community of learning

...It's 4:15 in the morning on Saturday. It's quiet for another hour or so here in Delhi, until the buses, trucks, bikes, scooters start to move about and honk in mass.

...Yesterday afternoon we wrapped up a good week with the pastors. Pictured below are the pastors as we took our group photo on Friday at noon before our last session.

...The white faces in the photo are fellow Asian Access staff members (l to right) Jeff Johnston, myself, P. Charlie and our faculty member for the week of training, Dr. Richard Hibbert of Sydney who is a church planter and trainer of church planters with WEC, a missions organization focused on assisting nationals in planting churches among unreached peoples of Asia.

...Here are a few stories and photos of this rich learning community. The focus was how to plant multiplying churches and nurturing our love relationship with God.

...The pastor in the center of the photo above is Ashok. The pastor with the great smile is Wilson Joseph and on the other side is Pastor Rajnish Jacob, who has led a church planting effort resulting in over 20 churches.

...Pastor Ashok is tilling some hard spiritual soil. He planted a church among a totally Hindu area 5 hours west of Delhi. He desired to plant more, but few people were responding to the message of Jesus. Then Jesus raised up some people to spread the good news. Jesus healed three people in surrounding villages from cancer, after they came to Ashok's church and were prayed for. They came because they heard that his God healed. One of those healed was the mother of a Hindu leader who had been pressuring Ashok. Now this man's mother is telling people what Jesus did for her and her son is no longer creating any problems or threats for Ashok.

...The two other people are also telling people what Jesus did. People are coming to the church to learn about this God that heals. Ashok now is focusing on planting churches in the three villages where God has touched these people and the message is spreading.

...Pastor Subodh, pictured above, has launched a church in Gurgaon, a thriving city that has grown out the the booming economy around call centers. Pastor Subodh's desire is to see multiple reproducing churches focused on reaching the professions and consultants working in these call centers. He was so grateful for how, now he more clearly understands the biblical strategies for planting multiplying churches and has practical steps to move forward.

...Pastor Hemant, above, suffered the death of his key lay leader in his church the day before he was to come to the Asian Access training. After attending to the needs of the man's family and making funeral arrangements, Hemant came Monday to the Asian Access session - 5 hours on a bus, overnight - arriving at 7 a.m. Then on Tuesday night he did the return trip to his hometown - 5 hours on a bus - in order to conduct the funeral and care for the family on Wednesday. Then Wednesday night at midnight he got back on the bus and rode another 5 hours overnight, back to Delhi for the session, arriving at 7 a.m. on Thursday. That's how much this training and fellowship means to these pastors.

...What a privilege to serve these pastors, provide this training on what does it mean to be a Christ-like leader, develop disciple-making leaders and plant churches that plant churches. I serve David Dayalan, an Indian pastor, who leads the Asian Access ministry in North India, helping him as we further equip and release these leading pastors who will train multiple pastors and workers in the years to come.

...It's Saturday. I'll relax a little bit today. I catch a flight at midnight for Kuala Lumpur for a week of meetings with Asian Access national leaders from five countries.

...Thanks for traveling with me and holding me up with your prayers. We're 1/3 through this trip.

...With a full heart and feeling good.

break thru on Wednesday

Break thru on Wednesday

…Pastors arrived Monday, most of them discouraged and tired. Seven out of 15 pastors had unusual situations arise – situations that indicated there was a spiritual effort on to undermine this week.

…The situations ranged from a mother-in-law dying the day before the pastor was to come, a pastor being afflicted with malaria, another whose 7 month pregnant wife fell ill, one whose senior lay leader in the church died. All these situations prohibited pastors from coming.

…Yet eight came. David and I began to pray. The eight pastors met for a special time of prayer to claim protection over the week and that the spirit of discouragement would be defeated.

…Wednesday morning the day was new. There was a freedom of hearts and minds that wasn’t there the two days before. The Holy Spirit seemed to have great freedom and was working in our hearts.

…Pastors started to think in new ways of planting churches across North India.

…Thank you for praying. Keep praying for pastors David, Wilson, Rajnish, Sobuth, Anan, Sam, Stephen, Ashok and Hement.

