Our Belarus visa applications are signed, sealed, and speeding their way northward to Washington as of today! The Belarus Embassy boasts that they process visas within five days. We'll see. Please pray for a speedy approval with no problems. Entrance to Belarus is always dicey when one is invited by the 'Christian Business Initiative.' Yet, our team feels that God is calling us to more work there and is making the way straight for us!
More to come...
Dear friends and family,
It is little more than a month from now that I leave for Belarus and Romania to take that next step in the ministry God has called me to. Things have changed a lot since my last email, and I wanted to make sure that you knew the latest. Also, I've copied below part of the text of a summary document prepared for the trip that has some specific prayer requests. It follows below.
When planning for this trip first started, our team was six members strong. For various reasons, however, three of those members have since decided not to travel with us this year. That leaves only two of us traveling to Belarus and three of us traveling to Romania. While all of this was being sorted out, I was frustrated and disappointed, wondering what God was doing. Now, however, I can see Providence at work. The remaining team is very strong, and there are good reasons why this small team will be just right. So, I remain excited! Also, many of our plans for Belarus have changed due to team members not traveling. Our time there will revolve a lot more around support and encouragement than extensive teaching. The Church in Belarus is battered and worn from years of fighting earthly authorities. We're going there to build them up and give them fresh messages from the Word with which to build the body up.
So many of you have asked about the progress in planning, and your support has been unmatched. I am truly blessed to have you on my support team. In the specific prayer requests below, I would particularly stress the need for prayer for my family. Karen is, as always, wonderfully supportive of my ministry and participation in this trip. Nonetheless, she is very anxious about being here alone with two small boys for such an extended period. The enemy has already been working overtime to make the days surrounding any sort of meeting or planning regarding this trip as chaotic as possible here at home. I implore you to please stand in the gap for Karen and the boys while I'm gone!
Belarus and Romania Trip, Fall 2005
PURPOSE
This will be the second KPC team to visit Belarus and the first International Reformation team from KPC that travels to Romania . The Belarus trip comes after substantial inroads were made in 2004 when a team visited and taught a conference on several aspects of International Reformation, including family, conflict resolution, government, education, and media. The Church of Jesus Christ in Minsk invited a team back in 2005 to teach more specifically on Christian education and incorporating a Biblical worldview in such schools. The relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ grew from initial contacts made in Lithuania in 2002 and a short trip that Bruce and Stephen McDowell of the Providence Foundation made to Minsk in the spring of 2003 to teach a conference. This year a small team will travel to Minsk for four days before joining the additional team members in Romania for ministry there.
Isaac Matei, a native of Timisoara, Romania, was formerly a student at Regent University. While here in the States, Bruce was able to establish a relationship with him. Isaac has invited Bruce and a KPC team to minister in Romania and begin building the foundations of Biblical Reformation in that formerly Communist country. Pastors Bruce and Nate visited Timisoara briefly in the summer of 2004 as a part of their trip to survey the various eastern European nations in which KPC has taught over the last several years. They determined that Romania was ripe for reform and that God was opening doors for the expansion of the International Reformation there.
This year's trip will be aimed at laying a foundation of Biblical worldview principles in Romania, surveying the land, engaging in spiritual warfare and focused prayer, and sowing seeds for the reformation of another country within our 20/30 window of focus. As a KPC International Reformation team has not visited Romania before, we will endeavor to form relationships with leaders and learn about the country and culture so that more ministry appropriate to the specific situations in Romania can be affected in the future. Christian education will have a specific role in this trip as it has been identified as one of the first and primary needs in the country. We also hope to visit key historical sites in several parts of the country as these are interesting and provide us with context and perspective for our ministry.
