Last Sunday 50 of us returned from a pilgrimage to Turkey. Despite the headlines, we never felt insecure, and it was a truly inspiring experience to walk and stay in the places we read about in Acts, Revelation and the letters of Paul. Perhaps my favorite spot this time was one that my daughter Rachel […]
Marriage Training in Poipet
Today is our third day of teaching on marriage in the city of Poipet. Our teaching team consists of myself, Craig and Anita Baldwin and our translator Monorom, a full-time employee with CHO. We started on Monday with forty students. By the end of the day on Tuesday our class had grown to seventy as […]
Their Joy is Ever Present
Heads pop out of doorways and eyes follow us as we walk down the alley towards the Catalyst House. A group of 7 western women must seem odd to the residents of this neighborhood village. We reach the entrance to Catalyst and can hear the giggles of the girls before we even step inside. Once […]
From Darkness to Light, from Death to Life
Dear Family and Friends: Our team left Phnom Penh Saturday morning and drove to Poipet, home to the Cambodia Hope Organization (CHO). We enjoyed the comfort of our air-conditioned 20-passenger bus. The passing countryside, conversations, riddles, and attending to the wild driving (or not attending to it) made the 9-hour journey more enjoyable. Though we […]
Greetings from New Delhi
Hello! And greetings from New Delhi, India! After a 14 and half hour flight, layover in Dubai, and then another 3 and a half hour flight, we made it safe and sound. We were greeted right outside of customs by our dear friends Abhisheck, Angie, and some of the people at Catalyst. They were holding […]
We take you with us!
Today we depart for India to work with one of our Church Projects; Catalyst (catalystindia.org). During our time we will partner with them to support their work in pursuing long term sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty for the most at risk girls living in the slums. We will work at their residence house supporting the […]
Cambodia Team has Arrived
If you are reading this blog post, the Cambodia team has safely touched down in Phnom Phen. Those who have been before are basking in the familiarity of a country that keeps calling them back. Those of us that are here for the first time are experiencing the initial whirlwind of new sights, sounds, and […]
Questions and Answers
1. What is a tithe? A tithe means literally “a tenth.” The tithe was ten percent of whatever was made or produced,; it was the first ten percent and it always belonged to the Lord. (By the way, Jesus reaffirmed the tithe in his own teaching! Matthew 23:23, for those who say that tithing is Old Testament.) […]
Send Me!
Over 20 years ago, I went on my first mission trip with Chapel Hill to Mexico. Back in those days our Mexico trip was in the summer, we rode buses all the way down I-5 to Tijuana, and we slept on church floors along the way. We are all grateful for the introduction of midwinter […]
A Peek Inside Sermon Planning
One of the great challenges of pastoral ministry is the answer to this question: what should I preach next? It’s not quite as simple as you might think. I try to bathe the process in prayer, asking the Lord what our congregation needs to hear from His Spirit through His Word. I prefer to preach […]