New Blog: Doing Life Different

For those of you who have been following us in My Quest and Adventures Along the Way, just wanted to let you know that I have started a new blog. This one will follow us as we plan and leave for Honduras later on this year. I hope you'll come along with us and share any comments you may have.

See you at http://doinglifedifferent.blogspot.com/ . Be sure and sign up for the email updates.

Mike

My Conclusion (part 3)

I have really struggled writing these last three post. I have struggled with how to write them or whether or not to write them at all. I have written and rewritten them several times. I’ve asked myself why I even bother. No one will really read them and if they do I run the risk of being misunderstood, of offending someone, of being seen as a dissident, a malcontent. So why bother at all. In the end I suppose it is for conscience sake. Mine. This too is a lesson I have learned. As another writer far more famous than I once wrote,
                        “This above all: to thine own self be true,
                        And it must follow, as the night the day,
                        Thou canst not then be false to any man.”      William Shakespeare, Hamlet

My Conclusion:

Missions. In some of the final words of Jesus he said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: (KJV). He didn’t say go and plant churches, feed the poor and build hospitals. He didn’t say drill wells nor did he say start seminaries, orphanages and organizations. He said make disciples as evidenced by the willingness to do all He commanded.

What is a disciple? The free online dictionary defines a disciple in this way.  a. One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. b. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy. In the final analysis missions is about making active adherents of the Gospel. Who are we to actively model? Obviously it is Jesus.

So as I ask the question, “Is our modern mission’s system working?” This, discipleship, must be the measure of our success. Are we making true followers of Jesus, following all the things He commanded us? If we are not, then no, we are not being successful in missions. We cannot measure success by numbers, not by how many churches we plant or how many good deeds we do. The only way we can use these as a measure of success (or not) is when we lack them. This speaks loud and clear. Interestingly enough, we can do all of the “good” things without actually being disciples. But we can’t be disciples without doing these “good” things. Interesting.

So how do we know if we are disciples if we can’t use good deeds or numbers as the measure of success? It is by the quality of our lives. Are we like, or becoming like Jesus?

What does it mean to be like Jesus? Here are a few things to start with.  Loving even to those who wrong you, compassionate to the poor, the weak, the sick. Forgiving others, concerned with injustice to the poor, the widow, and the orphan. Stern in the face of falsehoods, honest with hypocrites. Willing to be scorned and criticized without retaliating. Constantly desiring to do the work and will of the Father. Willing to become poor so others may become rich. Willing to die so others can live. Before we can teach others we must first be disciples ourselves.

How do we make disciples? First we must be disciples ourselves. Discipleship goes far beyond sitting down with someone once a week and studying a scripture verse. It may start there, but goes far deeper. It means modeling through our own lives Christlikeness, being involved in the hurts and struggles of others. It goes beyond casual, superficial relationships. It may be working alongside someone, it may be teaching a class, praying with people, eating a meal or many meals with them. No matter how it happens for you…it will mean spending quality and quantity time with people.   

By using true discipleship as the measure of success in missions, I cannot say whether or not we are being successful. It is far beyond my limited experience. I’m still working on being a disciple myself. But if I were to give any advice to missionaries, to mission’s organizations and churches it would be this.

1.      Use discipleship (becoming more like Jesus) as the true and only measure of success and your main emphasis of effort.

2.      Take a new look at how, why and where we spend money, with the idea of lifestyle/project accountability.

3.      Missions is often seen to be a one way street. Beware of developing a welfare society by always receiving. Freely you have received, freely give. Give out to those you serve just as freely as you have been given to. Give back to those who so faithfully support you. Call those who give individually, thank them, and ask them how you can pray for them. We need encouragement too.

4.      Be honest in all things. We know you are human just like us. We don’t need misleading newsletters, Facebook updates or glowing reports that shade the truth. If you’re discouraged, tell us. If you’re tired of problems, let us know. Just be real.

