Redneck Christmas

Here's a fun take on the Christmas story (written by Peter Hiett)

Redneck Christmas

Hard Times

Hard Times

Every one goes through hard times and the follower of Jesus is no exception. In fact, following Jesus can result in more, rather than fewer, difficulties. The scripture is full of encouragement, hope and solid advice on how to deal with Hard Times

Congo Video

Here's a little video about what is happening in the Congo and how Cornerstone (and you) can help!

Unforgiveness

The church is called to be a temple, the body of Christ, and with that has come great promise and great potential. Why is it that we don't see the fruit of this very much? One of the reasons can be Unforgiveness

This Thing Called Church

What is God doing with this thing called Church? In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he gives us some clues.

This Thing Called Church

Faith and Fact

In Romans Four Paul speaks about what Abraham learned in regards to faith, and what we might learn from Abraham. Abraham’s faith did not discount facts, but took into account a greater fact—God.

Faith and Fact

Not Ashamed

What would explain the dramatic change in the life of Paul? From opposing the gospel and persecuting the early church to becoming an ardent promoter. What happened? Find out in Rick Weinert's message
Not Ashamed

Some Time at the Lookout

We had the chance to get away for a few days of R&R this week. Sue had heard about Palouse Divide Lodge and reserved the "fire lookout" for three nights. It was really nice. The only disappointment was that with the start of hunting season there were no animals to be seen. There was lots of deer and elk scat, and I found some bear scat. But even the resident moose made it a point to not be around, so we missed out. Otherwise it was really nice.

The Lodge is on the old North-South ski bowl property so there were ample opportunities to hike as well. And with the leaves changing colors and the Tamaracks beginning to turn, it was beautiful.

I had some trouble with the video on the camera, so I had to rush this a little, but you will get an idea of the place. You may want to go yourself. Enjoy!

Stranger at the Well

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to meet Jesus during his time on earth? To meet him as you are hiding nothing from Him. Hear what it might have been like for a Samaritan women to meet Jesus in
Stranger at the Well

The Table

It is often said that the simple things in life bring the greatest joy and meaning. That would have to include the times when we gather with friends around a meal and enjoy each other’s fellowship. This was true for Jesus as well, but in his case it prompted conflict with the religious leaders of his day. Find out why in

The Table

Conversing with God

One of the great joys in the life of a person who follows Jesus is the nature of the relationship. Which is strengthened or weakened based upon how well one communicates with God. Here are a few insights from Sue Swanson about Conversing with God.

Fear Cure

Jesus encountered opposition from the religious leaders of his day. His opponents had a serious problem with fear of people and they are not alone. Many of us struggle with it too and need the
Fear Cure

Our King

In each of the four gospels the writers want to reveal different facets of the person of Christ. Matthew wants his readers to see Jesus
Our King

Show Up!

We are praying that God will show up at Cornerstone. By that we mean that we desire to have genuine encounter with Him. That we would know the reality of his presence. What would that look like? Are there any requirements for us? Listen and find out!

Show Up!

Processing

After spending time in the Congo there is a great deal to process. Here are some thoughts from Nils in the midst of Processing

Full Hands

What would you ask Jesus to teach you if you had the opportunity? The disciples took the opportunity to ask him to teach them about prayer. Learn more in this message

Full Hands 8/26/07

The Man Truck

God delights in using little things and ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Like the Man Truck for example!
The Man Truck

Love Your Enemies

Following Jesus is not always an easy thing to do, especially when he says we are to love our enemies and pray for those persecute you. Hear what Sue Swanson has learned about this in her message from July 22, 2007
Love Your Enemies

Congo XII

Friday August 3

We went out to the Elikya center project again this morning, but this time the Free Church President (Selenga) and V.P. Ibengi took us around the property and shared the vision for the place. We heard once again about the housing for widows and orphans, the garden plots they will have (for food and income) and more about the training they will do. Some of the training is already occurring in other locations (seamstresses, for example), so the training buildings will be put to use as soon as they are completed. The director’s house is almost finished and they have been using the construction on that to begin training some boys in masonry.

Across the road (we would say a trail) is a large piece of property that Habitat for Humanity was developing. But they have pulled out of the country, so Tom has approached them about letting the Free Church build homes on it and using the original 120 acres for gardens, training buildings and other things. Tom thinks the property is large enough for about 1,000 of the style of homes Habitat was building. Habitat has been very open to the idea and the talks seem to be progressing. The homes would be fairly small and would house two widows and 3-4 orphan girls each. At this point the estimate to build a home is between $2,500 and $3,000. It left me wondering if Cornerstone could raise that amount in a year? If we had this as an ongoing project for 3-5 years they would build 3-5 homes. A pretty significant thing in my mind.

The training buildings (and the equipment they will need) will be more expensive, perhaps $75,000 each, and a church in the U.S. is helping with the first building, which is good to see.

After our time at the Elikya property we gave a ride to a boy who is in the Global Fingerprints sponsorship program. He wanted us to see his home so we stopped for a little bit. He is an orphan who is living with his sister and her family. The home is the typical mud-hut and is in disrepair. It will stand for a while longer until the termites eat the branches used as a frame, then it will collapse and they will build another like it.

