Christmas Time in Salmon Arm

Jannie and I were called to sit with Santa at the Christmas Party for the Adams Lake Band. We were called out with the other elders of the community. This was quite a surprise. It was an honor to be included with the community is such a visible way.

We led the community in singing Christmas songs. While singing, it occurred to me that you can get away with singing the Gospel story where speaking it would not be welcome. That gives me more to plan for next year. Perhaps, the Lord will open an opportunity for a speaking time, too.

Winter has arrived. We get a gentle snow almost every day. The picture on the left is the view from our kitchen window, looking east. The one on the right is the view from our front porch, facing north.

We had dinner with some elders recently. They told us how things used to be. How the community used to get together almost weekly. They used to play softball, but the softball field has not been used in three years. They used to get together and have potluck feasts. Now, the gatherings are catered affairs. As the elders spoke, their words bore a great weight of pain. Oh, that the old days could come back...but how? The welfare mentality is so prevalent and deeply ingrained. Instead of kids playing outside, parents buy them Playstation TV games, or an Ipod. Kids don't learn to interact and play with others, they are learning to isolate themselves. Twenty years ago, you could challenge kids with backpacking trips. Now, for the most part, we are encountering kids that are lazy. They don't want to be challenged. They want immediate gratification, and working for something, well...why do that? Why buy the cow if you can get it for free?

I can't fix a dysfunctional community, but I believe that if I can do something, I should do it. So, we submit our efforts with the Creator's Talking Circle in prayer to the Lord and pray that He will do a miracle in the lives of these children that come to the meetings. The kids seem to enjoy it, and we have enough adult staffing to make it work.

Starting in January, we will be directing our thoughts to the Spring and Summer months. We will be evaluating each reservation and community to see what opportunities may be available. We did a lot with the Adams Lake Band in 2007, but we don't want to miss opportunities with the Squilax Community, the Tappan Community, and new opportunities with the people 30 minutes to the south, in Enderby. We expect another week of canoeing with the excellent help we have received from Rick, John, and Steve from Racine, Wisconsin. Two other churches have expressed an interest in sending out short term missions teams to share in the work here. While that is good news, it means a lot of planning from this end. This is a cross-cultural ministry. At the moment, we don't have construction projects for volunteers to focus on. So, if people want to come out here on a short term trip, they need to accept some training so that they can engage the Shuswap culture with respect. Developing long distance training programs and implementing them take additional time and effort. So, January will be a time of evaluation and adjustment. We need to keep on building relationships, but we also need to assume more of a supervisory role, too. May the Lord assist and direct us in being responsive to all that He is doing! :)

Recent Updates

Tis a season full of opportunities. Christmas and Easter are great opportunities to naturally open conversation about spiritual themes. We plan to lead music and carol singing for the Adams Lake Band Christmas party. Children that attend the Creator's Talking Circle will join us in singing. I have a brief contextualized Christmas message ready, incase I get the chance to share it. That is for Sunday afternoon.

Jannie is baking up a storm! Last year, we delivered 30 plates of Christmas cookies to various homes on the Reserves. This year, she is talking about 50 plates to deliver! (It is a good time for me to stay out ot the kitchen.) :)

We had a Bible study with Lori on Thursday. At the time of the house clearing, I told her that it is common for spirits to come back and see if they could regain their place. So, I asked her if they had come back. She said, "Yes, for about four days, they tried."

"What happened?", I asked.

"Well," she started, "each night I would lock up the house. That meant locking the door knob lock and the dead bolt. In the morning, I would find the front door unlocked and ajar."

"So, what did you do?", I asked. I had hoped that the house clearing was a training time for her so that she could take charge as learn that she had authority over evil spirits.

She answered, "I prayed over that area and over the whole house. I told the spirits to leave and not come back. Since then, the door stays locked all night."

May God bless us all, each and every one. :)

Creator's Talking Circle Christmas

When the world was new, all was good. It was perfect! Something happened to change it to the world we have today.
An Evil spirit being called the Light Bearer, tricked our first parents. Light Bearer told the first people that they could be happier if they didn’t worship the Creator.
The first people, named Adam and Eve, listened to the lie, and for a moment, they rebelled from Creator.
This rebellion made their hearts twisted and sick. No longer did Adam and Eve get along. They became selfish and angry. All the generations were born with this sickness and they fought each other and even killed each other.

The good spirit helpers looked on with horror at what was happening to the earth and people. What could be done? The rebellion caused by the first people deserved punishment. Creator had warned Adam that if he rebelled, he would suffer death. So, death was the punishment for man’s rebellion.

Creator watched as people tried to fix their twisted hearts. People made many religions. Every religion hoped that it might restore the broken relationship with Creator. All the religions had lots of rules. Many religions tried to show devotion by shedding blood. Sometimes animals were sacrificed, sometimes humans were sacrificed. All those efforts were to try to pay for the offence of rebellion against Creator.

Creator looked down at the suffering of man and He felt sad. The religions man created only increased suffering.

To the great surprise of all the spirit beings, both good and evil, Creator had a plan to help the earth and people. He decided to come to earth himself and live with the people.

Creator could have come to earth, floating down from the sky with great ceremony. He could have come to kings, chiefs, and the powerful rulers. He could have come to speak with the smartest people. Instead, Creator chose to come to a small nation of only 8,500 square mileswhich was much smaller than the territory of the Secwepemc Nation. He chose to come into the world through birth. He chose to experience what it was to be like you and me.

Two thousand years ago, Creator came to earth as a baby. His name was Jesus, which means Creator Saves. But he didn’t stay a baby in a manger. He grew to become a man, so he could do for mankind, what we could never do for ourselves. He came to be a sacrifice to pay for the rebellion of Adam and Eve, and you and me, their children.

There is a lot of suffering in this world: bullies, fighting, war, and broken homes. Jesus came to fix the relationship between us and Creator. He also came to help us fix the relations we have with each other. Christmas, the coming of Jesus, is the best gift of all.

Rescheduled House Clearing

"Lori" connected with us and explained that she had been detained from making the appointment on Thursday. She expressed a desire for us to come over and help deal with the spirit activity at her house. So, we plan to go there tomorrow, Monday morning.
I'll update the blog with the results of the Monday meeting as soon as I have news to report.

We had the meeting with Lori today. We had a topical Bible Study on the subject of spiritual warfare first. It was important to present a Biblical cosmology on the topic, as the Native cosmology is quite different. We examined what the Bible had to say about the origins of sin, and demons. We presented a simple but clear understanding of what the Gospel message was. Lori affirmed a personal faith in Jesus Christ and we went on to the house cleansing.

We presented her with some clear teaching about spirit activity and how to deal with it. She also had information of how to break ancestral curses that might be a problem. We plan to have a Bible study on Thursday in the Gospel of John.

Thanks to everybody for their prayer support. The peaceful meeting was probably a result of all the prayers in support of this event. Thanks again!!

