Cornerstone language school in difficulties...

Over the last few weeks I've noticed a few symptoms that my language school is in financial distress...but it was only last week via an email communique that I found out that they are trying to sell assets to clear debt and pay the teachers. Today I started up classes again and last time I spoke with my Khruu (teacher) before I went to China she was trying to enrol in university for a master's course. Today I asked her how it went and she said it she had passed the entrance exam but could not afford the fees (about $1000). She thought she would have enough, but then she wasn't paid in time so she's says 'mai pen rai, next year'. I went to speak with another Khruu who I am good friends with and found out that the teachers haven't been paid for two months or more...it puts quite a bit of strain on their families.
There's been a lot of history with this language school. It was opened by the same guy who opened Grace International School (the major international school for missionaries in Chiang Mai) because he saw two reasons why missionaries were leaving Chiang Mai - lack of schooling for kids, and lack of cultural adaptation (especially language).
For a while it operated with Thai Christians teaching foreign missionaries and apparently teachers were becoming Christians e.t.c Then it was sold/handed over and here the problems seem to begin and the view gets muddled. Though the new owner claims Christianity, it seems many actions & business deals have caused people to doubt it.
Since I don't know anything about what really went on behind the scenes I can only say what I see now...that many old staff have left, many of the students have left, and some teachers have taken the curriculum and are now teaching it on their own (which is copyright infringement)...leading to my teachers now not getting paid.
Seems a little unfair that the teachers have to suffer for management mistakes of the past. If ever there was a business as mission opportunity ready for take over, this would be it.

Relationships- talk by Dean Sherman

Just to explain, i went to Solomons Porch church and heard this talk so I took notes on my blog app. My note-taking style can be pretty cryptic though.
Love is usually thought of as confusing- linguistically, cross-culturally etc. Actually, its clear- 1 John 3:16 -this is love, jesus laid down his life for us, you do the same for others...
Heart of Good relationships: the cross.
The problem is not that we are only human, its that we are selfish.
The answer to selfishness is service- not withdrawing yourself to try work it out.
You can get along with anyone- you just both need to be humble.
Unity is corporate humility.
The truth: If you have trouble maintaining relationships, check your truth meter. People don't want to be near someone who speaks love and acts otherwise. NT truth has 2 meanings- what is right & what is real. Jesus was the truth-he was real.
Romans 10:9 love must be sincere. Relationships are only as deep as they are open & transparent. Sex is the symbol of intimacy & transparency, our culture mistakes it for the actual intimacy.
The world says truth is defined by love- they love each other so it's ok. But love is defined by truth.
1 John 3:17-18 actions speak louder than words. Love chooses the highest & best. Love is a choice more than a feeling.
God will never tell you to marry someone you don't love...He is the author of romantic feeling. Marriage is not a gamble or only hard work...God who can keep you from falling can keep you married. Keep commited by choice and feelings will follow. Choose what is love to the other person (except with kids, you got to do things to kids that they don't think is love).
Choose what is appropriate for the occasion. 15 yr olds can love deeply but its not appropriate, you can love a non-believer, but your household will be torn...its not wrong, but its not the best for you or them.

Images of Hong Kong

Ladies market in Mongkok- note the classic HK facemask




Yay HK yum cha!









Mid level escalators...covering half a mountain with so many cool lanes coming off it.





Our delicious nepalese dinner spot. End of only day of sightseeing.

Repenting

Khalafie was a high level leader in Ywam, he was in PNG with Tom Hallas and Dean Sherman, and one of the pioneers of frontier mission in the Asia-Pacific. Decades ago he fell into sin quite spectacularly and walked away from the Christian faith. Today he publicly repented. The other leaders gathered around him and forgave him...it was like a family welcoming back a stray member.

Reminiscing in YWAM

Dean Sherman remembering the days in the 70's when Ywam was just starting in Goulburn, Australia. He wanted to get a team to Papua New Guinea. A young Tom Hallas was the first application in. Later the trip had to be cancelled due to 10 of the 12 dropping out. When Dean tried to call Tom he was told Tom had already quit his job and bought the flight. So when Dean finally told Tom the trip was off, Tom said 'God's told me to go, so if you don't mind I will go anyway.' So basically he got a one hour Ywam orientation at the airport and lived in PNG for several years. Today he's the Asia Pacific director and the guy who developed the 'Father heart of God' teaching which is taught worldwide. He's had 40 years in Ywam.





So they honoured him pacific style



And also gave love gifts tongan style- by oiling him up and then sticking money to him.

