Lovell Lens

Review of "The Life Application Study Bible Devotional"

2011-12-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

Rating: 5 Stars
Category: Devotional

Publisher: Tyndale House
Pub Date: September 2011

Kindle Format: 7814 lines
Print Format: 400 pages

Kindle edition: $8.79
Hardcover: $15.99

Product Description from the Publisher: Readers of the Life Application Study Bible—the #1 bestselling study Bible—will welcome the arrival of the new Life Application Study Bible Devotional. Let the life of Jesus sink into your mind and heart with 312 readings from the gospels—one for each weekday and one for the weekend. In the Life Application Study Bible Devotional: Daily Wisdom from Jesus, each week focuses on a different event in Jesus’ life—drawing out daily wisdom from his parables, teachings, conversations, miracles, and interactions with people. You’ll learn important biblical principles, become inspired to put God’s Word into practical action, and be forever changed by a year spent going deeper with your Savior.

Review: The Life Application Study Bible Devotional is an excellent tool for daily reflection on God’s word. I received a complimentary copy for review from the publisher, and I intend to use it to supplement my daily Bible reading throughout the next year.

Packed with insights and practical application, I particularly enjoyed the “Getting Personal” sections offered in each reading. As readers consider each day’s Scripture and setting, tips on personal application are key to incorporating God’s wisdom into their daily lives.

I highly recommend the Life Application Study Bible Devotional for any who want to grow closer to God by considering the truths of His word.

Review of "The Coming Revolution" by Dr. Richard G. Lee

2011-12-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

The Coming Revolution: Signs from America’s Past that Signal Our Nation’s Future
By Dr. Richard G. Lee
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Category: Non-fiction, Political, Christian

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub Date: January 12, 2012

Kindle Format: 3115 lines
Hardcover Format: 256 pages

Kindle edition: (Not yet available).
Hardcover: $24.99

Product Description from the Publisher: We are living in a time of monumental change.
Countless numbers of ordinary people, men and women from all walks of life, are joining forces to challenge the direction our national leaders are now taking us. Washington’s idea of change has failed, and most Americans are now frustrated, disappointed, and angry. The result is a long list of offenses, both perceived and real, that can easily set off a chain reaction that quickly becomes irreversible. And in the right environment, the situation can be explosive.

It is easy to see that many of the identical social and religious provocations that spurred the colonists toward the First American Revolution are present today, inspiring a new generation to seek what the Founders called “a new birth of freedom.” Signs are pointing to the fact that we are now standing on the threshold of a new American revolution, not with muskets and cannon balls this time but a revolution conscience, morality, and honor, dedicated to responsible social, moral, and political reforms, demanding change from the socialistic direction our political, judicial, and intellectual leaders have been taking us.

The Coming Revolution draws from the wellspring of America’s powerful past to reveal a nation of people who, under the hand of Divine Providence, will once again fight and win the coming battle for personal and national freedom.

Review: Well-researched and well written, The Coming Revolution is an ideal read for an American audience frustrated with revisionist history and the trend toward socialistic government. I received an advance copy for review from the publisher. The book is scheduled for release on January 12, 2012.

Lee, founder of The First Redeemer Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and “There’s Hope America” ministry, presents readers with a concise and understandable guide to America’s pre-revolutionary history, including the lost colony of Roanoke, the nearly-failed Jamestown experiment and the quest for religious freedom that drove Puritan settlers toward Plymouth. Through it all, Lee explains the essential role that the Christian faith of those early settlers played in forming the nation.

Most significant is Lee’s description of the “Great Awakening” of the 1730s and 1740s and its impact on the American Revolution. As Lee describes, the preaching of the Great Awakening emphasized the need for personal repentance and accountability before God as well as the importance of a personal moral code among those living in community. Lee asserts that the seeds planted in the Great Awakening gave colonists the courage to form a new nation based on “the consent of the governed” and guaranteeing political and religious liberty.

But “The Coming Revolution” is more than a history book. It might also be titled, “A Defense of the Tea Party.” In describing America’s past, Lee looks toward the future and is troubled by the trends he sees -- destruction of the nuclear family, decline in American educational standards and the rise of the welfare state. He lays the blame squarely at the feet of “progressives” currently represented by the Obama administration and challenges Americans to correct its course through a “revolution of ideas, an expression of faith and a renewed commitment to a higher cause.”

Lee should be careful, though. By promoting a third political party, he threatens to fracture conservatives rather than unite them, a move that could lead to a continuation of the socialistic policies that concern him. Conservatives need look no further than the candidacy of Ross Perot in 1992 to understand this concern. The introduction of a second conservative choice split the Republican Party and resulted in the election of Bill Clinton, gaining progressives a foothold and initiating America’s most recent slide toward socialism. For example, Clinton’s liberal belief that every American has the right to home ownership regardless of ability to pay resulted in Federal lending policies that drove America to the brink of financial collapse just a few years ago. By urging conservatives to form a third party in the 2012 election, history may repeat itself.

Instead, Lee’s agenda might be better served by encouraging a personal call to repentance along with intelligent and rational discourse among those from any political party concerned about our nation’s future. Americans desperately need to set aside political bickering and unify under a renewed vision that reclaims our heritage, promotes personal responsibility and strengthens families and communities. Of course, Christians understand that such a vision is impossible apart from a movement of the Holy Spirit. Thus, personal repentance and faith in Christ are the first steps to securing America’s future.

If readers take nothing else away from Lee’s book, they should ponder this: Lasting positive change – whether spiritual, social or political – only comes about as God’s Spirit works in the hearts of individuals. Before Americans can change the direction of their nation, they must first ask God to change their hearts.

My 2011 Reading List

2011-12-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

This year, my goal was to read 24 books (two a month). So far, in 2011, I have completed 33. I abandoned three, which I will explain below, and I am currently reading two. One of the joys of being a proud Kindle owner is the ability to acquire a variety of books at the push of a button. This is a Godsend in a country where both new and used English books are scarce and expensive. With the Kindle, I was never at a loss for a good book and often took advantage of the many free books offered on the Amazon site. That, coupled with encouragement from my friend, Phala, to start our own book club and from my daughter Lauren, to read her AP English assignments along with her, spurred me to read some things I probably wouldn't have chosen on my own.

I also learned about services that allow readers to request advance or courtesy copies of current books from various publishers in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks, Tessa Shockey!) The reading/blogging services I use are BookSneeze, Tyndale's blog network and NetGalley. If you are interested, the reviews are posted elsewhere in this blog.

And now, without further adieu I present my 2011 reading list! :-)

Those I'm reading now (but probably won't finish until 2012):

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (Kindle Freebie and an assigned book from Lauren's AP English class).
Not for Sale by David Batstone (Kindle). A book about human trafficking.

My favorites (in no particular order):

Wading Home by Rosalyn Story (Kindle Freebie). A story of the New Orleans flood.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Print, loaned to me by a friend).
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Print, found it at a used book store in the US)
Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl (Print, found it at a used book store in Seoul)
Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Print, part of Lauren's AP English reading assignment)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Kindle). An excellent and entertaining book about writing.

The ones I hated and cannot recommend:

Promissory Payback by Laurel Dewey (NetGalley review) Fiction detective novel.
The First Tycoon by T.J. Stiles (Kindle). This is one I didn't finish. An historical book about Cornelius Vanderbilt. Too long. Too detailed. Too boring. Visit Biltmore House instead.

Those I reviewed for BookSneeze, Tyndale House or NetGalley:

The Invisible Order, Book Two, The Fire King by Paul Crilley (Kindle, NetGalley)
Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright (Print, BookSneeze)
Stumbling into Grace by Lisa Harper (Print, BookSneeze)
The Tehran Initiative by Joel Rosenberg (Kindle, Tyndale House)
Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies by Stephen Shortridge (Kindle, NetGalley)
Popular Clone by M.E. Castle (Kindle, NetGalley)
Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin (Kindle, NetGalley)
The Coming Revolution by Richard Lee (Kindle, NetGalley)

Work and Ministry Related:

Sex Trafficking by Siddharth Kara (Kindle)
Just Courage by Gary Haugen (Kindle)
The Dragonfly Effect by Andy Smith (Kindle). One of the three I haven't finished but eventually will.

Others I read and liked (in no particular order):

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Kindle Freebie)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Kindle)
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Kindle Freebie)
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Kindle)
The End is Now by Rob Stennett (Kindle Freebie)
Radical by David Platt (Print)
Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (Print)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Print). Another of Lauren's AP English assignments.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baronness Emmuska Orczy (Kindle Freebie)
Hostage in Havana by Noel Hynd (Kindle Freebie)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Kindle Freebie)
Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott (Kindle Freebie). The third one I didn't finish. I read it as a child and liked it. It was a book club read that I didn't finish in time for the discussion.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Kindle Freebie)
Lottie Moon by Regina D. Sullivan (Kindle)
Pearl of China by Anchee Min (Kindle, loaned by a friend)
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Kindle)
The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton (Kindle Freebie)

As always, I welcome suggestions for other books to add to my 2012 "to read" list. We canceled cable, effective the end of this month, so I may have even more time to read in the New Year. :-)

Review of "Promissory Payback" by Laurel Dewey

2011-12-09T23:53:00.000-08:00

Rating: 2 Stars
Category: Crime, Mystery

Publisher: The Story Plant
Pub Date: August 2011

Kindle Format: 752 lines
Hardcover Format: 80 pages

Kindle edition: $0.89
Hardcover: $3.51

Product Description from the Publisher: Laurel Dewey’s Detective Jane Perry is quickly becoming one of the most distinctive, dynamic, and unforgettable characters in suspense fiction today. She’s rock hard, but capable of extraordinary tenderness. She’s a brilliant cop, but she’s capable of making life-altering mistakes. She’s uncannily talented, and she’s heartbreakingly human.

In this novella, Jane is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of a woman who profited greatly from the misfortunes of others. The case leaves Jane with little question about motive...and with a seemingly endless number of suspects.

Review: This was my first “Jane Perry” detective novel. I received a courtesy copy from the publisher to review. While the concept of Promissory Payback is classic detective fiction and the storyline is clever, the book’s many issues with character development keep it from a higher rating. Specifically, the actions and behaviors of many of the characters are inconsistent with the descriptions of their personalities and the dialogue is sometimes forced and unrealistic. I found myself rolling my eyes several times.

As Dewey continues to develop the character of Jane Perry in future novellas, she might consider creating a “softening side-kick” for Perry – one with whom Perry can talk over ideas, strategies, motives, etc., and who can bring out Perry’s softer, more human side. Of course, I understand the challenge of fully developing a set of characters in a novella as short as Promissory Payback, but the extra effort would raise the quality of this book substantially. Still, for $3.51 in print and $0.89 on Kindle, it’s a good value for a quick airplane or vacation read.

Review of "Flesh and Blood So Cheap" by Al Marrin

2011-12-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

Rating: 5 Stars

Category: Juvenile Non-Fiction, History United States

Age level: 10 and up

Grade level: 5 and up

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pub Date: February 2011

Kindle Format: 1803 lines

Hardcover Format: 192 pages

Kindle edition: $10.99

Hardcover: $13.59

Product Description from the Publisher: On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames. The factory was crowded. The doors were locked to ensure workers stay inside. One hundred forty-six people—mostly women—perished; it was one of the most lethal workplace fires in American history until September 11, 2001.

But the story of the fire is not the story of one accidental moment in time. It is a story of immigration and hard work to make it in a new country, as Italians and Jews and others traveled to America to find a better life. It is the story of poor working conditions and greedy bosses, as garment workers discovered the endless sacrifices required to make ends meet. It is the story of unimaginable, but avoidable, disaster. And it the story of the unquenchable pride and activism of fearless immigrants and women who stood up to business, got America on their side, and finally changed working conditions for our entire nation, initiating radical new laws we take for granted today.

With Flesh and Blood So Cheap, Albert Marrin has crafted a gripping, nuanced, and poignant account of one of America's defining tragedies.

