It had to happen sooner or later.   The contribution kettles manned by volunteers in our communities — some still with audible ringing sleigh bells, but most silenced by city ordinances and mall requests — have gone online.  The program is called iKettle.    Any of my Canadian readers can host a kettle with a few clicks of the mouse.

I found out about this from fellow-Canadian blogger Rick Apperson, and after mulling it over for several weeks, decided that if we could raise nearly $4,600 to sponsor my oldest son’s summer working at Camp Iawah, using our mailing list alone, we ought to be able to raise at least that much for the Salvation Army.

After a disastrous start where I actually gave the wrong e-mail address, my kettle was off and running.   I set the goal modestly at $1,000 figuring we would surpass that by the end of the weekend.  Within a half hour of the e-mails going out, the total started increasing, and then it came to a sudden halt.

Which is where my Canadian* blog readers kick in.   You can’t toss spare change in the kettles anymore because you pay for everything with plastic cards, and you don’t get change.   Any bills in your wallet are probably there for emergencies.   Besides, this year, with so many unemployed or underemployed, the SA needs significant contributions to meet the needs in local areas.

So here’s where you go to contribute*.

BTW, for what’s worth, I don’t like the whole “sponsor me” script on the webpage.   You’re not sponsoring us at all.   Some web designer got that one past them before it could be thought through more carefully.   How about, “Make a Difference;” or even “Contribute”?    Then there’s the liability with the button that allows you to read the text I wrote.   I ended with “Please give generously.”   But the more/less button after the paragraph means your brain sees, “Please give generously less.”   Not good planning, but it’s their first year doing this.

*For my U.S. readers — and there are lots of you — I couldn’t find a direct link to the U.S. program, and their regional websites are a bit of a dog’s breakfast;  but it’s probably better for you to contact the SA in your local area to find out ways an online donation can serve your own community.

This Christmas our giving can meet the needs both in overseas relief and development and in the cities and towns closer to home.   This is an opportunity to do something on the domestic front in a year that’s been rough on many people.

10-25-09 pm – “South African Missionaries” testimony from Mr. & Mrs. Cross.

Right click and choose “save as” to save: HFBC 10-25-09 pm

Ten Years ago this past September marked 10 years of knowing Christ. Now I had been raised in religion my whole life but in 1999 I had a real encounter with the Lord of Glory. I gave my life and have been walking out His grace ever since. After my conversion I was compelled to witness and compelled to go overseas. The very first place I wanted to go was Africa. I didn’t even care where. I felt the need to go to Africa. As a 14 year old kid my parents, still reeling from my sudden change of heart, very shocked that I would choose to go to another side of the world. Out of protection and assuming it was a phase the banned me from Africa.

Two years later I would travel to the Dominican Republic. That trip began a series of prophetic encounters that I’m still living out to this day. I assumed that I would travel all the time after that trip. After all God had led me on that little trip to get His heart for missions and the poor. He had branded me with a fiery desire to travel the world preaching good news and loving the poor (both material and spiritual poverty. So I assumed that that was enough and that doors would swing wide open. Just the opposite happened. Every door shut so tight I couldn’t open it if I tried.  Since that time I’ve gone through so many years of equipping. Learning to operate in healing, the prophetic, learning to cultivate and release an atmosphere of His glory. Above all learning to serve and love others more than myself. I continue to learn and grow and go through the Holy Spirit’s “School of Christ” .

Now after 10 years of waiting and nearly 9 years since I was on the foreign mission field I’m headed (Lord willing) to Mozambique Africa with Encounters Network to build a playground for the area near Rolland and Heidi Baker’s Pemba mission .

Here is what needs to take place:

1. My application needs to be accepted by Encounters Network

2. I need at least $2,000.00 more dollars

3. I need prayer support!

Here is my plan if my application is accepted

1. I will be putting together a team of intercessors who will pray for me and the whole team going to Mozambique. I’ll keep this group up to date on all the ins and outs as well as special prayer requests from he point my application is accepted to my return to the U.S..

