not your typical top 20 list

Today I asked these questions:
What are trials you face in life?  What are problems you face as a pastor?
Recorded in English, here is the list from 30 pastors and students in Assam, India.

Not your run of the mill, first world problem answers.  But they help explain why after studying the book of Philippians for two days together, the verses which God used to speak to them and encourage them where verses like these:

"I have learned to be content in all circumstances" 4:11

"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." 4:19

"For our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."  3:20

This verse on citizenship was a verse which I did not even have in my notes originally.  It was added to the end of one of my sessions - primarily because I could draw a parallel between being a citizen of the USA and the privileges it brings, and what it means to be a citizen of heaven.   For people who face the trails and challenges listed above, they do not need any help seeing the benefit of being a citizen of heaven.  They know what it is to eagerly await salivation.

Humbled again.  No need for props, for creative speech, or in depth study - the message of God, the power of the Bible, speaks well on its own.  It has been a wonderful few days of teaching and learning!

and yes, I am a bit taller than the people of Assam...

Out of my depth

 I'm not exactly sure what the phrase "out of my depth" actually means or where it came from - but I'm pretty sure I'm there!  As I sit at a small desk, looking out at rugged greenery through a window with no glass, and work on my material for tomorrow - I can feel my reliance on God within my chest in a tangible way.

What will be helpful?  How do I connect?  What is the best way to teach in this context?  How fast or slow will the time go?  All I know for sure is that God better be in all this or it will be a total waste of time for everyone.  So where am I, and what am I doing?

I am in Likabali, Assam, India.  If it were not for google maps you would not have a chance of figuring out where in the world that is.  A small town on the border between Assam and the protected state of Aranachal - on the road which leads to China.  It is here that about 15 years ago Pastor Steward came to help churches and Christians.  Over the years, he has married a local Christian woman, they have started a family, and on land given by her father built not only a home, but the Likabali Leadership Training Centre.

Here, every year, Pastor Steward trains 10 to 20 young men and women to serve as pastors and evangelists in small towns and villages throughout the area.  These young Christians called by God come and live in Likabali for nine months, and pastor Steward pours into them good training, basic principles, and his heart of faith.

This is their final week here at the training centre.  On Saturday they graduate.  What God does with these 14 students I may never know in my life time, but I have a few days to encourage them as they embark into service.  I truly believe they are more important than I am in God's kingdom.  Some of them will be working within a tribe of 2 million people, of which only a few thousand have heard about Jesus.  Others will go back to villages to live and serve as a witness to Christ - places where no missionary may go.

But not only these 14 students, but another 30 or so pastors and evangelists are to arrive for a two day seminar I am leading.  Pastors, some with no formal training, but a definite call of God upon their lives.  What do I have to offer?  All my experience with Americans who have no theology of suffering.  All my experience using biblical tools and resources that these pastors may never have access to.  All my experience trying to break through a jaded and educated population which is pretty sure they don't need anything.  Most of my ministry experience is useless here - but I am not.

I am not useless because I have the Bible.  I am not useless because God has called me to this.  I am not useless because, while on the surface our worlds are as different as their longitude on the globe, in our hearts every human has the same needs.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever - not to mention every timezone.  The Bible is alive and breathes words of hope and life into every open heart regardless of language or culture.  God's Spirit is more powerful than we can imagine.  The name of Jesus Christ still stirs hearts today.

I am out of my depth, and plumbing the depths of God's greatness.  Please keep me in your prayers that I may stay sensitive to God's lead as I teach and encourage these pastors - and they teach and encourage me.

who do you trust?

One of our biggest challenges in Delhi was figuring out who to trust.  Tobiah astutely observed that 'Indians are very friendly,' however, they are not always helpful.  As we toured sites, found appointments, or tried new things we found people were indeed very helpful. others who were misguided, and many who were mis-guiding. 

When trying to figure out how to get in and see the mighty Red Fort in Delhi, before we realized it we had acquired a gray market tour guide... but he did get us to the right places and teach us a few things.  As that was the first stop on our day of touring many of the major sites of the city it was a helpful learning experience.  But were the prices good at the cottage industry fixed price bazaar we were taken to at the end of the day a good deal or not?  Were the claims of good prices because of government subsidies true - hopefully we will never know.
When trying to find the meeting place for the tour with the organization working with street kids we knew it was just down from the rail station - where we had our wake up experience upon arrival.  It was a few minute walk from the hotel - but a few friendly and seemingly helpful men just about derailed our journey as one tried to convince me the road we were about to head down was closed, and another sought to get us into a tuktuk on the way to a place better suited for tourists.... Ultimately we had to ignore these new friends and go with what we thought we knew - and low and behold the road was open and I did know the way!