Review: It is no surprise that this book is a 2011 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature. I received a courtesy copy from the publisher for review and I was thoroughly engrossed from the beginning. Well-documented and easy to follow, Marrin does an outstanding job of painting a picture of life in New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century and the factors that led to the tragic shirtwaist factory fire on March 25, 1911. But Flesh and Blood is more than the story of a tragedy. It also paints a picture of the people of New York, offering thoughtful insights into immigration, the rise of the garment industry, workers’ and women’s rights, even organized crime. The growing pains experienced in the microcosm of New York City at the turn of the twentieth century shaped policies and decisions that influenced the entire country for years to come.

Marrin also does an outstanding job of relating the struggles of New York City garment workers in the early 1900s to the current conditions of factory workers in developing nations like Bangladesh and China, handling the delicate issues of wages and standards of living in a manner most pre-teens can understand. An excellent resource for intermediate social studies, this book is a must for every fifth grade classroom.

Review of "The Popular Clone" by M.E. Castle

2011-12-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

Rating: 3.5 stars
Category: Juvenile Fiction. Action and Adventure.

Publisher: EgmontUSA Publishers
Pub Date: Available January 24, 2012

Kindle Format: 2556 lines
Hardcover Format: 324 pages

Kindle edition: $9.99
Hardcover: $15.99

Product Description from the Publisher:
Meet Fisher Bas: 12 years-old, growth-stunted, a geeky science genius, and son of the Nobel Prize-winning creators of the Bas-Hermaphrodite-Sea-Slug-Hypothesis. No surprise: Fisher isn't exactly the most popular kid in his middle school, tormented daily by the beefy, overgrown goons he calls The Vikings. But he senses relief when he comes upon the idea of cloning himself - creating a second Fisher to go to school each day while he stays at home playing video games and eating cheetos with ketchup. It's an ingenious plan that works brilliantly, until Fisher's clone turns out to be more popular than him - and soon after gets clone-napped by the evil scientist Dr. Xander.

Review: Who doesn't wish they could sometimes clone themselves rather than face harassing bullies at school, in the neighborhood or at the office? I received an advance copy of “Popular Clone” from the publisher and was drawn immediately to the character of Fisher Bas and the struggles he faces as a middle school boy. Unlike my own middle school experience, however, Fisher has the brains and the know-how to solve his problems by cloning himself and sending his clone into the battlefield of Wampanog Middle School to face his enemies, the Vikings. Of course, things don't go exactly as Fisher planned - and not everyone is who they claim to be. The result is an action-packed story with the just the right mix of evil genius, misfits, bullies and mad scientists sure to keep middle school readers engaged to the bitter end.

New Living Translation Giveaway!

2011-12-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

From November 29th through December 24th, the New Living Translation Facebook page will be offering lots of great prizes and something free just for signing up.

By visiting the giveaway entry page (located on the NLT Facebook page, the link is under the profile picture) and entering your name and email address you'll be entered to win a Life Application Study Pack and an Apple iPad 2. Also, everyone who signs up receives a free download copy of the Life Application Bible Book of Luke.

For those who enjoy the Life Application Study Bible, you won't want to miss this opportunity! Check it out!

Review of "Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies" by Stephen Shortridge

2011-12-03T00:38:00.000-08:00

Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies: Reconciling Deeply Held Faith with Honest Doubt
Written by Stephen Shortridge

Rating: 4 stars
Category: Christian devotional

Publisher: Worthy Publishers
Pub Date: October 11, 2011

Kindle Format: 1533 lines
Hardcover Format: 192 pages

Kindle edition: $11.99
Hardcover: $18.99

Product Description from the Publisher: Most Christians are content to spend their lives in churches where mystery is denied and doubt is unwanted. Where uncertainty is shunned and honest questions are stuffed into a corner, never to be brought out again.
This book is for the rest of us.

For those who live with distinct doubts . . . but whose passion for God remains deeper still. For those who have been confused by the world—and perhaps by our own desires—and still long to connect with a God who forgives and embraces us. For those who believe that our personal wrestlings can somehow make our faith mature—and our need for God complete.

Sharing his own personal vulnerabilities with soul-stirring reminders for your faith journey, Stephen Shortridge delivers a hope-filled work—encouraging mystery rather than explaining it, affirming doubt rather than removing it . . . for all who dare to be honest.

Review: Stephen Shortridge is an artist who writes like he paints. Deeply romantic, mystical and impressionistic, “Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies” recognizes that faith is more than “churchy” clichés and platitudes. Authentic faith is gritty, puzzling and enigmatic.

In this short devotional book which I received in advance from the publisher, Shortridge’s style is conversational; his voice gentle and his insights deep. Reading “Deepest Thanks” is like sitting down with the author/artist over a cup of coffee. But be warned: Those looking for a practical step-by-step guide won’t find answers here. Neither will those uncomfortable with doubt and mystery. Instead, the book’s greatest appeal is to spiritual thinkers who have wrestled with their faith and admit to honest doubt. Those readers will realize they have a friend in Shortridge.

Review of "The Tehran Initiative" by Joel Rosenberg

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Tehran Initiative
Written by Joel C. Rosenberg

Rating: 3 stars
Category: Christian political thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pub Date: October 18, 2011

Kindle Format: 5521 lines
Hardcover Format: 480 pages

Kindle edition: $9.45
Hardcover List Price: $26.99

Product Description from the Publisher: The world is on the brink of disaster and the clock is ticking. Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—known as “the Twelfth Imam”—has just arrived on earth. Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second holocaust and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket, and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.

Review: The Tehran Initiative by Joel Rosenberg is a fast-paced, political thriller. I received a complimentary advance copy from the publisher and read the book in five days. Written with a predominantly evangelical Christian audience in mind, Rosenberg weaves current political events, historical Middle East tensions and Islamic and Christian eschatology to craft a tale that is plausible, riveting and provocative.

I struggled a bit with some of Rosenberg’s characterizations, not because I necessarily disagree with his premises, but because I believe it fuels fear, creates barriers and hampers efforts of Christians attempting reasonable discussion on matters of faith with Muslims in America and around the world. As with most evangelical Christian fiction, the storyline, while plausible, seems agenda-driven, targeting and exploiting American fears against the enemy du jour – in this case, Islamic terrorists. Likewise, the dialogue and interactions among some of the characters, particularly on matters of salvation and faith, are forced, naïve and unrealistic.

That having been said, The Tehran Initiative encourages me to do more research on the concept of the twelfth imam in Islamic teaching and to study the differences between Christianity and Islam on matters concerning the end times. In my opinion, any book that causes us to delve into matters of faith and examine our philosophies against the truth of God’s Word is well worth the read.

Review of "The Fire King"

2011-10-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

The Invisible Order, Book Two: The Fire King

Written by Paul Crilley

Rating: 4 stars

Category: Juvenile Fiction – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic; Juvenile Fiction – Action & Adventure

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pub Date: September 27, 2011

Kindle Format: 3396 lines

Hardcover Format: 416 pages

Kindle edition: $9.99

Hardcover: $10.73

Product Description from Amazon.com: With humans threatened by otherworldly creatures, orphans Emily and William Snow, and their friends—the pickpocket Spring-Heeled Jack and the wisecracking Corrigan—find themselves two hundred years in the past, trapped in the London of 1666. Desperately in need of help, they go in search of Sir Christopher Wren, who was head of the Invisible Order, an organization dedicated to fighting this threat. But Wren’s never even heard of the Order and has no interest in their story.

Stranded, the four cannot agree on their next step. But they’ll have to decide quickly, because their enemies are on the move and the Fire King is ready to attack and burn London to the ground.

Set against the Great Fire of London, The Invisible Order, Book Two: The Fire King picks up right where Rise of the Darklings left off, weaving adventure, history, and legend into a thrilling, heart-stopping story.

Review: The Fire King is book two of the Invisible Order series by Paul Crilley. I received an advance review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com. Although I have not yet read Book One of the Invisible Order, I found myself thoroughly immersed in the adventure and magic of The Fire King’s storyline. I particularly enjoyed the way in which Crilley tied the storyline to the historical Great Fire of London and the subtle parallels to the four horsemen mentioned in the book of Revelation. While not quite as in-depth as the fantasy adventures of Lewis and Tolkien, the magic, adventure and symbolism of The Fire King reminded me of these great children’s writers.

The Fire King is a great read for tweens (both boys and girls) who enjoy action, adventure, magic and fantasy. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Places we don't want to go

2011-09-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to go to Africa. I've been there before. I liked it, but I didn't need to go back. So when the opportunity came to accompany my husband on a 2-week business trip to South Africa, I wasn't too excited. I didn't want to leave the girls with other families for that length of time. I had deadlines and commitments to meet. There was just too much to do.

Truthfully, though, the most significant reason for my hesitation was the image I had of Johannesburg. I pictured it as Kolkata, India - with guns. Big city. Masses of people. Poverty. Crime. Keep your doors and windows locked.

I was wrong.

Or at least only partially right.

Yes, Jo'burg is a big city. There is lots of crime. It is important to be aware of your surroundings and keep your doors and windows locked.

But there are not masses of people. I didn't see a lot of poverty - which doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist, just that it isn't quite so obvious as in some Asian cities like Kolkata. The infrastructure was amazing - good roads. little traffic, no garbage, no bad smells. The people - both black and white - were friendly, helpful and lots of fun. In spite of stories of robberies and car jackings, I felt very safe there. And the climate was marvelous - "sweater weather" is my very favorite.

We took a weekend break in meetings to travel to Cape Town - one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The landscape along the coast was breathtaking. The wharf was a great place for dinner and shopping, and I learned more about Nelson Mandela and the struggle against apartheid on a tour of Robben Island than I ever learned in school.

After a return to Jo'burg and a few more days of meetings, we traveled by car to Kruger National Park - both for game viewing and a spiritual retreat. Along the way, we saw places with such picturesque names as "The Three Sisters" and "God's Window." On our first game drive in Kruger, we saw the Big 5 - rhino, buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion - before 9:00 a.m. The leopard was having breakfast in a tree. He was eating an impala he killed a few hours before. A couple of days later, we saw hippos fighting and a pride of lions chowing on a cape buffalo they killed earlier in the day.

It was an amazing trip. In spite of my earlier misgivings, I was grateful I came. I realized I saw things I will never see anywhere else - rugged beauty, amazing wildlife, wonderful people.

Sometimes God takes us to places we don't want to go - like Africa - to see and experience things we will never see anywhere else. As I put that in the context of this season of my life - preparing to send my oldest daughter off to college later next year - I realized that God is going to show me things in the next 2-3 years that I will never be able to experience any other way. Living an ocean away from my teenage daughter will cause me to trust Him in new ways. It will also allow me to see good things happen in her life as she transitions to adulthood that will no doubt amaze me.

Of course, sometimes God takes us to places we don't want to go, and we experience suffering and pain - through the serious illness or death of a child, when a spouse walks away or families are separated by "greater" commitments. This was the case when Habakkuk cried out for relief from injustice. God's answer took him to a place that resulted in suffering and pain. God revealed to Habakkuk that the Babylonians - the enemies of God's people - were going to sweep into the southern kingdom of Judah and destroy them. For a time - about 50 years - the enemies of God prevailed, and by God's doing His people were in a place they didn't want to be.

Habakkuk could have responded to this revelation in a number of ways. Not all might have been "God-honoring." Instead, he concluded his recorded conversation with God with a bold statement of faith:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God, my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He enables me to go to the heights." Habakkuk 3:17-19.

I know that God is going to continue to take me to some places I don't want to be. I pray that most of those experiences will be like my journey to Africa - surprising me with His majesty, beauty and power. But I know that some of those places will be difficult - requiring all the faith I possess just to make it from minute to minute. I pray that I will be grateful for all of the places God leads me, realizing that the Sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He enables me to go to the heights.

Travel light and wear comfortable shoes,

Ann

Copyright 2011 by Ann Lovell. All Rights Reserved.

Review of "Stumbling into Grace: Confessions of a Sometimes Spiritually Clumsy Woman" by Lisa Harper

2011-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

“Stumbling into Grace: Confessions of a Sometimes Spiritually Clumsy Woman,” connects with the heart of a woman at any season of life. Harper utilizes personal stories and a healthy dose of good humor to share experiences that are common to all of us and spiritual insights that will challenge and inspire you. Her skill as a Bible teacher and writer bring the stories of Jesus to life and will cause you to crave deeper intimacy with Him. The diary/devotional format makes "Stumbling into Grace" a great choice for a personal devotional, one-on-one mentoring or small group discussion. I enjoyed reading it!

