Home Thoughts From Abroad

It is no secret that we love the people of Asia; their simple courtesy, their respect especially for the elderly, and their recognition of the importance of family and social relationships, all speak to the same values that we share. But the Filipino people really have to be the sweetest that we have ever met. They greet you so spontaneously with their shy smiles and twinkling eyes and can’t do enough to make you feel cared for and completely at home.

The main purpose of our visit to the Philippines was to meet the TWR team and spend some time with Ruthanna and Jenn, our Project Hannah staff. On our arrival we were welcomed with a “tour“ of the new TWR office, in single file, walking forward into a room and then backing out. Due to cost constraints, they recently relocated from the core business district of Baguio City to a house high up on the hillside. This two storey building, which probably has less total floor space than the living room of our apartment, provides office space for twenty one staff, two tiny studios, a kitchen and a meeting room and is home to the caretaker of the property.

I was in awe on hearing the extent of the work that is accomplished from this humble space by such dedicated people. Take the children’s program, for example, which is aired weekly throughout the Philippines. In order to produce this program, they write the script, translate it into two other languages, compose the accompanying songs and set them to music, gather their little band into the four foot by six foot studio and produce the track, before recording the entire program. Did I mention that they also change their voices for each character they have created?

With their own program distributed for broadcasting, each staff then must step in to translate and read scripts for the many other programs that are produced. Even the very shy, retiring accountant has become comfortable in front of a microphone. This team now broadcasts in five different Filipino languages as well as their English programs which are available even in Malaysia.

That however, is only the radio component of their work. Much of their time is spent providing listener follow-up, mainly using text messages and field visits to local churches, schools and providing workshops and seminars to encourage leadership development. I was truly humbled by such selfless dedication in such meagre surroundings.

It is funny how the same experiences can bring about such different effects. I can recall going to Algonquin Park in Ontario when I was about ten. We had only been in Canada about four years at that point, and it was the first chance that we had as a family to see the “wilds” of Canada, as we understood the term. For me it was a life changing experience. I breathed in the sweet smell of the pines and drank in the sight of the water glistening like a field of dancing diamonds in the sun and felt a connection in my soul to that majestic and untrammelled beauty. I understood what a privilege it was to be a Canadian, and I knew with a certainty that has never left me that Whoever made all that was Good beyond human comprehension.

I have been fortunate to have seen much of the world’s beauty, and I never cease to marvel at the delightful creativity of God. But there is something about standing in a pine forest that speaks to something in me that I almost cannot fathom, and draws something out of me that I cannot fully explain. Baguio City in the Philippines is surrounded by pine trees. This picture is taken from our balcony at the guest home on the grounds of the Philippine Theological Seminary. Just standing there is a quasi-religious experience for me.

There are prettier trees, catalpa and frangipani, for example. And there are more impressive ones, like baobab and banyan. But there is nothing like pine. The needles blossom out like a spray of water frozen in time in a green cascade, filtering light with their delicate softness. The trunks are dark red-brown, with a rugged, textured warmth, sturdy and firm, with graceful and surprising curves. The underbrush is invariably clean, inviting you to stand and walk among its cathedral pillars. And there is no aroma more subtly invigorating and calming to the spirit.

I know that when God calls us back to Canada, as one day He surely will, that I will once again head for the Canadian woods, preferably in a canoe, to drink in His beauty in a form that He has in some fundamental way wired me to understand. Until that day, this one will have to do.

For those waiting to hear how Pam is doing, she is very busy with the TWR team in Baguio and will blog as soon as she gets a minute. We are both pretty sure that this will not be our last trip to the Philippines!

I’ve got a lot of favourite verses in the Bible. “I have been young, and now I am old, and yet I have never seen the Lord’s faithful begging bread” (Psalm 37:25) springs to mind. “He that has begun a good work will complete it” (Philippians 1:6) is another favourite. But there was a verse that was especially significant to me around the time I was just getting to know that Christ died for me.

Among the few things that I am not too proud of in my life is the fact that I flunked my first year at Carleton University in Ottawa. I was too young and having way too much fun. In those days failing meant you had to wait two years before applying again as a mature student. Somehow those two years turned into four, and although I got to see a lot of the world during those years and had a lot of unforgetable and formative experiences, I began to wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn’t ‘tuned in and dropped out’, as the saying went in those days.

