Home Again

Dear Friends,

We’re home and beginning to think back on all God has purposed and planned for the Pastors of Burundi and Kenya. As you step into the ravaged, impoverished places of Bujumbura and Kilifi, it’s a wonder how people are so friendly. When you meet the people of God, you can’t help but see a glimpse of the character and Grace of God. Men and women, who do not have the books, education, a comfortable physical environment or cultural and political advantages we do, are growing, vibrant Christians. God is simply amazing in what He can do in the hearts of His people according to His grace.

We had gifted men to translate for Alan, in ways that the Africans would best understand. The narrative approach to teaching systematic theology, that Alan worked on before going, was well received beyond our expectations. The African believers were able to see how these concepts come out of scripture and how they relate together. Also, there was a huge and unexpected impact on their marriages and families. We are thankful to God because it was so helpful and blessed the African men so much. In fact we were told how they appreciated the fact that Alan got deeper with them and that they were learning so much and were thinking hard together about how they needed to change as a result of what they had learned.

My time with the women was equally as appreciated. I addressed what the bible has to say about our biblical role as a believer, wife, mother, friend/mentor and partner with our husbands in ministry. I shared stories of women from the scriptures that illustrated my points. In Burundi, I quickly realized that most of the women were not pastor’s wives and probably had little bible knowledge so I revamped some of my material and was careful to see that the gospel was woven in throughout the time. I was also asked to address issues of child bearing and child rearing. My interpreter was a man who was gentle but impatient with all the children and goings on. He told me he wasn’t very knowledgeable of women’s issues. The Lord just gave me grace and perseverance and I was well aware of His presence with me. Then we went to Kenya and I tasted the delight of teaching women who were thinking with me, eager to apply it practically and asked lots of questions. I praise God for the experience because again when I went to Czech the women were attentive, thinking but not at all interactive, verbally or non-verbally. I am sure it is partly my inexperience and the cultural issues that contribute to responses. I am content to just do as much as I can to prepare my heart and studies ahead of time and leave the results to God. My “social” times with the women were definitely productive and there were teachable moments throughout those times as well.

Of course Satan delights in frustrating our efforts and downright sabotaging what he could in order that the church continue to be hindered. However we could tell his fiery darts couldn’t get very far and that your prayers here in the states were effective in the battle with us. Please don’t take lightly the power and eternal work you do when you pray. We had peace that moved us through the challenges with calmness and assurance that He would prevail. Believe me that is not us in the flesh.

Briefly, Burundi offered no concern for safety. We were busy all day teaching and handing out glasses. The bags and bibles in both places were greatly appreciated. We are so thankful for the opportunity to provide such gifts to them. We knew they had never done something like this and this was our first experience with teaching in Africa so our expectations were low. We learned so much about what to be aware of and how something like this needs a liaison from the US to work out the details. As it was we ended up with significant extra costs for the training to continue. Our recommendation would be for the ReachGlobal Africa staff to work with the Burundi Free Church to help them mature in some of these areas. They have so many needs and they need help in how to manage that beyond thinking money is the answer. We look forward to seeing their progress in the years ahead.

In contrast, the group of churches we worked with in Kenya, the FGP was much further along in their thinking. They have been building a relationship with the Canon City Free Church through a man by the name of Jim Watson for close to 5 years. His wise and patient relationship building made working through logistics much more culturally and biblically compatible. For one thing, the attendees were indeed all Pastors, along with their wives and a few key church elders. We knew our roles and were able to give our all to that. As newbies we also learned how to work with the culture and people through the observation of the church leaders, Jim Watson, and by their interaction with us. It was almost a “too good to be true” experience especially given what we encountered in Burundi. It gave us an invaluable resource to draw on in future planning of training conferences. We anticipate going back next year to do more teaching there.

One of the highlights of our trips to each of these areas is visiting churches. Sometimes Alan would preach if it was a Sunday, but other times we would just take time out to see what is going on in various areas and meet the congregations. God’s people are friendly and warm wherever we go it seems. The children are a plus too, so much fun for us.

It was with great joy that we joined with the Czech City Team to minister to believers there. As much as we delighted to come and serve them by teaching on the Holy Spirit, I think they served us more with their love, encouragement, hospitality and generosity. We are so thankful that God has joined us in a special way with these ReachGlobal missionaries and we anticipate that God has a purpose beyond what we know for the relationships there. A special treat for us was a crossing of paths with Gary and Elizabeth Inrig. They, along with their church, put on the European regional conference and were taking a few days off in Prague. We were invited by the Prague team to join them for a tour of a castle. It was such a good time to renew our friendship with them and of course Elizabeth has had enormous impact on my life, in preparing me for the ministry God has given me today.

Soon we will hit the road again visiting Churches to update you on God’s activities and our participation with Him. We want to share our experience as we continue our efforts to equip the church through the building up of pastors and their wives. We plan to post some more stories and details on our blog in the coming days. Stay tuned!

With hearts filled with thankfulness to our great and awesome God,

Al and Edie Lewis

A Day of Rest

We are finally able to update you. We are here in Prague. We start our multi-church conference at 4:30 pm today meeting with the leadership and then tonight with the group Al will teach. We had a much needed day of rest yesterday. Took a walk in this awesome park that belongs to a castle near our hotel. Worked some on our teaching for here and slept too much. It was interesting that as we were coming to Czech we were looking forward to a more familiar and normal culture. Then we realized how we didn't used to think that way about Eastern Europe! We've come a long way in our view of "cross cultural".

Our time in Kenya went super! It was so wonderful being with the people of God there and giving them a gift they considered priceless; a deeper knowledge of the word. We plan to write when we get home about many of our experiences because we know that they will be encouraging and really boost your faith to know that God is alive and active in the hearts of the people of Africa.

