DML's Scholarship Campaign

Discipling Marketplace Leaders is running a scholarship campaign during the month of April, in an effort to raise $30,000 in 30 days to provide scholarships to pastors, church leaders, and marketplace ministers through our partners across Africa and Nicaragua.  These scholarships allow these leaders to attend DML workshops and trainings and access the on-going support and resources to implement workplace ministries in their church as well as mentoring for business leaders. 

That is a goal of $1000/day and I am praying the goal will be met so that we can continue to spread the message of a healthy theology of work! 

In 2021, we were able to train almost 3,000 pulpit pastors and 6,400 marketplace ministers, many of whom paid fees to cover the costs of these trainings but for those 10% who had financial challenges, these scholarship funds covered their expenses, which allowed for more people to hear this good news!  

It only costs about $20/person to have a pulpit pastor/church leader attend our foundational workshop and about $50/person for a business owner to go through our twelve-week workshop. And we know that these trainings will help churches equip the priesthood of believers to be the church every day of the week, and will also increase profit, household income, and create jobs in the businesses!

We can't do this without your support!  As a donor, you become a "gospel patron" on the DML team.  

During April, we will be sharing a number of brief videos that our partners have sent of pulpit pastors and marketplace ministers who share the importance of understanding that God works, that we were created to work, and that work can be an act of worship. Here is a brief video from our partner in Burundi.  The language that is being spoken is Kirundi, but the subtitles are in English.

Please consider joining us in April by giving toward this goal!  Click here for more information.

As I stuffed envelopes for this campaign, I had to chuckle over the picture below, sent to me by someone in the fundraising arena.  This feels true at times!  But God is so good in calling us to link arms together to combine the three resources (time, treasure and talent) that God has given each of us in order for us to work together for the flourishing of humankind and creation, to the glory of God.  Amen?

Law of Three Generations

I don't know if you have heard of the Law of Three Generations for Christians.  I am told this comes from Bruce Wilkinson who also describes this as the "Powerful Principle of Three Chairs."

Imagine three chairs side by side.  Each chair represents a different person and their faith, with three different levels of commitment toward God.  Every person reading this blog is sitting in one of those chairs.  You can decide where you sit but you cannot decide the consequences of that decision. 

The first chair is called "commitment." This person has a whole heart for God and a personal relationship with Jesus.  This person is deeply committed to Jesus in all they do.  An example of a person sitting in this first chair would be David.

The second chair is called "compromise." This person has accepted Christ but hasn't decided how much or little to follow Him.  They agree with the beliefs of the first chair and appears to follow the "Christian lifestyle" but there is inconsistency and instability.  Children who grow up in a Christian home tend to sit in this second chair.  It's also easy for a Christian to slide from the first chair to the second chair.  An example of this would be David's son, Solomon. 

The third chair is called "conflict."  This person has not responded personally to God and may be confused by their spiritual condition.  If he/she has grown up in a Christian home, they may look and act like those in the other chairs, but there is a gulf between this person and God.  A person who grows up in the home of the second chair tends to sit in the third chair.  They saw Christianity in name only and therefore reject it when they are older.  An example of this would be Solomon's son, Rehoboam.

Here is another example of the three chairs, in three generations, from Joshua and Judges:

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So the people answered and said: Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods… So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel…. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. (Judges 24:15-16; Judges 2:7, 10)

• First Chair:  Joshua knew God and His works.
• Second Chair:  The elders knew about God and His works.
• Third Chair:  The children of the elders did not know God or His works.

I've been thinking about this a lot of late, especially because of conversations with Europeans who appear to be in a post-Christian era, conversations in the United States who seem to be heading toward a post-Christian era, and conversations with Africans who seem to still be in-between the first and second generation.   Our DML bible study on Nehemiah reminds us of the pattern of the generational forgetting of God when things go well and then remembering when crisis happens.

To know God and to know about God are very different.  

I continue to pray that we, as the Global Church, pursue making disciples who experience no sacred/secular divide which will allow us to see God in every place and every space, and not relegate Him only to the church building and Sunday worship.  That is not the full answer, but I do think it is an important part of it.

Crap Detector #2: The Role of Prayer

A couple of weeks ago, I reintroduced you to my "crap detector," my inner alarm that goes off at times related to my passion or areas of study.  Crap detectors are very personally tuned, and mine is likely differently calibrated than those of others around me or some of my readers.  I thought I would share three different things that set off my crap detector.  I first shared about the way "blessing" sets it off, when Christinas bask in blessing as passive receiving rather than seeing it as God's active equipping.  Today I want to talk about how some talk about prayer sets my crap detector abuzz.  I do so with some fear and trembling because there is a danger that I may be misunderstood but let me proceed and trust you to hear me out.

Over the seventeen years that I have lived and worked in Africa, I have heard many a pastor and church leader boast about how much they pray.  Many tell that this spiritual practice usually comes at the cost of sleep.  There can be a subtle competition among Christians about how little sleep one gets because one is up so early or late praying.  Most of the time, these comments are met with murmurs of "wow" and respect is given to the person who seems so dedicated to God.