Spiritual Warfare

We showed up for a house clearing meeting, (exorcism), but nobody was home. The lady, Lori, doesn’t have a phone, so connecting with her has proved a bit challenging. While Jannie wrote a note, I walked around the house talking to the spirits.
I said, “All you rebellious spirits, come to attention. I am Howard, a servant of the Most High God and Jesus Christ His Son! I am here to serve you notice that your time here at this property is going to end. We will be back, and you will leave! Today was only begging time for the inevitable, you will be evicted! I bless this property in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and speak the Peace of Christ on this house. We will be back!!!”

I was irritated that we could not engage the enemy today. I wanted to see the bondage to fear broken at that home. I also want to see the hold the enemy has on that community shaken and weakened.

Our prayers laid up for this fight were not in vain. Let’s keep praying for Lori, that God makes an appointment that won’t be broken. Pray that the power of the enemy will be weakened. When the exorcism happens, we will surely report about it. Blessings,
Howard

New developments

Recently, I have had crippling back trouble and a cold. It has been hard to function. On the up side of things, the back is better, and my head cold is in remission. It is good, since I have Creator's Talking Circle, a bow making class tomorrow, and a preaching assignment on Sunday.

A new Bible Study on the Reservation is going well. We are meeting in a haunted house. Yep, no jokes. The Mom and kids all tell of things that fly around, go bang and bump, and a ghostly figure that walked through the door.
We explained that we would be happy to send the unwanted guests packing, but it would have to be on Bible terms. That means letting Jesus do it, and that he gets the glory. She listened and was very receptive to the teaching. So, in the near future, we will be involved in some spiritual warfare as we evict the enemy from the house. Please pray.

A relationship I began with a Native man six years ago is growing in depth. He just opened up to me today and began telling be about some concerns he has for his son. Then he told me two dreams he had recently. The first, he found himself at a Christian Summer Bible camp on the north end of the lake. There was a convention of sorts going on. Display booths from people from all nations on earth were there. He looked up and was surprised to see his son looking at the booths. So, he went to his son and suggested that they go in a direction, but the son resisted and saith, "no, I think I'll go this way," and he departed.

The second dream featured his son and seeing his soul depart from his body. They looked all around for his soul, but couldn't find it. Then after a week, the soul returned and jumped back into the body. The dad told me that before the dream, his son was lethargic and kind of depressed. Immediately after the dream, his son perked right up. His hockey play is more energetic. His attitude in the day is more positive.

I told my friend that I had some explanations for the dreams, but it would take some time to explain, and the present busy location would not do the topic justice. So, we plan to meet son and talk about these things. Please pray for God's wisdom so I will speak as the Holy Spirit intends.

Discipline, when it is happening, rarely seems comfortable. Discipline, in a sense, correction, implies that something isn't quite as it should be. Adjustments are applied, until the right fit is achieved.

I recently acquired an unusual flintlock mechanism. I believe it came from Africa. The side plate shows evidence of some production machining; the rest of it appears to have been worked by a blacksmith. It is in the Miquelet pattern which is uncommon for us Westerners. It came without two springs, and a trigger sear. So, today, I plan, weather permitting, to spend and hour at the blacksmith forge and make some springs.

I plan to make the springs from a broken car leaf spring. I will take a ten inch rusty piece and cut off a piece that is a half an inch wide. I will heat it up to a orange/yellow heat, and carefully hammer it out. In some places, it will be drawn out longer, and in other places, I will drawn out the width. In the end, it takes some careful fitting to get a mainspring to fit the lock. Then, it has to be heated to a bright red color, and quickly immersed into oil to chill the metal. This is called quenching the steel. At this stage, the steel in the spring has hardened to the point that it will break if bent. So, to make the spring usable, it has to be re-heated very carefully until the metal color shifts from a straw yellow to a iridescent blue. then it is quenched once more.

Lately, I feel like God is working on me like this. He is re-shaping me to make me more usable. He isn't using a big hammer and heavy blows. Just careful shaping, with a few taps here and a few taps there. A bit a file work, and more re-heating.

I suppose, if a rusty broken car spring could talk, it would say that would prefer to be left alone. It is old, and it went through the forming process before. Isn't that good enough? Forging steel upsets the old shape. Re-heating, hammer and file work seem like a lot of bother, if we don't have a view of the purpose.

God's word, tells me that it is The Father's purpose to "reshape me into the image of His Son." So, God re-heats, and taps here and there in my heart to change the rusty crude material, into something shiny and precisely fitted to the work He has in mind for me to fit. So be it, amen.

Happy Monday

The Creator's Talking Circle went well on Saturday. We made a few changes in the program that helped keep the kids focused. Jannie did a "creation concoction" as an object lesson. She took a class baking dish, and told the creation story, as she loaded it up with yummy things! First, chocolate pudding, "and darkness covered the earth." Then cool whip, "and God said 'Let there be light'". Blue cool whip for the sky and heavens, green coconut for the plants, etc.. In the end,the kids got to eat the creation. :) I talked a bit about the plants that God gave us that were for food, medicine, and tools. We had eight kids and one mom. All seemed happy to be there. :)
Sunday, I preached at the Chase Evangelical Free Church. It is a small church, but nice because there are a lot of seasoned believers that really know their Bible.
We did a hospital visitation after church, and a Bible Study in the evening.
There is snow in the higher elevations of the mountains. Half the leaves have fallen from the birch and maple trees. Winter is coming.

getting back

Been a while since I updated the blog. I was caught by a flu bug that knocked me out for about ten days. It has been hard to study or write. But I am getting back on track. I have to. I am expected to preach this Sunday, and I have to have a power point presentation ready by Monday evening. Some how, I expect God will help me get ready.

We have the Creator's Talking Circle this Saturday. We are talking about the Creation Story, and focussing on day three.

Some may like to know that we are back to using the old 1988 Chevy Suburban. What a great vehicle that has been. It burns oil and no surprise, with its 180,000 miles. It is mostly white, with a rust brown trim. We had a leased car for four years, and turned it back in. Hopefully, we can find a Toyota Rav4 in a good used state. That would be a nice replacement for the Sub. We do a lot of driving and the smaller car would help us manage the $4 a gallon gas cost better.

Jannie is starting a new ladies Bible Study with a gal from the local Reserve. That is great news! :)

Creators Talking Circle

If you have been following the events of late, you will be wondering how the first Creators Talking Circle went.

We had thirteen children and two parents come to the opening meeting. We started with games, and then moved to song time. The kids had a healthy snack and then we pulled out the original flat screen, yes...the flannel board. It is still an effective tool for story telling. We began with the Bible story of Creation. God gave Jannie a drum song to go along with the story. I heard children humming the tune later as they left. After the story, I prayed in Shuswap and then in English, thanking our Creator for our lunch, and then everybody had a good lunch.

