Mason-Express February 2010
February 5th, 2010Dear family and friends at CBC,
Rejoice with us that Wendy recently received a call from three ladies working with youth at our Harku community center. Each district government provides services for various age groups. Our little community of 656 residents has a community center housing the pre-school, a lending library with internet point, youth center and community hall. Wendy has been asked to help them improve their English! Of course this is a golden opportunity to interact with leaders who influence an age group near our hearts. In yesterday’s discussion one of these workers observed, “It would be good to have some permanent, constant principles which don’t change with the times”. :-> It’s an open door….
I’ve recently walked through a process in which I initially felt that I came up short. During this time I was drawn to reflect specifically upon the contribution and impact of my life. No, this is not a mid-life crisis, but I am at an age where it is time to make a shift in perspective. As I reflected upon my life, I asked myself if my “soul” or inner life was like any of the soils Jesus referred to in Mark 4 (rocky, beaten path, shallow soil bed, thorny, good soil). I came to the honest conclusion that I had let my inner life become a bed of weeds! Though this conclusion about me is not pleasant, it coincides with awareness that longevity and success in ministry will require cultivation of my spiritual (inner) life, not just obedience and faithfulness to the mission of Jesus. Teacher Brian Rice put it in perspective this way, “The Spirit of God uses slow, sure, steady, ’soaking,’ processes where we learn to become friends with Jesus so we may then missionally engage our little corner of the world”.
Other than the Scriptures, some excellent writing is helping as well:
-Restoring Your Spiritual Passion by Gordon MacDonald
-An Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
-Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
-Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
-Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
-The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
In matters of life…the heart matters. I want to see my inner life become the garden of God’s handiwork.
On January 18th Krista arrived in Malmö, Sweden to catch a glimpse of her future life and place of service. I joined her the better part of a week. Not only was she introduced to the leaders of Immanuel Church in Malmö, but she also met church planters in Helsingborg and Lulea. Her next steps are to complete her cross-cultural training at the Center for Intercultural Training and complete her financial support discovery. She hopes to be in Sweden in summer 2010.
S.H.A.R.E. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE CONFERENCE is in Sopron, Hungary February 28-March 5. SHARE resources parents to oversee the education of their children while they serve as missionaries. These conferences are top notch and scratch right where we itch! God has used the specialists who teach/train at these conferences to help us overcome significant hurdles in the past. We’ll begin our 25-hour drive from Estonia on 25 February, stopping in Krakow, Poland for an educational day at Auschwitz camps. Wendy, Caroline and Chad will be looking for a local swimming pool instead. Succeeding in educating our children while in cross-cultural ministry is critical to our long-term staying power.
Please PRAY WITH US…
-Pray for God to open the hearts of the youth center workers in Harku and for Wendy to find the right words and attitudes to connect with them. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help them see their sin and need for a Savior.
- Pray for my spiritual growth as I continue to focus on cultivating my inner life. Pray the same for all of us Masons!
- Pray for Krista and also Tony and Gwen along with daughters Jianna and Jensina, as they prepare for a summer 2010 arrival in Sweden.
-Pray for God’s provision for our travel to the SHARE conference.
Wendy and I are extremely grateful for you and your partnership with us!
Kevin for us all
Serving in leadership for UWM in N. Europe and E. Africa
unitedworldmission.org