2. I will set up a pay pal account or such by which anyone online can give to help send me to Mozambique

If you’d like to help pray for me please leave a comment on this post and I’ll be in touch

Leaving the Dream,

Jason Aldridge

Written by William 

Hello one and all, I feel fortunate to be able to communicate with you on this platform so here goes! This article may not be as articulate or may not flow as well as some other articles you have read from me, but this is really what the Holy Spirit is stirring within my heart at present, so here goes! 

The title of this article may use a term that you are not familiar with a “community centre” which is a very British term for a building, in which the local council, city authority or local government own for lease back to the community for special events, parties and the like. 

Unfortunately, in both the UK and the US, many churches have become that also, the world out large really only interacts with them when they wish to hire facilities from them, this is a sign of an ineffectual church! 

Now, please do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with churches maximising revenues by hiring out buildings and the like, my wife hires out a building for a choir she teaches! But if that is the churches only involvement with the community, it seriously needs to re-think its outreach strategy! 

This in turn leads to an issue that we see in many “healthy” American churches, they get distracted by the “facilities obsession” the churches that have no building of their own, there is an overwhelming desire to get one, the ones that do, want to move to have a bigger facility, and the ones who have land near their existing facility, want to extend it! 

Now if this is done with pure motives to do the work of the LORD, and done with a prayerful approach, then I commend these brothers for wishing to have this enhancement to their ministry, if it is being done to be boastful, or to set the church up for “sheep stealing” or to jut be able to say, “we have a sanctuary that holds xxx” then you would be as well not doing it. 

I tend to take my lead from the good and bad things the early church was doing, there is no stories of “campus extensions” of “building works ministries” or any of the distractions we have today. They kept it simple, they met in folk’s houses, the ones who had more, they gave, and then they started a real community. 

Here is what I think, the church, as in the people and not the buildings should really get back to that community idea. Now community is a real “Christian buzz word” and as much as I do not try to appear trendy, this time, I appear to be on the money! 

What we need is a koinonia mindset, now koinonia is a Greek word that is associated with the first church, they were truly a community, in many ways they were like many modern day missions churches.

The reason I talk about missions churches is that when I was serving at Calvary Chapel Glasgow, that was something that attracted the wretched sinner off the street and back into the church, that wretched sinner was me and the church was one of love, of community, of true respect and regardless of your walk with Christ, you were welcomed in, trusted immediately and made feel as if you were one of the family. 

That situation is not commonplace; you won’t see in many churches the Pastors wife cooking all day on a Saturday to ensure the church as a whole eats lunch on a Sunday! You will not always see such humility, that you will see in that pastor, you will not see the good counsel, the exhortation and the correction delivered in such a loving manner. 

The argument I hear most often when I discuss this with American believers (who quite often belong to disconnected churches) is that the “fellowship has grown too large to know everyone! That may be true, but that also means we need to try harder, seeing folks from church is not just a Sunday pursuit, most folks will be happy to know someone cares enough to give them a call or send them a card! 

Which leads me to my last point, churches really should not be disconnected, you should be able to go up to anyone in your fellowship and have a loving talk with them, we are reminded often times to “love one another” what could be more loving that live interaction! Try it, you may find a new love for that person! 

I know I have went on a bit and I pray this finds you well 

God bless

William

I believe that part of being missional – carrying out the mission of God on the earth – is to become an advocate for children, women and families worldwide who are victims of poverty and injustice.

We are empowered according to Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

We are told what true religion is according to James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We are told what is required of is in Micah 6:8

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I really appreciate the song penned by Ryan Delmore “True Religion” – here are the lyrics.

You came for the lost

The sick and the blind

With salvation and hope

You gave to us free so what will we do

With this treasure we hold

Let justice roll on like a river

Let mercy shine bright as the sun

Take care of the orphan and widow

Take care of our own flesh and blood

‘Cause this is the way

That You’ve called us to love

To share what we have

With the hungry and poor

Put clothes on the naked

And heal up the broken and torn

True religion

St. Matthew 7: 2… (Our Christ Jesus, as he was ending His “Sermon on the Mount”).

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Near-Future-shift…

We must abolish the Legislation of Morality. Antiquated laws of both Church and State should never stop love and the commitment of two people. Antiquated Laws—an illegal combo of Church and State?