With Joy, Al and Edie

Last leg of the Journey begins

We got a brief email and phone message from Mom early this week. Here's the latest:

They arrived safely in Amsterdam from Nairobi and are in route to Prague. Their flight was delayed and they were very concerned that their luggage arrives with them. We have not heard, but pray that God grants them that mercy! The last few days Dad was fighting an intestinal bug and not able to eat much. Mom asked for prayer for him to recover quickly. They felt really good about their time in Kenya and plan to return next year.

Now they will have 24 hours of rest (18 & 19) in Prague before they begin leading a multi-church conference in Vlasim, just south of Prague on Thursday the 20th. The topics of the conference will be the role of the Holy Spirit in our relationship to Christ, to one another, to the Word and in ministry to one another. My parents have asked that you pray for them to be effective in helping the Czech brethren to be more unified as they encourage these believers to work together more effectively as churches. They will meet with leaders and their wives on the 21st and my Mom will teach the women on the 22nd.

They leave for the long trip home on Monday the 24th.

Thanks for continuing to pray for endurance, energy, health and God's presence with them as they complete the last part of their trip.

~Anne Lynn, Al & Edie's daughter

Adventures in Africa

Editors Note: This email from my Dad was very difficult to decipher. I am sure there were things lost "in translation". The technology there is somewhat lacking.

We are finally able to get to an Internet place. We were warmly received in Burundi and enthusiastically received in not only the town where the conference was held, but also in the two churches in remote areas that we visited. On Friday the 10th, some of us rode to the southern part of Burundi along beautiful Lake Tanzania. We saw many beautiful areas with all kinds of palm trees, which are harvested for palm oil and coconuts. On the way our van broke down, but it was very near to a mechanic, who fixed it really fast. The rear axle gears were out of oil. On the way back we broke down again within 100 yards of the first place. Any other place would have taken hours to get it fixed. We were on the road for nearly 12 hours that day after all the errand runs we had to make before the 3 hour trip and then the stops etc. The people were very happy to get the bibles and we had a great time all week giving out the eye glasses.

They responded well to the teaching Al did, following along very well. The pastors were coming from a very different background and Al helped them with issues ranging from eternal security to how to treat their wives. It was very interesting to see them struggle with loving their wives and helping them. Edie had a more difficult time working with the women, who were mostly uneducated and had a hard time following the teaching. She had a male translator who said he didn’t understand women’s issues. The Lord worked anyway. Many of the women were young and nursing babies. Edie was asked to address the issue of having many children, which many there think is a command of God. Al talked about that as well. Edie developed a good rapport with one young woman who was trying to learn English. There were some frustrations with organization and financial issues, but Esron, our translator from ReachGlobal, helped a lot with that.

Losing our luggage was a trial, but the Lord helped us. We went to the airport 6 times to try to get it, staying up to 2am and 3am on Saturday and Sunday nights. Al had only a couple hours sleep Sunday night and wondered how the teaching would go. We got our luggage Monday morning, changed to new clothes and began teaching. The Lord gave us strength and Al did not get tired until we left for home at 5 pm. Thank you for your prayers for us!

We had a great time with Esron who is the president of the Rwanda Evangelical Free Church. He is a great man and Al loved working with him. Our accommodations in Burundi were okay and the cold showers were exciting after a hot day. The food was simple but tasty. I think we are losing a bit of weight!

Our trip from Burundi to Kenya went fine except once again our luggage did not arrive with us. We got it three hours later and then traveled three hours to our housing. Again, our lodging is simple, and when we have water it is cold, but we do have a ceiling fan which helps a lot with the 85 degree heat and high humidity here. The teaching has gone even better here in Kenya. What a great group of men and women! Edie is having a much better time teaching with the women and enjoying it a lot. Again, husband and wife issues are at the top of the list of concerns, with the culture teaching men to treat women poorly. Some of the men have really been convicted and want to change. They are very happy with the doctrinal teaching and the method of using Genesis to teach theology has worked great. Pray that God will teach them in their hearts by His Spirit. We have two days of teaching left. Each day we have a question time, during which they can ask anything they want. There have been some really great questions which have stretched Al to answer.

Thanks so much for all your prayers! You do not know how much we need them and how much we realize their value. We will give a more detailed update when we return. We hope to write again when we get to the Czech Republic in a few days.

Al for us both

More News from Kenya

My sister Amy was able to talk to my parents for a few minutes tonight. She said they were upbeat and happy, and seemed to be having a really good time. This can only be attributed to God's presence with them when they told about their living conditions! There is no electricity at all in the village where they are at. Thus, they have no access to email. On the days that they have running water, it is icy cold and only comes as a trickle. On the days when they don't have running water, they have to haul water in buckets for washing up. The weather is very hot and humid and there are lots of bugs. My Dad has a pink rash on his feet, they are asking for prayer for that. It does not itch, but they have no idea what it is.

Every day the people kill a goat to feed my parents and the people attending the conference. My Dad is going through the bible from Genesis to Revelation in a narrative form, teaching theology along the way. The African pastors and their wives are asking lots of questions about marriage and family life. Mom and Dad are very much enjoying the teaching times and are so glad to have the privilege to share the truth of God's Word with their brothers and sisters in Kenya. They said they are taking lots of pictures and have many "stories" to tell about their time there.

We will continue to post updates here as we get news.

Anne Lynn, daughter of Al & Edie Lewis

News from Kenya

News from Mom & Dad is sporadic and sparse. However, I did receive a brief message from them today saying that the days are very long and the accommodations are rustic but that their teaching times are going really well. The people there (they are now in Kenya) are very warm and receptive and grateful to have my parents there. Apparently they lost their luggage again when traveling from Burundi to Kenya. Thankfully it was located after 1 day. Quite a scare, however.

