KONA I.T.

Missions. What is it? Can you be a missionary even though your career, drive, giftings, passions, etc. aren't for preaching, singing, and teaching the bible? Check out this website: Kona I.T.

The Kona I.T. department is all about serving missions globally with information systems and technology. As you might imagine, every organization in the 21st Century has a huge need for people gifted with computer skills, whether programming or otherwise. As a result, one family came to the University of the Nations over 3 years ago to build an IT department that could support the campus. Chong Ho and Kris Won (and their three young children) left their 8000 square foot home in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., and began volunteering (making no money) for the University of the Nations. In the past 3 years he has built a department of 12 people, implemented several new systems, all of which communicate together, and developed a global vision that is amazing and God glorifying!

The picture above is of a computer lab that one of his team put together in South Africa. Now, the IT Department is looking to build additional labs all around the world. Why? Because they can put these labs into impoverished communities, teaching computer and job skills to the people, and help the local people develop skills that will bring prosperity to their communities. Meanwhile, they will be sharing Christ with the people and giving them an ability to improve the quality of their lives while teaching them about eternal life, joy, and hope.

Now, most of the year, the people who serve as IT professionals at the University of the Nations in Kona will be working on the big Island of Hawaii doing exactly what they may be doing now, developing and maintaining software and systems for businesses, but, as God directs, they will also take those skills to places like South Africa, Fiji, other African nations, China, and other places around the globe. This is an amazing vision that we can all get excited about. (John and Jeff Parker, what do you think???!!!)

Please pray for Chong Ho and his team. As you look at their website, consider whether you could support them. Remember that many of these professionals could make in one hour of consulting in the states their staff fees for one month of food here in Kona ($250.00). Yet, they have given up that kind of income to come and support the work of the Great Commission here and are now working solely as volunteers. Also, if you have computer skills at all, consider coming to Kona and participate in the IT Discipleship Training School that will begin in January. When it may be 30 degrees or lower wherever you are, it will be 80 here.

SAHARAWI PEOPLE GROUP

The Saharawi people are one of the least reached people groups as determined by the Joshua Project (http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=108512&rog3=MO). Originally, the Saharawi were desert nomads who traveled by camel. Today, they can be found in the desert in southern Morocco, in the Western Sahara region, in the North of Mauritania, in Algerian refugee camps, and in the Canary Islands. A sub-group of the Moors, they are of mixed Berber, Arab, and black African descent. Some Saharawi are herdsmen, others are traders, and still others are warriors. However, all speak an Arabic dialect called Hassaniya and Spanish. In addition, their religion, way of life, and dress are Arabic in flavor and style.

They are Islamic in belief, but have more openness to other beliefs than many Islamic adherents. It is unknown how many, if any, evangelical Christians there are among the Saharawi. They live in a culture of war as there is a longstanding conflict between Morocco and the Saharawi people.

The map below will show you the area of Africa where most of the Saharawi live.

Now, why am I writing about the Saharawi? Well, one of the professors here at the University of the Nations, Robert Evans (not the Bob Evans of restaurant fame) has been asked to attend a conference of Saharawi Imams in Algeria. Imam means leader, and the religious Imams are the religious leaders of an Islamic people. Please understand the significance of this. Robert has been asked as a Christian Bible teacher (he teaches Greek and Hebrew here) to come and present the story of the Book (then entire OT and NT) as seen through a Christian's eyes, with Christ as the focus. They want to hear from a Christian about the God of their "Father, Abraham." Robert also speaks Spanish.

This is taking place November 11-13 in Algeria. Here's the deal. All missions here in YWAM are individually supported and support raised. Robert not only is having to raise the money to go to Algeria, but he also has to raise money to provide a substitute Greek teacher while he is gone. A substitute (who also is a missionary) has already agreed to come, but Robert needs money or frequent flier miles to buy a plane ticket for the substitute and money for his trip, as well. I am asking you to consider sending support for this incredible opportunity! I am trying to help him find his way there for this amazing opportunity.

