The Consistent CALCIUM Convert

Not so long ago, in a Bible school classroom  not so very far away as I was teaching Expository Preaching to a group of 14 pastors:  

One of the students, aware of my most recent physical issues  decided to give  me some free medical advice during the break.

 "You know missionary, I can tell you what the problem is."   Less than convinced, I asked half-heartedly, "what's that my friend?"  

The answer surprised me.  In the past 2 years I've seen some of the best specialists in the United States. Their evaluations have ranged from systemic yeast infection, parasites, immune system dysfunctions,  vitamins and mineral deficiencies, etc.. 

 The pastor turned medical professional shared his advice: "Calcium deficiency."  

"Sorry?" I asked.  "You know....dairy products! It's the key!" His voice was enthusiastic and full of passion.  

"Really?" I asked somewhat amused.  "Oh yes! You must eat lots of cheese, white cheeses, yellow cheeses, soft cheeses, hard cheeses, and of course,  drink plenty of milk in the morning, hot chocolate, etc... and don't forget to  drink your yoghurt.  The key is to be CONSISTENT."   He then proceeded to tell me story after story of people that he knew who had been chronically ill, only to miraculously recover after implementing the dairy diet with consistency.  

As we parted ways, I thought to myself- "how random. Why dairy? Why so passionate?" 

Several weeks later the mystery was solved for me. At dinner my friend Nate Lashway explained  that during the socialistic days of Madagascar medical professionals were all instructed to give the same advice to the ill: "Calcium deficiency." 

If you had malaria, take calcium supplements.  If you were afflicted with  high blood pressure, there was one sure cure: calcium.  Diabetes? Yep, you guessed it- calcium.  Chronic fatigue anyone? Load up on the calcium.   Heart trouble? Calcium. Stomach trouble? Calcium.   

The light came on.  My dear pastor friend was merely speaking the conventional wisdom of the society he grew up in.  He had heard the calcium deficiency routine for so long that he know believed it and espoused it whole-heartedly.  "Missionary you need a consistent source of calcium in your diet."  The best way to do that is of course to increase your dairy intake.  He was merely being a good spokesman and representative of decades of consistent Malagasy medical advice.  He had become a Calcium Convert and naturally wished to make me one too.   

As I thought about this humorous incident, especially for someone who battles dairy intolerance, I thought about this idea of being consistent. 

 Someone once asked the question: "what is the most powerful kind of prayer?"  The answer: "consistent prayer."  What is the best  kind of Bible reading? Consistent Bible reading. I love it when the Lord's presence is so near and sweet in my personal devotional times.  I thoroughly enjoy  studying the scriptures when it seems alive and vibrant.  However, whether I "feel" the Lord present or not- consistency remains the key to maturity.  Aristotle is quoted as saying: "we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."  Consistency in our walk with the Lord produces the  same results. It is based on two simple ingredients: the word and prayer.   

Feeling some fear? Let the word give you courage.  Feeling lonely? consistent communication with heaven will help drastically.  Facing challenges?  Seek heavenly direction.  Overwhelmed? His peace is still available.  Decisions?  His word and His presence produce wisdom in us.  Weary spiritually? consistent times in his presence will renew you.   When I'm stressed, anxious, worried, uncertain, or fearful there is usually at least one major reason behind it: I haven't been consistent with the Lord. 

Too simple you say?  Could it be time for some consistency in your spiritual diet? 

MANAKARA OR BUST

We left the capital at 6:00 AM.  Everyone assured me that we would be able to make it to Manakara before sundown. Normally, the trip takes 12 hours to navigate the 650km  (420 miles).  It's the most intense road-trip I've ever undertaken: winding roads, tropical forests, washed out sections of the highway, occasional bandits,  massive potholes, etc...

The windy roads cutting zigzags through the rain forest leave the average passenger nauseated by the end of hour number one.  The views are spectacular though: bamboo forests interspersed with traveler's palms, forested ravines that drop several hundred meters into the riverbeds below, waterfalls, and of course, the ever present rice patties cut out of the lush overgrowth.

As the first vestiges of dusk started to settle over beautiful landscape we still had  one hundred kilometers remaining in our journey.  Rounding an isolated corner, we came upon a  traveler's worst nightmare in Africa: parked trucks along the side of the road.  This line was several kilometers long.

We quickly asked what was going on-- the road had washed out ahead and had been that way for several weeks.  Sigh! So much for 12 hours. There was a diversion cut through the rainforest, but the heavy rains that week had made it almost impassable.  To further complicate the situation, there was no electricity for kilometers, no place to stay, no food, and no cell phone coverage.  This was Africa at it's finest.