…I just finished breakfast Thursday morning. The pastors are eager for a continuing rich time today and tomorrow as we continue to learn, dream and plan how to disciple leaders who will plant churches, that plant churches, that plant churches.

faces of fellowship

...As I got up to preach this morning at Gurgaon Christian Fellowship just south of Delhi I looked out onto the faces of fellowship - the common fellowship we have as brothers and sisters in Christ.


...Some faces were children and youth, other faces were young adults, others moms and dads, faces of singles and newly weds, aging faces of grandparents. Some faces were dark skinned, others light skinned. Some faces were of Chinese origins, other faces from English origins, most faces of Indian origin.

...Yet, most of the faces showed resemblence to the same family - the family of God. Jesus showed on their faces and in their eyes, in their voices of praise and prayers.

...I was with family this morning.

working from Delhi

...It is Saturday - I must be in Delhi.

...Here I am in Delhi, already working with my partners in ministry, David Dayalan, who leads the Asian Access work in North India, P. Charlie, who lives in Asia and Jeff Johnston, who oversees the communications for Asian Access.

...While my head hit the pillow at 3 a.m. after traveling for 24 hours, I feel fairly good and productive. So keep praying.

...Oh, by the way, I am posting this blog entry using a satellite internet connection. Can you believe that - it is better technology than in the US.

...Got to get back to meeting with the team. Email me if you like. I always enjoy a note this far way from home.

small world to frankfurt

...I am posting this from the Frankfurt, Germany airport on a layover, before flying on to Delhi. I had two unexpected blessings on this flight from Charlotte.

...As I walked up to my gate at the Charlotte airport for my flight to Frankfurt, there stood Greg Love (left) a friend from church. Greg is part of my prayer team for these trips. And he and his wife, Jan, are part of a couples group that Mary and I recently joined for some monthly get togethers. Greg was traveling to Stuttgard, Germany for a company meeting. We were able to arrange our seats so we sat next to each other and enjoyed catching up.

...Then as I stood there in line to board the plane in Charlotte and there stood Ann Duckett, our neighbor in Charlotte. She and her three daughters were traveling to Italy for a visit.

...These two connections were such a gift from God. I have been feeling disconnected from our church and friends with all the travel this year. I have been praying, thinking and trying to be more proactive in staying connected. But God actually provided me a time to connect with Greg in a way we don't often get to in Charlotte.

...So my heart is full as I travel on.

...Staying connected from the Frankfurt airport.

getting ready to go

...I took Mary to the airport this morning for her flight to Seattle. She will be visiting her parents and sister the next 10 days.

...This week has seen God answer some specific prayers. One for our pastor and the other for a friend. Mary and I rejoiced in the Lord's goodness as we drove to the airport.

...I am turning my attention toward finishing up the final projects and packing before I fly out tomorrow.

...Keep checking this blog. I will try to post updates along the way when I can get internet access.

...Well, on to the list to complete.

woken up by call to prayers

...It's 5:45 a.m. Thursday morning here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's 12 hours earlier on the east coast of the US - 5:45 p.m. Wednesday night.

...I was awakened this morning by the call to prayers coming from the loud speakers at the local mosque. Malaysia is primarily a Muslim country.

...While there are some restrictions, generally Christians are able to freely worship and congregate.

...So, it was no problem for our Asian Access leaders to meet openly this week in KL.

...Pictured above is our group. They came from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Myanmar and the U.S. Each leads the Asian Access ministry in their country.

...What a rich time of fellowship, prayer and discussions and learning together. Stories were shared of the life transformation of pastors and their churches who have gone through the Asian Access two year church leadership program.

...One evening the Methodist bishop for Malaysia joined us. He shared that from his perspective the most critical need facing pastors across Asia was the issue of character. And while there are many fine workshops and seminars available across Asia on ministry skills, he said they were not able to address and and see life change in this issue of character. That's why he particularly was attracted to the ministry of Asian Access - it addresses both the character issues and leadership competencies of the leading pastors who go through the program. Hearing this was very affirming to all of us that we in Asian Access are focused on some important areas to strengthen the Church across Asia.

