More Than Enough

Watch Jonathan's Video Update about this trip (from Nepal)

I have returned from the country of Nepal with our latest Global Infusion mission team.  It never ceases to amaze me how the majority of churches operate in second and third-world environments.  First of all, it seems they have more of a grasp on the fact that “church” is a body of believers and not a building.  I know this, because the places they typically meet would be equivalent to an over-sized tool shed in America.  Second, having “church” is focused on spending time together as a family of believers, which is why their services last for two, three or even four hours.  Third, I always smile during times of praise and worship when I am overseas. 

Apparently, villagers are under the impression that all you need for worship is one drum, or tambourine of sorts, and those in the audience are supposed to sing as loud as they can to God.  Of course I am being slightly facetious, and until you experience what I am talking about first-hand, you are completely missing out.  Last, the sacrifice involved in being a part of a “church” in places like Southeast Asia, China, or the Middle East is enormous.  It includes everything from walking miles upon miles to fellowship with other Christians, to enduring literal persecution for one’s faith.  This persecution may include assault, jail time, rejection from family and friends, loss of job, being shunned by their local community, and in some cases, death.

The believers I interact with overseas have concluded that Jesus is all they need.  In John 14:6, Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”  What more do we need than to know the path we are taking in life, or being able to discern right from wrong, or living abundantly?  He is  El Shaddai.  The God that is more than enough. 

Why then, does Global Infusion continually send teams to reach people in places like Nepal?  There are two main reasons:  they have the greatest need, and we see the greatest return.

The abject poverty we encounter is unmatched in the West, which is why we facilitated a medical clinic a few weeks ago in Nepal that treated over 400 patients.  It is why we fed hundreds more.  In the midst of our medical work, we evangelized the area as devout Hindus were coming from miles around for treatment, but stayed to hear the Word of God.  We spent time with believers, praying with them, discipling them, and encouraging them.

Think of it as the two hands of the Gospel reaching out to the world.  Meeting tangible needs, but not leaving them without the hope of a Savior.  

That is why we go.

Thankless, or Thankful?

Here in the West, the focus in the month of November (October in Canada) often drives towards the Thanksgiving holiday.  It is that time of year, when people gather to celebrate all they are thankful for - or do we?  Has Thanksgiving merely turned into a springboard to Christmas?  Or Black Friday/Cyber Monday?  Is it just time off of school and work?  Why do we reserve just a few minutes around a table once a year to reflect on what we are thankful for?

Here is a great, and true demonstration of thankfulness (Luke 17:11-19, NKJV):

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.  17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Let’s review.  First, leprosy is a terrible, contagious, skin disease that can spread from one person to another.  Lepers had strict rules to abide by, including living in a banishment camp away from healthy people.  The physical pain, and mental duress this disease brings is unfathomable.  Second, the men who were sick recognized Jesus, and recognized He had the authority to heal them.

Third, nine unthankful men (Jews, most likely) were healed on their way to the priests; one thankful man (a hated Samaritan, most likely) was healed at the feet of Jesus.

We have a lot to be thankful for as Christians - especially those of us who live in the West.  We face some adversity, but it does not compare to what many of our brothers and sisters in other countries face.  Let’s review this passage through the eyes of missions and evangelism:

First, sin is a terrible disease that has been known to spread from one person to another through acts of enticement, malicious intent, and retaliation.  Second, those who are bound up in sin may only know the saving power of Jesus Christ if they are told about Him - many, like the lepers, live in remote villages of the world.  Third, the impact of Jesus’ grace and love on most “foreigners” is humble thankfulness - they, in turn, feel compelled to share what He has done for them.

Be thankful every day, and go into all the world.

The Field

I have returned from the country of Nicaragua where our latest Global Infusion team of 37 optometrists (doctors), students and GI personnel treated 1,853 patients in less than a week. We were in both villages and small cities – we even had a door of opportunity open for us to treat over 200 local police officers and their families. We converted their main headquarters into a medical facility – we even invited their family members.

