Exciting News

Parents, raising support, debt, fear, lack of clarity, learning language, stereotypes, even sending agencies, what do all of these have in common? They are all barriers that keep this generation from going into long-term or full-time missions, that is why we exist. We are here to remove those obstacles. One way that we do this is by partnering with sending agencies.

A partnership between Café 1040 and one of these sending agencies looks something like this. They have looked at our application, they have looked at our screening process, they have visited our ministry to learn first-hand what we are doing overseas and they have agreed to fast-track our graduates. Why is fast-tracking so important, I am glad that you asked. I want to give you a common scenario for a student that would like to apply with one of these sending agencies.

First, the student has to decide which sending agency to go with, a lengthy process because there are so many out there. Second, once they find a sending agency they have to get in contact with them, this can also be a lengthy process, let’s face it, the agencies are busy. Third, they have to fill out the initial application, usually around 100 questions. Fourth, they have to submit the application, which can take up to two months for the agencies to process. Fifth, they receive the second application, this time it is not 100 questions, it is more like 500 questions, with essay questions, meetings they have to attend, etc. Sixth, ( I know what you are thinking, when is he going to stop, well that is what most of these students are thinking as well) they have to be screened, psych tests, medical evaluations, etc.

Now, let’s add up all this time. Let’s say a month (conservative) for the agency decision process + two weeks to get in contact with an agency + two weeks to fill out the application + 2 months for application to be processed + 1 month (conservative) to fill out second application + 6-8 months to be screened = 11-13 months until all that is finished and they are ready for the field. Also, it is going to take them around 8 to 10 months to get acclimated to their new surroundings.

With agreeing to fast-track our graduates, these sending agencies have said that our application, screening process, and the time overseas, fulfills around 60-80% of their application and screening process, meaning. If one of our students graduates in November, they could be on the field by January and only need a few weeks to a couple months to get acclimated to their new surroundings. That is 5-7 months compared to 11-13 months! Getting excited, well meet Paul, a graduate from our Fall team that just returned home in November, getting ready to deploy to a hostile un-reached country in the Middle East this January! Paul is not our first, but he is our most recent student that this has happened to.

For His glory among the nations,

-Mike

We call it "a fall from grace": a Christian man or woman caught in some type of sexual, financial, legal or other ethical or moral indiscretion who falls from a position of high esteem. The most recent example involves Ted Haggard, founder and former senior pastor of New Life Church and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

Have you ever wondered where that phrase, "a fall from grace," comes from? Galatians 5:4, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace" (NKJV).

How telling that we use that particular terminology to describe an incident (usually of the high-profile variety) of moral failure. By doing so, we tip our theological hand. While we talk a lot about God's inexhaustible grace and unconditional love, when it comes right down to it, we still believe that grace is exhaustible. We know that we owe our salvation to Christ's grace-giving work on the cross. But it doesn't take long before we trade in that boundless grace for the boundaries of the law.

In biblical terms, a fall from grace is not the sinner saved by grace who is caught in moral failure. That is a fall to grace. A fall from grace is the self-righteous person who tries to earn his or her salvation through the guise of moral living, declaring that Christ's work on the cross was unnecessary—at least for them.

Let me ask a simple question: Do we really believe in grace? Or not?

When scandals hit the news wires and our TV screens, I'm reminded how easy it is to preach and teach grace, but how difficult it is to live out on the rugged plains of reality. And I say that as I search my own heart and attitudes. I say that because I struggle through the gamut of emotions, sometimes throwing critical glances toward a "fallen" man or woman in the Church. "Can you believe he did that?" I'm tempted to say with an air of arrogance.

And then I recall my own shortcomings, and a not-so-popular verse comes to mind, "How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:4, TNIV).

In Matthew 7:4 the word plank in the original language is a picture of a crossbeam that holds up an entire structure. Some of us have this critical crossbeam that holds up the entire structure of our lives, blinding us from our struggles—and blinding us from the way God views others and our own lives.

"Hypocrite!" Jesus says in verse 5. If you are trying to assume God's throne of righteous judgment, then you are a hypocrite.

People say to me, "I don't go to church anymore, because churches are full of hypocrites."

Let's just lay our cards on the table. We're all hypocrites! Being a hypocrite means assuming a role that is not yours to assume. Sadly, too many churches are communities of criticism instead of communities of compassion.

Criticism is like a boomerang. Matthew 7:2 says, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." So, if you want to get what you are giving, go ahead and give it. But be ready for its return to smack you on the back of your head.

