Simpleology

Mark Joyner has been one of my mentor's for some time now and I have learned a lot from some of his resourses. Simpleology sends me an encouraging direction all week long!
I am going to be taking this new Blog Course, to see if it will help me on my other web sites! Take a look, all it will cost you is some time! 1
©2007

The Tentmaker

Loved of The LORD! I wanted to start this post and address the term “Tentmaker”! When I wrote my deputation letter, I said, that I would work my way for my own support, while I was on Missions and was only looking for support for the home fires and making sure my wife was able to pay the bills, while I was gone. When this all ‘Came To Pass’ I was reminded of Acts 18:3 and Paul’s reference to sustaining him self Thru his trade.

Being a General Contractor by Profession and a Carpenter by Trade, I figured I could find something I could do to keep a couple beans on the table. Therefore, I coined the term ‘Tentmaker’ and used Acts 18:3 as the example. I had never heard it used that way in my 14 years of ministry. No doubt, others had used it before and since then I know it has been used that way.

In fact, when I got a hold of Jamie Saw last month, she was in another country with no Religious Freedom and was using it as “A Talk Around” in case we were monitored. She was meaning, “A Believer” who was earning a living and paying their way, while ministering. I thought that was interesting that it was now being used as common understanding. It did take a couple different terms before they stopped going over my head and then made sense to what she was saying!

Do not give up on me, as I will get back to Ulia & me getting out of Moscow, … yet I need to finish this post with the “Tentmaker”!

All the time I was there, I only came across one time that might have been an opportunity, yet as I started to go that way it was straight up hill all the way and besides I was eating well and the ‘Min Ops’ were coming out of our ears!

Cutting to the Chase ...with the only time I actually tried to drive a nail. A couple months after getting to Minsk and moving twice (great stories too!), I found my self very adept at laundering my clothes. Keep in mine that I was constantly seeking whether I should be using any of the talents and skills that I had for anything and the answer always was “To Teach, Preach and Minister, as it was put in front of me.

I was in a four room flat (i.e. counting the kitchen.), which was Up Town” compared to the one & two room flats that was the norm. It had a main room, which Westerners would call the living room that was used as a meeting room. I would try to wash clothes when there were no meetings scheduled, because it was easy to rig temporary clotheslines in that room.

One day that Patrick & I had nothing planed, till later on in the afternoon, I needed to get some of my clothes washed. After getting them washed, (By Hand.) the phone rings and Patrick tells me that he has all the young men of this Ministry/Humanitarian Aid group coming over for an important meeting.

Knowing I could not hang the wet clothes in the usual place and manner, I tried to innovate some kind of solution in my sleeping room. There was a fixture on one side of the room, but nothing on the other side to tie my nylon line. After scouring the flat I found a couple bent nails in the bath room that were being used as hanging hooks. After about ten minutes, I finally straighten them out, using something that was some kind of a wall ordainment, as a hammer. When I tried to drive the nail into that opposite wall, it bent so bad that I could not straighten it. It had started a hole though, that I was able to get the other nail into the wall enough to tie my string.

All during this time, I was having an in depth conversation with the Lord and I finally resolved that I would not ask HIM Again about using my talents and skills while I was there. That was when the second nail finally took hold. My Nail driving days were over for the duration.

Next week, back up to Moscow and Ulia & I getting out of town. Cowboy Missonary and the Train Ride!

©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

The Fonz For President / Henry Winkler

Last month My Wife & I invested 3 awesome days in SLC UT at Authors Conference and BookWise Convention. We had the pleasure of listening to many Published Authors and met several of them. When we were in line to get ‘The Fonz’ / Henry Winkler sign the books we had bought, my Wife showed him a ‘Button’ with ‘The Fonz For President’ on it. She said, “I wanted to show you this” as he was signing all these books as fast as he could --

-- He glanced up for a second and went back to signing the books as it was ‘No Big Thing’. After about 30 seconds (Seem like an hour!) quickly he looked up, snatched the button out of her hand, Signed it quickly and winked at her as he handed it back.

My Wife's Prize Trophy For The Day!
An autographed Campaign Button Of "The Fonz For President!

(Edit) See:The Fonz For President: Button

1 AKA DP, as I am about my FATHER’s Business!

Making A Difference And Helping Other People Reach Their Goals!

www.BookWisePays.com

Come Turn A Page!

©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/