As I read the news of Zimbabwe today - political leaders' wives and children being burned alive - there is a growing fear that June 27 will be very bloody.  I can't help but feel a sense of guilt and sorrow for my new friends that we left behind in the midst of all that violence.  In my posts about Zimbabwe I will refrain from using any names and the photos will not contain any adults due to the possibility that Mugabe's people might be scanning the web for targets of the tyrannical rule.   

Chris Kirby and I stayed with a great family.  We received the most precious hospitality from people who literally have nothing.  Nothing but hope.  in conversations with the youngest son he kept on saying that his people have hope.  I can testify to the truth of that statement for wherever we went we saw people who were trusting that God would deliver their nation from the rule of Mugabe.  People would show up early to church services and just begin singing, sometimes in the dark.  It is very humbling to think that your presence is the answer to someone's prayer.  But that is exactly what our ministry in Zimbabwe had been for two weeks.  More than us praying that God would shape us there was an elderly woman praying that God would send her some relief from the pain caused by years of hard labor and hard living, there were children praying for their stomachs to feel better, there were children crying out for someone to love them.  It is very humbling knowing that God uses us to answer other peoples' prayers even when we are not a very good answer to the prayer.  For me this has made me want to ready myself to be a better answer next time.  

Once you meet the people of another country and experience their generosity and kindness it is almost impossible to imagine the evil and violence that their neighbors are bringing to them.  My prayer is not so much that one party would win over the other, though that is definitely a concern, but it is rather that the church would stand as a light in the darkness and be a refuge for the bleeding, a beacon screaming out into the abyss that their is another way.  It breaks my heart to think of any of my brothers or sisters in Christ having to wrestle with the decision to kill or be killed, to take up arms in a civil war.  It has made me wrestle with my own pacifism.  Will I be one who will stand with them?  How?  

Lord let us not stand by while your children suffer. 

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What a crazy three weeks!  My apologies for the blank post 'Hello From Zimbabwe'.  I found an internet cafe in the airport in Harare, but it was so slow the only information that posted was the title.  I am sitting in the Best Western in Maggie Valley NC feeding Pax.  It feels like he has grown up so much while I was in Zimbabwe - he is smiling all the time and kicking his little lion that hangs from his play dome.  It is good to just hold him.  

We have been to our Annual Conference this week.  It has been good to see folks I haven't seen in a while, hear Bishop Swanson preach, and catch up on some reading during the really boring sessions.  

I will be posting some pictures and stories from Zimbabwe and Conference soon.   Stay tuned. 

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Posted In: zimbabwe missions

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it is 2am and I have just wrapped up my packing for the trip.  We meet at Tyson-Mcghee at 11am - 9 hours to go.  I have to be honest, I am kinda nervous.  Brazil was kinda like America, except everyone spoke Portuguese.  Zimbabwe on the other hand will be completely different culturally, politically, economically...  We packed alot of vitamins and antibiotics to take with us.  I have never seen so many children's vitamins!  One of the ladies from Fairview dropped by a few thousand antibiotics yesterday.  These pills could literally save hundreds of lives.

We have an 18 hour plane ride to Harare (not including layovers).  I am hoping to get a lot of reading done.  I just found an awesome writer named Margaret Feinberg.  She is an 'expert' in Twentysomethings and has a book by that name.  Great writer.  I am finishing up one of her books entitled, The Organic God.  She talks about how our relationship with God doesn't need anything added to it or taken out of it to make it any sweeter, or look any better than it already is.  We just need a pure, unadulterated, relationship with our Creator.  I am also determined to beat one of the Sudoku puzzles in the airline magazine.  I finished one on our Brazil trip, but it took me a good 2 hours.  I am bent on beating these things... pray for my sanity.  Also, I have always heard that sitting for long periods of time on flights can increase your risk of a blood clot.  Besides getting a kidney stone, this is one of my biggest fears.  

I found out yesterday that I may be able to go with one of team mates to meet her sponsor child that lives about 180 miles out of Harare.  I am totally pumped about this.  She sponsors her child through World Vision so we will get to ride out there with the World Vision crew and see what they do.  Since we sponsor a child in Rwanda, I am really looking forward to seeing the impact this has on a family.  

I am not looking forward to being away from my own family for two weeks though.  Please pray that God stunts Pax's growth for the next two weeks and he doesn't do anything really cool until I get home and then he just lets it all out.  Seriously though, knowing how much I missed Sarah and Morgan when we went to Brazil keeps my heart here.   

There continues to be political violence in the more rural areas.  That is why we have changed our plans so that we will be in the city more.  Please pray for our safety, and more importantly our effectiveness and boldness in sharing the love of Christ in word and deed.  

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Despite all parties having written a plea to their supporters to withhold violence if a dispute in the election occurs, Zimbabweans are experiencing torture, harassment, and worse from Zanu PF soldiers who are cracking down on MDC supporters. And as things get worse there is a ship trying to port on the continent so as to deliver 77 tons of weapons to Zimbabwe.  Luckily South Africa would not unload the ship and it is now headed for Mozambique where it hopes so find leniency.  The shipment is from China who has reportedly had a trade agreement with Zimbabwe for some time in return for the rights to various mines in the country.  This may all sound normal if the shipment wasn't ordered merely 3 days after the close of the election.

