Posts Tagged ‘International Messengers Canada’

Friendship Friday

Friday, November 30th, 2012

I met Dwayne Buhler several years ago in a shuttle enroute from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference to the San Jose airport. As we talked, we discovered several common denominators: we both live in British Columbia, we share a passion for missions, and amazingly, we have loved ones with hydrocephalus (too much water on the brain).

Dwayne and I have stayed in touch since our first meeting. He’s now the Executive Director of Missions Fest Vancouver, a ministry that brings together 250 Christian organizations for an annual three-day conference in January. My husband and I attend each year and host a booth for International Messengers Canada.

Today’s blog post features Dwayne’s new book, Gold, Common Sense, and Myrrh. It’s a collection of 10 Christmas stories that take place on Christmas Eve in countries around the world. This book makes me want to draw my family close, snuggle near a crackling fireplace while sipping hot cocoa, and enjoy tales of Christmas in other cultures.

Dwayne has graciously granted permission to feature one entire story from his book. I know you’ll enjoy it as the Christmas season approaches. You’ll find it here: http://lukefiveten.blogspot.ca/

Have a great weekend!

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The Truth About Missionaries

Friday, January 13th, 2012

My husband and I have been involved in career missions for nearly 20 years. We spent three years in Nepal, 11 years at Camp Homewood off Vancouver Island, and we’ve worked with International Messengers with a focus on Eastern Europe for the past 4½ years.

The past two decades have been a white-knuckle ride in many ways, but a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’ve met some incredible people and learned more than a few rich life lessons from them along the way. One of those lessons—the truth about missionaries:

  • They’re strong-willed. God hard-wired them so. Without a strong will, they’d either kiss the field goodbye when the going gets rough or they’d never consider missions in the first place.
  • They’re brave. I know several individuals/couples working in closed countries. Their visas could be revoked and they’d be uprooted at any time, yet they’re willing to live in uncertainty and potential danger. And speaking of danger, how about driving conditions in other countries where rules of the road don’t mean much? I remember bus rides in the Himalayan mountain where we rumbled across landslides, screeched around hairpin curves, and chugged to altitudes on roads that guaranteed certain death if the driver made a mistake or the brakes failed.
  • They’re intelligent. It takes smarts to learn other languages and to connect with people from other cultures and backgrounds.
  • They’re flexible. They adapt to life without familiar conveniences. They adjust to different perspectives about the concept of time. They function in cultures where promises don’t stick.
  • They’re humble. They know they can’t fulfill their calling in their own strength. They’re okay with admitting their dependency on God for wisdom, safety, health, and finances.
  • They’re overworked. Ever wonder why you don’t hear from your missionaries more often? It’s because they’re struggling to balance family life with ministry demands with the time it takes to perform simple, routine tasks to survive. They’d love to holiday for a break, but finances are usually too tight. And so they plug on albeit weary in head and heart.
  • They’re imperfect. Missionaries make mistakes. They sometimes say things they regret. They sometimes struggle in their marriages. They sometimes struggle to maintain spiritual freshness. And they often struggle in their relationships with coworkers. (That’s where the strong-willed characteristic isn’t a plus).
  • They’re rare. “When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” (Matt. 9:36-38)

Pray for missionaries, please. And pray for more of them.  The harvest is great; the workers are few. Will you send? Will you go?

(Hey, have I got an opportunity for you! International Messengers Canada and USA are seeking summer volunteers for two-week commitments in Eastern Europe. Check out www.im-canada.ca)

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Do It Afraid

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

This is a post I wrote enroute to Europe on June 30th. It was originally used as a guest blog for another site. Thought I’d post it here for you today. Maybe someone out there needs this encouragement today!

I’m writing this at 32,000 feet, somewhere between London and Budapest. My final destination is Resita, Romania—the industrial city that produced the steel to build the Eiffel Tower. My reason for this trip is twofold: to minister among teens and young adults living with HIV/AIDS, and later, to help lead an evangelistic family camp in Poland.

Grace and Gene Fox -- IM Canada co-directors

Upon hearing about this venture, some people said, “Wow, good for you! I’d love to do something like that, but it won’t happen.”

I questioned them. “Why not? What’s holding you back?”