At one point, when the line had slowed down in the police station, I saw in the distance, a large cage attached to a building, and there were about 50 men in it.  I found out, it was a jail, and the cage was the common area the prisoners would be deposited when their family members came for visitation.  I walked over to the jail, and saw many women outside in line – mothers, sisters, wives, and girlfriends of the inmates.  There were even some children.  I saw their faces were greatly strained as the men in their lives have now been incarcerated and no longer able to provide for their family, or help at home.  So I got an idea.  When the women walked out of the jail, I stood there, and invited them over to our clinic – a free eye exam for them and their kids.  While some of the cops whined about being in line so long, these women and children’s faces lit up, and they gladly followed me over to the clinic.

As I was walking the women over to the make-shift clinic, the only thing in my mind was the Parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14 – where there is a man providing a great feast, and the invitees give every excuse in the book as to why they cannot come.  However, when he goes to find the least of these, they gladly come.  I’ve done a lot of missions work, but I couldn’t help but smile (and cry) as I led this group of women and children from the jail to the clinic, and I would turn around periodically to see if they were still with me – and not only were they with me, they were beaming with smiles, talking, laughing, and excited.

There is a field ready to be harvested, but it's not always where you think it is. 

Relativity

I’m getting (a little) tired of hearing about how everything is relative and that there are no absolutes in this world anymore.  “Your values and morals are defined by your perception of right and wrong,” people say.  “Your worldview has no reference point but your own concocted belief system.”  How ignorant of humanity to believe that our finite minds can become the moral compass that guides our values.  In one regard, the pendulum has swung from persecuting people of faiths, to a universal tolerance of all “religions,” beliefs, and even opinions.  “Whatever works for you,” has become the pad-answer of modern society.

How are we different as Christians?  What is it that sets us apart?  The obvious answer is that if nothing else, we will not be separated from our Maker for eternity in the life to come.  Both non-Christians and Christians, however, argue even this belief.  Some believe the idea of eternal punishment is a fairy-tale.  Without digressing too much on this topic, the Bible is very clear about the existence of Hell.  Though it was created solely for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), those who have not accepted Christ will most certainly join him in what can be considered the “second death”  (John 5:29, Rev. 19:20).  Romans 3:23 is very clear about death being the resulting wage of sin.  No matter how people try to interpret the word “death,” there is no positive meaning for it.  Human beings inherently fear death, in any fashion – physical or spiritual.  Jesus also says in Luke 12:5, “But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.”

How do we as Christians set ourselves apart from the world by being “in it, not of it” (John 15:19) without adopting a self-righteous demeanor?  Where is the balance between living a life that is obviously different than those who do not know Christ, and a “holier-than-thou” attitude?  The world has got to see a difference in this lifetime or they will not feel they have any reason to become a Christian (outside the power and intervention of the Holy Spirit, which is indeed necessary in every conversion).  We cannot play head-games with people.  They cannot be conned, or argued into Heaven.  They have to see the truth, and the Truth will set them free (John 8:32).

Breaking Point

Luke (1st mission trip) & Daddy

Imagine being in a mountainous region of Central America.  You have driven for 3 hours to reach the last, small, city before you enter into hundreds of square miles of villages - also located in the mountains.  You have a mission: reach a specific village to deliver the Gospel to those who have not heard, and deliver almost a ton of food to them because they are nearing starvation.
 

The only road to get to this village has a forty-five degree angle down, the roads are made of dirt, and it is raining.  Some of the roads have split and created two to three-foot caverns down the middle, and are as wide as six feet apart.  There is a caravan of 4x4 vehicles carrying food, and a team of people holding onto roll-bars in the back of the trucks.  Miles of terrain like this lie ahead, and then you approach a part of the road where the caverns are so deep and wide, that there is no way for the trucks to continue.  Walking on foot, carrying thousands of pounds of food, clothes, and items for children will be next to impossible given the weather, the terrain, the distance, and the weight of all the goods.  Going forward with the trucks could be dangerous, and there may be no getting back out of the area because the roads are so bad.  What do you do?  If you can imagine all this, then welcome to a day on the mission field with Global Infusion.