That's why we need to humbly allow Jesus to yank the plank of criticism from our eyes. Once we do, two things happen. One, we can see the mercy of God in our own lives. And two, we can extend the mercy of God to others. Because I am not getting what I deserve from God, I have the power to release others from what they deserve. I'm able to give them what God has given me—love, acceptance and grace.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not justifying, rationalizing or any other type of "-izing" the moral indiscretions of Pastor Haggard or any other Christian leader ensnared by sin. What I am saying is that it's time to let God be the judge and take our proper role as fellow sinner saved by grace. And maybe it's time for us to stop putting other human beings—who can't possibly live up to our expectations—on moral pedestals. Maybe it's time to remember who the standard bearer of our faith is: Jesus. Maybe it's time to put aside our human nature and, as the apostle Paul suggested, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

Maybe, just maybe, it's time to yank the plank. Search your heart today and take some time to pray for Ted Haggard, his wife and family, his church, his accuser and the thousands who have been impacted by his ministry. Regardless of the extent of his moral indiscretion, let this be yet another wake-up call as to how spiritually vulnerable we really are. In situations like this, we scream for accountability, but we have to realize that no matter how much accountability we have, we're still vulnerable to the enemy's tactics to deceive us and bring us down.

When it comes to temptation, particularly in the sexual arena, we always overestimate our power to resist and underestimate the enemy's power to persist. Only as we walk daily in the grace of Christ can we find the humility to say, "There but for the grace of God go I."

"What once was hurt / What once was friction / What left a mark, no longer stings / Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things." ("Grace" by U2)

Like anyone who grew up in church, I've heard hundreds of times that God is our Father. That He loves us deeply, hurts when we hurt, cares about our welfare and happiness and will never forget about us. I've always thought that if God were a Father like my dad, He must be a pretty good one.

Despite holding a generally stable and favorable view of God, I catch new glimpses of His character from time to time. Often these brief flashes give me greater insight into His healing power or His unfettered delight in us, but I get caught the most off-guard when I see the raw tenderness of His love.
 
My minister, Mike, was talking recently about the last section of Isaiah—chapters 56-66, where God promises to create new heavens and a new earth and wipe away Israel's former pain and disgrace. Mike has endured some pain in his life, including the death of his mentally handicapped daughter and the unexpected death of his nephew from a heart malfunction. A year and a half ago, he almost lost his younger son in another tragedy—a van rollover on I-20 near Putnam, Texas, that involved seven kids from our youth group and an adult sponsor, on their way back from a conference. Three of the boys, including Mike's son Chris, were rushed back to a children's hospital in Fort Worth. Nobody was sure how badly they were hurt, or even (for a while) if they were going to make it.

Mike talked about being in the hospital waiting room after the wreck, and a doctor friend of his ("Dr. Jim"), who had traveled from Abilene to be with the boys and their families, coming in to tell him he could see Chris. Dr. Jim warned Mike, "He's in there. But it doesn't look like him." Telling the story to us at church that night, Mike admitted, "It didn't look like him. I couldn't have picked him out of a lineup. But I got down next to the bed and whispered in his ear, 'Like a rabbit loves to run.' And I could see it in his eyes … it was like he started to come back, out of a coma. Because every night all his life I'd put him to bed with the poem, 'I love that boy like a rabbit loves to run. I love that boy like a rabbit loves to run. Love to see him in the mornin', love to say, 'Good mornin', son.'"

Hearing that, I was struck by two things: the depth of Mike's sorrow and care for his son, and the uniqueness of the words he whispered to Chris. Many fathers would have whispered to their sons, "I love you; you're going to be OK"—and that's really the message Mike's words carried—but the words Chris heard were meant just for him, based on the years of love that lay between him and his dad.

As Mike continued talking about God's intimate love for us, I realized that God speaks to each one of us, too. He has words for everyone, written down in His Word and painted in broad, brilliant strokes all over His creation. But when He wants to speak to me, He picks out certain words—a particular song lyric, a call from a close friend, a passage in a book that rings deep and true in my soul—and whispers them into my ear. The words turn a key or pry open a door in my heart and bring me back, reminding me that His love is still there, waiting for me to turn and embrace it.

Mike's father heart, twisted with worry, grief and fear, rejoiced at a small spark in his son's eyes, a look that told him Chris would come back, that he would make it. (And he did make it—18 months later, Chris is spending his summer playing All-Stars baseball, going on trips with his family and doing all the things a healthy middle-school boy does.) While Chris was in the care of doctors and nurses who were able to help him, it took a word from his father—a specific, unique, familiar word that really meant "I love you"—to call him back.

God has long used His Word—the Bible—to call people to Him and back to Him, of course. But I think He knows we need words that speak singularly to each of us, phrases or incidents that wake up our souls. They come from all kinds of places, and they surprise us when they reach our stopped-up ears. But they always wake us up—just enough to remind us that God loves us passionately, constantly, tenderly.

