Mission Colombia

Above you see us at Cru25, Milwaukie and to the right is the heart of Bogota. Our whole Faculty Commons (FC) Mission team to Colombia met up in Atlanta Airport on 7 Aug., flying in from as far as Ohio. There were 4 profs, 2 CRU FC staff, and one spouse. In Bogota, we connected with our FC Colombia Staff member Carlos, and his terrific wife Maria Isabel, and with Global Scholars Prof. Jeremy, who teaches at Javeriana Uni. in Bogota. The next day we traveled to a nearby church for our first day of the first-ever Colombian Christian Professors “retreat”. We had about 18 Colombian Profs total from Cali, Bogota and Barranquilla, who seemed very eager to learn how to minister to their students and colleagues at their own Uni. After a tasty lunch, Maria got us together and paired us up with people we didn't know to introduce them--which helped us quickly to bond. After that fun exercise, Carlos led off with the first talk, “A Vision for Being a Christian Professor”. We then grouped up with one or two others and responded to some questions that Carlos provided about putting his points into action. After a short break, I (Phil) had the wonderful opportunity to speak on “Ways to Have a Christian Testimony on a Secular Campus”. At the start of the talk, it appeared the Profs in the audience were a bit overwhelmed at the prospects of being Christians in an often HOSTILE environment. But, by the end of the talk, they seemed to be becoming very enthusiastic about what G^d might do through them. We all joined together for a delicious supper, and it was quickly apparent that eating these meals together was a great opportunity for fellowship, further discussions, and mutual encouragement. Our Faculty Commons team on the way to Colombia. The next day was a full one with a great kickoff talk by Dr. Cilia Z (her first-ever foreign-mission talk) , who spoke on “The Spirit-filled Life”, which was one of the favorite talks of everyone. After discussion, Dorsey M gave a talk on “Sharing the 4 Spiritual Laws”. After discussion and another group-lunch about 24 of us set out in teams of two or three to share the Gospel as we had just been taught. There were about 34 presentations completed and about 10 decisions for following the Christ, plus many seeds sown! Our US team was surprised and thrilled to hear Diana, a young female Colombian physician/prof, share with great joy her team's experiences sharing the Gospel. Her report seemed to inject (pun) the whole group with great enthusiasm as many groups gave reports. This excitement carried into dinner together. The final day of the retreat, Jeremy and Anita gave a great talk jointly on “How to Balance Work and Family”. I (Phil) hope to adapt this talk, as it seems so vital to Profs around the world. In the final session, Cru FC Staff, Bill H, gave a talk on “How to Launch a Professors Ministry in Your University”. All of us who participated in the retreat. I (Phil) have been to many, many similar Prof Christian retreats in the USA, and this one in Bogota was the most impressive I have ever seen. From the first session to the last, the enthusiasm and excitement, and motivation of the Colombian Profs seemed to grow. Everyone seemed to be sad to see the retreat end, but, they also seemed excited to see what G^d might do on their own campus. Please pray that G^d would sustain this energy and enthusiasm for being Salt and Light in Universities in Colombia! After this tremendous retreat, we Americans divided into 2 teams to minister in Universities in Bogota and Cali. On Monday, Dr. Cilia Z shared her testimony with about a dozen Cru students at Javeriana Uni. in Bogota. Then I (Phil) gave a talk on “Success in the University and Beyond”. The students seemed very engaged and every time I asked a question, one or more students gave great responses. This group of students has the capacity to make a huge impact for the Christ in Colombia for years to come. On Wednesday I got to share first with the “Lunch and Friends” group, "Five Arguments for Why God Must Exist”. I couldn't tell for sure, but some of the students were Christians and some appeared to be non-Believers. I then got to speak for 10 minutes in Prof. Jeremy's Business class on “Managing Your Self and Your Time”. This was the least-engaged group I spoke to, but they asked questions for about 20 min after I finished, so even they were a pretty good audience. My final talk was to the English Club on “Keys to Effective Leadership”. It was great fun and some of the students were willing to hear me for the third time that week! These are photos of four talks to students at Javeriana University. It was a great mission, made possible by your financial support and much more by your prayers. We thank you so much for your support! As you read this, rejoice that you participated, for it was certainly a terrific time.

 Some NEW thoughts on Life!

"Amateurs built Noah's Ark; professionals built the Titanic!" 

Yes indeed! In thinking about Scripture lately it has just hit me, what has been obvious to so many. The MOST highly-educated people of Jesus's day were the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. And, these folks, with few exceptions, totally MISSED who Jesus was (is)!! So?  So, our MOST highly-educated theologians are perhaps at greater risk than those with "ears to hear"!

This does NOT mean, don't study, it does mean, don't rely on KNOWLEDGE as a substitute for a personal relationship with Jesus--and listening ears!

Our culture elevates education, and often forgets RELATIONSHIP!

Let us LEARN from the negative examples before us.

Summer News

I have had a long hiatus without posting, but I want to share some thoughts. As someone said, "I write to find out what I think of things."