Jesus said, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”  (Mark 11:22-23).

Paul writes, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Tim. 6:12)

I believe there is a breaking point between relying on yourself and the miraculous - it is called faith. It requires complete, absolute trust in Jesus.  I also believe the we, as Christians, rarely put ourselves in this position.  The majority of our lives can operate without faith.  Sure we need to work, pay some bills, go to school, pay those bills, go shopping and buy gas.  But those without Christ do the same thing.  What are we doing to build the kingdom of God (not a castle for ourselves) that requires an absolute intervention of Jesus Christ, or it will absolutely not happen?

The end of our missions story in Guatemala is that we pressed on.  We filled the gaps in the road with boulders and went for it.  An unreached village heard the Gospel, some were saved, many more had the seeds of salvation planted in their hearts.  Thousands of pounds of food were given away, children experienced a VBS, and a local Pastor we work with made a strong connection with the villagers, and will return to them.

Be Intentional

Are you a planner?  Everyone is wired differently - some people commit to scheduling their lives down to the minute, while others live for the moment - and then there is everything in between.  Is one method better than another?  After all, when most people are searching for their own significance or reason for existence in this world, it is a very important question to consider.  Nobody wants to live a meaningless life.

Travel with me, back in time, to the pool of Bethesda.  This miraculous place on earth was where an angel would periodically stir the waters, and whoever stepped in the water first was healed of their disease.  A certain man, crippled for thirty-eight years, positioned himself near the pool, but could never get in quickly enough due to his infirmity.  One day, Jesus walks in to this area in Bethesda (planned or spontaneous?).  He sees the man, heals him (only), and leaves.  Was that on Jesus’ agenda for the day?  Or did He just “happen” to pass by?  The answer is found in a confrontation with the Jews who immediately question Him for healing on the Sabbath.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. (John 5:19-20, NKJV)

Jesus listened to the voice of the Father, and intentionally obeyed, everyday.  Sometimes, He would be going somewhere (planned), stop along the way (spontaneously?), and a life-altering event would transpire.  If you don’t believe me, just ask the Samaritan women by the well (John 4:1-26).  Jesus was going to Galilee, stopped in Samaria, and an entire city was transformed (just keep reading, John 4:27-42).  How then, do we live an intentional, Spirit-led life like Jesus?

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  (John 16:13, NKJV)

We all have busy lives, but we all have choices too.  Jesus had the opportunity to do anything He wanted during His time on earth, but He focused on reaching the people He came to save.  He did not waste time, or resources.  He spent time discipling believers, and building relationships with the unbeliever.  He met needs, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  He intentionally went to those who needed Him the most.  In the midst of all the scheduling of our lives, we should do the same.  The eternal destination of literally billions of lives depend on it.

Happy 8th Anniversary, GI!                                                          
Jonathan Haward, President
Global Infusion

What do you live for?

Summer is upon us and we are once again bombarded with opportunities.  With schools out, I see the streets, malls, parks, and local swimming pools flooded with kids of all ages.  Some kids are working at these places, other kids are just hanging out.  Both situations are fine, as long as they are also presented with options to learn, exercise, and grow spiritually.  The sad truth is, many are not given these options, especially ones that allow them to encounter God in a greater way.

I also see more adults out.  Many are headed out on vacations, looking for things to do on the weekends, staying out later at night as the days are growing longer with more sunlight.

What are we truly living for?  There is a very distinct line between having fun, and living out the mandate we have on our lives as Christians.  That line is defined in by two things: time, and money.  Where we spend our time and money indicates whether or not we have been pulled by the intense vacuum of distractions the world offers.  We must make a decision for ourselves and our families to fight purposefully and intentionally to engage God, listen to His Holy Spirit and do something to help build His kingdom by reaching the unreached.  This summer will be filled with movie trailers advertising “blockbuster” films.  Here’s a storyline that trumps any trailer:

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Revelation 12:7-11 (NKJV)

Global Infusion has seven mission teams in the field, with five more on their way this summer.  These teams are filled with people who will engage the enemy in the darkest corners of the planet.  They have to believe for more than paying some monthly bills.  They have to rely on the power of the blood of Jesus to fight the good fight.  They have traded time and money that could have been spent on the superfluous things of this world, for a chance to win the lost.

