The Downside of Evangelism

As we visited with friends and missionaries in Ukraine, one thing became apparent.  Flash in the pan Evangelism crusades that save thousands of people can cause immense hurt feelings with the local church.  I have been to and a part of these crusades and I even got to talk to a couple of teens who gave their lives to Jesus at the altar call.  I then proceeded to talk with these 2 boys for a couple of minutes, even walked them to the exit door and then, they disappeared out of my life and quite possibly out of the church.  As I was walking with them, I mentioned they needed to go to church and grow in Christ, but I had no relationship with them, my words of wisdom were words from a stranger.

Missionary friends in Ukraine mentioned a similar story where a group came in and had hundreds of converts in the local villages, and then told the church in the big city of all these people that needed churches in their villages and the church worked overtime to see these churches flourish, but again, they didn't really have trained leaders who had relationship with the locals and the churches folded.  Often we focus on the immediate impact of the gospel instead of how to fan the immediate spark into a burning flame.

Up until this last week, I have always thought that when Jesus called His disciples, it was sudden and immediate.  Then I was reading through the Gospel of Luke.  Each Gospel writer had a different reason for writing and Luke's is quite obvious.  Reading through Luke and Acts, the reader sees the process of Jesus coming to Earth, teaching the disciples, dying on the cross, the Resurrection and the Gospel, through the disciples, spreading to the entire Roman world.

Reading Luke 4:38-5:11 one cannot help but see the process in the calling of Peter (Simon).

First, Jesus already was teaching, healing and had crowds following Him.  We gather from this that Jesus was a known person.  Second, Jesus personally went to Peter's home and healed his mother-in-law.  Third, Jesus got into Peter's boat and taught the large crowds from the boat.  Fourth, Jesus met Peter where he was at, by physically bringing in a large catch of fish.  Lastly, we see Peter's heart moved and Peter realizes his sin and from that point Peter left everything and followed Jesus.

I encourage you to read the passage yourself and see this progression.

I guess what I am trying to say is, we often focus on the immediate impact of the Gospel and forget the process and buildup of the relationship with the Almighty.  Remembering that God is concerned with the process as well as the product.

We Bought a Van!!!

So it isn't new by any means, but it is fully paid for and alot more room than the Jeep Patriot we used to own.  We are travelling around the country (From Vancouver Island to Dauphin, Manitoba and many stops in between) so living out of your suitcase can be cumbersome but having more room makes travel much easier!

I know I have mentioned this before, but seeing how God works is amazing and how we ended up with this van seems ordinary, yet totally God moving and working!  It all started about 3 years ago when we found out we were pregnant and not going to Mozambique.  We had just sold our Mazda 3 and we needed a family vehicle and preferably one that we would not have to bend over to put in a car seat.  "Why not a van?"  "No!  They are UGLY!"  so, we didn't buy a van but an suv.

Then, right before we were going to go to Ukraine, we hit a deer.  Fortunately, we had rental insurance (if you do not have rental insurance, I would strongly recommend you get it) and our insurance company rented us a van.  Well, because we had no choice, we drove a van (by this time we had 2 kids) and we could carry more people than our family!  (If you know Emily from Grassy Lake, ask her about our trip from PRBI to Bow Island in our Jeep!).

We sold our Jeep to go to Ukraine and there was no looking back.  So when we returned, a van was on the docket.  We thought we would take out a loan at a dealer and talked to our agent, Glen, at Bluesky's in Vegreville.  He helped us buy our Jeep and we

would recommend him to anyone wanting to buy Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep.  Well, in the time of waiting for Glen to get back to us, we went to Dauphin.  There, we found a house we really loved.

It is an old 1914 manse - the house occupied by a minister of a Presbyterian church (thank you google.ca for the definition).  A beautiful brick house with lots of room on the main floor for youth and an upstairs that will fit our family without disturbing guests downstairs.  From our earthly perspective, looking at ministry, this house is perfect.  But, of course would be out of our price range if we had a loan for a van.  We are praying hard about this house, that God would provide the place He would have for us (even if it isn't this house).

 

 

So, keeping the story moving, we began looking at lower priced vans, but only at dealerships at my dad's advice.  We found a van we liked and talked to my dad about it.  He then proceeded to go to Kijiji and found a newer van that had a few more bells and whistles for $ 500 dollars less.  The key to this is it was posted 15 hours ago.  We would have never seen this van if we hadn't gone through the whole process as it was a new listing.  We saw the van and offered $1000 less and got ourselves a van for $7500 less than we were hoping to spend on a van one month ago.  The great part about it is it is equity and not debt so maybe we can afford a house in Dauphin?

