One Life Video

This is one of the coolest videos World Vision has ever done - it's hard not to get chills down your spine.



I believe the message is good, but as a Christian I would emphasize the eternal perspective. Because we're looking forward to the life ahead of us, some of the obstacles get removed to the sacrifices we can make in this life. It's the Kingdom perspective.

just ordinary people, doing extraordinary things for Jesus

What an awesome time! Our team had a chance to share at Joshua House, the college/young professional service at our church, and it was just so encouraging. We actually got a standing ovation after we shared - there is just quite a lot of excitement surrounding what we get to do. To steal JFK's line above, that sums up what we feel about serving in Tanzania. The other part that was really special to us about sharing at J house is that it was where we "grew up". Both Melissa and I were welcomed into communities there around the age of 18. We were mentored and disciplined by some awesome people and later became leaders. God stretched us and grew us in so many ways through our ministry there, and ultimately prepared us for what we're getting to do now.
It is so good to be involved in a community of believers that challenge and encourage us. We have been so blessed in our home church. So much of what we hope to bring and share with people in Tanzania, are the rich blessings that can exist in a body of believers. I know we still have so much to learn, and in a communal African context, I can't even imagine how awesome the church can become. As Melissa always says, we fully feel the "intense privilege" of what we get to do. Praise Jesus!

Sex attacks blamed on bat demon

What a great start to a blog, especially a missionary blog. Actually, this title was taken directly from a BBC article appearing on their website Feb 21, 2007. Aside from the mildly humorous yet tragically terrifying details, this article reiterates a very stark reality we in the U.S. don't encounter very often - and that is the dark world of witchcraft and the occult. As the article states, Tanzanians regularly encounter the occult in many forms. The rural areas more so than the urban ones, but the animism of the occult is rising in the cities - especially as rural growth is fueling one of the fastest observed population growth rates of any city in the world (over 4.5% per anum). As our family enters Dar es Salaam, TZ we expect amazing things from our Lord, but we know it will not be without a "battle". Christianity is on the decline in TZ, despite the rising tide most every else in Africa. Jesus is getting lost in the internal church battles and sometimes stifling atmosphere of current Christian dogma. As our team seeks to plant a church in Dar, we fully realize the protective prayer necessary to fulfill our visions and complete the tasks Jesus is asking us to do. I can't emphasize enough, faithful prayers are necessary.
Please join us as regularly as possible to pray and seek god for the next steps as we prepare to leave for Tanzania, as well as when we're there. We expect great things from God, and so far he has asked us to be available - so we are. Peace.