The Seemingly Impossible

Jeff (alias “Iron man”) does the seemingly impossible; reading in the taxi while we are motoring down the highway.

Next a day of strategic discussions with our top level friends in India; then we start the long trip home. Thanks for your prayers.

Sights of India

Saturday was a “down” day and so we took in a few sights. We saw monkeys, a snake charmer, a camel drawn cart and lots of India! Maybe you recognize one of the places we saw? Sunday we travel by car for four hours, follow that up with 3 hours from airport to airport, ending with a 35 kilometer taxi ride in a new taxi, on a new road, from the new airport to a city with a new name, Bangaluru (Bangalore). About 8:30 P.M. we had dinner with Charlie and his wife who are great friends of the India Project.

Train to Train

This is a more astonishing picture than most can realize! The 40 or so of our fellow Bereans who have gone to India know the importance of tea time! These field leaders are giving up tea time to “pick” Bob’s brain about training to train! They are focused on learning how to train others, to train others!

Discipleship Essentials

1. Evangelism
2. Valuing the Word
3. Effective Prayer
4. Active Fellowship
5. Continual Worship
6. Practical Ministry
7. Body Unity
8. Appropriate Culture
9. Servant Leadership
10. Reproducing Leaders
11. Churches Interacting

Discipleship Process

1. A disciple is doing it himself
2. A disciple is training others to do it
3. New Disciples are doing it themselves
4. New Disciples are training others to do it
5. Third generation disciples are doing it themselves
6. Third generation disciples are training others to do it, etc.

Ted Olsen

This morning, before heading back for the final day to training, Jeff and I, along with Bob and Scott of Avant Ministries, had breakfast with Ted Olsen of Dawn Ministries. Ted brought with him four Indian leaders who represent various Indian ministries. Though brief, it was a great time of fellowship and the sharing a common vision of seeing churches planted among unreached people groups all over India.

Interesting Glimpse

Last night on the way home from the seminar we stopped at Pizza Hut and had a Hawaiian Pizza (with chicken instead of ham), Pepsi and Baskin and Robins ice cream. Here we had an interesting glimpse into Indian culture. Our taxi drive came in for a drink of water and was obviously rebuffed by the staff. Apparently “his kind” is not welcome. Jeff pleasantly surprised the driver and created a quizzical response from the staff when he paid for a meal for the driver.

Deepak and Anuja

Yesterday (Thursday) we had lunch with Deepak and Anuja. During the meal we visited about their upcoming trip to the USA. They are excited about being with us for the National Berean Convention in September. Several years ago Deepak attended a ministry convention on the Front Range, but this will be the first trip for them to the Great Plains. Living in a “suburb” of Delhi with more than a million people, Nebraska will be an interesting juxtaposition of cultures and populations. A quick internet search had a travel agency describing where they live as a “small and sleepy town on the borders of the capital.” “Small and sleepy” will take on a different meaning for them after seeing the towns and open spaces of Nebraska!

This Afternoon

One of the results of the decreasing support schedule for the India Berean church planting pastors is that most of them are finding it difficult to raise adequate replacement income. The afternoon brainstorming session concerned funding sources so that India Berean can become a self-sustaining ministry. This is a complex issue. For example in one region the average wage is only 20 rupees a day (less than fifty cents) while in another area the minimum wage is 120 rupees. Another component of the discussion was the necessity of involving lay people, since it is a core value of India Berean to plant reproducing churches through discipleship. The key first step is teaching and modeling what the Bible says about giving. Additionally there was discussion about external funding sources such as "cottage industries.” The advantage is that these would bring a practical value to the village while at the same time opening doors for reaching individuals within the village.

Day Two

This morning we are discussing the nature of success for India Berean leaders. It is not about working harder, nor about having better ministry reports nor developing dynamic strategies. A successful leader in a church planting movement has a growing love relationship with Jesus Christ resulting in the visible evidences of the fruit of the Spirit. When a ministry flows from a heart for Christ, then the results will be a healthy ministry which is self sustaining, self governing and self reproducing.