Review of "Out Live Your Life" by Max Lucado

2011-07-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

In "Out Live Your Life" Max Lucado, the well-known writer and pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, challenges Christians to move beyond their padded pews and stained-glass windows into the world God has called them to serve. Building on the trend among a younger generation of evangelical believers to embrace social justice issues, Lucado urges American Christians to reject the materialism so prevalent in today's society and spend their time and money investing not just in causes but in people that are hurting. Lucado backs up his challenge with action of his own; he is donating 100% of his royalties from the sale of this book to World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion.

As always, Lucado's book is Biblically-based, weaving Biblical narrative with modern illustrations in a storytelling style that is both compelling and comfortable. His study guide at the end of the book also makes this a good candidate for small group study. I highly recommend "Out Live Your Life." Read it, digest it and act upon it. Allow God to use you to make a difference to those who are hurting.

Review of "Seeds of Turmoil: The Biblical Roots of the Inevitable Crisis in the Middle East" by Dr. Bryant Wright

2011-07-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bryant Wright does a thorough job of explaining the Biblical roots of the tensions in the Middle East along with the post-Biblical historical background. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on "the Islamic perspective" where he discussed in more detail the birth of Islam in the AD 600s and its spread throughout the Middle East. That chapter alone inspired me to research the history of Islam more carefully. The book is a well-researched and in-depth look at why the Middle East turmoil will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. The discussion questions at the end make this a good candidate for small group study.

The challenge, of course, with any book of this nature is to avoid the temptation to demonize the followers of Judaism or Islam. Dr. Wright stresses the need to pray for both Jews and Muslims and for the peace of Jerusalem. I couldn't agree more. "Love your enemies," Jesus said. "Pray for those who persecute you." As Dr. Wright notes, Christianity is the only faith of the three Abrahamic religions that stresses the need for love and forgiveness. We are wise to remember that Christ died for the sins of all of us - Muslim, Jew and Christian - and that He is not willing that ANY should perish but that all should come to repentance.

"Canned" evangelism doesn't work

2011-05-12T03:19:00.000-07:00

It has been nearly three months now since our small group of women began visiting a couple of the red-light districts in our city to share the Gospel. In that time we've experienced heartbreak, elation, discouragement and promise. A month ago a woman, whom I'll call Sunny, prayed to receive Christ - the first of this new ministry. A week ago with a friend, her boss and a woman I'll call Marge looking on, she told two of my colleagues that she could no longer be Christian. She must be Buddhist instead.

Two nights ago, my friend, Janet, and I visited these women again, and Marge was there. Marge, who has some exposure to Christianity, is very smart, well-educated and quite strong in her Buddhist beliefs.

While Janet talked with Sunny and her friend, I sat down beside Marge. While I intended to share at the first opportunity that Jesus was the reason for our coming, I also planned to do a lot of listening. We already suspected that Marge had significant influence over our new friends and may have been pressuring them. I wanted to find out why ... but carefully.

So as we talked about her life and I was learning about her background, including her exposure to Christianity, I was praying for a bridge to talk about Jesus. I didn't have to wait long.

"I believe that everyone must have a point to their life," Marge said. "As long as every person follows their religion and does good, the world will be a better place."

Ok. There's an opening. I've been reading David Platt's "Radical" and decided to respond with an illustration from his book.

"So it is safe to say that in your mind God sits at the top of a mountain and all the different religions of the world are taking a different path up the mountain to get to him?"

"Yes," she said.

"What if I were to tell you that God has come down the mountain and lived among us to show us how to get to Him?"

In Platt's book, the Hindu and Muslim religious leaders in India with whom Platt shared this illustration exclaimed, "Oh! That would be wonderful! Please tell us more!"

Obviously, Marge had not read the script. Instead she said, "Many people come to Thailand to enjoy the mountains."

Smile.

I backed up, explained that I was speaking figuratively and talked about being part of God's family. As we talked more, Marge told me that she has talked with many Christians over the years. "You cannot change my mind by talking," she said.

I assured her that I was well aware that nothing I said would change her mind. "But," I said, "I want to be your friend. I want you to help me understand Thai Buddhism. And if we are friends, I will talk about Jesus because He is so much a part of my life that I'll talk about Him just like I talk about my husband and my kids. Is that ok?"

"Yes, of course," she said. "You listen and understand me. I will recommend that Sunny and her friend talk directly to you. Would that be ok?"

Oh, yes. I think so.

So this is the lesson I'm learning: "Canned" evangelism doesn't work.

Ok, I knew this already, but I was reminded of it in my conversation with Marge. Yes, it is useful to familiarize ourselves with one or two simple evangelistic presentations to give us a starting point, but we can't expect those who've never read "our script" to follow it.

Evangelism is as much about listening as it is about sharing. Yes, we need to share Jesus at every opportunity, but we also need to be willing to listen - really listen - to what the other person is saying with their mouths, their eyes and their hearts.

One thing I never want to do is to see these women as our "pet project." They have been treated as "objects" for far too long and the last thing I want to do is to make them "objects of evangelism."

I'm learning a couple of other lessons this week that I'll share in later posts. For now, please pray for Marge, Sunny and all the women we are meeting in these areas. Pray that we will become true friends. Pray that as we share Jesus with them that God will work in their hearts. Francis Chan reminds us that we can't make anyone fall in love with Jesus, but we can fall on our knees on their behalf.

Thank you for praying with and for us.

Blessings!

Ann

"Friend of God"

2011-04-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, I heard a sermon from a noted spiritual awakening expert based on John 15. He asserted that the key to a “powerful life” is to “abide in Christ” and noted that many Christians are living in “first gear” because they haven’t yet learned this lesson. As an example, he pointed out that you can drive from Tennessee to California in first gear, but your car will have no power and it will take a long time to get there. I don’t disagree with him. I think many Christians are leading ineffective, powerless lives because they try to “do it themselves” rather than relying and depending on Christ.

But something about his sermon didn’t resonate with me, and this morning as I was reading in John 15 (again), I realized why. John 15:14-15 says in part, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants … Instead I have called you friends.” I realized that it isn’t “power” that I want. Instead, it is intimacy with God that I crave.

I won’t argue that “power,” “effectiveness” and “fruitfulness” are natural and important outcomes of abiding. Of course, I want those characteristics in my life. But for me, being a “friend of God” is what keeps me anchored in His will. It isn’t about what “I” can get out of the relationship. It’s about the relationship itself.

I wonder if this is perhaps a male/female thing. Experts tell us that women generally tend to be more relational and focused on intimacy than men. Do men need “power” as a benefit of their relationship with Christ more than women?

I don’t know. I’m not sure it even matters. I realize, though, that this “friendship with God” is my prayer for all the women that we meet on our visits to the red light district. I want them to understand “true intimacy” - one that isn’t based on selfishness, but on selflessness, love and respect.

I also know this: I don’t really care how long it takes me to drive from Tennessee to California — as long as Jesus is in the car with me!

Travel light!

Ann

What does "Good News" look like?

2011-03-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

Let me share two conversations from the red-light district this week.

"I am Buddhist and I go to the temple. I leave money there so the Buddha will help me," one woman explained.

"You know what?" my friend, Janet said. "You don't have to pay God to help you."

The woman looked surprised. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," Janet said.

A second woman told us that she has a Bible in Thai and English that she has been trying to read. She has a hard time praying, though, because her English isn't very good.

"You know what?" Janet said. "You can pray to God in Thai. God speaks Thai."

Again, the woman looked surprised. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," she said.

As we talked further with both, I realized that these two women had never heard this news before. It gave them something to think about. I could see on their faces that this was "Good News."

"Do not let your hearts be troubled," Jesus said. "Trust in God. Trust also in me." In the margin of my Bible, I've written, "Trust is relying on someone else to see what you can't see."

I find myself relying on Janet "to see what I can't see" in our visits, and I'm praying that God will open my eyes as we walk. In the greater sense, I understand that our team is also relying on God "to see what we don't see" in the places we visit.

In Genesis, Hagar, another oppressed woman, recognized God as "the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13). In Exodus, God told Moses, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering" (Exodus 3:7).

We don't understand "why" he has called us to the red-light district but we trust that He "sees" the needs there. He has heard their cries and He is concerned about their suffering.

I'm thankful that we are not in this alone.

Blessings!
Ann

"Charlie's Big Adventure" now available in print and on Kindle

2011-03-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it. With the help of a great illustrator, Kathy Thacker, I've written and published my first children's book, "Charlie's Big Adventure." It is available in print from CreateSpace and will be available from Amazon in the next week or so. You can also order a copy for Amazon's Kindle.

This is an exciting journey for me - maybe not quite as exciting as a duck changing his feathers but exciting nonetheless! I'm old enough and maybe wise enough to know, though, that the next book can be better than the last, especially as I listen to those who have supported me along the way. So send me your feedback and your comments. I want to hear from you!

Blessings!

Ann

Pray for Japan!

2011-03-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

"And they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped." Exodus 4:31

Pray that the Japanese will see God's concern and compassion through the efforts of IMB missionaries.
Pray that they will believe, bow down and worship Him alone.

Pray for Japan!

2011-03-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, I've been watching with horror the devastation of the earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear plant explosion wracking Japan over the weekend. In many ways, Tokyo is like a second home for me. I've spent many days there over the past 12 years, and some of my closest friends live there. While all of my friends are safe and accounted for, thousands of others are not. As I read the articles and watch the videos, I feel as if the apocalypse is unfolding before my eyes.

We often wonder what will happen in "the last days" and long for Christ to return and set everything right. The reality is that the end came for hundreds if not thousands of Japanese this weekend. Sadly fewer than 2 out of 100 who lost their lives will join us in Heaven. Most who died entered eternity without Christ.

Our job is far from over. Pray for Japan.

Walking and learning

2011-02-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks all for your prayers as we continue to figure out how God is leading us in the red-light district. Today we went mid-afternoon to see if any of the girls we met a couple of weeks ago were available. The bar was closed and no one was around. We are trying to determine the best time to talk with the girls when we will not be interrupting their work. Remember, our goal is not keep them from working, but simply to share the Gospel through friendly conversation and build enough trust that they might be willing to talk with us more.

We also prayer-walked that area, along with another one nearby. We're trying to determine where to go next, but it isn't as evident as it was a couple of weeks ago. We'll just keep praying and waiting. We also stopped by one place run by another Christian organization that offers childcare in the red-light district. We will go back next week to talk with them more.

In an interesting side note, as we were walking back to our car, a homeless man on crutches tripped and fell in front of us. My friend, Patti, saint that she is, stopped to help and he asked us to help him stand up. After we got him to his feet, he told us a little of his story in a mixture of Thai and English. Apparently he is Burmese and he was injured in some sort of vehicle accident. He asked where we are from and we told him we are from America. Then, again in a mixture of English, Thai and apparently Burmese, he said, "I believe in father. Do you believe in father?" and pointed above his head. After some confusing pointing and trying to make sure we understood what he was asking, we said, "Yes. We are followers of Jesus." As it turned out, apparently, he is, too. He told us that even though he is homeless he is so happy because "die, never." I'm not sure what to make of that encounter. I'll even admit to a tad bit of skepticism. On the other hand, maybe he is supposed to remind me that regardless of our circumstances, Jesus is enough.

Continue to pray for the following:

- Wisdom, discernment and courage as we figure out our next steps

- A variety of upcoming meetings with potential partnering organizations, our strategy leadership and our local Thai advisors

- Thai women who can come alongside us. (We have a lead on two!)

- Softening of hearts and openness to the Gospel among those we encounter in the red-light district

- The salvation of exploited women and children in my city and beyond

Thanks so much for your prayers!

Working in the Red-light district

2011-02-16T18:32:00.001-08:00

I've used this blog for many things over the years - to post stories, devotional thoughts, photos, etc. And the truth is, I don't post very often, choosing instead to post short status updates on FB or dash off a quick email when things are happening or need prayer support. But I have so much to share about how God has been moving over the last few months that I'm not even sure where to begin - and a short facebook status won't do it justice. So let me start at the beginning ...