On my last trip to East Africa, some of the pastors in our workshop, were nodding off and dozing in their chairs at 9 am. This was way before we could blame the carbs they ate at lunch or the heat of the day.  I knew that some were nodding off because they had only gotten four or five hours of sleep and had gotten up at 4 am to pray.  I wondered to myself, "Is this what faithfulness looks like?  Is it more important to be up praying than to accept sleep as a God-given gift?  What if that early prayer time prevents you from not being able to stay awake at 9 am during a workshop where God may have a message for you?  How many of the dozing pastors had boasted that they "don't need much sleep" because they choose to pray but find themselves instead napping through the day?"  This sets my crap detector to a level one low buzz.  

It made me wonder, how do we, as Christians, figure out where, when, and how much prayer should fit into our lives?  

There are two things I know:

• God is the only one who does not slumber or sleep.  The rest of us need sleep.  Scientists continue to discover the importance of sleep on our lives and its effect on our health and wellbeing.  They say we need seven to eight hours of sleep per night.  And that is the rule - not the exception.  I can't tell you how many people I hear say, "Well, I don't need that much sleep."  Actually, you do.  It's a fact.  There may be exceptions to the rule, but those are rare, and while people may say they are an exception, there is usually a cost somewhere that they may not even be aware of.  Read the excellent book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker to learn more.
• I know that almost EVERYONE complains almost all the time about how busy they are.  It's one of our favorite pastimes. 

Therefore, I know that if we are so busy during the day AND we need seven to eight hours of sleep per night, it makes it difficult to find time for prayer.  Do I give up work?  Time with family?  Sleep?

Where is the time for prayer?  There is no one way or pattern, and no easy answer to these questions.  

How much prayer is the right amount?  One hour per day?  Two hours?  More?  Less?    Do we do what Martin Luther said, "I have so much to do that I will spend the first three hours in prayer."  At what point do we move from prayer to action?  Certainly, one would say Luther's example is admirable but is that something we can manage every day?  

A few weeks ago, I heard a sermon on prayer.  The preacher said that "prayer is more important than other ministries." Then added to that statement that "prayer tells us about our love for God."  The preacher complained that "few people were coming to the church's prayer meetings."  

My "crap detector" started going off and I glanced around hoping that no one would notice its loud buzzing.  I would not use the words "more important" but rather that prayer should be the foundation of every ministry.  The following heavy statements about love of God followed by attendance of church meetings was a good recipe for guilt for members.  I wondered whether this pastor was assuming that because we aren't praying in the church building, that therefore we as a church (the people) are not praying?  The sacred/secular divide rears its ugly head again.  The church was being defined by what happens in the building (church gathered), not by what happens to the equipped people when they are the church scattered from Monday-Saturday.

The ministry of DML holds three one-hour prayer meetings every week, which I rarely miss.  DML leadership doesn't expect pastors, elders, or deacons from our churches to make regular appearances in our ministry meetings.  Likewise when some from the gathered church may have a workplace prayer meeting or Bible study, church leaders and staff don't usually make an appearance.  My crap detector started buzzing as the sacred/secular divide seemed to assume that unless we attended the gathered church's prayer meeting, then is it assumed that our prayer lives were deficient, or that our love for God might also be deficient?  There were no questions by the pastor about what we are doing related to prayer, just assumptions about what we are not doing.

I find that in Africa as well as North America, or maybe just around Christians in general, there is lots of guilt about prayer.  As a person well acquainted with guilt, my crap detector goes off quickly when I hear it as it is so often abused and does not invite people into a more responsive faith.  

I am a firm believer in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

This threefold structure of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks is something that helps us integrate our faith into our lives.  Some have described it as a framework of freedom, not a set of rules that restrict us, but a way of living out our faith in the context of our work and community.  

There is a time for dedicated prayer.  There are some who are called to be intercessors.  Prayer is a critical part of us being in relationship with God and listening prayer (rather than listing all my concerns) is how we hear God.  But how that looks for each person is going to be a bit different.  Let's give grace and space for those differences and ask more questions of each other to learn what that looks like in each other's workplace or home space.

I invite you again to share with me how and where your "crap detector" goes off, or how you balance your prayer life!

Reed Family Update: Engagement Parties and How to be Chopped!

This is going to be quite an exciting year for our family.  My son Noah and his fiancée, Hannah Birmingham, will be getting married on May 6, 2022.  My daughter Hannah and her fiancé, Matt Koster, will be getting married on September 10, 2022.  Four months apart, and lots of intense wedding planning, which is so much fun!