After my salvation I found this verse from Joel 2:25 to be a great comfort: “The Lord will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten”. When I read that verse I did what countless Christians have done when the Bible speaks to them: I claimed that verse as a promise from God and trusted Him to bring it about in my life, to make it real. And that is exactly what He has done. My life with Christ has been a wonderfully rewarding adventure and now here I am at sixty, and I can say without question that the Lord has restored to me all those lost years. He has made me productive in ways that I never imagined and has given me strength of purpose and body to continue to serve Him in a greater way than I dreamed possible. Locusts of doubt and dissipation, despair and disapproval once ate up my hope and my future; but God restored to me my dreams, and made them a present living reality.

If that kind of faith strikes you as a mental crutch, them maybe you need to consider what healing looks like. It’s not a crutch if what Christ has given you are brand new legs that enable you to run instead of crawl through life, and continue to stride forward when you are old. God doesn’t make junk, and His promises aren’t flimsy words. They are something you can build a life upon, something that will sustain you and give you strength. Nor is God done with me yet; in fact I see before me a whole new vista of opportunity and adventure with Him. Here’s another great verse from Revelation 21:5: “Behold, I make all things new!” And I say in response: ‘Bring it on, Lord’.

I am not a huge fan of the graphic novel, but I read one many years ago that still has a strong hold on me; a parable of the power of revenge. I cannot remember either the author or the title, so if you know it, please let me know. It tells the story of a warrior who suffered defeat in a battle and the loss of much that he held dear. He swore revenge, and in his distress called upon the gods of vengeance to answer him. They heard, and one appeared offering him a sword by which he would become invincible: he would suffer defeat no more. The only drawback was that he would be unable to ever put it down again. He would have to sleep and eat with the sword in his hand for the rest of his life.

In his distress the warrior agreed and took up the sword. He felt a strange power flow through him from the sword to his arm, to his body, to his soul. He felt invincible. The warning about never being able to put this sword down seemed insignificant. He never wanted to put it down, he felt so powerful with the sword in his hand! At once he set off in pursuit of his enemies. One by one he tracked them down, and as the gods had promised, he was never defeated. In fact as time went on he became ever more unassailable. No one could stand against him, everyone feared him. His wrath became truly fearsome. He became a legend of power and hatred.

But the warrior came to know an agony that was literally killing him. This was indeed no ordinary sword. In fact it was no sword at all, but rather one of the gods of vengeance; a serpent. He had not picked up a sword, he had allowed, he had invited, he had welcomed the serpent to take hold of him, to sink his loathsome fangs into his hand. The shape of a sword in his hand was appearance only; merely a form that the serpent wore.

His victories belonged to the serpent, and with every battle, with every victory, with every passing day the serpent consumed more of the warrior. Already his arm was completely inside the serpent, whose head was now at his shoulder. Now the warrior would do anything to put the sword down, but never would again. Eventually the serpent would simply consume him, and he would be no more; eaten by the vengeance he swore on his enemies.

In a similar way, we too are affected by the vengeance and hatred we feel for others. We may feel it gives us power, but that power comes at the cost of our own lives. Our wrath may hurt them, but it will consume us. It will take over our relationships and our personality. Soon all that will be left of us is our wrath; all that was once ourselves will have disintegrated. That is what the great serpent, Satan offers us. Many in distress, in ignorance or in pride have taken him up on his offer of vengeance, believing this was the only way to deal with the wrongs they had suffered.

But Jesus offers us something else. He offers us completeness, wholeness, integration, the daily renewal of our hope and the fulfilment of our dreams in ways that we little understood when we were young and foolish. What Jesus asks of us in order to lead us to this good place is for us to forgive those who have wronged us, and even more than that: to love them. This may be an easy thing to say, but if you have been wronged by the evils of this world, it is not an easy thing to do. I say this not as one who has suffered much from evil. There are many, especially among the women that Pam seeks to minister to, who have suffered such violations of their bodies and personalities that I shudder to even hear their stories. I know so little of such pain.

Yet what I do know teaches me this: that forgiveness and even love for those who have wronged us is not only possible, it is necessary. But it is only possible if you allow Jesus to forgive you first. You too have wronged others. You too have been the author and perpetrator of evil, not only its victim. You will never have the ability to truly forgive and even love your enemies and until you have been truly forgiven. And only Jesus has the power to forgive you. Only Jesus has the power to make you whole. To Satan, you are just another meal.

On July 12, the People’s Church in Toronto dedicated their evening service to honour the work of Trans World Radio Canada and two individuals in particular.
For the past ten years, this vital ministry has been very capably led by our friend Gerald Hayes. During this time TWR has continued to support worlwide broadcasts in various languages, Canadian and national workers, as well as specific ministry projects in many countries around the world.