In June 2010, as part of a meeting with my colleagues in this city, we took a prayer-drive up a nearby mountain, gathered at an overlook and prayed for the city. I was convicted. At that point, we had lived in the city for 10 months and I had never been to that place. I had never prayed for my city. I was too busy missing the city I had left behind and wallowing in the "woe is me" of another transition. But in that moment, I felt stirred not only to pray for my new city but to pray a radical, outrageous, audacious prayer:

"God, please close down the sex industry in my town."

Most of you know that Thailand is well-known for its sex industry. My city is no exception. And while local authorities work hard to address child trafficking and pedophilia, prostitution is legal and very much alive. I really didn't personally want to become involved in this issue. I just wanted God to close it down ... because He can ... if we ask Him to.

After that initial trip up the mountain, I began making an intentional effort to prayer drive various parts of the city - sometimes alone and sometimes with two friends and colleagues. We prayed in several places - not just red-light districts - seeking areas where we might minister to the people. I continued to pray that God would bring an end to the sex industry in my city. Crazy, I know.

Then in late November I traveled on assignment as a writer to northeast India. I initially thought that I was covering the work of medical volunteers since health strategies have been a focus of mine for the last year. I learned, instead, that the volunteers were providing basic health checkups in a red-light district and that we would be working with prostitutes. The assignment morphed from a health strategies focus to a human trafficking focus. Ok. Sounds interesting.

But it turned out to be more than an interesting story coverage. That trip, quite literally, changed my life. I've never wanted to work with prostitutes. It isn't that I don't care about their salvation ... I do. But I come from a very safe, protected, emotionally fulfilled environment. I simply thought I had nothing to say to them. No way to relate.

What I learned on that trip - as I learn so often - is that it isn't about me. It's true that have nothing in common with exploited women and girls. But I do have Jesus Christ living in me. And He is enough to break their chains and set them free. I don't need to identify. I don't need to understand. I just need to share the Gospel. Jesus is enough.

So, I realized that all this prayer for the sex industry in my city really meant that I needed to get involved. But I just wasn't sure. Prostitutes? Really?

From the city in northeast India we traveled to Kolkata. Our first night in Kolkata, we walked down to Mother Teresa's home. As I read the stories about her life in the small museum, I noticed that it was on a train to Darjeeling (near the city we'd just visited) that God impressed on Mother Teresa his will for her to work with "the poorest of the poor."

Standing there, I knew that God wanted me to find a way to share the Gospel with bar girls and prostitutes in our city. I had no idea how to go about it, but I'd just had a "real-life lab experience" with my new friend and colleague involved in the work. I had learned some things. So I prayed, "God, I'm not sure how to do this. I'm not even sure I want to do this. But ok, God. Just show me the next step."

I returned to my city rarin' to go. I knew that I only wanted to share the Gospel - not start a livelihood project, not build a safe house, etc. One of the things I've learned this year as I've traveled and written about social justice issues (e.g., homelessness, health and human trafficking) is that the most effective approach is simply to start by sharing the Gospel. Social justice issues have a lesser priority and can be addressed later as needs arise.

So, of course, I decided I'd look at teaching English in one of the red-light districts. (Insert ironic smile here). My prayer partner, Jamie, and I prayed about that for a few weeks and constantly ran into one brick wall after another. Ok, so it isn't about teaching English. It's about sharing the Gospel. I get it.

As a Holy Spirit-induced aside, on the trip to India, I learned about an effort by FBC Inola, Oklahoma to deliver gift bags to strip club workers in Tulsa. This is a new ministry that came about after my co-worker in India challenged her home church to take action. I did not mention this to Jamie. I knew there was no way the two of us - as introverted as we are - would ever attempt something so bold and foolish. But ...

A couple of weeks ago, we met to pray again. We talked about different ways of gaining access to the women. Then, Jamie said, "Why don't we just walk up the street and talk to them."

"That's very dangerous," I said.

"Yes, but we can go to one out in the open. We won't be in the brothels, just the bars," she said.

"Oh, ok," I said.

"Should we take something?" she said.

"How about a gift bag?" I said.

"That's perfect!" she said.

"Really? Ok. " I said. "Had you thought of this before we met?"

"No," Jamie said. "It just came to me as we were praying."

Of course it did.

So, there you have it. Last Friday, February 11, Jamie and I along with an extroverted friend and co-worker named Patti, delivered 8 gift bags to a bar across from a hotel where our company frequently has meetings. We shared with them that God had put them on our hearts, that we loved them and that we had a gift for them. The gift bags included lotion, lipstick, tissues, a facial mask and a copy of "The Hope" DVD. We also gave them a card with our first names and cell phone numbers, inviting them to visit us for coffee and conversation. The girls were very friendly. They accepted the gifts. No "bad guys" ran us off. It was a great experience.

A few days later, on Tuesday, the three of us attended a seminar called "Red Lights and Redemption" held by a colleague who works in the brothels in another nearby country. We learned a lot. One of her suggestions is that we take a gift every time we go to the red-light district. That was my plan, but I also realized that we have no "real" budget for this outreach. I didn't know where the funds would come from. After all, there are a LOT of prostitutes in my city.

That night on our walk around our neighborhood, my husband, Joe and I were talking about what to do. I told him, "I'm just going to be George Mueller about this and trust that if God wants us to deliver gift bags then He will provide the funds. If he doesn't, maybe He just wants us to talk to them." (George Mueller was a missionary in England who set up orphanages. Rather than asking for donations, he simply prayed every time he had a need ... and God provided funds ... every single time).

The next morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. with this ministry on my mind. I prayed that if God wanted us to continue providing gift bags that He provide the funds.

Later, just before lunch, Joe walked over to my office. With a funny look on his face, he told me that we had received a special gift from a donor that we don't know and have never met. It was a substantial amount of money to "address exploitation of children in Thailand." My jaw dropped. 'That's a LOT of gift bags.' I thought.

So, now we know that God has opened a door big enough to drive a truck through. I'm in conversations with our leadership about developing a comprehensive plan to reach exploited women and children in northern Thailand. I hope to help coordinate the efforts of all of our personnel working with exploited women and children - from an orphanage in our city to work in the girls' and women's prisons to human trafficking and prostitution. So far, I've gotten nothing but support to pursue this.

Our small team is also planning to meet next week with a potential partner - a woman with another organization who just moved to our city to work with prostitutes. Interesting coincidence, isn't it?

We have several prayer requests:

- Pray that God will give us wisdom as we move forward.

- Pray for the salvation of the girls' in the red-light district

- Pray that our ministry will continue to be focused first on sharing the Gospel

- Pray that as we seek guidance, counsel and accountability with our leadership that we will continue in lock-step obedience to God's direction

- Pray for local Thai believers to step out and join us in this ministry

- Pray that God will guide us as we seek to develop an overall plan for reaching exploited women and children in northern Thailand with the Gospel

This is SO big and I am SO inadequate in my own strength. Still, I know that while we can do nothing apart from Christ, with Him we can do everything. I know that God is with us. I can't wait to see what's next. Thanks for your prayers!

Ann

Taking out the garbage

2010-10-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

I cleaned out our freezer last week. I was looking for hot dog buns to give to a friend. I found the buns along with several packages of year-old freezer burnt meat and an ice pack that belonged to our neighbor. It's amazing the things that get lost in the back of the freezer.

I decided it was time to throw out that old meat. So, thinking that I hadn't yet missed the weekly neighborhood garbage pick-up , I threw it all into a trash bag and took it to the curb. Guess what? I had missed the trash pick-up. They come on Wednesdays. My burst of energy on the freezer project didn't happen until Thursday.

So this morning, as I was sitting on the lovely balcony just off our bedroom, reflecting on the beauty of God's creation - blue skies, green fields, and distant mountains - guess what invaded my thoughts? You got it - the smell of rotting meat. Rotting meat doesn't smell good anytime of day, but especially just after breakfast.

This month, I am reading devotionally in the book of Jeremiah. It's really depressing and I'm so thankful that God has not called me to Jeremiah-like assignments. This morning on my balcony, I read about the sins of Judah, their worship of false gods and their refusal to repent. I read all this against the backdrop of the smell of rotting meat. As the stink of my own garbage surrounded me and overshadowed the beauty around me, I was reminded that my spiritual garbage has the same effect on God, overpowering by a long-shot all the good things I may do. It was a powerful olfactory lesson.

So this morning, I asked God to take out my spiritual garbage. And I plan to see if the garbage folks can make an early stop by my house this week. After all, it's still only Monday.

Love willing to risk

2010-02-05T21:10:00.001-08:00

Matthew 24:9-14 describes the persecution that followers of Jesus will face. Verse 14 says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." I don't know about you, but when i face ridicule or persecution in trying to share the Good News, it is easy for my love to "grow cold." And when our love grows cold, it is much harder to take the risks necessary to share the Good News. But we must persevere. We must stand firm. We must continue to take risks to share the love of God with those who have not yet heard. Francis Chan wrote in Crazy Love, "God wants us to love others enough that we go to extremes to help them." God, give us that kind of love!

Who do you say that I am?

2010-01-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

It all began with Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. From there, Jesus began to draw the disciples deeper and deeper into intimacy with Him.

When we recognize Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God," He will also draw us into a deeper relationship with Him. He will begin to share with us His purposes, His plans, and His glory. Just like Peter, we may not always understand His plans; we may fight against His purposes; but we will see His glory.

"Who do you say that I am?"

Based on Matthew 16:13-17:9

Be amazed ... be very amazed ...

2010-01-23T03:07:00.000-08:00

"But Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.' And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.'" Matthew 13:57-58

Is it possible for us, as followers of Jesus to become so familiar with the presence of God in our lives that we cease to be amazed in His presence? I've been reading stories from Mumbai, India, this week as three teams of volunteers walked through the streets and slums, sharing the story of Jesus along the way. The volunteers told amazing stories of salvation, physical healing, and yes, even a couple of exorcisms - really miraculous stuff. (You can read those same stories at http://mreport.org).

Reading all of this has taken me back to my trip to India last year when I saw a crippled woman stand up straight. I didn't know what to think then. I'm not sure I can even make sense of it now. But I know what I saw.

But the question remains: Why don't we see stuff like this in the U.S. - a "Christian nation" or at least a country once founded on Christian principles. Perhaps Matthew 13:57-58 provides a clue. Perhaps as a nation, and especially as the American church, we have become too familiar and comfortable with how we've seen God work through science and technology to believe that He might be willing to step outside of the box we've created for Him to speak to a people who desperately need to witness His power.

Are we, by our lack of faith, quenching His Spirit from working in our lives and the lives of those around us? If so, shame on us, and may God, in his mercy, give us a new revelation of who He is and all that He wants to be in our lives.

Stand amazed in His presence.

Back where it all began

2010-01-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

As Jacob was running from Esau, God revealed Himself to Jacob in a place Jacob named Bethel. At that point, Jacob promised that the Lord would be His God if God would eventually bring him back to that place (Gen 28:18-22). On his way back to Canaan, after years of working with Laban, Jacob wrestled with God in a place he named Peniel and learned that his name would be Israel (Gen 32:22-32). Finally, in Gen 35, God led Jacob back to Bethel - the first place where God appeared to him. This time God spoke to Jacob directly, changed his name to Israel, and promised to fulfill his covenant.

What a great example of the process of sanctification. While our walk with God has a definite starting point, God continues to work in us to grow us into the men and women He wants us to be. Sometimes, we need to go back to the place where it all began to realize the faithfulness of God in our lives. What is your Bethel? What spiritual markers define your life? Do you need to go back to the place it all began?

Thoughts on Jacob and John the Baptist

2010-01-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is actually nice to read the Bible as a story - taking multiple chapters at once - rather than verse by verse. I noticed three things by taking that approach today.

1. Jacob's flair for deception was passed on to his sons. Jacob "struggled with God and with man" and overcame his penchant for deception, especially after spending all those years working for Laban - another master deceiver in his own right. Jacob's sons, however, learned deception from their father, as evidenced by the story of Dinah and the men of Shechem. We might want to rejoice in the "justice" of the massacre, but in reality, Jacob realized the negative impacts of his sons' actions. It is important to remember that our children mimic not only the good but also the bad in our lives.