This is mid-October, and last week we finished up our Fall two-weeks in Panama City Beach. The first was out annual Wellness Week, where I spoke 7 times. I started as key speaker in 2017, I think. We have thoroughly hashed and re-hashed REPS wellness from our book. I suspect I have WORN out that topic. I proposed some new, hopefully useful, topics for next year, but who knows?

We had a WONDERFUL time at the beach, but the HIGHLIGHT was the Friday night that ended the week. The attendees first prayed for Brenda and I, and then spoke words of appreciation and encouragement to us. What a THRILL and JOY!! They BLESSED us so nicely. Thank you L^rd, for these people and this love from them. Let us NOT forget it!

Finally the weather is cooling a bit. This makes the 3x-weekly runs more enjoyable too!

The Summer would best be described by its TRAVELS!!

In June Phil traveled to Fortaleza, Brazil on Mission, then from there to Manila, Philippines, and from there to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In July we went to Milwaukee for Cru25 when the whole USA CRU gathers every other year.

In early August, Phil made what may have been the BEST FC Mission trip of all time to Bogota, Colombia!! The end of August was marked by a 10-day trip to Alaska to celebrate Drew's PhD in Dec. 2019! At the end of September we did our 9th Wellness Week at PCB! Afterwards we stayed another 8 days to enjoy the beach. Fortunately, our travels slow this Fall!

Blessings,

Albania Mission Trip

 

Bre w Cru Staff Aurora,    Head of Barleti U. Physical Ed., me, and head of Albania AIA Alban P

Speaking at Teuta Sport Center, with the physiotherapist/archer, and with Jim S and our friends from Suissa.

Memories from Albania

On 18 March we spent about 20 hours traveling to Tirana, Albania. You might not recall exactly where Albania is, but that is common. Albania lies just south of Montenegro, just west of Macedonia, and north of Greece. It gained freedom from Soviet control in 1991. All religion had been outlawed by the Communists, and Albania had been declared an atheist country. Currently it is about 70% Muslim, 20% Catholic and 10% Orthodox, with a fraction of a % evangelical.

Miami University (Oxford, OH) sent profs in education, social work, biology, nursing, computer science, and business communications. I expect bonding to arise from this shared experience. Brenda and I sure enjoyed our time of fellowship with these folks and with the local Cru staff there.

On Wednesday the 20th I (Phil) spoke at 12:00 am at Barleti’s University (after arriving in country just the afternoon before) on the "Value of Sports in Educating the Whole Person". The next day, I spoke at the Teuta club to 20 coaches on “Recovery from Exercise Training: A Brief Review”. On Monday, March 25 we drove about 4 hours (including a coffee stop) to the SE Albanian town of Korce where I again spoke on Recovery, as I did the next day at a university in Shkoder. Alban, my Cru host and the Albania AIA director said these talks were very important for their ministry.  In total, I gave 5 talks in 9 days and got to meet a lot of important people in Albanian Sport and Higher Education. More importantly, I was able to lay a foundation for future ministry and evangelism. The Cru staff there put emphasis on building solid relationships to share the Gospel.

On Thursday, March 28 in the morning I spoke again on "Value of Sports in Educating the Whole Person" at the University of Sports in Tirana. I also had another opportunity to speak at another University but didn’t have time.

Brenda along with another lady in our group, was able to meet with some young Cru staff moms, about parenting. She also had the opportunity to take about 3 of them individually out for coffee. A staff couple took us out for coffee to enlist our financial support. As you might imagine, trying to raise money for Christian ministry is tough in Albania, and thus far they have only 3 Albanian supporters. We will be donating!

Some observations about Albania:

Since Communism only ended in 1991, most Albanians don't have a Christian heritage nor a foundation upon which to build.

For 4-lane streets, people simply put on flashers and park in the street.

Albanians don’t wear shorts.

Streets and sidewalks are full of cars, scooters, and bikes and sidewalks are full of people. I tried to run 2x there, and the only saving factor was the large park about a half mile from our hotel.

Lots of fruit and olive production.

Lots of old bunkers that are pretty impressive.

Lots of unfinished masonry homes, and no wooden homes.

Lots of old Turkish forts.

Lots of unusual, really original architecture.

Lots of small universities. None bigger than U of Tirana at about 30k, down from almost 60k.

Several of us were scheduled to speak at Vlora University on Wednesday, 27th. All our talks were cancelled due to University elections--yes, they elect their leadership. Apparently, the Rector (president) and other leaders must win the vote to continue to hold their positions. Wow!

Lots of car washes==big part of culture.

The old name for Albania was Illirium, and parts of the ancient road still exist.

With Einstein, view of Macedonia on the way to Korcea, and Bre and I on Illyrium road.

Final thoughts:

Our return trip was a bit of a trial. Due to lack of aircraft, and over and hour sitting on the tarmac, we arrived at Dulles Airport far too late to catch our flights to Chicago and Birmingham. We did get to Birmingham only 16 hours later than scheduled. But such are the travails of travels.