Mark Anderson on humility

1974 Dr Ralph Winter presents paper on unreached people at the Lausanne conference. 1975 Bill Bright & Loren Cunningham get the idea of spheres of influence...which missiologists are now recognising as the integrated approach to missions. Thomas Wang in the 1990's called people to unreached people missions with the Ad2000. Now the latest burst in mission is likely to be tracked in history as call2all.
Mark Anderson, Call2All Leader:



He's been crying this morning because of his awareness of the work ahead.
Matt 5, beatitudes. People on stage were torn as they looked at the crowd this week. On one hand, the chinese were fervent and had sacrificed so much (sold land & fridges) to get there, and they arrived at 5am to pray and stayed all day...on the other side were westerners who were more concerned with networking and breakfast, even if it was good & for ministry. Mark sees that within himself, and now he can't stand it. Now he cries when he meets people from a broken background. He's also grieving over the arrogance of America. He's calling us to an intentional humbling. He's sensing the grace of God for a broken heart.
YWAM is entering a higher profile stage and so we need to spiritually prepare. As we build it's like Zerrubabals plumbline- ours is to be the beatitudes.
I have the feeling he thinks persecution is coming. Mark ends on saying God is looking for the meek & humble, so he is too.

Ywam Asia Pacific Morning

Loren & Darlene Cunningham




Darlene's uncle clare had been a missionary in China, so she has childhood memories of praying for China, so she's excited to see the beginnings of the fulfillment of those prayers.
Loren says world leadership is shifting to Asia, and so is mission leadership.
In the bible leaders called people to them specifically, like Elijah with Elisha and Jesus with disciples. Thats cause they imparted their spirit, not just knowledge.
Like England was the catalyst for american multiplication of missionaries, so in this century Koreans are the catalyst for Chinese missions.
In 1961 he challenged the Africans to be missionaries, but another missionary came to him and said that he couldn't do that- africans were natives, they (white people) were missos. Loren said the Africans had the same bible he did.
Loren had two calls- all nations and mobilising youth.
Ywam has always been pictured as a wave, but a prophetess from Columbia drew two waves, one coming out of the original ywam wave that was higher. It has to do with Ywammers who are specifically called to the 7 spheres- family, church, education, media, entertainment, executive, judicary & legislative govt., economy
17 major missions are on the leadership of Call2All, but they asked Mark Anderson who runs a major Ywam ministry to lead them. He turned them down 3 times, on the 4th time he was going to refuse again but prayed and had a 3-4hour visitation from God who basically said Ywam had better be imvolved.
85% of the world missionaries come under these 17 mission networks. They asked Ywam to offer training, but we are not ready to train business, hollywood etc. We are behind except for the Koreans who have developed Ywam training for businessmen. Basically Loren realised from Call2All that Ywam has to run to catch up.
Darlene again, romans 12 - we need radical faith & obedience. We are having our minds transformed, and we are rethinking what we see as a missionary as YWAM moves into the secular spheres of influence. But we will know what God's will is if we obey & are transformed.
Respect the gifts of God in each other, live in unity. We often end up in front of Kings & Prime Ministers and we have grown a lot and gotten more organised, but we need to keep sober judgement.
Btw, the latest american idol is a YWAMmer.

Celebrate!

The chinese prayer running across the map of the world.




























I think she's korean








Praise time afterwards..I danced Jewish style in a ring with several Mongolian women, they had no idea but were enthusiastic.
And more prayer...i enjoyed seeing chinese pray for white people, its rare to see because its often white missionaries over Asians.













This is two Vietnamese pastors and a German.

Commitments in mission

The 2000+ organisations here have collectively commited to establishing 118000 houses of 24/7 prayer, each unengaged people group has had several groups choose to adopt them. They are aiming for 2 million churchplants and 1 billion new christians.
If even half of these are followed through by 2020 every unengaged (no missionaries among them) mega-ethnicity will have people working among them to share the gospel.
Hilariously people who were unfortunate enough to book into the same hotels as conference attendees have had the gospel shared with them...one couple who had come on a romantic getaway, came to Christ, were invited to the night meetings, were last seen praying over the world map on thailand where the wife is from and now they've flown already to Thailand to share with their family.
I saw one of the chinese pastors with his bible out sharing with one of the waitresses at this convention centre...Ahh, what happens when you collect this many evangelists in one place.
When I first saw the goals that this conference had committed to, I must admit I was a little sceptical...but then I thought about the huge populations of India & China and how they are now sending missionariea and planting churches. When you look at the church of Acts and how rapidly the gospel spread from just a few with the Diaspora of the Jews, it doesn't seem so unlikely...because they were up against much worse odds.

How to give communion to 3000 people?

Church-planting

International Mission Board - church planting principles
India- Jay & team who have planted 5000 churches already.
Church- planting: how do you get into it?
Realise the huge need
Seek out mentors
Take retreats to seek out God and evaluate
Work in teams- find forefront regional leaders, agree on actions
Strategise
Customised Training
Partner with other churches & missions

How to accelerate church planting?
You can do more than you think -Eph 3:20

Then they asked how many churches you
think your team can plant before 2020.
Kenya-100
Mongolia- 15-45
South America- 1000 hopefully (obviously some teams are bigger than others)
The vietnamese pastors on the table I'm sitting at are debating accountability etc
I'm pretty sure here church does not mean building, it means small meeting.

