Hunger Knows No Religion

A few stats from a recent article: the price of food has risen 60% in the past 18 months. The average person uses 45% of their daily wages on food. A majority of people in this country spend 80% of their income on food (the “average” is lower because of the vast wealth of the rich in this nation). The point of the article is that there are people of every religion starving in this country.

12-Year-Old Tortured By Husband

Yes, this is one of those stories that makes me so happy to be Canadian. The article was about the plight of a 12 year old girl who at the age of 5 had been sold to a man to be his wife. Her family received $1200 for her. However, when the girl was 11 her family went to court and was given custody as she had been too young to be legally married. She was then promptly sold to another man to be his wife for $1800. Now at the age of 12 she has been sent back to her parents’ custody because her second husband was a drug addict who beat her and kept her in a locked room. One can only imagine that her suffering will continue when the girl’s parents find her a third husband. This is a harsh reality. In North America we like to say there are no good sinners anymore. By implication we tend to think missionaries have it easy, that in countries like this one people are just lining up to hear the gospel. I admit we have many open doors before us, but do not be fooled. People all over the world are in desperate need of Jesus and the reason people here come to hear about Him is not because it is an easy country to reach souls, the reason so many come to our meetings is because for so many there is no hope other then Jesus. People reach out to God with desperation because they are desperate. Please don’t think it is all “fun and games” on the field, we are in this nation to help people… and they need what we have. But so do the people living next door to you. They sure don’t have the type of problems the young girl in this article has, but they have problems, and they need Jesus just as much. We are overseas reaching hurting people, but there are people we love back home who need you to reach out to them. Why don’t you be a missionary in your community… people need Jesus and you know Him! 

(Locals) Eating Dead Chicken

This headline lead the City section of a local paper recently. In this country the people live by a strict dietary law similar to Jewish people being “kosher”. The article was pointing out that many butchers were receiving truck loads of chickens and that some of the birds died on route. Under the dietary laws these birds would be unclean and could not be sold. However, the reporter found out that some of these birds were being sold to customers. That is the real story. 

However, if you did not know the background, the article was mainly a tirade about how upsetting it is that butchers would sell DEAD chickens. I laughed so hard reading the article. The article really made it sound like you should only eat a chicken while it is still alive. I said to Amanda, “Everywhere else in the world it would be news if the people of the city were eating live chickens, but here they are angry that people are eating dead chickens!”

Monthly Newsletter

Now that we are back on the field we are publishing a monthly newsletter highlighting the events of the previous month. We send this out via e-mail and if you are not receiving a copy, but would like to, please let us know. You can get in touch with me by adding a comment to this message. In the comment simply provide your e-mail address. All comments are filtered through me and your address will not appear on our site, only I will have access to your address.

All The News That’s Fit To Print (?)

One of the things that I like to do everyday is sit down with a Newspaper and get connected with the world. Sometimes it seems like we are so separated from the world that it is important for us to connect anyway we can. The other reason I read the paper is for the fun of it. English is not the primary or secondary language here, so the language used is often comical. Of course there are also times that the news makes me so thankful to be Canadian. Over our time on foreign soil I will be sharing some of these news stories with you in a category called “All The News That’s Fit To Print (?)”. I hope you enjoy these insights. 

Change of Weather

Since we have arrived overseas the average temperature has been in the low 40’s (around 107 F). Yesterday, in the middle of another scorching day, the storm clouds rolled in and we had a huge hailstorm that brought 34 inches of hail and rain. The temperature has changed instantly and now the daytime high is in the high 20’s (84 F). It is amazing how much a storm can change things. It reminds me of that song that speaks of Satan’s temptations to us and says, “If you only knew, what I was going to be, after the storm, you would not have bothered me!” We are shaped by the trials we face. They mold us and, if we let God work on us through the trials, they will make us better. I know I am enjoying the affects of yesterday’s storm in our city, but I am also enjoying the power I enjoy in Christ because of the storms I’ve faced in my walk with God. Thank God for the storms that bring positive change. Unfortunately, the change in weather will only last a day (forecasted highs for the rest of the week are all well above 100 F)  but the lessons we learn in life’s storms can make a lasting change. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” 

We Are Okay

I’m sure everyone has heard the news of the massive tragedy that hit here on Saturday. I just want to let you all know that we are okay, it seems none of our churches or their people were effected though a friend of ours had visited the area earlier in the day and is obviously shaken by the experience. Please continue to pray for us and do so knowing that your prayers can help us all stay safe at times just like this.

The Plight of the Working Man

Today I was reminded of just how hard things can be for local families in this country. Our driver introduced us to a man who is an agent of the national equivalent of the CIA.  He is a full time law enforcement agent. However, in order to pay his rent and feed his family, he is now also working part time as a gardener. It is difficult to fathom that a man working full time in a government position would be struggling to meet his monthly requirements. We aren’t talking about a mortgage on a $200,000 house with a pool, we are talking about a three room rental at a cost of $70 per month! Wages here have remained fairly stagnant but in the last two weeks the price of electronics has increased 30-60 percent, the price of petrol just jumped 10 percent, the price of electricity just rose 30 percent and average food costs have risen sharply: all in the last 15 days! Even with gas approaching $1.50 a liter in Canada I think we should all take a minute and remember how truly blessed we are.

A New Plan for the Home Missions Division

I am thankful for the organization I belong to, but I have to say that the North American church has no where near the creativity that is evident in the foreign church. I have just scheduled a service with one of our home missionaries here. He explained to me that they are opening up a church building later this year and he wanted to tell me the way he was paying for the building. 

Forget “Church in a Day”, this guy went for the “Church in 2 Years” approach. He started by asking his congregation to give sacrificially a one time building fund pledge. From that money he was able to buy a buffalo calf and one year of feed. Yes, you read that right. He took up a special offering and bought a BUFFALO! 

For a year he raised that buffalo and sold it for a big profit. He made enough money that he was able to buy two buffalo calves! So after two years of raising bufflao, feeding them, taking care of them, cleaning after them (I’m sure it takes more then a sandwich baggie to clean up after a pair of buffalo!), he sold the cattle and had enough money to buy a small piece of land. 

Now his plan is to dismantle his house and use the bricks to build a church building (which he will live in until the Lord provides another home). I don’t know about you, but I was fired up to meet this pastor. Anyone with that kind of dedication earns my respect. I doubt any of our city missionaries would do this sort of thing, but remember, I am living in a city of 8.5 million people, it’s not like he did this on a 50 acre farm. I’m believing the Lord is going to honor his sacrifice, do you believe that? If so, pray for the Christian workers in this nation, there are many men making these kinds of sacrifices every day so that people can hear the gospel!

God’s School

Ever have a day where you just know God is trying to teach you something? I think today’s lesson for me is patience. I can’t think of any other reason for today’s happenings. I just got home from sending a fax. The fax took 89 seconds to send. The hotel I sent it from is five kilometers away from my house. The trip took me over 3 and a half hours! For no apparent reason, traffic is CRAZY today. Of course it is always crazy, but today it is CRAZY!