A loon swims in the snow at Fishtrap Creek.
The view from our back window in Abbotsford.
Mom and Dad come to visit us in our townhouse.
Favorite Photos
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Monthly Archives: January 2020
Happy Birthday Deanna!
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Deanna is part of a Really Great Family!I thank God that He blessed me not just to marry Deanna, but to marry into the Hansen family. The Hansen Family was a major player for the first twelve years of the Xingu Mission and the church planting that happened in those years. They continue to be very supportive. Harold came and found me in the Yukon, and pointed me towards Christ For the Nations in Dallas. Ross was my best friend at the Bible School in Texas. Then I married Harold’s daughter and Ross’s little sister.
Deanna, Anni, Rachelle, Bella
Ross and Karin were missionaries with us for 14 years in the Amazon. They came over with Harold and Joan to celebrate Deanna’s birthday. They even sacrificed watching part of the hockey game to have brunch with us.
Harold (Deanna’s dad), Deanna, and Ross (one of Deanna’s two brothers).
The Hansen family. Just missing Ross’s oldest daughter Janaea and her family because they are living in New Zealand.
Why?
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Why Have Big Dreams?
Big goals enable us to think and act differently.
Why Church Planting?
Healthy churches are God’s plan for personal, community, and national transformation.
Why Prison Reform?
Compassion moves us toward sustainable long-term helpful solutions.
Why Africa?
Brazilians are eager to help in Angola, Mozambique, and Portugal. What an opportunity!
Why Do Anything?
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:11-13).
Part of a Greater Vision
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Our 2020 Vision
1. Plant 1,000 churches in the Xingu Region
2. Help Brazilians form partnerships to work in Angola, Mozambique, Portugal, and North Africa.
2. Prisoner Rehabilitation? – Start in Maraba.
Part of a Greater Vision
Our vision outlined above is part of a much bigger vision. In 1992 Deanna and I felt called to plant churches in Mozambique. The Lord made it clear to us that we were not to go to Mozambique directly. We called Luke Huber, of PAZ Mission in the Amazon, and asked him if he would train us to plant churches in the jungle with Portuguese-speaking people, in preparation for Mozambique. I used to tell people, “Maybe our next 30 years are just a dress rehearsal. Maybe our real ministry will start when I am 60.“ Luke died in a tragic plane accident shortly after we arrived in Brazil. This led to us starting the Xingu Mission and the Brazilian Vineyard Church.
100,000 churches
Luke always talked about planting 100,000 (one hundred thousand) churches in the Amazon Basin, an area the size of the continental United States. When we moved to the Xingu Region, we set a goal to start with 1,000 churches in our region. “When we reach this milestone, God will show us the next steps.”
We Learned Some Things.
1. CHURCH PLANTING – Disciple Making Movements are resulting in tens of thousands of churches being planted. Consider the New Generations report below, which is only one of several movements.
2. MISSIONS – Mozambique, Angola, and Portugal all speak Portuguese. We are beginning to mobilize Brazilians to help in these countries.
3. PRISON REFORM – I was let into an inner cell. Alone. Twenty-eight prisoners were sitting or laying on the cement floor of the cell. None of them knew me. After a brief introduction, some of them gathered into a circle and I started a Discovery Group. “What is going good in your life?” Blank stares. “What is something good that happened this week?” Finally, after a long pause, “You came to visit.”
I want start prisoner reform centers in every city possible.
These dreams are all way beyond our reach financially and in every way, but they are small things for God. We will keep taking our next small steps, keeping our eyes open in cheerful expectation.
*** We plan to have fun along the way, and we are looking for people to pray, support, and help.
Our Compass Bearing / GPS
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Our Purpose in Life
- LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART – We see the world as Jesus sees it by spending significant time alone with Him. This comes first. There are no shortcuts. Relying on others who spend significant time with God may not take you where you need to go because God desires a strong personal relationship with each of us.
- LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF – We receive the peace that passes understanding and the joy that bubbles over circumstances when we work with God and others to set things right.