Can you imagine?? A Christian teaching the Bible to 150 "priests/pastors" of the Islamic faith in a people group considered to be one of the least reached people groups in the world? In addition, this is a people group burdened with war and political unrest, ripe for finding the one true Mediator and Reconciliation that Jesus Christ alone can bring!

If you would like to give to this cause, buying a plane ticket, buying part of a plane ticket or any such gift, please contact me and I will provide details as to how you can do so.

Every Thursday night at the U of N we have a worship celebration, complete with teaching. Last night Paul and Susi Childers spoke about their ministry to be voices for the voiceless. Our hearts were touched by God's Spirit as they spoke of the horrors faced by women and children around the world.

Because of their work as missionaries they have learned of many travesties and injustices around the globe and God led them to produce a prayer booklet as well as other media to help raise the consciousness of the Church about these issues. The prayer booklet starts with a forward from Loren Cunningham, a part of which says:

"A few years ago, I was asked the question, “What will be the greatest global challenge as we enter the 21st Century?” You may think of war, terrorism, famine, AIDS and a number of other colossal needs, which all surely qualify. But among the most serious issues is gender injustice – the abuse and suppression of women. Why? Because it is the biggest, most far reaching, and most hidden.The Church needs to take a stand, the Church needs to raise its voice, the Church needs to pray and act, because God’s heart breaks over gender injustice.”

The Childers write further: The global abuse and suppression of women must stop. We must pray and act! The booklet is a tool that will enable you to begin to engage in helping solve this colossal challenge that the world faces in the 21st century. Our goal is to mobilize 100,000 people to pray for 5 minutes each day for 30 days for these issues. If successful we will have raised 28.5 years worth of prayer! In addition this book will enable you to hit the streets and become a voice for the voiceless.

I began praying this morning with Day 1 of the Booklet. It was on child prostitution.

Can you imagine being so poor and being unable to feed your family so that you consider selling your daughters into prostitution to raise money? Not only do you then have one less mouth to feed, but you also are given money to help with the remaining family members. There are many communities where such a choice is faced often.

To learn more about this incredible ministry, to order booklets, and to send donations to this please click here: http://www.photogenx.net/index.htm

This is us with the Wicks family, Ben, Angie, Sam and Katie. The lovely beach you see is Hapuna. We went there with them back in early August, while we were praying over whether to come back to Kona or not. They also are the family that are letting us use their car during our stay here while they minister in Fiji. Please pray for them as they are seeing fruit to their ministry as you will see below!!!

The Wicks are, as I type this, in their third week of serving as missionaries to the island of Fiji. They and several others from their Discipleship Training School were called to serve for two months there. While I am here doing boring stuff like talking to attorneys and other administrative matters for the University, they are serving our Lord Jesus in Fiji. I just received this update from their team there.

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka from the CDTS Fiji outreach team!

We have just finished our second week of ministry here in Fiji. What follows is our first official update containing a general summary of what we have been up to and what God is doing in and through us on our outreach so far. The first week of our outreach was spent connecting with our contacts here, spending some time in orientation meetings with them, and beginning our outreach ministries.

Our main contacts here are Vini and Lomani Gaunavinaka (recently arrived from Kona), Tress Rokodovu (a YWAMer and local Fijian), and "Pastor Mike" (pastor of one of the local Assembly of God churches here and coined as the Loren Cunningham of Fiji).

Our ministry to this point has been focused in several different areas:

Lautoka Prison - We have been sending a small team of people each day with Pastor Mike to the men's prison here. They have basically been running a mini-DTS for a group of the inmates there. Last week, 18 of the 21 men either accepted Christ for the first time or recommited their lives to Him.

Lautoka Hospital - We have been sending a team of six people to the hospital about three days each week to talk to and pray for the patients there. On Friday, two of the men we prayed for recommited their lives to Christ. Today, we went into the children's ward to sing songs for the kids and pray for them and their parents. It was a very touching time.

