The Day I Tested Positive For Tuberculosis

Julia and I live and work at the Baptist Medical Centre in Northern, Ghana. When we arrived on the field October 2012, we immediately began looking for a place at the hospital where we could plug in and serve. We choose to work with patients who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis or TB is a disease which affects the lungs and other organs within the body. TB falls into two categories. According to medical new today; "TB can either be latent or active. Latent: the bacteria is inactive but present in the body or active: bacteria is active and makes the patient ill; active TB is contagious".When a patient arrives at the hospital with active TB he or she is immediately placed in isolation where they are given treatment; if a patient survives isolation they are moved to a small village close to the hospital where they live for six months and receive treatment.   Julia and I work with the patients in the village. We worked hard to both share and show the love of Christ. Julia would go once a week and play with the children whose parents were sick and I would go house to house praying with patients and sharing bible stories. Many lives were transformed because of our work among the tuberculosis patients.

Fast forward a year and a half.

After giving birth to Piper, we sat down with our medical coordinator and began to talk with her about our ministries at the BMC. When she heard that we worked with TB patients; she immediately informed us that we should not bring our new baby around the patients and we had to get tested to see if we had been exposed to tuberculosis. Julia and I both received a TB skin test (small shot in the arm) and were told to return in 48-72 hours to determine if we had been exposed. A couple of hours after receiving the TB shot I happened to look down at my arm and noticed I was developing a red circle. I quickly checked Julia's arm and noticed her arm didn't have any distinguishing marks. I became nervous. I began to constantly rub the spot where I had the shot. I began calling out to God, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be positive for TB." I instantly regretted coming to Africa, working at the BMC, and working with TB patients. I wanted to go home. I began to beat myself up for moving my family to Africa. What if I developed a disease which will hurt my daughter? What if I can never hold my daughter again? What if I have to go to isolation? Will I have to live in a bubble? I wanted to leave the field. I fretted over the red spot on my arm for two days. 48 hours passed and we returned to the doctors. The doctors took one look at Julia's arm and said she was negative for TB. They looked at my arm, they felt my arm, they drew a circle around the raised red lump on my arm, they measured the lump, they felt again, looked closer, felt again and delivered the news. I had been exposed to tuberculosis. I was shaken. Here I was a missionary working for God. I naively thought that entitled me to God's protection. I understood the risk of working with TB patients but thought, God will protect me, I'm a missionary. This however, was not God's plan.

I have been exposed to TB. What this means is that the tuberculosis bacteria has entered my body and the infection has been contained, but not cleared. I am not ill, nor infectious to other people. The body has walled-off the bacteria, however, I will need treatment. I will begin INH treatment in the new year. This treatment will involve me taking a pill everyday for the next 9 months.

In conclusion, I have been exposed to TB and have latent tuberculosis in my body. God could have chosen to prevent me from being exposed to TB; rather, He decided to protect me by allowing me to discover I had TB while working with the IMB under their insurance. The IMB will pay for my x-rays and 9 months of INH (drug used to treat TB) treatment. Thank you Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! I am learning a simple lesson: God doesn't remove the hardships; He allows, purposes, ordains, permits, and plans them. Pain, problems, diseases become the lemons which God squeezes to reveal those things in me which I must repent of. While we wish I had never been exposed we are thankful that the TB was discovered early and we are able to treat. We are thankful that God is using/going to use latent TB for His glory and my good.

 Please pray for us as we walk through this treatment.

The diaper fiasco of December 17th

It began like any normal afternoon. I was holding and starring into the face of the world's most awesome daughter. When all of a sudden her face began to contort and turn bright red. As Piper's face began to relax a horrific smell wafted through the air to my nose. As I starred down into Piper's smiling/gassy face, I knew she had left me a present. I thought to myself, I will serve Julia by changing this diaper. Little did I know what I was in for.

I got everything situated; I laid down a towel, grabbed a diaper, wipes and began to unbutton her onesie. My fat fingers found it difficult to undue the buttons. (I mean why are these buttons so incredibly small, does the manufacturer only want women changing clothes). After I stripped Piper down. I was a little hot so I turned on the fan. I proceeded to open Piper's diaper to a seedy, brown, awful smelling poop. As I began to wipe her, the cool breeze from the fan began to hit the both of us. As soon as the cool brezze hit Piper she began to pee. I don't mean just a little pee, I mean pee began to go everywhere. I started to scream, "JUUUULLLIIIIAAAA, HEELLLPPPP MEEEE!!!" Piper did not like my screaming and began to scream also; all the while pee was continuing to shoot out. I grabbed Piper and made a bee-line to the bedroom, leaving a pee-line behind us. As I entered the bedroom, I happened to look down at Piper's face and began to see her peaceful complexion change to a look of concentration. I began to get nervous as her face once again began to turn red and bunch up. Here I am holding a naked baby close to me and all signs are pointing to torpedoes away! I held her away from me as I searched frantically for a towel. Rumbling began to erupt from Piper's stomach. Her face began to contort and turn bright red. I searched frantically for a towel, throwing clothes, toys, and books all over the floor. I finally saw a towel across the room. I sprinted towards the towel as Piper's face turned redder and redder with concentration. I grabbed the towel and threw it around her right before torpedoes launched. When the torpedoes hit the towel, a mess went everywhere. Poop went all over Piper and myself. We both began to cry and scream for Julia.

