Worldly Holiness

Friday Fotos–Seattle Panoramic and Qur’anic Studies

Seattle Pan HDR, originally uploaded by papalars.

Wow! It's Friday again. Seems to come upon me sometimes a little too quickly. For most of those who will read/see this your Friday may be already slipping into the weekend. Life seems to happen after everybody else here on the West Coast sometimes. My old friends in Spain are fast asleep, or at least they should be. Saturday soon greets them.

I took this photo last night after my class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. Let me tell you a little about that before I post this photo.

In my efforts to build relationships of trust with my focus friends, and to understand their faith, I have taken upon myself to read their holy book. To help me in that task I am taking a class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. We are getting deep into our subject, reading whole sections, chapters [Suras], and verses. In our study we are also drawing comparisons to the Hebrew scriptures and New Testament. Very fascinating, needless to say.

One of the criticisms raised by Christian theologians and pastors with regard to a study of our scripture is the danger of reading single verses from the Bible out of context. Many hair brained doctrines or beliefs spring from this inappropriate use of the text. It is funny how the Bible is often used to buttress ideas that in fact are contrary to the clear teaching of scripture when read and understood in context.

It turns out that the Bible is not the only holy book that is used and read in this way. A commentator on the Qur'an that we are reading in our class in fact says this: "Since the Qur'an is….., all its component parts–phrases, sentences, verses and surahs–form one integral, coordinated whole. Hence, if one is really intent on understanding the Qur'anic message, one must beware of a 'hasty approach'–that is to say, of drawing hasty conclusions from isolated verses or sentences taken out of their context…"So I am trying to understand the Qur'an, and its message in its whole. You'd be surprised what I am discovering. The Qur'an, apparently, has been twisted and used to support all kinds of agendas, much like the Bible. Muslim believers are not happy about this at all.

Two weeks ago I went to a lecture given by a leading Imam who was visiting the Seattle area giving a series of lectures on "purification of the heart." I liked the topic and found much that I could agree with. Not all, mind you, but much. A theme is beginning to emerge in conversations for me with the Muslim faithful–the issue of materialism and its negative effect on the spiritual life. That is a bridge I can walk across in my sharing. Afterward I met some of the area leaders, exchanged names, phone numbers and emails. Curiously, I thought to ask one of the Imams if I could insert my notes which I had scribbled out on a piece of paper from the lecture into my Qur'an. He smiled at me and said, if the text was in Arabic, I should only put the notes in the front part of the holy book, not in the middle, like a book marker, half way through the text. Wow, what an interesting insight. The Arabic text printed in the Qur'an is literally the word of God and should not be broken apart with another piece of paper. That act would be interrupting God, so to speak.

I am learning much. I have much yet to learn. Pray for me. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

June 13th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates, Friday Fotos | no comments

The Stones Will Cry Out–Following the Prince of Peace

Khalid, originally uploaded by papalars.

I've been thinking recently of our trip to the Middle East and to Jerusalem and the experience we had with the shop owner on the Via Dolorosa–literally the "street of pain!" Luke's story of Christ's Triumphal Entry into the very city whose streets we walked is also bouncing around in my head. This is quite a place and our experience seemed to live up to the city's reputation, both in scripture and current day. There is no shortage of tension.

Our new friend, Khalid, manifested some of the ethnic and religious pain when he shouted an insult at us strolling by his shop. We were
noticeably American. And we didn't stop to look at his stuff in the shop. I think
he had some pent up anger toward America and we were his target. It hit
a hot button in my friend, Nate, who had to respond to the insult. So
for the first 5 minutes of our encounter, Nate and Khalid were face to
face, about 5 inches apart, Mid-East style. All other pedestrians in
the area began to swing wide of the incident, perhaps wanting to avoid
any fallout. I came up to Nate and Khalid and began to pray while I
sought to insert calm comments from time to time.

