When you drink deeply from the well daily, you have something to give away and still have something left for yourself. What will you to make sure you are sitting by the well?

He got up. > He took action. He took a risk. Are you taking risks? Are you confronting injustice, sin and the enemy? Are speaking truth in love? Are you giving grace, extending mercy; and demonstrating love? Are you leading you team out? Are you leading them back to Him?

He rescued them. > There is an enemy who wants to drive you and your team from the well. If your team and disciples can’t draw from the well, they will have nothing to water their sheep by. Are you rescuing your team, your disciples and the lost from the enemy?

He watered their flock. > Notice they are the father’s sheep. You have been called to be the shepherd or shepherdess. If the Father's sheep aren’t getting watered, it’s your responsibility. Are you helping water the flock entrusted to your team? Are you making sure the sheep are cared for? (Like a horse, you can lead them to the water but its their responsibility to drink.)

Have a good Lent hanging out by the well, choosing the eternal over the temporal.

Random Dreams ~ Forgiveness

Okay last night I had two dreams that were rather random. The first was one were someone, as a practical joke, took my car and two other ones. In the dream, he took the junkiest. As a joke, he removed all the parts and filled the inside with H20. I was so mad. I brought some friends to look at it and suddenly it was all back except it wouldn't crank because it was water-logged. I called this guy on the cell phone and told him he needed to pay me for the car but I would be nice and drop the price down from blue book value. but he wouldn't pay me so I was going to take him to one of those court TV shows.



Then i had another dream that was so random it is hard to explain but it was a similar thing were someone wronged me and wouldn't own up to it. Then I woke up and was reminded of the parable of the unmerciful servant. Crazy it was just a couple of dreams but the feeling of injustice was real. It made me think of how often i feel 'wronged' and don't forgive in a manner I have been forgiven.



This morning, I was catching up on blogs I read and read the entry of one of my friends, Jessica Bott and she had a similar experience on Sunday except it was real. Maybe I should just be glad my lesson didn't cost me.

5 Principles of Growth

I uploaded a PDF file of an article by Shane Deike to the STINT Playbook #2. It is called "5 Principles of Growth" and can be found under the "Launch Movements" folder.

It is a team exercise on Kingdom Growth or Movement Launching. I am sure even if you are not 2nd year, it could be a good resource to use in a future team meeting especially as you dream about what God can do!

Shane is a good friend who makes me laugh and dream big. He is the epitome of a pioneer. We first met when we were both leaders on projects to Kenya way back in 88 when he was still a student. This pre-dates WSN. Shane was on the WSN team serving as RD in MS when I first joined and pioneered the first ever STINT Team Leaders Trg.

Shane's blog BTW is very Blogarithm worthy.

Update on Emily Preston

Here's an update on Emily Preston's medical situation.

Bryon emailed me and said, "Our team would appreciate people's prayers for Emily. We are managing alright without her, but it's strange not having her around, and not easy for her to be alone back in the states. We'll be traveling beginning this next week to Maracaibo for a Venezuelan Cruzada conference, then to Ecuador to renew our visas. We're hoping that she'll be able to fly back in the same day that we do on March 4th."

Stolen Truck

No it wasn't mine. Sadly, I haven't had a truck since 1997. But I did report this....

An officer responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle parked on the 13900 block of Lake Song Lane at 3:09 p.m. Jan. 29, according to police. The vehicle, a white 2005 Ford F-350, had been reported stolen out of Denver Dec. 29, police said. The vehicle was processed for evidence and towed.

The crazy thing is that if you read this police report on this link, the next paragraph is eerily similar about a white 2001 Ford F-350 truck found the next day not far from where we live. Either that got that wrong or somebody in Broomfield was stealing white Ford F-350 trucks.


Actually I keep noticing this truck in our parking lot. It was taking up two spots because it was parked crooked. At first I was just like, 'dude, come repark your vehicle.' And then one day I looked into the bed and saw two suitcases and thought, 'that's strange'. I mentioned it to Robin and we decided maybe I should just wait a week. Not sure why i guess we thought we should just wait and see. Maybe the driver up rocks in suitcases to weight it done since we had a lot of snow. So when I got back from Spain and saw it was still there I called it in.