 

God is moving in ways we would have never thought of and, in some-ways, ways we would not have even seen if we had not been looking.  It is a very similar way we ended up in Dauphin.

 

I have taken my wife to Vegreville (a Ukrainian town) numerous times and the end result is a resounding "I would never move to a Ukrainian town!" (smells like garlic or something like that).  Then God moves us to Ukraine to show us that is not where He would have us but calls us to Dauphin (another Ukrainian town) and we would have never considered moving to a place with a bunch of Ukrainians had we not gone to Ukraine.  Again God's had is in all of this and we would not have seen this had we not been looking.

 

Where is God moving in your life?  Look back the last couple of years before you need to make a decision and usually the answer is pretty clear.  God isn't playing hide and seek with your future, but carefully directing each step He has for you!

 

I have a feeling where God is directing Jolen's future!

 



One Month Ago Today

One moth ago today, I was super ecstatic to be back blogging again.  I think I have mentioned before how important it is to be recording your life in a journal, or something to be able to look back and remember the lessons God has taught you throughout your life.  For me, it is this blog.  It was difficult when SEND asked us to keep our electronic footprint extremely small as we were unsure of the government keeping tabs on us and if we would harm the ministry over there.  But now we are in Canada, the ban is lifted and I can get back to regular blogging; or so I thought as without everything going on in Ukraine it would be easy to keep up a blog.

Take our last Tuesday for instance.  We woke up, had breakfast, left the kids in Vegreville and went to Edmonton.  There, we went to Carters/OshKosh, the bank, a bookstore, we looked at vans, went out for lunch, went grocery shopping, got some coffee, drove back to Vegreville, made homemade pizza, went out to the playground (more on playgrounds later) put the kids to bed, watched a hockey game and finally went to bed only to wake up the next morning to have another "typical" day in Canada.

Now this may seem pretty normal, this is far from a day that we would have in Ukraine.  In Kiev, if you can get one thing accomplished in a day you have done well that day, if two things, you are talented and most likely very tired.  Now, if we count the many things we do in a day here in Canada, it usually adds up to 10 or so.  That is a huge difference that we were not prepared for or that we have not even adjusted to.  At the end of each day, we are very tired.  So, with all the busyness of life, I have not gotten a chance in the last moth to sit down and reflect and record my thoughts here on this blog.

God has really been teaching me alot out on the playgrounds lately.

 

 

One thing has been about Joy.  How God has created us to not only live life, but to enjoy it as well.  Although the playgrounds are no longer just outside our door, the smiles our kids have every time we visit one, is a nice reminder of how we work and work and work to provide for your family, but you go to a playground with your kids and it all is worth it to play with them on those joyous grounds.

 

Another humourous lesson for me was: you don't touch another person's kids.  In Ukraine, no one thought anything of picking up a kid that was not yours and moving them out of the way.  In Canada, a different story.  We were out at a playground and a small kid who was not walking went down the slide with her older sister and afterwards, the kid was sitting at the bottom of the slide.  Ellianna, seeing their fun climbed up to the top of the slide and was ready to go.  The kid was still at the bottom, so being the kind, caring and concerned person on the playground that Ellianna was going to go down the slide and run over this child, picked her up and moved her.  No sooner had I done this, the mother screamed "Don't touch my kid!"  I was caught off-guard.  We would rather our children come to harm than have a stranger move them out of the way.  It to me still seem s quite backwards thinking that we would like to know the harm that will come than the safety from the unknown.

 

Do we not do this in our Christian life too?  As a church body, we are content to stagnate and not grow (we may not say this, but our actions speak otherwise) than to welcome newcomers or even "god-forbid" invite someone to church.  We have become so scared to let others in because things might change?  Weird how God takes simple events in life to teach such great lessons.  The Frozen Disney movie song "Let it Go" is quite a good line and maybe the North American Church could take a few hints.

 

So, until next time (which hopefully is next week) keep stepping outside your box and getting uncomfortable in your faith, it may lead to healing instead of harm.

 

PS - a few more pictures of Easter



Quite a Journey

It has been quite a while since I last posted anything here.  Most of you (if not all) know we have returned to Canada early.  However, I am still teaching at KCA, just online from the safety of these Canadian borders.