First Amendment: Civil Rights and Civil Rights and Civil Rights and Civil Rights!

 May Respect and Understanding and Peace and Love, be with all of us…Amen

I’m not sure when Benjamin Franklin created the US Postal Service, he envisioned US mail being transported by armored HMMVWs and protected by machine guns.  But that is one of the methods used to transport mail to the awaiting soldiers in remote combat outposts and camps throughout Afghanistan.  Today’s mission was to retrieve the mail and take care of some additional administrative business.  For me, it was an optimal opportunity to get my chipped tooth filled.

Capt gives SSgt Richard Brown a certificate of appreciation.

Before we departed on our mission, the Captain wanted to present SSgt Richard Brown a certificate of appreciation for his hard work and mentoring these past 6 months.  SSgt Brown is returning home to the United States and if his flights go as planned, he will be home in time to comfort his wife while she gives birth to their baby. (Hold on a few days Mrs. Brown, your husband will be there shortly).

Yesterday, the Muslim world including Afghanistan celebrated Eid Al Adha festival.  This holiday occurs a day after the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.  According to Islamic history, this holiday commemorates the trials of Prophet Ibrahaim (Abraham) when he was ordered by Allah (God) to sacrifice his only son Ismael (Isaac).  So today, the Muslims honor this by slaughtering their best goat, sheep, cow, or camel.  One third of the animal is eaten by the immediate family, one third is given away to friends and relatives, and one third of the meat is donated to the poor people.  This is also a time when Muslims visit others houses and exchange greetings and gifts.

Due to the holiday celebration, our convoy was able to breeze through the city in half the amount of time it normally takes us.  There were very few cars on the normally congested streets and highways.  Most of the shops in the market area were closed and only handfuls of people could be seen walking about.  We arrived at our destination and while the team was busy loading the mail, I went to the dreaded dentist’s office.

Previously I chipped a tooth due to a rollerblading accident and had it filled by the dentist at MacDill AFB in Florida.  Somehow the filling worked loose and I was left with a sharp tooth and a gap between my teeth.  I was dreading going on vacation with this gaping hole between my teeth.  But the female Army Major relieved my fears and humored me while she fixed my tooth.

More school supplies.

I peeked in the back of the trailer and saw a lot of boxes and several of them had my name on it.  I am still receiving lots of school supplies from throughout the US.  Today’s boxes originated from my hometown church in Pennsylvania.  I also received a large shipment from Debra Byrd, Tupelo, MS along with some more boxes from St Martin High School, Ocean Springs, MS.  I guess I need to start planning some HA distributions.  But first, I am leaving this country soon and meet my wife in Germany for a 2-week vacation.  Then after I return and my batteries are energized, I will resume distributing supplies to the local and remote schools.  Thanks to everyone for supporting this worthwhile project!!!

Marty Knight sent this email yesterday:

We’re happy to announce that the 2010 Romania-Albania Missions Conference is just around the corner. The dates for the event are January 8-10, 2010 and the conference will be held at the Prestoncrest congregation in Dallas, Texas. The Ovilla church of Christ will co-host the event with Prestoncrest.

Please note that the website address has changed slightly from a “.com” address to a “.net” address. We apologize for any confusion that this may create, but we found it necessary to change hosting providers.

The conference website is now at: http://www.romaniaalbaniaconference.net

The mission of OFM is to provide ministry education in places where such education is hard to get.  Classes have started in Geita, an African town around 100 kilometers south and west of Mwanza.  Geita contains the only working gold mine in Tanzania.  The gold mine is a big operation.

There are two Anglican churches in Geita itself, a larger one in the center of the city, a smaller one on the outskirts, and many other Anglican churches in the surrounding area.  I teach at the larger church in Geita, Christ the King, whose pastor is named Mathias.  He is the biggest supporter of the classes.  I currently stay with a local family.

The classes are held in the church itself.  High temperatures often drive us outside to under a large shade tree. Rain occasionally drives us back into the church.  There are 20 students, none of who speak any English, all who come from different Anglican churches in the area.  All students are evangelists, each pastoring a church under the infrequent and distant supervision of a priest-pastor.  From the data sheets I collected, the highest education level attained was 7th grade by the way we measure.  Only by grace, by some knowledge of Scripture, and by personal hard work do they succeed as pastors.