The Blumenthal's and us need to get together next week and debrief about the meeting, and plan for the next meeting. I would say that the first Creator's Talking Circle was a success! Thanks to all for your prayers! We are in this together. :)

More Answers to Prayer

We got news today that our application to use a meeting place on the Reserve was going to be approved. We further asked that the rental price be waived, since what we were doing was going to be for the benefit of the community. That was also accepted!
I need to get a key for the building in the next day or two.
Saturday is the important start of the Creator's Talking Circle.
Please pray.
Thanks! :)

A new step of faith

This coming Saturday, we expect to step into new territory. For years, we have seen a need to serve the young people and children on the Reserves nearby. Jannie and I weren't able to take on that huge role as leaders of a childrens outreach. We prayed about it for years, and God has answered. He sent a loving family to work with us and their spiritual gifts and talents are just right for this type of work. They are the Trent and Lynelle Blumenthal. So, God provided the right people.

Next we needed the location. We have been approved to use a building on Reserve nearby.
Another answer to prayer.

So, this Saturday, we plan to try our first outreach from 11am-1pm. I have no idea of what to expect, but that is how it goes, isn't it? If I were in control, it wouldn't be called a walk of Faith.

In All Things Give Thanks

We are in the middle of a busy week. This is the week that we devote to using canoes to serve the local First Nations Communities. Yesterday we did a four hour trip on the Shuswap River. Along the way, we stopped to swing on a rope swing that hung over the water. I was the first to try it. I climbed up the base of the tree to a log placed there as a jumping platform. I grabbed the highest knot on the rope and swung off the log. It was a long rope. That means that you gain a lot of speed, and at the other end of the swing, you are about eight feet above the water. At the end of the swing, I let go of the rope and splashed into the deep water. I remember being surprised at how deep I had gone, as it was taking longer to reach the surface than I had imagined.

Loyd was next. He had never done such a rope swing before, and stepped up to it with caution. He seemed to be reluctant to step off the log, but he did, and the big smile on his face as he flew through the air showed that he enjoyed the first part of the trip. He let go and splashed in. He came up all excited and happy with the experience. He ran right over to the tree to do it again.

His sister tried it next. She looked at the whole set up with obvious concern. You could see that she was not used to taking risks. Still, she mustered up the courage to climb the dirt bank and up to the standing log. She held the rope a long time as if she couldn't make her body ease forward off the log. With some encouragement, she finally took the leap of faith and swung out over the water.
You are supposed to release over the water at the apex of the swing. That places you over deep water. I think she knew that, but perhaps her hands didn't believe it. Instead of releasing over the deep water, she hung on to the rope another second as she began to return to the shore. Then, over three feet of water, she released.
Her face contorted in pain as she grabbed her knee. We had a problem!

We managed to get our pickup car to return up river and find us, as we carried Patricia out of the water and to the car. She went to the hospital in Salmon Arm, where she learned that she had a simple fracture of her tibia!

That experience certainly put a damper on the rest of the trip for the rest of us. The Scripture tells us to give thanks in everything. I am thankful that her injury wasn't worse, but I am puzzled at how God is going to turn this into good. We were just getting to know Patricia, and now she is injured. We prayed with her, but so far, God has not seen fit to do a miraculous healing of her leg. So, I guess we walk by faith, and keep visiting her at home, and look for God to turn this into a blessing.

Loyd had a good time. He is coming back out with us for a lake paddle today.

Staying connected

Our old "brick" cell phone battery finally expired. On a recent trip to Vancouver Island, I discovered that the older technology couldn't get a signal while the newer models could. So, why replace a battery in an an old phone if I could get a more reliable phone? We went shopping.

Our stop by a cell phone store was quite illuminating. It seems that after we bought the "brick" model, things changed in the cell phone world. Phones aren't just phones anymore. They play music, games, text message, go on the internet, are cameras, daily planner, and much more. I never made full use of the "brick" phone and its games. I am quite overwhelmed with the new options available.

As nice as all the gadgets are, they still can fail to get a signal out here in the mountain country of British Columbia. I sure am glad that I never am out of connection with God. If I am in the mountains, or on the oceans, I can always connect with God. More than a daily planner, God promises to help me with life planning. Now that is something the cell phones can't do! God doesn't offer games with His plan. But He offers lasting satisfaction and joy. The text messages I get from God are always current. They never go out of date.

So, Jannie and I got new cell phones today. We got a super deal on the package, too...but the deal I have with Jesus is still better. :)

Adams Lake

Jannie and I went to Adams Lake to recon it for a possible canoe camp program. The lake is about 40 minutes to the northwest of Salmon Arm. It is a long lake and very very deep, that runs north and south. It sure looked good as a location for a canoe program.

I located various camp areas that would work out for a day paddle in a canoe, and then camp. We figure on a maximum of 20km paddle for a day, on flat water. After a day like that, you sleep really well. :)

After doing the homework, we had to conclude that

this location would not work for the summer canoe program. We aren't the only ones that know of the beauty of Adams Lake. Every camp area we checked was filled to capasity. It wasn't surprising, but it was disappointing. I guess I kept hoping that 80km of bad forest service road, with holes, big rocks and dusty dry, would discourage 95% of other people. Not only are others not discouraged, but they even haul in hard shell camping trailers! The sports/camping enthusiasts of British Columbia are hardcore.

So, if we use this site, we will have to wait until the off season. Until then, enjoy the pictures!

Kayaks

I recently returned from a trip to Vancouver Island. I went there to visit a friend and colleague with NAIM. We have been working at building a kayaking program to serve the people of Kuper Island. The first year, we did open water paddling between Kuper and Valdez Islands. The second year, we explored Valdez Island more to the north and camped over night. With each trip, we learned more of what to do and what not to do. I learned to follow my friend, even though it is the long way, and NOT attempt to walk through a field of stinging nettles. We learned more about tides, wind patterns, and the wild life on Valdez Island.

This year, we camped for two nights at Valdez Is. [N49 02'43.02", W123 38'44.46"] and worked on learning more about the natural foods available all around us. We had a feast our first evening of rice and oysters. Believe it or not, I found a pearl in one oyster! Even more incredible, my friend found three!

We arrived at the time of peak berry harvest. Black berries and thimble berries were every where. The raccoons that were all over the place last year, were now scarce as they had an abundance of berries to eat. We saw a couple of small coastal deer. A young seal swam under my kayak, so I reached out and touched it as it swam past. That was fun.

We scouted more to the north of the island and located another good place to camp, [N49 3'21.59", W123 39'23.29"]. This new place could accommodate a group of 6-8 campers. Nearby we found a nice area that would serve well to practice archery. So, we returned with a lot more information.

Next year, we hope to hold our first camp on Valdez Island. We have done enough homework. We are hoping to borrow a row boat with motor to haul the equipment to the camp location. The motorized boat would also serve well in the case of a medical emergency. Have to start praying about that.