A lot has happened in Ukraine since the previous President was impeached and Russia took control of Crimea.  Although there has been tension since the middle of November, it all came to a head in Kyiv and 100 people lost their lives in the people’s stand against corruption.  At the end of February, our organization phoned us and gave us the opportunity to get away from Ukraine and have a rest period in Poland.  We took this chance as I was teaching online anyways and I could fulfil my commitment to KCA there.  It was a wonderful time of refreshing and we felt de-stressed and ready to return to Ukraine.  But, things in Crimea escalated and we were asked to stay another week, bringing stress back into the fold.  We were able to return to Ukraine.  Our hope and request was that we not be asked to leave again, that things would get back to normal.  Well, a week later, we were strongly advised to leave again.  More stress on the family.  After another week, SEND gave us the choice, we could return to Kyiv, with bags packed, ready to leave within 1 hour at any time, or return to Canada.

In previous posts, I have mentioned how God has been teaching me the importance of family and they need to come first, not ministry.  The time had come to put my money where my mouth was.  Put my family over ministry, even though it was not completed, but midstream.  A very easy choice to make, yet extremely difficult.

Have you ever heard the joke about the sailor whose ship was sinking.  Well, along came another ship and offered assistance.  The reply “I trust God and He will save me!”  Another ship to the rescue and the same response.  “I trust God and He will save me!”  A third ship – “I trust God and He will save me!”

The man drowns.

In heaven, the man asks God, “Why didn’t you save me?”

God replies, “I sent 3 ships to save you!”

Sometimes the answer God has for us is staring us right in the face and we thinking it is too simple for God to act this way.  But the reality is that sometimes God calls us off of our knees to action.

We are called to be people of prayer.

We are called to be people of action as well.

Our tentative schedule right now is to be in the Vegreville region Mid April.  Bow Island – Beginning of May and Grande Prairie at the end of May.  And then off to Dauphin, MB where I have been offered a Youth Pastor position in the community.

As of right now, we are currently on support through SEND until June and then we start our salary + support position in Dauphin, so if you are interested in continuing Supporting us in prayer and finances, we will have details for you, all you need to do is ask.

Until Next week (Lord willing)!

Blessings,

Blake, Colleen, Ellianna and Jolen

P.S. funny story trying to buy groceries the other day.  In Ukraine, you buy your groceries and bag them yourself.  You hold onto your bags you bring and you do it yourself.  Well, I was in line and the clerk asked me for my bag.  Not wanting to be charged for it as I had brought it, I refused.  She then explained she simply wanted to bag my groceries for me.  It was very awkward and slow as she scanned each item and placed them in the bag while I twiddled my thumbs, checked the weather, danced a jig, and then paid for my groceries and left the store feeling quite useless.

Hello Friends

It has been a long time since I last posted.  With the start of school again after the Christmas break, having a very active, everyone can now walk, family, and the current events happening in our city, we just wanted to let everyone know we are safe and are so thankful for the team of people we have standing behind us in prayer.

We covet your prayers at this time for us and Ukraine.  We have been asked by our leadership not to comment and so we ask that you not post any questions or links to our site regarding the current events transpiring here.

Thank you.  God bless.  The timing of my next post will be determined by the state of events here.

We love you all and if you have questions, you may direct them towards either of our parents.

Haircut #2

Well, it was that time again.  Haircut time.  Not just for me but Jolen too.  Jolen was in the skilled hands of Colleen, who knew exactly how it should be cut.

My boy the model

Not my first bruise an definitely not my last

Jolen is very, very different than Ellianna.  They both love climbing, but with Ellianna, I always knew she would be careful.  I can think of one bruise she ever got on her head, and I am the one who tipped the stroller when she was in it.  Jolen, since he has started walking, it is like there is a new bruise everyday.  Boys are so awesome!  and yet so crazy!

They look so happy, yet they started fighting this week.  Sibling rivalry here we come.

I, also had to get myself a haircut.  The one instruction I was given before I left.  "Make sure it is short"  Well, to make  long story short, or in my case long, I think I left the hairdresser with more hair than I went in with.

In my broken Russian, I know the word for "like this" and "more" so it wasn't that I was misunderstood.  It is just that I was in the skilled hands of my hairdresser, who knew exactly how it should be cut.  However, I am not alone.  Everyone I talk to here has an adventure story every time they go to the hairdresser.