2. Because of Jacob's lifestyle of deception, his relationships within his family were filled with conflict - a reminder that healthy relationships are built on mutual respect and trust. There is never a place for deception.

3. As Jesus was sending out the disciples in Matthew 10, he warned them about the kinds of struggles they would face. Then, in Matthew 11, we find the story of John the Baptist - facing those very struggles Jesus described in Matthew 10. Jesus' warnings to the 12 disciples as they set out to evangelize their world were real then ... and they are real now. We need to remember to pray for those who are struggling around the world for the sake of the Gospel.

Drowned pigs

2010-01-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Matthew 8:32-34 (The Message): "They [the pig farmers] told everyone ... what had happened to the madman and the pigs. Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back."

The villagers were more concerned about the drowned pigs - the loss of income - than they were about the transformation in the demoniac's life. They were so much more concerned, in fact, that they ran Jesus out of town. In one of the stories from Mumbai, India, this week, an angry young man asked a female volunteer, "What makes you think that you should come here when we have our own gods?" The volunteer gave a good answer and the visit ended positively. Reading this story in Matthew, however, reminds me that "the world" will not always rejoice with us as lives are changed by the power of Jesus. When we share the transformational power of the Gospel and lives are liberated, we cannot expect a standing ovation from those who stand to lose in the deal.

Visit http://mreport.org to learn more about the work in Mumbai.

Praying in faith: Genesis 24:12-15

2010-01-11T07:34:00.001-08:00

I just want to offer a quick note on the prayer of the servant in Gen 24:12-15. Before the servant finished praying, Rebekah appeared, and as the servant continued to watch Rebekah, he became more and more convinced that she was the answer to his prayer. The servant prayed in faith, and in the very next moment, he was trusting that God was at work. So often when I pray and begin to see circumstances change, I keep asking and seeking to make sure the "answer" I'm seeing is from God. How much better I would be if I prayed in faith, trusting that my next step. my next thought, the next change in my circumstances was being directed by God - simply because I asked him to do so.

A refuge for the oppressed

2010-01-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Genesis 20:1-22:24, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalm 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you ... For he who avenges blood remembers, he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted." Psalm 9:9, 10, 12. This year, one of my goals is to share with Christian women in the US how Christian women in Asia are addressing issues of concern to women in the name of Jesus. This runs the gamut from human trafficking to poverty to crime to race relations. Since most of these are "social justice" type issues, I've been reading the Bible through that lens. The Bible has a lot to say about social justice and meeting human needs. These verses in Psalms and today's passage in Genesis remind me that God cares about oppression and injustice. As His hands and feet, we should do what we can to address these issues, and more importantly we should introduce those who are suffering to the One who cares for them.

What is man?

2010-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Genesis 18:16-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15

Who says you can't bargain with God? The terrible horrible no good consequences of sin. And Uncle Abe to the rescue in today's Genesis reading. Asking and receiving ... always a troubling concept for me but God has taught me much about that passage over the years, and the reality that wisdom, discernment and knowledge are available just for the asking, as the writer of Proverbs reminds us. More on all that later. What really struck me tonight was the reading from Psalms. Until 4 months ago, I have lived for the past 10 years in crowded, polluted Asian mega-cities where the night sky is shielded by pollution and city lights. Now I live in a place where I can see the stars ... millions of them ... and it is wonderful. My husband and I have started taking 3k walks at night, and as we walk and talk, I often marvel at the beauty of the stars. When I consider the majesty of God and the beauty of His creation, I am overwhelmed that He even bothers with us. But He loves us so much! Today, I'm going to just camp on that realization. What a promise! What a comfort! What a Savior!

Desperation, Silence and Praise

2010-01-07T07:08:00.001-08:00

Genesis 16:1-18:15
Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 2:1-5

So much in the reading for today! We all could spend pages on the entire Abram, Sarai, Hagar saga. It reads like a soap opera. But I will limit my thoughts today:

1. God's encounter with Hagar in the desert is one of the most tender and intimate in all of Scripture. Hagar was a young abused, marginalized, pregnant woman with no options. Both she and her baby were facing death in the desert when God intervened. "He is the God who sees me," Hagar said, because He met her in her most desperate need. He continues to be "the God who sees me" to women (and men) who find themselves in desperate situations.

2. There was a 13 year lull in the conversation between Abram and God. Once Abram stepped out of God's plan and tried his own hand at fulfilling the covenant on his own terms, God was silent for 13 years (Gen 16:16 and 17:1). I think this is why, 13 years later, when God spoke again, Abram fell facedown. Most of us know how difficult it is when our intimate human relationships gets rocky. It is even worse when we are separated from our heavenly father because of our own stupidity. Still, God reappeared to Abram with "a new plan." He is the God of second chances and by His grace, He even redeems our mistakes.

3. After reading the story in Genesis, I was touched by the words of Psalm 7:17. Perhaps, if they'd been written then, both Abram and Hagar would have sung these words after their encounters with God, "I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most High."

Generations, life spans and population growth from Genesis 5

2010-01-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

My husband, Joe THE accountant, is also reading through the Bible this year. He led a great devotional on Genesis 5 today. He did the math to answer the question, "Who was Cain afraid of when God said he would be banished to wander the earth?" Based on the ages and life spans of those listed in Genesis 5, Adam would have lived to see 8 generations! Methusaleh would have died in the year the flood began. Then, extrapolating even with conservative estimates on population growth, there would have been over a billion people on the earth by the time of the flood.

Some scholars believe, since the Hebrew word for Adam can also be translated "mankind," that God may have continued to create other people after Adam and Eve. But based on the account in Genesis 5 and some fairly simple math, it appears that there was no need for God to continue to create people. Joe's theory also answers the questions about the Nephilim in Genesis 6. I'm hoping he will write up the details of his explanation, complete with the chart. If he does, I will post it here.

God's place or "the best" place?

2010-01-06T06:39:00.001-08:00

Today's reading: Genesis 13:5-15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 1:29-33

Genesis 13:12. Lot chose the “best place,” but Abram lived in Canaan, the place where the Lord has always intended him to live. We may not live in the “best place” or be in the “best circumstances” by human standards, but if we are living where God has intended us to live, then we are exactly where we ought to be.

Genesis 14 is an interesting story of Abram rescuing Lot after he was taken captive during a war in which the King of Sodom fled. Verse 12 notes that the land was full of tar pits and as they fled, some of the army of Sodom fell into the tar pits while others fled to the hills. Abram organizes his own army and pursues the armies who have captured Lot and his possessions. He rescues him, and the King of Sodom wants to allow Abram to keep some of the loot. Abram refuses, but gives a tenth of everything to the priest Melchizedek. (He is mentioned again in the book of Hebrews). Lots of interesting foreshadowing and salvation parallels in this passage.

Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Abram asked God for the impossible. It was impossible for Abram to have a child in his old age. Abram knew it, and Sarai knew it. But Abram was willing to ask for the impossible. And when God promised He would provide an heir, Abram believed him. It is this kind of faith that results in righteousness. Am I willing to ask God for the impossible in my life? Am I willing to believe Him when He says He will do it?

Proverbs 1:29-33. Since I know the “rest of the story” about Sodom and Gomorrah, today’s verses in Proverbs are even more interesting. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were “good” places to live in Abram’s day. Many, like Lot’s wife, considered it a privilege to live there. But they were also twin cities of sin, and in the end, they ate “the fruit of their ways.” Abram, however, listened to God and because of this, he lived in safety, “without fear or harm.”

Today’s reading reminds me that the best place to live is in the center of God’s will. And the center of God’s will is in a love relationship with Him. Then, we can trust that He is directing our steps and leading us to the place He wants us to be, both spiritually and physically.

Thoughts on grace versus law in Matthew 5 ...

2010-01-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

I did quite a bit of reflecting on this passage last year after Dr. Dan preached a sermon on it. Dan noted that numerous times in Matthew 5, Jesus said, “You have heard it said …” Then, he quoted Scripture and then followed up with the words, “But I say to you …” Jesus would then illuminate the Scripture for his listeners. Dan’s point was that the Bible can not be interpreted apart from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. If we do otherwise, we can easily become just like the Pharisees, and Scripture can then be twisted by Satan and used to “kill, steal, and destroy.” I think this is wise counsel, and as I continued to reflect on this sermon last year and in reading Matthew 5 again today, I am struck by another insight.

In every situation where Jesus quoted the Old Testament law, (“You have heard it said”), he offered a more restrictive interpretation of that law, (“But I say to you”). We see this in today’s reading on the subject of murder. We’ll see it tomorrow on the prickly issues of adultery and divorce. In fact, even before Jesus began offering examples, he said in verse 19, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them …” (vs 17-20).

Once again, I believe that Jesus is laying the foundation to explain that man cannot possibly hope to achieve salvation and favor with God through his own efforts. Instead there must be a sacrifice, a substitution, to pay the penalty for our sin and lead us into right relationship with God. Rather than being a call to legalism, I believe that Matthew 5 is outlining the futility of legalism and again pointing to our need for a Savior.

Continuing along this grace versus law line, I think in our Western mind-set, we tend to think of the movement from the law to grace as a linear one. But perhaps in the paradox of the Holy Spirit, the movement is more circular.

The Law brings condemnation and guilt. “Oh, wretched man that I am!” Paul said. (Romans 7:24).
But “by grace we are saved through faith,” and with the help of the Holy Spirit we are both free from the law and yet empowered to live according to it. “Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Paul said in Romans 7:25.
Once we achieve this freedom in Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the law, “there is, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1).

I think there is perhaps a “spiraling up,” if you will. While there is “no condemnation,” as we begin to fulfill the Law through the power of the Holy Spirit, He continues to convict us of sin – and the process of sanctification takes place – the movement from “glory to glory” described in 1 Corinthians. And as we continue this “stairway of faith” through the power and help of the Holy Spirit, we move closer and closer to becoming the people God wants us to be.

Motivations, detours, and stopping short

2010-01-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Genesis 11:1-9. Motivations are important. There is a difference in taking on a “God-sized” task for the glory of God and taking it on “so that we may make a name for ourselves” (v 4). Nehemiah and Ezra were “nudged” by the Holy Spirit to rebuild the temple and the wall of Jerusalem, but the folks who built the tower of Babel had different, more self-serving motivations. I think one of the greatest challenges of my Christian walk is discerning the difference between Godly and selfish ambition. Ultimately, I simply have to pray and trust that while I may make my overall plans, the Lord is directing my steps as I commit every day to Him.

Genesis 11:31. We must be careful not to stop short of God’s best for us. Terah and his family were on the way to the Promised Land, but they found a comfortable place and stopped short. It is my prayer that I will not be so comfortable in my life and ministry that I stop short of where God may want to lead me.

Genesis 12: 10-20. Beware of detours. My pastor in Seoul, Dr. Dan Armistead, preached on “Abram’s detour” last year. When the famine occurred in Canaan, the story does not indicate that Abram consulted God. Instead, he made the decision on his own to move to Egypt. Sometimes in crisis we tend to act too quickly, and this was the first example of a similar pattern in Abram’s life. And acting too quickly very often results in trouble!

Genesis 13:3. Again from Dr. Dan in Seoul, when we find ourselves on a detour that God did not direct, we need to go back to the place we were before the detour. Abram returned “to the place between Bethel and Ai,” and God met him there.

Thoughts on Canaan's curse ...

2010-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

After I posted my thoughts on Noah, a friend asked what I thought about Noah's curse on Ham and Canaan (Gen 9: 18-29). She found the whole curse thing troubling, given that Noah had made a spectacle of himself, after all.

I've heard a couple of different takes on the issue, the most prominent being that Ham "gloated" over Noah's nakedness and even delighted in seeing his father come to such disgrace. Just as Noah's sin was wrong, Ham's reaction to Noah's sin was also wrong. The curse part is troubling, but one writer points out that Noah cursed Canaan, Ham's son, rather than Ham himself (Genesis 9: 25). In fact, a better translation of that verse might be, "Cursed is Canaan." According to the author I read, essentially Noah may have been saying that Ham was a disrespectful son and a bad father by rejoicing in Noah's disgrace. As a result, Ham's son, Canaan, was cursed to follow the same path - he too would be a bad father and a disrespectful son. This follows the same type of warning that we find in Exodus 20:5-6 when it talks about the sins of the fathers being visited on the sons. It isn't the fault of the sons that the fathers sinned, but often children simply repeat the behaviors they've seen from their parents and carry both the good and the bad baggage into their own families. Again, Noah’s sin, Ham’s sin and the curse on Canaan continue to underscore our brokenness and our need for a Savior.