After-School Program - On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we run an after-school program at the home of Vini and Lomani for about 20 children between ages 8-12. We spend about 45 minutes helping them with their homework, another 45 minutes playing games down the street at a field, and another 30 minutes singing songs and learning Scripture verses.

Village Ministry - On Thursdays we send a large team to a nearby village which is situated next to the garbage dump. This is a time where we spend time with the adults and children...talking, playing, singing, etc.

Prostitute Ministry - On weekend nights, some of the women go out on the streets and witness to the prositutes and transvestites that hang out there.

Tomorrow we are sending a team of eight to one of the mountain villages for six days. Also, we are currently compiling more specific stories and testimonies and will send those in a later update.

Current prayer requests include: Health for several team members who are struggling physically, Protection and unity for the team travelling to the mountain village this week, Continued guidance from God on our ministry here.

God bless! Ben Wicks and the CDTS Fiji Team

I must start carrying my camera so that I will have pictures to go with these stories. Today at lunch I met Jack. In fact, I ate lunch with Jack from Thailand and Paul from Canada. Jack is the only student here from Thailand. He is a part of the Compassion DTS. He will be studying Discipleship and Missions for the next three months and then traveling for two months to Africa to work with children afflicted by the AIDS epidemic.

Jack is from a village in Northwest Thailand. His entire family is Buddhist. When he was in college in Bangkok, he met some Christians from Atlanta, Georgia who were a part of Campus Outreach. They came to the University when he was a freshman, but he avoided them when he learned they were there to tell people about Jesus. When they returned the next year, he saw their joy and he thought he could at least practice his English. So, he got to know them.

In the course of the time of getting to know them, they asked him if he thought he needed Jesus. He realized that he did. With their leadership, he asked Christ into his life. After college, he would travel two hours to Bangkok to go to church because there were no churches in his community. His dad still doesn't know he is a Christian. He now is continuing his growth and education here in Kona, preparing to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to Africa.

It is humbling to see a young man willing to forsake his family, his community and his country for the cause of Christ. He has given up much to follow Jesus, but to see his excitement and humility was inspiring. Pray for Jack as he continues to learn what it means to follow Jesus and for his ministry to the families he will be meeting in Africa. As I learn more about where all the Compassion DTS will be going I will write more.

MORE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS

Check out this link: http://onestory.org/Partners. This is a strategic mission partnership between the IMB, YWAM, Wycliffe, Campus Crusade, and TransWorld Radio. David Hamilton, the U of N Provost, is the liaison for YWAM to One Story, and he is based here in Kona. Dr. Grant Lovejoy and Avery Willis, both with the IMB, are orality experts who are helping drive the partnership as well, and they have been to the U of N multiple times this year. You can read more about it at the attached pdf, which contains the quarterly magazine of the U of N: http://www.uofnkona.edu/Transformations/pdfs/Summer2006.pdf

WHAT ALL IS HAPPENING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS?

One example of an exciting to ministry tool is the continuing development of 4K. The map below, difficult to see because I've taken a shrunken sample for this post, is an example of what 4K will enable missionaries to do when they are determining their strategic focus.

The International Coordinator of 4K for Youth With a Mission, Dustin Barrington, defines it this way: “4k” is a global information system that uses databases and maps to visually represent where we are, and more importantly, where we are NOT... in our progress toward reaching the entire world with the Gospel. By helping the different parts of the Body of Christ to understand how they relate to one another 4k creates a foundation for global partnership, strategy development and mobilization.

How does "4k" work? “4k” is a tool that uses political boundaries, population and the availability of the gospel to divide the entire world into 4,379 “4k zones.” - Where the gospel is widely available, 4k zones have a limit of 9 million in population.- Where the gospel is partially available, 4k zones have a limit of 6 million in population.- Where the gospel is not available, 4k zones have a limit of 3 million in population. 4k zones use the recognized boundaries that the nations of the world have established for their own administrative levels (e.g. country, states, provinces, regions, etc). By using existing geopolitical boundaries, 4k is able to make huge amounts of ‘public access’ research and statistics easily accessible to Christians in a highly visual and interactive format. There are currently over 200 pieces of statistical and demographic data available for each 4k zone through a cutting edge web-based dynamic map generation tool developed by the 4k team.