Piper and I lived through the diaper fiasco of December 17th and we both learned two very valuable lessons. We learned if you are going to change a diaper make sure you wait a few minutes to make sure the baby is finished and don't turn on a fan.

Our Sovereign God

Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases.-Psalm 115:3

When I was in college I had the opportunity to write a twenty page research paper on any doctrinal issue. I choose to write on "open theism." Open theism is the teaching that God has granted to humanity free will and that in order for the free will to be truly free, the future free will choices of individuals cannot be known ahead of time by God. In other words humans are free to make choices and God has limited Himself in such a way that He does not know the choices which His creatures are going to make. I had a blast researching and writing the paper (I know I'm a nerd); however, after finishing the paper I was struck with the reality which I bet you had while reading the definition of open theism. I was struck with the reality that open theism could not possibly be correct or biblically sound. Since writing the paper on open theism I have spent years researching, meditating, and embracing the sovereignty of God. I have come to the biblical realization that God is sovereign over every aspect of life. He is sovereign over creation, man, disasters, diseases, free will, presidents, nations, etc. 

Fast forward five years...

December 12, 2013 Piper Christine Welch was born into the world at 7:30 pm. I was the first person to hold Piper when she came into the world. As I starred down into Piper's beautiful blue/gray eyes the Holy Spirit began to fill my mind with verses which I had memorized about the sovereignty of God. Verses such as 

• Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases.
• 1 Chronicles 29:11-12: Yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
• Psalm 103:19: The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
• Proverbs 21:1: The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
• Psalm 135:6: Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
• Daniel 2:21: He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
• Proverbs 16:33: The lot is cast into the lap, but its ever decision is from the Lord.
• Romans 9:15: I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
• Romans 8:29-30: For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He all called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.

I am learning that being a new parent is hard. The learning curve is steep. We were thrown right into the parenting pool and we are either going to sink or swim. There are countless questions which run through my mind, how do I change a diaper? What is that black stuff in her diaper? Spit-up, what in the world? I better hold onto that head cause it looks like it could just pop off. These and other questions are constantly running through my mind; however, I can take great courage and comfort in the fact that God is sovereign. He is in control over everything. He knows every moment of Piper's life. God is orchestrating every detail of Piper's life to maximize His glory. He is with us now as we learn how to be a parent, He is in the future when Piper is five and she falls out of a tree and breaks her arm, He is in the future when she turns sixteen and gets her license, He is in the future when she graduates from high school, goes to college, finds a job and gets married. God is over every aspect of her life. I can rest easy at night (whenever we finally are able to develop a schedule) knowing that God is sovereign and in complete control.

God is sovereign not only over Piper's physical life (choices she will make), but He is also sovereign over her spiritual life. The bible teaches that God will save whom He will save. He has the right to show compassion on those whom He wants to show compassion. He has the right to show His wrath on those whom He wants to show His wrath. God has elected some for eternal life and others for eternal wrath. Who is among the elect? We do not know. Is Piper one of God's elect? We do not know. Here is what we do know: those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead; then you will be saved. God is rich in compassion; hoping that none should perish but that all should come to repentance. As long as there is breath in the body there is hope for the soul. God is mighty to save. God will save whom He will save. Our job is to preach the Gospel. Julia and I's job is to raise Piper up teaching her the truth about God, man, sin, Jesus, etc. God will use these truths to save Piper if He chooses. Some of you reading this may be appalled right now that I would say these things. I believe this is what the Bible teaches and as I hold Piper at night and stare into her eyes I find great comfort, courage and strength in knowing that God is sovereign.

In conclusion, God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives. God is in the Heaven and He does what He pleases. This truth brings me courage, comfort and strength as I am learning to be a new parent.

December Newsletter

Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.- 2 Corinthians 9:6

BLOG:

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Every Christmas season Southern Baptists collect an offering which supports missionaries all over the world. This offering is known as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Julia and I are fully supported by the co-operative program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We realize a lot of you sacrificially give every year to Lottie and we are eternally thankful. We wanted to share a few of the ways your giving has blessed us.