I could go on, but the point isn't about the people who we discovered we could not trust - but rather the realization of how many people we do trust.  If we do not trust people, life gets very hard.  Do we trust the staff at the hotel with semi-valuables left in the room?  What about traveling overnight to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and leaving just about all our belongings in the care of complete strangers back in Delhi?  (strangers once again being hotel staff)  Would the taxi driver wait for us and be there when we come out of the site?  Will the guide arranged for us actually be there?  Is the food being prepared in a sanitary way by the restaurant staff?

Everyday in our mundane lives we operate on trust.  In our shopping, driving, banking and work we operate on trust.  We don't think about it much because we know the people, the systems, the norms, the signs and the cues.  It is when we are in a foreign situation, when the familiar is stripped away, trust becomes a choice.  We make our best decision on who to trust, take a step of faith, and commit.  Or maybe we don't....  but if we choose not to trust, we have to lug all our baggage with us, we have to limit our opportunities, we have less risk and much less opportunity.

Traveling in India these days have reminded me about trust - and the importance of trusting wisely in the trustworthy.  And upon reflection, that is exactly what Jen and I have sought to do with our lives as we trust God with our lives.  With God, we can leave our baggage behind, travel light through life, and have a great adventure knowing God loves us and cares for us and is the trustworthiest!

I am writing from Assam with very limited internet - sorry, no pictures

Photos of Delhi - street-kids no more

Salaam Balaak city tour - a definite highlight!

http://www.salaambaalaktrust.com/

What would you do for 80 cents?

What a let down.  We had heard about the craziness of arriving in Delhi - hoards of people, everyone wanting you to go with them, use their taxi, or fall for their scam.  We arrived at noon, had a little trouble with the fingerprint scanner at immigration, and then peacefully walked to the very nice, clean, quiet and calm metro express.  We were quickly whisked from the lovely airport to the metro station at the main Delhi train station.

We braced ourselves for Delhi as we exited the station. The police were friendly even if somewhat unhelpful in pointing us in the direction of our hotel.  The tuktuk drivers (3 wheeled motorized taxi carts) we also helpful, and even they encouraged us to walk, and pointed us in the right direction.  Hello!  We wanted our kids to experience third world chaos - we were not impressed.

Then we crossed an invisible threshold.  Weaving through a sea of taxis, cars and tuktuks in waiting - no signs, no clarity, no clue!  Our confidence vanished, and a small island of white faces, uncertain in a sea of India daily life, emerged as a target of uncertainty.  "You must go around"  "It is too far, you must take a taxi" "You go right through the station" "You cannot go through unless you have a ticket"  "It will take a half an hour or more, let me help you"  Who to believe? How do we find our hotel?  What should we do?

We are learning - use the best information you have, set your course and go with the best confidence you can muster.

Yes, we did have to go through the rail station.
Yes, we did have to go through security.
No, you did not need a rail ticket.
No, it was not too far.
No, we still did not have a clue once we came out the other side.
Yes, we knew the hotel was only a 4 minute walk from our location, but in exactly which direction - That we did not know....

I started asking - I had no choice - I needed more information.  Asking draws attention, brings the helpful, the useless, and the opportunist..... and a determined bike-rickshaw driver.  But we were going to walk, but we was going to push his way through the crowded street to offer his help every 15 feet. "50 rupees - I take bags and 2 kids" (how was that going to work?"  "40 rupees, I take your wife" (she is worth so much more).

Half I block later I realized he wasn't going anywhere, this wasn't easy, and that he couldn't go any faster than I could.  Oh, and I realized he actually knew where we were going, and I certainly did not.... So load up the luggage, the wife and Corban - and make sure the rest of us never lose that rickshaw.  We were off, and a few minutes later up a road which is hard to describe to Americans, we arrived at the doors of Hotel Kriishna.

He was willing to do it for 40, he started at 50, he was exactly what we needed when we needed it, and didn't give up on getting our business - priceless.  100 rupees later he was happy, and we were in the oasis of a clean hotel in a gritty, crowded, hectic part of a huge foreign city.

Here is my reflection - What would you do for 80 cents?  How hard would you work to make it through life?  We were saved by a friendly capable man in his 50's who was doing whatever he could to get whatever was possible.  Coming from a land where people won't take a job at $9 an hour because...  It is humbling to see a grown man working so hard for so little.  Yes, America is still the land of opportunity.  This man, willing to doggedly pursue my pocket change, will probably never get ahead.  He will survive, get by, his kids may have a better life - but if you put the same work and effort into the system at home, most likely he would not end up a rags to riches story, but the possibilities are so much greater.   Yes, life can feel hard in the USA, but coming to places like this is such a good reminder of the great opportunities, the amazing social supports, and the many good things of America.  It is good to be in India - a wonderful place filled with wonderful hardworking people.

