The Stark Reality in Myanmar (Burma)

I came across a chilling article that details the horrible conditions that exist in Myanmar (Burma). Take time to read this article and pray for the people in this oppressed country.

Here is the article: Throwing Away the Key in Burma.

New Feature -- Unreached People Group of the Day

In case you did not notice, I have added a new feature to my blog. On the right, you will find information about an unreached people group. A new one will be highlighted each day. May this serve as a reminder that our mandate is to make disciples of every people group. Take time today to pray for the unreached people group listed at the right.

(Thanks, Deborah, for suggesting this addition to the blog!)

Van Zoest Family

Amazing. In less than a year, God helped Dan and Lisa Van Zoest raise up their support and they are already down in Nicaragua working with the Nicaragua Christian Academy.

Dan & Lisa are our newest Kingdom Partners. To learn more about them, their family, and their ministry, you can check out their website. And for frequent updates, including details about their first few weeks in Nicaragua, check out their blog.

Pray for the Persecuted Church

Sunday, November 9, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Please take time to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their trust in Jesus Christ. For a list of agencies who can give you more information on the persecuted church, to go the International Day of Prayer website. For some ideas of how to pray, Campus Crusade has some good suggestions on their website.

Safe Arrivals

For those who are wondering, Amy Mich made it safely to Paris and Beth Larsen has safely arrived in Brno.

Amy has already updated her blog. Beth will update her blog soon.

The Flood Is Coming

I vividly remember June 10, 2008. It was the day before I left for the Czech Business Camp. At our staff meeting, Kim shared with us a private meeting he had attended where they were predicting the Cedar River would crest above flood level and flood our city. They talked about the urgent need to help those in the 100 year flood plain.

At that time, the prediction was a crest of maybe 24 feet, not the over 30 feet we actually experienced. We could not have imagined the devastation and loss of property that would occur. But we did believe a flood would happen. A number of Serve the City churches including New Covenant mobilized volunteers to help those in danger. They originally went to help people move belongings to a higher level, and later mobilized to get word out about the need to evacuate.

I know that we did not act alone, and I don’t write this to brag or give credit to ourselves. My point is simply this: We were told something would be true, we believed, and we took action on that information.

The Bible clearly teaches that those who do not put their trust in Christ will not have eternal life (John 3:18). It clearly says that people cannot believe unless someone goes and shares the good news with them (Romans 10:14-15). Jesus specifically told us to pray for workers who would go to those who need to hear (Matthew 9:37-38). So why is so little being done to reach and make disciples of every people group (Matthew 28:19-20)?

Perhaps you do not believe the flood is really coming. Yes, you might agree in theory, but you haven’t really driven down by the river and seen how high it has risen. It doesn’t seem real or urgent to you. I challenge you to take the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class here at New Covenant next January and learn more about the state of the world around us.

Perhaps you don’t know where to start. Consider praying regularly for Myanmar (formerly know as Burma), or join us Monday night, September 15, at 6:45 PM in Room 135 to pray for the Muslim world.

The flood is coming. What are you going to do about it?

(Picture courtesy of Austin Spooner.)

30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus

From the intro to this year's prayer guide:

The 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus coincides yearly with Ramadan (a holy month of fasting in Islam). This prayer movement calls upon Christians to make a concerted but respectful effort during this time to learn about, pray for and reach out to Muslim neighbors--across the street and around the world.

It is not our intention with this prayer focus to disparage Islam or Muslim sentiments in any way. We recognize that humans and the Muslim world are far too complex to simply or easily condense or explain with a mere booklet. At the same time, as Christians, we long for all the world's people to have an opportunity to understand the grace of God incarnated in Jesus Christ. To this end we inform ourselves, pray for, and support respectful opportunities to make that grace also know among Muslims.

To particpate in this prayer focus, go online to www.30daysfire.net. It will provide stories, information, and daily prayer requests during the month of Ramadan.

Franglais

Amy Mich, another new Kingdom Partner, will be departing next week for France to serve with Young Life. You can read her blog to get updates.

Moravian Living

One of our new Kingdom Partners, Beth Larsen, left Wednesday for the Czech Republic. Pray for her transition into her new ministry with Greater Europe Mission in Brno.

For updates on Beth, be sure to visit her blog.

Missionary Care Conference

Imagine that it was your job to support, encourage, and nourish a missionary family who lived halfway around the world. What would you do? Where would you start? What is the best way to offer quality, meaningful care from a distance?

New Covenant currently supports 22 Kingdom Partners – missionaries serving in countries all over the world. One of our core values is to support and care for our missionary families. To accomplish this goal will take more than just the Missions Committee. We need your help to care for our missionaries.