Please continue to pray for my parents safety, health and stamina. Pray also for the Lord to use them to speak to the hearts of the Kenyans and that the teaching of the Word would be implanted deeply and immediately applied to their lives. Mom and Dad asked that you specifically pray that the teaching of the Word would begin to affect marriages and families among the Christian believers in Kenya.

Thank you for your continuing support and prayers,

Anne Lynn, daughter of Al & Edie Lewis

First Report from Burundi

We have begun our work here and it has been fun! We received our luggage Monday morning after five days in the same clothes (with heat and humidity, mind you) and 6 trips to the airport. Just in the nick of time. Al didn't get to bed until 3:30am so was exhausted but God gave him the strength he needed and he was impressed with all God did in and through him. The pastors are soaking up what they are learning, asking questions and interacting with him. My teaching is also being received well and my rapport with the women is amazing. I feel so relaxed and at peace, teaching and mentoring. I have met one young woman who is single and applying herself to learn English. We have connected so well and with her not having a mother or father I may have opportunity through email to mentor her. We passed out bibles and glasses today. What a privilege for us to be able to provide these special things for them. The bags and notebooks were a hit but there was not quite enough as the group has grown. We feel very safe, the people are extremely warm and accepting of us. Al has had good rapport with Esron from Rwanda, who is his translator. We are so grateful for the many prayers answered but don't quit praying for us yet, we still have many days to go!

Al & Edie

Urgent Prayer Request from the Lewis'

My mom was able to call briefly on Sunday to let us know that they arrived in Africa safely after 30+ hours of travel. However, ALL their luggage is lost. With the all the airline restrictions on carry-ons, they were not able to carry much with them on the plane. They have been teaching and ministering wearing the same clothes they have had on for 4 days and all they have for toiletries is a toothbrush. Of course this is not like America where the hotels have things for them to use like soap and razors. Nor are there shops nearby where they can purchase clothing. The people they are teaching are extremely poor. Mom said their room was comfortable though very sparse. They get to share the space with geckos, lizards and large spiders. It has been very hot and humid and the mosquitoes are very thick. She said the people have been very kind and wonderfully welcoming to them.

Please pray that God would miraculously locate their luggage (intact with nothing stolen) and that they would easily be able to be re-united with it. They begin all of their training classes today (Monday) and it would be a real encouragement to them to have their luggage.

This has proven to be, and will continue to be, a very challenging trip. Thank you for faithfully praying for them as they begin to equip our African brothers and sisters in the Word!

Anne Lynn,
daughter of Al & Edie Lewis

We go out with your prayers!

We’re on our way to Africa and Czech this morning. We feel really prepared and ready to get going. This past Monday some in our church here and Ft. Dodge had a prayer meeting for us. What a blessing!! We broke into three groups and prayed and then they all gathered around us and laid hands on us. It was a wonderful expression of solidarity with our ministry from the body. As their hands were upon us I thought of the many people elsewhere who are praying for us as well. Their touch seemed to me to communicate the whole body of Christ praying for us. Thank you so much for your partnership with us. At times we feel a little alone and isolated because we are not able to be engaged with one congregation. But this morning we feel fully connected. In a real sense by the Spirit you are traveling with us to serve pastors and wives that desperately need our help. I am certain God is pleased with that.

We will try to update as we can as we travel. God bless you.

Al

Request for Prayer

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is hard to believe that we have been home since the middle of April. Time has flown by and we have been incredibly busy developing training materials and doing support team building with churches and individuals. It still feels like we still have two full time jobs. We are thankful that we have made a lot of progress on our teaching materials for our upcoming trip to Africa and Czech Republic. The support building has been a little slower. Please pray that we will be able to raise the remaining 45% by the end of the year.

It is difficult to communicate how much we appreciate your partnership with us in this ministry. We especially sense a need for prayer as we leave for a 26 day trip to Africa and Czech on July 30th. It will be a very challenging trip so we are asking you to pray diligently for us. Here is our schedule and requests:

July 30: We fly to Bujumbura, Burundi, arriving on the 31st about midnight. This is our first time in Burundi as well as our first training trip and it is their first time hosting a training event so we all have a lot to learn together. The communication has been a bit sketchy and the country is still a little unsettled after war. Pray for the arrangements and for our safety.

August 2: Al preaches in a Burundi church. We do not know exactly where or what it is like so pray for our flexibility. Pray that God will use Al to preach the word in a way that builds up the church and spiritual leaders here.

August 3 - 7: We will be training about 30 pastors and their wives. None has had any biblical training so the need is great. Al will teach both men and women in the morning and then we will split them in the afternoon with Edie working with the women alone. Pray that we will both communicate well and that our teaching will be helpful.

August 8: We fly to Nairobi and then on to Mombasa, Kenya. We will train about 50 pastors and 35 wives again in Kilifi, Kenya, just north of Mombasa.

August 9: Al preaches somewhere near Kilifi. Again, pray for the ability to bridge the culture in preaching and that the Spirit will give the message that will speak to their hearts.

August 10 - 15: This training is much better organized and we will be working with a team who will share in the training. Pray that Al will be able to condense his training into a much shorter time frame. Pray again for Edie as she works with the women in the afternoons.

August 16: Al preaches again at a local church.

August 17: We fly to Nairobi and then late that night on to Amsterdam and Prague, arriving on the 18th around 8am. We will need some rest and recovery before our conference starts. Pray that our accommodations allow that.

August 20 - 23: Al leads a multi-church conference in Vlasim just south of Prague. The topics of the conference will be the role of the Holy Spirit in our relationship to Christ, to one another, to the Word and to ministry to one another. Pray that we will be effective in helping our Czech brethren to be more unified and to work together more effectively as churches. We will meet with leaders and their wives on the 21st and Edie will teach the women on the 22nd.

August 24: We fly home.