Since both of my children and their beloved having been living independently for some time, they both declared that they didn't need wedding showers, so we decided to hold engagement parties for them instead.  And as we talked about fun things to do at an engagement party, we all agreed that our family's love for cooking shows would be a fun theme.  So, on November 27, we held a "Chopped" Engagement Party for Noah and his Hannah; and on February 20, we held a "Chopped" Engagement Party for Hannah and Matt.  We had grandmothers, aunts and uncles, parents, siblings, groomsmen and bridesmaids and their significant others and more!  Both parties were really a lot of fun, so I'm sharing this with you with bunches of photos!

If you aren't familiar with the show Chopped, the idea (which we modified for our own delight) is that teams of two have to cook with mystery food ingredients, in a limited amount of time, with a variety of sabotages that can also be thrown their way.  Then judges judge the food based on taste, presentation, and the use of the mystery ingredients.  They had to cook with artichokes, plantains, tomatillos, and other fun ingredients for the entree; and for the dessert, they had to figure out how to make a tasty dessert with root beer, pomegranate, Cheetos, and other fun ingredients!

The sabotages they had to deal with included having their hands tied together (with a garter of course - it's a wedding theme!) for the whole cooking round; for one member to have to hold a bouquet in one hand for the whole cooking round; to wear "Team Bride" glasses, which have very limited vision, for the whole round, and more.  There was tension, laughter, frustration, and fun, all wrapped up in what turned out to be very successful and tasty dishes over all!  

Enjoy these pictures!  I'll put Noah's engagement party pictures first, then Hannah's engagement party pictures.  

Noah and Hannah Birmingham's party:

Those who cooked for Noah and Hannah B's party - Hannah Reed was the MC.

The bride and groom to be...and yes, Noah felt left out of festive dressing, so he is wearing the veil.  (Is he a little bit like his dad?  Absolutely!

Some of the beautiful plates of food, and the judges for Noah and Hannah's party (including the bride-to-be, and my husband Michael, who both did a great job!)

Hannah and Matt Koster's party:

Brother and sister, getting married four months apart.  Love these two!

 

Hannah and Matt opening a few kitchen presents that could be used for the Chopped party, and then would end up in their home.

The Grooms team - Matt with his groomsmen as well as his sister, who will stand up for him - cooking for Team Groom!

The bride's team - Hannah's maid of honor and bridesmaids, as well as her brother who will stand up for her - cooking for Team Bride!

Bride and groom as judges, as well as one of Hannah's bridesmaids and Matt's grandmother!  (And yes, you had to be a bit brave to eat this food, so I give her props!)

Noah and one of Hannah's bridesmaids trying to cook while tied together.  Not easy to do!

Trying to make a dessert while holding a bouquet!  Mwah ha ha ha ha!

The Team Bride sunglasses, which only has pinholes through which to see.  But the pie looks pretty good, doesn't it!

All in all, a fun time.  We have decided that we will do these types of competitions on our own as a family, as we enjoyed it so much.  But not until after the weddings!  

Bob is not far from our thoughts with all of this - his missing these upcoming events with his children and our missing his presence and input.   He has missed so much already in the last twelve years.  While the amount of time since he left us continues to grow, our missing him at these big events does not lessen.  But God is still good!

Crap Detector #1: Blessings - Passive Receiving or Active Equipping?

When I look back over my own faith journey, I'm sometimes surprised to realize that I've essentially been pastored by two men.  From birth to age 17, I attended the churches where my father was the pastor.  At age 17, I moved from Canada to Grand Rapids and started attending Madison Square Church, and Pastor David Beelen was my pastor until he retired a couple of years ago.  That is a lot of years of influence on my life and faith, especially from Pastor Dave!  

A recurring exhortation that Pastor Dave would use in his teaching was that all Christians need to fine-tune their own "crap detectors" in order to determine what was Biblical truth and what was not.  I remember chuckling over that phrase - one that my father, the other pastor in my life, would NEVER have used and definitely not from the pulpit!  What's even better is that Pastor Dave had a "crap detector" built and brought it to the pulpit on many a Sunday to press home the illustration.  His goal was to get us to not blindly accept what was taught from the pulpit or anywhere else, but to learn the word of God and bury it in our hearts.

Over the years, my crap detector has become finetuned in detecting some specific foul-smelling errors relating to my passion and my work.  My crap detector has been known to go off when I hear or read false or muddled unbiblical ideas especially around the concepts of the sacred/secular divide, the theology of work, and the purpose of our place in creation.  Others may have their crap detector attuned to different biblical issues and problems.  For my husband, Michael, for example, who has spent his adult life being an editor for New Testament studies and theology, his crap detector is very attuned toward Pauline studies and matters relating to what Paul teaches.

I pray your indulgence as I am going to spend a few blogs pointing out where my crap detector has been going off lately. I hope that in sharing these things within the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit will help us all to be attuned to God's word, keeping our "crap detectors" finely tuned for the falsehoods that so easily pose as truth.

The first alarm bell I want to sound is the way Christians misunderstand and misuse the word "blessing."  My crap detector has gone off for some time when I hear how believers use this word, but only recently has it become clearer to me why this is so. 