Our Future Conversation
One day we will each meet with God and He will say:
“Hmmm, let’s see here,
I gave you an awesome planet to live on.
I gave you an awesome body to live in.
I gave you talents that were perfectly suited to you.
Let’s see how you did . . .”
Our GPS
- Thinking about this is like North on a compass, or like recentering our GPS.
- We talk to God about this in our quiet time, and with trusted friends.
- We make choices and take risks based on this future conversation.
- We stay firmly on the trail.
Favorite Photos
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First I got real sad because of all the things that are wrong in this world.
Then I remembered how amazing God is, as demonstrated by His creation.
When I see pictures like this I remember that there is a lot more that is right with the world than is wrong with the world. God is holding all things together. And He asks us to help our neighbors.
Your thoughts?
World Changers
The Cabin Getaway
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Our friends let us use their cabin for three days between Christmas and New Years. The power and water was disconnected. You had to walk around outside to get internet, and it was cold out there. It felt like camping.
The girls brought a book that was written in 1910. They read this in front of the fire in the evenings.
Roasting meat in the fireplace for supper.
Bella sketches while holding a candle.
Compassion
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Compassion goes beyond empathy.
Empathy is when we feel another’s pain. Once we learn to be good listeners and observers, others will sense this and start sharing. But we have to be careful. This can also lead to burnout.
Compassion is when we feel people’s pain or see their needs and we do something about it. This takes more work than empathy AND it is more sustainable. The joy we get from helping others protects us from burnout. We are created to act with compassion.
We use the authority Jesus gives us as part of our normal life. We pray blessings on people, often without them being aware of it. We send evil spirits packing. We ask for God’s will to be done in another’s life.
1. Spend time with Jesus in the early morning.
2. Bless people in the day.
a. Whether we physically help people,
b. or we talk with them,
c. or we bless them silently,
d. we take the opportunities that feel right.
- Situations change when we are around.
- We use the authority Jesus gave us.
- Compassion is within our reach.
- It brings us joy.
3. Encourage other people to shine their lights in dark places.
a. Jesus gave us all authority but people are timid.
b. Often they need someone to give them permission.
c. Encourage others. Give them permission to bless people.
d. Then listen to their stories.
4. This is the path of abundant life.
Your experience?
How to Be a Blessing
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Try praying this part of The Lord’s Prayer over yourself and others. Then keep your eyes open in a cheerful expectation. Watch for tone.
Yourself
Keep me safe from myself.
Keep me safe from the devil.
I submit to Your authority over me.
Others
Keep (___________) safe from themself.
Keep (___________) safe from the devil.
May (________) see things clearly.
May (________) sense Your presence.
May Your Kingdom come here and now.
“Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge!” (MSG Matthew 7:13).
God’s Big Idea
God’s big idea is that we all affect the people in our immediate vicinity.
Jesus modeled this.
Jesus commissioned His disciples to do this.
Jesus is still commissioning His disciples to do this.
This is not about having prepared scripts, or perfect answers.
This is not about being safe or in your comfort zone.
This is about being on an adventure with God, and being yourself.
How to Be a Room-Changer
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| How do You Impact Others? Notice how people around you impact the room. Some are invisible. Some are trying to be the most visible. Some people have the gift of discerning what is wrong with almost everything. With still others, things seem to work better when they are around. The tone of a group changes whenever anyone enters or leaves. So what changes when you walk in the room? God’s plan is for His people to be room-changers. Jesus was Motivated by Compassion. Jesus often saw and felt people’s pain. People’s pain caused Jesus to act. The Bible calls this dynamic compassion. By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. So he taught them many things. (TPV Mark 6:34). 36 When he saw the vast crowds of people, Jesus’ heart was deeply moved with compassion, because they seemed weary and helpless, like wandering sheep without a shepherd. 37 He turned to his disciples and said, “The harvest is huge and ripe! But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. 38 As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to thrust out many more reapers to harvest his grain!” (TPV Matthew 9:36-38). God’s plan is for His people to bring change. This is why He created the compassion dynamic. |