Actually I am glad it was just a stolen truck and not a murder or some story about a neighbor who had a heart attack. It was parked in front of another building so I really wasn't sure it was just somebody i didn't know or what.

What this guy near me needs

Okay I am officing out of a local coffeeshop today. Cuts my commute down by 30 minutes each way.

But this dude sitting near me has been taking business calls all morning and yelling at the top of his lung. Would he yell like this if he wasn't on a phone? Why does being on a cell phone give you the right to yell in a public place? Totally clueless. Everybody stares at him and he keeps yelling. I had a call and went outside to talk - not too cold today.

I hear (and so does everyone else within a mile) that he is going to the airport. GOOD!

Fav 5 Second Movies

Titanic in 5 seconds.

Lost in Translation in 5 seconds.

Amadeus in 5 seconds.

Fargo in 5 seconds.

The Ultimate Love Language - Aaron and Sadee

Since its Valentine’s Day, I thought it appropriate to feature this week a couple in love: Aaron and Sadee Van Ruler. While this is not a pic from Super Bowl XLI, they did stay up until 4:30 am to see their Colts win.

Aaron and Sadee live in the downtown area of beautiful Freiburg, Germany. Lest you think living in Western Europe is a piece of cake though, their apartment has a bathroom/kitchen combo affectionately known as a ‘bitchen’. Sadee writes, “You could literally flip an egg on the stove while taking a shower. Thankfully, the toilet is closed off in its own little room. It still grosses me out though - yuck, who wants their bathroom in their kitchen.”

Their team is a combination or sorts too with STINTers, ICS and a national staff all serving together. The Lord is doing great things in Freiburg as several committed believers have joined their movement and they have seen two girls accept Christ this year. They have a shepherd team of 7 students that are coming up with great ideas and running with them. Last Friday, was a Valentine’s Party for the girls and a lot of non-believers came out.

Sadee says, “We have talked about movements everywhere a TON this year. We are encouraging students to dream about this: ‘What if there were pockets of people that were following Jesus all over Freiburg. We want to have spiritual movements everywhere all over this whole city so that every student can know someone who truly follows Jesus.’ Steve Douglass would be very proud, I do believe. Students are getting this. We are trying to launch several new bible studies and/or spiritual discussion groups at the beginning of next semester.”

Thinking of their shepherd team and what today is, I recall how Jesus in John 10 says that He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Five chapters later, sandwiched between verses about His command for us to love one another, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus was not just making some nice little quip to put on a greeting card.

Acts of Service? Encouraging words? Physical Touch? Gifts? Quality Time?

Laying down your life: the ultimate love language!

When you care to send the very best…

His agonizing in the garden later that same night was not like me going to Safeway and agonizing over which Valentine’s card to get for my wife. His love for us cost him his life.

John writes in His first epistle (1 John 3:16) that what know what love is because Jesus laid down His life for us. John picks back up Jesus' command by saying that in turn we should lay down our lives for our others. I don’t know what that might look like for you when you think of your team, your co-leader, and your students. But I know God calls us every day as a leader to decide who is going to pay for our leadership – us or our ‘sheep’.

May we give the gift of love today by laying down our lives.

Helping Bring Worshipers of Every Nation into His Kingdom

I met with some of our long-term and short-term missionaries at a conference in Spain last month. It was a midyear for missionaries serving all over Europe, the former Soviet Union and in the Muslim world.

Kalan, the guy on the far right in the picture, is one of our short-term missionaries (STINTers) in Krasnodar, Russia. In fact, he is the youngest of 400 STINTers around the world as he just this past week turned 21. Over lunch one day, he summed up his ministry to me. “My job is not to share my faith. It is not to get guys into a bible study. It is to help bring worshipers of every nation into His kingdom.”

