"Facing your Giants"

My mother sent me this book, not knowing exactly what I am facing daily. She knows of what we are going through but doesn’t know what we are going through. This book keeps pulling me back to read some great illustrations, examples of David’s life and how he failed but also how he pleased God. I recommend this book to all facing giants in your life, small or large, most of the time it is an accumulation of the small ones that usually bring us down.
In the first chapter he leads out with this verse. “As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.” 1 Samuel 17:48 (NLT).

48 Now when the Philistine made a move and came near to David, David quickly went at a run in the direction of the army, meeting the Philistine face to face. 1 Sam 17:48 (BBE)

I love these two translations. For us First term folks, it seems we face so many Goliaths. The Language Goliath, The Culture Goliath the Ministry Goliath, The Health Goliath and even the Family Goliath. It seems we focus so much on the Giants and that is all we see.

I like what he brings out in verses 45-47 of chapter 17. It almost sounds like David is arrogantly bragging about God but it wasn’t that he was bragging it was the only thing he was thinking about (God). The soldiers we mentioning nothing of God only their enemies, so I keep reminding myself when those Giants keep arising to attack, focus on God and not the “Giants”.
As Lucado says, “Giants. We must face them. Yet we need not face them alone. Focus first, and most, on God. The times David did, giants fell. The days he didn’t, David did.

Here we Are.....

Tonight we have met for the first time. We are missing three others. The one in the orange shirt is deaf and mute. He is apart of the deaf ministry the a young adult female started before she left to go to the capital city to study more sign language. With these fairly new believers we are going to attempt to turn Treinta y Tres and surrounding areas upside down in the next year and half. I believe I will be introducing a whole new concept to these guys except Garrett. About sharing your faith publicly and aggressively fishing for men. I'm praying that these guys get hungry for souls and we see a revival spread through our little town.

Scary thought..

I receive a variety of devotionals via email. This is a scary one for me, do to the fact there are several churches wanting to model after this church. For me it is disturbing that they would want to try to interpret Matt. 28:19 into making friends instead of making disciples. I can make friends all day long but when I really care about someone is when I share the Gospel. God did not call us to make friends he called us to make disciples and he would give all the Blessing (friends) we could ever need. This is just one of the reasons that Christianity is declining.


Friends first
by John Fischer



The Great Commission is all about making friends. Now I know Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples …” (Matthew 28:19 NLT), but Jesus himself showed that you can’t make a disciple until you first make a friend. “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (John 15:15 NLT)


So what Christians have called “witnessing” for some time really should be more like building relationships. It’s what you do over the long haul of a relationship that counts so much more than door-to-door canvassing of the neighborhood.


In the movie The Big Kahuna starring Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey, a young salesman fresh out of Baptist college goes on his first business trip to a convention with a couple seasoned veterans from his company. In an attempt to land a CEO (“The Big Kahuna”) of a very large account as a new client, the young Baptist, played surprisingly close to a real Baptist by Peter Tarrantino, ends up the unlikely one of the three who has the best shot at talking with the CEO.


But instead of talking about the company he represents and setting up his partners with a meeting, the Baptist ends up spending the whole conversation witnessing to the man about Jesus. When his co-workers find out about this, Spacey goes ballistic. A hot-headed argument ensues between Spacey and the rookie salesman over the place of religion in business, and Danny DeVito, the oldest and wisest of the three, tries to calm them both down and provides some very sensible advice. What he says to the young Baptist should be heard and considered by all Christians. It goes something like this:


“The minute you lay hold of a conversation in order to steer it in a certain direction, it ceases to be a conversation, it’s a sales pitch; and you aren’t a human being anymore, you’re a marketing rep. If you really care about the man, ask him about his kids … his wife … his dreams ...”


It’s the difference between pushing an agenda and truly caring for somebody. If you care about somebody, you want to know what he or she is thinking, what is the person’s hopes and dreams, joys and disappointments – in other words, what are the things that make that person human. Friendship is all about finding common ground, and it is out of this common ground that what is shared will have credibility.

Another First.

