THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Matt, Esther and Amanda at pre-field orientation.

Yesterday Ruth and I got to teach two modules for our pre-field orientation with GEM. It was a great opportunity. I was really impressed with the quality of new missionaries God's sending our way.

Matt and Esther are headed for our region. Matt's a building project supervisor (or will be) for EuroTeam and a drummer as well. (That's an added bonus for me when trying to do outreach events locally!)

Also a blessing is the fact that Esther is Dutch. Together, their sensitivity to cultural issues while seeking to be an influence for Christ in our region will be invaluable.

Ruth spoke about the spiritual climate of Europe and about our need to minister in ways that make sense to Europeans. Part of that challenge is recognizing things in our lives we've considered as Christian that were in fact cultural rather than biblical.

As Ruth spoke about our American "optimisim" we've often confused as "hope" coming from Christ, she pointed out that unlike America, Europe has known devistating wars in their own towns, streets and families through occupying forces. We wonder why they don't just "get over" the two world wars and move on. But doing so is completely naive and insensitive. Scars are also a part of life and many Europeans live with the vivid memories of lost loved ones and attrocities American's can only try and imagine.

As she shared this, Esther, who with her American husband have spent the last several years in the US, immediately and involuntarily began to weep. She said, "I've been trying to explain, but nobody here seems to get it."

I believe our time was important not only for the new missionaries but for us as well. It's not easy to see things as others do, but that skill lies at the heart of any relationship if it's going to be a strong one. In our efforts to help Europeans reach Europe, our task must include being aware of their past, realistic about today, and hopeful about tomorrow.

Today is the second Sunday of advent, and for us we've decided to focus on the hope we have in Christ. Ps. 33:18 says "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love."

Durand

PS. If you'd like to join me in my reflection guide on advent click here.