You may remember the scene in the New Testament when Jesus entered Jerusalem near the end of his time on earth. If you are not a Bible scholar that is OK. The story has been re-enacted in movies for some time. Anyway, it unfolds like this. People were all excited when Christ was entering Jerusalem and the people were praising God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen. The Pharisees must have been jealous because they asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples to which he replied–"if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

Jerusalem is full of many stones. The old city is built with stones. Cobblestones on the streets, bricks and larger stones in the buildings, gates, and of course the famous Wailing Wall is a formidable tribute to the principle building material in the region. Jerusalem, the city, is full of stones. It is also full of much pain. 

Back to our incident with the shop owner, a Palestinian. Bit by bit, and for no reason of my own effort really, things began to calm down and within about 15 minutes were inside the shop talking more calmly on stools offered by our new host. At minute 30 I think we were offered coffee. Within the hour we were shoulder to shoulder for this picture and exchanging emails. Clearly God was with us. We listened, extended our hearts of understanding and empathy and sought to be the presence of Christ. I bought a very nice, simple cross necklace for Carol. Maybe this was our new friends strategy all along. Grin.

I kind of feel that Jerusalem is a microcosm of our current world, especially on the issue of religious and cultural fault lines that now seem to divide us around the globe. I also feel that we are called to be ambassadors for the Prince of Peace in this conflicted world. If we remain silent, the stones of the city of Jerusalem, which have seen so much pain, will probably cry out if they don't collapse in upon us. The world needs to know the Prince of Peace and the message he brings to all–"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity…" [Ephesians 2:14-15]. By the way, the story of Jesus to which I refer is in Luke 19:40. There are some new protagonists in the story but the storyline is very similar in present day Jerusalem.

As-sallamu Aleykum 

April 23rd, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates | 2 comments

Looking for an Oasis–A Common Word Between Us & You

Desert Floor, originally uploaded by papalars.

Hey friends, I bet you are beginning to think about Christmas. Actually many of you are probably well into your shopping list for friends and family. I have not started. In part because I was out of town last weekend, from Thursday thru Sunday night. Likely excuse, right? I was well south of here, in a region where they have things like the foto you see above. I love the way cacti look. Or is it cactuses? Anyway, the town I visited is also home to some ministries I am looking at for the Mosaics Project, serving and loving focus people for Christ. I also spoke at the local Covenant church and began conversations with several people in the congregation about next steps for themselves.

One of the important ministries that I became acquainted with is serving Iraqi refugees, providing an oasis of care and support for these wayfarers as they transition into a new society. Not an easy task. By the way, you can pray for the 2 million plus Iraqi refugees held in limbo presently in countries bordering Iraq–like Jordon, Lebanon, and Syria principally. One recent estimate puts the number of Iraqi citizens displaced from war and violence at around 4 million. About half of those remain in Iraq but have been uprooted from their homes because of the sectarian violence. Most have a family member who has been killed. The people I met last week are ministering to the needs of the few who are coming into their city, with practical things like basic home furnishings, clothes, English classes and the like. The recent arrivals are looking for an oasis and have found it with my new friends.

By the way, on another note, I have wanted to mention for some time an exciting thing that has happened in recent months, a significant bridge that is being built from the Muslim to Christian community, reaching across the chasm that divides Christians from Muslims. Last fall a leading group of Muslim leaders and clerics in Jordon drafted a letter to the global Christian community. The letter is called "A Common Word Between Us and You." In the letter a strong appeal is made to Christian leaders around the world. The content addresses the desire to demonstrate love of God and neighbor to each other, to strive together for a religious peace that would be the foundation for world peace, and to find common ground that could be the basis for genuine interfaith dialogue. Scriptures verses from both the Bible and the Qur'an are used to support the appeal. This is perhaps the most significant move in interfaith relations in my lifetime. Many in the Christian community are giving the letter, and the intent behind it, high marks. God is up to something.

Below you will find two important links to the actual letter from the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan, and a Christian response from the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. My professor from Fuller signed the letter as did many other leading evangelicals. I actually signed the response found on the Yale site. Look for my name. It is in the long list of "who's who" in the Christian world, but a little down the list, where a growing number of not so "who's who" are adding their two cents. Actually, this initiative is worth a lot more than two cents. This is really big and provides a bridge upon which more positive interaction can be conducted.