On Saturday, September 20, we will host a Missionary Care Conference. It will go from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and be led by Dave Shepherd of Ministry Essentials International. Founded in 1996, Ministry Essentials exists to spiritually nourish Christian leaders by drawing them into a deeper experience of Christ. Here is how Dave describes his seminar:

“What is missions really about? When we send someone to the ‘mission field’ what are we hoping to accomplish? And while we each may have differing opinions and conclusions from scripture to answer the previous questions, there are a few more things we’ve not considered. In this seminar we hope to raise an awareness of mission realities beyond what you may already know. We also hope to better understand what we are really after when sending missionaries overseas. And finally, we will discuss some practical ways to encourage, nourish and support those we send.”

Session topics will include:

• Missionary Attrition Issues missionaries face (in what areas do they struggle?)
• Lines of responsibility
• What we are really after in missions
• What is already available
• Practical ways to help

Anyone with an interest in learning how to better care for a missionary is welcome to join us. To register, contact Jen Olsen at 319-395-0021 or send me an email.

Going Home

We had a great day today with our partner church in Trinec (Church of the Brethren in Trinec - Lyzbice). All I can say is "Wow!" They have done an incredible job on the facility they purchased around 3 years ago. They have taken an old, run down former communist era preschool building and turned it into an amazing center for ministry. I will post pictures later when I get home.

The main worship area has been transformed. It can seat around 80 or 90. They have put in a small stage up front, a sound room in the back, and even put up a copy of the Botts print from our church.

Downstairs they are creating a youth area where they can have a Friday night celebration club meeting. On the main floor they have leased out one wing to a local doctor (general practioner) and the other is used for the Christian Kindergarden (ages 3-5). The Kindergarden is absolutely beautiful, a wonderful place for kids to come.

Upstairs they have an office for their new Pastor, Slavoj, and two small classrooms where Bronek and Lorisa can teach English. There is additional room where they hope to one day build a flat (apartment) for the pastor and more room for another small conference room.

The vision of the church is to reach out to their community. By offering a Christian school, a doctor's office, and English classes, they make the church facility a place where their neighbors will feel welcome and at home. The neighbors are very glad the church purchased the facility rather than it being turned into a pub or other general business.

This August the church will hold their first English Day Camp. It is aimed at the children in the many flats (apartments) that surround the church. International Messengers is sending four Americans and the church will also provide some staff.

The church is also involved with other area churches in holding a citywide festival in September. This outreach event will be particularly aimed at young people and will include music, drama, and other events.

It is so good to see what God is doing through our partner church. Please remember to pray for them as they seek to do "prayer, care, and share" in their own community.

We leave at 6:15 AM tomorrow to take the 7:28 train to Prague. And we will leave very early on Tuesday to fly back to the States. I am sure this is the last time I will get a chance to post until Wednesday, so until then, thanks so much for your prayers.

The Final Day

The last two days have been a blur. But they have been very good.

Thursday we showed the short film Most (Czech for "Bridge"). It was a very powerful time. We had over half of the students attend, and the discussions about it were long and good. It is a powerful parable of the sacrifice God made to provide our salvation.

Today we concluded the camp with our Banquet, a time when we eat ice cream, watch skits by the English conversation classes, and give out their certificates and their presents from our team. Unfortunately, we experienced our fist real problem of the week: we were short 15 certificates. How embarassing! We will have to mail them as soon as we get back to the States.

We will spend time tomorrow cleaning up, debriefing, and visiting a local open air museum. We will also do a little shopping.

On Sunday we will attend services at our partner church in Trinec. I will preach, Paul will bring greetings, Pam will give the children's message, and Cathryn will give a testimony. After that, we will have coffee with the church and then have lunch. In the afternoon we will spend time with the elders of the church. If time allows, we may also stop by in nearby Cesky Tesin to see a Christian concert that is a part of a three day city celebration.

On Monday we will leave by train for Prague, and early on Tuesday morning we (except for Kent and Shannon) will begin our trip home by plane. We are scheduled to arrive at 2 PM in Cedar Rapids. Of course, with airplanes, everything is subject to change.

If I have time, I will post some pictures and stories about the week on Saturday. Otherwise, I will do so after I return to Cedar Rapids.

Thanks so much for your prayers. I have many stories to tell! This was a profitable year again and it was a real privilege to serve the students here at Malenovice.

Lysa Hora

We had great weather today for the hike up to Lysa Hora. Many on the team participated in this five hour hike. It was a great time with the students.

This evening we did something new (at least for me). We put up lyrics to Christian songs (such as "In Christ Alone") , played the song, and explained the words. It was well attended for being an optional event after a very long day.