I've posted a link to the commentary that outlines this view: http://bible.org/seriespage/rest-story-genesis-918-29

It's a little long, but worth the read. What think ye?

Thoughts on sin, repentance and other heavy stuff

2010-01-04T05:20:00.000-08:00

January 4

Genesis 8:1-10:32
Matthew 4:12-2:25
Psalm 4:1-8
Proverbs 1:20-23

1. While the ark preserved a family to continue God's work in the earth, it did not cure our basic sin problem. Mankind cannot by his own efforts or his own righteousness save himself. Genesis 8:21 and 9:21 underscore that. "The Lord ... said in his heart, 'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood ..." (Gen 8:21). And sure enough, after God blessed Noah and his family and put them back to work on the earth, just a few verses later we find Noah naked and drunk in his tent (Gen 9:21). Even after a fresh start begun with the blessings of God and sealed with a rainbow, Noah, a righteous man, messed up. We cannot please God by our own efforts. Still, God's love and mercy are evident in the blessings that He gave to Noah and his family. While our sin grieves the heart of God, He knows that we cannot fix ourselves, as hard as we might try. This leads to point 2.

2. We seriously need a change of direction. Perhaps this is the reason that Jesus' very first message was one of repentance (Matt 4:17). “Repent.” Turn. Change your direction. “You’re going the wrong way!” Jesus seems to shout. Why is this change of direction necessary? Because the kingdom of God is near! Jesus is not proclaiming the end of the world (Hollywood films and Mayan calendars notwithstanding) but the kingdom of God. A new way of living. A new way of relating. The people were going the wrong way – trusting in ritual and religion and law. Jesus came to show them a new way – the way of relationships, intimacy, and obedience motivated by love.

3. The message of repentance struck a chord with the early disciples that resulted in action. “And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him" (Matt 4:22). "Immediately" is a very strong word. If Jesus were to call me today to leave my work and my family and follow Him down a new path, would I be willing to do so? We have just begun a study of Nehemiah in our Sunday worship time. Our pastor said, "Nehemiah left a cushy government job because God nudged him to do so. He left the "secret service" to become a contractor." What action does God want me and you to take in response to His nudging this year? Am I - are you - willing to take the risk?

The corruption continues ...

2010-01-03T00:46:00.000-08:00

January 3

Genesis 5:1-7:24

Matthew 3:7-4:11

Psalm 3:1-8

Proverbs 1:10-19

Already in the first 7 chapters of Genesis, we've seen sin enter the world through one act of disobedience. The next generation added murder, and then generation after generation follows until the entire earth is corrupt and God is grieved that He even made us. Still his mercy is evident, as He saved a remnant through Noah and his family to continue His work in the world. Love the literary elements of these first 7 chapters, right down to the foreshadowing of the coming of Christ and His salvation through the story of Noah and the ark.

Starting the New Year right ...

2010-01-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine started a facebook page encouraging women to read the Bible through in 2010. Since I'm a day ahead of those in the US, I am on Day 2. The reading for Jan 2 is:

Genesis 3:1-4:26

Matthew 2:13-3:6

Psalm 2:1-12

Proverbs 1:7-9

The story of Cain and Abel really struck me today. "The Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one ... would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord's presence ..." Gen 4:15-16. The remaining verses chronicle how Cain married and had children and grandchildren. How sad that Cain chose - by his sin and his failure to repent - to live his life outside of God's presence. While his life continued "normally" - with marriage, children and grandchildren - he gave up on the one relationship that mattered most. How sad. The words of Proverbs 1:7 seem particularly relevant in light of this story, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Entering the Deaf World

2009-09-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

I considered wearing ear plugs for the week. I thought it might help me better identify with those whose stories I’ve come to tell. I am in Taipei for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics, which begins with Opening Ceremonies on Saturday. I am with a group of volunteers, mostly Deaf, who have come to share God’s love with those they meet. More than 4262 athletes and officials from 85 countries are on hand for the 177 events that will take place. After spending the day yesterday with my new friends, I abandoned the idea of the ear plugs. I can no more mimic becoming Deaf than I can mimic becoming Chinese or African.

In just a few hours yesterday, I realized just how little I know about Deaf culture. Yes, I’ve had a handful of Deaf friends through the years, particularly in Middle School and High School. But I’ve never been a part of the Deaf world. I’ve never interacted with Deaf people on their terms … until yesterday.

My friends are helping me to understand what it means to be Deaf. One lesson came at the subway when I was trying to balance my purse, my notebook, an umbrella and a bottle of water. I put the cap of the water bottle in my mouth as I tried unsuccessfully to put the umbrella and notebook in my purse. “Help her,” my new friend Sarah signed to the young man beside me. He, who is hearing but knows sign language, smiled and took the bottle. “The Deaf help each other, “ Sarah explained.

And help each other they did. On our way to the Taipei Arena we were changing subway lines at the Taipei Main Station. Two Asian women, whom I assume were Taiwanese, noticed my friends signing about which direction to take. They were also Deaf and immediately stopped and offered to help. They went to the ticket counter and, through a combination of sign and verbal language, asked directions on our behalf . Then, they pointed us on our way.

On our final subway ride to the Taipei arena, my friends met three new Deaf friends - one English, one French, and one American who are serving as official Deaflympic volunteers. They also offered to show us the way and walked and talked with my friends all the way to the arena. Yes, the Deaf help each other.

Another lesson I learned is that the Deaf love stories, and all information is shared through a story. I learned this my first night in Taipei. I was met by three people - Sarah, Peter, and Timothy. Sarah and Timothy are both Deaf. Peter is hearing but has lived for many years in the Deaf world. As Peter went to meet others who were arriving, I stood outside with Sarah and Timothy. While I can say hello, goodbye, and thank you in about 15 different languages, I can only sign my name in ASL.

Still, Sarah was determined to communicate with me, and her first story was about landing in an airport. Sarah, who lives in Europe, has traveled all over the world as part of her work with the Deaf. She navigates the international hearing world smoothly and seamlessly. She told about landing at an airport and asking for directions to the next gate. The hearing man pointed the way and asked if she wanted a wheelchair. Sarah said, “I told him I’m Deaf, not crippled.” However, as she realized just how far it was between the two gates, she began to reconsider the wheelchair offer!

Sarah had information and insights about herself that she wanted to share with me. She chose to share it through a story in a way that I could understand. Communication through stories is how many of us, Deaf or hearing, learn best. It is through stories that many cultures share their deepest truths, their greatest fears, and their highest hopes. This week, I’m looking forward to learning and sharing the stories of the Deaf.

Stay tuned and travel light!

Ann
http://deafstories.wordpress.com

Baby Solomon has died.

2009-08-12T17:15:00.002-07:00

INDIA - Baby Solomon has died. I met Solomon in a small village in India, severely malnourished and starving because his mother was unable to nurse him. Our volunteer team from Seoul International Baptist Church helped the family with hospitalization and follow-up medical care. Until recently, we thought Solomon was doing well. He was eating and growing, but on Friday, I received a note that he had died. Ironically, he died from overfeeding. In cases of starvation and malnutrition, it is important to introduce food, and especially proteins, slowly.

It is hard to know what happened and quite tempting for some to blame the hospital for inadequate education about Solomon’s nutritional needs. But I was there, and I know how difficult it was to communicate through all the different dialects and cultural barriers. I’m sure the hospital attempted to educate the parents. I’m also fairly sure the parents indicated they understood the instructions. But when a starving baby begins to thrive, it is not too difficult to see how a young, uneducated mother could overfeed her little boy, without understanding the consequences.

What I’ve realized as I’ve reflected these past few days on Solomon’s short life is the dire need for volunteers to conduct medical clinics in many of these small villages, not just in India but around the world. For every Solomon, there are countless others like him in every corner of the world. One of the things I learned from talking with personnel in Solomon’s area is how village medical clinics can be a very effective piece of a church planting strategy. Just a little education in basic pre- and post-natal care for young mothers would go so far in saving the lives of children. Just a little training in basic health care could make a difference in the lives of so many.

Mother Teresa once said, “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

I have few regrets in my life, but I do have one. My regret is that in years past I have wasted so much money on useless stuff as children around the world are starving, impoverished, and oppressed. Every time I go out to eat in America, I take half of my food home because the portions are so large. Yet, Solomon’s family did not have enough money to buy formula, let alone the education to know how to feed their child. And while I lived as I wished last week, feasting on the riches of America and trying to decide which pair of shorts to buy, a child died. But this wasn’t a faceless victim of global poverty that flashed across my television screen. He was a child I had held in my arms. He was a child I had prayed for. He was a child I had loved.

I don’t know what God will do through Solomon’s death. We have been asked to pray that Solomon’s death will not separate this family from the love of God. I believe that God is at work. Before time began, He ordained the number of Solomon’s days. He had a purpose for Solomon’s life, and that purpose has been fulfilled. Today, Solomon is in His Father’s arms. He is well fed and happy.

But my message is much deeper than a simple social gospel message. Not only are children dying physically, millions of men, women, and children are dying spiritually every day in villages just like Solomon’s in every corner of the world. “How will they know, unless someone tells them?” Paul asked. But how will we go when our credit cards are at the limit and we are so strapped with consumer debt that we even buy our daily bread on credit? Certainly, God has blessed America, but rather than taking those blessings and turning them back to use for His glory, I fear that as a nation and as a church we’ve become like Eli and his sons. We’ve become fat off the sacrifices of others, taking no thought for the burden our selfishness and materialism is placing on those around us and especially on the generations that follow us.

Still, we must go. We must with God’s help curb our spending on frivolous things, lay aside the entanglements of debt, and finish the work He has given us to do. It is our commission as Christians to preach the Good News to all people that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. As we do this, those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation are gathering before the throne of God in Heaven. This is not a pie-in-the-sky dream. It is a picture of a present reality and a future hope.

It is my prayer that someday Solomon, his parents and many from his village will be reunited before the throne of God. Never again will they hunger or thirst. Never again will they be outcast and unclean because of a cultural system that has declared them “untouchable.” They will rejoice in God’s faithfulness through difficult times. They will praise God for the times of blessing. In Jesus, their sins will be forgiven and their bodies made whole.

This is why I do what I do. No regrets. No turning back.

In the news: UN-assisted genocide tribunal in Cambodia

2009-06-08T07:19:00.001-07:00

Killing Fields Collage
Originally uploaded by Ann Lovell

In today's news, a UN-assisted genocide tribunal in Phnom Penh is hearing testimony from Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch (pronounced Doik). Between 1.2 and 2 million people died under the rule of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia from 1975-1979. Duch, who is now a born-again Christian, admits to being "criminally responsible" for the deaths of 16,000 men, women, and children at the infamous Tuol Sleng Prison (S-21).

I created this poster after a visit to the Cheoung Ek Killing Field and S-21 on a family vacation last summer. The skulls are from the Cheoung Ek Killing Field where 8,900 men, women and children were executed by the Khmer Rouge. The faces are actual prisoner photos from S-21 in Phnom Penh. The skulls at Cheoung Ek remind us that these were real men, women, and children. The faces at Tuol Sleng tell the story of their suffering.

In the face of such horror I am rendered nearly speechless by the depravity of man. While we sometimes like to think of man's inherent goodness, we need not look very far back in our history to recognize the evil that is possible within the heart of man. No, mankind is not inherently good. He is inherently evil, which makes our need of a Savior and the promise of redemption that much more amazing.

I realized not long ago the extent to which we take the salvation of our souls for granted. All too often we fail to recognize the amazing miracle of grace and the tremendous cost that God Himself incurred for the redemption of our souls and the restoration of our relationship to Him. "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." In a society that has resorted to praising mediocrity for fear of damaging self-esteem, personal wretchedness is rarely a topic of discussion. Yet, without the recognition of our wretchedness, there can be no forgiveness.