The link to "Loving God & Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to 'A Common Word Between Us & You'" can be found here. The official Website of "A Common Word Between Us & You" from The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Jordan can be found over here. Both of these links are now also listed in my sidebar in the Outward section. We are living in interesting times that are pregnant with very significant movements in our world. Behind the mayhem and ugly stuff God is doing something. Will you take notice? Won't you join me in prayer for this opportunity? Let's pray that at all levels God could use this for his Kingdom.

By the way, this is Friday so enjoy this edition of Friday Fotos! 

December 13th, 2007 Posted by andres | Ministry Updates, Friday Fotos | one comment

Dearborn Mosque

Dearborn Mosque 1, originally uploaded by papalars.

I'm in Dearborn this week to learn more about Muslims in the metropolitan area of Detroit. This is a unique place in the United States, officially claiming to have 30,000 Arab-Americans, the densest Arab population of any community outside the Middle East. Unofficially the number of Arab Muslims in the greater Detroit metropolitan area is much higher, perhaps closer to 200,000, making this the 2nd most Muslim populated area in the US.

Arabs first settled here to work in the automotive industry over 90 years ago, invited by Henry Ford to work in his plants. In January 2005, a new Arab American National Museum opened as a result of this large concentrated population. The city is also home to the Islamic Center of America, pictured above, the largest mosque in North America and the Dearborn Mosque, as well as a mosque in the South End that is one of the few places in the US where one can hear the call to prayer over a loudspeaker. Because of the Arab cultural influence on the east side of Dearborn, store signs and billboards written in Arabic are common. On Wednesday, I was treated to a wonderful Lebanese meal that left me wanting to return for more. The ethnic make-up is principally Lebanese, Yemenis and Iraqis.

This week I have been meeting with Christian groups, theologians and missionaries serving the needs of this community and will speak in a church in the metro area on Sunday about our involvement with the Mosaics project. The interaction has been most fascinating and strategic as we continue to develop partnerships and discern ways to serve this community in different places around the world.

One of our keynote speakers has challenged us by story and example to commit ourselves to a "presence among Muslims of loving service and faithful witness that neither avoids differences nor exacerbates mistrust." I really like this statement. Our speaker further sees two opposed tendencies in most interactions today between Muslims and Christians. One approach seems to overlook or ignore differences between these faith communities in an effort to make peace while the other condemns the faith and practice of the other community as totally false, often demonizing the other. Neither of these is fully truthful or effective and adds fuel to the clash between us!

I hope to write more about what I am learning in this journey in these pages. Suffice it to say, as Christians, we follow the Prince of Peace, and are ambassadors of His Kingdom. We should follow his example in every way. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God [ 2 Corinthians 5:20].”

By the way, since this is Friday, enjoy the foto! Have a great weekend and continue to pray for God's work of reconciliation in our world and for us as we seek to raise this banner. 

October 19th, 2007 Posted by andres | Ministry Updates, Friday Fotos | no comments

Pulling Stumps at Quest Church

Pulling Stumps, originally uploaded by papalars.

One of our new joys since returning to Seattle has been worshiping at Quest Church in Seattle. This is a newer church that started in an urban center about 5 years ago and seeks to minister to the community through a community center and local cafe. 

Their story has been written up in the Seattle P-I and Seattle Times because of its noteworthy and non-traditional approach to doing church and for being a part of the community. They are not seeking to be a model to others so much as have a presence in the community that truly serves that same area. Their outreach team last week held a memorial service for a homeless man that they serve who had no family or community of his own. The warehouse which up until now had served as their worship space on Sundays doubles the rest of the week as "a community center with a computer lab; a tutoring/mentoring center, and conference rooms. Profits from the coffeehouse will be used to the outreach ministries" [from Quest church blog].