My crap detector has gone off when I hear Americans talk about how blessed we are to live in this country of relative safety, wealth, and opportunity.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to live in the US, especially all the more so this last week with the war between Russia and the Ukraine.  However, in my mind, I wondered when I hear such things from other believers: "Is this really a blessing?  The way in which our country has achieved our current state of prosperity and relative peace was not exactly 'Christian' in many ways.  How do we now get to say, 'Thank God for these blessings?'  

A secondary bell goes off on the old detector as well. Doesn't this level of 'blessing' that we so enjoy tend to lead to complacency, apathy, and express itself in a lack of need for God?  Are we not fast moving toward a post-Christian era in the US because of our individual, cultural, even spiritual attitude toward these "blessings?" Would not the flip side be that if this prosperity and relative peace is blessing for us, then Ukraine is not blessed?  Or there is no blessing for Nigeria, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, or other countries dealing with on-going conflict or poverty?  Intentional or not, we, as Americans, thank God and cling to these privileges received as blessings, as if they are richly deserved.

To be fair, my crap detector has also sounded when I have left American shores. It's gone off when, for example, I hear Africans praying for blessings.  Frequently enough, there has been a subtle (or less than subtle) subtext that to receive a blessing, a believer must have enough faith, or spend enough time in prayer, or plant a large enough seed, or be holy enough.  In this case, it's as if the blessing is earned.

Maybe my crap detector has become heightened to the question of "blessing" because of Bob's death.  Many missionaries talk about how blessed they have been by God in His protection; that was not something I could say after Bob's death.  Or maybe it has become sharpened through spending so much time in countries with poverty, disease, conflict, and war, so that when I hear North American Christians pray for what we enjoy and describe as "blessings," it sounds hollow and superficial. What we in the US might perceive as a lack of blessings, may be the rich fertile soil for a deeper understanding.  As New Testament believers and Christians in most of the world know from experience, even as we are going through trials, it does not mean that we are not blessed. Both Matthew 5:5-6 and James 1:12 reminds us that we are blessed when we are under trial and persecution. (Matthew 5:5-6, Message version: "You're blessed when you are at the end of your rope.  With less of you there is more of God and his rule.  You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.  Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." James 1:12 - "Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.") In this case, blessings are not an event or a material good, but it is the loving word of our Father over our lives that is revealed on our life's journey.

Blessings cannot be earned NOR are they deserved NOR are they an event.  

Blessing is an empowering or an equipping.  It is not passive receiving.

God does not ask us to do something without empowering us to do what He is asking.  His blessings are an active equipping.  In Genesis 1:28, we were blessed before we did anything, in order for us to fulfil our purpose on this earth.  We are blessed to be fruitful.  We are blessed to reign. Those blessings are for all nations, for all people, made in HIS image, flourishing in this amazing world that He has created, with resources for all to use for our own flourishing and the flourishing of others.  

We are blessed to be a blessing just like Abraham (Genesis 12:2 and Galatians 3:9).

Inherent in this is that we should be careful when we pray for a blessing.  To whom it is given, much is required.  We are to pass that blessing on to others.  We are to keep open hands before the Lord when He gives blessings.  These blessings are not ours to hold tight to and try to control.  But rather, with open hands, we give the opportunity for these blessings to be a renewable resource that can make nations great, and people flourish.

Does your crap detector go off when reading this blog?  If so, please feel free to write me at renita@dmleaders.org.  And I would also love to hear what makes your crap detector go off!

More about Rwanda

As a novice to Rwanda, I find it to be fascinating.  The genocide of 1994, which killed approximately 800,000 people (1/5th of the population!) in ten days by approximately 150,000 perpetrators(!) should have decimated the country for years to come.  There should have been backlash, acting out, PTSD, mistrust, and more for quite a period of time to come.

But after twenty years, there is quite a different testimony.  Consider this:

• Kigali is considered the cleanest city in all of Africa.
• Rwanda is considered the safest country in all of Africa.
• Per capita income has more than doubled since 2019 and is $2155; in 1990 it was $933.  There is still a lot of poverty in Rwanda, with 55% of the population still below the poverty line, and 22% in severe multidimensional poverty.
• 
  Health insurance is provided for all citizens at the low cost of $10/year.  Infant mortality and death of children under the age of five has plummeted.  Life expectancy went from 33.4 years in 1990 to 69 years in 2019.
• Public schooling is free and Rwanda boasts that 97% of children are in primary school, the highest in Africa.  Expected years of schooling in 1990 were 5.7 years; in 2019, it was 11.2 years.
• They were one of the first countries to get rid of plastic bags.
• Electricity has been brought throughout the country.
• Rwanda has the highest proportion of women in government in the world.  They now have the right to own property and keep an equal inheritance in a divorce.

Only 71 people were convicted by the UN tribunal for their role in the genocide. Most others confessed and went through the peace and reconciliation process, allowing them to process forgiveness, healing, and reintegration into society.