• Your 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provided us with the ability to focus on language and cultural learning. Julia and I were able to dedicate our first sixth months on the field to full time language study. We are now able to communicate with people in their mother tongue. Every day, we teach Ghanians that God loves them and speaks their language. Thank you for giving!

• Your 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provided our telecommunications budget. Our telecommunications budget pays for our phone and internet bill. I needed internet to complete my Seminary degree and your giving made it possible. We were also able to communicate with family and friends in the States. These phone calls provided encouragement and motivation to press on in ministry. Thank you for giving!

• Your 2013 LMCO provided a vehicle, fuel and regular maintenance. Our vehicle is our life-line to civilization. Our vehicle provides us with the means of transportation to travel to various villages and share the Gospel. Your offering made it possible for us to have and maintain a vehicle. Thank you for giving! 

• Your 2013 LMCO provided us with an opportunity to travel to Kenya for further training. We were able to interact with colleagues, learn new mission techniques and we returned home recharged, rested, and relaxed. We were ready to charge Hell with a water pistol. Thank you for giving!

• Your 2013 LMCO provided us with material to share the Gospel. We were able to hand-out audio bibles to our Muslim friends. One of our friends remarked how he likes the stories in the Bible better than the Koran. We were also able to provide training material for pastors. One Pastor remarked after going through the material that he was now able and ready to share his faith with others. Thank you for giving!

• Your 2013 LMCO provided us with the medical insurance to pay for the birth of our first child. Your sacrificial giving paid for doctor visits, medical check-ups, Piper’s birth, hospital stay, and transportation. Thank you for giving!

Thank you for giving sacrificially. There is a Mamprulli proverb which states, “yesterdays water isn’t in the river today.” We cannot rely on what happened in the past to get us through today. December is the time of collection for the 2014 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. May I encourage, exhort, plead with you to donate this year. LMCO envelopes can be found in the majority of Southern Baptist churches. Please take an envelope, prayerfully consider giving, and than sacrificially give to the LMCO 2014. If you are not S.B. or your church doesn’t emphasize Lottie here is a link for you to donate (Lottie Moon Christmas Offering). 100% of the proceeds go overseas to missionaries. All of your donation will go towards furthering the supremacy of Christ among all peoples. 

Thank you in advance for sacrificially giving to the 2014 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmeLhHPUmpE

DEVOTIONS:

A Letter to my Daughter    

Short Term Missions: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. December 11th is Julia's delivery date. Pray Piper comes on time and we have a healthy and happy baby girl. Pray for us as we dive headfirst into parenthood. Pray we have patience with each other as we function on little sleep. Pray we learn quickly how to change diapers, hold a baby, burb a baby, and all of those other fun activities which I never took the time to learn.   
2. After Piper is born we will have to apply for a passport and visa for her to return to Ghana. This is going to be difficult because of the holiday season which could result in offices being closed and people not wanting to work until the New Year. Please pray that this process goes quickly and we are able to obtain passports and visas to return to Ghana in a timely manner.
3. Julia's parents are coming to Senegal December 24th to celebrate Christmas and help with Piper. Pray they have a smooth trip and make all connections. Pray they breeze through customs and all luggage arrives safely and on-time. Pray we have a great time catching up, showing off Piper and introducing them to Africa.
4. As we spend time in Senegal; our ministries are still functioning in Ghana. Pray for the Pastors of TB church as they minister to church members and patients. Pray for the women of the Outcast Camp. Pray they think about all of the Bible stories which have been shared. Pray for the widows of Nalerigu as well as the woman running the Naomi Fund. Pray the ministry continues to thrive while we are gone. Pray for my Muslim friends. Pray they contemplate all I have shared with them about Christ. Pray for the hospital. Pray it continues to be a light in the midst of a dark land.
5. December is the month for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Our yearly budget is based on the money collected. Pray for a bountiful financial harvest. Pray for Southern Baptists to become burdened to give to LMCO. Pray for Southern Baptists as they learn about missions. Pray many not only give financially but also surrender their lives to missions.

We are thankful for your support!

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs 

A Thankful Letter to Southern Baptists:

Dear Southern Baptists,

My name is T Welch, my wife and I are missionaries with the International Mission Board (IMB). We serve in Northern Ghana at the Baptist Medical Center. We are fully supported by the co-operative program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We realize a lot of you sacrificially give every year to Lottie and we are eternally thankful. We wanted to share a few of the ways your giving has blessed us.

Your 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provided us with the ability to focus on language and cultural learning. My wife and I were able to dedicate our first sixth months on the field to full time language study. We are now able to communicate with people in their mother tongue. Every day, we teach Ghanaians that God loves them and speaks their language. Thank you for giving!

