November 2002 brought many changes to my life. Following a series of weekly visits to my doctor because of severe leg pain, I was diagnosed with a sciatica nerve problem. I was unable to lie down, sit, or walk without pain. Prescription pain killers did not help. Finally I asked a friend to drive me […]
Week 14 Character | Compassionate Christians
The Birth of a Journey It started with a visit to the headmaster of the primary school in an area where Africa Development Mission (ADM) had recently planted a church. The visit seemed natural to me, as the rural school was in my home area and a school I had attended as a child. During […]
Week 13 Mission | Easter Every Day
Fourteen years have passed since a teenager in a Suburban sent me and my Sonoma crashing into a field on the side of the road. It was a legitimate “near-death experience.” I remember nothing of the accident, but based on what those at the scene told me, it was only by the grace of God that I survived. […]
Week 13 Character | Forgiveness: A Path to Greatness
One day, Jesus walked into a conversation his 12 followers were having about who would be the greatest in God’s kingdom. They were jockeying for positions of influence, but Jesus did not shame them. Instead, he challenged them to become like children, to eradicate their sinful tendencies, to seek the few who stray away, and […]
Week 12 Mission | Unlikely Prospects
I stood next to him in the baptistery and listened to him make his confession of faith. In a matter of days, he would be headed back home to his native Turkey where living out his new faith would be challenging at best. Before we walked into the water, I looked at Emir (not his […]