An Appointment Not to Miss

Some appointments might as well be pencilled in. They are made so far in advance that by the time they come around, that half get cancelled and re-made. (That reminds me to call the dentist and reschedule an appointment.)
We got a telephone call at 3:30 in the morning today. The voice on the other end of the line was choked with tears as she said, "Mum has taken a turn for the worse...can you come?" Within minutes, we were on our way to the hospital. Traffic isn't a problem at 3:45am in Salmon Arm. Compared to some of the cities I have lived in, traffic is never a problem in Salmon Arm, with its five stop lights.
On the way, I wondered if this was going to be a false alarm. I responded to a hospital visit like this one and the person held on for two months. So, I wondered.....
When we arrived, most of the family were in the room, surrounding their dear mother. The dear old woman had fought a tough battle against cancer, and now, she appeared to be struggling, and loosing the struggle. How could it be, I wondered. I had seen her and talked with her just a week ago. Yesterday, she had been outside in the wheelchair looking at the flowers. Was it true, that she was close to depart this world?
I read some Scripture and prayed. Jannie and I sang a song, "What a Day That Will Be" as the family gathered close to their precious mother. Shortly after dawn, and not two hours from the time we arrived, we knew this was indeed the last moments for our friend.
Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed unto man to die, and after that the judgement." I was reminded of that verse. There is an appointment made by my Creator for me. An appointment that is not pencilled in. It is an appointment that each and every one of us, if the Lord tarries, will keep. Indeed, our time here on earth is brief. Like the flowers that bloom and then so soon are withered and gone. So, also, from God's view, are our days. Seeing that we all will certainly make our appointments with God, how then ought we live?

Unexpected Blessing

Trent and I went up Mount Ida on Tuesday looking for possible locations for a group camp site. We want to have an out of doors alternative location for a children's ministry. I used Google-Earth to search the mountain before we went out. I book marked three possible locations to explore.
At the end of a narrow, overgrown and four wheel drive access forestry service road, we found ourselves still two hundred yards from a possible camp site. The area had been logged some 20 years before. A forest had grown up again, and it obscured our view for anything more than 75 yards. So, we decided to hike it back into the forest and see if the area had water.
We had gone about 200 yards and found a low area and ravine that looked promising, so we went further. We ducked under fallen trees and climbed over others as we followed a well used game trail. Suddenly, Trent stopped and pointed to a pile of bear scat on the trail. "Is that what I think it is?" he said.
"Yep, it is bear scat and from a large bear, too," I answered.
A hundred yards further, Trent stopped and seemed to be searching the area before him, down in a low area. He pointed in a direction and said, "Is that a bear?"
Trent never hunted big game and that included bears; yet, he had been able to see the rump, back , and shoulder of a chocolate brown colored bear about 100 yards ahead, down in the trees. The bear had picked a nice "home" area. There was shade from the older growth trees, and small pools of water for drink.
The wind was in our favor, but I was concerned about our situation. "Why did I leave my rifle in the truck?" I asked myself.
"Let's get out of here while we can," I said softly, and we walked quickly down the game trail back towards the truck.
Back at the truck, I asked Trent if he wanted to continue on the search for camping sites, or would he like to go back into the woods to see if we could find that bear again. He said he had room in the freezer at home and thought a hunt might be worth a try.

This time, with rifle in hand, I took the lead and followed the game trail back to the area we saw the bear. In the last 100 yards, I slid the safety "off" the Ruger No.1, .458 Win Mag, single shot rifle. I inched forward, low to the trail, and slowly raised my head to look and then back down to creep forward again.
Just like before, I picked out the bear. He had moved into the shade, was on all fours, looking intently in my direction. It was evident that he had heard something of our approach. I checked the scope and made sure it was set at 2 power. I wanted a wide field of view in case things got busy real fast.

I moved slowly to the side, trying to find a view where the trees didn't obscure the bear. After moving five more yards, the bear got up, and began to move in my direction. He didn't act aggravated, he just slowly walked forward to a tree, and stood up on his hind legs. He reached up the tree with his claws. He was doing a territorial marking display. I thought to myself, "He must think I am another bear, snooping around his area."

The cross hairs of the scope were now resting solidly on the bear as he came off the tree and began to walk forward again. The mountain echoed with the resounding "BOOM" of the big gun. The bear never knew what hit him.

Back packing the meat out was a time for reflection. I was carrying 80 pounds of meat on my back, up hill. "Well," I told myself, "if my heart doesn't give out on this trip, I guess I am good for another year." The last fifty yards were up a rather steep grade. Trent put down his meat and pushed me from behind to help get up the hill. We made it back to the truck, with an unexpected blessing. God had given us some excellent meat, and we were grateful for it.

Back in Salmon arm, BC

The trip to Holland was very good. It was good to visit with Jannie's mother, and with many of the family members during our two weeks there. The weather was unusually good. Well, good for us, in that it was sunny and warm every day. I enjoyed it, but felt concern for the farmers who really needed rain to get their crops starting. The rain did come, after we returned to Salmon Arm.

While in Holland, I was able to sit and write some 30 double sided pages of a draft about death for the Christian, death for the un-saved, judgement, and the resurrection. I still want to write on heaven and hell, but I have a good start from the study on the other material.

I re-connected with my grieving for my father -in-law. I guess I found myself accepting of the fact that I would not see him again on earth again, but a hundred memories would hit me each day. When I walked down the stairs, or opened the front door, or sat in the living room, or sang hymns after a meal, or went to church, I would think of him, ... and miss him. Still, it was good to be there and deal with it.

Jannie had a "girls day out" with sisters, and I got to hang out with the brothers for a day of excursions in the area. Both groups had good times doing very different things.

A few days after I returned home, I used to prepare for a NAIM men's retreat on Vancouver Island. There was time for sharing, encouragement, devotions, some hunting and fishing, and a lot of laughter.

Back at home, we quickly plugged back into ministry. We spent today on a mountain harvesting cedar tree roots. A group of us are learning to make birch bark baskets, and since we gather a lot of roots, we may get instruction in how to make the cedar root basket, too. The birch bark basket is tricky enough to last me a year to practice. I am not sure I am ready for the cedar root basket. That is really hard to perfect; but we shall see.
It is good to be "home".

Going Home

Experience has shown me that you can't really go "home". But, Jannie and I are going to visit her mother in the Netherlands. Some things will remain the same. The beautiful church which was built in the 1100's will welcome me with the same charm that it did 30 years ago. The city hall was built in the 1300's, the Plague was going through Europe at that time...that will look the same.
I think going to the family home will be emotional. The last time I was there was for the funeral of my friend and father-in-law. I suspect my grieving was put on hold with my quick removal from all those familiar sights, sounds, and smells. It will seem very odd indeed to be "home" and not hear the laughter of my friend.
Some people never get to go home. Daniel was taken into captivity when he was a young man and never went home. Joseph was sold into slavery and didn't go home. Moses was born in Egypt, went back as an old man and didn't find it to be a charming place anymore.
The Good Book speaks about longing for home, but not a home made with human hands. Home is where our Lord and Savior is. My mother, and father-in-law ( I prefer to call him 'my friend'), are there with Jesus. While I am in Holland, I plan to develop a sermon outline on "Going Home", a citizens guide to Heaven. I am looking forward to that study.
May God bless us with rest, and re-fresh us for our work back here.

