Turbulence

One thing is pretty certain when we travel, and that is, we will probably encounter a little turbulence along the way.

Turbulence has many faces, but always feels about the same....bumpy!

African roads are bumpy. Airplane rides are often bumpy. And government regulations can be pretty bumpy too. If we learn to anticipate the bumps, our inner man will not be rattled as we go.

Yesterday my son left for Africa just a day later than planned. The rest of the team left on time the day before, because they had enough "blank pages" in their passports to board the plane. My son learned just a little too late, as did my old friend Ralph a few years ago about this odd issue at the gate. Two blank pages in your passport is not enough when you travel internationally.

Ben's turbulence came in the form of a bumpy and expensive detour in DC to the passport office where pages were added to his passport. After a real "run around", he got his papers in order and left for Africa.

My mission tip for the month is: expect turbulence when you travel, and be at peace; for the Lord is with those who go in his name!

Mark

Texas Peacock zapped by Metal Head

While many travelers dress for comfort, we often speak our minds with our attire.

I was in a parking lot when this kid in black with more chains hanging on him than a hardware department set off my security scanner... too much heavy metal!

My inner elf wanted to simply say "nice costume", but I restrained myself as I watched a parade of overweight women with tattoos enter the country restaurant.

It dawned on me that people were just wearing costumes. Some were pretending to be someone else, while others were making a social statement. After all, this was not the African bush, it was America where people are free to express themselves.

We are all probably advertising something with our outfits, but maybe bringing it to a conscious level will help us send messages that are consistent with our values.

As for me, I am taking the feather out my cowboy hat so people won't mistake me for an overgrown Texas peacock. That is the least and Indiana boy can do!

Kudu calling killer

This may not sound too spiritual, but my friend Chris is a killer. He can make you laugh, he can make you smile, and some of his hunting stories will flat out kill you with the way God works.

Now Chris is a hunter. And he also photographs big game hunts. He just sent me a picture of a huge spiral antlered kudu that he shot in Africa while he was over three football fields away (350 yards).

Here is the killer part of the story.

The brother went out there to photograph the whole deal for somebody else, but they told him to go ahead and shoot a kudu if he had the chance. Now the desire of any real African hunter in their right mind (Christian or heathen), is to kill a big kudu. God gave Chris the desire of his heart while he was out there serving others.

I could talk about God calling animals into Noah's ark and God feeding Elijah by the ravens and a lot of other stuff, but when I saw the picture of Chris with that kudu, I was reminded how God not only gives us the desires of our hearts, but He knows how to bring a target in our cross hairs when we are still a long way off.

Don't think for one minute that your desire is beyond God's ability. A day will come when you will hit the target dead on, and you will be smiling all the way to heaven.

Keep going out to the field and serving. You will have your day when you least expect it. Keep your powder dry, and happy hunting.

Mark

Payoff

Preachers talk about harvest while business guys speak of payoff. Either way, I was reminded of an African one.

A few months ago a Zulu man came to our Swaziland conference and then to our conference in KwaZulu Natal the next week. He asked me to come by his church on the way out of the country to speak at a Sunday morning service.

Although I had not recognized the man, apparently I had met him years before as we pulled off the unfinished road to see him constructing walls on his church building.

I didn't really remember the earlier encounter, but as I stood in his finished building and spoke to hundreds of people, he reminded me of our first meeting and told me I had given him some money years ago (not much, but enough for him to remember).

It then dawned on me that I was seeing the fruit of my faith, the harvest from my seed as I preached in his church. This was nothing less than the payoff and the reward of God.

Someday friend, we will see a harvest. 'A man reaps what he sows".

Keep sowing good seed. And you will thank God too for payoffs!

Indecent travel tendencies

With years of travel and many miles behind me, I have noticed that some travelers are thinking about one person: themselves.

The common term for this indecent travel tendency is "rude", but it really stems from a core character flaw.

Selfishness produces rudeness, and rude travelers are everywhere.

For Christians, one of the greatest testimonies is how we travel. Do we think only of ourselves, our schedule, our destination? Or do we realize the journey is where the witness speaks?

The great missionary Paul told his friends, "Don't merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others" (Philippians 2:4).

Maybe on the next trip we take, we will remember that the taxi driver, the gate agent, the flight attendant, and even the pushy luggage skycap is just trying to feed his family. Maybe we can say a good word to them and even pray for them. Who knows, they might just see Jesus in us!

Mark

Castles, Kings, and Priests

Today my friend Wade Thompson sent me a note from Germany.

He and his wife Linda are establishing a beachhead there for the Lord Jesus. You should see the castle that they are contending for by faith. (I have a picture of it on my desk)

Their goal is to establish a full mission ministry that will shake the nation for Jesus. Now that is faith! (Phil 1:20)

Wade reminded me that God is not so much interested in ability, as He is availability. He went on to say, "when the church moves into her identity as priests and kings, mission will be at the forefront of our focus and not just met after our home front is taken care of." As Revelation 5:10 states, "And He has made us kings and priests unto our God and we shall reign on earth".

Let us take over for Jesus, and then let him take over.

King/Priest Mark

GREAT ECONOMIC NEWS

Today I was thinking about the true nature of missions. As a world traveler, I would historically have been thinking about the ends of the earth. As a matter of fact, I really like the little cartoon guy whose name is Buzz Lightyear. His motto is, "to infinity and beyond"!

Anyway, it dawned on me that my infinity includes my backyard as I suspect yours does too.

Now I have never been a great backyard man, but with the price of gas and a million other things, most of us are thinking about how to cut some costs.

I have some GREAT ECONOMIC NEWS: the mission field is all around us. We go to missions when we go to people. We are missionaries when we go in the name of the Lord. Without minimizing the needs of the nations (that is people groups), we are surrounded by people groups everywhere we go and everywhere we are.

MISSIONS means an attitude of going (not staying) but it doesn't mean we can only go around the world. The real issue is to be aware that we carry Christ as we go and that our destination is people initially and heaven ultimately. So,let's go, even if you only have enough to get you across the street... people are waiting for you!

Mark

Mission Tips

Hi friends,

I have been thinking about all the help we need when we travel. So often, the whole travel thing can be overwhelming. That's why I have created Mission Tips, just for you and all my fellow travelers!

In the days ahead, we will be packing this site with information that should help you as you plan and prepare for your next trip. We will include key links, inside travel info, and special partner offers, as well as a lot of cool stuff to make your journey fun and meaningful.

It is our goal that Mission Tips will get you to your destinations on time with all the stuff you need. Get ready to be launched into a travelers world of bliss!

Mark Van Deman