Thanks again for your willingness to support us financially and in prayer. By doing so, you have a real and vital role in the development of these men and women in ministry in Africa and Europe. We look forward to giving a good report about what the Lord did when we return. We will try to update our blog as we can. You can check it out at: alandedie.blogspot.com.

Yours in Christ,

Al & Edie

Getting Ready to Go Out Again

Two weeks from today we leave for our next trip. This one is our “maiden voyage” so to speak. We will be teaching, mentoring and building relationships. Lots of details need to be checked off in order to be prepared in a “physical” sense. But more importantly we have the subtle battle with our flesh and the enemy to be in shape with the Spiritual. It is time to gear up for real mission and that is to Glorify God and serve Him as He leads us. There are many unknowns particularly in Burundi.

We will be sending off a prayer letter soon and posting it as well on this blog. Our contact will be limited in that we won’t have our computers so thought I would start informing you now on what is coming up for us. Thanks for your prayers and interest in our ministry.

May all praise with thanksgiving be given to Him.

Al and Edie

Busy Days!

It is hard to believe we have been home for over a month! So many things we need to catch up on, along with taking many opportunities to travel and share our ministry with others. We have needed this time to reflect and now plan for what is ahead.

This last trip was the most challenging and thought provoking of the trips we have taken so far. We were in Mongolia and India. If you followed our blog, you know some of what we experienced in these very unique cultures. It has taken some time to combine all our experiences from this past January through April (3 separate overseas trips) and gain a broad perspective of what it is God is calling us to do now. Since our “job” was created out of a need for teaching and equipping the church, we are especially called upon to lean on the Lord for wisdom and insight. Proverbs 3:5-7 guides our actions. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. “

What we do know now is that tremendous effort is being done on the part of brothers and sisters in many different spots around the world. Christ’s church is growing in places that have not seen much witness of the gospel recently, in some cases for centuries. Despite many obstacles, God’s truth is being revealed in the hearts of people and they are being transformed. Unfortunately, the men who have been called to shepherd these churches are largely untrained to carry out their role as pastors. Our primary task is to help them, and their wives, to understand how to study the Bible and to teach it effectively, so that they can then accurately evaluate cultural norms and beliefs and begin to transform thinking of their congregations to be more like Christ. Our ultimate goal is to raise up gifted national pastors, who in turn will be able to train others.

At this time we would appreciate your prayers for our present efforts. Alan is developing a course of basic theology to teach to men who have little education and /or minimal reading skills. This is a huge undertaking requiring some “storytelling” to help in the development of theological/biblical thinking. Edie is working on a series of “talks” related to the biblical role of women as a wife, mother and ministry partner. She would also like to include some practical application of women from the bible and history. We both need time, inspiration , and a sensitivity in our hearts toward those we will be training. These projects need to be done by early June for translation. We will be leaving for a trip to Africa & Europe at the end of July.

We also ask you pray for us as we will be on the road for many weekends sharing our ministry with churches and individuals. We still need to raise about 48% of our support and want to work diligently at that task. By God’s grace He has given us freedom and peace to trust in His provision as we try to be faithful in our part. Still it is a battle of the mind and heart and we would appreciate your prayers on our behalf.

On a more personal note, we are still adjusting to all the new circumstances of this new role. For example, we need to learn when to quit working each day. Since we both work at home now, it’s hard to know when work ends. It seems there are always deadlines and a constant need for mental creativity and learning. Then there is also the regular stuff of life around the home and responsibilities with caring for Edie’s elderly mom. It gets to be overwhelming at times. Thank you for lifting us up before God’s throne of grace.

Here is our schedule for the next several weeks.

May 16-17: Hope EFCA Dubuque, IA

May 17-18: Meeting with Area Leaders of South Asia

May 23-24: EFCA Algona, IA

May 31: EFCA Fort Dodge, IA (evening)

June 13-14: EFCA Erie, IL (preaching )

June 20-21: EFCA Muscatine, IA (preaching)

June 23-25: EFCA National Conference in Mpls, MN

June 23-25: Meet with Kenya Team, ReachGlobal event

June 28: EFCA Albert City, IA

Thank you so much for your faithfulness in prayer for us and for your service to Christ in all that you do. He is the Almighty God, at work in our hearts to conform us to the image of His Son.

To Him be all the Glory,

Al and Edie Lewis

al.lewis@efca.org

edie.lewis@efca.org

Parked for Awhile

I am so sorry we have not been able to get back to this blog sooner. We arrived home on Apr. 10th in the afternoon to a clean house thanks to my mother-in-law and a nifty housekeeper. We were able to attend the Good Friday service which I must say was the cup of cool water we needed. Our daughter Amy's in-laws also arrived which is always such a big blessing to us. They are strong, mature and wise believers that always give us rich fellowship. Paula is also a very talented artistic person and was a huge help with getting our display done for the following weekend.

I was asked to give a talk on missions to the Central District Women's retreat. It forced me to do some reflection and debriefing with the Lord as I struggled to know just what to say. I was very concerned that the message would not be diminished by the weakness of the messenger. I really felt the Lord answered prayers my prayers and the women were so receptive. Actually the retreat was perfect timing for me. I was running pretty much on empty and these serious, godly women in their 70's delivered a spiritual retreat that lifted all up to a higher plane of thinking concerning our bridegroom coming for us and what that means to us today.

Meanwhile, Alan came along to be introduced on Friday night along with our district superintendent and his wife. Then he had Saturday to just veg-out and do what he wanted. We were in Branson, MO, so not too bad though it was raining. Sunday afternoon we headed for a cabin we rented outside of Branson and slept! Then Monday had a wonderful time recapping what we have done the past 4 months, prayed for many things and headed off for the outlet malls. We even prayed about that. We were looking for shirts that are designed for humidity. We found that when we would wash our sweaty clothes while in places like India and Africa, the clothes would not be dry by morning so then you put on slightly damp shirts to begin another humid day. We were like kids finding the right toy, when we found these moisture-wicking shirts on clearance and on sale.

