World Transformational Ministries Blog

Three years ago Tiffany and I landed in Yaoundé on December 13, 2007 to begin our water and health ministry in Banyo, Cameroon, where we spent the next twelve months of 2008 installing wells, conducting health clinics, introducing appropriate technologies and seeking ways to build bridges to sharing our faith in word and deed.  I now find myself aboard a Boeing 737 about to land once again on the exact same day as our previous visit, which was not planned but an interesting coincidence.  At least fifteen months of ministry lie ahead of us as we transition back to African living and pick up where we left off at the end of our previous stay.

As is often the case, this journal entry is about the adventures that always await us while traveling abroad.  If half the fun is getting there, then the other half must be the pain of getting there!  This particular return has had its own unique set of challenges.  I can comfortably write you now from our final leg of the trip knowing we will at least land at our destination.  Unfortunately I can’t say the same for our suitcases.  The final mystery still awaits us; will our bags make it to their final destination, and will they get through customs? 

We have attempted something rather unique this time in an effort to bring power to our newly constructed home.  A complete mobile solar array has been packed into one of our suitcases in hope that the conglomeration of wires, switches, charge controller, transformer, etc. will not raise a red flag with security and safely make its way to our mud block home.  What happens as we pass through customs is an entirely different and potentially costly matter.  The suitcase’s first encounter with security in Florida went well, but it did not escape unscathed.  Apparently a red flag was raised and the suitcase was opened.  In the process, one of the fasteners was ripped off entirely most likely by a frustrated TSA official who didn’t understand the intricacies in opening my second-hand suitcase from the local Goodwill store.  Its second pass through Paris required a rather amateur tape job where the fastener used to hold the right side together.  We broke down and decided to go ahead with one of these new fancy plastic wrap jobs you can have done by a vendor near the check-in counter.  For $10 your suitcase becomes invincible to dangers that await it as it is tossed from one luggage trolley to the next.  Of course its one weakness is the TSA official that doesn’t care if you spent that money to protect your suitcase and its contents.  We hope our wrap was not applied in vain.

We are now entering our third day of travel after departing on Saturday from the Savoie region of France after spending about a month in an intensive language and cheese study.  It remains a mystery to us as to how the French manage to stay so skinny as we certainly did not.  As our French host family put it, we must be like the marmot, which has only a few weeks to put on enough weight to get through the subsequent hard months ahead.  The statement reminded me how easy it was to lose fifteen pounds when I had malaria last time and served as a wonderful motivator to explore the world of French cuisine.  Of course we offered up some American recipes, especially over Thanksgiving when we introduced our host family to the art of overindulging during this American holiday.    

The French TGV (train de grande vitesse), a high-speed train network, is a work of art fit for the Louvre museum.  We spent much of Saturday traveling on this super fast and super smooth rail system.  I always have a sense of despair for our nation’s public transport system when I enjoy the ease and comfort of train travel across the French countryside.  Whether traveling to a major metropolis or a quaint European town, this mode of transport offers an affordable and scenic option.  The only aspect of this type of travel is the rather uncomfortable and unexpected silence that tends to be a characteristic of public transport in France.  Our experience has always been that the French love to talk in private settings but don’t do so in public ones (please forgive my stereotypes).  If you enjoy peace and quiet during your travels, then this mode of transport will appeal that much more to you.  And in case you’re wondering, I received no payment from the French rail system for this little plug.

I would have to say that our voyage adventures probably began before our trek back to Paris to catch our flight to Cameroon.  You see, there are certain items that may only be needs rather than necessities, but life is exponentially better when you have them in an environment that is a bit foreign to your own.  In my case, as you may recall, that item is coffee.  Fortunately, this has been one luxury that is easily provided for in Cameroon.  In fact, the Arabica and Robusta coffee that comes from the mountainous Northwest Region of Cameroon is some of the best I’ve ever had.  With the foresight of sending a French press to eliminate the need for an electric coffee pot, this precious nectar is one I can enjoy on a daily basis and experience the sensation that all is right in the world.