Quest church is currently in the midst of a merger with Interbay Covenant Church, which owns the original warehouse and property of the church campus. The last two Saturdays I have helped volunteer with basic work projects as they are preparing for their new launch in the older Interbay church sanctuary this Sunday. This picture is one I took last week when we were busy pulling Rhododendron stumps and laying new dirt around the church building. Our backs started to give up doing the back breaking work near the end of the day so we decided to extract the stumps with a truck and chain. Why didn't we think of this before!?

I'm meeting new people in the trenches, so to speak, and thoroughly enjoying our times working together. Most, but not all, of the workers are much younger than me. It has been a joy to meet them and begin to hear their stories and to join the emerging "good news" story at Quest church.

September 20th, 2007 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates | no comments

Looking Over Barcelona & Returning to Seattle

Looking Over Barcelona, originally uploaded by papalars.

I'm getting a few of my last pictures in before we leave this beautiful city. Here is a shot from Tibidabo, the highest point above the city of Barcelona. Some like to even go a little higher in the vertigo inducing rides at the top of the mountain. Where did I take this photo, you ask? From the top of the church that stands above everything. I'm just under the feet of a statue of Christ on top of the church. By the way, that is a very good place to be because He is above and before all things and in Him all things hold together [Colossians 1:17]! I need to remember that from time to time regardless of how things sometimes seem. Anyway, you can see a picture of the spot where I took the above picture: Under the feet of Christ.

In just a few days I will need to change the heading on my blog. We will be moving back to Seattle so our son can finish high school with his buddies that he has known for 9 years and so we can also attend to some family needs which require special focus at this time. So I will need to change the "Barcelona" to something else in the header. Small potatoes really. Perhaps more importantly, let me make two comments about our move to clear up any confusion that you may have. Some have wondered why the change and what is going on?

1. Ministry-wise, I will continue to be involved with the Mosaics project in strategic ways as well as share the vision of what God is doing with churches and individuals. I will also be sharing in a workshop at the Covenant minister's Midwinter conference in February about important developments in ministry to focus people. At this point there is much that is already scheduled on my calendar for the Fall and it is exciting to see how God continues to move in this very important project to give witness to focus people. I hope to be traveling back to Europe for important events over this coming year as well and to continue to support some of the things we have started in Barcelona and nuture our network of relationships. If you'd like a 1 page synopisis of my strategic objectives for the coming year let me know and I will gladly email you a copy. Suffice it to say, our involvement in the Mosaics project is NOT restricted to what we have been doing on location in Barcelona and it is NOT stopping because of our change of location. In fact, it is becoming very clear to me that some important new aspects to the project are beginning to emerge that I can only attribute to God's continued direction and blessing.

2. Our return to Seattle affirms the healthy commitment that Covenant World Mission makes to issues of member care. I am very glad for the input we have received from trained professionals and wise leaders who are as committed to the health of missionary families as they are to the work of the Kingdom. At one time these were viewed perhaps as competing agendas but I have come to believe they are not. I am convinced God wants whole people and healthy families to represent his work among the nations. So I am grateful to God and also our mission's commitment to this value.

I plan to post some more photos over the next few days from Barcelona and some of the people and stories that have been part of our lives here over the last 11 months. Keep posted and keep praying for the Larsen family. God has provided a place to live in Seattle as well as a house for 10 days before our rental opens up. Continue to pray for our transition, for health, strength and vision for the entire family. Pray also for our children and their needs as the nest moves yet once again. We praise God for his provision and care and also for the many who support us in prayer. Sorry my posts have been few so far this month. We have been busy with packing, visiting guests, ministry events and life! 

July 18th, 2007 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates | one comment

4 Dudes in Fez–Who, What, Where

4 Guys in Fez, originally uploaded by papalars.

What you have before you are the stars, at least some of them, of the existing and future Mosaics project team. These are the ones that traveled together for about 10 days in Morocco recently. Pardon the self aggrandizement. If you can guess who belongs to each category, "existing" and "future," you win a prize. By the way, we all got a touch of the bug that affected our digestive systems. It hit me the hardest and the fastest perhaps but hey, what can I say. That is the way the parasite….works it's way into the system sometimes.

