Another Cowboy Missionary! ~ ~ ~ ~ Trip To Moldova Part 5.

Mix could speak English and told us that he had been playing Country & Western (i.e. Cowboy Music) in the Saint Petersburg clubs, when he accepted Christ as his savior. Later I explained, even to Pat, as he was a generation younger than I that there was Tom Mix the famous Movie star called “The Singing Sheriff’ crossing over from silent screen into “The Talkies”. (See Olive Stokes Mix’s Bio of “The Fabulous Tom Mix)”

We became friends with him and gave him some of the books. Before we left, we traded telephone numbers with him and promised to stay in touch. A couple months later, he called and told us that he was going to be in Minsk and would like to see us. He had contacted the WOF office and they were going to give him some more books, for his outreach down south.

Down South … … … I have to throw this in here.

The Wife of my youth, when she came back with me in 1995 and I had learned our Survival Russian with apparently the local Accent, as there was not any laughing, when we tried. Even to questioning us about saying, that we did not understand Russian. The boys told Pat and me, on our way back to Minsk that the Russian spoken in Moldova had a different sound to it, compared to that in Belarus. Pat and I noticed that and referred to them having a Southern Accent. Of course, we had to explain the different … almost dialects spoken in the States.

I am not sure when ‘Caller ID’ came out here in the States, Nevertheless, Never seeing it before at home, I was impressed to see our hostess and her son look at the telephone to check who was calling before answering it. That was the only area seen and only in Chisinau that the former USSR was ahead of us in technology.

Our hostess, as I wrote about earlier, made sure we were home in the evening or made sure we knew to go about getting there, when we wanted to continue with what we were doing at “Sun Down”. She parked her car in a garage she had rented, as you did not leave your vehicle on the streets if you wanted to keep it whole!

We never question what she did during those hours and she never spoke about it herself.

One evening (Apparently a night off.) as we all were having dinner; she started questioning Pat and I about our calling and finally around to our families, as the boys interpreted for us. She was ok with Pat’s wife and family being in Minsk and we would be returning within the week. Nevertheless, when she found out that my wife was in the States and I had committed to three to six months of being there, (It wound up to being four.) she really got into the Questioning. She wanted to know what was wrong, and I had to work hard at convincing her that we were happily married, with Pat confirming what I said. Best be it known to you, that I was extra sure of never being alone with her. Pat teased me about it several times and back in Minsk, we could laugh about it. It sure was not funny at the time.

We had accomplished quite a bit and were satisfied that the mission was fulfilled and that our successful quests for contacts were made for the Saws eventual return.


Our hostess took us to the train Station and we thank her with additional cash. We said our good byes with a handshake and we boarded for our twenty-two hour return to Minsk, as I was relieved.



Next week More Ministry in Minsk.



Be blessed, 1 ©2008

Cowboy Missionary Activities

Loved Of The LORD, as I go along I will drop in different activities that a Cowboy Missionary find themselves doing, this post being one. You might find this bizarre, yet it makes a general point to what follows.

While ministering in our own ‘Hood’ (Neighborhood back Home) some of the homeboys would tell me that they were going to a different town to get away from the influence of their peers and the supply of their addiction that was always stumbling them. Nevertheless, when I would see them months or years later, I would hear the same stories repeatedly. Finding themselves in a different place it was only hours, if not minutes that they would hook up with the same type of crowd.

This must be typical with almost any kind or type of crowd. Missionaries are not any different, especially when the turf is open, thirsty, and hungry. The former USSR having been closed to any Spiritual happening for, … (what was it, … 80 years?) was really open to any Preacher, Mystic or Charlatan that had a god type message. One could spot the SLC Boys, even without their bicycles. They were there on ‘Humanitarian Aid’ Visas.

The Saws being there less than a year had already made connections with several evangelical groups. When I arrived on the scene, they were in the process of setting up a conglomerate organization to pool information, mostly on how to thread the needle of Belarusian Bureaucracies and use the different resources that were available.

It was amazing to see how Baptists, Pentecostals, Word Of Faith, Salvation Army and several others including the “NonDenom-Denomination” that I wrote about earlier were coming together to Publish The Good News, of course in their own flavors. Hadley being somewhat affiliated with them, back home and Pat had hooked up with their Minsk Church and were all a part of it. It was working Great and The Ministries were contributing, mostly on how to go about registering with the (Government Agency) ‘Ministry Of Religious Affairs’. The SLC crowd had it figured out at the get go, as to skipping the Missions Registration and starting out with the Humanitarian Aid premise, and almost (If Not Outright) covertly introducing their Doctrine with their dispersing of aid. While discussing this during a meeting, it appeared as a possible way of skirting around the Biggest Hurdles and propagating The Gospel!

