An exciting night at WVIHOP

I have wanted to visit the IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City for a long time. Last night I was able to have a small taste at the new Wabash Valley IHOP. It is meeting at the Telle Prayer Chapel located at 6th and Washington. It is the home of Harvest Prayer Ministries.

I am the chairman of the Board at HPM and have been highly involved in the prayer movement and the attempts to get an ongoing prayer room started. This was a dream come true!

Marvin Adams who has been a long time part of IHOP in Kansas City and Chicago is the new leader of the WVIHOP. He is a very gifted worship leader and prayer leader. The presence of God was very much a reality as we sang, prayed and worshiped together. There have been two opening Friday nights that have had groups around 100 in attendance and representing about 20 differrent congregations here in the Valley. This IHOP time is going to be every Friday night at 7:30 pm. Stop by and check it out when you have a chance.

The prayer room will be open each day through the week from 10 am until 4 pm. Marvin and his wife Sally are excited about the availability of this ministry here in Terre Haute for the whole Wabash Valley. You will find various ways of connecting with God in the room. You can come and go as you choose. Invite a friend and spend some time with God and others praying for the Valley.

Marvin will be doing some teaching the first Saturday of each month on how to do this style of praying and worship. It is called Harp and Bowl. It will run from 2-4 pm. If you know some prayer leaders and worship folks, let them know!

A Note from a fellow follower of Jesus

Hi everyone,

Just thought I’d send out an email letting you in on our experiences yesterday.

Some of you may know that Nate and I were supposed to be in New Orleans this week to help the eXchange (church) team do Katrina cleanup and rebuilding.  However, because we were out of town all last week, we made the decision not to go on that trip.  Ironically, even though we didn’t make the disaster-relief trip, there has been disaster and need for disaster relief in our very own city.  So, yesterday morning, we decided to respond to our church’s various disaster-relief emails.  After all, we have a truck.  We have muscles.  We have no flood damage.  And we had cleared our schedules because we were planning on being in New Orleans.

We called the church and talked with Sandy McFarland, and she put us in touch with a couple who had asked for some help.  The first clue that I was not prepared for what was to come was probably when Nate had to remind me that it was going to be dirty and I should probably change clothes.  The second clue came when we were driving down near the flood waters, and we had to pass through areas that smelled like we had just walked into a bathroom where you wished the person who would have gone in before you would have at least turned on the fan.  You know what I’m talking about.

The thing is, since I’ve had no previous experience with flooding, I glamorized the whole thing.   I mean, we use water for cleaning don’t we?  I guess I figured that, when it floods, clean, clear water rushes in.  Sure, when all is said and done, the place is a bit water-logged, but it’s been washed .  Everything should be sparkly and clean. Okay, so I didn’t really believe all that , but I certainly didn’t expect our first task to be shoveling mud out of the garage just to have a path for carrying out the garbage.  I didn’t expect my first shovelful to include a large, smashed frog.  Or to later scoop up a drenched (dead) rat.  Or to pick up pieces of cardboard and drywall only to have families of cockroaches run towards my legs.  And the smell!  I wish I had some way to capture the smell like cameras capture pictures!  The best way I can describe it is that it smelled and looked a lot like port-a-potty muck.

At one point, Nate looked at me and said, “Can you imagine having to do this alone?”   I was feeling so overwhelmed and had been battling a stench-induced headache for so long that I couldn’t even answer him.   I am completely amazed and humbled by our new, flood-victim friends, Herman and Judy.   Herman (who is originally from France) smiled and laughed with us all day.   I think he was handling the destruction better than I was, and it was his house.   Judy admitted she was a little out of sorts, but she didn’t complain.   She was nothing but smiles.   She said as long as her husband, grandson, and nineteen (19!) cats were okay, she was okay.   The dresser we had to cut up and throw out, drawers full of ruined clothes, her files and research (she’s a philosophy professor), all of their household appliances, even the walls of her house, really don’t mean all that much.   As she said, “It’s all just stuff.”   She also told me how just the other day she had been reading about how, if you want to let the Holy Spirit in, declutter your life.   She said that she had been thinking about simplifying and now seemed like the perfect time!