In recent years TWR Canada also began broadcasting in the French language to the province of Quebec and in the Mandarin Chinese language in the Greater Vancouver area of BC. At the conclusion of his term as Canadian director many friends and colleagues were present to honour the commitment that Gerald has made to the ministry.
 

Most of the Canadian Board were on hand to take the opportunity to welcome our new President, Ray Alary.  Ray and his wife Sandy have served with TWR for over twenty years, most recently in the role of Director of Operations for Africa. Ray brings both administrative and field work experience to his new role and TWR looks forward to continued growth in service to God under his leadership.

Although both Gerald and his patient wife Gloria have been happy to serve TWR for much longer than they originally intended, it sure looked to me like Gloria was perhaps the person who was celebrating Gerald’s retirement the most. We thank them both for their dedication, and trust that these retirement years are filled with the joy of recalling a job well done.

Finally, I had the opportunity to visit the TWR head office in Cary, North Carolina. Marli Spieker and I were able to pick up our conversation right we left off, a month ago in Thailand. I have corresponded for some time with the Project Hannah team so it was so great to finally meet Tina, Peggy and Anne. The staff meeting on Thursday morning was spent reviewing the work of Project Hannah in Asia and I had the joy of sharing the stories of several of the listeners that I met in Nepal.

TWR has a wonderful Lodge for visiting staff and guests, which is beautifully situated in a very quiet wooded area. It was so restful that I think I actually made up for some of my sleep deficit. A chance guest this week was Christine, the most amazing lady who heads up Project Hannah in Liberia. We all were delighted as she shared her story with us over a lovely lunch.

I finished up my stay there with a quiet evening visiting with Edmund and Marli in their lovely home. Anyone who spends even a brief amount of time listening to Marli’s passion to help women marginalized by poverty, disease and cultural tradition can not help but be touched. It was great to talk with her about plans for Project Hannah and I must admit that I am getting a little anxious to get back to work in Asia.

Sitting in another airport, waiting for yet another flight and trying to come to grips with what I experienced over the past week. I wish that each of you could have the privilege of meeting these women and hearing them tell of the plight of the women of their countries. We had times when our hearts about broke when we heard of unbelievable abuse, poverty and rejection and times when we just rejoiced together in what God is doing through the ministry of Project Hannah and the faithfulness of these women.

To hear Marli speak with passion about the history of Project Hannah and her vision for the future was amazing and challenging.  With daily times of worship and prayer and time in the Word with her husband, Edmund, it was a great opportunity to draw closer to each other as a team.

We spent Saturday afternoon saying our goodbyes to each of the women as they left on various flights to return to their home countries.  On Sunday morning we attended the church where our dear friend Dr Boukab is the Pastor and Marli and Edmund were guest speakers.  To listen to the name of the Lord worshipped in the Thai language is like tasting a little bit of heaven and makes me look forward to a time when we will all understand each other and there will be no more suffering.

On our return to the hotel, I finally got to sit down with Marli and Ros, an Australian lady who has been involved in the script writing of Project Hannah for many years. We just sat in the lobby as it seemed a comfortable enough spot for our short meeting.  Four hours later we decided to take a half hour break to rest before supper when we could continue the discussion.  By ten we went to bed because our minds where overflowing with ideas and turning to mush.  The plan was to meet again at 9:00 in the morning but we were all ready to start again by 8:30. 

Once the cab driver put my suitcase in the trunk for the trip to the airport we had to reluctantly wrap it up but not without some really wonderful ideas and plans for the future of Project Hannah which I hope to be able to share with you over the new few weeks and months. Thank you for your prayers. The Lord certainly blessed my way this past week.

I was reading Marli Spieker’s testimony this past week and was captured by these words:

“ God is able to bring Beauty out of ashes and hope out of despair. If He can use a simple mother and grandmother from South Brazil to go around the world in His name and for His sake, he certainly has a plan for you today. He wants to open your horizons and take you out of your comfort zone so that you will stand in the gap.”

http://www.godswordtowomen.org/spieker.htm

Marli Spieker grew up in Brazil where as a teenager she began working in slums, brothels and bars offering hope, feeding, bathing, loving and telling about the love of Jesus.
It was there that she and her husband Edmund, began what is now more than thirty years of service with Trans World Radio. They moved to the States to join the international team and Edmund served for more than ten years as TWR’s International Director. Since 1983, Marli has been leading women’s ministries in The United States and Canada.
With their three children grown and independent, Marli was finally able to join her husband for the extended periods of time he spent in the Asia Pacific region.  Although she went without any clear picture of what ministry opportunity she would have there, God soon began to lead her in a very different direction than she had imagined. It was while she was in Singapore that she was challenged by the needs of the suffering women in Asia, Africa and Latin America and really saw the power of radio to reach, even in to the privacy of their own homes, these women so isolated by poverty, despair and fear.
From this passion and years of prayer and hard work, Project Hannah has grown into the ministry that it is today.