For my wife, this particular item is slightly more complicated – hot water.  More specifically, her exotic craving is a hot shower (please note my sarcasm here).  Although it may seem like a trivial matter, it certainly is not in a part of the world where your water comes from a mountain by your house and the means to heat it is not as simple as hooking up the ‘ol electric water heater.  For us, an electric water heater is not an option.  However, a butane gas water heater is a possibility.  During the course of my research as part of an effort to make my wife happy like all good husbands strive to do, I learned that a gas water heater was nowhere to be found in Cameroon and would most likely have to be imported (i.e. carried over) from Europe.  That’s when the real fun began.

With only a week remaining before our departure from France, I began a mad scramble to locate one.  I thought that perhaps this was a common item for the eco-conscience French, but I discovered the item to be a bit more exotic than expected.  An intensive internet search in French turned up some on-line distributors that could have a gas water heater, or chauffe-eau, shipped within a day.  Without further ado, my wife’s happiness was placed on order, and I sat back with a sense of satisfaction that I would not have to purchase a birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift for a long time (just kidding).

The call we received the next day from the transporter indicating that they had broken down and would need us to pick the item ourselves was a sign of things to come.  Upon opening the package, we discovered the item had been fabricated in Spain.  This wasn’t what troubled me, though; it was the fact that everything was in Spanish and none of the pictures or specifications seemed to match our particular model.  Besides our uncertainty on how to start the heater once the gas was connected, I wasn’t even sure which hose was for hot water and which was for cold.  Of course this came as terrible blow to my engineering ego, but in time we started to figure out what went where and how to make it work.  The good news was that it seemed to be exactly what we needed – small, portable, butane-operated.  The ba d news was that the gas connection was not complete and required an additional part to attach the hose to the unit that required some welding to the existing, non-threaded pipe.  This fact put in motion another mad scramble to find a welder and the right parts to complete the unit.  I was already starting to feel like we were in Africa, where what was once a simple task can become an all-out catastrophe.  Our real challenge still lied ahead.

Getting the water heater was only step one of the process.  The second step required us getting it there.  It was readily apparent that the unit was not going to survive the trials endured by checked luggage.  Fortunately it was small to become our final carry-on.  And what’s the trouble with this, you may ask.  You guessed it – security.  The water heater is equipped with an electronic ignition system much like your Bar-B-Q that does not lend itself to passing a security check in light of recent events.  This proved to be the case as we were pulled aside by the Paris security folks to further examine the contents of our carry-on.  I was surprised when they told me that I couldn’t bring it on not because of the unusual nature of the item but because it was too heavy and could injure someone if it fell out of the overhead compartment.  Now I didn’t want to inform them that both of our backpacks were over the allowable weight, but I certainly wasn’t going to let that be the excuse for not allowing us to take on this precious cargo.  In broken French, I began my rebuttal, which ushered in a new wave of security personnel higher up the food chain than my original encounter.  After a more detailed explanation of our work in Cameroon, the nature of the equipment and my wife’s happiness, we were allowed to continue with the water heater.  These are the moments I remember all those prayers many of your have said for us during our travels.

While sitting at the boarding gate for our leg to Casablanca Morocco, Tiffany pointed out that my shipping papers were no longer attached to the box.  This was rather unfortunate because the final security check of the water heater ended with the man saying, “Hold on to these papers for the next security check.”  I was filled with a sense of despair as the realization hit that the battle may be over.  I knew that if I registered the heater at the next stop as a checked bag, it would never survive the flight.  I also knew that security has already shown me about all the mercy I could probably expect.  I made a mad dash down the hallway and retraced all our steps in hope that the papers would be waiting for me where they had been abandoned.  This, however, was not the case.  I raced back to the gate to catch our delayed flight and wondered what would become of our water heater and my wife’s happiness.  The water heater had already shown its ability to affect the happiness of others as mine took a terrible turn for the worse.