The Apostle Paul recognized the dilemma of his wretchedness. In Romans 7:24 he wrote, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

He answered his own question in the very next verse. "Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ and not through our own efforts that we can be forgiven for the evil that lurks within us all. Most amazing is that even the most depraved among us is not beyond the reach of God's love.

So, what's so amazing about grace? Just ask Duch. I think he understands.

Baby Solomon with his mother

2009-06-08T05:11:00.001-07:00

2009131-AML-0042
Originally uploaded by Ann Lovell

You can read the previous posting for details on Baby Solomon, but he and his mother have been released from the hospital and are now doing well.

India: Through the Wardrobe

2009-06-08T04:50:00.001-07:00

2009131-AML-0069
Originally uploaded by Ann Lovell

A few weeks ago I made a trip to Bangalore, India with a team from my church in Seoul. I have been trying to get my head around all that I saw God do. I had no idea that stepping off the plane in Bangalore would be like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. At this point, however, it is the closest metaphor I can think of that describes my experiences there.

My purpose on the trip was to lead a Bible conference for Pastor’s wives and widows. I was scheduled to speak for four sessions – two on Tuesday and two on Thursday. God had other plans.

On Tuesday morning, after a few hours of sleep, our group went first to the children’s home where the majority of our group was slated to give injections, play games, and tell Bible stories to the 118 orphans living there. Shortly after we arrived and were welcomed, my friend, Shanti, and I were driven to the church in the next village where the women had gathered for the conference. Shanti and her husband, Prince, own a chain of Indian restaurants in Seoul, and both are members of SIBC. This was their first time on a trip of this nature.

The Power of the Story

I began the conference by sharing the lessons I had prepared on the fall of man and Eve’s role in it. After just a few minutes, one of the more elderly women stood up and addressed the group. I asked my interpreter, Rebecca*, to translate for me.

Rebecca said, “She is telling them to wake up and pay close attention. She is telling them to stop falling asleep.”

Well, it wasn’t difficult for me to figure out that what I had planned to teach wasn’t working. By God’s grace, I suddenly remembered all my training in oral storytelling. For oral learners, the best way to communicate is simply to tell the story just as it is recorded in the Bible. So, I switched gears as best I could and simply told the story of Adam and Eve.

When I finished, I asked Shanti if she had anything to add. She offered to share her story, and for the next few minutes, she told how she had come from a Hindu background to faith in Jesus Christ. The women were enthralled, and I was reminded of the power of the story. When women share what God has done in our lives, He is glorified.

I was pretty sure I had been a miserable failure, and I was quite certain that I would not be asked to speak again. I was wrong. Rebecca asked if I could “teach” for another 30 minutes. I told her that I would share my personal story. Some of you know that my story involves elements of God’s physical healing from teenage cancer, infertility, and the premature births and deaths of my first three children. While these healings were not miraculous, they were healings nonetheless. I simply shared my story, and Shanti and I prayed for each of the women individually. Day 1 was complete.

The Hindu Priest

We went back to the children’s home, and later in the day, I went with some from our group to meet with our company’s personnel in Bangalore. The rest of our group remained at the children’s home giving injections until late into the night. One of the most powerful stories from their experience involved the Hindu priest from the neighboring village. From a distance, he had been watching the group giving injections to the children throughout the day. Later that night, he came with his wife, and both received injections. Then, he sought out one of our men to pray with him and his wife. After the prayer, the priest and his wife returned to their village hand-in-hand.

The next day, on Wednesday, Pastor Dan and Pastor Jack from SIBC held a Pastor’s conference in the same church where I had been the day before. Later in the day, the Hindu Priest and his wife showed up at the conference, and again they asked for prayer from Dan and Jack. It seems that God is at work in the life of this man who is a leader in a village that as yet has no house church. Our national partner, Paul*, has had a vision to reach this village since attempting to show the Jesus film there in 1982. He and his team were beaten and stoned in that attempt, and he continues to encounter resistance to this day, which leads me to Day 2 …

Prayerwalking the Village

Actually, when we started our day on Wednesday, I knew nothing about the Hindu Priest or the village. But, we took a different route to the children’s home on Wednesday morning and drove through the village. Four members of our team – Shanti, Sherri, Mary, and I – had no responsibilities on Wednesday but as we passed through the village, I felt a very strong leading to prayerwalk through it. When we arrived at the children’s home, I watched the children for a few minutes, but the leading to prayerwalk was so strong that I knew I would be disobedient if I did not follow through. I asked Shanti, Mary, and Sherri if they would like to join me, and they were eager to do so. We started off down the dirt road, but we had not gone very far when one of the orphanage workers came after us. He advised Shanti that we should not go and said that the people in the village might hurt us. Shanti told him that she thought we would be all right. She asked the rest of us what we thought, and we all agreed to go ahead. None of us were the least bit worried.

As we approached the first house, the family came out of the gate to talk to us. I made their photo, and Shanti explained who we were and what we were doing at the children’s home. A few steps more and the road forked. A short distance away down the right fork stood a group of people who were beckoning us to come. Once we reached them, I made photos of many of them, and we found them to be very welcoming. Again, none of us felt even slightly threatened or afraid.

As we continued our walk, praying silently in our hearts, a crowd continued to gather. Shanti would communicate as best she could, and I would make photos. Smiles and nods were basically our only means of communication. With the crowd growing, we made our way to the Hindu temple, where we stopped for just a few minutes before Prince arrived with the van after making a run for bottled water for the orphanage. We prayed silently at the temple for a few minutes more and then boarded the van to go back to the village. From the van, I made one last photo of the children. They were reaching out to me, and I showed the photo to Shanti who was in the seat beside me. We returned to the village without much fanfare but within 15 minutes of our arrival, children from the village began to come and participate in the Jesus songs and games. Those are the highlights for Day 2, which leads me to …

Shanti’s Vision

On Thursday morning, I was scheduled again to hold a conference for pastor’s wives and widows. However, our team had inoculated all of the pastors at the conclusion of the pastor’s conference on Wednesday, and all of the pastors were sick. Therefore, all of their wives had to stay home and take care of them. We met instead at Paul and Rebecca’s home for what turned out to be a time of worship and sharing. During this time, Shanti shared her vision. For the past three to four years, every time she has closed her eyes, she has had a vision of children reaching out to her. She believed them to be Indian, and she believed they were from the slums. Although she had no mission inclination or desire, she could not escape the vision of these children. Shanti said, “But yesterday after we finished our walk through the village, Ann showed me a photo she had taken of the children reaching out to her. Those are the children from my vision, and I believe that God has called me to help them.” If only the wonders of the Almighty stopped there, but the day was just beginning.

The Gospel Meeting

After our most incredible time of sharing and worship, Paul asked if I could go door-to-door to meet with some of the women whose husbands were sick. That plan lasted about all of two minutes when Paul asked if I would be willing to accompany Pastor Dan, Pastor Jack, and Josh (a member of our team from Shanghai, China) to the Gospel meeting they had scheduled in another village about twenty minutes away. I agreed but asked if I could take either Shanti or Rebecca to help me interpret. Sadly, there was no room in the car for Shanti and Rebecca, so it was four men and me.

When we arrived in the Hindu village, about 30 people from the local house church had gathered. As the preaching started, a young woman arrived with her baby. The baby was severely malnourished, and as Jack and Dan preached, I motioned to the mother that I wanted to hold the baby. As I held this tiny baby who appeared to be clinging to life, I began to pray, asking God what could be done for this child and praying that He would be glorified in this child’s life somehow. I gave the baby back to his mother just before I was asked to share.

In preparing the stories I had planned to share at that day’s women’s conference, I had asked Rebecca what the women needed to hear. She told me that they needed to know that Jesus has the power to heal. Although I had planned to share the story of Jarius’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood, I realized sitting in the village that I simply needed to tell my story. Again, especially given that my testimony includes elements of healing, it seemed the thing to do. I began very simply by saying, “I am here to tell you that Jesus has the power to heal,” and I went from there.

At the end, Paul asked if there were any who wanted to become followers of Jesus, and five women responded and prayed to receive Christ. Immediately after that, most of the congregation came to the four of us for prayer. I prayed for the mother and her baby and for a number of other women and children. Then, a very old woman who had been sitting apart from the group beckoned me to come to her. This is where things get very interesting …

The Crippled Woman

The woman was seated on the ground and with some difficulty she stood to request prayer. She was hunched over, gripping a walking stick with both hands. She put one hand on her back, and even without an interpreter, I knew that she wanted me to pray for the pain in her back. I prayed that God would remove the pain and I prayed in accordance with Romans 8 that the Spirit would intercede for this woman according to God’s will. When I finished praying, the woman straightened up! She began shaking her head from side to side in the way that Indians say “yes,” and she was talking a mile a minute in words I could not understand. To say I was amazed is an understatement. Then, she got down at my feet in what I feared was an act of worship. I bent down, took her by both arms and said, without an interpreter, “No. No. Don’t worship me. Worship Jesus.” I lifted her to her feet. She was still bobbing her head and talking excitedly, and then she stood even straighter. By this time, I had no idea what to make of what was happening. I began looking around for somebody to help me, and at that point, I clearly felt God say, “Ann, do you believe I can heal this woman?” I prayed out loud (and bug-eyed, I’m sure), “Yes, Lord! I believe. Help my unbelief!”

We stood there a few minutes more – me in wide-eyed wonder at the power of God and her bobbing her head and talking excitedly. I was called away, and I helped her sit down. As we were leaving, she reached out again to touch the feet of the pastor’s wife from the village. The pastor’s wife did the same thing I had done – waved her off. And that is where I left her.

That night, I read through all of the miracles of healing in the book of Luke, and I focused specifically on the healing of the paralytic in Luke 5:17-26 and the healing of the crippled woman in Luke 13:10-17. Most significant were the words of Jesus from Luke 5: 23-24. “Which is easier,” Jesus said, “to say your sins are forgiven or to say take up your bed and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority over all things,” he said to the paralytic, “take up your bed and walk.” The five women who had accepted Jesus had not surprised me, but I had been completely astonished that a crippled woman had stood up straight. In reality, which is easier?

And now back to the village …

Baby Solomon

After my amazing encounter with the crippled woman, I was still very concerned about the baby. At this point, I did not know if the baby was a boy or a girl, but I knew that it needed medical attention and fast. I asked Paul if we could take the baby to the hospital. He conferred with the local pastor, and at first, they agreed to go that afternoon. Then, they decided that they would meet us at the hospital on Friday morning. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with this, but Paul assured me that the baby and the mother would come.

On Friday morning, we had scheduled a tour of the Bangalore Baptist Hospital, and as promised, the mother, father, and baby arrived with the local pastor at the hospital at about the same time we did. The baby was registered and seen fairly quickly. Rebecca was with us, and as we were waiting to see the pediatrician, I asked more questions. I learned that the baby was a boy between two and three months old. The baby had been “fat” when it was born, but it would not nurse and had not gained weight. Since the baby would not nurse, the mother had been feeding it cow’s milk. The couple had a son a few months before this baby that also wouldn’t nurse. That baby lived six weeks. Through Rebecca, I learned that the couple believed that an owl had flown over their house and sentenced their children to die.

I also asked the baby’s name and learned that the couple had not yet named it. This concerned me until later in the day when I learned from a coworker that Indians have a naming ceremony for their babies that usually comes much later in the first year. However, when the father and the pastor returned with the baby’s registration papers, they had named the baby, Solomon.

Solomon weighed in at 2.45 kgs (about 5 lbs.). As the pediatrician examined him and questioned the mother, I learned that the mother had an abscess, and this was the reason that the baby would not nurse. The doctor believed that both mother and baby might be infected with HIV and ordered an HIV test on the baby. The results of this test were not available when I left India. She also asked if the mother was willing to admit the baby. I assured the mother through Rebecca that we would pay for the baby’s care, and the mother was willing for the baby to be admitted. Then we were off to buy formula for the baby, to get the mother seen, and to figure out how to get the baby in a room.