The next two days close out the official part of the camp. Continue to pray for strength and endurance. Pray for us to be servants to those who are here.

Thanks for the Prayers

Paul said his presentation for a local company's board of directors went well. He had a lot of good questions. They will most likely get the book Good to Great now and read it. Thanks for your prayers. It was a very profitable experience.

My optional Bible study also went well overall. I think I stumped my translator a few times! But hopefully the message was clear.

Relationships are clearly beginning to form. So keep lifting us up and remembering our work here in the Czech Republic. We are continuing to pray for all of you and the recovery effort following the flooding.

Flexibility

There has been a change in plans. It is overcast and raining, so our hike up to Lysa Hora is postponed till Wednesday or Thursday. Paul's presentation will still happen, so we are adjusting the business workshops to compensate. Pray, too, for me as I now will be offering the optional Bible study, "Who are we and why are we here?," today instead of tomorrow as originally planned.

Monday Update

We are just finishing our first full day of camp. We have roughly 49 students (a few less than recent years) making the classes a little smaller -- which is not necessarily a bad thing!

Things have been going smoothly (though not too smoothly -- former teammates will understand what I mean!). As many as half of the students have been here before, which has allowed us to jump right back into some relationships we began in prior years. We already have had many great conversations with the students and the classes all seem to be going well.

Please pray for strength. Jet lag still is hindering a few of us, and spending time with the students hinders getting enough sleep! Pray too for boldness and the right words to say at just the right time.

Finally, pray for Paul. He has been offered a unique opportunity to give a workshop at a local company. One of the owners attended the camp twice before and has become a Christian. He wants Paul to do his "Good to Great" presentation to his board of directors to help them grasp the idea of servant leadership. While most of the students are climbing Lysa Hora tomorrow afternoon, he will be making his presentation.

That is all for now. I will try to post on Wednesday and perhaps even include some pictures.

The Week Ahead

We just finished a great day planning for the week ahead. Here is what we have planned (subject to change, of course!):

Sunday -- Students arrive, are tested, and we have our first meeting with all of the students. Oh, and don't forget the mandatory watching of the Czech vs. Turkey football (that's soccer for you Americans) match.

Monday to Friday

• 7:00 AM -- Team Meeting
• 8:00 AM -- Breakfast
• 9:00 AM -- English Grammar Class
• 11:30 AM -- English Bible Reading Class
• 12:30 PM -- Lunch
• 3:00 PM -- Optional Bible Studies (except Tuesday)
• 4:30 PM -- Business Workshops -- two offered simultaneously (except Tuesday)
• 6:00 PM -- Dinner
• 7:00 PM -- Conversation Class
• 8:00 PM -- Evening Activites

On Tuesday afternoon, many will hike to Lysa Hora, the top of the highest mountain in this region.

Friday evening will be our closing award ceremony and skits by the Conversation Classes.

Saturday morning the students leave to go home. We will spend the afternoon visiting a local outdoor "open air" museum of Czech buildings from over 100 years ago (similar to Usher's Ferry in Cedar Rapids -- if it still exists after the flooding!).

Sunday we will attend church in Trinec. We will give a testimony, the children's message, and I will give the sermon. We will then spend time with the church members and in the afternoon with the new pastor and the elders.

Monday we leave by train for Prague.

Early Tuesday morning we begin our flights back to Cedar Rapids, with our arrival currently scheduled for 2 PM.

Thanks for your prayers! I will post again most likely on Monday.

Safe in Czech Republic

Our Czech Business Camp Team made it safely to Malenovice. We are excited to be here and are looking forward to meeting the students on Sunday and getting things started.

However, our hearts and prayers are with those back in Cedar Rapids. We have seen online the extensive flooding and know that in various ways our families have been impacted. Please remember our families as they deal with things in our absence.

I will be posting updates throughout the week, so check back for more stories about this year's Business Camp.

Strategic Prayer Focus: Myanmar

Late last year, one of our Kingdom Partners requested we consider joining a special prayer initiative. The suggested country? Myanmar. Little did I dream that it would be front page news when we were ready to launch this strategic prayer focus.

Myanmar, which used to be called Burma, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Located on the Indian Ocean, it is surrounded by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand. It is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, and has been under a strict military rule since 1962. It has a population of 55 million.

One of our desires at New Covenant is to see the Bible become available in every major language. But with much of the remaining translation work being needed in areas of the world that are considered hard to reach, mission agencies have to be especially cautious in their communications and often cannot mention a specific language community (people group). Our prayer focus on Myanmar is a strategic response to this challenge and allows us to recruit committed prayer partners who will stand in the “sensitivity gap” for this nation.