To discourage tribalism and identify as one nation of Rwandan people, the government introduced a new flag and new national anthem in 2001.

The World Bank measures the ease of doing business in countries around the world, and Rwanda ranks better than the US in a number of areas!  Rwanda ranks at 29 out of 190 countries for the ease of doing business; #2 for registering property, #14 for protecting minority investors, and #35 for paying taxes.  

The Bishop of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda

This work of rebuilding the nation spread also to the churches.  In 2018, 6000 churches were closed for not meeting structural and pollution regulations (in many cases, sound pollution - churches competed to be the noisiest with their services).  Many of these churches were able to reopen once they met the standards, but the message given was that churches need to be contributing to the flourishing of people, and not deceiving their congregations with misleading sermons. Pastors are now required to have a first degree in theology.  We met with the bishop of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda (pictured here), the largest evangelical denomination in the country, who had as one of his first duties to let go of 1000 pastors.  Those critical of this work were quickly silenced by being reminded that the church was complicit in the genocide.  Additionally, the church is criticized for not contributing to the flourishing of human life on earth, rather it promotes dependency and complacency.  This is in part why the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda is interested in working with Discipling Marketplace Leaders.

Lots of great things.  Lots of changes.  Lots of challenges.

It is quite fascinating to think about why and how and who.  So many countries continue to struggle with the aftereffects of various forms of devastation and the ability to move on seems illusive.  How did these changes happen?

Two key leaders in Kigali DML training

While what I know is extremely limited by only what I hear and read, I believe that President Kagame has articulated a very clear and critical message of resisting a dependency mentality, which has had an impact on how the government works (looking internally for change and development rather than externally), as well as how the average citizen works, not looking externally for assistance and development but looking internally for ways to contribute to Rwanda.  President Kagame is quoted as saying, "We have understood for a long time that you can't cure poverty without democracy.  the only cure is through business, entrepreneurship, and innovation."  Forbes goes on to say this in the same article:  "On a continent in which power tends to coagulate at the top and rarely spreads to regional and local levels, Rwanda preaches a gospel of free enterprise and private sector job creation."

In contrast to countries who proclaim that, if elected, they will bring salvation and relief from misery (promoting dependency on government) and willing to sell out to foreign donors, this is a more healthy, Godly view of people, made in the image of God with the capacity to be co-creators with Him.  This is not to say that there aren't points of criticism about the who and the how and the when, and I'm aware of those criticisms.  But the results are quite remarkable.  It makes me want to live there for a while, just to watch and learn.  I pray that there may be lasting peace, progress, and flourishing for all citizens in this country!

Leaders trained in Discipling Marketplace Leaders in Kigali

Fourth stop, Kenya (and a new tip for getting an audience's attention!) 😊

I'm sending this from home, where I arrived last night (Sunday).  So thankful to God for traveling mercies and trip mercies!

In the past 24 days, the following occurred:  

• Nine flights (total flight and airport time was 57 hours)
• 32 hours driving on the road 
• Ten different beds (which includes ten times packing, unpacking, and the favorite pastime of ironing), 
• Seven two-day foundational workshops (112 teaching hours) in seven different cities in four different countries, training 620 pastors and church leaders
• Nine COVID tests, dealing with long lines, costing a total of $390 USD per person
• Countless meetings before, after, and during the workshops with DML teams, leaders of denominations and organizations, old friends and new friends.

Praise God for the strength and ability to get through all of this, relatively smoothly!

Karibu Kenya

The last leg in this journey was in Nairobi, Kenya.  Here, we met with a new DML partner, Life Ministries Kenya, which is the Kenyan name for Campus Crusade for Christ.

CRU (as it is known in the US) is not just about campus ministry, but it also works with churches and denominations, encouraging discipleship and leadership development, as well as church planting.  The workshop in Nairobi was attended by many of the Life Ministry Kenya staff, including the National Director.  

The message of DML resonated with them and they said that the time is right for this message, especially in this season of COVID where churches have lost significant amounts of members.  One leader said, "The church has been caught with their pants down - they made the church all about the building and programs, and not about equipping the people."

Other comments made at the close of the workshop:

Everything you are saying is in the Bible - and we have this same Bible...How did we not see it? (Justice Mediator and Business Owner)

 I realize that I have been teaching everything wrong.  I have been teaching scarcity and population control.  I have learned that people are not the problem, they are God's solution.  Going forward, I will be changing how I teach.  (Economics Professor)

The leadership of God's church is shifting from the pastors and bishops to the leaders in the Marketplace.  (Pastor) 

We are excited to see what God can do through this partnership!

Tips for Commanding the Attention of an Audience

For those of you on Facebook, you may have learned of the *shocking* experience I had in Mwanza, Tanzania.  I am developing tips on how to command an audience's attention.  In Ethiopia, I fainted while teaching and was caught by my translator.  In Mwanza, I was electrocuted and saved by my translator.  All of this is a good (albeit humiliating) way to get the attention of the audience!