“Go into ALL the world” 4k includes the entire world while gently focusing on where the gospel is needed most. 4k visually represents reality in a way that causes us to perceive things that have previously escaped our attention. 4k is a tool that helps us, as the Body of Christ, to work together to fulfill the ‘Great Commission.’ See..See the world in a new way...the way it really is...Pray...Pray therefore to the Lord of the Harvest... to send laborers into His harvest fields...Hear...Hear from God about how to respond... “ here am I, send me…”GO!“ Go into all the world…” “Go and make disciples…” 4kA visual tool… communicating God’s vision… to a visual generation…

For more about 4K go to http://www.ywam4k.org and http://beta.ywam4k.org. The work in progress at the beta site is still "in progress." But it will give you an idea of the work being done and what is to come. Check it out and let me know what you think!

COUNTING JUST A FEW BLESSINGS When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.\ Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. So, amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be disheartened, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

We have been praying for a car for use while we are here at the University of the Nations. We had the use of someone else's car for our first week here and had to return it this evening. So, after doing much asking around, trying to find a way to borrow someone else's car, rent a car, or buy a "junker," we were prepared to try to buy one today as nothing else had panned out. We hoped that we could buy something that wouldn't have mechanical issues and that we could ultimately resell at the end of our stay here in December.

The power of prayer and the medium of blogging is amazing. A young lady in Canada had seen both our blog and the blog of Ben and Angie Wicks, from Seattle, Washington (http://www.wicksadventure.blogspot.com/). Ben and Angie have been here at the U of N since June, in the Crossroads DTS. We met them when we were here in July and have communicated with them ever since. They purchased a car when they arrived and were going to try to resell it now that they are leaving for Fiji on a two-month mission outreach with their two young children, Sam (6) and Katie (4). Recently, she emailed Ben and Angie that we needed a car, because she knew that they were trying to sell theirs. She had no idea that we already knew each other and that God was already moving in our hearts toward sharing the car! But her email also reminded the Wicks to see if we might be able to help them with the car.

Today, just as I was about to go to a used car dealer to buy a car, Ben called me and asked whether Tara and I could use the car in exchange for being the contact person for people who wanted to buy the car. That seemed like a good answer to prayer, because it would provide us a car free of charge for at least a little while until something more permanent could come along. It is a nice 2002 White PT Cruiser. He told me the details of what he was asking and hoping to get for it, but said that he felt like it would be hard to resell it here because of the limited number of people on the island (there are only about 150,000 people on the entire Big Island of Hawaii).

As soon as we got off the phone, God spoke to me directly and gave me an idea, telling me to call Ben right back. So, I did. I told Ben that I wasn't sure if this would be a good idea to him, but that I thought it would be perfect for us if we simply used his car for all three months and then paid to have the car shipped to Seattle, where the Wicks are from, so that they could have the car for sale in the Seattle market. He said he liked the idea, but that he wanted to think and pray about it.

After prayerful consideration, the deal was struck. God provided the Rileys a much nicer car than they felt they could afford (and it even has air conditioning!!) at a price that will be less than anything else than they could have done short of having a car gifted to them. Add to that the fact that yesterday I received a phone call from one of our friends telling me he wanted to send us a check that will be the amount of shipping for the vehicle!!!

Ben gave me the keys to the car at 5 p.m., as they were leaving for Fiji. I gave Dawn Gauslin the keys to her car just an hour later. Tonight we rejoiced in this blessing by taking all five of us on a drive around Kona and finishing with a piece of mud pie right by the ocean.

In addition to the car, Tara today was given sheets, pillows, floor rugs, a fan, books, decorations, and a multitude of other nice gifts by the Wicks and Nick and Jen Greener, another young couple leaving today for Fiji with their two children. We were truly overwhelmed with many blessings of things we really weren't prepared to buy but that will be very useful to our family.