Soon there were containers coming in on a regular bases, and Pat somehow had us plugged in to the un-loading and stocking of clothes, foodstuffs and Medicine and in turn we partook of some of it to help in our Ministries. Everyone was generous and blessed to share!

Keep in mind that this was working great for the four months I was there. Yet for a closing note on this post; when my wife and I returned the following year, we found out that the ND-Denom had pulled out of the “Ministry Organization”, because Word Of Faith were a part of it! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face, I was incredulous! The prejudice that was in The States finally made it self known in Belarus! How Sad!

OK Next week, some stories about the different ministries in action. i. e. Some Good News!

©2008

Missions: Hands On Training!

It must have been early evening when our train left Moscow, because I believe, it was early morning when we got to Minsk. Hadley and his crew were there to escort Ulia and to meet me, and Patrick and his family along with the gang that they had assembled to whisk me off to the Belarusian Daily happenings after I thanked Ulia for all the help..

The Saws had continued their domestic ministry of inviting people back in the States , mostly young men and women, around fifteen to twenty+ year olds, to their home even here in Minsk. After every Bible study there was always refreshments that ranged from different kinds of fruits to some times even big sausages that they would boil then serve hot later in the evening. You could watch them put on weight, especially the young men, as the economy was in hyper state of inflation and the Saws were partakers in ‘Seedtime and Harvest’ (Gen. 8:22) or sowing & reaping (2Cor. 9:6 & Gal. 6:7) depending on what Scripture you would explain their prosperity.

Their Children were impressed that they were living from the Giving that was generated from the limited deputation they generated. It was coming in regular intervals from diversified sources. Baptist Churches, Assembly Of God Congregations and different Friends, Relatives and Spiritual Associations involved in their support! Talk about The Body Of Christ being in one accord, and it was phenomenal in their situations.

So many times in The States, you would find the different factions warring with one another, because of Doctrine, Perspectives and Petty Dogmatic Beliefs.

Patrick was in charge of the design for the ministries per se. Buying Russian new testaments, tracts and what ever was needed. Jamie has told me that she kept track of monies, that were coming in and I know she was influential in the specifics of how it was being spent and getting done. She told me that they were functioning fully on about $500 USD a month, including, housing, food, Ministry and social travel and entertainment, that always included those who were being ministered to. All of that along with Visas and what ever it took to function in the bureaucracies of the strange laws and double standards of the former USSR. It does not take you long to learn to partake of the national economy and prices for the Locals when you are working on a limited income. There always seem to be enough!

Speaking about their economy, Inflation was so bad that they had added invisible Zeros to the only currency that was printed. It changed at least 3 times during those four months I was there. The 100-ruble bill was 1,000 rubles and before I left, I think it was a hundred thousand rubles, even tho it had only two zeros printed on it. The locals changed what money, oh yea some of my Russian is coming back. They exchanged their not needed ‘Dingy’ into $USD so it hung onto is value. I was still able to go to the Opera, Ballet, Circus and other forms of entertainment for the equivalent of an American dime. Jamie always seem to have some project lined up for the “Youth Ministry” and since I was a part of the Ministry, I also got an adequate education in ‘Culture” that I would not ever had at home. The following year my wife and I had to pay $1USD for the same thing, they had printed bigger denomination bills, and the invisible Zeros had disappeared. She was so pleased to having seen so many Operas and Ballets by the best professionals of those countries. Jamie was still at work educating the poor and providing some interesting outings!

BTW! Their bills look like Monopoly money and when I commented about it, I was told that a toy manufacturer had printed it for them. The following year it did look a little more sophisticated though.

Another step of Faith, the Saws were walking in, was they believed GOD to be their ‘Great Physician’, as not having any kind of medical plan, even if you had it, trusting their medical facilities in the former USSR, would have been a quantum Leap of Faith in itself. I was told that years ago their youngest daughter fell out of a hi-Chair and her shoulder was thrown out of joint. It was terribly painful and it took a hospital visit to get it back in shape. While playing in one of the many parks and thru a little horse play, her shoulder jumped out of place again. They knew what it was from their previous experience. Even with the grotesque look of the situation, she did not seem to be in much pain and this former Baptist, Now Bapticostal man laid hands on his daughter with the rest of the family in agreement and watched GOD restore it to its proper place.

Having a part in his Mentoring, the only thing better for me than hearing about it, would have been watching them do it!