The rest of the week found us beginning to shape up what the next 3 months will look like. We must get busy at support raising and developing teaching with hand-outs to be ready for the first of June (in order to get it translated in time). Alan especially has a lot on his plate as he meets in Dallas with the Center of Church-Based training. They are bringing in people from all over the world to discuss important issues regarding the training of Pastors and leaders in places all over the globe. In August we will be going to Burundi and Kenya to be with pastors and their wives for a week in each place. Our teaching needs to be primarily of an oral approach as the education levels are limited for some and most of the women cannot read. It is an exciting thought to open an understanding of the scriptures to these called ones who are ministering to the body of Christ in their areas. Alan is especially on a time crunch to completely write his own "Basic Theology" course with hand-outs by the first of June. That way the materials can be translated in their own language. In Burundi we are on our own but in Kenya we are with a team. In both places I am the only American woman so I am praying for God to send me an assistant to go too. In the upcoming weeks I hope to enlist the help of our daughter Anne to post some pictures.

We also want to share about our trip to India as it impacted us in so many ways. It is truly a praise to our God that our health remained strong and our attitude positive despite many frustrations. We are learning more vividly that our God reigns and is not thwarted by anything despite the strongholds Satan has in many of the places we go. When you think of us please pray Ps. 18:28 "For it is you who light my lamp: the Lord my God lightens my darkness." In many ways we are in the dark as to what is the best way to reach these people, may the Lord bring to light what we should teach and how best to communicate the truth.

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

Al and Edie

House Calls

We have left Kolkata, in West Bengal India. The last night we were there we did house calls. The first home we visited was a family of believers. The man asked some practical questions that Alan answered for him from the scripture. They were such a sweet family. The second home was multi-family members of which the wife of the owner was the only believer. The son had slit his wrists recently and been in a hospital for 1month. He isn’t any better but had honest and hard questions to ask Alan. He did the best he could to answer them and then prayed passionately for him. His name is Michael. If you think of him pray for his salvation. Their other son died of a brain tumor.

We spent last night in Delhi and are headed this morning for Varanasi. It is a village with only 4 million people. We have to be discreet and careful since it is a strict Hindu area. We return here the next day and spend 2 days meeting with people here . On Friday the 10^th we leave late at night and then arrive at 3:15pm on the 10^th in Fort Dodge. Funny huh?

India is a difficult place to see. But what a light the Christians are here. They are really in contrast to their culture around them.

Thanks for listening and praying for us. We know your prayers are a sweet aroma to God on our behalf.

Love In Christ,

Al and Edie

Experiencing India

It is quite amazing to be here to say the least. So many people and mostly appear to be living in squalor. It is hard to imagine so many people infirmed, begging and washing themselves on the street corners from an old fashioned pump. We are in Bengal, which is communist-ruled, but the conditions are awful. Still Christ has compassion and so should we. His church is growing too despite all the bondage from Hinduism. It seems like hopelessness is all around. We leave here to go to a poorer and darker part of India tomorrow. This is Calcutta, which is considered to have more upper caste people. We are far from where William Carey started it all. I really wished we could have visited his residence.

I purchased fabric to make a sari but don’t know if I can have it done tomorrow or not.

We were out sightseeing last night and were by the river. A pile of garbage that people and birds were going through then several groups of people came to release idols in the river. Some were covered with colored dust. It was a sight to actually see people doing this bizarre thing. A train went by, old just like the movies and what a ride that would be. Not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination.

We are headed to do house visits (pastoral). You can’t imagine what it is like to be doing so many things without schedules or routine. In other words, it is always new situations we are having to quickly adapt to as best we can.

Our accommodations are comfortable. It is twin beds, but we figured out how to heat the water heater so will have a warm shower in the morning though the bathroom we don’t cool and it is very hot. It is also very humid. I actually had swelled ankles for the first time. I am drinking lots of water. The city traffic is just outside our window and is quite noisy. It quieted down though later and didn’t really get going until 6 am. I hope we can find a way to send this. The Cafe is closed today so will try tomorrow .

Love and miss you all,

Edie

Leaving Bangkok

We don’t have Internet access here so are going to try an Internet cafe down the street. Here it goes….

Hello Fellow Sojourners!

We finished out in Bangkok making new friends in ministry, and feeling like we learned a lot from our African brother who spoke on “Discipling the Nations” and the need for a mind transformed by the Word of God. Just as we in America tend to act in ways that are more “American” than Christian, other cultures do the same, only with more contrast, such as pagan practices of sprinkling salt on the ground around a house to keep the spirits away, as we heard one teacher in Africa was teaching. Unless people can see the difference of applying what God’s word says concerning who we worship, how we worship, how we are to think and live, etc., it is hindering to the change that can really be seen. We thought it interesting that we saw more visible signs of idol worship in the city of Bangkok than when we were there in January but then they were celebrating Christmas with trees , Christmas music etc.

We are now here in India. We are having plenty of interaction with nationals who are pastoring either full time or part time. The testimonies have been amazing. One member of our team from a church in Calif. said in the Middle East God is working through dreams and visions. Here it seems He is working through wonderful healings. The Hindu religion has been here from hundreds of years, encouraging worship of a lot gods. Many problems in families and the society are occurring because of that. People who come to Christ really know He is the true God, and that they have been rescued out of a harsh and oppressive religion. It isn’t the miracle that is important as much as it is the God who did it to show them He is good and just, and to worship Him is to obey Him. They are not looking to have all their problems solved because they see He doesn’t heal all the time but they know they need to just submit to His sovereign will, no matter what He chooses to do.