Many people are already fleeing the countryside where Mugabe's men are known to target and finding sanctuary in the larger cities.  Harare has become a refuge for thousands while Mutare has Chinese troops openly patrolling with other Zanu PF. 

For up-to-date information visit http://www.zwnews.com/

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What an incredible two weeks.  The best part - seeing Sarah and Morgan in the Tyson McGhee Airport on Day 14!   I have come back with alot of memories and relationships.  Brazil now has a place in my heart.  It has changed my life and I hope to return one day and see the faithful people of Rio.  The intentions for this trip were for our intern team to see what the Methodist church is doing in Rio, but God had additional plans.  We did see alot of what the church is doing, but he spoke to many on this trip in a unique way.  I believe we are all coming back with a renewed vision for the church in America. I believe we were all struck with the passion of the Brazilian people and desire to see that in the church in America.  

However, while the Rio methodist church is rapidly growing (8,000 - 95,000 in 20 years) there is still a tension between a near pentecostal movement and social action.  Ideally the two would go hand in hand.  Sadly, however, many times one side is neglected.  We visited three orphanages in the greater Rio area.  One of the homes was in serious need of repair, but was not receiving the attention it needed.  I reminded the church in Itaipu that all the spiritual gifts are in vain if we do not have the selfless love demonstrated to us on the cross.   Thankfully though there are many churches that are seeking to bring justice to all God's children.  The church in Itaipu is one such church.  They minister to the poor in the falvellas by bringing them medicine and health care and also bringing the kids to the church where they usually have a meal before the children's programs.  The pastor, Delson (pictured with me above in front of their new church building), is a true servant leader.  I went to the store with him after their morning service and he knew nearly everyone there. I jokingly suggested in bad Portuguese that he was a celebrity, but he was quick to correct me and say he was merely a servant.  

A special thanks to all those churches and pastors that hosted us, to Tiago and Cynthia at IMFORM, to Rosanne our interpreter, to pastor Delson in Itaipu, to Wilson our guide, and the many others that opened your hearts and doors to us.  Your hospitality and faithfulness helped change our lives.   

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I am writing from an interenet cafe in Petropolis Brazil - as best I can figure it means Rock City in Portuguese.  So we did `See Rock City`, but in Brazil!  Or... is it where the Brazilian Superman is from??

The plane ride down was long and I only spilled coffee on myself once so that wasn`t too bad.  I just looked like a complete idiot walking around with my camera and a big brown spot on the front of my pants in the Rio airport.  I also accidentally walked into a women´s restroom at a rest stop.  I again had my camera with me - not a good combination.

The retreat center we have been staying at has been very hospitable.  They have an all you can eat buffet!  We are really suffering for Christ down here.  The classes we have been attending have been incredible.  We met with a pastor who has been planting churches in the Rio district of the UMC.  In the past 20 years the Rio district has grown from 8,000 to 95,000 members in the UMC.  That is compared to a church in America that has been declining for the last 50 years. 

Warly and Carla are not theologians and probably have never been to something like Catalyst - they are just obedient.  It amazes me to see what God will do with his people when they are obedient.  I am hoping to be so when we return.  There have been many times in the last two days that I felt God was speaking directly to me and I hope to share them on here soon, but until then it will suffice to say that God is working (like he ever stopped). 

There are times when you know people are praying for you - this is one.  Please continue to pray.  It is an exciting time.

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It is almost here.  It is with a weird mixture of excitement and sadness that Sunday approaches.  I am excited that I will be going to Brazil for 13 days and spending a week with a local pastor in the Rio de Janeiro district of the UMC.  I am sad that I will be leaving my nearly full-term pregnant wife and our little girl.  Sarah has repeatedly committed to severely beating me if Pax comes before I get back, so... Pray that the little guy is patient.  

I am going this Thursday to get some vaccinations.  There are certain things that are sort of fundamental to being a functioning adult citizen that I haven't quite grasped, like keeping up with what immunizations I have.  I am glad it is safe to double up on Tetanus - just in case I have had one in the last decade. Also, there have been some outbreaks of Yellow Fever in Brazil and we have a national shortage of vaccines here in the US.  That translates to lots of mosquito repellent for me.  

So what is the purpose of this trip?  Essentially it is this:  The Brazilian conference of the United Methodist Church is the fastest growing UM conference in the world.  Our mission is to go down there and see what they are doing right.  The bishop there, Paulo Lockman, is part of the reason the conference has experienced so much growth.  After a spiritual conversion Bishop Lockman began preaching and winning many people to Christ.  Since becoming bishop he has established an evangelism school that local pastors are required to attend periodically.  We will be attending a few days of this school and then dispersing to stay in the home of a local pastor and accompany him in his ministry.   

Stay tuned for photos and updates from the field.  

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