Your 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provided our telecommunications budget. Our telecommunications budget pays for our phone and internet bill. I needed internet to complete my Seminary degree and your giving made it possible. We were also able to communicate with family and friends in the States. These phone calls provided encouragement and motivation to press on in ministry. Thank you for giving!

Your 2013 LMCO provided a vehicle, fuel and regular maintenance. Our vehicle is our life-line to civilization. Our vehicle provides us with the means of transportation to travel to various villages and share the Gospel. Your offering made it possible for us to have and maintain a vehicle. Thank you for giving! 

Your 2013 LMCO provided us with an opportunity to travel to Kenya for further training. We were able to interact with colleagues, learn new mission techniques and we returned home recharged, rested, and relaxed. We were ready to charge Hell with a water pistol. Thank you for giving!

Your 2013 LMCO provided us with material to share the Gospel. We were able to hand-out audio bibles to our Muslim friends. One of our friends remarked how he likes the stories in the Bible better than the Koran. We were also able to provide training material for pastors. One Pastor remarked after going through the material that he was now able and ready to share his faith with others. Thank you for giving!

Your 2013 LMCO provided us with the medical insurance to pay for the birth of our first child. Your sacrificial giving paid for doctor visits, medical check-ups, Piper’s birth, hospital stay, and transportation. Thank you for giving!

Thank you for giving sacrificially. There is a Mamprulli proverb which states, “yesterdays water isn’t in the river today.” We cannot rely on what happened in the past to get us through today. December is the time of collection for the 2014 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. May I encourage, exhort, plead with you to donate this year? LMCO envelopes can be found in the majority of Southern Baptist churches. Please take an envelope, prayerfully consider giving, and than sacrificially give to the LMCO for 2014. If you are not S.B. or your church doesn’t emphasize Lottie here is a link for you to donate (Lottie Moon Christmas Offering). 100% of the proceeds go overseas to the missionaries. All of your donation will go towards furthering the supremacy of Christ among all peoples. 

Thank you in advance for sacrificially giving to the 2014 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs.

November Newsletter

All people hoe to eat.-Maumprulli proverb

STORY:

Julia and I are an hour’s drive away from paved road and a three hour drive away from a large city. We enjoy living in rural Africa and would not want to live anywhere else. There are numerous benefits to living and ministering in the “bush”. One of the downsides to living in Nalerigu is the lack of grocery stores. We are able to find bread, sugar, flour, and other basic (and I mean basic) necessities but if we want to eat a decent non-Ghanaian meal we have to purchase all of our groceries three hours away in Tamale.

Tamale is the largest city in the North. To put it into perspective Nalerigu has a population just shy of 7,000; however, Tamale has a population of 537,000. I travel to Tamale once a month in order to make a supply run. I depart Nalerigu at 4:00 am in order to arrive in Tamale by 7:00. Trust me; if you arrive later than 8:00 you will be in trouble, the traffic is unbelievable! There are several tasks which I seek to accomplish in Tamale. I must buy all of our groceries for the next month, pull money out of the bank for the next month, check the post office, exchange US dollars for Ghana Cedis, pay internet/television bill for the guest house, and enjoy a hamburger at Mike’s restaurant.

Tamale shopping is always an adventure:

The main grocery store is an adventure! The store is about the size of your living room. You never know what you are going to find. Sometimes you are able to find everything on your list; however, there have been numerous times where basic items (cheese, cereal, milk, etc) were not in stock and we had to go without for a month. There was one time I went and all of the food was knocked off the shelves and on the floor. You had to sort through piles of boxes to find what you were looking for.

The post office is an adventure! Nalerigu only has one address which is the hospitals; so when I go to the post office I end up leaving with my mail as well as the mail for people in Nalerigu. I’m not sure why they give me other people’s letters; I guess they figure I am more responsible than our post master.

The restrooms are an adventure! There is no such thing as a free (the man who runs the public restroom charges a ridiculous amount to non-Ghanaians) public restroom, so it is a good idea to always bring a roll of toilet paper; just in case you need to stop by a bush on your way home. Using the restroom behind a bush is the main reason why Julia has stopped going with me to Tamale.

The restaurants are an adventure! One of the restaurants which we like to eat at is known as Swabs Fast Food; I’m not sure why they call it “fast food” because it always takes at least an hour to receive your order.

The driving is an adventure! Defensive driving is a must in Tamale. I am always watching out for cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, beggars, three-wheelers, donkeys, goats, and other farm animals. If the driving is not hard enough with all of the people on the road, you have to watch out for the police officers on every corner who are looking to issue a ticket to a white person so that they can receive a bribe. 

Tamale shopping is always an adventure.

PICTURES:

Yes, this is a kitten in the grocery store. Cats roam the grocery stores in order to take care of the rats.

