Bergen

Wasn’t it cruel of God?

A friend’s hard question, a Nazi prison wall, and Psalm 46.<!– If God Knew There Would Be Suffering… Psalm 46, a prison wall in Belgium, and the God of Jacob Read Time: 7 minutes View this email in your browser Wild parrots play in front of the trees at Steve and Elba’s house in Belém while … Wasn’t it cruel of God?

Eyes Open, Full of Hope

A week of emergency training, John 7, and the King of Psalm 45<!– Eyes Open, Full of Hope Emergency training, John 7, and the King of Psalm 45 Read Time: 6 minutes View this email in your browser This week Deanna and I left our favorite place, with grandchildren, to participate in a week of crisis … Eyes Open, Full of Hope

The Table and the Tabernacle

Empty stone cathedrals, crowded community tables, and Psalm 44<!– The Table and the Tabernacle Empty stone cathedrals, crowded community tables, and Psalm 44 Read Time: 8 minutes View this email in your browser Here are our team and our host families in Belgium. The leadership teams of all three churches we ministered at in Europe invited us … The Table and the Tabernacle

Three Ways to Wait

Psalms 42–43 and the hard work of waiting for God<!– Three Ways to Wait Psalms 42–43 and the hard work of waiting for God Read Time: 7 minutes View this email in your browser All the people at this table are intentional about helping people in Portugal experience God through community and church planting. Fourteen Years One … Three Ways to Wait

The Life Jacket in Psalm 42

Psalm 42 is a prayer for that in-between place, when help is coming but hasn’t reached you yet.<!– The Life Jacket in Psalm 42 A prayer for the moment the wave hits, and how to put it on. Read Time: 7 minutes View this email in your browser Portugal, March 2026. “Wait for God, for I will … The Life Jacket in Psalm 42

The Couples Who Never Argued

When we learned that quiet isn’t always peace.<!– The Courage to Stay in the Room Psalm 41, a betrayal at the table, and how to love people who aren’t loving you Read Time: 7 minutes View this email in your browser Altamira, 1997. We were young missionaries, new to almost everything, learning right alongside the people we … The Couples Who Never Argued

Leading From the Fringe

What if losing your place at the centre does not mean losing your influence?<!– Leading from the Fringe What if losing your place at the centre does not mean losing your influence? Read Time: 8 minutes View this email in your browser Wee Margaret has accomplished absolutely nothing—and already her presence matters enormously. What Does Not-Lonely Look … Leading From the Fringe

Too Close to the Line

Two dreams, one unsettling psalm, and a question about the blind spots we cannot see for ourselves.<!– Too Close to the Line Two dreams, one unsettling psalm, and a question about the blind spots we cannot see for ourselves. Read Time: 6 minutes View this email in your browser Our lives are brief enough that the direction … Too Close to the Line

The Power of Remembering

Psalm 38, the people around us, and the mercy that teaches us to see<!– The Power of Remembering Psalm 38, the people around us, and the mercy that teaches us to see Read Time: 8 minutes View this email in your browser Our early Marabá church plant gathered under a mango tree—until the heavy rains drove us … The Power of Remembering

The Underdog’s Edge

The strange joy of obeying when the outcome is already in God’s hands.<!– The Underdog’s Edge The strange joy of obeying when the outcome is already in God’s hands. Read Time: 5 minutes View this email in your browser When I see a wasp nest in our lemon tree in Brazil, I know I have an interesting job … The Underdog’s Edge