One day, I asked some questions of my students.  All 20 of them are lay people, evangelists and church teachers.   Priests rarely come to their churches. All the students normally lead Sunday services, doing a service of the Word.  In reality, they are the pastors. I asked each to describe the ministry at their church, how many members they had, and what was their average Sunday attendance.  These 18 people pastor over 2,500 people and collectively serve an average of 2,000 people on Sunday.  In one way, they may be big enough to qualify as a diocese in the new Anglican Province in North America!

An important moment occurred on Tuesday. I had perceived some feelings of inferiority among my students and I was asked, “Why is it that some parishes are pastored by priests and some parishes are pastored by evangelists?”   I thought – Oh this is an important question.  Lord, help me to give them your answer.

The reply, “In the Anglican Communion, the churches of most countries do not have evangelists in the same way as you do.  In those countries, almost every parish has a priest who is supposed to be the evangelist.  Here in Africa, you do not have enough priests for all parish churches because the education system cannot support the development of all those who might be called by God to be a priest.  Yet, God wants to provide ministry and leadership for his people.  In Lake Victoria, a boat without a rudder wanders aimlessly about, subject to every wind and wave, and cannot complete the journey.  A church without leadership and ministry is like a boat without a rudder on Lake Victoria.  So, God gives a gift to each parish without a priest; He gives them an evangelist to lead the church.”  They beamed.

Initially, class was very hard for them.  Translation makes progress slow.  Lack of ministry education makes most material new.  Prior bad teaching and bad assumptions means that they have to unlearn some things they thought they knew.  There were many misconceptions about Trinity, Virgin Birth, Dual nature of Christ, and others.  Changing such misconceptions is a big challenge, but they work at it.

The Holy Spirit moved mid-week. The students began to understand better.  They became more participative.  They thought and answered questions and discussed issues.  One lady evangelist witnessed to me how she thought that God had touched her life in the class and I was able to affirm that it was God.

Thursday, I met Rev Donat and nine other priests who were visiting from the Diocese of Gahini in Rwanda, and here in Geita for an evangelization crusade.  They must have talked to someone here because they asked if I would come to Rwanda and teach.  I gave them my card and asked them to contact me after I returned to America.

The ministry is working.  One week has been successfully completed.  The students have learned much new material about what the beliefs of the church are and what is ordained ministry.  Two more weeks of instruction will follow.

I congratulate the people of Christ Community Anglican Church in Liberty KY on the completion of the second phase of their building construction, doubling the size of their nave. Now God can fill it.  See pictures of the expanded church.  The link may be found on the MSJ website.

Thank you God.  Thank you people of God.  Your prayers and financial support are bearing fruit here in East Africa.  The teachers of God’s people are being taught.  Without you, all this does not happen.  This ministry, the students in Africa, the rural church in Africa all rely on you and all thank you. Asante sana!

Fr Francis Wardega MSJ
Mission Station Geita, Republic of Tanzania

How true!

“Genocide = dead human beings”

“Holocaust = dead human beings”

“Starvation = dead human beings”

“Abortion = dead human beings”

“They seem similar to me..”

“but I would also say that in general the welfare and livelihood of those of us in the here and now takes precedence over those who have not yet entered the world.”

The above are quotes from the commenter_____Not this writer…

Oh! War = Dead Human Beings! Reality vs. Scripture? Reality vs. imagination…Judgements and the religious-right winged Leaders vs. St. Matthew 7: 2… (Our Christ Jesus, as he was ending His “Sermon on the Mount”).

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

“Some of those guidelines currently are covered by the First Amendment, but those types of freedoms are vanishing around the world.”

Ans: The First Amendment is a created freedom. The rest of the world …Not there, but maybe, don’t you think would be Nice, No Great, No Heaven? Reality and not of this world… “All Men are Created Equal”…the principal author of the Declaration of Independence…owned slaves…Thomas Jefferson…Please help me with the truth?

