Articles

I was standing at the window watching a dog bark across the street. It took a few minutes to realize the dog was on the roof of a house. It took me until the next day to realize the dog lived on the roof! Throughout the city, dogs lived on low, flat, and colorful roofs. I was in Chiapas, Mexico.

Just a few days shy of our family’s tenth anniversary of serving here in northern Mozambique, we experienced a home invasion. Armed thieves broke into our home, and my wife, Rachel, and I were held at gunpoint as they stole money and computers. 

Mr. Bun Song is one of the elders of a local church in a rural city in Cambodia. He used to work for a military. It was years ago when he heard of the salvation of Jesus for the first time through a Bible school student who came from Phnom Penh to share the good news in his city. 

This story takes place a few years back just before the earthquake in the country of Haiti, a land rife with political upheaval and difficulties. Drug trafficking and gang activity have been a part of the complicated mix of problems for many years. 

It took four days, three ferries, two motorbikes, and a giant motorized canoe to reach an island community of fishermen and pearl farmers.  

Why are we here, and how will God use a veterinarian and teacher in what he is doing in Mongolia? was the question ringing in our heads. We were to learn that credentials were not a priority with God.

McGavran was a prolific writer of letters, articles, and books, as well as a world traveler. No one, to my knowledge, has visited as many mission fields, conducted as many interviews, or researched the growth and decline of Christian churches as widely as McGavran. He influenced mission theory and practice internationally and the movement he started continues to move forward, empowered by appreciative followers. 

The concept of North American missionaries serving overseas as part of a team is popular. The present generation of missionaries feels more comfortable working with others rather than launching out on their own. Mission agencies have picked up on this phenomenon and recruit people to be a part of a team for their organization as a mission strategy. While the idea is admirable, what is the difference between a team and a group?