The Pen

A three day “consulting session” has begun! Speaking to a dozen or so key field leaders, Bob tells the story of the cast off piece of wood. The story helps to illustrate the “movement” concept to these men who are providing leadership to about one third of India Berean. Collectively they represent 14 districts, 144 church planters, 107 churches, 180 cell groups.

On a previous consulting trip to India a small piece of cast off wood was picked up by Bob. It was a rough, weathered home for termites. But he saw what it could be. Taking the piece of wood home he crafted several pens. Each seminar attendee received a pen made from discarded pieces of wood.

As leaders in a reproducing church movement they need to skillfully use the resources that God has given them. India Berean is glorying God through establish reproducing churches. Leaders mentor disciples who will reach and train others, who will reach and train others, who will reach and train others!

Movement

This morning Jeff led a discussion on the nature of a healthy reproducing church movement. We arrived about midnight and it was still nearly 90 degrees and the humidity slammed hard into us. The cows in the road, the flurry of blowing car horns, the people crowding the streets in the middle of night and the temples on nearly every corner, remind us that India is the same. But that is not exactly true! Something has changed in the last six years. Something has grown from zero to hundreds; there are now hundreds of India Berean church planters, churches and cell groups. Thousands have embraced faith in Christ! The reason for being here is still the same; God has assigned us the privilege of helping start a reproducing church movement in India. This joy is irrepressible, so with a few hours of sleep, Jeff revs up, his passion is showing, the leaders are responding and the establishing of a church planting movement in India continues!

FinnAir to India

Six hours of sleep, checked in at airport 9 AM and in the lounge getting some water in a glass with ice! Walk, train, switch trains, bus, walk, terminal 2, check in, security, lounge, lounge internet, do a few emails...(next) soft chair and shut eyes.

An old style hotel, but very nice. It is 'within the city' with shared WC and shower on each floor. Breakfast was meats, cheese, fish paste, fruits, grain cereals and juices. We sat outdoors to eat. Tomorrow we will travel all day, learn to like the no-meat cucumber sandwiches, get in late that night and be at it in the morning . Remember to add 11.5 hours to mountain time for India time. (Also I picked up a few Swedish coins for the grand kids.)

By Way of Sweden

Last Tuesday was normal … meeting with the Worship Team leadership, then time with the office staff, followed by doing of details from the weekend…then some concerning news that our friend George was to have emergency eye surgery; A little while later a call from Jeff; affirmation of “God’s assignment” from the Cheyenne Berean Elder Team that I should go as George's replacement; and the next Monday morning I am typing emails from Sweden with one more day of travel to New Delhi.

Because we had to make last minute travel plans we were not sure when Jeff and I would get together on the trip, most likely at Stockholm during an overnight layover in the heart of the city. But we asked the CBC family to pray that we meet in London and by God’s good grace and some fantastic Jeff-style negotiations at the ticket counter it happened with my deepest appreciation and great relief, particularly after experiencing getting to the hotel by way of a bus, a subway and several side streets!

We arrived at the Columbus Hotel of Stockholm; (see site on the internet) about 6:45 PM and we walked the shore of the island we were on in the heart of this wonderful national capital. We walked around for 3-4 hours that included a snack at MacD’s and then had supper at another MacD’s, (a Jeff tradition). The flight in was beautiful and I can see why my Swedish friends love this part of the world!

Leave for India Today---Please pray!

“Lord of grace, The world is before me this day, and I am weak and fearful--but I look to You for strength. If I venture forth alone, I stumble and fall--but on the Beloved's arms I am firm as the eternal hills. If left to the treachery of my heart, I shall shame Your name--but if enlightened, guided, upheld by Your Spirit, I shall bring You glory. Be my arm to support, my strength to stand, my light to see, my feet to run, my shield to protect, my sword to repel, my sun to warm.”

