As I shared last week, a book full of stories and testimonies from the ministry here was recently published. You can order the book directly Amazon here. If you need reminded that God is still in the business of changing lives, this is an encouraging read. I’ve nearly finished reading through my copy. It’s been… [Read more…]
November 2, 2011
A project long in the making has finally come to be: Kingdom Beyond Borders: Finding Hope Along the Refugee Highway. Kingdom Beyond Borders is a collection of refugee stories and testimonies from 15 years of ministry at Helping Hands! What more could you ask for! While most of these stories pre-date our family’s arrival in… [Read more…]
August 26, 2011
Happy Friday! Well, we haven’t gotten back into the habit of taking the camera out after our time in Switzerland. So here’s one (literally one) last picture from the International Teams conference earlier this month. If you have a keen eye, you can spot Kristin, Emma, and I in the back left. Sofia’s in the… [Read more…]
August 15, 2011
We’re back in Athens after a week in Beatenberg – a mountain village in central Switzerland. Wow, talk about beautiful! I didn’t know that these kinds of places really existed outside of the movies! Breath-taking. So, what was the occasion? We gathered together with roughly 100 other International Teams workers from throughout Europe (plus a… [Read more…]
August 8, 2011
It’s back… The International Association for Refugees (IAFR) has posted the 2011 World Map of the Refugee Highway. It’s a great visual of where refugees come from, where they’re going, and some of the stops along the way. You can see that Athens is a major path for those coming into Europe from Afghanistan, Iran,… [Read more…]
June 9, 2011
Our sending agency, International Teams, has been working on a new project to help raise awareness and funds for their missionaries around the world: Songs for the Oppressed. Songs for the Oppressed is a musical experience from independent artists and worship leaders working collaboratively to fuel a movement that creates awareness, solidarity and change for… [Read more…]
February 14, 2011
As you may remember, International Teams has missional teams working with refugees across Europe and around the world: from Minneapolis to Rome, from Sydney to Sudan! I love learning from the stories and experiences of our co-workers around the globe. One such team is the staff at “The Oasis,” a refugee ministry center outside of… [Read more…]
January 31, 2011
We’re constantly saying goodbye. Working with refugees, we see dear friends and new believers moving on from Athens nearly every week. This is one of the most difficult aspects of the ministry here. Working in a transient community, we’re constantly saying goodbye. There are so many fears… so many unanswered questions. Will he find other… [Read more…]
January 10, 2011
Over two decades of civil war in Sudan has claimed 1.5 million lives. A 2005 peace deal brought an end to the ongoing war… but we continue to pray for peace in Sudan. Southern Sudan is now voting (January 9-15) in a referendum that will determine its future – whether to maintain ties to the… [Read more…]
December 27, 2010
I spent a weekend in Elmira, Ontario (Canada) earlier this month. About an hour outside of Toronto, Elmira is home to the offices of International Teams – Canada. [A very quick explanation for the uninitiated: International Teams sends out 1200 missionaries to over 200 teams around the world (in 66 countries, to be exact). The… [Read more…]
June 23, 2010
This week (Wednesday-Friday) we have a guest from the US teaching on working with Muslims – understanding the worldview, tracing the influence of history/culture/folk practice, and learning to communicate the gospel in ways that make sense to the Muslim mind. This friend works to mobilize, resource, and oversee our teams in the Muslim world –… [Read more…]
May 26, 2010
The International Association for Refugees (IAFR) just posted the 2010 world map of the refugee highway. It’s a great visual of where refugees come from, where they’re going, and some of the stops along the way. You can see that Athens is a major path for those coming into Europe from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and… [Read more…]
May 14, 2010
Happy Friday! After spending last week in Turkey, it’s been great to be home: back with Kristin, back with the kids, back into the regular flow of ministry. I’ve been playing catch-up all week, so we’re really looking forward to the weekend. I even get a chance to preach at an English-speaking church on Sunday! … [Read more…]
May 12, 2010
Last week was a great week… and a very tough week. I joined together with 200 colleagues from around the world at an International Teams leadership conference in Turkey. We learned from one another; we discussed issues and challenges in our ministries; we celebrated God’s work together. One the other hand, I was away from… [Read more…]
November 16, 2009
Here’s a snapshot of International Teams (IT), our sending organization. Although every group has its strengths and weaknesses, we are consistently impressed with IT’s commitment to excellence in its mission: mobilizing international teams to build transforming communities. International Teams Story The concept of teams of young people traveling to locations to share the love of… [Read more…]
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November 8, 2011
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