I know that this might be a regular for some in different parts of the world. Even here, it is pretty common occurance with others but for us it is the first of I’m sure many. You asking all right already what is it? "Lice" Teresa found the critters last night in Cora Beth’s hair. It was pretty large, you could see its legs. Well Teresa entered the living room with her finger on it and asked me, "What is this thing?". I shrugged as any good husband would do and said not sure. Why not go over to our neighbors, who I’m sure have had experience with this and ask her. Well Teresa returned and it was confirmed. Cora has lice but they didn't see any more so we felt confident that a good medicine wash and treatment we would be safe. So off we went to do the first treatment. After the treatment you take a fine tooth comb and pull out any that may be dead and also to locate eggs. Well... guess what, I'm figuring she might have had them for while. We found or the comb rather found many more. Needless to say Teresa and I started itching pretty good at this point. Well after all and all, we treated Teresa's hair and what little of my hair and we didn't find any. The directions say to wait another 10 days and treat again. I'm surprised that it took this long for any of us to get them. Oh... you might be asking what about Garrett. Well he keeps his hair cut down to his scalp that he is not a good candidate for the littler critters. I apologize for not having pictures. Our camera was damaged we waiting on a few things. If any more spawn in the future I will attach pictures. Hope you enjoy. Oh yeh, if anyone has some home remedies on killing the buggers please let us know. We using some expired stuff we brought back in 2004. Thanks again.

Please Don't hold this against me :o)

Things I learnt in Alabama

Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Alabama. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Alabama, plus a couple no one's seen before.

If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.

Onced and Twiced are words.

It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy.

It's not a garden hose or simply a hose, it's a "hosepipe" (one word). Knowed is a word too! (I knowed I wasnt supposed to do that; but I did)

Fire ants consider your flesh as a picnic.

People actually grow and eat okra. (and like it!)

Mama-nem means the whole family. ("Are mamanem comin?")

There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There's only dinner and then there's supper.

Backards and foreards means I know everything about you.

Jeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat yet?"

You know you're from Alabama if:

1. You measure distance in minutes.

2. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

3. Stores don't have bags; they have sacks.

4. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of the year.

5. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: I am fixing to go to the store.

6. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.

7. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

8. You carry jumper cables in your car…for your OWN car.

9. You know what "cow tipping" is.

10. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, chili powder, and ketchup. Let’s not forget pepper sauce for the turnip greens!

11. The local papers cover national and international news on one page but require 6 pages…for sports.

12. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

13. You find 90 degrees Fahrenheit "a little warm."

14. You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.

15. You know whether another Alabamian is from east, west, or middle Alabama as soon as they open their mouth.

16. Visiting Wal-Mart is a favorite pastime known as "going to Wal-Marts."

17. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather.

18. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop... it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example "What kinna coke you want?"

19. Fried Catfish is the other white meat.

20. You understand these jokes.

Great post!

This a good post on "missions". Thought you might want to visit it.

Facing your Giants by Max Lucado

For me this book was right on time. Lucado put you in the history looking at David's life. He used scripture and imagination to illustrate how we can face our giants of today. Though I wish I could face them with victory like David I seem to fail or back down like David. I take that back, I am victorious some days then it seems I go two steps back. Never the less God is King and in control. One of Lucado's quotes I liked, "Giants. We must face them. Yet we need not face them alone. Focus first, and most, on God. The times David did, giants fell. The days he didn't, David did. (Page 8).
As I was preparing to come to the field now 4 years ago. I was told by the IMB that I had to loose weight to continue the process. (Some 50 lbs) I put so much effort in loosing weight, getting in shape, participating in 10 triathlons, adventure races, running my first ultrathon of 50 kilometers. Now looking back, even though getting in shape is important and especially for me, I wish I would have put just as much effort into preparing spiritually. I'm not saying I didn't, just that looking back I think I could have done things differently. Now looking ahead with half my term left, I'm trying to catch up. It has become my spiritual ultrathon. Disciplining myself, lifting spiritual weights, working through the small injuries, and doing the long spiritual runs on the weekends. 24 But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. Acts 20:24 (MSG)
As we dive more into the book of Lucado, I look forward to seeing what God is going to show me through the life of David.