5.      Churches, before you give…go. Go and check out what and who you’re giving others hard earned money to support. Make sure it’s in line with your vision of missions. Not to micro manage, but so that you can do your part to be accountable. When you do and you are in agreement with what you’re giving to…get behind it wholeheartedly. Send your people down from time to time. There’s nothing quite like having been there.

In the end, my conclusion is this: that missions is well worth all we do. On a purely physical level, the difference we have made and are making is tremendous. On a spiritual level, we may have to wait until the next life to really know. There is a verse in the Bible that says, "To whom much is given, much will be required." or words to that effect. We here in America have been given so much. It is only right that we share with those less fortunate. As Paul writes in 2 Cor. 8:13,14 "For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness." These are words to live by.

Thanks to all of you who have made this journey with me. The past two months have been a highpoint in our lives. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Michael I. Wolfe

The Good,The Bad and...My Conclusion (part 2)

Before I write, let me be very clear. I have no reason to doubt the good intentions of everyone involved in missions or the supporting organizations. These observations and opinions are mine alone and are a direct result of being involved in missions over the past 15 years. I have participated, lead, and planned STM teams. I was on the missions committee at the church we attended in Maine for several years which at one time was involved in supporting 54 individual missionaries and/or organizations. I have visited several foreign countries and the missionaries there. I still believe in missions. But, like all systems, sometimes we need to take a fresh look at how and why we are doing the things we do. That's all this is. A look at some of the areas which bother me about what's going on in missions and if I can help bring about change, or even just get people thinking, then it is worth my time.


The Bad


What could possibly be bad about missions? What is a missionary? Isn't just giving to missions enough? Should I be concerned about how my money is being used? How would I know if it isn't being used correctly? So many questions. I've heard them all at one time or another. Board meetings, committee meetings, church business meetings, personal conversations, especially anytime money is involved. I tried to get a dollar amount that the American church gives specifically to missions each year, but really couldn't nail it down. I think it's very safe to say that it is in the billions. Enough to feed all the hungry people in the world one meal a day? Enough to provide for all the orphans in the world? To provide clean drinking water to everyone who needs it? I'm thinking that the answer to these questions might be...yes, or at least close. Some will say that these are not the reasons we do missions, that it is to preach the Gospel and you are correct. If this is the case, then the answer should definitely be yes. Because surely it doesn't cost billions of dollars each year to speak to people, after all...the Good News of the Gospel is free. Then, with all the money, all the effort, all the man power, why are we not turning the world up side down?

Although there are several things that really make me question how our missions system is operating, probably the number one thing is the amount of money we spend on ourselves and on buildings and how little really seems to get to the people. For instance, many local pastors are not paid enough by the churches to feed their families. Why don't we support more of these guys? I raised the question in a previous post, Meet the Nelson's, why do we feel that our American missionaries need to be kept in an American lifestyle while living in another country. It bothers me on several levels. I'm the first to admit that I don't have the whole picture here, maybe not even half. I'm just writing from the viewpoint of someone on the outside looking in.  

1. From a question of effectiveness: Let's put it in context. If Bill Gates came by my neighborhood once or twice a week with a few words of comfort as I slave away trying to put food on my table, maybe gave me a gift or two and left, would I really be interested in anything other than the gifts. Would I find myself beginning to resent him. In these countries where the poverty level is extreme, is it right for us to live in the better houses in town, or on the lake, or the ocean, to have servants, pools, gardeners, security etc? (I'm not saying that all missionaries have all these things, but I know of many who do.) I don't know, I'm just asking the question.

2. Buildings: One of the things that always surprises me is seeing how much money we pour into buildings in countries where people struggle just to survive. And it isn't just in foreign countries. Take a look around America, it doesn't take long to find some multi million dollar church building. We Americans have such a love for buildings, for organizations and for monuments to our efforts. Don't take this wrong, buildings have their place, but at some point we need to remember that it is people we are there to help. I  was told by a man in Honduras who has an orphanage that it is always very easy to raise money for a building project, but getting people to commit to $30 per month to feed and provide for a child...not so much.