Sudden India Trip

This past Tuesday afternoon I (Richard) learned that that one of the team members for the current India trip was to have emergency eye surgery for a detached retina and would not be able to go. Shortly thereafter I was called to see if I could go as a replacement, since I have a ten year visa for such last minute situations, I checked with the elder team and pastoral team. The responses were unanimously positive that I should go since they consider it is part of our commitment to India. So with their input I have accepted the trip as an assignment that the Lord would have for CBC.

There will be about 15 airport transfers on at least four carriers, so with air travel what it is these days these transfers are a matter of prayer. If you would like to be a part of a quickly constructed prayer team for this trip please reply to this email and let Toni know. Also if you would like to have a financial part, please indicate on your gift: India.

Thanks for understanding that this is part of who we are at CBC. We are about reaching our neighborhoods and our neighbors half way around the world! In some ways the Lord is giving us a real life application of some things we discussed in a morning service several weeks ago, when we observed in the life of Hannah that God uses the unexpected and difficult as tools to:

1. Draw us to God as the only solution
2. Craft an honest desire for total surrender
3. Remove prideful self consciousness
4. Produce an engaged faith
5. Cause a believing expectancy
6. Generate a constant mindfulness of God
7. Move us towards “The Big Give”

In the same message I shared this “Puritan Prayer” and I would ask that you pray this prayer for me the next two weeks. “Lord of grace, The world is before me this day, and I am weak and fearful--but I look to You for strength. If I venture forth alone, I stumble and fall--but on the Beloved's arms I am firm as the eternal hills. If left to the treachery of my heart, I shall shame Your name--but if enlightened, guided, upheld by Your Spirit, I shall bring You glory. Be my arm to support, my strength to stand, my light to see, my feet to run, my shield to protect, my sword to repel, my sun to warm.”

Tea for Three!

Toni and I were at Maranatha Bible Camp for a Berean Fellowship board of directors meeting. We returned with a house quest for a few days, our oldest granddaughter, Mika Joy. Besides shopping for school clothes Mika, Nana and Papa had tea one afternoon at the historic Nagle Warren Mansion here in Cheyenne. It was tea for three! http://www.naglewarrenmansion.com/

Emmaus Road Church

Saturday evening Toni and I visited our friends at Emmaus Road Church in Boulder, Colorado. This is an exciting and energetic church plant that is making a difference in a spiritually challenging culture in the Boulder area! http://emmausroadonline.wordpress.com/

Mom is Moving

Mom is moving on Monday to Heritage Estates in Gering. Her window has a view of the Scotts Bluff Monument. When she leaves her room (Cedar 607) she is greeted by hall windows that look into an open court yard with flowers and a fish pond. http://www.heritageestates-gering.com/

Ida Margenta Cleveland

We viewed several family grave sites at High Butte cemetery in McGrew, NE. Several generations of family members back to Toni’s second great grandparents Marcus and Christina Franklin.

Here Toni stands by the grave of her great grandparents, Roy Ziba and Ida Margenta Cleveland. Toni has some great memories of her great grandmother. Her great grandfather Roy Ziba died when her grandfather Lee was only three years old.

Aunt Barb's Funeral

We attended the funeral for Aunt Barb with Mom today. Only 66, she had a blood disorder that eventually took her life. The service was conducted by Pastor Tom Johnson with Rodeo Bible Clubs. He gave a great message from Psalm 23. After the graveside at High Butte Cemetery we had a family dinner at the community house in McGrew.

Tree Down at the Ranch

The ancient cotton wood tree has fallen! But, by God’s good grace, it missed the shop and the house but it did totally destroy the bed of flowers that Toni and Christy planted fro mom earlier in the summer.

Dayton is EIGHT

Jonathan, Janelle, Dayton, Skye and Danny came over to Nana's and Papa's Sunday night to celebrate Dayton’s birthday a day early. Besides the chocolate cake he chooses mac & cheese for his birthday meal!