Jackie Pullinger -setting captives free

Said that someone earlier asked her what's the secret to her anointing in work with addicts...there is no secret it's days of awfulness & beauty
Someone asked her for advice on what's the next step in their ministry to prostitutes after making friends... Jackie says it's telling them you will be around for the next 50 years. They need a friend who sticks around for all the times they fall. And for their fatherless child and family pressure.
She says many people hear testimonies that they became Christian and instantly were delivered... But then they expect that the same will happen for them but they may fall...and what they need to hear is that God will be there for you anyway.
Jesus' solutions were individualised when people came to him. People who come to work with addicts realise they're in the same
Process of transformation.
2 samuel 13- tamar- covering her shame
100% of addicts start cause of hurt & shame. Later on they have shame of what they've done because of addiction- manipulation etc to get drugs.
So if some fall & others don't...Don't be judgemental, you have no idea what went into their lives before.




Now we're hearing testimonies...this kid is now 19, he's been in jail, sold drugs, he started taking at 11. His probation officer gave him a choice of prison or God's family. Now he's been living with them for 2 years.





This guy was given the same choice...and as he went through withdrawals they prayed with him in tongues and as he prayed the symptoms of withdrawal alleviated. The ministry prays for 10 days straight in tongues over addicts going through withdrawals.
Drugs aren't the problem, they're a symptom of heart problems. Addicts need a family, not just counselling. Root problems come often from parental neglect, demonic worship & cults, generational sin. Deut 11:27-28, deut 18, exodus 20.
A lot of male addicts have problems with unhealthy maternal relationships and being neglected & unbonded with their Mum.
Drug abuse can be triggered off by some kind of stress.
When a male addict is going through withdrawal, its better to have women around cause they're not a challenge to fight.
Western kids are taught to sit around & express themselves. Eastern kids do not have the culture or languge to express themselves. But as Christians in worship they will.
The silk road is also the opium road, so if we're going to walk the silk road we'll meet addicts.
Solutions: admit you have a problem
and need help. Ask God for healing. Need a safe place - no razors, ciggarettes etc. Need minimum 3 people to help- one to sit within touching distance of the addict, one to answer the door etc, one to sleep and this goes on for min 10 days. If the addict tries excuses to get out, don't talk with the old self, just distract them. Then they are moved to live in a family style housing. Later if they fall, and they admit it, its good that they are being honest. Its if they lie then there's problems.
What about boundaries? Jackie says let God determine your boundaries...people said she would burn out & those who said it have left. Take time out if you can, but if someone needs help then do it.

The New Mennonite Fashion

New Fashion

They issued facemasks today...

Another lighted map

Chinese representatives are standing on a giant map of the silk road where there are unreached peoples and they've lit glo sticks starting at Hk and ending in Jerusalem. They're walking and praying over it.



Now I think the chinese have all gone to find their hometowns to pray over it.

Role Of Prayer

International House Of Prayer
What role does prayer & worship have in the great commission?
(i missed the first half but I think he said something about intimacy & prayer leading us to see Jesus' true worth and then we can't help but go out to make him known)
We need the worship of Asia to join the saints...when they do they can double the missions force of the world in a day.
Revelations 14- when they see the lamb of God they can not help but sing a NEW song..
We work so that nations like Burma, Japan, Zimbabwe will see Jesus and sing a new song.
Revelations ends with the words 'come', 'maranatha' and any who see Jesus will come to Him.

Mongolian Pastors

This morning I was at a discussion table with an Indian Wycliffe guy, two Mongolian pastors and a HongKong businessman who also does prison ministry talking about most effective evangelism methods.
I found the mongolians most interesting because I hadn't met many before but they said there are over 400 churches in mongolia now all with one vision- 10% of the country being Christians by 2020. Their biggest need was leadership training so they could send out more teams.

Back to Jerusalem

Thomas Wang - leader of the Back To Jerusalem movement- important as he speaks for the vision of many chinese christians:
The great commission needs the East & West to work together and the two generations to work together. The Chinese intend to re-evangelise the West.
I hadn't realised he has been in talks with the major missions for so long..he quoted Billy Graham at the Lausanne Conference 'the whole church preach the whole bible to the whole world'

Can we finish the great commission in our lifetime?

Steve Douglas-campus crusade head honcho
Believes that yes we can:
- mainly because God commanded it so it must be doable
-since 1984 the church has stepped up worldwide in prayer with movements like Ihop, 24/7 prayer etc
- mission agencies are working together like never before e.g Ywam & Imb (southern baptists) are probably the most opposite in styles, but imb have offered Ywam all their church planting resources.
-ministries getting more fruitful e.g Wycliffe 10 years ago took 13 years to translate enough of the bible to start a church, now it takes 2 years

Hudson Taylors legacy

Now Mimi Taylor, wife of James Taylor of the 5th generation of the Taylor family is singing in chinese. It's been great to see that 1/3rd of this conference is mainland chinese. There's a giant map of the world broken down into unreached people on floor.



And some vietnamese pastors praying over their country.

Call2All Conference

Starting today, this is a massive missions conference in hongkong with huge names in missions speaking & i will be updating daily...
I'm watching a british business man now officially repenting to the large numbers of chinese present for the actions of the british east india company in the opium wars, the boxer rebellion & in introducing free- masonry to China. Powerful stuff. Chinese christian leaders are now accepting the apologising & sharing how some of them had hated foreigners and politicians after watching their parents treatment...till they became Christians.