3. Financial accountability: Should there be some kind of lifestyle/project accountability to those who give to support missions? As I write I'm thinking of my friend Judy. She's in her mid to late 60's, lives in an older well maintained, but small mobile home. Her body hurts, especially after a day stocking shelves at the grocery store. She should retire, but really can't afford to. She gives faithfully to missions each month. I know a lot of these types of hardworking, faithful givers to missions even as rising gas prices leave less and less money at the end of the week to splurge on a pizza. What about the elderly couple living on so called social security. Should the system feel any responsibility towards these people in the manner their gifts are spent?

I'm not in anyway saying that there is any type of misuse of funds or illegality happening in missions. No, in all of this we are very above board. There are no off shore bank accounts, no luxury, all expense paid cruises happening. What has happened, in my opinion, is that the "system" has normalized a certain level of expectations so that all involved can live freely without the need to question. What would Jonathan Goforth, William Carey, George Mueller, David Livingstone, Jim Elliot and so many others say about American missions if they could see us today? Have we turned missions in to big business? Have we turned missions into the best kept secret in the world?

Now I'm going to get personal. With myself. (Gotchya',didn't I.) As Barbe and I look at living in Honduras, we have often had this conversation. What is that going to look like for US? At what level are WE willing to live. How much are WE willing to give to those in need. How financially secure do WE need to be in order to go. Is there a minimum level of housing in which WE would be willing to live and anything below that is out of the question. Will WE go even if it means supporting ourselves or going hungry? When it gets dangerous, will WE leave? When we get discouraged, is God going to call us to a more exciting ministry? Do I need to live any less than I would in the United States. Just because I can afford it because the dollar goes such a long way, should I? What impression are we giving the people we come to serve by the way we live, the things we won't do or the things we have? If we answer any of these questions in a way that reflects poorly on our willingness to serve in any capacity, in any style in a any foreign country, then can I say this in all honesty, maybe we really aren't called to be there.

I certainly don't have all the answers, but I sure have a lot of questions. No, I don't have a doctrine of poverty or a martyr complex. I do think of Him who we are to model our lives after. He who left the riches and glory of Heaven to come and live not only among the poor, but as the poor. He did this so that He could understand ALL of our troubles, our weaknesses, our needs. He tells us this in John_13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, a servant is not greater than his lord; neither one that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Food for thought?

Next, I will try to sum up all this in My Conclusion. As always your comments are welcome.

The Good, The Bad and...My Conclusion (part 1)

In this, my final three part post, I want to look at the third part of my Quest. I have, for the past several years, found myself questioning more and more the "status quo" of our Christian religious system. However, as often as I am disappointed by the rhetoric, I find my faith restored by a selfless act of kindness. While I see that often we speak empty words devoid of actions that give credence to our faith, there is still the other side of the coin where I see people who truly care for those around them and show it in endless small ways. As part of our travels, I was very curious to see how this "system" is really working outside of the US, especially in a country where the opportunities to speak, preach and do good works are endless.

The Good

America the Generous! I continue to be amazed at the generosity of the American people. Interestingly though, this does not seem to be directly related to religious motives. Take for example the house that Barbe and I helped repair. (see A Project of Love and Hope). We had an almost equal number of people give to help with this project who would probably say that they gave from religious motives as those who gave without religious motives. Over and over again as I have been involved in the aftermath of natural disasters (for me this is done commercially) I have seen thousands of people come to help. Often they are churches, but there are businesses, corporations and civic clubs as well. All you have to do is travel to a third world country and with in a matter of hours you will, without fail, run into an American group doing humanitarian work. Check out this recent CNN article written by William J. Bennett titled America the Generous.