Our hour and a half delay made it very likely we were going to miss our connecting flight in Casablanca, where we only had an hour and fifty minutes to catch the flight to Yaoundé.  This brought a new dilemma to the table – the fate of our baby stroller.  It had served us well, but we realized that if we tried to wait for it when we landed in Morocco, it would likely prevent us from reaching the connecting flight if there was any hope of doing so.  Upon arriving, it was apparent that the stroller was not going to arrive any time soon, and we made the decision to abandon it.  This turned out to be the right decision for several reasons.  First, it gave Tiffany the opportunity to begin putting her baby sling skills into full effect as she tied Chloe to her with the wrap provided by one of our friends prior to our departure.  Second, it allowed us to make our flight that certainly would have been missed if we had waited.  A mad dash to the gate put us there during the last boarding call.

Now you’re probably wondering what became of the water heater as I ventured off on that tangent.  Well, it turns out that Moroccan security tended to be a little lighter than anywhere we’ve encountered.  Perhaps this was due to the fact that everyone in line was coming off a flight and transferring to another.  Perhaps it had to do with us being back in Africa.  Or perhaps a small miracle was at work.  I think it had a little to do with all of these.  Nevertheless, there was no inspection of any bags or boxes.  We were home free!  The water heater now resides peacefully in the overhead compartment along with my wife’s happiness.

I find myself asking that question a lot lately.  I have had to ponder how much am I truly willing to sacrifice as we venture out once again to pursue a calling on our hearts and our lives.  The stakes seem higher this time, though, on several levels – financially, professionally and emotionally.  I am searching within to find how much I can withstand without allowing discouragement to overwhelm me, and I am looking above to find strength to persevere a race that has become far more arduous than I had ever imagined. 

At a time when our first child has entered the world, I feel I should be seeking stability and security for my family.  However, the course that lies ahead is anything but that by typical standards of measuring these two highly sought after characteristics in our lives.  Once again we will be leaving home, career, family, financial security and many other elements of a “stable” life behind us in order to obey a command to go unto the nations. 

The burden to serve God and live out my faith is constantly battling with the burden to conform to society’s standards.  For some, perhaps the battle doesn’t exist at all.  The constant flow of conformity has whisked them away.  The distractions of life have drowned out God’s voice as He calls them to something greater.  For others, perhaps something else has satisfied the tugging at their soul or distracted them from it.  Perhaps sufficient church attendance and charitable contributions have appeased the conscience.

But what does it mean to be a living sacrifice?  How can we offer our lives fully to God yet fully live in a world that demands so much of us?  How do we live as citizens of a nation that demands so much of our time and resources yet live as citizens of heaven that requires we offer all we have and more to serve God?  The more I serve God, it seems the less I’m able to meet my obligations to the world, and, the more I serve the world, the less I’m able to meet my obligations to God.

I look to the apostles for answers to these questions when I feel maybe I’ve given enough or sacrificed sufficiently.  They didn’t seem to struggle with questions like, “What about my career?” or “How will I fulfill my financial obligations?”  I often wish we had a more complete narrative of their daily lives to see how they handled these matters.  The snapshot we are offered seems to leave gaping holes in the day-to-day matters.  We instead only catch glimpses perhaps of imprisonment for their faith at times or periods of persecution and hunger.  It’s what happened between those times that I wish to know, although I should need to go no further when I examine my own spiritual journey and struggle to find examples of imprisonment, persecution and hunger as a consequence of following Christ.

Despite my comfortable calling, I still find many days when I want to abandon it in exchange for the “security” of the American dream and stability of a life surrounded by the conveniences of this modern world.  I know such luxuries will soon be lost once we arrive in Africa where comfort and convenience become very relative terms, and many people around us will be simply surviving day-to-day.  I become ashamed of my gluttony and careless consumption of resources.  I am embarrassed at how much I really have had and how much I’ve actually given.  Most of all, I realize I am still a far stretch from offering myself as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.

William Shakespeare in his Hamlet asked the question, “To be or not to be?”  Our question was far more logistical and less philosophical, “To RV or not to RV?”  That was the question we posed to ourselves last year as we pondered the various ways we could share the WTM vision and raise the necessary support to continue our mission in remote regions of Africa where people remain unreached in every respect of the word.  An RV trip was certainly not at the top of my wife’s list, but with a baby on the way and the need to accommodate a third passenger (actually she was the fourth and our lab was the third already) an RV Tour began looking like the only feasible way to accomplish such a task much to my wife’s dismay. We now find ourselves almost one month and three flat tires into what has been dubbed the 2010 WTM RV Ministry Tour (don’t worry, we now have all new tires). 