A quick note on their Medical field: Their hospitals were like walking into the 1940’s in The States. One of the head Pediatricians who was also a Professor at one of the medical universities became a very good and dear friend of ours. She was a part of those who we were ministering to. My wife & I loved her and her dedication to the children of need in her country very much. A year or two after we came back home she was chosen to visit some of our hospitals here in the US and we were told that she cried when she seen what was available & used to help our disabled children here!

By the time I arrived in Belarus the Saws had close to a year under their belt and I will have to come back later to fill in how Jamie came across a job opening teaching young children of bureaucrats that were from many different countries. They were assigned to their Country’s Embassies &/or working for companies that were under contract to the Belarusian Government to help them get their post Soviet Bureaucracies and Banking Systems up to speed. Now they were ministering, as Tentmakers in the true sense of the term. (Now even with the Title &/or Office!) With this background … track record … other doors were constantly being opened that has taken them to many places that HE has brought them to. This also allowed Jamie to continue in her called ministry to Women in general and Children specifically. She was doing a phenomenal job at this during the day, now generating a steadier stream of Ministry Revenue. She was also a major player to “The Youth Ministry” in the evening!

My assignment was to go with the Saw kids, as they did some of the shopping & delivering messages and ministries that made each one an important part of what was going on. I was told I had two weeks to learn my way around and where different people lived, as the 3 girls needed to be back in their own room, that they had given up for me, instead of camping out in the main room of their 3 room flat. The youngest, being a boy had his cot in the entry hall with the shoes, wraps and umbrellas. Them chillens, sure impressed me, jumping on a motorboose, Tramvia or disappearing below the snow on a meetro (Underground Train) like gophers and having us pop up somewhere else on the other side of town. Keep in mind this was a city of about 2 million people and a great accomplishment for kids from about 14 to even the boy of eight who also had directions dialed in.

I had a need to learn as fast as I could and they all turned out to be great teachers, as they would show me milestones and monuments to tie it all together. I do not think I ever really got lost, tho they might differ with me.

The City had certain street crossings under the street and they would have shops &/or temporary Kiosks where you would be able to buy some of the things that only came available at different times. Since you had to walk about 20 feet down and then back up that 20 feet on the other side of the street. When I had enough Toilet Paper or some other necessities, I gave thought to watch for the cars and when clear jot across the street without all the Up & Down. The first time I did it, I did not pay attention to a Guyee (Police on foot) that had a car pulled over and was doing his thing. I just stepped on the opposite curb, when I heard this loud and persistent whistle being blown. I had a hunch that it was being blown at me and I tried to ignore it and picked up the pace when I then heard this angry yelling still coming in my direction. I incredulously look back over my shoulder and saw him yank his arm motioning me to come to him. He was yelling at me and pointing to the street corner that I had just crossed and I shrugged my shoulders and used two of the Russian words I had learned. Nyet Parooskie, I said over & over again. (No Russian) and he finally slapped his left wrist with his right hand cupped like a bracelet, yanking his left arm like he was going to drag it down the sidewalk and I said, “OH!” He responded with a Sarcastic Ponimyish? (Understand? That I learned later!) & a final “Nyet Parooskie” almost spitting and waved me on down the sidewalk knowing he had adequately warned me. Nevertheless, to say, I very seldom jay walked above ground unless in a “BIG” hurry after looking way up & down both streets.

Next week we will look at some of the Ministry that was going on, including Bible Studies and also praying for the sick and disabled. Oh Yes my newly made friend and roomy for my first move.

©2008

Getting Out of Dodge! I mean Moscow!

Loved of The LORD, Happy New Year! I will preface this next section with looking back that I was walking in The Faith that I knew about for 17 years and in turn had taught it to others for many of those years as grew in it myself. It seemed like I was in a dream and having my own working capital and Several Thousand for the Saws on me I was very uncomfortable. I was always coming to that place of deciding to Trust HIM again! And Again! AND AGAIN!

If there was ever one … This Is ... “The Secret!”

I am glad that I am writing all this down now, as trying to remember what happened, names and places are not jumping out at me yet! Thank you Becky for encouraging me to do this. Yes and Jamie too, for so many of the particulars!

After we got all my gear up the 3 flights of stairs, Ulia introduced me to her parents and I walked in & over to them to shake hands. I am not sure how I became aware that I was doing something wrong, nevertheless, all three seemed to be looking at my brand new Sorel Snow Boots and then I noticed that they were not wearing any shoes of any kind. I looked back at the entry passage & saw all their shoes there. Thus, my first lesson in Russian Culture. It is easier to stay up with “Outside Dirt” kept in that one spot!