Alan and I both have enjoyed getting to know the congregation this morning. We had many opportunities to pray for different ones individually. That is a practice I wish we could incorporate more in our church fellowships. They love prayer and praising the Lord. Alan preached a powerful message about the man healed of his blindness but didn’t see who healed him. Eventually he was thrown out of the synagogue and when Jesus approached the man who now could see and told him who he was, the man fell down and worshipped Him. He now was given spiritual sight, but of course his problems didn’t go away---in fact he had new ones. Very culturally understandable here.

In the way of prayer requests for Alan and I , I ask for stamina. Good rest helps too. Also we ask that you join us in asking God to give us extraordinary ability to hear and understand what the Nationals are saying even if it is in English. Our hearing is not too sharp to begin with and we are finding it extremely hard to enter conversations or repeat names because we just can’t hear them clearly. So we ask you lift that up for us. We also would like the Lord to show us if he would have us to work here and what his will is in all of this. We need wisdom and the Spirit to prepare hearts for Alan’s presentation tomorrow regarding Church based training.

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Edie

A Day in the Forbidden City

We are learning so much about the “ways “ of different countries. In particular, we are learning so much about the places where we are able to spend time with the missionaries serving there. For instance, we learned that China doesn’t want their airplanes left out of the country. So if they think there is a chance they won’t get back because of weather or I suppose other reasons they will not let their planes leave the original location. Hence our plane that was supposed to leave from Mongolia at 4:30 pm did not leave until after midnight (we had some snow and wind). When we arrived at the Beijing airport it was deserted but fortunately our missionary arranged for us to have documentation that our plane had been delayed and we missed our connection. Through the lost luggage place we made headway and were given a hotel room free of charge. Only one condition, there were 2 to a room and our team member, Gene had to share a room with a stranger. We dropped into bed at 5:30am and got up around 10am. I had my first shower since we left, it felt heavenly!

Since we were here and given a special visa to move around without having to pay for the expensive visa, we thought we couldn't ignore this opportunity. So we went to the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square. It was sobering to think of the history involved here and also the total absence of God everywhere. There is an elevating of man and the nation of China here. We have found food to be expensive here too. Glad this is only a short stop.

We are growing in a deeper appreciation for our missionaries everywhere. In Mongolia there is a cost to their physical bodies as well as sacrifices in other ways. Their dedication to the call and their love of the people is testimony to the grace our God gives when we live eternally. I am so grateful for the opportunity I (Edie) have had to give the women time to share with me, to give me a glimpse of their lives and offer opportunity to hear their concerns. It was a blessing to be able to see them light up as they would share. One lady said specifically that they usually have men visit but it was nice to have a woman come too for a change.

Alan and Gene gave a lengthy assessment of the work they are doing in Mongolia and the priorities they are working on. Their stand for a translation that does not use the same word for God as for Buddha is so important. A fight that won’t be necessarily be won in the near future but worthwhile in continuing to press with love among other believing foreigners. Another issue is foreign money funding pastors for full time work. Because of the culture this is a very detrimental system for the Mongolians. Several groups do it but our missionaries have refrained. It has many points to it’s argument that I won’t go into. The most positive outcome of all of this is that they have a team in Mongolia that is extraordinary. Their love and willingness to work through things together is admirable. A model for us all!! Al and Gene also talked through some things that they saw that would be good to work towards, perhaps some needs for setting up ways to help bring change but overall no red flags whatsoever.

Finally about to board for Bangkok.

So long…Edie

Another day in Mongolia

How are all of you doing? We are feeling very well. We are taking an immunity booster vitamin which is doing it’s job. We are packed up ready to be picked up. We are meeting with the team to do an evaluation of them. I am not a part of this except to be present.

It’s Snowing! It did this yesterday too but only for a few hours and then the sun came out. It is very dry here with little vegetation. Their power plants are coal burning which causes terrible pollution. Part of the sacrifice of serving here is the toll it takes on your physical life.

We have been learning a significant amount of historical and cultural information regarding Mongolia. The reason is that it factors into the development of the church as well as reaching the people here. Some interesting things you may not know is that many still live in Ghers, round homes, shaped like a circus tent with a stove pipe up through the middle of the roof. The people have been nomadic herders but that lifestyle is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain a family.

The country has been vulnerable to domination by Russia and China. They are doing their best to make alliances with the west to keep from that happening again. Because of their history of it has become inherent in their culture to be “chameleon” like. Accommodating themselves when it most benefits them. Hence a challenge is to discern whether someone is truly born again or simply doing what it takes to gain financially from foreigners.

Another interesting consideration is how the Chinese worked to change the fierce Mongolian warrior to a more peace loving person. They did this by killing all their horses and encouraging the practice of Buddhism (pacifistic). When the Russians came they destroyed the temples and tried to wipe out the religious practices. Today there is a resurgence of Buddhism and animism. The Mongolian people are struggling to find their identity. They idolize Genghis Khan a violent dictator as well.

Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer,

Edie

Mongolian Mindset

Today was a day of further broadening our perspective of the Mongolian mindset. After a delightful breakfast with a key missionary family, and some stimulating conversation of the state of the Christian church both in Mongolia and America, we then set out to see a Russian monument of the peaceful relationship with Mongolia.

The communists relinquished control of the country in 1990. This monument is alongside a huge statue of Buddha and a hillside picture of the national hero Genghis Khan. Piles of rocks with religious paraphernalia dotted the countryside. These are places where people have left shrines to appeal to the gods to help them or to appease the spirits. We then went to town, parked and walked aways as there were one shop after another of Buddhist religious stuff, until you arrived at the Buddhist temple. There was a HUGE statue again of Buddha inside.