Specific Prayer Requests
visa approval for Isaac Matei to travel back to Romania from Seattle
visa approval for Bruce Anderson and Scott Walter to enter Belarus
for planned meetings in Romania to be confirmed and appointments aligned
protection and peace for team members' families
for safety for Bruce and Scott while in Belarus as the political situation is tenuous
for plans for education seminar in Belarus to come together
divine appointments throughout the trip
Dear Mrs. Henneberger,
I read on MSNBC.com today your commentary entitled, "Overturning the Gospels." I think you are missing a key point that I and other Christians have repeatedly tried to stress for years in helping our nation's poor. It is true that in the Gospels Jesus repeatedly stressed that we should help the poor, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. We should not--even are commanded not to--"walk right on by--and by all means hang on to (y)our hard-earned cash." It thus follows that we should do everything we can to aid those in our society who fall into these pitiable categories. Where you and I diverge, however, is just who should provide the help. I should, YOU should, every CITIZEN should, but not through the government. Nowhere did Jesus say that the government should provide aid to the poor; instead He spoke directly to the individual. In addition to Jesus' admonitions in the Gospels to which you referred, the Bible is replete with the teaching of spheres of authority and responsibility. Among these, and building from the bottom up, are self, family, church, and government. Christians who take a Biblical worldview are simply trying to say that it is the responsibility of individuals, families, and churches to assist the poor and needy in our society. The civil government is instituted merely to protect our rights and prosecute those who encroach upon them--not to provide welfare, cash, or other assistace simply because it has the purse to do so in blind and never-ending torrents. Perhaps the freedom from empathy that you see in President Bush is simply your perception of his belief that the government is not the one to provide such aid.
In the light of Hurricane Katrina, it has become ever more obvious that our civil governments, at all levels, are woefully unequipped to provide the all-encompassing aid that you talked about in your article. Compassion as dispensed through a government program is no substitute for that that should be provided by individuals, families, and churches. Story after story is coming to light that churches and private organizations have been far more effective in meeting needs than FEMA or the President could ever hope to be. I recently heard a statisitic on the MSNBC television network (Scarborough Country, Friday, September 9) that 18,000 people in the Astrodome had been assisted by FEMA as of last Friday, September 9. In contrast, approximately 118,000 had been assisted and taken in by local churches in the same period. We also have to acknowledge the $600M+ that has been raised from private sources in record time for direct relief efforts. If we as a society would simply redirect our efforts to providing compassion and charity from the appropriate sources, my guess is that we would all--liberal and
conservative--be more satisfied with the results. Our overly-burdensome and woefully inefficient civil governments might shrink back to some semblance of their proper size as a bonus.
Thanks for an intriguing article. I enjoyed the mental debate.
More to come...
A big part of my planned trip to Belarus and Romania has changed, and I would ask that you continue to pray for the upcoming trip. I'll share other details later as things get sorted out, but some real direction from the Lord is needed.
More to come...
Because of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane John Roberts, the mainstream media has not paid much attention to Iraq in the last couple of weeks. Couple that with the relative (very relative) calm that has descended across Iraq over the last month, and the terrorists--excuse me, "insurgents"--that operate there must feel like their most effective ally, the American media has abandoned them.
News from Iraq today has been brutal--a dozen or so car bombs, a mass execution of 17 Shiites, and approximately 150 people killed. My feeling? The terrorists are frustrated that they have been taken off the front pages, and that the Iraq situation is not front and center in the American focus. Like petulent little children that must have the stage at all times, the terrorists are simply striking out so that the mainstream media here in America goes back to its template of Iraq being the world's biggest disaster that is all President Bush's fault. Just wanted to get it on the record...
More to come...
I never commented on the US Open results. What a nailbiter on Sunday! I was getting so excited in the second and third set of the men's final that my two-year old was even clapping with each shot! Like against James Blake, I felt that if Agassi could get to a fifth set, he could take the match. Alas, Federer was too good! He's really amazing isn't he? Just too much for Agassi to handle. Although I have to say that Agassi looked to be mighty uncomfortable during the trophy presentation. Maybe his back was hurting him in the late third and fourth sets...
Overall, a great tournament! I picked the winners correctly before it even started, though I have to say the picks were relatively easy based on the play of Federer and Clijsters for the last few months. It's the other two finalists that I wouldn't have picked if pressed to name them beforehand. Agassi? Always a sentimental favorites helped by a great draw. But Pierce? Who knew!
I loved every minute of it, and I miss it already. I'm ready for 2006!
More to come...
I love seeing things like this! I'm a big Europhile in that I love the various countries of Europe and their distinct languages and cultures. The steady drift of Europe into global irrelevance pains me. As such, I saw the above-linked article on RealClearPolitics this morning under the headline, "Europe Learns the Wrong Lessons." It's a long piece from the current issue of the American Enterprise Institute's magazine. Reading along, I saw yet another recounting of Europe's woes, its unemployment levels, its declining birthrates--all pertinent and worrying stuff, but not a whole lot new. This article simply drew parallels between all of that and the rampant anti-Americanism that pervades Europe and exacerbates the problems it has.