This picture was taken inside the medina in Fez, close to where the horse taxi picture was taken in one of the previous posts. We left Nate the day before in language school inside the walled section of the city and he is probably doing well at this point in his Arabic. He was so eager to plunge in head first when we saw him last. Pray for him during these weeks. He is immersed at this point with the language and culture all around him, living with a Moroccan family. He may need a little assistance from upstairs at this stage of the game.

Let's do a little who, what, where on the picture and see if you can match the description to the person above.

One of these guys is a current student at North Park Seminary and will soon be doing an internship at a church in Washington. He traveled with us to see if maybe God was calling to this kind of work. Another lives in France currently but will be doing language study in Tunisia this summer before returning to the States for a six month period of itineration, speaking in churches about the Mosaics project. Another one of these guys is currently studying in Fez, but will return to Texas this summer for about a month before he comes back to Spain to complete a second year of short-term mission work, but this time in our city of choice, Barcelona. He will work with a Latino cell group that we have been supporting this year and also engage our focus group with the Mosaics project. Lastly, the fourth guy in this picture currently lives in Barcelona where he is beginning to make plans for a year of ministry with the Mosaics project and the Covenant Department of World mission based in Seattle. He has three wonderful children and Carol is his wife. She was back in Barcelona during this trip volunteering for the Red Cross and keeping track of their last son at home. Each person loves what they are doing and feels called by God to serve others–mostly focus people.

If you care to comment or make any guesses, drop me an email or post a comment. I just thought you'd like to know a little bit about who God is calling into this exciting and strategic ministry. Do you know anyone else we should be talking to?

June 11th, 2007 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates | 2 comments

The Old Capital: Fez, Morocco

The Medina or Walled City of Fez, originally uploaded by papalars.

I finally returned from Morocco yesterday. Tired and a little sick. I plan to post a few stories over the next few days, explaining a bit about this fascinating country, and some of the places and people we met in our travels. First off, I want to tell you about Fez. Take out your map and locate this important city in North Africa. My history classes in the expansion of Western civilization jumped over this rather important town on the continent of Africa, that had important ties into Southern Spain as well as Europe. Let me tell you a little more, with the help of Wikipedia and some other research I did.

This picture features the walled city that sits in the center of old town Fez. The population of this medina is 300,000 inhabitants and is the world's largest traffic-free zone. No motor vehicles of any kind are allowed in this section of the city behind the wall. Although demoted from the position of Morocco’s capital city, there is little doubt that Morocco’s former capital, the city of Fez, remains one of the most important cities in the entire country. Fez was the capital of Morocco for over four centuries, and it still remains the cultural center of the country, as well as one of the most important religious centers. The city was founded in the late 8th century, and a large part of Fez remains a medieval city in design, a visual proof of the city’s history and culture.

Fez is intriguing; with its old buildings reflecting architecture most of the world forgot centuries ago, with winding narrow streets that do not allow for common automobiles. This means you will see throngs of people on foot, and the streets are full of donkeys and mules, just as they were hundreds of years ago. The city is the cutting edge of Moroccan art and culture, and was a hub of human civilization long before the Europeans knew anything about the Enlightenment.

A large part of the charm of Fez is that sense of a different time. While you will see all the evidence of modern cultural influence from blue jeans to boom boxes and satellite dishes, one cannot shake the sense of stepping into the past—from the narrow streets, to the buildings of old stone and wood, palaces and Islamic schools with elaborate entrances, to all the various sites that remind one of other times—ramparts, balconies, and courtyards all contained behind the walls that were once used for defense.

Many of the streets are virtual mazes of alleys and tunnels, and streets are made of cobblestone. The voices of people—from old men, to merchants, to children—envelope the city, and it’s not far off description to describe Fez as a giant human beehive. Fez is a city where the modern culture lives among buildings and streets that speak about a century’s worth of experience and history never forgotten.