As we walked up to the hut Tom pointed out the boy’s sister and said she suffered from Cretinism. A condition resulting from the lack of iodine as an infant it causes the body and mind to not develop properly and thus creates other problems, as you might imagine. So the Global Fingerprints staff not only is working with the boy, but his sister and her family presents needs and challenges, too. What an important work they are doing.

When we returned from the tour we had opportunity to meet with about 25 of the widows who are being helped by the ministry. We sat under a couple of trees and listened as each told her story. Although each was unique, there were some themes that came up in several of the stories. One such theme was that when a husband dies in the Congo his family has the right to confiscate all his property. If they do, and it seemed like most do, then the widow can be left destitute. If she has children to care for it is even more distressing.

To compound matters, there is an attitude in the Congo that a man should only marry a virgin. Thus a widow has no chance of remarrying and finding stability in that manner (this is also true for a teenage girl who gets pregnant; she will be an unwed mother for life). It is a horrendous practice especially as men are not expected to be virgins themselves. To me this is a clear example of what sin does to people.

So another theme that came up was that many of the women were homeless. They had lost the house to the in-laws or else they had no means of upkeep and effectively were homeless. It was very difficult to listen to. The third theme that came up a number of times was that many of the widows where caring for their grandchildren. Because of the war and the ravages of AIDS, many of the widows have lost their children who in turn left orphans behind.

Yet even with their immense problems these women are ministering to others. When they meet each week, if they have anything extra (such as some salt), they bring it to the meeting to share with others who don’t have any. They make trips to the hospital and prison to check on people who may not have any family nearby. Without family nearby, the prisoner or patient is without a source for food or clothing, and so the widows try to help these people in their need. It is humbling as well as amazing to watch.

What a day.

Congo Blog XI

Thursday August 2

Last night we got to experience another African event. A wake of sorts. Someone had died and when he did the wailing began and the drums started playing. It did not matter that it was 11:00 p.m. when it began, it needed to happen. I understand that, but as the family lives about 100 yards from my room it made it difficult to sleep. The wailing (and music) went all night and throughout the day as people arrived for the burial. Think of the before school party at Campus Commons North, have go 24/7 for several days, and you will get an idea of the noise level. In the Congo the law requires the body to be buried within twenty four hours, so they get right after it and they keep at it.

To add to the lack of sleep one of the roosters began crowing nearby. In fact I thought it was just outside the window and got up to chase it away. The only problem was that it was in the guard’s room at the end of the building. Because of the way the guest house is built, this meant that it was like having the rooster in an echo chamber. Ugh!! As someone said this morning, “only one more night.”

A couple of us sat in on a women’s ministry meeting and learned some of what they are doing. Which happens to be a great deal. One of the things they do is to make and sell fabrics and/or clothing made from those fabrics. The money that comes in helps to provide income but they also use it to train more women. They have undertaken some serious projects but one of the things that stood out to me is that these women (mostly widows and one young unwed mother) also minister to others. They visit prisoners and those in the hospital to help any that have no family. In the prison, if you don’t have food brought in (and clothing) you don’t get any at all. The hospital is similar. So these very poor women (who take Matthew 25 about the Sheep and the Goats seriously) are ministering to those in worse condition than they (which is difficult to grasp in its own right). They truly are a group of Wassei Mattasei (woman of strength).

In the afternoon we met with Rachel Martin and Diolo to learn about the AIDS/HIV ministry. It was informative. They are working hard to educate the people regarding this scourge and are looking for ways to help treat those who are infected. They would like to be able to get Anti-retroviral medicines into the clinics, but many of those depend upon refrigeration which is not readily available. The cost is roughly $60/month for the meds, which is about 1/100^th the cost in the U.S., but that is the equivalent of two months pay (maybe more) and unless the government program helps the people they simply cannot afford it. In the meantime they are working through the church and the clinics to educate people about HIV and to encourage testing. Unfortunately, most people don’t want to be tested because it’s highly unlikely that they will get treatment. So they prefer to remain ignorant. On one hand, this is understandable, but on the other hand it would be nice if they knew and would adjust their sexual behavior. It is a huge challenge.

The engine that drives this project is the Global Fingerprints ministry that is just up and running. It is a sponsorship of orphans that provides for education fees, medical care, nutritional help and clothing. Part of the $20/month is used to help with the ongoing AIDS education program and outreach. It is a good idea that is working with over 300 orphans to date.

At the end of the meeting with Rachel and Diolo we went to the large church to meet some of the sponsored orphans. It was a neat time to be with the children and to hear them sing a song for us. I’m hopeful that people at Cornerstone will sponsor children in the upcoming months. $20 will go a long ways in helping a child have a shot at life.

We have talked frequently about the Congo being full of paradoxes and that came home to me again this morning. We met together as a team for some prayer and worship. It was quite a contrast as we are surrounded by great need, yet there was worship and praise and a very real sense of God’s presence. As the people continued wailing not far from where we met, there is peace here and a sense that life goes on.

During the prayer time an image came to my mind of two hands. One African, one American (or western). One was full of stuff while the other appeared empty. Yet I knew that it wasn’t empty. Although I could not see it, I could sense something of great substance and power in the hand (faith?). Jesus’ words to the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:17-19 came to mind

¹⁷ You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

The Congolese brothers often expressed gratitude to the team and would say they had “nothing to give us” but gratitude. Yet in my mind that wasn’t entirely true. They have much to give in terms of faith and understanding God, and we have much to learn.