• This Reverend would love to see a perfect world with our First Amendment. I would love to see newborn children enter into this world; parents filled with love for their new child, a ready bedroom with all the baby needs from crib to formula and on and on and…
• This Reverend believes in LIFE! Where life begins (human or not) is currently an error or truth thru semantics. Example: My God is bigger than your god…ad infinitum? And oops; this Reverend is an old white man. No! Not a notion of racism and… “Jesus loves the little children,
  all the children of the world.
  Red and yellow, black and white,
  All are precious in His sight,
  Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Words: C. Her­bert Wool­ston (1856-1927); Music: George F. Root (1820-1895) And! So do I…

And! In Milwaukee, there once was a month of small horrors…little Children having babies (not one but nine children).. The youngest was a beautiful, just turned 11 year old, riding on a gurney clutching a stuffed teddy-bear, victim of an orphanage and a rape by some big man though-”not my daddy and I hurt” and….this precious child was African American…(Should have aborted during the first trimester—you be the Judge)?

This Reverend is not a racist…This God-loving minister  brings scripture to the streets and in my writing. My heart during that “month of Horror,” had I not believed with all my being in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ would have been torn from my body and my soul. Instead! My heart was just broken and the reality…But enough about me.

• Because of the “no female” concept in China; by the end of 2010, this government will realize that they are about 120 million girls short and about 120 million boys with no girls…oops!

Should we believe in abortion? Should we believe in reality…“and love sister is just a kiss away”—Rolling Stones.

Gay Marriage is another wonderful example of our First Amendment…Let us pray that we will still enjoy that freedom 10 years from today.

May Respect and Understanding and Peace and Love (Rupl) be with all of us…forever?And! I pray that our Right-Winged Clergy grow Left-wings so that our Dove of Peace may fly once more…Amen.

Esther 8:14 (NIV) ~ the couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king’s command. 

Oh, how this verse captures my imagination. It stirs me up with a fire within my bones to make haste with the message of the gospel. These horses were no ordinary horses, but royal ones bred as champions, the finest, and the best you would ever find. These riders were trusted with a message of deliverance, a promise from the King, which brought great rejoicing for whom it was intended. The Darby Translation of the Bible brings this verse alive with these words: “The couriers mounted on coursers and horses of blood went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment.”

Horses of a royal bloodline bred for the King’s purposes. Those who rode on them were chosen for their integrity, chosen for their loyalty to the King. They were those who, at a moment’s notice would, with great haste, obey the King’s command.  Here we have those chosen by the King to be couriers of his message, fired on by the King’s command to bring the good news. 

Time is pressing within our land, people need the good news. Quick! Let us mount the King’s horses and be couriers of His message to His people who are longing to have hope and longing to be given good news so they may rejoice, for their King is mighty to save! 

Listen, can you hear? Look! Can you see how with haste come the King’s trusted couriers into every hamlet, every village, every town and every city to declare the good news from the King? Full of zeal and with a smile, so delighted to share with one and all this message, “Today is the day of Salvation, trust in the words of the King and be saved! Believe in His promise and live!” When the people received the good news and believed in the promise from the King, they celebrated with great joy. 

My friend, God speed our calling as we, with great haste, climb upon the King’s horses and ride with a purpose, driven with love, fired up by the King’s commands to bring His message of good news to the people. Let us therefore ride the lengthen and breadth of our land with the urgent message from our King to one and all, declaring in His authority, “Today is the day of Salvation, trust in the words of the King and be saved! Believe in His promise and live!” When you received the good news from the King and believe in his promise, you will celebrate with great joy, for your King is strong to deliver and mighty to save. 

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

Dona Beneca with portrait, Patacas, Brasil, 2008.

For the next few weeks I want to focus my photos on the subject of family. During the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, our thoughts turn to those we love. We are blessed (whether we care to admit it or not) with the company of relatives and loved ones as we celebrate this special time of the year. I wanted to explore this family theme through images I have taken on the mission field. This was one of the first photos that came to mind.

During my time in Brasil last October, I followed the ministry of Pastor Kosmo as he went about his small rural community of Patacas, Brasil. This ministry involved many visits to members of the community, this could be a time of Bible study, prayer, or merely an occasion to connect socially.