I need to place a side note here about my Sorel Snow Boots. Knowing that I was to be in weather that I was not used to, I researched the weather in the north and knew if I kept my feet warm & dry, that I would be able to make it. Where was Google when I needed it. Well I used what was a search engine back then as Google did not come on the scene for about four years later. I found several weather boot manufacturers and read the specs and knew I wanted a pair of Sorel Caribous and was really proud that I had found them. Yes, my brothers & sisters, I was thanking GOD to have found them and the peace that these were the ones! I remember several Belarusian women laughing at me because I held comfort, i.e. keeping warm & dry, ahead of being fashionable.

Ulia's, Parents were Jewish, tho I did not find out if they were practicing or not. Ulia became what was called a ‘Completed Jew’ and was going with an American who headed up a fellowship made up of mostly Jewish people who knew Yeshuah, as their Savior. The Saws were hooked up with him and of course the scenario to send Ulia back to Moscow and help me get to Minsk developed from there. More about him later.

A hot meal of borch, which is a kind of Russian soup with water, meat, potatoes, cabbage, carrot, tomatoes and beetroot, was served with sour cream. The Saws had fixed a dinner before they left, so it was the second time I ate it. With 3 foot of snow outside and the end of February, it hit the spot!

Ulia’s Father & I conversed with hand signs and grunts and by the time Ulia and I left for Minsk, he had me counting to five in Russian. Ulia explained that she was sleeping in her parent’s bed with her mom and her dad would sleep on the couch. Her room (The 2^nd room of the 2 room flat.) had a single bed and on top of the closet was stacks to the ceiling wrapped with cloth to keep their identity unknown. It was plain what was off limits for me and I soon was nestled in.

The next morning was Sunday and after a hot cereal of some kind of grain and my counting lessons, Ulia and I headed to one of the 3 local assemblies of the “Non-Denominational” Denomination that I mentioned that we were a part of years before.

See: Sunday, October 14, 2007 Where Do I Fit In The Body Of Christ? VI

Even in 1994 there were already three of them in Moscow! The Pastor was an American and he taught in English with a Russian Interpreter. I was welcomed with open arms and know I could have functioned there if there were not all ready plans in motion to keep me busy for what wound up to be 4 months away from home.

A side Note: The Pastor was going with a national and they were planning on getting married later on that year. A couple months later, I found out that the… Let me just all him “The Overseer” of the Eastern European Assemblies of the Local churches of that “Non-Denominational” Denomination told the Pastor that he could not marry this woman, because of the complications that it would cause.

Nevertheless, they got married and the Pastor was removed from that Church by the N-D Denom. When they tried to place another Pastor in that spot, the congregation refused, because they wanted their original Pastor and the Church was pulled from the rolls. Several years later, being privy to the N-D’s Pastor’s Conference from friends who were still involved, I found out that the original Pastor had been restored into their ranks and was even addressing the conference about what was happening in Russia.

After Church we all headed to a restaurant and fellowshipped a couple hours. Ulia took me around to some of the sites and we made a quick pass of “Red Square” and headed back to visit with her parents.

After dinner, I excused myself and read Scripture for a while. I started to read 3 Chapters every day and 5 chapters on Sunday in the late 70’s that put me thru the Bible in a year. I doubled up 2 or 3 years so it would tally up to thru it once for every year of commitment. As I write this now I am in the last few chapters of Revelation, now for the 30^th time. Every time it has open up even more to my understanding and enhanced my relationship with HIM.

The night before I spotted a chart on the door that had the Russian alphabet with Hebrew comparison and started giving it my attention. I had taken 1 year Hebrew several years ago, yet never took it any further. What happen was for those few evenings I had the groundwork of learning the Russian sounds, tho some had to come from Hades, as I never learned to pronounce them really right. Nevertheless, things looked like they were dropping into place.

The next morning, Monday we left after breakfast and my Russian lessons … well numbers anyhow and headed back up town to purchased our train tickets to Minsk. After several inquires, Ulia found out that the train ticket for me was going to cost about $150+ USD being a foreigner and after talking it over for awhile we decided to take a step of Faith and buy two national tickets for around $8 USD each and believe that we would not be checked crossing the border into Belarus.

As that took several hours standing in lines, (i.e. Ulia did) she showed me some other sites on the way back to her folk’s place. We also shopped for our meals for the 12 hours trip to Minsk.

Tuesday morning up early … Hot gruel … what ever it was, thanking her folks for the accommodations, saying our goodbyes, (They hated to see Ulia leave as she had only been there for 4 days.) we made our way to the train station.