The struggle here is over a bible translation that was not professionally done. Among the problems with this translation is that they use the same word for God as for Buddha. As it was explained to us, the meaning of Buddha brings a mental picture of a man for the Mongolian. Whereas when we speak of God we don’t have a mental picture but rather a concept of the attributes of God. Sadly the Christian community is divided over the issue and it looks like a losing battle. More discussion on this issue is coming. We would appreciate your prayers for all the Christians involved in this issue and for us to be used of God however He so desires. This is such a dark place and the gospel is needed here badly. It is easy to see how Satan could take advantage of the opportunity to stir discord. It gives great hope and encouragement to know we can approach the throne of grace and appeal for His leading and understanding in matters like these.

Thanks for listening, and now I ask you stop and pray for the Word to be translated by trained linguists so that God’s people can know Him in Truth and Worship Him as the only true God.

Edie

Greetings from Mongolia

We are currently staying in an apartment set aside for short-term mission teams. We are meeting with George, a missionary on the far border of Mongolia near Siberia, Russia. Ulaanbaatar is the city we are in and it is like a high desert here. Not much vegetation. All our flights went well. Alan is still feeling dizzy, kind of car sick. The flight from Fort Dodge and then from Minneapolis was extremely bumpy, moving the plane all over the place. He hasn’t been right since even though the other flights were fine. Pray for his ability to engage as the time is short and they are asking for input on an issue over translations being used.

Our accommodations are nice, clean and modest. I couldn’t get hot water so washed my hair in the shower and then my body with a sink of heated water. Again I am thankful for our family vacations in remote camping spots. We are going to see if it is like Eastern Europe where you get hot water at night and then they shut it off until the next evening.

The missionaries have been very sick including the wife of the main missionary. She has a sinus infection and the western doctor said it may have gone to her small sinus bones. If so they have to do a procedure. Pray for her, Lynn is her name. We will go to lunch with him. Then we hope to rest this afternoon, and spend the evening with Tom and Lynn, the missionaries here.

I will sign off for now,

Edie

Preparing to travel again

Hi, this is Al & Edie's daughter Anne. I will be helping Mom & Dad manage their communications with all of you in order to better keep everyone informed and up to date on all of their ministry comings and goings. They will continue to communicate as they can while they travel. They are leaving tomorrow for a 3-week trip to Mongolia, India and Thailand.

A recent prayer letter was sent out via email giving details about their upcoming trip, as well as some highlights and pictures from their last trip to Eastern Europe and Africa. If you would like to be added to the list to receive the prayer letters, please email me at jayanda@charter.net.

As always, please be praying for my parents as they set off on a new adventure---following where God leads them to serve!

On the road again

Dear fellow Sojourners,
No matter where we are and what God has given us to do, we are still on a path taking us to our true home. I read this prayer by Susanna Wesley as my path became steeper.

"Almighty God, I thank you because day after day has verified the truth of our Saviour's words: "Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof." Through the weakness and corruption of human nature and the unavoidable business of my station in life: in cross occurrences, with abundance of other things incident to human life, I find occasion given to me daily to exercise virtues of one kind or another... I draw near unto you the supreme fountain of virtue, for grace in the perplexed affairs of life, and thank you for every occasion on which I have found your strength to be made perfect in weakness: and I thank you that you are truth itself and that all your promises are yea and amen, through Jesus Christ, your mediator. " This prayer gave me words for my own prayers and direction for my thinking as I carried through with His grace the "perplexed affairs of Life" since we have been home.

Today we head off across the state for Al to present some messages at a mission's conference in Oelwein. I don't know how the Lord has lead his thinking but am really looking forward to hearing what the Lord has given him. I am feeling the need to be fed with real food. We then are meeting with a mission's committee in another church Monday night. We expect to be home on Tuesday evening.

Please pray for hearts to hear what the Lord is saying. "The fields are ripe for harvest but the workers are few" That we as the messengers do not get in the way of the message.

Pray for us to have strength especially Al who will be doing the speaking. We are both recovering from a chest cold that has really zapped our energy.
My computer's hard drive crashed losing all the information (if this isn't an ongoing saga, part of my "station in life"). That means it will be alot of work to make sure our prayer partner list is up to date. I had saved some on our stick but not sure how much. Then I need to get a prayer letter out. We leave on our next overseas trip 2 weeks from today.
Prayer for preparation of messages in places and with people we have never met on our next trip overseas. More about that later.

Thanks so much for keeping up with us. Journeying with the Savior, Edie for us both

It is already Saturday afternoon. Tomorrow we have a church service and then everyone will begin to leave to go to their various places of ministry. It has been a long time in Africa for us but a rich time of meeting both nationals and US missionaries.

The cultural, medical and spiritual challenges are numerous but we know our God is not frustrated or without the wisdom or power to handle it all. We just need to do what little part we are called to do.

We are to meet with the ReachGlobal director and our team after the last session tonight and that will conclude our responsibilities. I am trying to figure out when I will pack. We have some things we are bringing home for the Westers whose home church is Oakdale not far from us. We are glad we can do the favor.

Yesterday afternoon they offered a shopping excursion. Alan was not feeling well so I went ahead, cramming into a bus that clearly was built to carry one third less of us…oh well. Rules for safety and hygiene may not exist, at least I am not seeing evidence of it.
The Africans we are working with on a leadership level are by God’s grace educated and very sharp recognizing and addressing some of this in the context of the church and reaching out to their communities.

Anyway, we headed off in intense heat and humidity. When we arrived almost immediately the vendors were shoving their wares in our faces naming prices. The shops are long, narrow and dark. I would go in to look at something and felt like I was in a sauna. The sweat was literally running off of me to the extent that I had to change my clothes when I got back because they were very damp. I purchased some material, a necklace and some sandals. I really didn’t like the atmosphere and was wishing Alan could have come with me.

The ministries are so exciting to hear about. Everyday they have someone in the morning and evening give a story of people coming to Christ and how that came about or the open doors that are happening. Many of them are Muslim which is exciting.

This will probably be it until we get home. Think about today how maybe you could reach out to someone you know with the message of hope.