We decided to turn around and head back to the nearest town to find lodging and cell phone coverage.  By now, 14 hours had lapsed.  In a little restaurant, we found someone with a cell phone that worked. No electricity though.  We ate some kind of a rice dinner in the dark, found a hotel room for $4 a night above the local bar, and decided to get some sleep. Unfortunately, my two traveling companions decided this was the perfect time to relive the days events.  Somewhere around midnight I finally found my IPHONE and put on some music to drown out their voices.

At 6:00 AM sharp we headed back to the diversion. We were the first ones to try to navigate it that day.  Several vehicles had been stuck in the deep mud the day before.  Only a couple hundred meters down the track we were stuck! A group of men emerged, offered their services, and ran behind our vehicle.  For the next 5 kilometers the process would repeat itself: we get stuck, they push, we drive, they run behind us, we get stuck, they push, we drive, etc..  Mud covered we finally pulled into Manakara  a full 26 hours later exhausted, but with quite a story to tell!

The days that followed proved to be some of the most fruitful ministry I've had since coming to Madagascar.  God worked in tremendous fashion encouraging, strengthening, and empowering His people there!

Printing Malagasy style

Fourteen students decided to take the upcoming course at the Bible school. Unfortunately, we only have ten study guides available. Since shipping anything this way takes so long, we decided to get the digital files and print five more books here. (Just in case another student shows up last minute.) In theory, it was a good idea.

I spent two hours printing off the 310 page study guide with a 67 page accompanying student guide. The printer jammed multiple times resulting in blurred images, double pages, and print streaks down the pages instead of words. Having to reprint multiple pages meant I ran out of paper several times. But in the end I had it! My morning's masterpiece. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I finally jumped in the car to head to the print shop, with my masterpiece in hand.

Entering the print shop, I was overwhelmed by the crowd of people attempting to get their documents printed. There's no order, line, or number. It's a free for all, where the first come is the first served. People cut in front of you, push you to the side, and elbow you. In brilliant fashion I elbowed my way to the front all the while being careful to protect my masterpiece.

The man behind the counter asked me what I needed. "FIVE copies each of these books, bound, and with a plastic cover," I responded as I showed him the fruit of my brilliant idea. He just stared at me. I thought maybe he hadn't understood me correctly. So I repeated myself again wondering if I had mixed up a French word somewhere.

The gentleman helping me continued to look at me in disbelief. "This will take a really long time," he finally muttered. "Don't you have the digital files?" Of course, I have the digital files, but that isn't the point. I spent two solid hours battling the printer.

As I looked around it suddenly occurred to me: I was the only person in the entire shop who actually had paper in their hands. All the other customers around me where handing the various sales reps flash drives. "Where am I?" I thought to myself. "Madagascar has jumped into the 21st century and left me in the dust."

Within moments of retracting my preposterous pile of papers and pulling the appropriate digital files off my laptop, the work began. The service rep had a smile on his face keenly aware that I had just learned a valuable lesson.

Sometimes I wonder if there is spiritual parallel to such incidents. Could it be that at times we are so busy trying to get God to do things our way, to fit into our agenda, our well-thought out strategy, and brilliant plan that we actually miss out on what He is doing? I find so many believers who derive their sense of satisfaction and identity from working really really hard for the Lord.

Working hard is good; don't misunderstand me, but not when it's fueling our own sense of pride, ego, and self-satisfaction. That's spiritual arrogance; not servanthood. I think many wear themselves out spiritually because they are too proud to seek the Lord and get His help and advice. "Too simple!" they chime. "After all, I know a thing or two and have a good sense of how this needs to be done." All the while I wonder if the Lord has a look of disbelief on His face, "Just how complicated do you want to make this?"

"God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble." I Peter 5:5b. Is it time to get out the spiritual flash drive?

Cockroaches Part 2

Cockroaches seem to be a part of life here in Madagascar. Roaches in the shower, par for the course. Roaches on the table, apparently a normal occurrence. My recent experience with roaches in the hotel room is deemed quite normal by most people that I've interacted with here. Just a few days ago I would watch in horror as a giant roach would slither across the floor of the restaurant; now I'm almost oblivious.

Tonight at dinner I watched a massive one calmly slither across the floor of a very nice place without giving it a second thought. Yes, it's true. I'm becoming hardened to the presence of roaches. It no longer seems to bother me. However, one story did.

A friend of mine here in Madagascar sleeps with earplugs. During the night she headed to the restroom. At some point she realizes that one of her earplugs has fallen out. Hoping to find it before returning to bed, she takes a quick glance at the floor around her. Still somewhat groggy and not wanting to turn on the light, she sees what seems to be to her an ear plug on the floor. Without giving it a second thought she reaches down to pick up the ear plug and put it back in its proper place: her ear.

In so doing she lets out a scream realizing that the earplug has legs and is very much alive inside her hand. I don't know about you, but I shuddered when I heard the story. It was too close to home for me after my recent experience with the roaches in bed the other night.