So, are Evangelical Christians more generous than the other Americans? I don't know. I have read articles and studies that say yes and no. This I do know. Because of our belief in the Great Commission where Jesus says, "Go ye therefore unto all nations..." we do go. Do we Evangelicals always go for the "right" reasons? Probably not, but none the less each time we go we usually leave behind much of what we brought in our suitcases and the promise to send more. We just can't seem to help ourselves! So much of the good that has been done in third world countries, especially in the areas of medicine, hunger, children and human rights have been spearheaded by Christians. Hospital Evangelico where Barbe had her surgery is an excellent example of this. Google "orphanages in third world countries" and you will find that many, if not most, are faith based. It is Christian organizations that are fighting against "white slavery" or are buying back sexually abused children in Thailand who have been bought, used and abandoned as worthless. Christians working with drug addicts in the slums of Mexico and the list goes on and on. All of these things are usually done because of our faith. (Please, this is not an effort to discount any other humanitarian efforts by non-faith based NGOs or other religions. This article is focused solely on Christian missions.)

We Christians give millions, even billions of dollars each year to "missions", this catch all phrase that churches tend to use rather loosely to describe a wide array of events and activities. We give to evangelize, we give to feed the children, to feed the poor, to build churches, to feed pastors, to train pastors, to drill wells, to send our youth to camp, to send our churches on short term missions, to translate the Bible into other languages, to build radio stations, to help widows, to support missionaries, to provide Bibles, almost any "good" sounding idea someone comes up with...we give to support it. And we donate...clothes, books, cars, tractors, well drilling rigs, lawn mowers, golf carts, tools, backhoes, ping pong balls, pencils, cars, houses, boats, frequent flyer miles... you name it, put it out there as a need and eventually some good hearted soul back home is going to get it to you. It's amazing!

We have, in the name of Jesus, built hospitals, schools, seminaries, churches, orphanages and staffed all of them. We build homes for the poor, the widows. Drill wells for communities, feed the starving, care for the sick. In all this my goal is not to pat us on the backs or try to make us look better than anyone else. All I want to do is to take a fair and balanced approach to the way our system is working.

So, is our system producing "good" things? Without a doubt. But is that all that Christianity and missions in particular supposed to be doing? Of course not. Our greatest reason for "missions" is to evangelize. (Again, I am speaking solely from the viewpoint of the Christian faith.) So how's that working out for us? Once again I go to the internet, not as a source of all truth, but at least a source of information. (You may want to do your own research on this.) In an article from Charisma Magazine looking back on the past decade, J. Lee Grady say this. "There are now about 600 million Christians in Africa. Protestant Christianity grew 600 percent in Vietnam in the last decade. In China, where a 50,000-member megachurch was raided in Shanxi province a few weeks ago, there are now an estimated 130 million churchgoers...Astounding church growth has occurred in Guatemala, Brazil, India and Ethiopia. In Nepal, which had no Christians in 1960, there are now a half-million believers. The Christian population of Indonesia has mushroomed from 1.3 million to 11 million in 40 years." If numbers is the only measure of success, then apparently missions is working.

Like everything in life, there are always two sides to every story. Nothing is always completely good or completely bad. Those of us who want to close our eyes to the bad or only see the negative are doing ourselves and others an injustice. In order to take a fair and balanced look at all this (thank you Fox News for this phrase) we must now look at the negative side of what is happening in the system.

Tomorrow I will address the negative aspects of the system.

The Future: The Second Part of My Quest

This blog is winding down. I have enjoyed it immensely, more than I thought I ever would. Thanks, Barbe, for encouraging me to do this. We are back home and although there are still some events I would like write about, I think that I will only do one more post after this one. I will sum up the third part of my Quest in The Good, The Bad...and My Conclusion.

As I wrote at the beginning of this blog, my Quest was three part.
1. To search for people who have chosen to live life differently, who exhibit great faith, or who are ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of their faith. I met many in my time in HN.
2. To give our personal future more clarity and focus. I believe that has happened.
3. To see if our "Christain religious system" is actually working in a country where opportunity to help and make a difference abounds. A place into which we Christians pour millions of dollars each year in the name of missions.

Our Future.