And that is what Kalan and others from his team are doing in Krasnodar. Not only Russians study in their city but students from over 50 people groups who are considered unreached study there as well. There are also numerous students from countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and India.

Kalan went on to say that because of this role of helping bring worshipers into His kingdom, he has realized this year that he is to live a life of worship. When he does, Kalan is motivated to proclaim the Good News to the lost and make disciples of every nation.

I was amazed by Kalan’s heart! This is what we desire for ourselves and as we sent out and serve missionaries around the world. We desire that we would live a life of worship and out of an overflow of our walks with the Lord that we would help bring worshipers of every nation into His Kingdom!

Updates from Around the Globe

STINT LEADERS

These are just some of the STINT Leaders serving around the world. Robin and I helped train them last summer and it was a highlight to reconnect with many of them last month in Spain.

This group pictured leads mission teams reaching students in England, Germany, France, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Russia, Morocco, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Each Wednesday, I feature pair of leaders on a STINT LEADERS highlighting what God is doing in their part of the world along with a short devotion.

Feel free to stop by and read what God is doing around the world and join us in praying for these leaders.

MEXICO CITY

Nate - the dude with the afro - recently went on a campus where there is no work - UAM Azcapotzalco. He put up posters around the campus with an icthyus (fish symbol) on it. His sign read in Spanish, “If this symbol means anything to you, come to a meeting tomorrow.” The next day, five guys showed up! Nate is meeting with them and help them launch a movement on their campus.

Next month, hundreds of Spring Breakers will come down from US to help start movements like this on campuses throughout the city. I will join them overlapping weeks 3 and 4.

THAILAND

We recently sent out the first team from our region to Thailand. They are on a Semester STOP-OUT serving the Lord by helping with the Tsunami relief efforts. They are in the southern part of Thailand that is culturally Muslim. Their desire is to combine the compassionate words and deeds of Christ and to bring light in the midst of darkness.

This team of seven represents students taking a semester off from school, recent graduates, and one guy who has never been to college but is a wielder by profession. In June, a team of another 10 students will join them for that month to continue the work. Robin and I are serving the summer team this Spring by reviewing applications, helping them raise support and working on logistics.

NOVI SAD, SERBIA

Last month, one of the students that Phil (3rd person from left) had befriended came up to him and told him about a nightmare he had. This Serbian student had a dream where he died and stood before the gate to heaven. “And this man, I think you call him Saint Peter, asked me why he should let me into heaven. I didn’t know what to say. I woke up in a cold sweat and asked all my friends if they knew the answer to this question. None of my friends could tell me. Can you tell me how to know that if I die that I will go to heaven?

February Family Update

Jack (in the red shirt with his hand in his pocket) and Drew are 1 1/2 years old now. Countdown to double terrible two's.

Every day we hear new words. Some words like “eat”, “help me”, “cracker” are distinguishable - at least in context. Some words make sense only to them.

They give me hugs and kisses goodbye when I go to work. Gotta love that!

Luke loves attending his pre-school and cubbies at AWANA’s. Robin went to parent -teacher conference yesterday and his teachers' said, "Luke is very quiet and shy." Uh, tell us something we don't know. We love how God has made Luke - he is very observant and inquisitive. Maybe he will be a scientist. Not sure where that comes from?

Robin - my valentine - held fort while I was in Spain. All the boys got sick, so it was a long week. Robin is amazing and I am very much grateful for the incredible gift God has given me.

Getting Ready to Show

Robin and I are going to re-list on townhome for sale. We are going with a new realtor with a whole team of help.

Our target date to get ready to show is Feb. 24th. We leave for a couple of weeks on that date so it would mean several days of being shown without Robin having to rush to get the kids out.

It's less than two weeks away so we spent the weekend - getting tons of boxes from a family who just moved from Orlando to work on our OPs team, buying stuff to repair holes in the drywall that little boys have created, building a shelf in the rafters of our garage to store stuff, and starting to box up clutter. Luke 'helped' me build the shelf by going with me to Lowe's and taking a hammer to whack stuff.