Please pray for the Greeners and the Wicks as they travel to Fiji over the next 24 hours. Please pray that their families will not eat or drink anything that will be harmful to their bodies over the next 2 months and that God will protect them from all disease. Pray that they will bear joyfully the gospel of Christ every where they go, demonstrating God's love to the people of Fiji. Pray also that the Greeners and the Wicks will know where the Lord is leading them after their outreach to Fiji. The Wicks feel led to work with college students, but they have no idea what that might mean. The Greeners desire to go overseas to staff a YWAM base, but they don't know where God is leading them. There are probably 20-25 others with them; pray for the entire team. And praise God for His faithfulness to us. He is truly AMAZING!

GOD USES "LIBERALS" LIKE WADE BURLESON, TOO Some of you may be reading my blog for the first time. Please allow me this first paragraph to catch you up to speed on our family's lives. We recently left our careers as an attorney and an occupational therapist to enter the mission field with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) http://www.ywam.org/. As a result, we are now in Kona, Hawaii, at the University of the Nations, http://www.uofnkona.edu/, serving as operational support for the University campus through the end of this year. If you read more of my posts below you will see some of the amazing things God has done in our lives as He has taken us on this journey. This is actually our second time to the U of N, as we first came to learn about YWAM during the month of July 2006. Also, you can go to our website, at http://www.fjministries.com/, and see our mission, newsletters (http://www.fjministries.com/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,36/task,cat_view/gid,18/) and other information about us. This post, however, is dedicated to explaining who was one of the key people God used to help us find God's way for our lives. That person was none other than Wade Burleson, the pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma. Although some may criticize Wade or wonder about his commitment to missions and evangelism, I can attest to the mighty ways in which God uses men like Wade based on my personal experience. Not only have I seen him witness to a waiter in a restaurant at the drop of a hat, I also know he is committed to helping young men and women like my wife and me succeed as we transition into the mission field. Along my journey over the past 6-9 months I have twice asked Wade for specific counsel. He has become somewhat of a mentor to me after first meeting him while I was serving on a pastor search team. He struck me as being a man of God's word, of strong conviction and leadership skills, and of great and passionate grace. I've been blessed to visit his church and his home, as well as to spend many hours listening to his sermons via the intranet. The first time I sought his counsel was simply an email message in passing. I knew he was very busy with the Southern Baptist Convention approaching and all that was being said in the blog world. I hated to bother him. So, several months ago I sent him an email that said little more than, if you were going to consider going into the mission field, what organizations would you recommend? His brief email response named three organizations, the first of which was YWAM. It struck an odd but good chord within me as I had known a couple of families who had ventured out with YWAM and who recommended it highly. At that point, I didn't even know if I was really being called to missions, seminary, or just a different job than the one I was working as an attorney. Fast forward to August 4, 2006, the last Friday I was set to be in Hawaii this summer, and the Friday upon which I was called by Loren Cunningham, the Founder of YWAM, at 6:45 a.m. to consider some special projects for him. We (Tara and me) were overwhelmed by the request and had already planned to do something completely different. We simply wanted to return to NW Arkansas, take 3 months to build support, and then go to a discipleship training school within YWAM to learn how to become missionaries. We had no grandiose plans or desire to take on any new responsibilities. We were already overwhelmed with the changes we were making and did not believe we had the strength to do anything else. In essence, we said "no." But, at Loren's request, we committed to consider the request in prayer and specifically knew that if God truly wanted us to take on this new request that we would need a very clear answer from Him. On that Friday, I emailed a dozen or so men who are close friends and counselors. Wade was one of those men. My family then took the weekend to see the Big Island of Hawaii for the first time by renting a car for the weekend (we had been on foot at the YWAM base prior to that time). During that