Nolan Dean and I are in Bartlesville, Oklahoma meeting with Voice of the Martyrs leadership. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a non-profit, inter-denominational organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. Their mission is to serve the persecuted church through practical and spiritual assistance, while leading Christians in the free world into fellowship with them.
With VOM leadership, we are discussing how we can work together to promote and distribute the Malatya film. VOM is really excited about the Malatya film release on April 18, 2009 all over the world as well as here in Austin. Check back here or at www.malatyafilm.com for updates on the release of the film.
Tonight, we had very stimulating conversation about the following topics over dinner:
- How persecution challenges, sharpens, and builds the church
- How persecution of Christians tends to bring out the core agendas and motivations of so-called Christians
- The place of government advocacy on other countries for religious freedom
- The role of the local church in meeting their own needs and the role of the international church in meeting local needs
- How western missions has influenced the church in the global South
- How financial resources can be a blessing or a curse to the persecuted church
Tomorrow, I’m recording an interview on the VOM podcast about the Malatya film. I’ll update tomorrow night on details on how VOM and The Austin Stone will be working together to [KEEP READING]
Today I saw each and every member of this team exemplify this, in so many different ways. The most apparent way we did this was in our manual labor. The cinderblocks came today, with which we will start building the wall around Marakios. 1100 cinderblocks, each weighing 17-20 pounds, had to be taken to the back of the school and stacked so that the other workers could begin constructing the wall. As blocks were taken one (sometimes two) at a time by each team member, was like having God’s will literally put together one piece at a time. This was a wonderful sight, and despite our physical fatigue and exertion, the more we worked the more it felt as if God Himself was truly working through our bodies, as it should always be.
I also witnessed our team be our Savior’s hands and feet as we interacted with neighborhood and school children while working on our building project. The team members communicated and loved on these children at every chance possible. The fact that they were full of such splendid smiles and untainted joy made our tasks of emulating Christ’s love to them that much easier. It was such a sweet sight to see Dominican children coming up to our worksite and working alongside our team members-it was as if I could see the spirit of the Lord allowing us to look past complexion and culture and embrace compassion and community. It was amazing to see children whom we came to serve having the generosity to serve us by helping shovel dirt, cut grass, and [KEEP READING]
We had an early morning today making sure everything was ready for the kids to start school. It's so fun to watch the excited preschoolers all dressed in their uniforms, ready to learn in the classrooms. Teachers at the Makarios School are fantastic. I am so thankful that the Lord has placed such wonderful and talented people here that really encourage the children.
The day was strenuous and filled with manual labor, but God gave us the focus to do the work well for Him. Once we did that He gave us an incredible joy to continue doing whatever was placed in front of us. We really enjoyed the time spent with each other and our conversations while working.
The girls spent the day outside learning how to machete a field full of weeds and grass, and tilling the ground with a pick axe. Not once during the day did I hear complaining, boasting or grumbling; all of the girls are so incredible to be around. Francesco, a local worker that Makarios hired, accompanied the girls with their work and kept saying "Ay-yi-yi" while shaking his head and laughing because we weren't doing it "right." Many girls were able to communicate in Spanish with Francesco; we have all formed a great relationship with and look forward to the rest of the week with him.
The guys worked hard shoveling and hauling huge piles of dirt and rocks in order to dig a trench. It was a long and laborious process that will continue tomorrow. Ronal, a local teenager from the Chichigua, is working with [KEEP READING]
The last 48 hours have been a nonstop whirlwind, but it has also been great! Our team gathered together yesterday (Friday) afternoon to finish up some last minute details for the trip. We first ran to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies and gifts for the Makarios staff, along with some craft supplies and sports equipment for the children. We also went over what our trip will look like and spent some time covering our trip in prayer. Scott encouraged the team with a reading from Isaiah 6 and focusing us on the worship of God in mission.
After a 6-hour break, we reconvened at the church offices to finish up some last minute packing and headed off to a group breakfast at 2am at Kerbey Lane. Tepera Holman, Brad Terry, Aaron Hayslip, and his friend Drew, gave sacrificially to serve our group by driving us to breakfast and to the airport. Check-in and security went very smoothly and all of our bags, boxes, and crates made it safely to our destination. Our flight left at 5:30am to Atlanta where we had a little more than an hour layover until we headed to Puerta Plata.
We all went through customs easily with no troubles and were greeted by our "houseparents" at the airport, Garrett and Anne Boone. We were able to see a little bit of the incredibly beautiful island and neighborhoods while driving in our packed vans. After a few hours of rest and dinner, we went through an orientation time with Garrett and Anne to acquaint us with the new culture and life here in the DR. There are [KEEP READING]