A lot of folks have asked, “Why an RV Tour?”  After they actually see our near-antique 1981 GMC Midas motorhome, they really start to wonder, “What were they thinking?”  I’ll admit that sometimes it’s less about thinking and more about following God’s direction in our lives.  It has certainly been a leap of faith to once again trade the comforts of an American lifestyle for the more challenging (yet far more interesting) mobile lifestyle we have adopted, which will later lead to an even more extreme change when we revert back to our African mode of living.  This entry is an abbreviated attempt to explore the question, “To RV or not to RV?” and to demonstrate a bit how God can use these experiences to grow and mature us in unique ways.

I’ll begin by providing some illustrations on how RV living is really training and preparation for the more rugged African environment.  First of all there’s the size of our living quarters.  Housing in Cameroon tends to consist of slightly less square footage (insert sarcasm here), so the less-than-desirable floor plan of our RV will actually make the living space in our Cameroonian home seem quite spacious and downright enormous after several months of stepping around the dog, playpen and numerous obstacles along the narrow path between the cab and sleeping area.  I don’t recall the last time I had stubbed my toe so many times and banged my head against cabinets, lights and ceilings. 

The need to once again “downsize” and release our worldly possessions has been accentuated by the lack of storage in a 24’ home on wheels.  Although you may be surprised by how much you can actually fit in a motorhome of this size, there are still a lot of conveniences we were forced to reluctantly abandon.  Our appliances were traded for miniature versions of the same, and we’re still not sure how both of us fit into the so-called bed that has been crammed into the back corner.  It’s quite sad when your 4-month infant has about the same amount of sleeping space as two adults.

Traveling and breaking down in our not-so-new RV has also proved to be quite similar to transport in Cameroon.  Our vehicle is of similar age to the ones often associated with “bush taxis” in Africa, so we have the pleasure of experiencing the same peculiarities that accompany a ride along African roads.  For example, the lack of air conditioning and the familiar feeling of a sweaty back bring back many fond memories of voyages along Cameroonian highways.  The roar of our broken exhaust and blaring radio create an environment that drowns out the squealing of fan belts and constant clicking in the front left tire.  And of course traveling with our loyal lab is much like the Cameroonian equivalent of traveling with a chicken or goat next to you.  The one advantage we have had, however, is the ability to be towed to the place of repair, which has happened twice since our maiden voyage.

Let’s not forget about our six-legged companions either.  Travel and lodging in Cameroon is nearly always highlighted by visits from critters of all sorts, including cockroaches, mosquitoes, rodents, and, my personal favorite, scorpions.  Once again the RV life has not let us down in mimicking our African living situation by offering an abundance of nature, both outside AND inside our vehicle.  The visitors are so much like their African counterparts that we have already begun using the mosquito net around baby Chloe’s crib.  However, we also find an advantage in this area that we lacked in Cameroon, which is the ability to strategically place devices around the RV that eliminate our unwelcome companions.  May they rest in peace because I know we haven’t.

I’m sure at this point you’re envious of our RV trip, right (once again you may insert sarcasm here).  But with all the trials and tribulations of the RV life, we have also found God working in wonderful and exciting ways we would not have imagined before venturing on this journey.  We have had incredible encounters with incredible people that would not have happened if we hadn’t broken down on the side of the road.  We have seen the tremendous beauty of His creation across this country from the wonders of nature to the ways He has enabled the human mind to use it.  We have learned patience and perseverance in ways that even Africa cannot teach us.  It has become obvious to us that the answer to the question, “To RV or not to RV?” is a resounding “To RV”.

I recently received an e-mail from a pastor inquiring about our doctrinal beliefs as an organization.  It brought up some important questoins I feel may not be adequately addressed on our website or materials, so I have posted the questions and responses below.  It is a nice continuation of my previous blog “The Why Behind the What”.  I have removed names and locations to protect the identity of the sender.  We always welcome questions about our ministry, so please contact us anytime.

