Author: admin

From time to time in this blog I write very honestly and bluntly about some of my struggles; this is one of those blogs. If reading blatant honesty from a missionary is not your cup of tea please feel free to skip this blog.

The past few weeks I have been pretty jaded and disillusioned with ministry, missionary life and the tasks before me. Life as a missionary is not always a bed of roses and even the best organizations have their moments when everything is not as it should be. So I have my seemingly well-justified reasons for my jadedness and disillusionment (as do all disenchanted people). However, all my well-justified reasons came under the scrutiny of one simple question: Whom do you serve?

This simple question of whom do you serve, shattered all my reasons and justifications for being jaded and disillusioned. If I serve myself when things are not rosy or something is not as it should be, then any unmet demands for change become justification for a jaundiced attitude. On the other hand, if I serve God in the midst of difficulty or less than ideal situations then these items are His responsibility and His command to me is to rejoice in all circumstances.

Please pray for my obedience to rejoice in all circumstances. Also a number of projects seem to be two steps forward then one step back and I am in the midst of negative progress. Pray for faithfulness to the Lord in the tasks at hand. Pray for the faith to trust God to provide the outcomes He desires.

The last three weeks have involved intensive travel. Major event one was helping New Covenant Church with an unreached people group survey. Major event two was numerous key meetings here in Benin.

Praise God that Dr Emmanuel Mbennah (TWR’s International Director for Africa), Rev. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR’s Area Director for West Africa) and I had a good meeting last week concerning TWR’s shortwave license and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. We are thankful that we were able to meet with key government officials and that they are still positive concerning the shortwave license. Pray for God to move powerfully in regards to the shortwave license.

A while back (15 February) I reported that the NGO status process had hit a problem. We praise God that a way forward is ahead of us and that all are in unity on this path. Pray for the many details of execution and new tasks required.

As usual I returned from my travels with many items with which to follow up on. In order to move the NGO status forward there are some new tasks that demand my attention. My next trip for Regional Management Team meetings in South Africa is in less than two weeks. Please pray that God would help me with the new tasks, the many items of follow up and connecting with my family.

In my last blog I told about two major events on the horizon: Bud and Chris’ visit to Benin to survey an unreached people group and Dr Mbennah’s trip to Benin to work on NGO status and shortwave. Since then, Bud, Chris, Donna, Miriam and I have driven over many roads, met with lots people and have surveyed one unreached people group in Benin. While all the travel was exhausting, it was good to meet new friends, see old ones, hear of some progress reaching this people group and dream about how God would glorify Himself among this people group. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please keep Bud and Chris in your prayers as they are still in West Africa surveying other unreached people groups. Please pray that God would speak clearly to New Covenant Church about their involvement with the unreached.

Major event two (Dr. Mbennah’s trip to Benin) is very rapidly approaching. We praise God that some critical meetings are actually on the calendar and another has been promised but not yet booked. Please pray for the logistics of booking this last meeting. Please pray for favor in the eyes of God and man, wisdom as Dr. Mbennah interfaces with people, and for endurance.

Needless to say with major events like this there are lots of logistics. As I write, my vehicle is in a parking lot not wanting to run. Please specifically pray that it can be fixed quickly and easily. In addition, there have been a number of schedule changes due to complications and problems. Please pray for God’s grace and providence to abound and that my confidence would rest in Him.

Tomorrow morning I leave to meet up with Bud and Chris who are pastors from New Covenant Church (NCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Donna and I helped start this church and it is near and dear to our hearts. NCC is praying about engaging with an unreached people group in West Africa and will survey four unreached people groups in West Africa to see where God might lead. Next week Donna and Miriam will join Bud, Chris and I to help survey one of these people groups in Northern Benin.

Everyone is pretty excited about this trip. Both Donna and I are passionate about unreached people groups so it will be exciting to help with this survey and have fellowship with Bud and Chris at the same time. In addition, Donna, Miriam and I will get to see some dear missionary friends who are living and working among one of these people groups in Northern Benin. Please pray that God would clearly speak to NCC about where, when and how they should engage the unreached. Pray for all the travel and logistics involved with this trip.