Some replied, “I’m scared to fly.” Others said, “I’m afraid of contracting HIV.” Some said, “I’m afraid of traveling in a country where I can’t speak the language.”

My answer? “Acknowledge those fears and then do it afraid.”

FEAR: FRIEND OR FOE?

Fear wears many faces: the fear of inadequacy, the fear of rejection, of failure, of financial insecurity, of an unknown future, and more. If we don’t recognize and deal with it, it will hinder us from embracing life as God intends and prevent His purpose for us from being fulfilled.

I’ve struggled with debilitating fear in the past, but I no longer let it rule me. I now view it as a catalyst for spiritual growth. For example, I believe that when God gives us tasks that stretch us beyond our comfort zones, saying yes forces us to depend on Him. It guarantees an opportunity for us to experience His presence, power and equipping. Fear, then becomes our friend.

I’ve found this to be true in my writing and speaking ministry. This was not a role I sought. Rather, at age 41, I sensed God telling me to write. He gave clear instructions: interview two specific women and write their profiles. I felt totally inadequate and feared failure. But I said yes and did it afraid.

The result? Ten years later, I’ve written hundreds of articles for more than 40 magazines, authored four books, and produced a Bible study and teaching DVD about—you guessed it—moving from fear to freedom.

My writing ministry quickly expanded to include speaking at international women’s events, writers conferences, and on radio and TV. It’s been a white-knuckle ride, but I’ve experienced God’s presence and power in ways that I would have missed otherwise.

In the FamilyLife Today studio with Dennis Rainey and Bob LePine

I’ve also found this to be true in my role as national co-director for International Messengers Canada (www.im-canada.ca). My husband and I assumed leadership in 2007 after the U.S. office asked us to do so. At first we wondered whether we were qualified for the new responsibilities. One of our roles would be to recruit, train, and lead short-term ministry teams to Eastern Europe. What if no one volunteered? What if our best attempts failed? Humanly speaking, we had good reason to feel scared. But we believed God was directing our steps, and so we said yes and did it afraid.

The result? We’ve witnessed God in action: He provided housing, a rent-free office, an administrative assistant, and short-term volunteers. This is our tenth ministry trip to Eastern Europe since 2007 and we’ve seen spiritual hunger satisfied as men and women have come to understand God’s unconditional love for them. What a thrill to be part of God’s kingdom-building team in the post-Communist bloc.

My tagline is “Leading Women in Fearless Faith.” Does that mean I never wrestle with fear? No. It simply means that I no longer allow fear to intimidate me. Rather, I counteract it by admitting it to God, asking others to pray for me, filling my mind with the truth of God’s word, and then moving forward—doing it afraid. That’s my prayer for you, too.

When God calls you to a task that leaves your knees knocking, say yes and do it afraid. Move forward and trust Him to equip you to get the job done. I guarantee you’ll discover a greater understanding of who God is and what His purposes are for your life.

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Grace Fox is national co-director of International Messengers Canada, a ministry that offers creative short-term and career service opportunities in the post-Communist bloc – www.im-canada.ca She’s also an international speaker and author of several books. Her latest release is a Bible study and accompanying 7-part teaching DVD titled Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation. Available at Amazon.com and other online stores, and www.gracefox.com (groups discounts available there). Join her on FB – www.facebook.com/gracefox.author.

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Saying Yes to God

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

It was April, 1996. My husband sat at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. “It’s time for a change,” he said. “I’m simply not interested in doing this any longer.”

My husband was a successful civil engineer. His income had allowed us to design and build a lakefront home four years prior. We also owned a speed boat—a toy that provided tons of fun for family and friends. Humanly speaking, we had it all and the future held promise for more.

Despite his success, however, Gene felt a growing restlessness. He liked his work but sensed God nudging him another direction—into fulltime Christian camping ministry. Trouble was, the camp to which He nudged us provided no income. In fact, we were offered a year-long internship during which time we were to survive on savings. After that, the director said, we’d have to raise our own financial support if he offered us a permanent position.

The thought of facing such financial insecurity didn’t exactly thrill us, but saying yes to God did. We knew that, if this was nudging was truly God-given, then He would provide for our family’s needs. Our job was to obey. And so, we put our lovely lakefront home up for sale and began planning our move.