The city was founded on opposite banks of the Fez River by Idris I in 789. Did you get that? That was nearly 1200 years ago. My ancestros were roaming the northern tundra of scandanavia and raiding the shores of Europe and the British Isles in those days. How about yours? During Yahya ibn Muhammad's rule the Kairouyine mosque, one of the oldest and largest in Africa, was built, and the associated University of Karueein was founded in 859. Arab emigration to Fes, mostly from al-Andalus in Southern Spain after a rebellion which took place in Cordoba in 818 and from Tunisia after another rebellion that took place in 824, gave the city a definite Arab character. The city was populated by Muslims from elsewhere in North Africa, the Middle East, Moriscos, as well as many Jews, who had their own quarter, or Mellah, in the city. It is believed that Fes was the largest city in the world from 1170 to 1180. It was the center of the Kingdom of Fez. Fes became the scientific and religious center, where both Muslims and Christians from Europe came to study. Many Muslim refugees came to Fes after the re-conquest of Spain in 1492. Fes became part of the Moroccan Empire in 1548. In 1579 the capture of Fez completed Ottoman conquests in Morocco that had begun under Süleyman the Magnificent. Despite the traditional character of most of the city, there is also a modern section, the Ville Nouvelle, or "New City", which is a bustling commercial center. The popularity of the city has increased since the King of Morocco took a Fassi computer engineer, Salma Bennani, as his wife.

Today in Fez you can find many of our focus friends, a McDonald's that servers Halal meat and many who give witness to Jesus in their everyday lives.

June 5th, 2007 Posted by andres | Ministry Updates | one comment

Out of the Office–Gone to Morocco

  Downtown Office Building. Can you find me in the picture above? How many times?

One of our friends is actually going to study Arabic so this will be a chance to support him in that venture and get him kind of set-up. I mentioned Nate in my last post. He will be returning to Barcelona after his busy summer which includes–language learning in Morocco, then back in the states to be with family and friends for a short break, then back to Barcelona to support the Latino cell group we have been working with this year. Nate also wants to learn more about the Mosaics project we are working on. So God is supplying more personnel as we transition back to the Seattle for a year. Pray for Nate, for his language and culture learning. He is excited but this will be a big venture none-the-less. We are excited for him. Before I sign off to go finish packing, I wanted to share this photo with you as a way of saying essentially. "I will be out of the office" for awhile. I may be able to post some stuff from Morocco but don't know yet for sure.

We had about 20 in our cell group last night night. A lot of energy and interest is growing with this group. This is the Esparcidos project that I mentioned several months ago. After our study and short time of worship I visited with some of our new people. One guy shared that he is agnostic but open and inquiring. I had a wonderful time sharing with him about the Mosaics project and my desire to build bridges of friendship with our focus friends. This guy was visiting from Holland where they also have many immigrants from our focus areas, similar to Spain. Anyway, he was intrigued with what we are doing and seemed challenged to reach out in friendship to focus people that he knows back home.

After our study I went to hang out with our colleague from La Coruña, Rob Reed, who was visiting Barcelona and this cell group. We both had a great dish of patatas bravas [spicy potatoes] starting around 10:45 at night, out in the open air of the evening at a sidewalk cafe. After a great time of visiting I looked at my watch and said, "hey, I got to catch the last train home!" I madly rushed and got the first two trains but the 3rd one was already out of service for the night. No problem. I popped my head out of the subway at a different place, got my bearings and headed up the hill to our apartment, about a 25 minute walk. Rolled into the house from the office, I guess you could say, about 1 am. But don't get me wrong. That sounds like I am addicted to work. I am not. I just love what I do and what God has called us to. It is a wonderful journey and the adventure is really, really fun.

By the way, keep our little travel team in prayer as we poke around Morocco. It is a fascinating country with many, many focus friends. Pray also for my Pakistani friends as they have their first event while I am gone. They have had a glitch with the logistics so pray that will be ironed out. Pray also for Carol and the kids in their places of life and activity, that God would show his love and grace to us all as we seek to follow. Thanks. 

May 25th, 2007 Posted by andres | Ministry Updates | 2 comments

May Prayer & Praise: My Pakistani Friends and Larsen Change of Venue

Pakistani Friends, originally uploaded by papalars.