Anti-tradional bias

If I declared, "I don't kiss my wife, because that is just tradition, and it isn't in the Bible. I don't have to do it." One hearing those words would have to pity my poor wife. It would show a real misunderstanding of a normal expression of love within marriage.

Real love would move a person to want to be with their partner. Real love would be demonstrated by spending quality time together, words of affirmation, touch, acts of service, and gifts. Think about the soldiers or businessmen that travel and are separated from their families. They ache inside to be with the ones they love. They carry little pictures with them, precious little mementos that helps them feel connected, somehow. All of this is quite normal in human relationships. No security guard at the airport, looking through personal property picks up family pictures or a lock of hair and asks, "Why do you have this?!" We all understand the importance of connecting with our loved ones.

So, why is it so different for some people when we approach our love affair with God? Today is Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday. It is known in the Church calendar as Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the latin word, mandatum, meaning a command. We celebrate Easter and the risen Christ, but four days before that was the Thursday that Jesus gave the commandment to "love one another." It was on that night that he celebrated that Last Supper. It was during the Last Supper that Jesus told his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me."It was on that night that he went to the garden and asked his followers to stay up with him and watch and pray. It was on that night that he was betrayed and arrested. All that brings more meaning to Good Friday, and Good Friday brings more celebration for Easter.

My research into Church history indicates the Church has "remembered" the events preceding the crucifixion since apostolic times. Remembrance for the Jewish believers was not just a cognitive process, but an experiential one, too. The Passover feast is a good comparison.
During the Passover meal, a child asks the question, "what makes this night different than every other?" The parent answers, "because we were slaves in Egypt, but are slaves no more."
The Passover is a re-enactment of the first event. The participants enter experientially into that first event, though thousands of years have passed in real time.

I have been blessed over the years by remembering Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great Sabbath Saturday, and Easter. Remembering each day, focuses my soul on our Lord's great love for me and His world.

I was sharing this with a friend and he said, "That is just tradition. That isn't in the Bible, so I don't have to do it." I was stunned. Actually, I think a case can be made that we should do it as a fulfillment of our Lord's direction to "do this in remembrance of me."
I don't do this to earn God's love or earn points with God. It seems a natural expression of love for my God who did so much to reconcile me to Himself.

I suppose a value of anti-tradition is the legacy of the Puritans. With such abuses of tradition as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and the wickedness that makes up that celebration, I can understand the Puritan attitude against vain tradition. But throwing out all tradition is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. What a pity, when traditions can be a blessing.

Selective Obedience

The Lord Jesus said, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..."; and again "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I am grateful for those faithful Believers that live out that verse. They are witnesses to their neighbors, and they are the ones that support missions. They are an encouragement to me. May God bless them and may their tribe increase.

I have to wonder at how people can read those words from our Lord and Savior, and seem to think that Jesus was making a suggestion, and not a command. What makes me more confused is thinking that the reason that some faithful church goers think like that is because they got it from their pastor! It makes my head spin to think that a pastor, a minister of the Word, could delude himself into thinking that Jesus Christ was offering an elective response in the 28 words quoted above! I am thinking mainly of pastors and church leadership as I write this.

King Saul evidently deluded himself about obedience in 1 Samuel 15. He had a clear mandate from God to destroy the Amalekites and their livestock. He partially obeyed the directive and in verse 22 received the scathing rebuke, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice..." The Lord was not pleased with partial obedience. King Saul was rejected as king because of his selective obedience.

So, I wonder as I look around at churches that are 20+ years old, and ask, "How are they measuring up to the Lord Jesus command; what is that church's commitment to missions?"
If I look at the budget of the church, what percentile is dedicated to missions, and what percentile is committed to serving the interests of the church? The answer tells much about the focus of the church.
Then, I look at the evangelistic outreaches that the church supports. Some churches have a special bulletin board, or a wall dedicated to showing where the missionaries are that they support. Usually, those bulletin boards show the obedience to the command to "go to the ends of the earth." Look for the local obedience to serving Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and you hear only silence. Why?
Maybe it is a cultural thing. Maybe the North-American Christian has been led to believe that putting money in the offering plate satisfies our Lord's command. In part, it does, but we are still stuck with the rest of the command, to reach out to our Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.

Jerusalem, for the first century Believers, was mostly dealing with the same culture. It was for some, the place of their greatest failure, too. The disciples fled from Jesus in the garden. Peter denied the Lord. Being a witness for Christ to family, friends, co-workers can be a hard mission field. It was for the early church, and it is for us today.
Judea was still much of the same culture, but a little further away, and easier to forget. It took more effort to do outreach there. There might be more cultural variation, poor roads, more hardships to endure, in Judea.
Samaria was the location of the half breeds. They were openly despised by the Jewish people and called "dogs". The culture was different, and they were a poorer community. Yet, the Lord Jesus sends the early church to minister to the place of greatest defeat, some hardships, and even to confront racism and poverty.
How does the local church really measure up to obeying our command to show the love of Jesus in their own Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria? Back east, the churches have Hispanic communities, or ethnic Afro-American communities. Out here in the West, we have Indian people in our "Judea and Samaria".

I wonder when church leaders face the Bema Seat of judgment, and they are asked about how they attempted to fulfill our Lord's command, what will the response be? "Lord, we raised money for mission projects in Africa, South America, Mexico, etc..." and the long list of "to the ends of the earth" is proclaimed. But when it comes to building relationships with different cultures that were right next door, the pastor will have to drop his eyes in shame, for he did not lead the church to fulfill the whole command of the Lord.
Maybe it is too ugly to say it out loud, but I wonder if the reason why some Christian radio stations do not have cross-cultural programming is because those minority communities don't have the money?
Is it possible that pastors, elders, and deacons do not reach out to the minorities in their "Samaria" because "those people" are needy and would be a drain on the budget? Perhaps others don't reach out because they know that if the minorities in their "Samaria" started coming to their church, then that might mean a change in the church? That would mean different music, (and we all know how churches can fight about their preferences in music, don't we? )
Fulfilling the commands of our Lord meant that the people of the early church were to connect with their neighbors, those across town, and the ethnic minorities around them, and to reach out to the distant lands as they were able. I think it is the same for us today. Instead of thinking of ministry as a "program", we need to be willing to do the sometimes hard work of divesting ourselves of our cultural preferences and for the love of Christ, try to put on the culture of our neighbors. Evangelism has always been carried by the same means, relationships. Perhaps our North-American culture has numbed our consciences to believe that we are pleasing the Lord with a little program for the community, or money in the offering plate.

Some smaller churches do not have the means to reach out beyond their local area. That isn't the heart of the matter, is it? Isn't the real matter, "to whom much given, much is required." What do we do with the spiritual gifts and resourced that He has given us to use in His name? Are leaders in churches responsive to the Great Commission in part, or in the whole?

"...It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Cor. 4:2.

(Well, I beg the pardon of some that might be offended because I openly shared my thoughts. This is a blog-site after all, and not a doctoral dissertation. I know many pastors and church leaders that are truly reaching out to their "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and beyond." They are doing the best they know how, with what God has given them to use. Yet, I know of other churches that seem to exist to serve themselves, the honor of their name, and comfort zone.
May God help us all to offer obedience and not just sacrifice to the honor of His Name.)