I was not aware of the train situation & was surprised that the 2^nd class compartments had 4 bunks in them. My next surprise was when two young Belarusian ladies were our compartment mates. My 1^st thought was, What would my wife think? Just a short round of Q &A’s we settled in for our half a day trip. We bought hot chai (Tea) from the porter to go with our meal now enhanced with the other girl’s contributions and settled into conversation with Ulia translating as fast as she could.

Twelve Hours later … MINSK The Capitol of the Republic Of Belarus! And The Cowboy Missionary in Action!

©2007

! “The Secret” of being a ‘Cowboy Missionary’! Part 2.

Wow! How time flies!!! Well only two days behind. Here we go!!!

Anyone who has went thru the process of getting Visa’s, know that it is a learning experience. First The Passport and then receiving a letter of invitation from some legal entity in the Country you are requesting to visit.
This letter was from a group of young Belorussian Christain men that Patrick had put together for this purpose and for getting "humanitarian Aid" into Minsk, for the Ministry. The group had to be made up of Nationals only.

Russia was easy and the Russian travel agency in Hollywood had it all dialed in. The Travel Agency sent my Passport to Russian Embassy in San Francisco and because all the “T”s crossed and “I”s dotted (Naturally for a … … fee) was back in a couple days.

Then “I” sent the Passport to The Belarusian Embassy in DC with Letter of invitation and two weeks later received the (Torn) empty envelope . Now I had to apply for another Pass Port and make several trips to LA and pay more fees etc. Back to DC for Belarusian Visa and barely back in time to make connections in San Francisco on Aero Flop … I mean Aeroflot to Moskava! (Moscow) A group of Russians in airport, with ½ hour till boarding, about 9 or 10 of them, took the cap off a half gallon of Vodka, threw the cap away, and passed it back and forth till it was time to board and naturally the Vodka was gone. I was praying that it was not because they had flown with the pilot before.

The plane was not full, so there was an empty seat between a young Siberian Law Student and me. He was studying International law in, … I believe it was South Dakota. In the North anyhow.

Shucks! I have to back up a minute, in order to go on. Before they left, Patrick had found an old book on survival Russian words & phrases and the family would come over several different times and we would spend 2 or 3 hours practicing what we thought was Russian. Why I was doing it with them, was beside me. I honestly was trying to learn with them, and as a teacher was taking the lead much of the time, in order to expedite their learning.

Nevertheless back on the plane, I strike up this conversation with this young man and I find out that his father is a big shot in the Government and there were some things, about he would not talk.

One of the things I found out, was our Russian Lessons put me way behind, as far as the lessons this young man was giving in me in Russian there on the plane. I was talking to one of the Saws’ daughters a couple weeks ago on the phone and she was laughing, as she reminded me of the Russian Lessons at my house before they left. They still had the book with them when they finally landed in Moscow, 8 hours late and missed their connection. She told me that when they showed the book to someone that they were told that the author did not know what he was talking about in this book and all the Russian they had learned was to no avail for them too!

Therefore, I learned how to count to 2, say thank you and was in Belarus two months before I finally heard how to say Please and Your Welcome the right way. They said it so fast that I did not hear one syllable ever, until I held someone’s mouth and made them say it one syllable at a time. Keep in mine that up until then, they would smile and the younger ones outright laughed, every time I said it!

Now, let us get back to my new Siberian friend and the flight into Moscow. I really enjoyed talking to him and he seemed to like me and we talked about a lot of things, except like I said, when it came to why he was on his way back to Moscow and a few other obvious things, he would look uncomfortable and change the subject.

When we landed, he headed for a gate that had nobody at it, while I was herded into one of 10 or 12 that were already 40 deep. When I looked up, he was gone. Finally, thru the line about an hour later, I am looking at Immigration and he is looking at my passport and Russian Visa with this puzzled look on his face, as he is asking me questions in Russian and I do not understand.

Low and Behold … the Siberian reappears, I found out he came back to get his baggage and as he walks by he sees me, and was wondering what was going on. Customs would show him my passport, pointing at something and then the Visa, pointing and shaking his head.

I do not know what was said, yet the young man spoke to customs sternly and with authority and customs nodded his head, stamped my documents and handed them back to me with a smile. You tell me! My seat on that plane was ordained and I know who was sitting in that empty seat! This is a part of what it means to be “A Cowboy Missionary”! 'Partaking In The Kingdom'!

I went for the baggage. I had two big suitcases and a giant duffle bag that had a couple rollers on the bottom end, plus a backpack that I carried on. It was quite an experience getting it stacked up so I could pull them with both hands.