The mental picture of a cockroach in your ear really doesn't sit right. How absurd! Can you see someone walking around with roaches hanging out of their ears? Yuck! However, the more I've thought about it, the more I'm concerned that this is actually what many people do. Of course, I don't mean naturally. Rather, spiritually. When I think of the ear I think of hearing. Spiritually speaking we are responsible for maintaining a posture of "hearing."

We do this through prayer, worship, the Word, godly counsel, accountability, fasting, obedience to the Lord, walking in love towards our brothers, etc... When one or more of these elements begins to falter it is easy to loose spiritual equilibrium. Instead of following the voice of the Good Shepherd we reach for other sources of direction and inspiration- men's opinions, cultural values, our own thoughts and ideas, life's pressures, etc... None of which are necessarily evil, but when they become the things directing and filling our hearing then I would call them cockroaches. They become filters perverting true hearing.

Jesus says multiple times "let him who has ears hear". This is a call to develop the capacity He has given us to hear His voice. In this hour may we be those who hear, obey, and rest in His voice. Hoping you have cockroach free ears! SK

Madagascar's welcoming committee

Arriving at Ivato International Airport in Antanarivo, Madagascar I was welcomed by a growing throng of people. Numbering in the thousands they encircled the airport parking lot and lined the streets leading into town. Quite the welcoming party! As much as I would like to say that the masses were present because of their great love for missions and missionaries, this would be a lie. Rather, they came out in number to welcome the ex-president's wife scheduled to return to Madagascar from a forced exile in South Africa just half an hour after my arrival. At the last minute the government warned her not to come just as they did for her husband two weeks ago. So the crowds quietly dispersed.

Later that night I was officially welcomed to Madagascar by some of the largest cockroaches I've seen. One was so cordial that he decided to crawl into bed with me feeling that I needed extra hospitality. After pumping enough bug spray in the room to cause my head to spin, I settled back down in bed. Just a few minutes later and another welcoming party decided to make their visit. Mosquitos. Lots of them. For nearly an hour I was serenaded by their sweet songs in my ears. With such beautiful melodies reverberating in the still night air I found it difficult to sleep. Some 40 bites later I decided I had been over-welcomed and decided it was my turn to do some welcoming.

The next morning the results of my hospitality were seen clearly: dead cockroaches strewn across the wooden floor and bloody splotches on the sheets where the mosquito committee met their match. Yes, it was quite the grand welcoming: crowds, giant insects, and mosquitos. Thankfully, there were some positive aspects of the welcome. Friends at the airport, warm sunshine, and lush vegetation.

I preached this morning on abiding with Christ. I wonder if sometimes we welcome Christ into our lives only to ask Him to dwell with creepy motivations and ambitions in our hearts, false cries of affection and adoration, and the distractions caused by the buzzing of too many things permitted in our lives from this world.

Rather, may we create an atmosphere and environment where the King is most welcome to abide in our hearts and lives.

Yes, I'm learning all kinds of new methods for welcoming. Should any of you choose to come visit, you will be probably feel most welcomed.

(There are pics posted on FB).

Great Missions Moments

Earlier this year a historic missiological moment occurred in the nation of Kenya. For the past 3 years there have been strategic outreaches to one of the people groups listed as unreached. A people group is considered unreached when less than 5% of the population have not had a credible born again experience. The Bible school that my parents helped to plant and where I grew up in Nairobi decided to adopt this people group as their primary focus of prayer and outreach.

They sent out teams over the school break to share the Gospel and minister to this unreached people group. During this year's outreach a great breakthrough occurred in which hundreds of people received Christ and joined the local churches. By the end of the outreach the stats indicated something phenomenal had just transpired. Over the past 3 years so many people had responded to the message of Christ that this people group now has more than 5% of their indigenous population as solid believers.

They are no longer listed as totally unreached!

Such a historic event requires involvement from many different sides, however, the primary person working amongst them is an elderly widow. God called her to plant one of the first churches among this people group. People laughed at her. Others told her she was crazy. She didn't speak the language. She was too old. She didn't have the finances. She lacked ministerial training and experience. The list goes on and on. Ignoring all the obstacles in her way she obeyed the voice of the Lord. Thanks to her diligence and faithful prayers many churches have been established and this people group is no longer considered "unreached."

One elderly widow named Maria is making a huge difference for the unreached of our world. What about you? What is God calling you to do to reach the unreached of our world? Will you obey?

Great missions quotes

"God had an only Son and He made Him a missionary" David Livingstone

"If God wills the evangelization of the world, and you refuse to support missions, then you are opposed to the will of God." Oswald J. Smith

"Not, how much of my money will I give to God, but how much of God's money will I keep for myself?" John Wesley