I have had several people ask me, "So, was it worth it?" All five of us reply with a resounding, YES. We spent only a little more in the two months we were in Honduras (language school being the largest part of the budget) than we would have spent, say on a Disney Vacation. The experiences we had, the friendships we made, the help we were able to give, learning a second language...all of it, priceless.

So where does the Wolfe Family go from here? Well, first of all back to work. Without a doubt, we want to return to Honduras. Currently we are making tentative plans to return for perhaps a year this November. It will mean big changes for us. We will need to rent our house, sell some of my equipment, etc. I have no desire to raise support unless it is through a specific project, but choose instead to make my own living or just use our savings. I already have some ideas that I am working on to make that happen.

The next question is the obvious. What will we do there? Continuing to improve on our Spanish has to be near the top of the list. Without being able to speak the language, we miss out on, really, all that life in HN has to offer. But that will come with time. We currently have, or had, two opportunities to help exisiting organizations that we are looking at.

1. In my last blog I wrote about the well drilling. I have been talking with Tim Nelson about taking the rig and making it into a viable ministry. It will bring clean water to communities, help the local church make a difference in peoples physical lives, help provide 2 or 3 part time jobs to some of the local men (something I am passionate about) and bring in some financial aid to SEBCAH. Obviously, one well does not make me an expert. Todd Heumann is already planning on returning in January 2013 to help me drill another well, possibly in the coastal town of Arizona. I have met the pastor and his wife who live there and I believe this would be an ideal spot to put our ideas to the test.

2. Destino del Reino: Before we left we had several good conversations with Rhonda about working with her, managing all of her short term missions teams and getting to know the fathers of the children in the school. As she and I discussed her needs further, it became clear that at least for now, she needs more than I could commit to. We are disappointed because she really has a beautiful work going on there, but completely understand. In my opinion, Destino remains part of our future, but time will tell. There is the very real possibility that I will be driving a donated tractor trailer loaded with farm equipment from SE Colorado to Honduras later on this summer for use on Destino's property.

One thing is for sure, you don't have to look very hard to find something worthwhile to do in Honduras. I was amazed at how many individuals, groups and organizations are constantly at work in HN. Medical teams, church groups, people starting orphanages and schools on there own. I think of my friend David Ashby in La Ceiba. Retired from Dole at 65, he now has a beautiful orphanage 6 years later. Check out his website at Helping Honduras Kids. Or Tommy from IMB who I ran into at SEBCAH many times along with his wife, daughter and son in law. A home church based stm ministry that has grown rapidly over the last few years. By the way, thanks for the offer to accompany you guys to Limpira. I was very sorry I was unable to go. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you love people, care about the poor and are willing to give your hearts, your time and your money, the possibilities are endless. But you have to go. That is what we really want to do.

Well, Well, Well



Pat Texidor

Nothing quite as exciting as seeing a plan come together at the last minute. I really wanted to see the well drilling rig work before we left. Todd Huemann, his son Elliot and Pat Texidor flew down last Friday from Wisconsin specifically to make this happen.



Todd and Elliot Huemann



The place we had planned on drilling at is Camp Calle, a CAM owned camp on Lago Yojoa. The only other well this rig had been used for was the well at SEBCAH. I can tell you this, any place where you can drink the water, brush your teeth with the water and shower without worrying about getting sick is a true blessing, especially for a foreigner. These places are also extremely rare in Central America. It has long been a prayer of Tim Nelson's that Camp Calle would have potable water.

We started drilling Saturday morning having got off to a slow start as I had to clean the carburetor on the engine that runs the HD pump. Almost immediately we hit a very hard rock of some sort. Progress was measured in tenths of an inch per hour. I did have time to take Pat up to Pina Blanca, a small town not far up the road. A worthwhile trip for both of us. Pat has a unique story, born in Cuba he speaks Spanish fluently. He and his parents left there when he was ten, immigrating to the States. This was his first trip to a Spanish speaking country since that time. I think he would be the first to say that it was an emotional time, bringing back memories of his home country. Watching him converse freely in Spanish made me so wish I had learned while young.