Year and Five Months and Two AGMs.

Well we just returned from our second AGM (Annual General Meeting) and we are glad to be home. We were able to see some friends we haven't seen in a while and make new friends. Listening to good preaching and going over new ideas with leadership. Visiting with some of our language school friends helped us to realize that they are going through some of the same struggles we are, and dealing with them in different ways.
I've got a good question to anyone that would like to chime in. First we know God is going to take care of us. We know what he has done for us in the past. We know by his Word how he performed miracles in the Bible. We know all the facts. Why is it so hard to believe in those facts? Why is it we let emotions control our decisions? For us on the field we know we were called to missions but yet we have such a pull to our home country. So much that it overcomes us. I know the answer is in the God's Word but how do we apply it to our flesh? Can we apply it to our flesh?

Seeking God

I'm trying not to become a blog junky by no means. I read my share of blogs. especially of my fellow missionaries from around the world. I just read the latest from "Tales from Middle Earth" I thought is was worth sharing. Please keep all the missionaries in you prayers. One thing that I was taught early on and am experiencing even more. The front lines are lonely. I feel that God has called us not only to the front lines but maybe he calls us to the front lines so he can get us alone. That is not grammatically correct but makes sense to me.

Garrett is Back!?

Garrett and his buddies made it back for Monte Argentina. They went to participate in a youth camp that is host by the Word of Life Ministries. They do a great job of evangelizing the kids and starting them off on the right foot in discipleship. Garrett came back with great stories and memories that he will not forget. I’m so thankful for the WOL ministries and their love for the Lord. If you want to know more about them click here. On the subject of Salvations we had an answered prayer with one of the guys that went. Williams is his name. He made a profession last Tuesday night and we will start discipleship once we return from Paraguay in a week and half. Thanks for all your prayers and we look for to hearing from you all.

Russian Red Neck?

First let me clarify, I'm from Athens Alabama. I have studied cross cultural adaptation but this takes the cake!
Live!!! From Russia!!!
Theee Leningrad Cowboys!!!

"Facing your Giants" by Max Lucado

I’m reading one of the best encouraging books I’ve read in a while. “Facing your Giants” by Max Lucado. It is some good reading. I would encourage any Christian to read it and especially my fellow missionaries. When I finish it I’m thinking of taking each chapter and sharing how it has helped me see God’s will for my life.

Adapting....

In my post before last, I talked about adapting to different things on the missionary field. I’m going to attempt to explain a little about what I was talking about. I am going to use terms I understand and not big words or phrases that the average person in church doesn't. Especially me. What I have found reading many blogs. The “elite” continually use words that are not any where in the Webster’s or any other reference I use. My grammar is not perfect and I will misspell words. So with that said off we go.
Adapting to language and culture….
Well, for me I can not separate the two. I wish I could explain how they are not separate but to me you have to learn the culture if you are going to learn the language as well. Let me give you a little history of my language learning. We went to Costa Rica to learn the Spanish. I worked hard to learn vocabulary and verb conjugation. I learned real quick that no matter hard I tried, my mind would reject any rational explanation to why they go around the block to say a very simple statement. When we left Costa Rica I felt I could at least go to the grocery store and buy food for our family. When we arrived here in Uruguay, I promise you I thought they were using some tribal language because it did not sound like Spanish. (there are no tribes or Indians here, they were run out or killed out in the conception of the country. So many different sounds, not to mention different words but I didn’t realize so many different words till after another six months in the country was I able to understand simple statements. Now I have spent the past ten months or so trying to work on conversational skills.
Now how adapting to the culture has effected adaptation to language… Well if you can’t understand what they are saying and how they are saying it. You can’t understand the explanations they are giving for why they do certain things. Yes people have written papers on the culture of Uruguay. (A very few) I have learned that those people wrote about the people where they lived and in this short time Uruguay I have learned that the people in the urban setting are very different people than the people in the “campo” (country). They have a few things in common but probably most common thing is the drinking of “mate”. That is another post as well. Till next time…I will post more about adaptations.

