Last Memo from Paris

Amazingly, we have come to the end of our trip. It has been a great month of new (strange & wonderful) food, great visits, and new experiences.

I hope to update the blog when we get home, but here is a final picture of us in Paris--I know, you think it must be tough serving Jesus here, but someone has to do it, and Jonathan and Karen are doing a great job. (Oh, and Jonathan wanted you to notice him in the lens of my shades.) Thanks for the photo op, Jonathan! And thanks for hosting us! Merci.

And thanks to all of you for reading our blog and praying for us and writing comments. We so much appreciate you and your traveling on this journey with us. You would enjoy the websites of each of the families we visited on this trip. Donna listed their sites on the blog of 3/3/08. Please continue to pray for these families and their ministries in Costa Rica, Brazil, Mozambique, and Paris.

Merci. Obrigado. Gracias. Thanks. God bless you.

Grace,
Brad and Donna

Insiders, Outsiders & Photos

We participated at church with Jonathan and Karen today. Actually, we mostly just watched, because it was all in French. I was able to follow along in the gospel of Mark where Jesus told the story of the mustard seed. And I was able to participate in Communion, because that reminder of Jesus is very similar for Christians around the world. But for the most part (because of our language barrier) we were isolated and outsiders.

That makes Jesus' incarnation so clear. He came to earth because as long as he was in heaven and we were on earth, we were aliens to him. We couldn't understand his language. So he came into our culture and context, and brought the love of God with him. (Read John 1:1-18 for the Bible's expression of this.)

The reason we have sent missionaries around the world is to perpetuate the incarnation of Jesus. Whether in France or Mozambique or Folsom, when Christ-followers live out his life, we help others understand the heartbeat and character of God. We have been able to witness this in all these places we have visited: Followers of Jesus making him known to other human beings. Though we are scattered around the globe, we represent the one living God and Savior, Jesus.

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I thought you might like a few more photos of our journey. So here are some from Normandy on Friday and from church today.

God bless you.
Brad

Out of Africa

I told you about our Safari in South Africa a few days ago, but I finally have a computer where I can show you some photos. Here is some of the wildlife from Kruger Park--including the Franklins and the Hansons after a wild day of tracking big game.

Brad

Sacrifice

We're on a train returning to Paris from Normandy. We arrived in France yesterday and went to the sites of the D-Day invasions today. We visited Omaha Beach and Point du Hoc, among other sites. These places represent such pain and suffering, and the real presence of evil and good in the world.

I could not stand at the site of such a staggering sacrifice without reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus. Like the Rangers who died on a cliff in World War II, Jesus died to bring freedom and life to others. Only Jesus' sacrifice brings these gifts for eternity. Psalm 118 comes to mind. Give thanks to the Lord.

We are staying with Jonathan and Karen Finley here in Paris. They have scheduled a very light ministry load for us--just observing the ministry and sharing some meals with their team. We'll share some thoughts on the church in Paris as we go along. Please pray for us and for the ministry of the Finleys in this city. Thank you.

Grace,
Brad

Safari

Hi Everyone--

Today we took a break and enjoyed a safari at Kruger Park in South Africa, about 90 minutes from Maputo. I cannot tell you how amazing it was. We saw lions, elephants, hippos, crocs, water buck, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeests, and at least ten other species. It was an unimaginable reminder of the creative nature of our God!

I've got some great photos of what we've been doing here, and some great videos, but all my tech support is in Folsom, so I will have to wait on that for a while.

But thanks for reading our blog. And thanks for the comments.

Grace, 

Brad

MozOvos

I have been so excited about Ihla de Mocambique, that I have forgotten to tell you about another cool piece of the adventure in Mozambique. Rodger and Lynne Schmidt have been burdened by two ideas: 1) that the church here must be developed by a community of people, not as lone rangers, and 2) that very few Mozambique churches have been able to support a full-time pastor.

To address these issues, Rodger and Lynne have developed a unique ministry plan here in Maputo. They have invited eight young men to join their team as interns. These men have come from various churches around Maputo, and one even as far away as Tanzania. Yesterday morning Scott Hanson and I had a chance to meet with these young men. They are eager students of Jesus and his church, and I believe they will become a great team of evangelists and pastors who will be able, someday, to shape this country in the name of Jesus.

But they have few resources. So the second half of the Schmidts' plan has been activated. Namely, we are building an egg farm called MozOvos (Mozambique Eggs). (I say "we" because Lakeside Church is involved through our Lakeside on Mission funds.) The idea goes like this: Maputo consumes 800,000 eggs every day. Almost all of them are imported from South Africa. So the goal is that MozOvos will be an egg farm with 5,000 chickens, or "layers," as we experts call them. They will lay about 4000 eggs per day! By providing for this very practical need, the farm will provide the interns a specific way to earn money while they are studying and preparing for ministry. It will also help train them to run a microbusiness of their own when they become pastors and church leaders. The proceeds from the farm will allow Rodger's vision to be multiplied in other regions of Mozambique, including the area around Mozambique Island! It is a fresh, "Kreative" way to advance the kingdom of Jesus!

I am so pleased with the ministry of Jesus in this place through Rodger and Lynne. They are doing a great job here. Please pray for them and this unique ministry they are leading.

Monday we're taking a break--this is a sabbatical, remember? We're heading into South Africa for a safari!

Hakuna Matata!
Brad

The Island

OK, we've been out of touch for a bit, and I have too much to write tonight. How about a little info regarding our trip to Mozambique Island?

We flew to Nampula--a two-hour flight--then drove to Ihla de Mocambique--a 2 or 3 hour drive. This island was the original capital of the nation of Mozambique. The nation was colonized by the Portuguese 500 years ago. So the Jesuits showed up early on. They built churches and established Catholicism on the island.

Then the Muslims moved in. The Jesuits left, or were driven out, and the new Sultan took control of the island. To this day Islam is the dominant religious background of the island and the surrounding region. However, very, very few people actually practice Islam straight up. What most people seem to follow is a cultural version of Islam that is acceptable in northern Moz. At 5:00 Thursday afternoon we were outside the island's largest mosque. The call to pray was played over the loud speaker and not one person responded or entered the mosque. It seems clear that Islam is more cultural than spiritual to these people.

But followers of Jesus are not strong here either. Eight Catholic churches dot the island. Only one is still operating. And very few people participate. So the opportunity for the gospel is great.

Our purpose in visiting the Island is to help Rodger & Lynn Schmidt determine the potential ministry opportunities here. Rodger has become friends with Hafish, the local Muslim cleric. However, Hafish had received an invitation to the United States to study for a month, so we did not meet with him. That was disappointing, but we still got a great taste of the island and the region near it.

The opportunities in this region indeed are wide open. Only ten Christian missions workers are known to be living in the two provinces that comprise the area around Ihla de Mocambique. This is an area with hundreds of thousands of people. We saw very little evidence that the gospel is impacting this region. It would be a wonderful thing if the Schmidts decided to move to this region. They definitely feel God calling them here. But that will take a while. They are in the middle of an exciting venture in Maputo, in the southern part of the country. And I'll tell you about that next time.

Thanks for praying for us and for our journey. It has been a huge blessing from God. Please keep praying for us.

Grace,
Brad