The green shop is where school aged children purchase their hot lunches before going to school. Lunch is usually fried rice with a boiled egg.

This is the main grocery store in Tamale. Don't worry the picture is the actual size of the grocery store. We buy all of our groceries for a month.

Appliance, food, and knick knack store. Picture a very ghetto Kmart

Typical early morning in Tamale

I leave Nalerigu at 4:00 am in order to drive 3 hours to reach our nearest town to purchase groceries. The road is unpaved for the first hour of the trip.

Tamale has a population of 537,000. This is a fairly typical picture of what traffic is like when I go.

We have to pull our money out before heading back to Nalerigu. After taking this picture the security guard yelled at me and told me I wasn't allowed to take a picture of a bank. I'm not sure why. I guess he didn't want the bank to end up on someone's blog or something.

If you mail us a package this is where it waits until I arrive. I have made friends with the customs officer and he is trying to convince me to name my daughter after him. I don't think Shadu is a very good girls name.

Typical traffic in Tamale. You always have to be on the lookout for motorcycles. 

Heading home after another long day in Tamale.

Happy Fall from the 3 Welchs

We have chosen a name: Piper Christine Welch!

DEVOTIONS:

One year, Ten Lessons:

Operation Christmas Child

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1)     Piper Christine Welch is due on December 11^th. The International Mission Board will be flying Julia and me from Ghana-Senegal in order to give birth. Julia will leave a month before I do. Julia will be leaving on Tuesday, November 5^th. She will fly to Senegal with a friend and stay at the guesthouse in Dakar until I arrive the first week of December. Please pray for Julia’s flight to Senegal. Pray her flight/entry into Senegal goes smoothly. Pray there are no complications and her first doctors’ appointment goes well. Pray for me as I wrap up everything here in Nalerigu to join Julia the first week in December.

2)     Saturday mornings I meet with a young man who is one of the Pastors for Alafiafungo Baptist Church. We are going through a book entitled Starting and Strengthening New Churches. He is expressing a desire to be a church planter and evangelist. Pray that God continues to set aflame a burning desire to see others come to know Christ. Pray for myself as I seek to disciple him. Pray for wisdom as I seek to answer his questions and teach him all I know about evangelism and church planting.

3)     The month of November will be long and boring for Julia as she is in Senegal, a French speaking country all alone. Pray she is able to find activities while she is there. Pray she is able to rest while she awaits the birth of our child. Pray she does not go stir crazy hanging out in a guesthouse for a month.

4)     Volunteers come and serve at the hospital every month. Most of the volunteers who come are Christian but a few are not. For those who are not Christians there stay in Nalerigu might be the only time they have interacted for a prolonged period of time with Christians. Pray God saves them during their time here. Pray God gives wisdom to all of us who live on the compound to answer their questions. Pray they see Christ through our actions and hear about Him in our communication.

5)     I will be spending the month of November wrapping up everything in Nalerigu as well as preparing for classes which I will take in January. I have to read over 1,000 pages and write three papers before joining Julia in Senegal. Please pray I would take advantage of the time and get all of my work finished. Pray for wisdom as I seek to write academic papers after being away from school work for a year. Pray I am edified, educated, and equipped during my studies.

Thank you for holding the rope for us!

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs

Operation Christmas Child

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The weather is dropping (or so I read on Facebook), peppermint white chocolate mocha’s are being purchased from Starbucks, the malls are crowded, and everyone is beginning to think about what they want for Christmas.  In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season individuals are thinking about others.

Organizations abound which seek to provide an outlet for individuals to donate their time, talent, and treasures during the holiday season. One organization which is very popular is Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an extension of Samaritans Purse which seeks to show God's love to children through a simple Christmas present. Churches, organizations, and thousands of individuals will fill a Christmas box this season. Julia and I live and work in Sub-Saharan Africa. We interact with children everyday or could receive a shoe box.

I started writing this post to encourage/persuade you not to fill an Operation Christmas Box this year. I have since deleted, stared at, and contemplated the best way to make my case. After much contemplation I have come to the realization that Operation Shoe boxes are a practical, fun way for families to provide for the less fortunate this holiday season. There are individuals who fill their shoe boxes with useless garbage which doesn't help anyone, however, just because a few people don’t know how to fill a shoe box doesn't mean we have to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Below are a few suggestions to follow when filling your shoe box:

·        Please do not fill a box with toys. While your child in America would love the latest Barbie, or matchbox car, children overseas do not need, want or know what to do with these toys. Most of your toys will end up in the garbage heap or as household decorations.

·        Focus on filling your shoe box with school supplies and hygiene items. I realize school supplies and hygiene items aren't very glamorous, however, they are actually needed and wanted. Combs, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc will go a long ways in helping to provide for a family. Children at least in Northern Ghana love blue and red Bic pens. 