Like a father loves his children. Like a husband loves his wife. Like a shepherd loves the sheep he watches over. And like a rabbit loves to run.

New Member to the Family

I said in the last post that a new member had been added to the family and left it at that. I have been waiting aproval from my boss to give you any further details because of security issues and safety for the man. Fortunately he did give me the go ahead to post more details so here you go! The following is the student's recap and video tesimonial of the experience. Praise Jesus!

Dreams and Visions

Often times in life the task that is most difficult and challenges us most, proves to be most worthwhile or rewarding in the end. This past week I received what was to me a difficult and challenging task; I was to travel to another city and live with a local family for a week to practice my language.

When I first heard that I was going to do this, I immediately knew that it was going to be challenging for me but I felt ready for it. My readiness suddenly changed once I got on the train. As I sat silently on the train, I became very homesick and many thoughts began to run through my head. I felt inadequate, weak, helpless, and like a failure, wishing that the train would take me to my home instead of to a foreign home.

My attitude was very much wrong and I knew it, so I had to confess before the Son right there on that train. I laid everything at His feet and asked that He would give me strength to be faithful to Him, to be a light in a dark place, and that this week would be something for me to write home about. He heard and here I am writing home about my week.

Staying with the host family was still difficult and uncomfortable at times but I had a peace that surpasses all understanding. Midway through the week I had an opportunity to share the truth with the man of the house in depth and it went well. After much discussion, we came to a point where he understood some but didn’t agree with who the Son is. The next day went by and we didn’t talk much about it and I was going to be leaving early the next morning, so that night I asked that the Son would reveal himself. When I woke up in the morning the man I was staying with looked like something had changed inside of him. He proceeded to tell me about a dream that He had last night. Although it was difficult to understand every part of the story because of the language bearer, he said the Son came to him proclaiming “follow me” and after telling me of his dream all he could say was “I must follow this man”.

Although the task of staying with a host family was very difficult and very challenging for me, it proved to be worthwhile and rewarding. In fact, I stand silent trying to think of anything better!

Ministry Update

In the past few months Cafe 1040 has been extremely busy and some amazing things have happened. There have now been over 40 students that have gone through the program, we have been to many different conferences, college campuses, had a fundraising cruise, sent 11 students for the current semester and this just in, a new member has been added to God's family. (See 11 students and their luggage above)

Currently I am working with 3 students to get them prepared to leave for North Africa, on the 14th of August. I have completed all the screening process, which involves a phone interview with the student, a phone interview with the parent's, a phone interview with the pastor and an employer reference check. Once the screening process has been completed and the student looks like a good candidate, we move to the Pre-Go training process.

This process consists of making sure that all the logistics are taken care of, from immunizations to passports. The main part of this training is support raising. This is where I walk the student step by step through their support raising, from writing the support letter, to having one on one support meetings, all the while training them for their future in missions. All this is done through random phone calls at any hour of the day and the structured conference calls that we have to make sure that the entire team is on the same page and that we are building the team and team unity through this process.

Some of you may not know this, but the number one reason that missionaries will leave the field to return home is other missionaries. So, as you can see, this team building is key for the success of their time overseas.

Last but not least, I am putting together my schedule for the months of August and September. I am planning on visiting many colleges and universities in the South East, attending a few conferences, and meeting up with a couple ministries that we have partnerships with to help keep up relations. I'll keep you posted when plans are more concrete.

Until then....

-Mike

Just Call Me Peter

I mentioned in an earlier post that I attended a career fair at UGA. At the fair I was one of very few Christian organizations represented, very different from the other conferences and fairs that I have been to. All of them were at Christian schools, so I was surrounded by people that were like minded, I was very much salt among salt. At UGA it was very much the opposite, for the first time i was light in the darkness and it was my time to shine. Unfortunately I failed misterably, well at least the first three oppotunities that I was given, which is why I titled this entry "Just Call Me Peter" because Peter, a disciple of Jesus, was given three chances to admit that he was a follower of Christ and all three times he denied it. Just watch the movie if you don't believe me, or I am sure you could read about it somewhere.

Allow me to explain. I actually didn't deny the fact that I was a Christian, it wasn't like someone came up to me and asked if I was a Christian and I said no, but given the chance to say that Cafe 1040 is a Christian ministry, I left that part out, therefore I was lying by omission.

A lie by omission as defined by www.choice101.com/19-lies.html#LiesOfOmission :
A lie of omission is a method of deception and duplicity that uses the technique of simply remaining silent when speaking the truth would significantly alter the other person's capacity to make an informed decision.