G^d blessed us all thought this trip. It is so great to know Albanian Believers and Cru staff there. It was great to serve with a terrific group from Miami of Ohio. Who knows what G^d may do with our ministry efforts there.

And, your prayers and financial support make it possible for us to make these mission trips. We are grateful for you.

Brenda and Phil

Bre in a war bunker, Native Albanian Mother Teresa, the Grand Mosque.

If you wish to write a check, please make it out to "CRU" to ensure it will be tax-deductible. Our name does not need to be on the check.

Ever Been to Albania?

In all of my travels, Albania was #65. We went there the last of March with Cru Faculty Commons. It was the largest mission group we have experienced. We had 12 altogether w 7 of those being profs from Miami of OH. Our Cru staff colleagues, the Samlands, arranged the trip and led it. They had previously been missionaries in Hungary and had spent some time in Albania. Brenda and I met them over there a few days early to get a feel for it, and be able to host the group better.

We got in on Tues, and the Albanian AIA leader, Alban, had me speak the next day at Bartleti U, a private university. As is my habit I had some Bible verses left even after I had cut the gospel part from the talk. My Albanian buddy told me to take the verses out, because it is seen as very off-putting to some of the locals. I complied and the next presentation was in Durres. It was to ALL coaches and they were as challenging as I expected. I monitor my audience closely, and they were tough. One of my most responsive audience members was the Sport Physical Therapist, who took us to his office after the talk.

He enjoys competitive archery also!

One of the most striking aspects of Tirana was the architecture:

There's more, but let's save that for later.

Japan 2023 Last Noteworthy

 

One noteworthy observation—there is almost NO litter in Japan. It was so rare that I was tempted to photograph the little bit I saw.

Besides the noticeable cleanliness and the computerized restaurant meal ordering, the “no-touch” payment option for cash was impressive. Likewise, the cleanliness of the trains and public areas highlighted their high standards. Though restaurant meal prices were pretty similar to the USA, the fruit prices were shockingly high. The houses are nice, but the lot sizes are quite small and every house I can recall had spaces for more than one auto, mostly covered.

I was impressed that there were few fat Japanese. I saw only one obese person who appeared to be Japanese in 2 weeks. The food seems generally highly nutritious, but everything seemed to have much less sugar. Even the ice cream seemed more creamy and less sugary.

The neighborhood organization is taken seriously and is quite complex. Not volunteering for helping with the community operation and celebrations is a serious faux pas. Everyone in the neighborhood knows everyone else, except those who don’t volunteer are shunned.

Now, I am biased, but in truth David’s two daughters, ages 9 and 6, are terrific. They play extremely well with each other, they are quiet, and obedient. In two weeks, I only heard David raise his voice to them about three times and never heard Rie call them down. The youngest loves to cook and can cook eggs and pancakes at age 6!

I noted above that my Fitbit recorded less than 4 hours sleep the first night back. BUT, the second night back (night of 9 August) I set a personal record I think with almost 14 hours in bed and 12 hours 42 min of actual sleep!

Most noteworthy were the many prayers offered up for us. This trip went extremely smooth from start to finish. As I write this I am unsure of our recovery from jet lag. In retrospect, our jet lag in Japan was hardly noticeable. Thanks be to G^d for his mercy and grace, and thanks to Him for a great trip, and thanks to you for your prayers.

Thanks.

This is elusive Mt. Fuji that is mostly obscured by some clouds.

Japan 2023 Part 7

 

Our trip home involved almost 27 hours of travel. A bit after 10AM, David carried us to the bullet train station, about 20 minutes. Bre had one last rice ball, and we only had about a 15 min wait to board our train for Shinagawa. I tracked our movements on my GPS, and we got off the train right on sched. Fortunately, our baggage was much less on our return home, having dropped off a lot of USA-items at Davey’s. The walk to the exit of the Shinagawa train station was pretty long. We saw the queue for the taxi and took about a 20-min trip to Terminal 3 for 5.6k yen. We had a little trouble checking our 19-Kg suitcase, but we got it checked and had a leisurely trip through security to our gate. We spent our last few yen on a sandwich and 4 donuts and a soft serve ice cream. Once again, the service on ANA was excellent and the trip time passed unusually quickly as we slept some unknown amount.

Customs was pretty relaxed in Seattle, with no forms to fill out and not even a question about what we were bringing in. We flew Seattle to Denver, and had a long walk from Gate B6 to B67. We landed about 10 min early in BHM and Bre’s carry-on, which we checked in Seattle, along with mine, was the second bag delivered. Our other two came promptly and we had only a short wait before Andrew picked us up.

We made it into bed a bit after 11PM (1 PM Thursday in Japan). We “slept” until 1030AM Wed.—later than we can recall sleeping. My fitbit recorded less than 4 hours of total sleep from the plane and our bed combined. But, we are thrilled at the success of our trip. Thanks again for praying.

(This photo of us on the Shinkansen--bullet train is from our trip to David's, but is the only one we got.)