I ask you again, what do you live for?

Training

Watch Global Infusion staff and facilitators train 8 of our summer mission teams.  7 teams are in the field right now, one more is leaving in a few days.

Pray for our teams in Nepal, China, Guatemala, India, Ukraine, Ghana and the Philippines.

A Letter

If you have ever wondered what our contacts think about the work Global Infusion is doing within their country, I would like to share with you a letter we received recently from one of our contacts in Guatemala.

Jonathan Haward, President

Global Infusion

We wanted to tell you that with the motorcycle God gave us, through Global Infusion, we have worked hard. We planned an Evangelical Outreach in the village of Pacayalito. That village has no electricity, but with the motorcycle we were able to go to another village and prepare the dough and roll it out so that we could give food to the people. It was a very big blessing and 30 people accepted Christ into their lives. And Global Infusion was a part of everything we did for the glory of God. God has it noted in the Kingdom of Heaven. The chickens that you brought them are producing and are helping the families.

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.  Proverbs 22:9

Global Infusion was birthed in the heart of God because you have helped thousands of needy families. The families in the villages where you have come with groups say that you are angels of God, because they see a lot of love in you. Keep moving forward. I know that you do not give out of what is left, rather you have worked to make this happen. May our God give you much in abundance. We had not been able to send you an e-mail because we were without internet, but thanks to your offerings, today we have internet and soon we will write again.

We join with Global Infusion in your ministry and on April 21, 2011 we will have an all-day fast. We will pray for every hand that helps. May our God bless who is reading you this letter.

Sincerely,

Pastor Eliub (La Union, Guatemala)

Hope for the hopeless

If you have ever experienced any kind of tragedy in your life, you understand the feeling of hopelessness.  Every day, many people in our world are confronted with sudden disaster in their lives, and many more deal with the ongoing repercussions of a previous catastrophe or heartbreak.

This past month, our world witnessed the country of Japan getting thrashed by a massive earthquake, which led to a deadly tsunami.  The damage done ranges from immediate loss of life, to city-wide devastation, to a lingering nuclear crisis.

Just last week, a young family in Guatemala lost their 18-month old son in a drowning accident.  This family is very close to Global Infusion and the people on our teams who have interacted with them on our trips.

Hopelessness.  A terrible, terrible feeling of loss.  There are no words or actions we can say or do in times like these that will ever erase the trauma and stress endured by those who have lived through such tragic events.  And then there is the looming question that often goes unspoken, but resides in the minds of everyone:  where is God in all of this?

As a Christian, if I believe what I say I believe, I have to go to God’s Word for answers.  Jesus Himself watched tragedy happen from a distance.  In John 11, He is told that his dear friend Lazarus was deathly ill.  There is more than one sermon found in John 11, especially in verse six when Jesus intentionally delays His trip to visit Lazarus by two days, during which time Lazarus actually dies.  However, a few verses later, Jesus utters some of the most powerful statements ever spoken.  To a grieving Mary and Martha, He says, “Your brother will rise again” (v.23).  He continues, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (vs. 25, 26).

I think a great response to any tragedy is one of human presence.  Simply showing support by a personal visit or offering relief of some kind during the recovery period is paramount.  Colossians 1:27 says that Christ in us is the hope of glory.  Our presence brings hope.

After Jesus declares that He is the resurrection and the life, He asks Martha a penetrating question:  do you believe this? (v.26).  This is the question we must all answer.  To those who believe, Jesus Christ is our greatest hope.  Yet there are many in this world who are hopeless, because they do not know that even in death, they can live. 