Hello,
 
My name is ?????? and I am an associate pastor in ???????.  I was introduced to your ministry through family, was given your information pamphlet, and have read through your website and a newsletter.  It sounds like you are involved in exciting work as you minister in Camaroon!  As I looked through your information,  I had a couple of questions that seem pretty basic, but nonetheless important.
 
These questions have to do with doctrinal beliefs.  Since the heart of the healthy church is sound doctrine, I was wondering about your basic beliefs in God, Sin, & Salvation.  What role does meeting felt needs have in advancing the Gospel?  What part do people play in evangelizing and receiving the Gospel?  How does the Word of God and the Holy Spirit fit in?  I ask these questions because in our day (at least here in ????? and I assume everywhere) the Gospel is under attack and needs to be clearly defined because souls are at stake!
 
Thank you,
 
???????

Greetings ??????

I appreciate your interest in our ministry and also what appears to be a desire to keep us accountable for what God has entrusted to our care with this ministry.  I’ll begin answering your questions with a few disclaimers and then attempt to share how our experience translates into the doctrinal issues you bring up.  Please understand I am not a student of theology nor have I attended seminary; I am an engineer gone missionary with a desire to share the Good News in the Gospel message in both word and deed in places where truth and action are most needed.  I believe God exists, He sent His Son in human form for forgiveness of sins and in Jesus Christ, and him alone, we may find eternal life.  I would add that your questions are far from basic in that there are many schools of thought on the role of felt needs, people, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in furthering the Kingdom of God.  Many books have been written addressing these questions in various forms.  I can only answer them in light of what God has placed on my heart regarding my role in fulfilling His purpose of restoring His Kingdom and redeeming His people.  I am motivated by a sense of having a purpose in this plan, and that purpose is reaching Unreached peoples in word and deed.

I believe as Christians we all have two basic roles.  One role is as a servant with Christ as our example -servant that is to love our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.  We are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).  Our second role is that of a steward; caretakers of the creation He has made.  In all we do, it is to the glory of God to praise Him.  These roles play out in very different ways depending on our various God-given gifts, resources, passions, etc.  For myself, it is a passion to provide clean drinking water and living spiritual water (John 4) to those who lack access to both.  I believe the Gospel message is a fusion of the spiritual and physical needs of man.  We cannot simply speak of salvation in Jesus Christ and ignore the material needs of those who lack basic necessities.  (1 john 3:17-18).  Likewise, we cannot simply provide for the physical needs of people without sharing the truth that motivates to overcome poverty, injustice and inequality.  We know faith without works is dead but also know we are not saved by works (James 2:26, Eph 2:8-9).  However, we were created to do good works (Eph 2:10).

As you may have read in our brochure, I do not believe a positive, lasting change can occur in the external human condition without an internal transformation (Romans 12:2).  That transformation occurs when the truth of the Gospel is heard, believed and confessed.  I could go to Africa and provide for the physical needs of the same people simply for the sake of providing for their physical needs, but what I may end up doing is enabling a sinner to sin better!  Demonstration of the Gospel must be accompanied by proclamation of the Gospel.  The satisfaction of felt needs accomplishes two things.  First, it obeys Christ’s command to love one another and provide water, food, shelter, clothing and visitation of those in need (Mt 25:40).  The second thing the meeting of felt needs accomplishes is development of a relationship that provides a platform for sharing the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

We are all members of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8), and, as such, we all have various roles to play.  I regard my role as a bridge builder.  By this I mean I build bridges to unreached communities by developing relationships with people by providing for very real needs in their lives.  I may not be the individual who evangelizes that particular community or plants the church, but we partner with those who do help fulfill those roles as different members of the body.  We would be foolish to think we are there to do all those things on our own. 

You ask the role of the Holy Spirit.  I believe it is the Holy Spirit that reaches these people while using us as an instrument of God’s will.  We don’t know what impact the installation of a water well or implementation of a clinic may have on the hearts of people.  We don’t know how God will use those who partner with us as we visit villages where the name of Jesus is unknown or misunderstood.  We can only move forwardly boldly in faith knowing that we are to follow his command as laid out in the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach others what he has commanded us.