Ticket and a License to Drive

Sounds simple…go done to pay for a ticket. (Running a red light and driving without a licences...well not really I had Ala and a Costa Rican just not what they wanted as the time because there has been times those would have been fine.) Where was I, oh yes paying a ticket. Off I went to pay on Tuesday but forgetting that this is the time for vacations so they close at 1:30pm everyday till school starts back. So I go back on Wednesday to pay, getting to the window the guy tells me I have to go across the street for someone to assign value to the points on the ticket so they will know what to charge. Off I go; arriving to a puzzled look on another gentleman’s face and telling me no they should know what the value. Back across the street, the original guy asks a lady there in the office what to do and thank goodness she had the original copy of my ticket to discuss price and why I was driving without a license. I went on to explain the best I could in Spanish that we were in the process but had not received our “cedula” (social security #). And that we were told my immigration that we could drive on our North American licenses with our passport. Well they had not heard that so I paid a hefty fine for driving without a license.
Next page…We (Teresa and I) were off this morning early to stand in line to attempt to get our license. The first gentlemen took our passports and stateside drivers license found our visas from us entering the country in November(from going home for my dad’s death) seeing this and stated that our visa was to expire in February 26 and that our license would be good till then. Well seeing this we went to the gentlemen I talk with yesterday and asked him what we could do to obtain a license.
I and you don’t have the time for me to explain what all happened but that is just a taste of what we deal with daily. He went on to tell me "don’t worry if you get a tick just bring it to me and I will take care of the fine". Until you can get your “cedula”. What fun.

Ministry Meaning

What is the meaning of Ministry? I guess the meaning is different for different people. For me, it is my life. I have had a hard time adapting that into my vocabulary. But over the last two years adapting to a different language, a different culture, a different people I live with and different people I work with, has had a very deep, deep effect the way I look at ministry. Adapting to a different type of work I definitely don't want to forget that. So saying that when I say I need to look at the calendar to see what we will do in the ministry I'm actually saying, "Let’s look at the calendar to see how we are going to schedule our lives into what God has planned for us this year".
Adapting to a different language...well that has definitely not happened yet. I want to so bad to really share what is on my heart in regards to the Word. It might shock some but it is not happening. I have studied, talked and went way out of my comfort zone and still have not progressed to where I want to be. They tell me (they being the vets) that some just don't get it the first term. Well that answers why so many don't come back after their first. This whole tongue thing I wish it was a gift still given. I sure would be praying, and not privately either.
Adapting to a different culture...well that is not all that bad for me. My wife and kids not sure. Well CoraBeth has adapted but she was 9 when we got here. Garrett not sure. Teresa...you'll have to ask her yourself.
Adapting to a different people... nope, nope, nope, I'm trying but that is one thing I won't adapt to but just acept that is the way the people are. I don't have the English vocabulary to explain. I love them and except them and that is the best I know how to do at the moment.
Adapting to a different way of work...nope, nope, nope, not sure if that will come around. Teresa and I talked about that last night. She doesn’t know how I keep from going crazy. When I say I was a bricklayer it really goes much deeper than that. I took large masonry projects (i.e., schools, hospitals, grocery stores.) was give a schedule (deadline) and then asked to do some impossible tasks with literally no one on the crew. I would then start hiring, recruiting, begging, motivating and begging to do more. I loved the fast pace work schedule. I loved looking back at the end of the day and seeing what we had accomplished physically and then after the job was over all the friendships that had been formed by everyone accomplishing what they didn't think they could.
I just started laughing because after rereading what I wrote...it is exactly what God has asked me to do here. I'm just having a hard time seeing the results. That is probably the biggest thing I'm having problems with.
Sorry this is so long...I working on blogging on a regular basis.
Not sure if anyone passes buy but this has been good to write about anyway.
May God Bless your "Ministry"!!!!

No Pony Tail

No there is no pony tail. Some thought we were joking.

WE tried to stop her but this is what she really wanted. My little girl is growing up.