As with all members of the community we visited, who were all incredibly hospitable, always welcoming us in with an offer of fresh juice or coffee, Dona Beneca welcomed us into her home. As the spoke I was caught by the expressive way she animated every story, her arms gyrating and her face contorting with every sentence she spoke. I don’t think I have but a couple photos where her hands aren’t blurred by movement.

Since I know very little Portuguese, I couldn’t follow the entire epic score she was conducting with her hands, but what I did comprehend was the story of the portrait she held in her hands.

She was extremely proud of the image and was blessed by the modern technology that brought it to her. Being from this poor, rural, farming community, personal photographs were rare, especially rare for a person of her generation. She had no photos of herself and her late husband together. Yet, with the help of digital photo manipulation she was able to have the one image of her husband and the one image of herself scanned and brought digitally together into one frame. Even though they are now separated in death, they have been brought together into this one frame she now lovingly cherishes.

There were three of us; Pastor Kosmo, Elizeu, and myself, who spent that hour or so together with Dona Beneca in her humble home, captivated by her energy and animation, enjoying the coffee and friendship. Although I did not speak the language well, we shared a moment of being family. Such is the blessing of the Body of Christ. That brief time in that home blessed me, and I came from that encounter a richer person. Those encounters are available for all of us wherever we find ourselves. Proclaim your mission.

Recently, some have made comments to me indicating that they had a very, very low opinion of Christians, especially fundamentalist Christians. In fact, this person seemed to be blaming most of the world’s ills upon those of Christian faith. I have been thinking about this, the Church has certainly had its share of problems, and much evil has been done in the NAME of Christianity, what IS the truth? Has the Christian faith been the source of much evil and injustice, or has it been an agent for change to the better?

Notice that I emphasized name above. Doing something in the name of Christianity no more makes it or me Christian than doing something in the name of Mars makes it or me Martian. So how do we know if an act is Christian or a person is a true follower of Christ? Fortunately, the bible makes it very clear. You shall know them by their fruit. What fruit? I’m glad you asked, Paul tells us in Galatians:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

There are many references to how we are to live our lives, both in the Old and New Testaments. Both make very clear that God’s will is that we walk in love and show justice, humility and mercy. The prophet Micah put it this way:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

No one can deny that the early church turned the known world on its head. Their impact was large and profound. Just what was that impact? Well, in reading the ancient writings, we find that their love was evident, both in their dealings with one another and with the world. In fact, when a plague swept through the Roman Empire in the third century, it was the Christian believers who attended the sick. Keep in mind that at this time they had suffered continual persecution since the time of Emperor Trajan (100AD). It was this willingness to love others in the face of hatred and their refusal to renounce their beliefs even in the face of death that caused them to stand out and others to come to believe.

In the dark ages, the church in the form of monasteries became the haven of the arts, science and literature. Much was lost then, but no doubt much more would have been lost were it not for the church. Even so, much wrong was done in the name of the church, and many church truths were lost as well. But, were the acts, acts of true believers, true followers of Christ? Were they acts of the true church? Well, using the rule I set forth a few paragraphs ago, I think we can agree the answer would be no. Eventually, reformation came, beginning with Martin Luther. His 95 theses could be considered the birth of Protestantism and the slow restoration of the church. Luther published the first bible in the common language of the day, in the process helping to standardize and stabilize the German language. Not wanting this to be a book on church history, let us skip ahead.

By the 1700’s slavery, child labor and the like was accepted practice. Enter Christian reformers like John Wesley and William Wilberforce. Wilberforce had a tremendous impact upon English culture, and was at the forefront of the anti-slavery movement in England. Wesley’s teachings led to prison reform, and supported the abolitionist movement. In America, the situation was similar, with many Christian sects opposing slavery. Although they did not have the early success of the abolitionist movement in England, in the end, it was Christian believers who were at the forefront of the movement which eventually ended slavery. Christian influence continues to be found at the heart of moral reform. From the ending of child labor, to the establishment of schools and hospitals, orphanages, humane treatment of prisoners, the civil rights movement, to the establishment of this country and the writing of its constitution and bill of rights, Christianity has played an important and positive role in this world.