As it turned out, the mother’s abscess, though large, simply needed to be drained. The doctor pulled a half-liter of pus from the abscess. The mother was producing milk, and the doctor believes that once the abscess heals, she will be able to nurse the baby.

Finally, the baby was in a ward with his mother and father; the mother’s abscess had been drained and the mother was on medication; and the baby was sucking down formula like … well, like he hadn’t eaten in two months. The doctor told me late in the day that she thought the baby would be ok if he would just “eat, eat, eat, eat, eat.” At the end of the day, the baby was certainly “eat, eat, eat, eat, eating.”

As I realized that my role in this drama was coming to an end, I told the pastor that I wanted to make a photo of the family and pray with them before I left. The photo actually didn’t turn out very well; I can’t be a photographer and a minister at the same time. But the prayer was most important anyway. I prayed for the family and the pastor, and while nothing miraculous occurred this time, when I opened my eyes, the other families from the ward had gathered in a circle around us and were looking at me curiously.

As I was leaving, I looked into the face of that young mother one last time. I had seen many emotions in her face that day. I had seen bewilderment and fear and pain. But as I left that room after praying for her and her family, she raised her hand, waved to me, and gave me a big smile. In her eyes at that moment, I saw hope.

And that is the picture of India that I will forever carry in my heart.

Travel light and wear comfortable shoes,

Ann

*Names changed to protect the security of the local believers.

Charlie's Big Adventure

2008-10-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Knoxville: The City I Call Home

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Book of Lies

2008-08-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I visited a group of refugees. Most fled their country as children when they were 8 or 9 years old because of poverty and starvation. Now they are 18 or 19, tryng to build a life in a culture they don't quite understand. Most are orphans. Some have witnessed the depravity of mankind in ways few of us can understand. A few are Anti-American. Most have a basic distrust of mankind.

While I was there, one young man picked up a Bible, sneered, and said to his American friend, "I do not like this book."

"Why do you say that?" the American asked.

"It is a book of lies."

"No, this book is truth," the American countered. "Show me a lie in this book."

"Maybe I will show you in ten years. Right now, you cannot understand."

The American later told me that he's had similar discussions with others in the group. One young refugee told the American that he believed in God and in Jesus, but he did not believe the Bible. When asked why, the young refugee explained, "The Bible was written by men, and all men are liars."

Korean president seen as man of faith

2008-04-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

Posted in Baptist Press (http://www.bpnews.net/) on Apr 22, 2008 by Ann Lovell

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--Some say it is a new day in South Korea. After a landslide election in November, Myung-Bak Lee was sworn into office on Feb. 19. In defeating Dong-Young Chung of the liberal United Democratic Party, Lee provided the conservative Grand National Party with its first presidential election win in 10 years.

This has been good news for many of South Korea's Christian leaders since Lee also is a member of the 70,000-member Somang Presbyterian Church in Seoul. One of the president's chief advocates is Billy Kim, president of South Korea's Far East Broadcasting Company and pastor of Suwon Central Baptist Church from 1960-2004. Kim, a former Baptist World Alliance president regarded as one of the world's most influential Christian leaders, first earned international attention when he served as an interpreter for the 1973 Billy Graham crusade.

Kim and Lee's friendship dates back many years. Kim, who attended Lee's inauguration, described Lee as a man of strong faith and a faithful member of Somang Presbyterian Church. Lee has served as an elder -- and has helped direct traffic to ease parking congestion before and after the Seoul mega-church's services.

Continuing his close relationship with Lee, Kim met with Lee on March 29 in the Blue House, the residence of South Korea's president. Kim spent more than an hour and a half with the president and his wife Kim Yoon. They prayed together and discussed both the tensions with North Korea and the upcoming summit meeting with President Bush, which was held April 18-19 in Washington.

Kim said he believes Lee's faith will have a positive impact on the challenges he faces in his new office, one of the greatest of which is the tenuous relationship with North Korea. Lee's initial stance is that more reciprocity is needed from North Korea in exchange for the concessions and aid provided by South Korea. Lee's position has escalated tensions between the two countries during the initial phase of his tenure, but Kim said the president is taking it calmly. Kim encouraged Lee and his wife to have a time of prayer with President Bush and Laura Bush at their summit.

Kim said he also believes that Lee's election is good news for South Korean mission efforts.

South Korea is second only to the United States as a missionary-sending country. Former President Rho Mu Hyun reportedly faced intense local and international pressure as a result of the six-week Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan last summer, in which 23 aid workers were taken hostage by the Taliban.

Two of the Koreans, both men, were killed by the Taliban.While the focus of mission efforts may shift toward more local initiatives in the short term, Kim said he believes the commitment of church leaders to missions and evangelism will only continue to escalate, and local church leaders will be able to count on the support of a president who understands the importance of taking the Gospel to the uttermost part of the earth.
--30--
Ann Lovell is a media worker based in Seoul, South Korea.

2008-04-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

Roberto Quiroz is lifted above the crowd after his hands were nailed to the cross in Lourdes Northwest, a small community on the outskirts of Angeles City, Philippines.

2008-04-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Roberto Quiroz shows the bruises on his hands from previous crucifixions. These were also used to mark the spot for the nails that would pierce his hands later in the day.

2008-04-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

Roberto Quiroz, age 50, has been "crucified" every year for the past 20 years in Lourdes Northwest in the province of Pampanga, Philippines.

2008-04-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

A young boy wears the blood of the flagellants on his face and on his shirt during Good Friday practices in Pampanga, Philippines.

2008-04-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

A blind-folded penitent carries his cross on Good Friday in Pampanga, Philippines.

2008-04-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Each year in the province of Pampanga, Philippines, flagellants beat their backs with bamboo whips until the blood flows freely. They do this to seek forgiveness of their sins of the past year, to gain a special favor from God, or to identify with the sufferings of Christ. The Catholic Church does not endorse these practices but allows them so long as they are practiced for reasons of faith.

2008-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

A group of flagellants parades through the streets of Lourdes Northwest, a small community on the outskirts of Angeles City near the former Clark Air Base in the Philippines.

Back home, families unite, pray for Korean hostages

2007-08-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Posted by Baptist Press (www.bpnews.net) on Aug 14, 2007 by Ann Lovell

GYEONGGI PROVINCE, Korea (BP)--"I spend one day in heaven and one day in hell. I am constantly shuttling between these two places." Mrs. Chey Pok Lee wipes her eyes as she describes the agony of waiting for news of her 38-year-old son, Chong Hee Chey, one of the 19 Korean hostages still being held by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.

Chey, an overseas marketing agent with a Korean electronics company based in Seoul, has been on previous humanitarian aid trips, to Turkey in 2006 and India in 2005. He also has taught English to Korean students in an English language institute. He went to Afghanistan as an interpreter for doctors and nurses on the 23-member Korean team that was taken hostage on July 19.

And he went just to play with the children. "He learned magic so that he could entertain the Afghani children," his mother said to Baptist Press. "He also left Seoul loaded with toys, books and other things that he thought the children might need and enjoy."

Lee's greatest fear is that her son will be executed by his Taliban captors. Chey is one of five men who were in the group, two of whom, 42-year-old Hyung Kyu Bae and 29-year-old Sung Min Shim, have been executed by the Taliban. Bae was an associate pastor of Saemmul Presbyterian Church, just south of Seoul, and Shim worked with handicapped students.

"Those of us with sons are more anxious than those with daughters," Lee said, her voice breaking. "It seems that when the Taliban chooses to execute a hostage, they choose a man rather than a woman."

Throughout the three-week ordeal, Lee has spent many sleepless nights and has lost nearly 15 pounds. She and other family members of the remaining hostages meet daily in a small room set aside especially for them at Saemmul Presbyterian Church. Lee sits on the floor and leans against a wall, her knees covered with a quilt.

The atmosphere in the room is quiet and subdued. This day, the families have just learned that the release of two sick female hostages has been delayed yet again by their Taliban captors for unknown reasons. Some pray. Others read Scripture. Many watch the TV screen that has been installed to provide up-to-the-minute news. Thankfully, the two women, Ji Na Kim, 32, and Kyung Ja Kim, 37, were released to the Red Cross a few hours later. After a medical examination at a Korean air base near Kabul, the two are scheduled to return to Seoul as soon as possible.

The team of volunteer healthcare workers and teachers are all members of Saemmul Presbyterian Church, whose name in English translates to "spring water." Twenty-three young men and women, mostly in their 20s and 30s, left Seoul on July 13 to assist other Christian workers with humanitarian aid, primarily among Afghani orphans in Kandahar. Taliban militants kidnapped the group on July 19 as they traveled aboard a bus in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan.

Sharing the love of God cross-culturally is not new to Saemmul Presbyterian. Currently, the church sponsors 47 Christian workers in 14 countries. For the last five years, seven of those have been based in Afghanistan. Three of the seven are among the hostages.

"These young men and women went to Afghanistan with a burden to repay a debt of love," a church spokesman explained. "The nation of Korea received unconditional love and assistance from numerous nations around the world when we were wrecked by war more than 50 years ago. Because of this, our debt of love extends beyond race, religion and borders. It was the prayer of this team and of our church that the children in Afghanistan would learn from us how to grow and act in love."

Eun Jo Park is senior pastor of Saemmul. Park has been criticized for allowing the trip to proceed in spite of the potential dangers. He has publicly apologized on two separate occasions and has taken responsibility for the deaths of Bae and Shim.

Sitting on the floor with the families of the hostages, he casts his eyes downward and whispers, "I know that dying for the Lord is noble and that these men will be rewarded in heaven for their sacrifice. But to actually lose two friends was something that was unexpected and for which I was unprepared. To see it happen has been very, very difficult."

Conversations with those close to the situation reveal that the team members were fully aware of the risk they faced. This was the second trip to Afghanistan for 39-year-old Jung Hwa Yu. Last year, she accompanied a group from Saemmul to Afghanistan to teach English. Her mother, Ok Kang Kwak, said, "Her heart was so touched by the needs she saw that she returned again this year."

Daniel Lee, senior pastor of the Global Mission Church, a Baptist congregation one hour south of Seoul in Suwon, is a good friend of Park. Lee recounted a sermon that Hyung Kyu Bae preached just two weeks before the group departed. "Dying for Christ is a glorious thing," Bae said. "Don't cry for me if I die in service to my Lord. Put on my tombstone, 'He died training young people to make a difference in the world.'"

"Where in the Bible," Daniel Lee asked, "does it say that we should not go to difficult places? We must be willing to share the love of God wherever He compels us to go."

Lee noted that Park's support for the families has been unwavering throughout the crisis. Park opened the room at the church for the families to gather for prayer and news updates. Doctors and nurses are constantly available in the event that family members begin to exhibit problems with emotional stress. Church volunteers provide food and comfort to the families and to manage media updates and inquiries. Park himself is often by the side of family members, providing comfort and counsel.

And in the gloriously redemptive nature of God, glimpses of good resulting from the tragedy are beginning to emerge. Park noted that tension was evident in the beginning. An anti-American group approached the families and encouraged them to take part in a demonstration at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. While some initially wanted to participate, Park persuaded them to think through the situation. "I told them it would be better to appeal to the American government for help rather than to demonstrate against them."

In addition, about half of the family members who are meeting together are not Christian. Now, Park said, "Both Christian and non-Christian families are praying, reading Scripture and finding comfort in each other and in God."

Jin Pyo Shim, a state congressmen, is the father of Sung Min Shim, the second man to be executed. Before the crisis, he was not a Christian. However, Park reported that shortly after his son's death, the father confessed faith in Jesus Christ.

Many of the families are praying that God will be glorified. Jung Hee Yu is the sister of captive Jung Hwa Yu. She and her mother, Ok Kang Kwak, are praying that the captives will not be discouraged, that they will continue to hold on to the Lord, and that their faith in Him will be strengthened rather than shaken during this difficult time. But more than that, they also are praying that revival will result. "We know the difference that the prayers of the church have already made in our lives," Yu said."It is only through prayer that we have been able to endure these hard times and it is only through prayer that we will survive," Yu said. "It is our prayer that this tragedy will unite the Korean church and that revival and spiritual renewal will be the result. Please pray for us."
--30--
Ann Lovell is a media worker based in Seoul, South Korea.