·        Involve your children. Take your children along with you as you fill a box. Teach them about the importance of giving. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to teach your child about the Nations. Help them to realize that the world is bigger than their school, neighborhood, city, state and nation.

·        Fill your shoe box with a new shirt, hat (no Duke hats), and a pair of sunglasses. Remember most places overseas are closer to the equator and most children do not have adequate protection from the sun. Most children own their school uniform and one other shirt, an extra shirt even just a plain colored one will make a child’s day.

·        Write a note and provide a picture of your family in your shoe box. Most children who receive a shoe box have had very little interaction with white people. A note/picture will go a long way in making a child’s Christmas. Include in your note a prayer of blessing for the child and his/her family.

·        Follow the instructions when filling your shoe box. Instructions can be found on Samaritans purses's web site (How to fill your box). Do not think you know better than Samaritans Purse. They have been filling shoe boxes for a long time and have it down to a science; a lot of headache can be avoided if you follow their instructions.

·        Pray over your shoe box. Pray when filling your shoe box. Pray before going shopping for your shoe box. Pray while shopping for your shoe box. Pray when mailing your shoe box. Pray over your box.

·        Operation Christmas Child is a great way to open your eyes to the Nations and others who are less fortunate. Do not stop with only filling a shoe box. Consider purchasing a goat, mosquito nets, etc to help serve a family or a community this year. Here is a link to a site which will help you better impact others this Christmas (Baptist Global Response)

In conclusion, Operation Christmas Child is impacting lives for eternity. Is it perfect? No. What is? There are abuses; however, if we are wise in how we fill our shoe boxes we may eliminate the problems and better impact the Nations.

Best of luck this year as you fill your box!

New Heaven & New Earth OR Renew Heaven & Renew Earth

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forebear to shine.-Amazing Grace

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.- Revelation 21:1-2

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwell.- 2 Peter 3:11-13

A few weeks ago we sang "Amazing Grace" in church and the lyrics on the last line says, "the earth shall soon dissolve like snow. The sun forebear to shine." I did not sing that line and one of the teens called me out. He wanted to know why I did not sing that sentence. Below is my answer to the teens question.

We see in these texts that the goal of redemptive history is the restoration of fallen creation through the ushering of a new heaven and a new earth. But here's something worth noting. In Revelation 21- and in 2 Peter 3, the Greek word for "new" is kainos, not neos. Now, kainos means "new in nature or in quality," while neos means "new in time or origin." In other words, when these passages employ the phrase "new heaven and new earth," they are positing a world renewed, not a world brand-new. Therefore, what we see in Scripture's vision of the end of redemptive history is not an earth thrown in the trash can with its righteous inhabitants escaping to disembodied bliss in the clouds but a restored earth where creation has been reconciled to God. Looking carefully at Revelation 21, we see heaven meeting the new earth; heaven and earth collide into what is new (or renewed), and all things are made new on that new earth. What will that be like? 

The Bible tells us some wondrous things about the new earth. Isaiah 35:1 tells us that deserts shall blossom as the rose. Amos 9:13 says that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and that the mountains shall drop sweet wine. In Isaiah 65, we learn that there will be no more sounds of weeping heard on the earth, that the days of God's people shall be like the days of the tree and that on the earth the wolf and the lamb shall feed together. We see in Isaiah 11 that no one will hurt or destroy anything in all of God's holy mountain. And, according to Habakkuk 2:14, this is true because evil will be vanquished to the lake of fire, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as waters cover the sea.

Think of this! Slow down and ponder it. If you know somewhere in the world that is renowned for its spectacular views, what you see is nevertheless broken, and what is to come in the new earth is far beyond what you can fathom or imagine. The work that God does in us through the power of the gospel of Jesus's redemptive work is a glorious mystery, a matter of eternal interest to curious angels (1 Peter 1:12). Is it any wonder that we must have a world to match the wonder of salvation? Scroll back up and read 2 Peter 3:11-13.

Because we know Jesus is making all things new, and because 2 Peter 3 tells us we are waiting on a new heaven and a new earth, we should not see the fire and dissolution Peter speaks of as annihilating creation but refining it and remaking it. Think of how a blacksmith heats up a piece of metal to soften it before hammering it into shape. We who trust in Christ are counted righteous in Christ-this is our justification-and we are being made righteous through the Spirit's sanctifying work in us so that we will be fit to occupy a "sanctified" creation. We are declared God's righteousness so that we will be fit for the land "in which righteousness dwells.