After two days of travel - roof of Hotel Krishna

So that was the first few hours in Delhi.  Since then we have seen, traveled and learned.  The Taj Mahal is truly amazing, the outreach of Salaam Baalak Trust is making a difference, and I've got a few theories brewing of cultural difference.  More to come...

Center of Attention

Apparently, unannounced in any guide books, one of the top attractions in Delhi is a family of blonde Americans.  We had our first full day in Delhi as a day to see some of the major sites and get the lay of the land.  Due to jetlag, previous trudging, and availability, we were taken throughout the city by taxi.  Seeing sites which had histories from the 12th century, the 17th century, and the 20th - Palaces, Temples and Mosques - we found out just what Indian tourists are looking for - a photo with white strangers (the cuter the better).

Corban was the true star...

Jennifer was definitely  a big hit...

But overall it was a family afair...

But sometimes it did get a bit comical...

Lord Willing... (our India itinerary)

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  
Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 

James 4:13-15

If it is the Lord's will,
     we will be departing on Feb 16 for India.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will eat lunch in London before continuing to Delhi.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will arrive in Delhi on Feb 18 - a Wednesday.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will tour with Salaam Baalak Trust before heading to Agra Friday.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will see the Taj Mahal on Saturday, and then return to Delhi.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will worship with Christian brothers and sisters in Delhi on Sunday.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will fly to Dibrugarh, Assam, India, picked up by Pastor Steward.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will travel the 4 hours overland to his home.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will stay with Steward, his wife Nyapu and their two daughters (ages 8 & 13).
If it is the Lord's will,
     from Monday, Feb 23 to March 3 we will learn and teach.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will begin to retrace our journey on Tuesday, March 3 flying to Delhi.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will depart for London on Wednesday after one last night in Delhi.
If it is the Lord's will,
     we will have a two day vacation in London.
If it is the Lord's will,
     Jashton, Corban and Dirk will depart for Newark on Saturday, March 7.
If it is the Lord's will,
     Jennifer and Tobiah will depart for Malaga, Spain on Saturday.
If it is the Lord's will,
     they will learn of the mission work of the Walters in Spain.
If it is the Lord's will,
     they will return to London on Wednesday, March 11.
If it is the Lord's will,
     they will depart for Newark on March 12 so our family is together.
If it is the Lord's will,..

Mission Trip or Vacation?

If you go to Disney World, it is a vacation.  What about going to India for two weeks?  

There is a steady stream of groups heading out from churches in the USA on short term mission trips.  We are days away from heading out as a family on a mission trip.  So are mission trips really mission, or are they poverty tourism or some form of sanctified Christian vacation.  Few will say this out loud, but are mission trips an opportunity for; "all the vacation, none of the guilt"?

No.  I have been on many vacations and involved with many short term missions, and they are two different animals.  Yes, they are both travel, a change from normal life, but on many levels, they are opposites.

  Avoidance vs. Awareness

           Escape vs. Engagement

  Spending vs. Investing

Rejuvenation vs. Outpouring

 Getting vs. Giving

Vacation is a chance to escape "real" life, avoid problems (or e-mail), spend what you have earned on yourself, and hopefully find mental or physical rejuvenation.  Vacations are about getting, while a mission trip is about giving.  It is taking the focus off ourselves, and putting in on others; becoming aware of their challenges, engaging in their lives, investing in something much bigger than ourselves.  A mission trip is a chance to connect with what God is doing in the world.


It can get confusing.  By God's grace; when we give, we receive.  When we pour ourselves out for others, we often find rejuvenation.  When we invest in what truly matters, we receive what we don't deserve.  In teaching, helping and serving - we are taught, helped, and grow.  It isn't a vacation, but it is a very good thing.  A mission trip isn't a vacation, but it can be so good that people looking in from the outside might think it is even better - because sometimes it is.

On this trip we are holding onto our American tendencies a bit - there is vacation involved.  Which will leave a larger impression; touring the Taj Mahal or being introduced to the lives of the poor in Delhi?  Which will truly revive the soul; sharing with pastors persecuted by Hindu fanatics or spending two days touring London?  This is first and foremost a trip to serve God and further what He is doing in the world and in our lives.  I have little doubt which will leave a lasting, life changing, impression.


There are a billion people who don't think that India is a vacation, it is their life.  We look forward to being used by God in the daily lives of real people whom God loves dearly.  As we do so, we know we will be more blessed than any blessing we could possibly give.