Why did we choose Myanmar? In addition to being specifically asked, New Covenant has seven kingdom partners in Asia, so there is a great deal of overlap with our current efforts. Some labor in restricted countries and their work is sensitive so we often cannot post or publish requests like we can for our other Kingdom Partners. A focus on Myanmar will help us safely inform you about the type of work some of our Kingdom Partners are doing and give you specific requests that would not harm the particular work of our Kingdom Partners.

Please join us in praying for the country of Myanmar on a regular basis. Beginning in June, you will find prayer requests in the bulletin and Missions E-Newsletter, and I will write about the work in Myanmar in this blog.

Myanmar: What Can We Do?

It is a spiritual battle. Make no mistake about it. Any progress – yes, any progress that happens for the sake of the Kingdom comes only because of prayer, not because of our strategies, plans, or activities. Yes, we can and must plan and act, but the success comes from God’s power, not our actions alone. (See Daniel 10:1-14 and Ephesians 6:10-20 for just two of many biblical examples of this truth.)

It is through this lens that we must look at the country of Myanmar (or Burma as it used to be called). They have suffered one of the worst tragedies in recent history. As of today, over 22,000 are known to have perished and many believe the death toll may easily reach 60,000 or even higher. Yet in the midst of such utter devastation, the military government continues to cling to power. They had a two day warning that the cyclone would hit, yet they did virtually nothing to warn or prepare the people. Today as many as 3 million are homeless, yet the government denies visa permits and hinders the swift assistance of international aid for those in need.

What would cause a government to be so willing to let their people suffer? The obvious reason is their desire to maintain power and control over the people. It is why they reacted so violently against the protests last August. But the issue is deeper than that. It is a spiritual darkness that keeps them from showing common human decency and allowing free access to foreign aid during this crisis.

What will change this? Political pressure and world opinion really don’t matter much. Threats don’t hold much weight. The only option that has any true chance for success is prayer.

The problem is we don’t really believe that to be true. If we did, we would spend more time personally and corporately wrestling for the soul of this nation. We would be moved to intercede on behalf of millions of people who are facing disease, starvation, and abject poverty and who have no hope for eternity.

The time to act is now. Pray for Myanmar. Pray for the light of Christ to shine brightly from the highest government official to the poorest person in the land. Pray for those impacted by this natural disaster. Pray for the love of Christ to bring life and hope to those in need. Start there, and in the weeks ahead, I will share more requests about this country that is covered in spiritual darkness.

(Go to this map to see where the cyclone hit and the impact it had on the country.)

Myanmar Disaster Update

When I mention the country of Myanmar to people, I often get a puzzled look on their faces. Many have not heard of it and don't have a clue where it is located. Myanmar is the new name for the country of Burma. It is located in Southeast Asia, more or less between India on the west side and Thailand on the east. Go here for a great map and a short summary of info on the country.

Foreign aid workers fear that as many as 50,000 have or will perish as a direct result of the cyclone. Over a million are homeless.

There are various foreign workers in this country in the area where the cyclone hit. Pray for their safety. Pray for opportunities for them to care for others. Pray for wisdom in dealing with the long term effects of this catastrophe.

Here are two articles that give some more details: Times Online and Daily Mail.

Pray for Myanmar (Burma)

The devastation is overwhelming. Myanmar (or Burma as it was formerly called) was hit by a cyclone last Friday and Saturday. Officially the death toll is around 4,000, but it is feared that as many as 10,000 have perished. (See this article and this one for more info.)

The country was in the news last August. Students and Buddhist monks protesting the military government were beaten and even killed. The country faces an important vote in a few weeks, and this disaster may further weaken the military rulers. Whether they finally step down or respond with even greater force remains to be seen.

Pray for this troubled country. Pray especially that they would hear the Gospel. Pray that Bible translations that have been started would be completed, and that new ones would begin. Pray that there would be freedom to distribute the Bibles when they are done.

Kazakh Law Still Moving Forward

Mission Network News has another article about the state-backed religion law in Kazakhstan that would greatly restrict religious freedom. The Prime Minister of the country has endorsed the law. However, if approved, it will still need the signature of the President. Continue to pray for the law to be rejected and for boldness for the believers in the country.

English Business Camp

In about 5 weeks, I will be headed over to the Czech Republic. This will be my fifth visit since June 2004! We will join with our Project CR partner church in Trinec to put on our eighth English Business Camp at Malenovice. We will have 50 to 60 students from businesses in the area come to practice their English with native speakers. As we build relationships we will have opportunities to share our lives and our faith with each other.

If you are interested in helping support this endeavor, please contact me or send your support to International Messengers (put "Czech Camp Malenovice" in the memo).