Hopefully this week we can make a huge dent in cleaning out closets, the kitchen cabinets and basement. Then we can repair the drywall holes, touch-up paint and fix little stuff. Sometime this week Robin will have one of the realtors come over and give her tips on getting it ready to show.

Jars of Clay - A and R

A and R are in East Asia. Well technically they are in Thailand right now. The pic of them is from their vacation on Phi Phi Island. (With the sunglasses R looks like the Top Gun version of Tom Cruise.)

Their first semester ended with a bang as over the Christmas season, A and R’s team was able to share the Gospel with around 600 students through lectures and parties! Some of the believers involved with them were able to join in and share about Jesus with their friends and classmates through parties. In January, they started following up with students that indicated that they were already Christians or were ready to make a decision to follow Jesus. Several students prayed to receive Christ and many are very interested and wanting to talk more.

R writes that as he neared the end of the first semester he was reminded what a great “job” we have. “I get to be a part of people going from death to life, from darkness to light, from hopeless to full of hope, from lonely to loved everyday. It’s a blessing and honor and a work that I deserve no part of.”

R also writes that his walk with the Lord has been growing and deepening of late. “I have been seeing my tendency to run from hard situations and not to embrace them and grow through them. I have focused my studies in the bible on hope lately. I have been looking through the bible continually reminding myself of whom and what I should really be hoping in. I have found myself placing my hope in vacation time in February, or getting back to America, or in friendships, or in entertainment. I am learning that I must be very intentional about putting my hope for peace and joy in the Lord and nowhere else.”

Recently, I was looking at similar passage about embracing hard situations. In 2 Cor 4:7-18, Paul talks about how we have a treasure in jars of clay. This treasure is defined in the previous verses. It is a light - the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. As I read this, I imagine this fragile jar pot with a light in it. So when I read what Paul says they are experiencing, I picture someone taking a hammer and whacking this jar…

We are hard pressed on every side, (WHACK) but not crushed.

Perplexed, (WHACK) but not in despair.

Persecuted, (WHACK, WHACK) but not abandoned.

Struck down, (WHACK, WHACK, WHACK) but not destroyed.

With each whack, more light shines forth! The more cracks, the more of the light, the more glory, and the more of the knowledge of Christ. Paul says that we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the all-surpassing power is not from us but from God. He writes that he was experiencing death of Jesus in His mortal body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. Death was at work in Paul. But life was at work in the Corinthians.

It is similar for us. We experience death - maybe not to the degree that Paul did - but little deaths as we place our hope in Christ and not in things we have left behind. Sort of like Keith Bubalo’s illustration at briefing on giving blood if you recall that – a little bit of death as we assume ‘the giving position’.

Though Paul doesn't use the word 'hope' in this particular passage, he is talking about the hope of the glorious appearing of our LORD. It is because of this hope that Paul writes that he does not lose heart. Though outwardly we are are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. He reminds us that our light and momentary troubles achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. The scales of balance are overwhelming in our favor. We can fix our eyes not on the seen but on this unseen eternal, hope.

May this week we each place our hope for peace and joy completely in the Lord and nowhere else.

Almost Like Spring

I walked out this morning and it was almost like Spring - warm, sun was shining, snow was melting, birds were singing. I waded through the pond of melted snow and ice that previous was known as our complex's parking lot and drove to work on clear roads with grand-canyon-sized potholes.

Wow! Maybe Phil was right!

Prayer for Emily in Merida

Was visiting Bryon's blog and saw this prayer request for Emily Preston.

Twin Ear infections

Last night Robin took Jack and Drew to the doctor. They both have ear infections. Techincally I guess they have a virus (forgot the name) that leads to an ear infection.

We almost took them to the doctor the night before before as Drew woke up from a nap with fever and cranky. But after the miracle drug - Children's Motrin - he perked up and we thought maybe its just the cold.

Jack was acting more sick on Monday and not so much Tuesday and yesterday but Robin figured might as well get him checked too and of course if Drew had an ear infection, he did too. Because whatever Drew has he wants and visa versa.