This is the ultimate fruit of gospel mission, and it is undoubtedly what Jesus was praying for when he prayed that God's kingdom would come in such a way that God's will would be done perfectly on earth as it is done in heaven. Jesus himself was the answer to this prayer, inaugurating the kingdom through his earthly ministry and testifying that people who place their faith in him alone will enjoy the blessing of the kingdoms future consummation, when all the crooked ways are finally made right.

The Winning Offensive

Blessed are you, Simon, for God has revealed this to you, not man, and upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hell won't prevail against it.- Matthew 16:17-18

In the Scriptures, we encounter a great little scene in which Jesus asks the disciples, "Hey, what's the word on the street? Who do people say that I am?" They say, "Here's what we're hearing in the market. Some say Elijah; some say you're John the Baptist. Others say this; others say that." And then he asks, "Who do you say that I am?"Of course, everyone falls silent except for good ol' Peter. He fires off, "Well, you're the Son of God. You're the Messiah. You're the Holy One." Jesus says, "Blessed are you, Simon, for God has revealed this to you, not man, and upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of Hell won't prevail against it."

This verse (18) has huge implications for the missional posture of Christianity. Gates are not an offensive weapon, are they? Nobody says, "Let's get 'em! Put up the gate!" Nobody does that. Gates are defensive by design. So when Jesus says, "I'm going to build the church, and the gates of hell won't prevail against it," we are being told that evangelism, discipleship, justice, social aid, the engaging of God's people with his plan to renew creation-all of that and more, done in the power of the gospel-slam into the gates of hell. God's plan is to renew and remake, and God does not lose. The gates of hell will not prevail. The missional offensive is the winning offensive. It's the only winning offensive. 

So the fundamental posture of Christianity cannot be defense. Do we need watchmen on the walls? Of course. Do we need people who can guard the church against heresy? Absolutely. Do we need intellectual people with compelling voices to provide strong apologetic defense for the Christian faith? No doubt about it. But the fundamental position, the essential posture of Christ's church and our gospel-capture lives, is one of offense, of mission. We go on the offensive full of gospel confidence, because we see that day coming when what God has inaugurated in Christ he finished in Christ.

-The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

One year, Ten Lessons:

Julia and I have been in Africa for one year! That’s right, a year ago today we arrived in Africa. For those of you wondering, “has it really been that long?” I assure you it has. We’ve felt every minute of it. And we’ve learned a lot-about culture, about ourselves, and about grace. God is stretching us and teaching us new lessons everyday. These lessons are applicable in Ghana as well as in our future ministry. Below are ten lessons which we have learned during our year in Africa.

10) Start every morning with a good cup of coffee: Life is too short to drink bad coffee. Every day is a new adventure. We never quite know what our day will entail. Starting every morning with a good cup of coffee ensures that we will begin everyday on a high note.

9) Open your home and your life to others: Hospitality is very important in Northern Ghana. When an individual arrives at your house, it is expected that you will invite them in and share a cup of water with them. We are learning that opening our home and having individuals over for a meal, movie/game night, or to talk deepens our relationships with individuals in the community. Hospitality has led to numerous Gospel conversations with volunteers and Africans.

8) Patience, patience, patience: Patience, the one trait everyone wants but no one wants to pay the price. God has moved us to Northern Ghana to teach us patience. We are amazed everyday how quickly the seemingly simplest tasks can suddenly become very complicated and test our patience. God is teaching us patience in our work with Africans, putting together a crib, flat tires, internet, and other wonderful (sarcasm intended) activities.

7) Maintain your vehicle: We are learning to always maintain our vehicles. In Nalerigu, our vehicles are our lifeline to civilization. Every month we must check tire pressure, oil, and other fluids. We are learning the simple truth that monthly/bimonthly car maintenance saves time, money and energy.

6) Ministry is about relationships: We are learning that ministry is about relationships. We are learning that it takes time and energy to forge a strong relationship with others. We must spend time getting to know members in the community. We are learning to sit with people, ask questions, enjoy a meal, laugh, cry, listen, and pray with individuals. In the same sense that we can not lock ourselves in our house and expect to be effective in ministry; in the future I will not be able to lock myself in my office and expect to be effective in pastoral ministry. Ministry is about relationships.

5) We must press on to fulfill our ministry: God has called us to serve in Nalerigu, Ghana for two years. There are days where we want to pack our bags and go home. Sometimes the only thing which keeps us on the field is a holy stubbornness. We persevere through the hard days, trusting that God is faithful to His Word and there will be better days in the future. God is teaching us perseverance and as we learn perseverance in a two year commitment, we will be able to persevere in pastoral ministry. We will not throw in the towel and abandon a church when ministry become hard but we will persevere through the hard days, trusting God to be faithful to His Word and His church.