Exercise and St. Benedict

I have times of great productivity. I am reading, teaching, participating in meetings, writing, and generally doing well. Then there are the times of silence, and they are usually at the end of winter. I don’t know, maybe my mind reaches a saturation point of activity and then “locks up”, like my computer does. I just know that there are times of silence that come into my life. There will be times when I can’t read much. Developing lesson plans for teaching or writing sermons is hard. It is like trying to read when you have the flu and have taken night time cold medicine. Why bother…it is so frustrating.

I shared my frustration with the silence with a brother in the Lord. He asked if I had a regular exercise program. I said that I get plenty of exercise with the arrival of spring, summer and fall. My friend said that he has struggled with depression in the past and to keep it away, he is careful to maintain an exercise program.

I had a witness inside that he was right. My older brother once said the same thing a couple of years ago,but I didn't want to hear it then. I don’t like jogging. I don’t like going to a gym. I work plenty when I am hunting, or paddling, and actually doing something. Jogging is working up a sweat without going anywhere or getting anything done. Well, that is how I thought, anyway.

I am trying to follow my friend’s advice and get a cardiovascular work out (whether I like it or not.) I am beginning to see that jogging is working up a sweat because it is good for me. I may not have a tangible thing to show for the effort, but it does have benefits. It is supposed to increase my energy level, and help me sleep better. (I thought coffee did that in the morning, and no coffee after 6pm let me sleep.) :)

But what if the exercise wears me out to soon? Ever go to the auto parts store and ask for a thingy for a 1976 Plymouth, and the clerk looks from the computer at you and around the store, to see if Candid Camera was putting a joke on him. He looks back at you and his look changes to one of amazement, that into his life should walk a person and that might really expect that a parts store would have parts that go back 30+ years. Mustering up his kindest voice, and a look of pity, the parts clerk says slowly, just incase you are not only dumb but also hard of hearing, too, “Better go to the junk yard and see if they can help you…we don’t store parts that far back.”

Well, I only have so much cartilage, and when that wears out, it is gone! I am an older model than the 1976 Plymouth, and the parts store can’t replace things that wear out. Didn’t St. Benedict preach “everything in moderation”? So, having a moderate approach to exercise would be good, right?
So, if St. Benedict were to inquire, “How is no exercise in the winter being moderate?” how would I respond?
Okay, “busted.” My brother was right, and my friend was right, and so was St. Benedict.
I guess I will have to include exercise into my life and worry about the parts wearing out later. I sure a glad Spring bear hunting is coming soon. :)

Spring, a beautiful thing......ouch

Spring is a wonderful time. The birds are the first to announce the end of Winter. The robin and the red-winged-blackbird break the snowy silence which gripped the land for months. I love the tiny chickadee and its high pitched song.
Our elevation is 1100 feet above sea level. The snow is gone. A couple hundred feet higher, and the snow defies the sun and clings to the earth. There have been a couple of sightings of black bears at our elevation already, though I haven't seen one as yet.
I have returned to training with the atlatl and archery. I shot 39 arrows from my 70 pound recurve on the 140 yards course. I wanted to shoot 50, but my muscles weren't ready for it. Looking forward to shooting my heavy bows in the weeks ahead. I am back to 40 throws of the atlatl and spear per day.
We have been asked to bring archery, atlatl and canoeing to the Shuswap Gathering in August. That will be a big affair, with people from all over the Shuswap territory and 17 communities coming together for a "family reunion." I am planning to build atlatl teams from the local Shuswap communities in the months ahead. It will make for more excitement and comptetive fun to see 3-4 communities involved in an ancient traditional game.
With all this activity, my winterized lazy body is being put back to work. My back is well now. thanks for the prayers. Now, if only I can warm up to the new activity level with moderation....ouch.

A Pain in the Back

Monday was a beautiful day. I almost feel bad to mention it, as I am aware that weather in other areas may not be very nice. For us in the interior of British Columbia, we greet the month of February with anticipation. February comes quietly with change. It sneaks up on Winter, and by the end of the month, has moved in and solidly established the rule of early Spring. The knee deep snow in the garden is melted down to about 6 inches, now. Temperatures may get down to freezing at night, but up to +6 C (45+F) in the day. Monday was one of those days. I had a lot of projects to do. One of them being getting the canopy back on the back of the truck.
Last week, a Christian friend here built a metal rack to fit the Sierra 3/4 ton pickup truck. It is custom designed and able to expand at the sides to be able to accept two canoes on top. What a blessing that rack will be when it comes to four person canoe excursions in the rugged outback. The canopy was removed to fit the rack, and Monday was the day to replace the canopy.
Jannie came outside to help move the heavy fiberglass canopy. I counted to three and lifted. My side was coming up, but I sensed Jannie's side was not moving. Concerned that my side would dump more weight on her side and make it even harder to lift, I lowered my side a bit, by bending over. I felt something "give", like the canopy dropped four inches suddenly, and I knew I had to shed the weight fast. Down came the canopy. Very slowly, up came Howard.
I knew I was in trouble and went indoors straight away, and put ice on my back. Later that day, I went to the chiropractor for an "adjustment". The back improved a little bit, and has dominated my affairs ever since. I have things to do, and I discovered that most of them involve my back muscles. I don't like sitting, but am resigned to do so.
I worked up notes for next Sunday's Bible Study, beaded a peace pipe, studied, and prayed. It is Thursday, and I have another chiropractor appointment in an hour. I hope to see some relief soon. It takes me 20 minutes to get out of bed in the morning.
Of course there is a silver lining here, too. My groans are strategically calculated to ellicit sympathy from my dear wife. "Wish I could help with doing the dishes, dear," I say, and groan. Like the saintly woman Jannie is, she responds, "Oh, you poor thing...no, no dishes for you. Can I get you anything?"
The Good Book says that the human heart is deceitful above all else and desperately wicked... (funny how an idea can just pop into your head, eh? Oh well....)

Well, (groan...) I have to hobble up the stairs and to the car. Got that chiropractors visit to make.
"Hey Jannie," I groan as I creep up the stairs, "want me to get the car started?"
"Oh you poor thing," she replies, "You just stay warm, and I'll do it."
Yep, the Good Book is right...(heh heh he...groan....)

Anwered Prayer

In my last entry, I asked for prayer for Dawn. So, what happened?
Well, first of all, we received several emails from ministry partners. They said that they would pray and some would pray and fast for Dawn. I tell you, that was a big encouragement to me!

We had less than 24 hours before the scheduled Bible Study, if it was going to happen. We tried to reach Dawn at school, but she didn't go to school that day. We tried her home phone, no answer. We stopped by her house. She wasn't home. We called her cell number. No answer. We basically tried all day to reach her, and failed. We finally resigned ourselves to the probability that she would not be coming to the Bible Study, again.
An hour before the scheduled start time, Dawn called! Yes, she would be coming over for supper and the study time!!
During the Bible Study, Dawn mentioned that several Jehovah's Witness friends had tried to discourage her from meeting with us. She told them that they have their beliefs and she has hers, and she would go ahead with the planned meeting.