I went on thru the airport to the non-passenger area and HOW Blessed I was when I seen this young woman with a sign with my name on it! Ulia could speak English very well and she had hired a driver to pick me up and take us to her Mom & Dad’s Flat, about 50 km on the other side of Moscow. Patrick had prearranged this, when they knew I was coming. In fact, Ulia had barely returned from Belarus and was only with her folks a day when I came in.

It was the middle of night, nevertheless the driver would point out different spots and she would translate for me. When he pointed out the Kremlin, it was all lit up with different colored lights and I told Ulia that it looked like Disney Land. She hesitantly told the driver what I said and with out any missed licks he responded with, “That Is What It Is” and all 3 of us cracked up! When we got to her folk’s building I was so wound up that, the Driver and Ulia had to tell me 2 or 3 times to pay him the $50 bucks that I owed for the ride.

We went up four flights of stairs, made three or four trips and then to meet Ulia’s Parents. Keep in mind this is a two room flat and Ulia gave up her room to me, while she slept with her mom and her dad slept on the couch.

Need to get this posted so I can go to bed now, myself. We will pick this up in the next post and explain “The Tentmaker” too. Oh! Before I skip over it, remember when my first Passport and Belarusian Visa was lost. The new Passport had a new number and the Russian Visa had the old Passport number on it. That is what had the Customs Agent in a quandary until my friend straightens him out. Later!

©2007

“The Secret” of being a ‘Cowboy Missionary’!

The Moscow experience for the Saws (I need to give them a last name for continuity.) is a story in itself. I will pick that up later. Remember that they are on their way to Moldova (Former USSR) in the cold of Winter and they make it as far as Minsk, the Capital of The Republic of Belarus. (Trivia = White Russia.) Jamie (Lets give them all a name.) the wife and Mother acquires a position in a Private business that provides a service to Diplomats & Dignitaries. I will mention ‘Tent Makers’ below.

Patrick (Not his real name) is a full time Missionary that Ministers to anyone who will stand still long enough to hear the message. This group is about 75-80 % late teens & young adults, tho there are families and even singular Grannies & Gramps there too. Babushkas and Dadushkas. (Sp?)

Now keep in mind that these people are like our own children … Family for sure and we are doing the best to stay in communication with them. E-Mail was antiquated and not reliable then, tho I communicate today with another spiritual son & his family in Minsk as tho there was no miles between us. With VoIP we talk computer to computer all over as … well almost as good as using a land line to talk to your next door neighbor. Believe or not funds started to come in right away Not A Flood per se and we had to rely on God to show us how to get it to them. Today it is just a matter of depositing monies into their MC or Visa debit card and one just goes to a bank, almost as we do here. I have to say that nothing is ever … was ever easy and there still seems to be a complex issue in every situation over there in the Former USSR. I believe the federation is called the CIS i.e. Confederation (of) Independent States today.

Some how … … … some way we made contact with other Missionaries on their way there or going back there after a Sabbaticals, along with Business people endeavoring to set up trade with the Belarussians and they carried the funds and little essentials into them for us. Keep in Mind that ACI, which was at that time headed up and ran by Ken and Carol Meeks at that time was a big part of this and because of their experiences were really a big help.

Now let me get to “The Secret” of being a ‘Cowboy Missionary’!” and my experience the first time.

I was just talking to my neighbor (Who God is moving in his life now after knowing him for over forty years.) that there is a hole in every human being that is to be filled with only the presence of God. I was telling him (And he Knew … ) how for so many years I tried to cram anything and everything into it and never got any satisfaction till I recommitted myself to Christ. My wife and I did that in December of 1977. I pray that this will happen thirty years later in my neighbor’s life.

Sometime in 1993 The Spirit of God Placed … … ‘A Knowing’ deep down inside of me to assist my Friends & Family to get on down to Chisinau the Capitol of Moldolva. The Ministry was doing so good and growing in Minsk that there was not a drive to get on down to where they were called.

When I told my wife that God had called me to the Mission Field she was incredulous and I could see the heels digging in. Nonetheless, I sat down to my Radio Shack Tandy that my brother in law gave me when he got his super 286 and wrote the second paragraph of my Deputation Letter. It went something like this:

If you think that this is just another preacher trying to get into your billfold, then before you read another word, … throw this into the trash can.

I showed this to the lovely wife of my youth the next morning and she said, “Oh Yea! That is going to get you a lot of support!”

Nevertheless, before we went to Church that morning, she told me that should our Pastor concurred that she would support me in the move, tho she would stay and keep the home fires aglow.

