If you only learn stuff you already know, meetings are boring. Since you already knew what was taught, and you are doing your best, how are you going to change? By trying harder? Jesus understood this. He taught people different ways to behave and to think about things. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for …
I often have dreams that have a bizarre twist at the end. I’m catching on that God is messing with my categories to get my attention. Here is a dream I had a couple of weeks ago that I never thought I’d share. Aug 22 – dream – I was in a church service setting. …
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Timoteo, Nilma, Deanna, and Rick. Timoteo and Nilma are the pastors of the Vineyard Church in Brasil, Novo. “This is the best bread in town… this the best cheese in town… this is the best butter in town.” Timoteo and Nilma pulled out all the stops, and we ate a delicious breakfast together, eating the …
Question Paternalism is a big word in some missionary or cross-cultural church work circles. As I understand it, the idea is that paternalism is not a good thing because it has to do with power over. We are interested in mutual dignity and respect, being peers. Question: How do we know when paternalism is gone? What …
The credit card donation link working again! Click here.This week, Steve Dolan worked with our team at Xtreme Mercy to help us. Thank you Steve, Dan, Roxy, Matt, and everyone who helped with this!There are several ways to support us, including by credit card through Xtreme Mercy Canada (XMC) and, for Americans, through International Christian Mission Services …
Deanna is an honorary grandma to some of the neighborhood children. This week was Isas’ 5th birthday. Powered by WPeMatico
Dave and Colleen Pedersen are pastors in Elizabethton, South Africa, national directors for the Association of South African Vineyards, and the leaders of the Global Mission Team. Dave’s leadership style is inclusive and collaborative, and I feel extremely grateful that he is leading this team. We LOVED these meetings! Each day was excellent, even when …
Just as the Amazon contains many of the largest rivers in the world, the Himalayan mountain range contains many of the highest mountains in the world. The Himalayan foothills are dotted with villages. While the ones in these photos I took from the airplane have roads, many villages are only accessible by trekking along narrow …
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful (Col. 3:14-15). This morning a new friend explained to me, “We have to thank people. We cannot just thank God in our hearts or …