I do know that our presence alone has aroused curiosity in many people we have encountered that opens a door when they ask us what would bring us to such a place when we could be somewhere else where life is not so difficult.  Why would we come to Africa when we could be in America?  It is then we can tell them about the love of Christians for them and the love of Christ.  These are challenging tasks in a Muslim ministry, and the Gospel message must be shared gently and in love while seeking common ground between the two faiths.  This is why we seek partnerships with those who are better prepared to disciple and teach.  These include other missionaries as well as nationals who have converted from Islam to Christianity.

My wife and I were deeply impacted by a visit to the U.S. Center for World Missions in 2007 when we took a course called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, which addressed ideas such as unreached peoples and transformational development.  Their definition of Unreached peoples was focused on the use of the Greek word ethne for nations, which does not necessarily refer to a political nation state but instead is defined by people groups united by common languages, customs, etc.  Dr. Ralph Winters believed that these people groups should be our focus in the Great Commission knowing that the Gospel of Kingdom will one day be a testimony to all the nations (Mt 24:14) and one day a multitude of peoples from every “tongue, tribe and nation” will stand before our Lord in worship (Rev 5:9). 

I believe this view provides focus to the mission at hand, but I also believe the definition of unreached peoples includes other brothers and sisters is Christ who lack basic physical necessities that hinder their ability to seek God because they are seeking food, water and shelter.  I also believe that unreached people can be fellow workers who have to take resources away from their existing ministry, say Bible translation for example, because they are also lacking access to basic necessities in their community, such as clean drinking water.  We strive to work in all these realms where the Gospel meets at a crossroads of physical and spiritual needs.

Currently our ministry focuses primarily on a people group called the Fulbe, or Fulani, of which there are approximately 20 million in number across Sub-Saharan West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon.  In Cameroon alone there are nearly 1.5 million Fulbe of which less than a hundred are Christian, and I have met many of these Fulbe Christians.  We partner with other organizations, like World Team and the Baptist General Conference (now Converge Worldwide) to bring the Gospel to this people group in both word and deed.  We are the bridge builders to communities that would otherwise remain unreached without a legitimate presence brought through the installation of water wells, appropriate technologies and health education. 

Concurrently we assist other Cameroonian ministries, like a school for disabled children in Bamenda, where neglected, abused and abandoned are brought into the school to be taught the love of God and other skills by Cameroonian workers.  We also assist other missionaries involved to other ministries, like Bible translation, who have needed our assistance in providing clean water at their compounds.  Our current focus in on our “Pick a Project Campaign” where we have identified specific needs with specific people in specific areas that require sponsorship for completion.  I would encourage you to look at our Pick a Project brochure (also available online at www.transformationalministries.com).  I would also suggest you read our most recent newsletter, also available on the web site, that has an article called, “The Why Behind the What”, which was written to address some of these questions you have brought up in a general , but personal, sort of way.

You will also read in our newsletter that we plan to take a 3-month trip with our newborn from June to August  prior to our departure in September for Cameroon.  It is our hope to meet with people like yourself during this time to share our vision with others and seek ministry supporters for our projects.  If you feel our doctrinal views fall in line with those of your church, we would welcome the opportunity to share as we pass through ?????? in June.  In the meantime, my wife and I will be preparing for the birth of our first child next month and our return to Africa.

I hope I have adequately answered your questions.  If I may, I would also like to pose a few questions of my own.  From whom did you learn of our ministry?  At what church are you the associate pastor, and do you have a web site?  What is you missions involvement as a church and what role do you feel missions play in the Christian life?  What is your personal experience in this area?

I agree that the Gospel is under attack and always has been and always will be (Mt 24:9).  It is essential that we keep one another accountable for the  truth that has been revealed to us.

I look forward to your response and thank you for the opportunity to review some of these important questions in my own mind and heart.