Our youngest son flat out told me that he did not want me to go over to that dangerous place. I had to remind him that a few months before that one of our neighbor’s son up the street was blown away by a ‘drive by’ down the street. Of how his mother and I ducked and hid behind the decorated rock portion of the exterior wall up in our bedroom one night when a drive by filled the neighbor’s car across the street with lead.

I just knew that I would be safer over there in Russia than here at home! The only real danger was to the hair on the back of my neck when I found myself in some bizarre situations.

Moving along! Keep in mind that I did not know how God was going to do this, only that He was going to do it! After the Service we went up to our pastor and my wife is watching both of us very closely, as I told him that I had been called to Missions and the need to assist getting the Moldolvian Ministry going. Without any hesitation, he was in agreement and we also agreed that Minsk was the home camp till the timing was right.

That afternoon after I drafted the 1^st and 3^rd paragraph, ( it was about 2 pages after it was done.) we went up to the High Desert where there was a family gathering, It was probably a birthday. When we went in some of my brother’s in-laws were already there and we had not seen them for a while. Before we even sat down, I was asked directly, without hesitation what I was up to these days. Keep in mind it was only the night before that I had received the calling.

Funny you asked, I replied. I have been called to Missions. To Belarus and then to Moldolva to assist some friends in the ministry that they were called to. Directly, without hesitation, I was told, “We want some of that!” and we soon had the 1^st $1,000, as an emphatic GO! During the middle of the next week and I still did not have the Deputation Letter written yet, we found ourselves out of town at some friend’s that we never saw unless it was on the week end. We had fellowshipped with them before they move away and were like Family too. The 1^st thing he said, (as it had been a while since seeing them too.) directly and with out hesitation, “What are you doing these days?”

I am not being repetitious or redundant in making these connections. You have to hear this being ‘screamed’ at me with Spiritual confirmation. When I told him in few words what was happening, he responded emphatically, “We want some of that!”

In the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every word be established! Deut. 17:6; Deut. 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Hebrews 10:28;

Having a tenacious character, there was nothing that would stop me now! By The Way! In these later years I am still being honed, as even the God Given tenacity, with out the explicit direction of The Holy Spirit, blinds one to the obvious opportunities. However, Learn I Will! In JESUS’ Name! Hopefully without, as much self effort. IYKWIM? It is so much easier to do it by HIS numbers!

Cutting to the chase! Well next week MORE! “The Secret” of being a ‘Cowboy Missionary’! Part 2. And ‘The Tent Makers'

©2007

“Cowboy Missionaries On The Go!” - - - - - - Re: 'Cowboy Crane Operators'

I have a need to explain a little more about this term “Cowboy”! Back in the late fifties and early sixties I was working on Missile Silos at Vandenberg AFB, and these Silos are around 200 feet deep. After we dug them and ‘slip formed’ the poured in place concrete, Structural Iron Workers erected the Crib Iron in the Silo. Most Iron Workers are Cowboys themselves, ‘Daring’ just a part of their characters.
The crane operator was extremely good and would bring these men out of the hole in a ‘Man Cage’ and they would be egging him on, yelling and jumping, bouncing the cage. He got so that as soon as the cage cleared the hole, he would swing the boom quickly to half way between the hole & where the cage was supposed to be set down. As the cage was swinging really fast, he would agilely swing the boom over to where he would at the last minute gently placed the cage on the X that marked the landing spot. This operator was GOOD! And so, the Iron Workers called him a ‘Cowboy Operator’. Not to take anything away from “The Cowboy Ministries” that minister to Cowboys today. I thought this would be a good place to give some meaning to my use of the term. By The Way, The safety program at that time (OSHA?) eventually stopped the Cowboy Antics, as it was extremely dangerous.

Back to my story and our friends who were Cowboys!
They sold and gave away everything, which was not much, & off they went with Family & Friends wondering if they had lost their mind. You might say they did lose their mind, … after they found their heart!

Our friends and their four kids took off for Moldova via Moscow in 1994 with only what they had with them, about $1,500.00 in cash, in the middle of winter. On their way, on the plane was a Mission Group from a Korean Church here in So. Cal. On their way to St. Petersburg to minister for a week, the Plane change destinations in mid flight, which caused our friends to miss their connections in Moscow.

Another friend of ours, went with them, to help them get established and he returned to US two weeks later. He was sitting next to one of these people in the other group and was telling the woman who was sitting between him and her husband, about this family that heard the voice of GOD and sold (and gave away) everything, but the clothes on their back and was heading for Moldova, which is below the Ukraine. This woman started to weep and our friend asked her husband if he offended her and the Husband with a smile on his face, said no … that his wife had a dream that GOD told her that she was to give a family on this trip, $2,000.00 who were on their way to the Mission Field.