What happened was this:  We were just opening the workshop with welcome and introductions, following which we would show a short video.  While Pastor Anthony was doing the intro and welcome, I was making sure the video was ready to go.  We were using two projectors - one for English and one for Swahili.  I realized that the computer we were using for Swahili did not have the video on it, so I decided to switch HDMI cords to project from the English computer.  I unplugged the HDMI cord from the Swahili computer and walked over to the English computer and unplugged that HDMI cord.  As soon as I did, the current (220, not 110) started surging from one hand to the other, through my body.  I began shaking.  I tried to shake the cords off of me, but they were now stuck on my palms, attached like magnets.  I called out, "Help me!" three times, while stumbling backwards and then falling to the floor.  Pastor Anthony tried to pull the cord to get it off of me but it would not detach.  He then grabbed my arm and was able to pull one of the cords off, which ended the flow of electricity.  It took about 10-15 seconds.  So, there I sat on the floor, and looking up, saw everyone gathered around with great concern.  Yup.  Embarrassing.  

It was definitely scary for me, and I keep wondering what would have happened if I was alone - how could I have ended the flow of that current?  But God is good, and I am fine!  My doctor encouraged me to get an EKG when I could, so I was able to do that in Nairobi and was told my heart is "perfect." But I didn't touch the cords at that workshop for the rest of my time there!  

It's not unusual for things not to be grounded in various parts of Africa, and I've been shocked many, many times.  But never for a sustained period like this!

For more tips on commanding an audience, especially if you are willing to be embarrassed, stay tuned!  

The training in Nairobi, with the majority of participants from Life Ministries Kenya and the Africa Community Fellowship Churches.

View of Lake Victoria from Mwanza, Tanzania

Third stop, Tanzania

I am writing to you from Mwanza, on the north side of Tanzania, on Lake Victoria.  It was quite a road trip to get here! After arriving in Dar es Salaam (the economic capital) on Wednesday, we took a 12 hour (500 km) road trip on Thursday (had anticipated it would be a six hour road trip) to Dodoma (the political capital).  There we had a two day foundational workshop on Friday and Saturday, and then drove 12 hours to Mwanza (700 km).  Flying had been suggested but with four of us, this seemed more economical.  

But the fact that it is a beautiful country, and I was with delightful company, made the trip enjoyable.  I was with Pastor James Kamau, Pastor Anthony Kayombo, and Dr. Walker (pictured below), and with the four of us over 24 hours, we shared, debated, laughed, sang, and prayed.  The car did break down about seven hours in to our trip to Mwanza (pictured below) - and I happened to be driving at the time :( - but after about an hour, it started again (and I was the one who happened to turn the key when it started, which made me feel better!).

One of the reasons for the longer drive to Dodoma was a stop made on the way to a Masai village, deep in the bush.  There were actually no roads to this village and we drove on a pathway.  This village is one that our DML team has been reaching out to and visiting regularly for the past year.  There is no church in the area, and during the recent drought (which I shared about this past December), they lost many cows.  For the Masai, cows are life.  Because of the sustainability projects that we have been able to do through our partners and with your generous support, we were able to give thirteen cows to four different Masai men in this village.  This opened the door to have conversations with them, as they were astounded that cows would be given as gifts, with no strings attached.  Over time, the team was able to show the Jesus film in the village, and a number of men and women from this village have given their lives to Christ.  A number of people from this village are still viewing this team with great suspicion, but many came to greet us and they allowed us to take a picture with them.  It was a great privilege to be a guest in that place.

The workshop in Dodoma went well, and there seems to be a good group that is growing in their capacity to be leaders and trainers in DML going forward.

It is DML's first time in Mwanza so we shall see how it goes here!

On Wednesday, we fly to Kenya, which will be the last leg in this journey.

Thank you for your prayers!

Participants in Dodoma, held in a Free Pentecostal Church.

Pastor James Kamau, me, Dr. Walker, and Pastor Anthony, enjoying a quick stretch after seven hours of driving.

But shortly after that, the car broke down.  Here Dr. Walker pretends to fix it while Pastor Anthony can't help but laugh.

But we had a beautiful view and after just over an hour of waiting, the car started again and we made it safely to Mwanza.

Second stop, Rwanda.

Greetings from Rwanda!  This is my first time in this beautiful country! 

Many years ago (2001), my late husband Bob visited Rwanda as he was feeling a call to Africa and there was a position opening that would be a good fit for him.  It was the first African country that he had visited and I was unable to accompany him (I was not yet feeling the call!).  He came away from that trip feeling that living in Rwanda would be very difficult, especially because of the language challenges (French).  Since then, Rwanda has changed to have the official language be English, and under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has made amazing progress economically!  According to the World Bank, which assesses each country on the "ease of doing business," Rwanda is doing better than the US in a number of areas (taxes, registering property, and protection of minority investors)!  This is quite a contrast to their neighbor, Burundi.  The per capita income in Rwanda is $2100, whereas in Burundi it is $780. 