For those of you who have been on this journey with us over the past several years, you probably have a pretty good idea about what it is we do in Africa.  “Reaching the Unreached One Need at a Time” has become our motto as we use appropriate technology and health care to build bridges to sharing the Gospel in word and deed.  The application of sustainable, transformational development implemented through Biblical principles has taken the form of water wells, health clinics and various technologies demonstrated through our Resource Center as the spiritual, physical and social aspects of Unreached peoples’ lives are impacted.  Real, tangible encounters with the Gospel message has provided an opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with communities and people groups that are difficult to reach and lack access to the most basic physical needs and the most essential spiritual need.  Through these encounters we have been given a platform to share our faith and hearts.

I have realized that although many of you may know what we do, you may not fully understand why we have chosen a path that would take us away from our family, friends, careers and the “stability” of American life in exchange for the uncertainty and challenges of living in a developing country several thousands of miles away.  We often find ourselves doing things that don’t fit the “mold” and seem rather strange, risky or perhaps downright crazy for those standing on the outside of our lives looking in.  As we prepare for our next round of ministry in Africa, I wanted to take some time to share some of the reasons, motivations and thoughts behind our actions.  Whether you share our faith as a Christian or not, I believe you will find we all have some common ground to stand on.  The defining characteristic of our lives, however, is how we perceive and live out truth.

I am a Christian; it is what both defines me and motivates me.  By profession, I am an environmental engineer driven by a desire to preserve our planet as a steward of God’s creation.  I do not draw a line between my secular career and my religious beliefs; they serve one another synergistically.  I am an environmental engineer gone missionary with a heart to reach the unreached.  I have come to the very simple conclusion that I cannot claim to be a Christian and not feel compelled to actively do something about the state of the world.  I cannot stand back as a passive observer of the pain, suffering, corruption and injustice taking place before us and simultaneously claim to love my neighbor and God.  How can I claim to know there are over a billion people without access to clean drinking water and not feel burdened to do something about it when I have been given the knowledge, abilities and resources to do so?  More importantly, how can I simply stand back when I know we have been commanded by our Creator to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, invite in the stranger and visit the sick and imprisoned?  How can I not share the Good News of hope and salvation in Christ that is unknown to two-thirds of the world’s population?  The answer is, “I can’t.”

We all have a decision to make.  When will we stop waiting for change and instead become a part of it?  I made the decision, and that is why my wife and I found ourselves living across the ocean in a small African community where basic needs, such as water, health care and food, are still a daily concern.  No, they are more than that.  They are a struggle.  It is a place where the freedom to pursue and seek truth is non-existent, a place where you are born into an identity that has been pre-determined for you.  To stray from this identity will mean persecution in one form or another, and a life that is already difficult in many ways becomes that much more so.  In America, the decision to pursue or ignore opportunities to explore truth is our own.

We all have our own world view, and it is this world view that determines what our “better tomorrow” would look like and how we believe we can (or cannot) achieve it.  My world view describes a tomorrow where there will be no death, no pain, no suffering and no mourning.  Poverty will be vanquished, and justice will rule supreme.  There will be everlasting water, food, joy and love.  That is the hope in me that fuels my passion to create such a world now to the extent possible in a place that is plagued by what Christians refer to as sin.  The world has fallen and needs to be picked up again.

That sense of there must be something more, something better seems to be everywhere.  Many are yearning for an escape from an intangible enemy that has enslaved us to materialism, consumerism, relativism and individualism.  The threat of global disaster or annihilation seems to grow closer with each passing day.  Global climate change, wars, famines, water shortages, genocide, economic uncertainty, natural disasters impacting millions – the list goes on and on.  We know something has to change but what and how?  What are we to do as individuals in the face of such looming peril?  I say our part.  If we all do our part, we can change the world together one act at a time, one day at a time and one life at a time until over 6 billion people have been cured of their illnesses and freed from their suffering.  It begins with relationships – our relationships with one another, the environment and our Creator.  They are all broken and need to be repaired.  Every single day we are faced with the choice of how we will address these aspects of our life.  A simple change in attitude, lifestyle and priorities can lead to a whole new world.