4) Lead with the Gospel: Ministry is about relationships but you do NOT need a relationship with someone to share the Gospel. We are learning to take every opportunity which the Lord brings us to share the Gospel. We are not promised tomorrow; the people whom we meet are not promised tomorrow, therefore, we must take every opportunity to share the Gospel. We are learning to always lead with the Gospel.

3) Helping can hurt: We have the privilege of working with a lot of short-term volunteers. For the majority of the volunteers their time in Nalerigu is the first time they have encountered poverty. Most are driven to give and we are learning that giving without knowing how a culture works usually brings more harm than good. We are learning that handing out money to anyone who asks creates a wake of dependency which destroys culture, relationships, churches, and prayer. We are learning how to help the poorest of the poor in culturally appropriate ways.

2) Encourage missionaries: The biggest fear of every missionary is that they will be forgotten. Our biggest fear is that we will be forgotten. We are learning first-hand how great it feels to receive an email from someone informing us that they are praying and holding the rope for us. We are learning first-hand how much motivation we receive from others when we know they are praying for us. When we return to America and I become a Pastor, we will hold the rope for others. We will not forget those who are on the front-lines, sharing the Gospel in hard places. We are learning the importance of encouraging our missionaries.

1) Be in the Word: We cannot pour into others what we do not have in us. Every morning we must spend time with our Heavenly Father. We are learning to serve God, we must know God, and to know God we must be in His Word. The Bible says, “And He appointed them, so that they would be with Him and He could send them out to preach.” God has appointed us first to be with Him and after we have been with Him, then and only then can He send us out to preach. 

Musings of a former skeptic

God is mighty to save! God recently saved a woman named "A". "A" was a former skeptic who came to the BMC to volunteer and left a new creation in Christ. I have asked her to share a few things which she did not like about Christians and their approach to evangelism. Below is what she shared...

- Christianity is a seriously weird concept. Even being Christian when I was younger I still found it very very strange when I was thinking about it more recently. I think this is something a lot of Christians I talked to forget. I suppose once you know it's true it doesn't seem so unreasonable. But it is very odd - the creator of the universe decided that he wants a relationship with us (already seems very unlikely!) but since we wronged him he had to send his son (what's with the whole 3 in 1 thing?) to become a human and then be put to death by other humans so that would pay for our sins... I mean I know this is basic Christianity but it just seems so crazy.

- Similarly church (in England anyway) isn't aimed at non-Christians. Over the last couple of years I went to a quite a few different churches in an attempt to figure this stuff out, but mostly it wasn't really the right place to be because it seems church is aimed at people who are already Christian. I completely understand that that's the point of church, but a lot of my Christian friends didn't really get it. Most church services work from the assumption that you already believe, and teach Christians how to be more Christian, rather than answer fundamental questions. I appreciate isn't exactly something that necessarily needs changing since church needs help Christians grow, rather than just stagnating on the basics... but a some of my friends didn't really understand why I didn't find services on how to do evangelism, for example, very helpful when I didn't even know whether to believe in God. Also if I'm honest to begin with I found church scary + weird - lots of spiritually crap made it seem a bit like a cult... obviously I understand that now, but I think sometimes Christians forget how odd it is to someone on the outside.

- I had quite a few random people from my childhood asking me why I stopped believing in Christianity, presumably expecting honest answers. I suppose it's upsetting to think of someone going to hell, but this is a really personal question if you think about what you're asking and perhaps should be approached a little more gently rather than in an accusatory way that some of them had. At least not everyone stops believing because they want to get drunk at parties and sleep around, which is what some people seemed to think. Even now as a Christian, I think it's perfectly reasonable to look at the evidence for Christianity and conclude that it's probably not true. Just the further you look the harder it is to do that.

- One of the reasons I was antagonistic towards Christians was I really didn't want Christianity to be true and I thought if I could satisfactorily break Christians arguments then I would feel happy in the conclusion that it wasn't real or so I could somehow use their response to justify that it's not true. Unfortunately I was never quite satisfied with this and couldn't stop looking (or perhaps fortunately!).

-I know some people are fairly open about their atheism/skepticism, but for a long time (a year or two ago) I could be outwardly very antagonistic when really I wanted to figure out the truth. As well as being generally angry at Christians there were times when I didn't want to be honest about my uncertainty as it would give them a foothold to preaching at me. A lot of Christians (perhaps understandably) couldn't see past the resentment/confusion, but there were some who were willing to get their hands dirty and have serious conversations without getting offended. I took a LONG time to getting to this place, so I just want to encourage you to keep loving them. Which is probably a strange thing to say, but I know I wasn't always easy to love when I was searching for the truth, so they may not be too!

Sorry if this is a bit random. I don't really have a clue how to be Christian, but I do have some knowledge on how not to do evangelism!