Telling the story like this sounds so trite, as though saying yes to God was easy. I assure you, it was not. Our knees knocked; we knelt on them every day, sometimes more than once. And for good reason.

Saying yes carried a risk. It meant ending Gene’s career and future with a growing company. It meant having no guaranteed monthly income, nothing for retirement, and no extended dental or orthodontic care (with kids in braces). It also carried personal cost. For Gene, it meant leaving his homeland (the U.S.) and his extended family behind. For our kids, it meant saying goodbye to friends, teachers, and the church family in which they’d grown up.

Some friends envied our adventuresome spirit. Others said we were crazy. One fellow nicknamed us Abram and Sarai. We laughed, but we could relate to the Old Testament couple. God gave them a command, too: “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go into the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). How did Abram respond? Despite risk and personal cost, he departed as the LORD had instructed (v. 4).

Abram’s example encouraged us to say yes to God 15 years ago. We did it again in 2007 when He nudged us to leave the camp and launch International Messengers Canada. Saying yes once again forced us to face risk and personal cost. But the journey has taught us so much about the Lord that we’d do it again in a heartbeat.

One thing I’ve learned: When God says go, His followers are faced with a choice. If we claim to trust Him, then saying yes is our only valid option. The details are God’s responsibility; obedience is ours. 

Have you experienced a similar challenge? If so, tell us about it!

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On to Slovakia

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Our team traveled to Budapest where we spent the night and then went separate ways the next morning. Gene and I caught a shuttle van to Kosice, Slovakia with one of our team members who will now minister there in an evangelistic family camp with five other Canadian volunteers. She was transporting her personal luggage plus three suitcases loaded with camp supplies, so there was no way we were going to put her on a train to deal with that stuff on her own. Thankfully the van was air-conditioned; it’s hot as blazes and muggy here. Sweat trickles down our necks and backs, and our pants stick to our legs if we sit anywhere too long.

We stayed two nights in a little house down the street from our IM Canada career staff, Brad and Karla Thiessen. I was able to wash our clothes in a washing machine – yahoo! What a treat to do it this way as opposed to in a bathroom sink or on the floor of a hotel shower. I hung the laundry on a makeshift line and it dried in less than an hour, denims included.

I was glad to have several hours to review my manuscript for the study guide that will accompany Moving From Fear to Freedom. The editor has done her job on it and sent some suggested revisions. She also asked me to check several references – that’s a bit tricky to do because I didn’t bring the Bible from which I quoted. Hmmm…I’ll need to find a fix for that so the production process can continue while I’m away.

We had a delightful surprise here. Our IM Canada short-termers were invited to a “garden party” hosted by a woman named Irena and her husband. Irena was my translator when we brought a team to a Slovakian evangelistic family camp in 2008. She and I really hit it off then and have been friends every since. We didn’t know about the party until we arrived here, and she didn’t know that Gene and I were in Kosice until she opened her door and saw us standing on her doorstep. What fun to see the look on her face and to exchange kisses on each other’s cheeks! We even had a few moments to share from our hearts and to pray for concerns. “Thank You, God, for the gift of girlfriends worldwide who share my love for You.”

It was also a delight to meet our IM Canadian short-termers within hours of their arrival here. They didn’t know we’d be here so it was fun to surprise them and have dinner together. I felt sorry for them – they were heavy into jet lag. One of our women sprained her ankle in the afternoon so Irena set her on a futon with her foot elevated and then found ice chips to place on the swelling. Poor thing! She’s wondering what lesson God plans to teach her through this unfortunate accident. She needs our prayers, as does everyone on the team as they head to the camp venue and prepare for a week of sharing God’s love with campers of all ages.

IM short-termers and interns at Irena's garden party

My friend Irena (right)

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I’ve Been Sent To…

Monday, October 26th, 2009

It was a busy weekend. Besides speaking three times at a ladies’ conference in Red Deer, Alberta, I’ve had five meetings with long-time friends and individuals who ministered with International Messengers (IM) last summer, and two with pastors who have expressed an interest in future short-term ministry opportunities with IM. This evening my husband and I will speak at an informational meeting for anyone interested in participating with us next summer. Tomorrow morning we’ll pack our suitcases and drive to the next town to do it again.