I am very much looking forward to attending a three day Project Hannah Consultation in Chiang Mai, next week where I will finally get to meet with Marli and explore the details of my new role as Project Hannah Facilitator for Southeast Asia.

Everyone has stories of how they have been treated poorly by other nationalities. It brings out unfortunate comparisons with our own ethnic group, and at best leaves us feeling slightly smug and superior. At worst it degenerates into racist slurs. I recall hearing such talk before we went to Germany. Ever mindful of our responsibility as parents to teach our children differently, all five of us enrolled in German school for a year before we left, and learned to appreciate not only the language, but the culture of Germany as well.

During our year in Kandern we were constantly struck by the gentle courtesy of our neighbours, their genuine love for nature, their cleanliness, and their grief and sense of shame for the horrors their country had unleashed on Europe in the last war. The war changed forever the way they saw themselves and their responsibility to their neighbours. It is terrible to think of the price of that lesson, but encouraging to hear of their self-recognition and their genuine humility.

We heard our share of slander about South-East Asia before we came here as well. I won’t indulge in any stereotypes by citing examples, for I’m sure you’ve heard them as well. Let me just say, as we close in on the end of our second year here, that you would be hard pressed to find people as gracious and considerate in any part of the world as we have found here. From our rental agent and her husband who drive us to church every Sunday, to the total stranger who bought our lunch in Singapore when he saw us struggling over the menu, Asians are almost invariably considerate.

On our last trip to the airport we made a casual comment regarding the music video the driver was playing for our entertainment on his in-cab viewer. Before he would let us go he had pressed all five of his current music videos into our hands and insisted that he take no money in exchange. He was simply pleased that we had appreciated his efforts. We were both humbled and embarrassed by his gesture and determined to be more careful about our admiration for what belongs to others in the future.

Asia may be crowded, and in places extremely poor and deprived. Their sanitation is not up to snuff and their infrastructure is overburdened and often inadequate. But for all that they could teach us in the West a thing or two about treating others with courtesy and consideration. That is to say, if it is not too late for us to learn.

As I was visiting homes in the Stung Mean Chey garbage dump, I had the privilege of meeting a young mom and her new little daughter. There is a Cambodian tradition, or so I am told, that if a very special visitor comes to see a newborn baby, they are given the privilege of choosing a name for the baby. I was given that honour and after a little discussion we decided on the name, Hannah, as this family are Christians. The family name is Ros (pronounced rose) and they found it quiet delightful that it sounded like “Hosannah”. Of course I am a little cynical, and since the second part of the tradition is that the person naming the baby also has to give it a gift, I suspect this child may well have several names. But that is not my point.

My point is this. During my five hour bus ride home from Singapore I was reading a great book called I Heard a Voice written by Vinita Shaw, the CEO of TWR-India and in the book there was a quote from Mother Teresa that ran “If a child is not safe in a mother’s womb, where on earth will s/he be safe?”

So much of what I have seen in the past year, makes me wonder if there has ever been a time in which a child has been so unsafe in their mother’s womb. With mothers either choosing or being forced into abortion at alarming rates, abortion being used as routine birth control or to protect the income of those who prosper from the sex trade, unborn babies permanently damaged by the use of drugs and alcohol, pregnant women too hungry or ill for their bodies to protect their babies, babies contracting HIV/AIDS or developing fetal alcohol syndrome, and angry fathers deliberately abusing their pregnant wives, are there any safe wombs anymore?

I believe there is no deeper pain than for a mother to see her baby suffer or die and that no mother is immune from that pain no matter how deeply it is buried. Even when that is a decision that is, on the surface, one that is fully sanctioned by the laws of the land and surgically carried out, and may even appear to make sense when the baby has apparently very little prospect for a happy, healthy life, the mother still faces a lifetime of pain, guilt and regret.

It is a privilege to have a small part in Project Hannah which seeks to reach out to young women and mothers who are living without hope, feeling unloved and alone, to let them know they are precious in the sight of God. I will have more news of my deepening involvement with this program in the days to come. But for now I would ask for your prayers for the women of this region, and the particular challenges that they face in ensuring the safety of the precious life they carry.