Although a funny story, it didn't really phase me.  I thought I had become accustom to life in Ukraine.  I even told my dad "It is normal to live here now.  To wait 1 hour for a bus that should be departing every 10 minutes (we did wait that long)"  only to have an awesome ride, a marshutka to pick us up.

A normally wonderful way to get around the city.  And not just people.  They become cargo vans.  And what I have seen on a marshutka, still amazes me.

Why walk your big dog when he can ride for free?

Yes, a real live Christmas tree on public transportation

I am not sure how long a marshutka is, but long enough to fit baseboards

We will have your pizza there in 20-120 minutes, depending on traffic and how crazy the bus driver is.

It is quite an adventure living somewhere that is not your home and native land.  I would recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to live for an extended period to jump at it, because you may never know when a chance like this will come around again.

I had a nice reminder of the little things today.  I went to the grocery store, as I do everyday, and got my groceries and wanted to get a chocolate bar for Colleen.  I put it in my cart, and went to the checkout, payed for my groceries, bagged them myself and left the store.  While I was leaving, I got a text from Colleen saying the kids wanted pickles (give them a choice between cookies and pickles, brine wins every time) so I wen back, got my pickles and looked for the shortest line and low and behold, it was at the same cashier I had gone to before.  A little embarrassed I was back, I still went to the cashier, looked at her till and there was the chocolate.  I had bought it, but forgot to bag it.  How neat that God, even with a little thing like that cared enough to get me back into the store and in the same line as before so I could treat my wife.

I wonder about our future alot.  Especially lately as we have decided to leave Ukraine after the school year is over.  If God cares about a measly chocolate bar, I know he cares about our future.  It may take a few trips to the store, but God, in His timing knows what is best!

A New Resolution

Reflecting back on 2013, I have certainly learned alot.  I have learnt that I easily look at faults in others yet do not wish to see them in myself.  I also learnt that I am not everything I have thought I am.  I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but one thing that I have always had in my life is music and/or sports.  Grade 12, I played basketball and soccer, the next two years after graduation I was on a tour team learning the art of worship leading.  After that, Soccer at PRBI as well as continued piano lessons.  Moving to Bow Island, playing rec hockey and leading worship.  Back to PRBI, Soccer again, and now I find myself, for the last 8 months or so, without sports or music.  I can actually think of maybe 5 times in the last 8 months that a guitar has been in my hands or that I have kicked around a soccer ball.

Basically I have been without an identity for 8 months, and it is hard... Not because I am not playing sports or music, but because I have come to the inexcusable wall facing me stating "My Identity is not in Christ."

What does it mean to bear the name of Christ, to find myself in Him and Him in me?  That when people see me, they do not see a soccer player, a teacher, a Canadian, a musician, they see Christ.  And, if I am really honest with myself, I have not done a good job of that in 2013.  It has been Blake first, Jesus second.

Now what does 2014 look like?  Will Jesus be proclaimed throughout my whole being?  When I go out on the street, will people recognize Christ in me?  What does it mean to represent Jesus.  If you have 8 or so minutes to spare, This video gives a glimpse of a different point of view of the Life we have in Jesus.

This past semester I talked with my Grade 12 class about what Evangelism is.  Is it going up to people every day and blasting them with Jesus?  Some people my think it is.  Is it going into the secular world and being yourself, no scratch that, being humble enough to share Jesus, or even be Jesus as you go about your normal life.  I really enjoyed the "Sons of Snakes" comment.  Maybe, Christianity is not this simple little formula, but we have become so accustomed to the way things are, that we lose sight of what it really means to follow Jesus.  Are we truly being Jesus to the world, ore are we being ourselves, making sure that Jesus shines through us (notice the underline) instead of simple leaving ourselves out of it and letting Jesus do the talking.

I know it is a different concept, but as I reflect on this new year, I realize that I was doing alot of the talking in my life, on Jesus' behalf of course, instead of letting Jesus be the shining light.

And to be honest with you, I don't know what that even looks like in my life.  I don't actually know if things will change, I desire myself to become smaller as Christ becomes larger, but what does that look like?  The only thing I can think of, is that it looks like anything but me, but only Jesus.  I am very blessed to be given life, a beautiful son (who celebrated his 1st birthday this past week), a breathtaking daughter, wonderful parents who taught me about Jesus, faithful friends back in Canada, a truly awesome wife (inside and out), but most importantly (and i need to remember that this is the most important) is a Saviour, who came to earth, with the plan to die so I might have life in Him.

And a happy birthday to our little man!

I know everyone else is tired, but I want more Birthday Party!