The next major event on the horizon is Dr Mbennah’s visit to Benin. He arrives a few days after Bud and Chris leave. As you know from previous blogs he is coming to work on the TWR’s NGO status and a shortwave license for Benin.  The preparation for his trip has already begun. Please pray for the continued preparation of Dr Mbennah’s visit. Pray that God would start even now to move in the hearts of government officials. Pray for all the logistics of the travel and meetings.

Lastly, on a personal note, I would covet your prayers as I have a tendency to lose focus on the beauty of the Savior during busy times like the next three weeks. Pray that God would be all to me.

This morning during my quiet time I read Psalms 62. The first verse struck me as I read it: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” Last night I did not sleep well with my task list and all of its uncompleted tasks racing through my mind. Yet as I read this verse I was confronted with the question of whether my soul really finds rest in God alone or if I find some rest in completing a task? Oh Lord, as with the psalmist, may I claim to find rest in You alone.

Many thanks to those who prayed for the advance work that is being done for Dr Mbennah’s trip to Benin. My trip to Cotonou went well and so far by God’s grace the advance planning is going well. Please continue to keep the advance planning and Dr. Mbennah’s trip during the second week of June in your prayers. Two the key items for which many of you fasted and prayed (NGO status and shortwave license) will be the focus of Dr. Mbennah’s trip.

Within a few days of the arrival of Dr. Mbennah our colleagues will return from furlough and two summer interns will arrive. Needless to say it will be a busy time. Pray that everything goes well with all these people arriving.

Later today I travel to Cotonou for meetings on a couple of the issues for which many of you fasted and prayed: NGO status and short wave license. There has already been some fruit from the fasting and praying in these areas. However, much still needs to be done.

To this end and in an effort to move these things forward, Dr Mbennah (the International Director for TWR in Africa) is planning on coming to Benin the second week in June to work on these things.

Pray that while I am in Cotonou the needed advance work for Dr. Mbennah’s trip will be successful and that God would move in the hearts of many for favorable responses to the NGO status and short wave license. As always when I travel please pray for those keeping the home fires burning and for safety on the road.

On another front, I recently had the opportunity for some tele-coaching. One of the things that was surfaced was the need to cut deep into my tasks list and decide which things I should just drop and which tasks need to be done at some other point in time. As I have worked on this I have come to the deeper realization of the need to trust God with His work. He will get done what He desires when He desires it. My job is not to accomplish the tasks but to be faithful. Pray that I would be faithful and have wisdom to cut deep into my tasks list.

As a Christian, I know that God sovereignly allows difficulties and trials to come into our lives. However, there are times when it feels like Murphy’s Law of Benin number one (the likelihood of getting malaria is directly proportional to the enormity and volume of tasks at hand) is at play. And yes it seems like I have many enormous tasks at hand and yes I had malaria again.

Last week during the Bible study at site the passage included Romans 5:3 “But we also rejoice in our sufferings.” The same night during our family devotion we read James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy when you face trails.” And yes it was clear that God was communicating to me the need to find joy in the midst of difficulties and trails. Pray that I would be obedient to God’s Word.

So far, the elections in Benin have been relatively peaceful. Please continue to pray that peace would reign in Benin as the elections for the Benin parliament take place in mid April.

There are a number of tasks that require the presence of Dr Mbennah (the International Director for TWR for Africa) in Benin. Please pray that all the details of his trip can be arranged in a timely way.

Donna and I have done many fasts over the years and this one has been the hardest both physically and spiritually. There were days when we were ready to not just quit fasting but ready to leave Benin (we are over both the fast and wanting to leave Benin). Both Donna and I praise God for two things: His sustaining grace which was an invisible hand supporting us and for all the other people fasting, praying, and encouraging us. Praise be to God for His grace. Many thanks to all of you who joined with us in prayer and fasting.