I've said it before, but it is worth saying again. It is the prayers of God's people that get the work done. Though prayer warriors are thousands of miles away and in different time zones, we are partners in this evangelistic outreach. An illustration may present a mental picture of what I see happening.
The Inuit People in the Arctic, have an activity called the blanket toss. A big walrus skin is spread out and men go shoulder to shoulder around the skin, picking up the skin and stretching it tight. A smaller member of the group would climb up onto the skin and begin to jump. The people at the edges felt the rhythm and in unison pulled the skin harder, launching the jumper very high into the air. As the jumper was high in the air, he would look far out over the ice flow, looking for wild game. I feel like am the jumper, and the prayers of ministry partners are launching me up to be able to report what God is doing.

Our next scheduled meeting with Dawn is Wednesday evening. Thanks to everybody "pulling the blanket" in prayer. Looking forward to reporting what God is doing. ~Tsi7

Update on our new Bible Study

Three weeks ago, I wrote: With a victory comes an attack. Now that the enemy of our souls knows what God is doing, there will be opposition. I ask that you stand in the gap and pray for not only this friend, but for others which God is surely calling to Himself.
Jannie had one good meeting with Dawn, and to no surprise, the enemy of our souls responded with an attack. Dawn was spiritually hungry, but she was also divorced, with no man in her life. Right after that good meeting with Jannie, a boyfriend suddenly enters Dawn's life. She is distracted and busy with him, and hasn't had time to meet again. Two weeks have passed without a followup Bible Study.
I frown a bit and shake my head, like a farmer plowing the field because he discovered there are a lot of big rocks to remove before planting can begin. God has wired me to be patient and to turn rocky fields over to prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tell me that the weapons God has given us to use are mighty, capable of reducing a strong bunker to rubble!
Please keep praying for Dawn. (I wonder if some might be willing to fast and pray for her salvation; not only hers, but also for her boyfriend, and family?) We are looking to God for a break-through. If we are faithful, I believe we will see it someday. :) ~Tsi7

A Different Sunday

A friend of mine pastors a small church in a community some 40 minutes away. I had never been to his church, and decided to visit it on Sunday. I called him on Saturday to confirm the time for the morning service, and told him we would see him the next day.
We were getting ready to go, and a Native lady we know wanted to join us to the church, so we said we would pick her up on the way. Five minutes before we left, a guest of a neighbor, visiting from South Africa, called and said that he wanted to go to church. Would we be willing to take him with us? Of course, we said, "Sure."
We picked up our new friend from South Africa, and then picked up our other ride and were on our way to church. Usually, small talk occupies such initial meetings; but the lady asked about the meaning of the Communion Service. I went into a 20 minute rambling teaching session off the cuff about the meaning of the Communion Service, and soon, we were at the church.
The church was located in a ranching area of British Columbia. We were met by friendly handshakes, and warm smiles. We were 25 minutes early, and as I looked around, I noticed the absence of my friend, the pastor.
I asked where he was and frowns of concern appeared on the foreheads of the people before me. "He isn't here," they said, "he went to the hospital this morning." My friend either had a minor stroke, or some nasty virus that could cause numbness to half his face. Whatever the problem, he wasn't there, and the church was filling up with the faithful.
I joined the church leadership for prayer for the pastor and God's blessing for the worship service. After the prayer, I stepped out on a limb and offered to preach, if they didn't have any other plans for the message. The elder asked, "Do you have a word from the Lord?" I said, "Yes." The elder responded, "Then we would be glad to have you fill the pulpit for our pastor. It would seem to us that you have been directed here today for such a time as this."
The singing was what I would expect for a "Cowboy Church". There were gospel songs 50 years old, and Gaither songs. The people loved to sing and the church was rich with voices praising God.
When it came time to preach, I stepped up to the pulpit and asked, "Who here can recite from memory 2 Corinthians 5:7 ?" The faces of aged saints with white hair tightened as they gripped the challenge and searched their memory.
"I know you know it, you live it every day...let me start it for you, 'for we walk by faith not by sight.'," I said. I had only gotten four words into the verse when you could hear voices joining in, quoting the verse aloud.
I then declared that the following sermon was going to be "walking by faith", too. I didn't have any notes nor any outline. We prayed and asked God for help, and got started.
The sermon went well, actually. Not because I thought so, especially, but because my dear wife, who can be trusted to speak the truth, said so, too. Oh, and guess what? There was a Communion Service that morning, too. Since our Native friend had had a teaching about it prior to the service, she was ready and prepared to participate. (talk about God leading and directing our steps...!)
In the evening, we had sixteen people show up for the Bible Study held in our home. The house never had so many voices lifted up in praise and worship. (I don't know what we are going to do if this group continues to grow.)
So, yesterday was a different Sunday than most. I thought it was kind of funny to note that at the end, I wasn't exhausted, really. Oh, and some of you are still wondering about the ill pastor. He called and said the doctors didn't think it was a stroke, but some virus. He has medication to take and was sent home. Praise the Lord.

Follow-up on the Bible Study

I just got back from the men's staff retreat. While I was away, Jannie kept busy doing some exciting things.
Jannie met with our friend on Wednesday night. We will call her "Dawn". Jannie was prepared with several pages of Scripture dealing with topics like: What is Heaven Like; and, God's Plan of Salvation.
Native culture is responsive to ritual. So, it would be easy for a Native person to go through a ritual of saying a "sinners prayer", if going through those motions earned salvation. The problem is that the person is saying the words as in a ritual, and in a ritual, the ceremony is the effectual thing. The persons faith is in the ritual, not in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This explains some of the reasons why some people "fall away" who were thought to have gotten "Saved", because they said some prayer. It sounds good for the evangelist to write home and state with rejoicing that a certain number of "decisions for Christ" were made, and sinners got saved; but three months later, where are they?
Salvation is not earned, so we have to avoid pushing the easy believism fostered by a quick offer of a "sinners prayer." Jannie started where the Bible does, in Genesis, with a perfect world, and then how sin entered and wrecked our relationship with Creator God. She unfolded God's plan for reconciliation through the Lord Jesus.
After every step, Jannie checked to see how Dawn was taking it in.
Dawn was grateful for all she heard, but she said she needed to read it over again and think about it. She got a lesson on how to find passages in the Bible, and received a loaner Bible to use, and she was as happy as she could be! She went home with the Scripture, the plan for salvation, and a desire to meet again soon.
Please keep on praying for the salvation of Dawn. The Holy Spirit is truly touching her heart. ~HJ

Answer to prayer

Yesterday, Friday, a friend of ours from a local Reserve asked a question. It was a question which all of us have been waiting for. She said, "I want to come to your Bible Study." This has been five years in the making.
May I ask you to keep praying?! With a victory comes an attack.
Now that the enemy of our souls knows what God is doing, there will be opposition. I ask that you stand in the gap and pray for not only this friend, but for others which God is surely calling to Himself.
Rejoice, and pray this matter to victory.
With a Grateful heart,
Howard

More on culture

As a Christian, and a missionary, I (and many other Believers) are naturally ethnocentric. We really do believe, at our heart of hearts, that we are right. That is the problem with culture! It is learned and perpetuated. We don't naturally think to assume that we are lacking, and need to look from different angles.