weekend of fun and relaxation we didn't talk much about it, but we prayed. I had also requested in my email that my counselors would pray and seek God's word for us. On Monday, August 7th, I then began calling some of those who were praying for us. I called Wade right in the middle of a marriage counseling session, so he then called me back later. Our discussion was incredible. He didn't overspiritualize things and ask me questions like "have you prayed," or "what verses of scripture have you looked at." Instead, he immediately went to the bottom line and asked how would God provide financially for such a venture (because all positions in YWAM are support based only and not paid any compensation), and what my wife, Tara, felt. Both of those practical concerns basically advised against making such a move from our plans. I was, frankly, relieved, because at that point was much more comfortable with our plan. We also discussed other aspects of the "job" such as "fit" with my strengths, etc. In sum, I was thinking that I had been given great advice and that such advice fit well with what I was already thinking, which was to continue on with our plan and not take on this new opportunity Loren Cunningham had presented us. (So, of course, it sounded like great advice (smile)). Moreover, Wade noted that God was interested in my heart, and that unless I heard a clear word from God to take a particular path, so long as my heart was in the right place, the place of obeying and following Him no matter the call, then I couldn't make a "wrong" choice. There is always a "but." So.... BUT, then we prayed together. After we prayed, Wade asked me a question that I thought was odd. I assumed he must have gone back to discussing the financial realities of returning to Hawaii, if I were to undertake Loren's opportunity. He asked what it had cost my family of 5 to get to Hawaii. I was thinking to myself, I'm not sure it really matters now, because I'm pretty much not thinking at all of returning. But, I told him that our tickets were almost $800 per person. He then brought me to a burst of uncontrollable tears with this statement: "Bryan, I really don't think it matters at all which choice you make, and I won't be concerned at all about either choice, but, if you do decide to return to Hawaii to work with Loren, know that I've got your family's plane tickets." You see, at this point, we had not asked anyone for a dime. I wasn't asking people for money. I simply wanted to get back home, be able to explain what our mission and plans were, and then start raising support. We had undertaken all the expenses for making this transition and exploratory venture in July, and we really hadn't fully committed yet in a way that seemed fair to ask people for support. Meanwhile, I'm praying that God would give us a clear sign that He was calling us. And, here I am, talking to Wade Burleson, a man whom I knew through a pastor search team process, but not in any way where we had been in ministry together, and suddenly am being offered a gift of several thousand dollars. The fear that overtook my comfort was overwhelming to the point of a multitude of tears running down my face. I felt as though God must have spoken audibly through Wade at that moment. Then the fear of telling my wife hit me. You see, earlier that day she had told me that this still wasn't even on her radar screen and I had agreed. So, I simply cried. Poor Wade, who was still on the other end of the phone, as I tried to blubber my way to good bye. I'll never forget walking in to tell Tara and her looking at me and saying: "What is wrong with you?" It makes me laugh even now, because it wasn't with that concerned look on her face she said it. She knew I had been talking to some of the people I had emailed, so to the extent she was concerned it was more about whether I was actually considering taking Loren up on his offer, not about any reason I might be crying. Then, one by one, nearly all of the other men I called felt that God was moving us toward returning to Hawaii. And, through the nudges of the Holy Spirit (and I think for the first time in our marriage without me trying to persuade), Tara saw that it was a part of the plan for us, too. And, so, we returned just 6 days ago to the University of the Nations and have been so blessed throughout this journey of faith and obedience. Thank you to all of the men who prayed for and counseled me throughout this process. You blessed my family tremendously. Thank you to Alan Cross, Kevin McCollum, Kevin Bussey, Mike Roberts, Robby Bader, Rob Husong, David Roth, David Price, Bill Barley, Bryan McKinney, James Cooper, John Ray, David Spruell, Wade Burleson, Paul Burleson, Kevin Sanders, HD McCarty, Jim Hightower, Jim Nizza, Andy Huddleston, Steve Pulliam, and Jody Farrell. Okay, that was more than a dozen, but praise the Lord there is success with many advisers! (Proverbs 15:22).