When I reached the last section of the article, however, my heart quickened and my eyes brightened. Someone else gets it! Check out this quote--"beneath it all, the growing divide between Europe and America is a divide between theism and atheism. This simple divide is cosmic in importance, and affects simply everything." Exactly! In light of Biblical worldview and the belief that it affects absolutely everything
in life, this is music to my ears! Europe's decline can be traced directly to the turning of its collective back to God and His laws and ideals. So few people realize that this leads to not only moral degradation but also very real practical damage to economic systems, the welfare state, family planning, etc. The fact that Karl Zinsmeister, the author of the article, and Dwight Longenecker, the Briton with the
wonderful insight into the theism/atheism divide, also see this delights me. Check out the whole article. It might hit home to you, too.
More to come...
Here's a thinker for you. The province of Ontario is struggling with a recent religious issue. For many years, the province has allowed
Catholic and Jewish religious tribunals to settle matters of family law. These tribunals operated within the purview of the courts but allowed involved parties to avoid going through the full court process in areas like divorce, etc. Well, as you might imagine, a Muslim group has asked for the same allowance for Sharia law tribunals. Surprisingly for Canada, rather than acquiescing immediately, the Ontario government has initiated the banning of any religious tribunal.
Here's the dilemma: I wholeheartedly agree that Sharia law has no place in our society. So, on that count, I'm all for Ontario's move. On the other hand, by zeroing out all tribunals, they are cutting off the Christian angle and squelching the application of Biblical principles in areas of family. On that count, I'm against it. The issue is tricky and is certainly not contained to Canada. In the States, we have heard the kerfuffle arising out of North Carolina when a Muslim wanted to use the Koran to swear his oath in court.
In order to prevent Islam's invasion, we too often cut out all Christian elements as well. How do we maintain our Biblical foundations, maintain freedom of religion, maintain the inclusion of faith in our society, and not allow the perversity of faith and law by cults and non-Christian religions? The obvious answer is to change hearts and minds and see the salvation of Christ come to those people in "other religions." But what is the legal answer? That's what perplexes me. Perhaps the answer lies
in the everpresent spheres of authority. The church does its job, and the civil government does its job. However, this seems to be an area where the spheres cross...
More to come...
Agassi just took the second set off of Federer...and broke him twice to do it! C'mon Andre!
More to come...
The Church is finally stepping up! I heard a great statistic last night that shows that the Church, the Body of Christ, is really doing its proper job in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Rick Warren, the author of 'The Purpose Driven Life' was a guest on Scarborough Country on MNSBC. He said that there are approximately 18,000 people displaced by the hurricane that are living in the Astrodome in Houston. FEMA and the Red Cross, etc., are taking care of them. There are, however, 118,000 displaced people that have been taken in by churches and their members in the Houston area. 100,000 more! That is fantastic and a great example of how the Church is finally being the Church. May God continue to use this hurricane to bring the unsaved to Him and to turn the Church back to Him.
More to come...
Mary Pierce just beat Elena Dementieva to move into the finals of the US Open. It's been five years since she won a major, and she's having a fantastic year. I also just heard that she has recently become a born-again Christian. Cool! I still pick Clijsters to win it all. She's banging it away against Sharapova right now.
More to come...
Every once in a while, it hits me again that it is the simplest things that bring the most pleasure. I had a fantastic evening last night, and it was the purely the simple things that made it such--I got to spend about an hour just playing with my boys.
Jonathan just loves playing with this big green exercise ball. It stands almost as tall as he does, and we have a "ball" using it for all sorts of fun. He'll jump on it while I hold it still for a minute before letting it go and sending him and the ball flying. He'll sit on it and try to stay upright when I let the ball roll on its own. He'll lay on the floor while the ball is bounced on top of him. Anything that daddy can think of is alirght by him! I just love hearing his squeals and watching him smile with delight during these times!
As we were playing last night, Andrew was laying on his back a safe distance away. He was craning his neck to look around and watch everything that was going on. After a while, I picked him up and held him while he dd his best to stand up. At two-and-a-half months, he tries his very best! Jonathan came right up to him and started talking to him, and Andrew broke into the biggest smile I have ever seen! He just loves his big brother, and its blesses me tremendously to see the two of them interact.