There have been no changes since my last update on the things for which we requested fasting and prayer. Please know we will update as soon as we hear something in any of these areas. Once again we trust that God’s invisible hand is working to His glory.

On Friday (March 11) I start a trip to South Africa for Regional Management Team meetings. I will be traveling in the midst of the Benin presidential elections due to their second delay. Pray that God would give the team wisdom and we would hear and obey His voice. Pray for God’s peace and security to rest on Donna and Miriam as they stay and for my safety in travels.

Once again thank you to all who have joined us in fasting and prayer. It is greatly appreciated. Do not forget to be nice to your stomach as you start eating again. Once again I reference the Campus Crusade for Christ article as it has some practical suggestions for ending a fast in a healthy manner. www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/7-steps-to-fasting/01-personal-guide.htm

First, thank you so much to those who are fasting and praying with us. This has been a tremendous encouragement. It has prodded, nudged and inspired us to keep on. We know that for some this is your first fast, others are starting your fast today (March 4) and some have emailed your daily prayer for us. Please know how deeply grateful we are and that we have also been praying by name for all those that we know are fasting and praying with us.

Second, at the end of this blog you will find an update on the items for which we are fasting and praying where there have been changes.  Items that have not changed are not updated and you can find them at: www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=252. One praiseworthy item is that we have received all the documents needed to apply for the title deed for the Parakou compound.

It is at this point that I wish I could tell you how much joy and peace I have found during these days of fasting and praying, but that is not the case. I wish I could recount God’s abounding grace in my life, giving me extra patience with my wife and Miriam in the midst of being hungry but I must report I have been most grumpy. I wish I could give an account of how easily I have maintained the singularity of focus I wrote about on February 27 but maintaining that focus has been and continues to be an uphill battle, maybe even more so this week than usual.

Oh Lord, may Your Spirit work in us and may we yield to Him so that joy, peace and patience will flow from You. May we not be deceived to think that our contentment is from our circumstances but clearly know it comes from Your indwelling. May You in Your time and in accordance with Your perfect plan bring about all things to the glory of Your Name.  May I not question your wonderfully mysterious ways.

Benin Staffing Needs: It appears that there is an engineering intern in the pipeline for this summer.

Non-Government Organization (NGO) Status: This process has hit a major problem as I have already reported in my February 15 update.

Title Deed for Parakou compound: As mentioned above, we now have all the documentation needed to apply for the title deed. While this isn’t the title deed, the wonderful thing about this documentation is that it clearly establishes TWR’s right to the property.

Ivory Coast: This situation continues to deteriorate. Please pray for the safety of TWR staff and the key role they play in the ministry to West Africa.

Benin Presidential Election in March: There has been some interesting politics in the last week, however, we are still hopeful for a peaceful election

The question that I have wrestled with is how do we, as Christians, maintain a singularity of focus on our Triune God while walking through this world with its problems and being faithful to our responsibilities as husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, employees, employers, children, coaches, station directors and all the other things that pull for our attention? Perhaps part of the secret to a successful Christian life is being able to keep a singularity of focus despite all the demands on us.

In starting my fast I have been reminded of all the things for which I have asked prayer, however, there is One thing that is singularly important: Father, Son & Spirit. In the midst of thanking God for what He has done and requesting His continued aid may we have singularity of focus on Him. In the words of my dear friend Flora Rittenhouse: “May we each see God’s face in a new way, with rich depth and powerful action to move ahead on many fronts.”

Kris Lundgaard asked this question as he closed his book Through the Looking Glass: reflections on Christ that change us, “what would the church be like if all of us kept the eyes of our faith ever fixed on the glory of the Lamb?” What would my life be like if I was able to stay focused on Christ? What would be different for you if you were able to maintain proper perspective on Christ all the time?

Oh Lord, help us to better see you and not take our eyes off of you.