...As the leaders departed yesterday, I realized again what a privilege it is for me to serve these leaders and the Church in this vast and populous region.

...It is still dark outside this morning. I feel called to prayers myself to the One who created the heavens and earth and whom I can call Father.

brothers in my life

...This morning Tom, Perry and I met at our usual place - Burger King, off Interstate 77 at the Route 9 exit leading to Chester, SC.

...These two guys have been encouraging, admonishing, counseling and praying for me for the past eight years. And me them.

...Tom Hawkes is a pastor in Charlotte and Perry Bowers is a ministry leader in Columbia, SC. Perry taught with Asian Access in Delhi, India in May 2006.

...Coffee and a chicken biscuit reserves the corner booth for our 2-3 hours together.

...What a treasure to have two guys you enjoy being with, who have a heart for serving Christ to the fullest, want to finish well with their wives and children, and desire to grow more like Christ.

...After meeting together, Perry and I headed out on an 19 mile bike ride. He killed me. Tom claims he had an appointment back in Charlotte. (Truth is, Tom would have probably ridden both of us into the ground).

...The point being - we talk serious stuff, but enjoy having some fun together. We don't meet often, but it has been consistent over the years.

...My wife Mary has two other women she has been meeting with for years.

...If you don't have this, don't wait for it to come to you. Take some initiative and ask a couple of people to join you for a cup of coffee. Commit to getting together for just 4-6 times, then decide if you want to continue.

..."Thanks Perry and Tom for making me a better follower of the Son, husband, father and friend."

painting for the glory of God

…Mary and I just returned from the dedication of a piece of art that she was commissioned to do for the new library of Covenant Day High School here in Charlotte.

…She was commissioned by Doug and Laurie Steele, close friends and partners with Asian Access, to do a piece in honor of Laurie’s late mother, Carla Dykstra.

Mary's close friend, Laurie Prince, shared information about the painting's symbolism and composition and about Carla Dykstra, in whose honor Mary was commissioned to do the piece.

At the dedication from left to right: Dr. Marni Halverson, head of school, Laurie and Phil Prince (close friends), Mary Johnson (the artist), Kathy Greenfield (librarian), Doug and Mark Steele, Al Dykstra (husband of Carla), Laurie Steele, Miriam Londry (interior designer) and Scott Dillion (high school principal).

…This was one of the most satisfying and exceptional pieces that Mary has created. But more than that it has inspired something very special in people – consistently people who see it remark how drawn they feel by the piece into a sense of presence and glory of God.

…It is comments like these that bring the most joy to Mary – to allow God to use her art abilities to bring glory to Him.

Who are these women?
All four have sons who attended and were friends at Covenant Day School. Left to right –
Laurie Steele – benefactor for the artwork and for whose mother it was done in honor of.
Laurie Prince – author, artist and close friend of Mary and Laurie Steele who spoke at the dedication.
Miriam Londry – interior designer who created the seating space
Mary Johnson – artist who created the triptych (three piece artwork)

…As followers of His Son, isn’t that what our very lives are to do! Whether we are mothers, missionaries, executives, teachers, church planters, leadership developers, engineers, navigators, executive assistants or artists – let’s bring glory and honor to our Savior by who we are and what we do.

…As you can tell, I am so proud of my dear wife, sweetheart and best friend.

..."Keep creating my love – it brings glory to our God."

prayer team

...I am so grateful for a prayer team of family and friends that "go with me" when I travel.

...What reminded me is the prayer calendar that I am beginning to work on for this upcoming trip next week.

...I put together a calendar that shows each day where I am and what I'll be doing. Then I list one or two specific things they can prayer for on that day.

...What an encouragement to me, but also they are encouraged to hear what is happening along the way.

...Who is praying for you?

boston team party

>>> Doug, Jeanie and Tammy know how to put on a great A2 leadership team meeting.

...We met the last week of August in Boston. The weather was great.

...Tammy arranged an evening sail on the bay. Check out the photos.

...What a gifted, enjoyable team of which to be a part - Doug, Jeff, Elliott, Takeshi, Peter and Ned.