I have learned something that has become a huge blessing for my life. It is an attitude that I approach each day, and it is: God wants to use me to be a blessing to others, and, God wants to use others to be a blessing to me.

As a missionary, with a heart burning to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I can easily approach each day with, "How can I be a blessing today?" Not a bad thought, but lacking, I think. It starts with a presumption that I am in a position to be a blessing. It assumes that I am a tool, properly shaped and sharpened to God's work.
It begins with me, and it begins with pride.
I believe that God will use me, but also that He is still shaping me. At 54 years of age, I have just become a student, and one who can be shaped and sharpened. God sent me to the Shuswap People to be a blessing, but He also loves me so much, that He wants to conform me to the image of His Son, and He uses the Native people, my friends, and circumstances to do that. :)
The Scripture tells me that when I am conscious of my weakness, then I am strong. I am in a position to be a blessing, as long as I am humble. I need to die to self and my cultural values and beliefs, in order that I might be shaped by His Hand. This realization hurt when I first owned it. I thought, "Oh, if only I could have been called to be a pastor of a white church! There, the church actually sends you to Willowcreek to learn how to be more in touch with your culture." In cross-cultural ministry, I have to kill my cultural preferences. For five years, I chose not to listen to my favorite music. That music is based on a European cultural value for time and belief of what good music is composed of. Native music has different values about time and beliefs of what music is. In order to have a heart understanding for Native culture, I had to "put on" their values, and that meant to die to self in a more profound way than I ever imagined. I have to put on their language, study their way of speaking and story telling.

Do you want to know a shocking truth? The Native philosophy of the Medicine Wheel has been teaching this for ages. The Medicine Wheel is symbolized by a circle with a line going down and a line going from side to side. It resembles a wheel with four spokes. There are four different colours in each section, and each color has a different meaning. I discovered a complex philosophy in the Medicine Wheel. Simply put, the goal of a real human being, is to move from what ever starting point you have, on the outside rim of the wheel, and move towards the center. So, a person that is inclined to be a thinker and love wisdom must move towards innocence. A person who is inclined to be introspective must move from that comfortable presumption towards illumination (outward).
I apologize for bringing up something as complex as the Medicine Wheel and trying to deal with it here, in such a limited time frame, but it actually correlates with Scripture. 2 Peter 1:5-9 tells us to do this, in our cultural manner. Some Believers are incline to do good deeds. Such people need to move towards knowledge. Those who are inclined to love knowledge must move towards good works. Then we must move towards self control, then to perseverance, and so on.
I have to sit down and work it all out on paper sometime, but I believe I have found a wonderful way to link the revealed truth of Scripture to Native ears, by showing how the Medicine Wheel agrees with the Bible. The goal is to validate that God has revealed truth to the native culture in the past, and lead them to embrace the Bible and the Lord Jesus as the fulfillment of His revealed truth.

Different Values

Dr. Robert Priest of Trinity International University has a definition of culture. It goes: Culture is composed of beliefs and values that are taught, learned and perpetuated.

Yesterday, we hosted a pancake breakfast on a reservation. Kids were still out of school, and we thought we could really serve the community by giving them a nice breakfast and a chance to gather on happy circumstances.
We did one about six months ago and it went very well. It did get off a little rough, since the person assigned to open the building didn't show up with the key. We got a late start, but managed to be ready enough by the time the people arrived.
We made sure that a key holder would be there on time for yesterday. We called ahead the day before to make sure the arrangements were in place. They were, we were told. So, we arrived at the building and it was locked. We waited,...and waited....and finally called our contact person on the cell phone. The contact person was also expected to be at the building at 0915 hours to make the coffee and the juice. We learned that they had just left to go to town to buy the juice. We were told to go to "so and so's house, they will have a key." So, Jannie went to the house and asked for the key. She was told that just the day before, someone had borrowed the key and hadn't returned it, but perhaps "so and so" down the road has a key, so try there. Jannie hiked to the next house. A young boy still in wearing underwear and his hair disheveled opened the door to greet the sight of a tall white woman looking down at him. "MOM!!...There is someone at the door!!!" His mother appeared around the corner and rescued the boy from the door job. No doubt a relief for him. She found a key and gave it to Jannie. We lost forty minutes of start up time just waiting to get into the building. We needed that time to get a head start on the pancakes and sausages.
The key we were given only opened up the front door. It didn't give access to the storage closet with the tables and chairs. That door was securely locked. (I could have popped the hinge pins and removed the door, but rejected the idea...). So, the eating area had only two tables, and three chairs. As ten o'clock arrived, so did the people. We had enough food prepared, and made the coffee, but the lady with the juice hadn't arrived yet, though it had been forty minutes since we talked with her and the distance from town was only four minutes.
Some of the people that came were known to us. We hadn't seen each other in months, so the breakfast seemed worth it in just reconnecting with those people. We also made a few more new friends, which was a blessing.
An hour and a half "late", the contact person arrived with the juice. She announced that there was a hockey game between the USA and Canada, and they HAD to see it. She opened up the closet and we set up the tables and chairs. Nothing more was said, as that declaration carried the weight of the culture.
So, even though we had an arrangement, and the success of the breakfast depended on opening up the building, setting up the tables and chairs, and getting the food and beverage ready "on time", somehow...that came secondary to seeing a hockey game on TV. In the eyes of the community, it was a success. They saw a hockey game and had a good breakfast.
Culture is made up of values and beliefs that are taught, learned and perpetuated. Our "white culture" puts a high value on the use of time. Starting on time is a value. I remember one time, a pastor telling me that I had four minutes to make a ministry presentation in church; if I went over that, a trap door would open and I would drop from behind the pulpit. Sometimes the "white culture" lives under a tyranny of the clock. It that right? Our culture says it is. Native culture does not live under the tyranny of the the clock. Artists, philosophers, and photographers understand this. You can't create an event, you have to show up and be there when it happens. Sounds a bit like the story Mary and Martha, doesn't it? (Luke 10:38-42) Martha is busy trying to create and event. She is filled with stress and distress as time ticks away. Mary is content to "show up and go with the flow."
I have to tell you the truth, because I know someone is wondering, "Doesn't the Native view of time bug you?"
I found myself like Martha, getting frustrated and edgy. This event was planned, confirmed, and once again, "they" couldn't even show up on time. So I prayed and turned it over to the Lord. It was like the Lord quieted my spirit and said, "Howard, your cultural values on time are driving you nuts. Don't worry about it! You showed up, and you are doing the best you can, so guard your heart and your attitude so you won't miss the opportunities when they happen." We did, and the "event" ended up as a blessing for the community and for us, too. :)