Short-term Trips Matter

Jesus trained many disciples! And twice during his ministry in Galilee, he sent them out, two by two. At first, Jesus gathered twelve men and taught them. They watched him preach, teach, heal the lepers, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Then, it was their turn to go out and do the same thing! Twelve men going out two-by-two formed six teams. (Luke 9:1-6) Imagine having two strangers come to your village and, before the end of the day, find your lame servant has been healed. For the people living in that home, and for us today, short-term trips matter!

Within a year or perhaps a little more, the number of people learning from Jesus grew substantially. No longer were they simply The Twelve. Again, Jesus sent his followers to the villages. There were 72 others this time, which means another 35 teams going from village to village. (Luke 10:1-20) This indicates that the number of disciples grew dramatically.

I love the incredibly dynamic conversation between Jesus and these 72 disciples after they came bouncing back. “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” Jesus corrected their enthusiasm. Full of joy through the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” (Luke 10:17-22)

Short-term trips. The New Testament shows a distinct progression in missionary work. In the Gospels, Jesus sends out his disciples twice. In the Book of Acts, the apostles gradually go further. The missionary work we now consider standard in organizations such as LAM is primarily based on the life of Saint Paul. He made four well-known journeys.

Men and women make many journeys, sent from their home churches for two or three weeks. Sometimes, a person takes a whole year to learn Spanish, Latin American culture, and life in local churches.

I’m all in favor of this kind of participation.

Short-term trips matter.

 

Single mother with eight children and a friend.

Poverty Matters. The face of poverty appears in many places, forms, shapes, and sizes. And how Christians think about poverty is a window into understanding Christ’s demands for discipleship. Poverty matters!

One of the earliest Bible stories children learn at home or church is about Joseph in Egypt. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, explaining that the coming seven years of abundance were to be followed by extreme drought. People and animals would die unless there was a plan to sustain them. Joseph, mightily used by God, saved Egypt from disaster and brought his family together during an excruciating famine. During that great tragedy, his family was healed through forgiveness and reconciliation.

Ezra and Nehemiah both faced incredible challenges. They had to rebuild a nation after the Exile. They faced powerful opposition. The poor were once again enslaved, and communities lacked food and insufficient protection from enemies. Haggai, the prophet who lived during that terrible time, spoke this way about inflation: “You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (Haggai 1:6).

Children left to care for themselves during the day

Jesus ministered during Rome’s powerful control of the Jewish nation. The impact of Christ’s life is the basis of Western civilization. His teaching raised faith and obedience to the highest levels. Jesus addressed situations that involved poverty, transforming the mentality of millions. Unfortunately, at that time few followed Him, but His words continued to ring out over the centuries: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). To obey Jesus was to care for others. Feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, invite the stranger in, provide clothing, care for the sick, and visit those in prison. These six types of poverty show how many ways His followers can help individuals.

Widow with eight children and church group

Later, Christians following Christ’s directives founded schools, hospitals, and countless other
institutions. The impact of the Christian response to poverty shows how the gospel can be expressed in almost every nation. Poverty Matters. So does our response to it. In the biblical situations mentioned above, you will observe that individual and group actions were taken to relieve poverty.

James, the brother of Jesus Christ, spoke out forcefully against discrimination, a principal cause of poverty. Discrimination soon leads to corruption and greed: wide express lanes that end with impoverishment. To show favoritism is to sin (James 2:9.) Poverty matters!  But mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13), and our lives are to display compassion and generosity. “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go in peace, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

In the same way, if it is not accompanied by action, faith by itself is dead” (James 2:15-17.) Clearly, the truth of the fantastic evangel, the gospel, comes alive when Christian compassion reflects the love of God. God blesses work done in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. 

   

  

Sustainability Matters

Growing up at our home in Limuru, Kenya, my mother loved working with widows and orphans. Early every morning, women from a nearby village walked to our rented property. My parents rented a six-acre farm and believed God could continually supply the funds to hire a dozen women. My mother asked widows to care for the crops from 8:00 until noon.

Then, she paid each one a full day’s wage. The women cared for their children the rest of the day. Harvest season arrived with corn, carrots, beans, lettuce, vegetables, and fruit divided among the women who had been gardening.

Mother believed funds would come for 12 women, but she and my dad were never guaranteed the money would automatically arrive. They belonged to Africa Inland Mission, a “faith mission.” During the years we lived there, God honored their faith. The women were paid in cash and on time. For widows and orphans, sustainability mattered. They needed food on the table and clothes for little ones.

The concept of sustainability in Christian ministry is both simple and complex. Consider a pastor in a local church. He trusts the finances will be maintained through a faithful membership. However, the youth department may go up and down in numbers, and there may not be a willing couple to take on the youth in the coming year. For youth and families, sustainability matters.

Our daily lives in ministry deal with theological tensions and apparent contradictions. On the one hand, Jesus Christ tells us to ask, knowing we will receive what we’ve asked for. So, we say, “God will provide all our needs.” But being responsible stewards of God’s work also involves planning. So, we also say, “We develop skills, anticipating future needs.”

All my life, I’ve been interested in church growth. The tiny African church building where I was saved accommodated about 200 people, but another hundred or so crowded when services began! Years later, I returned to Kabartonjo, finding an enormous church building. It seats ten times as many people as the first chapel.

Further, another 100 churches had been organized as new congregations, with many trained as new pastors. Leaders believed in God for financial needs and made well-thought-out plans.

In Costa Rica, near San José, a school program serves more than 900 children. Many of them live on the Roblealto property. Dairy and poultry farms provide much of the income needed for the Roblealto Children’s Program.

Long ago, the Latin America Mission realized sustainability matters. Because of careful planning, more children are cared for. Sustainability involves both faith and wise planning.