Seventy percent

I'm delighted to say that, as of last week, I've reached 70% of the ongoing financial support that I need. When I get to 80% I can book my plane ticket! I'm anticipating hitting that mark in the next fortnight or so and heading off at the start of February. This will give me time to do a good job of finishing up my work for Crossroads and to have a decent holiday/prep time.

I'm very aware that it is because of people's generosity that it is all coming together for me. My supporters are absolutely serving and caring for me, yet at the same time they are serving God as they fulfill the role that he has for them. Indeed, people's generosity is "a sacrificial offering to their God as part of their obedient worship. Their giving is to be just as thoughtful as when the Israelite of the Old Testament went and chose the lamb without blemish from his flock. It is intentional. It costs. But it is an act of spiritual worship that pleases God because it is in tune with his desire that Christ be known" (see Philippians 4:14-19). How lovely.



Quote taken from B Dipple, Becoming Global: Integrating Global Mission and your Local Church: a Practical Approach (Sydney: Sydney Missionary & Bible College, 2011), 73-74.

Square eyes

People go all goofy over photos. There's often an expectation that the visiting missionary will show photos and anxiety if technical failures or lack of time makes this impossible. Now I don't really ever absorb information visually so I probably shouldn't have an opinion, but I do wonder how much people benefit from seeing a string of exotic photos. It only makes me feel the cultural divide and distance all the more. At our SIM training earlier in the year we had a talk on presentations and aesthetic and the lady said to only show three slides, telling the story of each. I totally think this is the way to go because it would draw your listeners in to the world of those three people. So I'm looking forward to the time when I will have three stories (and more!) to share.