Dear Praying Friends,

It has been too long since I last wrote with my regular prayer requests. Previously, I had hit a good monthly rhythm until last month, just before the reflection about the Lord “bending but not breaking” us. That post was kind of ironic because since then we have experienced some good bending. Maybe God was preparing us for some challenges. And He remains faithful. In recent days, God has directed me to Psalm 25:1-4. “To Thee O Lord, I lift up my soul, O my God, in Thee I trust. Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for Thee will be ashamed. Make me know Thy ways, O Lord; Teach my Thy paths.”

I have some big news for you and then I will give my prayer list. After much prayer and consideration with our Covenant member care team, including the director of Covenant Missions, Curt Peterson, it has been decided that we will change our venue this coming year for ministry. We will be returning to Seattle for the next school year. Without going into extensive detail, you can know that we have to attend to family needs. No scandal, just needs of a normal family that cannot be addressed adequately in Spain. I will continue to focus on the Mosaics Project, conducting research, networking and engaging in direct ministry with our focus friends. I will also visit churches to share the vision of what God is doing and recruit shamelessly.

At first, this was a significant adjustment in my mind but I see the wisdom in this decision. From this vantage point I also see how God is opening up some doors to expand the reach of the Mosaics project in North America as well as other parts of the world. As I speak with younger people [more and more are younger than me each year…how did that happen?] I am beginning to see that God has placed our focus friends on their heart. The end of this month I will be in Morocco with two of these younger crowd [both in their 20’s]. One will be starting to study Arabic for 6 weeks this summer [Our friend Nate Finch: see his blog here: Nate]. The other is a North Park Seminary student who wants to explore potential ministry in this region. So God is clearly calling and I sense that we are to help mobilize, train and lay the ground work for those coming behind us. I will unpack more of this new direction in forthcoming posts on my blog and further prayer lists. So keep posted.

• As I write this, I am about to leave to go have lunch with Miguel and my Pakistani friends. You have been praying for them the last several months. They continue to have a vision to reach their immigrant community here in the Barcelona. Today, we will be meeting to discuss how we can best support their vision and put feet and hands to some practical ministry initiatives. Pray that we can discern ways to best help. I do praise God for building trust with these guys from Pakistan, and for making connections with Miguel.

• Guess what. God is already moving. We had a wonderful lunch together, the 4 of us in the picture above along with Miguel, my friend from Argentina. These guys have a Pakistani, Urdu speaking pastor friend coming to visit from Rotterdam in two weeks. Did you get all that? They want to have a worship service for their extended network of more than 50 Pakistani families in the region. Miguel is networked with the local churches, having served here for 10 years. He immediately knew of a church that might work, called them, and secured the place. So, pray for the first worship service in Barcelona for the Urdu speaking Pakistani community. Miguel says this would be the first in recent history, maybe ever. This is an immigrant community that are resident aliens, needing support, encouragement and Christian nurture. They also want to reach their co-patriots. In fact today I met several of our focus friends where we ate. The owner is Pakistani, so they feel comfortable eating there. I have an open invitation from the owner to come and chat with his clients whenever I have time.
• So where am I in all this? I was simply the guy who was in the right place at the right time, trusting God to lead and then introducing friends that I had made in the Pakistani community to Miguel, the resource and logistics guy here on the ground. Crazy thing about all this is I will be in Morocco when they have their first worship service. God is amazing.

So pray for us as we trust God for our move back to Seattle this coming school year. Pray that we find housing, that Carol finds appropriate work and that re-adjustments go well for all of us. Pray also for my focus friends here in Barcelona. Pray for the pastor from Rotterdam who is coming to preach and begin to shepherd the Pakistani community here in Barcelona. Pray also for continued development of relationships that I have with other focus friends, that God would build bridges of trust over which an encounter with Christ can be experienced.

Thanks for praying. God is good, sometimes mysterious, but always faithful. It is good to be in his company.

May 15th, 2007 Posted by andres | , Prayer & Praise, Ministry Updates | 8 comments