Love, Edie

I, (Al), finally have a few moments to share my thoughts about our trip. We were so thankful to the Lord that He helped us maintain a good attitude at the London airport after flying all night and then standing in line with thousands of other stranded passengers. Thank you for praying for us as we travel.
We had a great time in Prague with our CZ missionaries. On Saturday I was able to speak to them from I Thess. 2 on continuing to give yourself in ministry even when it is personally painful. It was good for us to get to know them better and to see their hearts for ministry. On Sunday I preached at the Vlassim church south of Prague. I did not know what to preach on since I had no idea what was going on in the church. The Lord led me to preach on unity as taught in John 17: 20-24. It turned out to be a perfect fit for what they needed. The missionary with us said he could see the pastor getting more and more excited about what he was learning as he translated for me. Afterward they immediately asked me to come back and do more teaching on that subject as they want to gather several area churches and seek to develop a better working relationship together.
On Monday, we flew on to Nairobi by way of London. We stayed in a guest house that was quite nice for our first taste of Africa. The traffic rules in Nairobi were interesting to say the least. We had a wonderful time with the brothers and sisters gathered there for training. Rwanda is a beautiful land with beautiful people, so many smiles. The pastors we began with were leaders, like district superintendents in the Free Church and were eager to learn. We soon found out however that they were at a much more basic level than we expected. Only five pastors in the Rwanda EFC have formal degrees and many have only a primary education. They are good and godly men but we will have to start our training at a foundational level. I am going to be working on developing a basic Bible study course that fits their abilities. We also plan to do some training in chronological story telling through the Bible, as soon as I get a good grasp of the concepts myself. I think this will be especially effective in helping them train their people to share Christ with others and also in helping them learn theology.
On Friday we traveled north to where the volcano area of Rwanda. They were just like you imagine but without smoke or lava. It was incredibly beautiful. We drove about three hours on pavement, although we had to constantly slow down to avoid huge potholes, and then about an hour on a dirt, rather a rock, road. What a ride! We visited an EFC school for kids. The primary kids swarmed us when we arrived. I had about 50 to 100 crowded around me all saying “Good Morning”, about the only English they knew, even though it was well into the afternoon. A few started feeling my arms which are hairy, unlike anything they had ever seen before. The whole group erupted in almost a frenzy of joy and laughter. It was a very emotional moment for me seeing their openness and enthusiasm to experience my differentness. I could not help wishing I could share something much more significant and joyful with them, the joy of knowing Christ. Later we met with a group of country pastors gathered in a simple church with no lights or coverings on the windows. We enjoyed worshipping with them even though we could not understand anything they said. They also are so eager to learn and so passionate about serving Christ. It struck me that hearing about people, kids or pastors in Africa, as you are now, is way different than meeting them in person. To get to know these dear brothers even a little bit fires up my passion to make a difference in their lives by teaching them how to study and teach, and apply the Word. We left Rwanda with a commitment to return as soon as we are able.
We came to Dar es Salaam on Saturday and then toured various ministries here after church on Sunday. We were so impressed with the devotion, skill and perseverance of our workers here. We continue to be thankful for the wonderful partners we have. I have been able to reconnect with several leaders from various African countries and to meet several more. We are grateful for the the opportunities that are unfolding for us to return to partner with them in training their pastors. Thank you so much for your role in helping us in this significant work.

I am very disappointed that I have not been able to write in my blog for some time. Currently we are in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We are in a “4 star Hotel” that has had numerous electricity and internet problems. We had a rain storm today that literally came down in sheets of water. I am not sure what the temperature is but trust me it is hot and extremely humid. We have a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean.
Friday, in Rwanda we spent all day going up into the mountains. We visited a training center an American free church built and a school another Amer. free church built. Both are tremendous success stories. They are located far apart but well worth the effort. I say that because we had a flat tire and the roads were very rough to cross so it was slow. The children would come up to our car to greet us as moved along (that gives you an idea how speedy we were). Eight of us were crammed into an SUV. Fortunately at least 3 were on Dramamine because initially the paved road was quite winding.
At the school the kids were so excited to meet us, greet us and practiced what little English they had learned. The grades included up through high school with about 40% orphans. It is a Christian School. You pay for any schooling for your children in Rwanda and that was one of the things the women expressed as a desire. They want their children to go to school but can’t afford it. When we arrived each of us had a group of kids gathered around us. At some point I looked over at Alan and the kids were feeling his arms. They had never felt hair like that. They eventually, after we had had a presentation by the principal, by some students in an older class and a tour, walked with us a fair distance to our vehicle. They were so precious and I will always remember that time.
Part of the morning was spent training about 20 pastors from the rural areas of the mountains. Alan didn’t participate except to get to know the pastors and later think through what was done and how successful it was. It was concluded that Church health was not what they need, it is basic bible survey which is more Alan’s area to handle. We had lunch in this church and then were on our way.
All throughout the mountainsides crops were being tended. They have flat areas and then terrace up the mountain other crops. The soil is black and they were harvesting potatoes and carrying large bags to the village to be sold and taken away by trucks. Most carried the sacks on their heads. Probably 50-100 lbs. It was Amazing. Everyone we saw smiled and waved. They were such a blessing to us.
Sat. morning Alan left with the group while I stayed back to pack. He saw the real Hotel Rwanda and they drove around town. Then we left for the airport to come here. It has been a time of getting to know several new people and get to know what creative evangelistic efforts are being done in this predominately Hindu and Muslim city. There are a lot of Indians that live here. The work I was especially impressed with is what 3 single gals are doing in schools and in their home. It is very intentional and strategic and meeting the needs it is intended for.
Tonight is the official kick off of the conference and things will be especially busy with meetings etc. I hope this gets posted soon and that I can say more later. Thanks for following us and especially for your prayers. Edie