After I had done this I was reminded in scripture, ""But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven." Matthew 10:33 I immediately took some time to repent, asking God to forgive me for what I had done. I called my boss and asked him if he would pray with me also, for courage and strength to not backdown when the question came again. After I took time to pray and ask for forgiveness, God blessed me. I had so many opportunities to share about what we do and not once did I leave out that we were a Christian ministry.

Being open and straightforward afforded me the opportunity to have a great conversation with a Hindu girl. She had all kinds of questions and ideas of her own about Christianity. She had already been to a few of the other Christian booths that were represented and had a lot of resentment towards them for the way they treated her. She said that one of them took one look at her and said "We only hire Christians," and didn't say anything else to her. She wondered why all Christians act like they are better than everybody else and act like we belong to a special group and if you are not a part of that group than you are nothing.

Why does she feel that way? What can we, as Christians, do to change the way that she and a lot of other people feel about Christians and Chrstianity?

God Doesn't Always Use Who We Think He Will

This week I attended the UGA Non-Profit and Government Career Fair. I was one of about 10 Christian organizations that were represented at the fair, the rest were secular or some form of government agency. From the very beginning I had a bad attitude about attending this conference. I wondered why we would want to be representatives at something like this and felt like because it wasn't a Christian school that there wouldn't be anybody interested in a mission's ministry and that it was a waste of time. You see, most of the conferences that I have attended have been at Christian schools and had a mission’s emphasis of some kind. Most of the students that come to the booth, are either interested in missions or at least see the importance of it. Being at UGA I figured that I might talk to a few people and that one or two might be interested in what we do, but would not be serious about any positions that we have to offer, boy was I wrong.

As far as conferences go this was a very successful one. I talked to countless numbers of people that were very interested to hear about what Cafe 1040 is and what it is that we do. The Christian students that I talked to were very excited to see the amount of Christian organizations represented and said that it was very encouraging to see us there. Six girls that I spoke with filled out our "Staff" cards, which are cards that we have them fill out if they are interested in a potential staff position with Cafe 1040. I even had some of the students show interest in taking part of the actual program once they had graduated. None of them filled out any cards, so I guess that it is up to God whether or not they follow through or not.

So, what I thought was going to be a waste of time proved to be a very good use of time. And, once I again I am reminded that God doesn't always do things the way that I would do them or use who I think He will use to accomplish His will.

Engaging in the Battle

Have you ever felt like being a Christian wasn't what you thought it was supposed to be like? Or even, dare I say, thought that being a Christian was boring. Well, there have been times in my life where that is what it felt like, I just didn't get it. I would read about people who were "on fire" for Christ and had no idea what that meant. Or hear about people's "walks with God" going so well and wonder if I even had a walk.

Can anybody out there relate?

Well, I think that I now know what the problem has been, I think that I have gotten to the bottom of having a walk with God or being on fire for God. My problem had not been that I had not gotten it or that it was boring, it was that I had not put my feet to the ground.

Think about this. You are a soldier and you are in the desert in the middle of nowhere. All you do, all day, everyday, is train for the war. You have target practice to make sure that you will be able to hit your target when the time comes. You do all kinds of physical training to make sure that your body is in tip top condition for the running and crawling that you will have to endure. You eat the right foods, you read the right books, you do all the necessary training to be the best of the best when it comes to being a soldier. But, you never actually get to fight in the war, they never actually call your unit, and all you get to do is train. Over time the training starts to seem futile. You become complacent and even forget what you are doing in the middle of the desert and why you even started training in the first place.

Now, let's equate that with being a Christian. Everyday you wake up, and train for the battle, the spiritual battle. You wake in the morning and you pray. After you pray, you read the Bible. Throughout the day you try your best not to say anything that might be offensive. Then you go to your fellowship group where you interact with all your Christian friends and discuss what God has been teaching you. In your spare time you memorize scripture. Sunday comes, you go to church, making sure that you put your tithe in the offering plate, bowl or bucket. You do this day in and day out trying to become the best Christian that you can be. But, you never actually engage in the battle. Over time all this stuff seems to seem useless, you ask yourself where this abundant life is that Jesus talks about in the Bible? You become complacent and even forget why you became a Christian and even if you still believe in this whole thing at all.

Fortunately for us, we don't have to wait for our unit to be called to engage in the battle, because we already have been given orders by our Commanding Officer to fight. I know that you all know where I am going with this, that's right, Matthew 28:18-20.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and one earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

What are you waiting for.....?

The Beginnings of Blogging

I am not sure that I am doing this right. I am pretty internet, computer, technologically illiterate. My friend once referred to his computer as "the fancy light box that sat on his desk." As the times are changing I am starting to feel more like my friend. Except I would probably have to refer to mine as "the fancy white notebook that sits on my lap," since that is where you will find my iBook most of the time.

Ok, now that I have rambled about this nonsense, let's see if this worked.