Today, the vast majority of humanitarian work being done in the third world is accomplished through Christian workers and agencies. Even at home many of the efforts to help the poor and disadvantaged have Christian roots. The list of those who have spent their lives, doing good, reaching out to the poor, the naked, the hungry and the infirm stretches back through the centuries. Some, like Wilberforce, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa, the whole world knows. Most are known only to a few, and may labor their whole lives in seeming obscurity, unknown in this world perhaps, but well know before the throne of God. For some, it is something they take time from work to do, some make it their lifelong vocation, and some will even lay down their lives in their selfless quest to help others.

Is the Church perfect? No, we may seek to follow the only perfect one, but we are not perfect. Could we do more? Possibly, there is so much need, but there are also many practical issues that limit us all. In the end though, we must conclude that while much harm has been done in the name of Christianity, true Christians have done and continue to make many positive contributions to our world.

Hi all

I wanted to let you all know, if you haven’t figured it out already, I have arrived back in the States. Needless to say I’m still processing a lot of things. It was a culture shock just returning back home to things that I was used to and I have a gammit of emotions in me, it may have only been 9 days, but it was a long 9 days. I attempted to go back to work on Monday and made it through three (3) hours until the fatigue set in amongst other things and I left work and went home and rested (well slept pretty much till it was dark)

I have finally gotten all the photos uploaded…I also have videos, but not sure when those will go up Photos linked below

Flight photos going to Guatemala: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=344664&id=555125073&l=4fcb848a01

Day in Antigua: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=345668&id=555125073&l=9d4f3f478a

Camp Day 1: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347250&id=555125073&l=bc12fded00

Camp Day 1: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347526&id=555125073&l=5f07fd8f15

Camp Day 2: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347546&id=555125073&l=d99fcaede1

Camp Day 2: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=347555&id=555125073&l=fb28a14e93

Camp Day 3: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=348157&id=555125073&l=01901d3c1c

Camp Day 3: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=348172&id=555125073&l=d21089a10b

Camp Day 4: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349131&id=555125073&l=b42e5e9f54

Camp Day 4: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349154&id=555125073&l=3dc3e31e2b

Camp Day 5: Otten Prado http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349169&id=555125073&l=8cdc456aae

Camp Day 5: Sakerty http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349512&id=555125073&l=5d10b82736

Going back to the States: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=349524&id=555125073&l=beb5c95139

As many of you know my luggage did not make it home until Tuesday evening, November 23 at 9:30pm, it was sitting in Miami Customs, where I should have picked it up – mis-communication in Guatemala

I attached a photo of my Guatemala family – the Bantas and the fellas I worked alongside everyday with the kids.

I haven’t updated the blog since Days 1 and 2…but it will come…maybe check back first full week of December

Thank you again for the encouragement and prayers.

Homeless family, Patacas, Brasil, 2008.

It is the day after Thanksgiving and malls are being overrun by “Black Friday” shoppers. I assume this is in order to procure more possessions for which to be thankful?

The photo for today is intended to reveal how the majority of the world celebrates the day after Thanksgiving (if they had such a holiday in their country). The family in the photo are homeless living in a lean-to constructed of scraps and throw-away pieces of building materials and trash. It is an intact family of seven, the father, mother, and five young boys.

They found themselves in this condition due to a myriad of factors including the general poverty of the area in which they live, but most importantly the abuse of alcohol. Around them are boxes containing all of their possessions. In the center, under the lean-to lies their one mattress, a ripped and matted slab of foam rubber.

Their Friday today is black not because of some hoped-for profit, rather due to their uncertain future. For them every Friday is black Friday. Black from concern for their boys, of whom the older boy is already slipping into the spiral of poverty and substance abuse. Their black Friday is better described as a black hole. For many, the pull into this cycle of poverty and abuse is something they cannot escape on their own. Who will tell them about the Light that will negate the blackness of their situation? Fortunately, this family has the Christians of the Patacas church who are there to assist them.

What about the multitude of others who do not have such a witness, a rescuer? Proclaim your mission.

©2009 A Mission Proclaimed Productions