Arriving back at camp we found that we had missed very little. Eventually, we broke through the rock only to immediately lose all our bentonite in the hole. Todd, who is a well driller in WI, decide we should pour chips of bentonite down the hole in hopes of sealing up the well. (Bentonite mixed with water is used for two purposes, to give support to the walls of the well as it is drilled, keeping them from collapsing, and to lift up the sand and gravel created by the bit as it drills. This is done by circulating the slurry through the system.)

In the above picture you can see the whole process. Drill rig, HD pump, bentonite pools and sump pump.

Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch. When we returned we drilled a little more making sure we were all picked up before evening as the mosquitoes would come out in swarms right about dusk. Monday was our last day as we were all returning to the States on Tuesday. At 21 ft we once again lost all our bentonite. We dropped a line down the well and measured only about a foot of water. Not nearly enough to make a viable well. Todd said that with the limited capabilities we had we were all done. A dry well. Disappointed would be a mild word to describe our feelings. Tim suggested we stick the 3" sump pump line down the well just to see what would come out. When we finally got the suction started...the 30 gal per minute pump couldn't keep up with what the well was producing. We were jubilant! I asked Todd if it was a miracle and he said, "Well, kind of...for a well this shallow to produce that much water is extremely unusual. Something I've never seen." Of course the water still needs to be tested for potability, but even if it is not pure enough to drink it could be filtered and still provide plenty of water for the neighbors. VERY interested to see how the test come out. Todd and Elliot performed their own on site testing (being the professional well drillers they are), they took a drink. Me, being weak in faith, preferred to wait for the "test" results to come in. So, how about it guys...any diarrhea?  

Beyond the work it was a truly great time. We all worked together as a team, enjoying each others company, jokes, suggestions and mistakes as only guys can do. For me, having all this come together last minute was icing on the cake, just topping off the already sweet experience of two months in Honduras. Thanks guys and thank you Lord!

Photos courtesy of Pat Texidor

The Team: Elliot, Tim, Todd, Laneen, Mike, Pat. Julie Nelson is taking the picture. She was an important part of the team as she kept us all well fed and supplied with water.

Water = Life

Today is World Water Day. Water is needed to sustain life on three different levels. 1. The growth and development of our food, ie. agriculture, livestock and processing. 2. Maintance of our bodies, ie. cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc. 3. Drinking water. The first two take up the majority of the water we use. The third, drinking water, has a direct impact on our health and quality life. Consider the following facts.

Sufficient quality of water is critical to ensure a healthy environment and human health. The basic requirement per person per day is 20 to 40 liters of water free from harmful contaminants and pathogens for the purposes of drinking and sanitation, rising to 50 liters when bathing and kitchen needs are considered. In many countries, however, the amount of water required daily for drinking and sanitation is not provided in the required quality. Developing countries undergoing rapid urbanization suffer from lack of sewage treatment facilities which results in the contamination of drinking water, thus it becomes a major cause of illness (which impacts poverty and education) and death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year in addition to millions of other cases of illness are associated with lack of access to water that is safe for human consumption. Per year 2.2 million people die as a result of diarrhea most of them are children under the age of five. Human health is severely impacted by water-related diseases (waterborne, water-washed, water-based, and water-related vector-borne infections) as well as by chemical pollution discharged to water. (UNWater.org/2010)

Honduras is no exception. Many villages have no clean water source. Often the water that is used for drinking has been contaminated by run off from pastures or even latrines. If there is a clean water source, it is often located some distance from the village requiring children and women to spend time carrying water. I have seen young children 4 and 5 years old carrying gallon jugs of water from as far away as half a mile.

I am writing about this because I have the opportunity to build from the ground up a new ministry in conjunction with Camino Global drilling wells to bring fresh water to villages in Honduras. This past weekend I was able to help drill a well using the portable drilling rig built specifically for this purpose by several men from Wisconsin. We are planning another one later this year and if all goes well, several more in the following months. In my next post I will showcase the rig and our experience with it.