Both Rwanda and Burundi are amazingly beautiful countries, with rolling hills and mountains.

We are here at the invitation of one of our partners, Global Advance, who adopted DML as one of their key ministries a couple of years ago.  Last August, their Rwandan leader, joined us for a workshop in Tanzania and became convinced that DML was the way forward for the church in Rwanda.  Bosco is a business man as well as a leader of a nonprofit that is helping with poverty alleviation in Rwanda.  Bosco is not a man who sits still, and as I write, I am quarantining in what Bosco describes as a "DML hotel."

We are excited to be here.  I think if there is any world leader that I would be interested in interviewing, it would be President Kagame.  What he has done in his 20 years as president is quite remarkable, especially giving the genocide that happened just before he assumed power.  Yesterday as we drove in from the airport, his entourage drove by and I wanted to stop it and meet him, but was advised that it might not be the best approach!  (Kidding, of course!)

View from hotel in Kigali

During our time in Burundi, we were amazed that there were leaders present from 15 of the 18 provinces, with a total of 434 pastors and church leaders, from many denominations.  The response was very positive and Burundi as a whole seems to recognize both the problem and the opportunity in understanding that work is to be done as an act of worship.  The DML team in Burundi did an amazing job in organizing the events, and we have heard that the government has been discussing DML as they have been frustrated that the church has been focused on salvation only and not on the flourishing of people while on earth.

Below are some pictures of our three workshops, from Bujumbura, to Ngozi, to Gitega. On Wednesday, we fly to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and then will drive to Dodoma (the capital) to do a workshop, then on to Mwanza.  Please continue to pray that the right people may be in attendance and that the Holy Spirit may go before to open the hearts of those who hear this forgotten message of Genesis 1 and 2!

Bujumbura training

Ngozi training

Gitega training

First stop, Burundi

View from the road

We thank God for our safe arrival in Burundi.  The trip included an overnight in Nairobi, and then a drive from Bujumbura to Ngozi (about a 2.5-hour drive on a very curvy road, uphill most of the way, with numerous blind spots and lots of people and bikes on the road).   To boot, our car has the steering wheel on the right, even though they drive on the right side of the road.  All that to say, when we say we are thankful for safe arrival, we really mean it!

On Sunday, I was blessed to lead the commissioning service at a Baptist Church in Ngozi for 25 Marketplace Ministers who had just completed their training.  Dr. Walker led a commissioning service in Gitega which commissioned 28 new Marketplace Ministers.  What a privilege to commission people to be ministers in the Marketplace, doing their work as an act of worship, with integrity and excellence!  And what a blessing to hear the congregation say that they will support, pray for, and encourage them in their various parishes, stretching their hands toward them in blessing.

I was also able to give the message on our call of working every day to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  I talked about how God's work brought order, beauty, provision, joy, and potential to creation, and how we do the same thing in our work.  But I got a lot of laughs when I pointed out that the corn that I had eaten for breakfast that morning gave me the energy to be able to preach right now!  And I thanked those in the congregation who grow maize, as it might have been from them!  The resources that God has given us in creation, and how we interact with them, give potential for many things and great flourishing!

Monday and Tuesday we will have our foundational workshop in Ngozi for about 150 pastors and church leaders.  Then we will drive to Gitega, where we will do the same workshop for about the same number of people.  Then we will drive to Bujumbura, where we will do it again!  Right after Saturday's workshop, we will fly to Rwanda, where we will have to quarantine for a short time, before beginning a training in Kigali.

I'll let pictures tell the rest of the story.  Thank your prayers, and please keep praying!

A Burundian government official praising the church for doing DML to help the people.  We have been told that the Burundian government has been critical of the church for only caring about people's salvation and not life on earth.  This government official is going to write the cabinet about the work of DML in the churches.

 

View from the back seat. Tight corner up ahead!

Abundant farming in Burundi!

The church in Gitega with their Marketplace Ministers.

These two men plus one more went through the TOT in Burundi last August and have now been going throughout the district with the Friends (Quakers) church to bring the message of DML.  The executives of the Friends Church will be in our training this week.

Gotta have the picture of the cute kid on the worship team!

Jesus - More Questions than Answers

I received an email reflection recently that talked about how Jesus is recorded as asking 307 questions in the Gospels.  In contrast, He directly answers only three of the 183 questions that He was asked.  Just three.  

Jesus asked questions that could be easily answered, as well as questions with no obvious answer.  He often answered questions with more questions, either to make a point, expose deception, or get people thinking.  

This, from the Son of God.  The One with all the answers.  He doesn't rush to teach, to explain, to solve, to inform.  He doesn't teach all that He could with every question asked of Him.  His approach is RADICALLY different.  

It made me pause and wonder why.  I know that asking questions is a good approach to learning about people, but Jesus already knew their heart.  Asking questions is a good approach to get people thinking, and certainly that happened.  Asking questions is a good way to prompt conversation, and that happened as well.  But was that necessary 307 times?  Isn't that a bit extreme in approach?