Needless to say, that everything was on schedule, regardless of what the circumstances were saying. To make a long story shorter, When in Moscow, they told a person that they were on their way to Moldova and the response was, “It is a long train ride to Moldova!”

I may eventually write more about their adventures and God meeting their needs, as I put this book together, yet I am in the process of contacting them, to see where they stand on this.

Next Week: More on Cowboy Missionaries! ©2007

Cowboy Missionaries That Are Not Cowboys!

How far do you have to back up to get continuity? I will fill in this gap, as The Book progresses;

To Continue:

We met this family in a Church that “we found our selves in”, (A Story in Itself!) and to us they were believers … yet not judging, they seemed some what nominal to us. We tried every thing not to fellowship with them, except outright rudeness. Every Sunday and I mean ‘Every Sunday they invited us over to their house for dinner and fellowship. Now I did not need to Talk about GOD all the time, yet our conversations were always mundane and secular. When we would interject something a little bit spiritual, it very seldom got much traction. Nevertheless, we kept plugging along. And AND A N D we soon ‘Knew’ that GOD had put us together. And we became really good friends!FAMILY!

This Church was basic Fundamental, Evangelical, Non Charismatic, where we could probably be labeled as Pentecostal who had served in a light … well Charismatic Denomination for over 20 years.(That said, They were not a Denomination) … (You figure that out, tho It will eventually be a part of The Book too. See : Where Do I Fit In The Body Of Christ? VI (2nd Para.); Below.)

After a couple of years, now finding ourselves singing from hymnals, and being directed by The Holy Spirit, our friend found himself in a fuller relationship with God and in more light in understanding Spirituals. 1Cor. 12:1 ff.

He told me one evening, that God knew that "I would never step foot into a Pentecostal Church and that is why HE sent you to me!"

Sometime in 1993 or 4 a couple on Deputations visited, the Church on their way to China. (Going to China will become an interesting portion of the Book later on.) My friend’s wife received the calling during this visit, yet he wasn’t going to have any part of it. Our Pastor’s wife told her to just start praying and believe it or not … Oh Yea, you’re a believer, within 2 months he was called to the Republic of Moldova, former USSR. I can still hear him now (Writing and) Singing, Moldova, Moldova, I hear the cry from Moldova! (Which was a completed song by the time they left.)

When I asked how he was going to get support … IF … When it came in, he had found a support group that were not a Spiritual Covering yet collected & dispersed support revenue and for lack of a better term “Cowboy Missionaries”. This had no reference to Cowboys per se, it meant those who were on their own, going into the Mission field.

This group was Aviation Missionaries that dropped Scripture & Tracks into Villages in Mexico, until the laws changed that prevented them from doing it. It evolved into what it is today and the Acronym ACI now stands for Assisting Christian Individuals, International.

Click on their Link (above) and Take a look at what is available. If you have any questions, Email Nancy Hagerman, She will be blessed for an opportunity to assist you in getting started as a Missionary.

Funny now, as I Googled , there does not seem to be anything that uses that term for that meaning. As a side note, should you know anywhere it is used like this, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Next Week “Cowboy Missionaries On The Go ©2007 !”http://www.bigdadgib.net/2008/01/20/good-baptist-cowboy/trackback/

The Unique Way To Missions

Loved Of The LORD,
So many times, as we have been ministering, I have been asked about the process to be involved in Missions. All I can say is that the way GOD took me,(And later The wife of my youth, with me.) was contrary to any Church &/or Group Mission ways that I know about. Most Missionaries have to drum up support to so much a month, (around $20 - $40 thousand a year) before they are sent. This might be a new term for you, but to go along with that"Special Uniqueness" of our calling, we found ourselves a part of a special breed called “Cowboy Missionaries”. Below is a portion of a very Good article on the normal Deputation process. Check out the link for the full article!

Missionary deputation is often looked upon as "the pits," a horrible experience through which fledgling missionaries must pass in order to become "real missionaries." "If only we could avoid deputation," say some who claim that otherwise they would consider missionary service. Ernest D. Pickering, Th.D.

In July of 2007 we were up in the Yosemite area for a Special Retirement Celebration of one of our former Pastors and some friends from down here in So Cal were staying in the same Lodge with us. During our conversations, our Mission trips were shared in passing & I was “Told” that I needed to write it down so other people could partake of it too. Here it is in the middle of November of 2007 and I find myself writing another chapter of The Book.
I have to back up and tell another story for background before my own story, as this is really a step of faith. Next week … Same writer, Same Blog! 1 ©2007