Everywhere I go, someone inevitably asks, “How did you get started in this ministry of writing, speaking, and now taking short-term teams to Eastern Europe?” My answer is this: “It’s not something I sought. Rather, it’s God’s call on my life; it’s my divine assignment. ”

Yes, I have no doubt that God has called me to communicate His truth via the written and spoken word. He’s given me the task of encouraging others to live lives that honor Him. He’s asked me to spread the Good News of salvation and hope to those who are spiritually lost and in despair. The compulsion I feel to see this mission fulfilled is difficult to put into words. There’s an inner drive, an undeniable passion that burns within. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and gives purpose to my working hours. It’s what brings personal fulfillment and a deep, deep joy.

I’ve come to understand what the apostle Paul wrote in Titus 1:1-3 – “I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them the confidence of eternal life, which God promised them before the world began – and he cannot lie. And now at the right time he has revealed this Good News, and we announce it to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been trusted to do this work for him.”

When I speak at women’s events, I often teach that God has a purpose for each person’s life. Primarily, He desires to have relationship with us, but there’s also a specific purpose unique to each individual. Mine is to communicate His truth to teach others how to live godly lives, to reveal the Good News to everyone possible. Yours may be similar, or it may be vastly different. Whatever it is, it’s of huge importance for it plays a role in God’s eternal story.

If you’d authored Titus 1:1, what would you have written after the introductory words I have been sent to….? Fill in the blank, and share your answer with the rest of us!

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Aha Moments

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

This blog entry is the first one I taught on 100 Huntley Street’s “Truth to Go.” You can view it online at www.crossroadstv.ca. Click on “Watch Program” and go to the one that aired on Monday, October 5.

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Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hope or plan. Sometimes our circumstances don’t make sense, and we wonder if God really knows what He’s doing.

I wonder if that’s how Joseph felt at times. His story, found in Genesis, says he was only 17 years old when his jealous older brothers sold him into slavery. Potiphar, a member of Pharaoh’s staff, bought him and put him in charge of his household affairs. Trouble was, Potiphar’s wife wanted an affair of her own – with Joseph. He rejected her advances, she accused him of rape, and he was thrown into prison.

The jail cell became Joseph’s classroom where he majored in a 13-year-long course called “Character Development.” Psalm 105:18 and 19 say, “There in prison, they bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his word, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.”

Joseph was 30 years old when he was finally released and suddenly appointed second-in-command in Egypt – a prominent, powerful position. Just as he’d predicted, seven years of prosperity gave way to famine. One day his brothers came in search of food for their families. Scripture tells us that Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t know him. He waited until they returned a second time before he revealed his identity.

Imagine the emotion of that moment! And imagine Joseph’s expression when suddenly his circumstances over the past 20 years made sense:

“You sold me into slavery,” Joseph told his brothers, “but don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you!”

My husband and I lived in Nepal in the 80s. He was a civil engineer working on a hydro-electric project, and I taught basic health care. We lived in a mud and rock hut with a thatch roof, no electricity, no running water, and no indoor plumbing. I wrestled with culture shock, language learning, and loneliness. Two years passed before I began settling into village life. That’s when we committed our lives to ministry there. One week after our interview with a career mission agency, our second child was born with major medical issues. We had to return to North America within days. Then I encountered reverse culture shock.

Over the years, I often wondered what role that experience played in our lives. In 2007, we were asked to launch International Messengers Canada. One of our tasks is to provide member care for our missionaries. I shared my testimony with our women at the first IM conference we attended, and as I concluded, these words came from my mouth, “When you struggle with language learning, I can empathize. When you struggle with loneliness, I understand. When you struggle with reverse culture shock, I get it!” Suddenly everything made sense. God had used our time in Nepal to prepare us for a ministry that would come 25 years later.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan or hope. Sometimes our circumstances are difficult to understand. But God knows what He’s doing. Our role is to trust His wisdom and His ways.

One day – if not here, then in heaven – everything will make sense. We’ll see God’s hand in our circumstances. We’ll be amazed, humbled, and awestruck. But until then, let’s allow Him to be God, to fulfill His plan His way and in His time even when we don’t understand.

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