The author then said that Jesus uses questions to "confer dignity on people."  Ah.  Now that makes sense. Jesus saw the people around Him not just as a people in need, but people made in the image of God.  He desired for them to understand their capacity and potential.  He didn't want a dependent people but a people with a deep knowledge of God and in that deep knowledge, an understanding of their own place in joining with God to be part of the solution.

So often I feel compelled to give answers.  Sometimes I give answers when there hasn't been a question!  And I know how I feel when someone "mansplains" something to me - I feel belittled and patronized.  When this happens - either with me "mansplaining" or someone else doing that to me, the truth is that I end up being deaf to what is really going on around me.  

Jesus only answered three questions.

In his book, Jesus Asked, author Conrad Gempf refers to Mark 13, which is the chapter in which the disciples are asking Jesus about the end times.  Their question is, "When will this happen and what will be the signs?"  In typical fashion, Jesus does not answer their question, but rather tells them how to look, referencing the fig tree.  Then, in verse 32, Jesus admits that He doesn't know the answer to the question.  In this, we see that Jesus had given up omniscience as well as omnipresence in becoming man.  But it is not a sin not to know something.  Not for Jesus.  And not for us.

How difficult to tame the tongue!  How difficult to ask questions or admit that we don't know.  

I don't want to be deaf to what is going on around me.  I want to ask questions and learn to listen and grow from everyone nearby - not just the sages and wise teachers.  From adults, and teens, and children.  Especially about their frontline - where they spend most of their time: What is the culture of your frontline?  What are the values that shape it?  Who are the heroes?  What do you like and dislike? How can it become more Kingdom like?

I want to practice starting conversations with, "I wanna ask you something..."  What an invitation to listen and learn.  

I want to be more like Jesus.

On Thursday, I leave for East Africa, where we will be doing workshops in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya.  We have a very tight schedule of back-to-back workshops and travel, so please pray that all travel may go smoothly, especially in light of COVID.  Thank you!

Accountable for the Risks NOT Taken

If you have spent any time around Rev. Dr. Johnson Asare from Northern Ghana, you will have heard him say that it is "risky not to take risks."  This is a man who has taken many risks in his life, as a businessman, a pastor, a Muslim-turned-Christian, and a community leader.  He knows what he is talking about.  While others have said something similar to this, hearing him say it has stuck with me because of his testimony, and I find myself repeating that phrase from time to time.

Especially in the beginning of a new year with lots of planning to be done.

I was recently reminded of that line relating to the parable of the talents as told by Jesus in Matthew 25, where the master leaves and gives three servants three different amounts of gold according to their abilities.  As you probably know, the one with five bags of gold puts it to work and earns five more; the one with two bags of gold puts it to work and earns two more, but the one given one bag just buries it.  He doesn't spend it, doesn't waste it, but neither does he invest it or increase it.  The master is pleased with the first two, but not at all with the last one, to put it mildly.

This parable reminds us that it is a sin to squander what God has given us.  He has given us three main resources:  time, treasure, and talent, and all three work together for the flourishing of the world, for the flourishing of ourselves, and for the glory of God.  This parable reminds us that we are not to wrap or bind up those opportunities and bury them for fear of losing them through risky ventures or doing things "incorrectly."  

I see this over and over in my work.  Doing business is risky and I have watched many people take those risks.  Unfortunately, many businesses do fail, but there is much to be learned in those failures.  But we take risks in more than business:  being in relationships is also risky, as is being in a church, accepting a new job, or investing yourself in your community.  Living involves risk.  It is an investment of ourselves to people, places, and things.

We are accountable for the investment of our lives.  We are responsible to God, to ourselves, and to each other.  

We may sympathize with the person who received one talent, but we must always remember that the source of that conservatism, as author R. Paul Stevens says, was his "inadequate view of God."

Think about that.  The servant with one bag only saw his master as someone who was "a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not sown seed."  Because of that perspective, he "was afraid and hid the gold in the ground."  

I have heard people describe God in this same way. They might say, "I didn't ask to be born and now I have to work for him?  And if I don't, hell for eternity?"

But this is based on an inadequate view of God.  He has given each person unique combinations of time, treasure, and talent.  And has crafted us in a way that when we use these resources with integrity and love, it is a win-win-win.  And when we don't use them with integrity, when we confess, He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

As I head into this new year, I wonder what risks I will take with my time, treasure, and talent.  I wonder which ones I will cower at, which ones I will embrace, and which ones I will bury.  I'd like to think I will embrace them all, but I know myself better than that!  

But my heart's desire is to embrace them and to remember that I am accountable not just for the risks I take but also for the risks I don't take.  Playing it safe doesn't work when following a call from God to join Him in the work of helping this world flourish.  

We serve a God who wants us to take risks and we are accountable for the risks that we take AND the risks we do not take.  

As you enter 2022, I hope you join us in taking risks for the glory of God!