I would not dare to claim that I possess the perfect formula for world peace and meeting everyone’s basic needs.  I would dare say it begins with a right relationship with God.  Our entire life changes when we become accountable to someone or something else besides ourselves.  When we devote our time, energy and talents to something greater than ourselves, a passion is ignited.  It becomes an unquenchable fire that consumes everything around us.  If we believe eternity exists beyond this life, we have no choice but to live differently.  If we believe we will one day stand before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as I do, and give an account of how we spent this life He has given us, we have no choice but to listen to how He said we should live it.

I do not expect that your idea of truth falls perfectly in line with my own.  It does not have to in order to appreciate what my wife and I have experienced while trying to live out our truth in a place where we felt we could have the most impact given our prior experiences, training and passion.  What is important is that you understand we are average Americans that had just as much, or little, to lose or gain by venturing on this journey to do our part.  We are not independently wealthy, we did not grow up in model families and we have made our share of mistakes.  We are by no means saying that everyone should sell their belongings and head off to an unknown land in order to accomplish world change.  What my wife and I would say, though, is that you need to identify where it is you can have the most impact and then go!  It may be in the African bush, but it is more likely that it is next door or in your local community.   It is not uncommon in our day and age to not even know our own neighbors, co-workers or even our own family well enough to impact their lives in a positive way that can ultimately lead to world change and a better tomorrow.

Whatever your situation or your idea of truth, making the world right is a calling we all share.  What good is knowledge of any truth if we do not live it and share it?  The very essence of truth is that there can be only one, and some of us will be closer to it than others.  As a Christian, I believe that truth was revealed and lived in the person Jesus Christ through whom we came to understand what perfect humanity could look like.  Humanity, as a whole, has the same general sense of right and wrong in regards to issues such as social equality, justice and preservation of life.  If it did not, we would live in a world of utter chaos.  The time has come to stop waiting on the world to change and to start changing it.  It is time we devoted our lives to something greater than it.

It has become more than a show; it seems to be the current reality we live in.  You can sense it all around you.  You see it on the media.  You see it in your family, friends and co-workers.  It is that overwhelming sense that everything is going wrong and we are powerless.  It is fear.  The forms it comes in vary, but the result is the same.  It may be fear of a global financial crisis, fear of pending nuclear war, fear of famine across multiple continents, fear of natural disasters, fear for the loss of our jobs or even fear that we are living in the end times prophesied in the Bible.  The result, regardless of the source, is that we forget God is in control and we are not; we forget to trust God and instead put our trust in ourselves.

I was reminded this week of what the Bible has to say about fear.  We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7 that we have not received a spirit of fear from God, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.   We are told to trust in God with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  We are told to fear the Lord is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).  That type of fear looks much different than the fear that has enveloped and paralyzed us as we wait for the next disaster to strike.  If fearing the Lord means we hate evil, then the result should be a burden to stand against the evil that is consuming the world around us.

Tiffany and I have been fighting our own internal battles with this thing called fear.  It is a fear of the unknown as we gear up for the next term overseas with a child in an economic climate that ratchets up the risk we are taking in once again abandoning the “security” of our homeland, family, friends and jobs for the opportunity to live out our faith, to fight evil as it manifests itself in poverty and injustice across the globe.  There are limits to what we can prepare for in all our preparations.  At some point we must acknowledge our inability to know what lies ahead and trust it is in God’s hands.  Expectations deter us from fully experiencing what God has in store.  Trials are also a tool orchestrated by God’s hand to mature and grow us in our faith.  We must be taken to that place where we acknowledge there is no other explanation for the result except God’s blessing and control of events both in our personal lives and the larger events happening around them.  We must learn not to fear.

Take a moment and ask what form of fear has grasped you recently.  Is it a story you heard in the media?  Is it news of pending layoffs at your company?  Is it fear of a dwindling bank account or unpaid mortgage?  Is it fear that your faith is faltering in uncertain times?  Whatever it may be, I encourage you to take hold of that fear and hand it over to God.  His grace has already rescued our souls and defeated death on the cross.  What can we possibly fear in light of knowing that eternity awaits and this life is but a blink of an eye?  What can compare to the glory and majesty that awaits those who put their trust in Him.  Let the knowledge of what has already been accomplished comfort you in those moments when fear knocks at your door.