God has been so good to me. My family is so much better than I could ever hope for or design on my own. I'm blessed.
More to come...
Unbelievable! I went to bed last night around midnight, after I just couldn't keep my eyes open any more. At that time, James Blake was up two sets to one over Andre Agassi in their quarterfinal match at the US Open. Agassi was hitting a tremendous number of unforced errors, though Blake was noticeably slowing. My thought was that if Andre could just push it to five, he could pull it out. My gut was saying, though, that there was no way. So, I tossed and turned all night wondering who had won, if it went to five sets, juicing myself up to pull for Blake to go all the way to the finals, etc. Lo and behold, I wake up this morning, and Agassi did just what I hoped. He pushed it to five sets and won in a tie-breaker! Unbelievable. You have to admire that.
More to come...
About 50 days from now, I will board an airplane in Norfolk for the first leg of a journey that will take me back to eastern Europe and through the next door that God has opened in my foray into International Reformation ministry. This year, our team will touch down in Belarus, for the second time in as many years, and will go to Romania for the first time. I was asked to act as the coordinator for this trip, and gradually I've begun to realize that this, too, was just another way of God preparing me for the work He has for me to do. There have been hurdles to navigate as I worked through the schedule, the normal delays in communication among people, and the general frustration that I experience whenever I can't do myself everything that needs to be done. Slowly, God is teaching me that the most effective ministry comes from letting go of the reins and letting Him drive the cart. That's always a hard lesson for me to learn and goes so against my nature! The team that will make up this latest effort overseas often prays for "divine
appointments," those unforeseen events that God throws in ones path that never could have been planned beforehand and whose results never could have been as effective otherwise. Yet, my need to have the schedule down pat and know what is happening every hour of every day has prevented me from giving God the freedom He needs to work completely, I'm sure. Correcting that flaw in me is a continual prayer request!
So, where does the trip stand now? As I said, we're about 50 days from lift off, and things are aligning nicely. Three of us will travel to Minsk, Belarus, on October 27, to participate in an intensely focused seminar on Christian education. We'll be working with the same church and leaders group from last year's trip. Unlike our last visit, however, we will also have the opportunity to visit sites in Belarus that are historically and religiously significant to the country and people. These visits offer an invaluable occasion to understand the culture that we are operating in and to pray against specific spiritualstrongholds that exist in a country.
On October 31, we travel to Bucharest, Romania, and join the rest of the team upon their arrival on November 1. We then spend the next six days traveling to four cities across Romania and meeting with politicians and Christian political and church leaders. We will hold several seminars
and spend time getting to know the people and leaders of the country. As this is the first time a full KPC team has been to Romania, our focus will be on foundation-laying and developing relationships. This will hopefully sow seeds and set the stage for greater ministry and in-depth
teaching on future visits.
Travel arrangements are tentatively set, and the daily itineraries are being refined. Please pray that God's direction will be clear and that we are able to schedule the appropriate meetings and seminars as He sees fit. Also, please continue to pray for travel visas, primarily for our Romanian host who will travel from Seattle to guide us through his homeland. He is arranging all of our meetings in Romania, and his involvement is crucial. As of this writing, he has not received his visa and does not know for certain that he can travel with us. In addition, those of us going to Belarus will need visas for entry intothat country. Pray for the smooth receipt of those.
More to come...
I figured that as the first post to my blog, I should at least provide some sort of context to what is going on in the United States and my life at the moment. I've been waiting for today for a while! John Roberts, President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, was elevated to his nominee to Chief Justice after Judge Rehnquist passed away over the weekend. Confirmation hearings are supposed to start today, and I'm itching for a fight! The conservative Republicans in the Senate had BETTER stand up and let theDemocrats know who's in the majority!
Oh yeah, there's also that little thing called Hurricane Katrina to clean up and all of those wounds to heal. God have mercy on us for the way we treat our fellow human beings! Watching the mess of New Orleans and the way people reacted sure drove me to my knees to plead for forgiveness for our country. Imagine the heartache that God has as He watched the physical destruction of a part of His earth surpassed by an even greater spiritual destruction of so many people as evidenced by their behavior in theaftermath. Sad.
More to come...