And that, my friends, is why Global Infusion exists.

On the Verge

I don’t know about you, but I love reading the Old Testament.  The real-life accounts of men and women who, in some way, put their life on the line for God are both unbelievable and inspiring.  The amazing part about these heroes of the faith, is that they did not do it for notoriety, power, or money.  They lived the way they did because they had ultimate faith in God.

The book of Daniel contains the true story of three God-fearing, death-defying young Hebrew men named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah — better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  These men were born of royal or noble birth in the Kingdom of Judah.  After Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem, they were deported to central-southern Mesopotamia, a region now know as Iraq.  They were forced to enter a training program that taught them the language and literature of the Babylonians, so they could one day serve in the king’s palace.

The king decides to build a 90-foot statue of himself, and requires everyone to bow down and worship it.  The three Jews completely ignore the mandate, and are eventually confronted by the king, who tells them they will be killed for any further rebellion.  To this threat, they reply,

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” (Daniel 3:16, 17).

What remarkable faith they had!  Or did they?  In the very next verse, they say, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  Paraphrased, they said whether or not God saves our literal bodies, our commitment to follow Him and His mandates far supersede yours.

I am challenged by the faith of these young men.  They stood on the verge of denying God by bowing to the idol, or defying a man so that God would be glorified.

Jesus has mandated every Christian to be a part of the Great Commission by intentionally doing something to contribute toward building His Kingdom.  But doing this requires great faith.  It requires prayer, money and time.  So we have a decision to make:  deny God’s call on each of our lives to purposefully go into all the world with the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ, or defy the lies of the enemy that tell us we have no time to pray for the nations, we have no money to give to support missions, and we are definitely too busy to go ourselves.

God help us use our faith, so others may hear your Name and be changed for eternity.

Pharaohs and Shopping Lists

You would think that by now that I should not be surprised.  Almost every year since Global Infusion began, we have had teams going to countries where some measure of political uprising, war, or natural disaster occurs.

• 2004:  an Asian tsunami devastated the eastern part of India.
• 2005:  Viktor Yushchenko finally took office as the president of Ukraine following an assassination attempt on his life because he was too “pro-West.”
• 2006:  over 200,000 people took to the streets for the “Democracy Movement” in Nepal, as they came against the king after he instituted undemocratic rule and martial law.
• 2007:  the streets of Juárez, Mexico turned into an official war zone with military tanks rolling down the streets.
• 2008:  the deadly Sichuan earthquake in China measured 8.0, killing over 70,000 people.
• 2009:  both flooding and persecution of Christians hit the Indian state of Orissa.
• 2010:  it was the “Red Shirt” civil revolt in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand.
• 2011:  “Chaos in Cairo” has erupted in Egypt.

There is a bigger picture to all of this, of course.  First of all, God is in control.  Regardless of how often we are bombarded with reports of devastation, He is still God.  When we hear about these kinds of events in other countries, we should be very thankful we are not living through it ourselves.  If that indeed is the case, then we should be driven to our knees in prayer.  We have to believe as Christians that it is our responsibility to reach the generation we live in with salvation of Jesus Christ, and concurrently help those who do not have the means or resources to adequately help themselves.  Both of these concepts are mandated to us in the Bible.

So now we hear there is a problem in Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs.  The country that held the Israelites captive for 430 years.   The country that hosted Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their escape from Herod.  The country where we have Christian brothers and sisters watching and waiting to see what will happen around them next.  It is time to pray.  Not just the average North American shopping list of prayer needs — the kind where we focus about ninety-five percent of our prayers on asking God for things we “need,” or need Him to get done for us so we are not continually inconvenienced.  I am certainly not implying that we do not have situations in our lives that truly need the intervention of God in a miraculous way, I am simply encouraging us (myself included) to intentionally pray for the salvation of this world, because souls are all that matter to God.  Take time right now to pray for the country of Egypt, and our contact.  Pray that the issues there will resolve peacefully, God will have His way, and many will know the salvation of our Lord.