If you’re getting this email, you’re either 1.) one of our closest friends 2.) a close, non-Hautian friend who we thought might be interested in hearing our story or 3.) a close friend, in the Terre Haute area, who might be interested and able to help. So, I’ll end this email with a couple ways to help.   If you’re not in the area, please pray. Stop reading and pray now.   In particular, pray that people would turn to God in this catastrophe, and that their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs would be met.   If you are in the area, you can pray, too.   And here are some ways to help:

Do you have a car? (Yes, I know you do!) Judy and several of her neighbors had their cars washed away!   At one point, I was able to help by giving Judy a ride to an apartment complex so she could work out arrangements for a place to stay. Maybe you could give someone a ride or loan them your extra vehicle for awhile.   Maybe you and your significant other could share a car for a few days?   (It’s okay.   You can keep the nicest one.)

Or maybe your life could use some decluttering.   All of the furniture in Judy and Herman’s home was destroyed.   Unsalvageable.   Ruined. Gone forever.   It’s expensive to replace home furnishings. What do you have that you’re not using?    What about that old furniture you used to have in your dorms, but doesn’t match your “grown up” furniture? What about that hand-me-down loveseat that you’ve been looking for an excuse to replace?   What about the extra dresser you have from when you got married and you and your spouse combined your two houses/apartments?

Or maybe you could offer to get involved physically.   It can’t hurt.   Let’s face it…when it comes to messy, dirty work, I’m not exactly anyone’s first choice of work partner.   Sure, I took a few loads of garbage out to the road, but I think just being there meant more to Judy than anything.   For those of you who are handier than I am, there’s plenty of work to be done!     I’m not sure if Herman and Judy realize it yet, but the house is probably ruined.   There is already mold growing everywhere, and the walls have gone soft because of all the water.   Yet they still need help cleaning and repairing the few things they were able to save. And this is just one family!

For those of you leader types, flood victims could benefit from someone coming in and giving direction.   When you look around and see 25 years of life and memories destroyed, it’s hard to know where to begin.   Nate did a great job organizing our efforts and reminding Herman and Judy to do simple things like go outside for air, sit down, and eat!

If you’d like to help out, I know our church has a link on the website (www.mccth.org ) with info about how to get involved.

What a storm!

If you live in the Wabash Valley I have no need to tell you what a night we had on Friday June 6th! I have never heard such loud thunder and crashing lightning as I heard all night. Sounded like we were in a war zone! And I suppose to some degree we were and are! Nearly 7-9 inches of rain fell and the Wabash River, Honey Creek, Prairie Creek, Sugar Creek and Otter Creek simply couldn’t hold of of it. The airial photos are amazing, no one has seen anything like it around here since 1913 and needless to say I want’ around here then!

Lots of homes and business suddenly became the victim of a mighty rushing river of water. We live near Allendale and the it was amazing what the swollen Honey Creek did to our area. The water rushed over Hwy 41 and I was afraid for a while we would lose a bridge or a part of the highway like it did on I-70 near Putnamville. The road held but it was really congrested for nearly 24 hrs as rescue boats took people out of Bethesda Gardens and houses in Southwood subdivision. Too many housing division were evacuated to begin to name them all. West Terre Haute was evacuated for a while also.

Sandy and I were frustrated most of the day with a lot of minor inconveniences; couldn’t get where we wanted to go, like a funeral and a wedding. We didn’t have electricity for nearly 24 hrs. But all of that was minor compared to losing a home or have a basement filled with water. Lots of tree damage and homes damaged from falling trees. There were people literally on top of their houses waiting to be rescued. We were some of the fortunate ones.

At times like this you wonder what is going on with family and friends, you can’t seem to get enough information. Television and radio simply can’t tell you all the personal stories. We are still collecting information and trying to coordinate what help we can offer. I know of several churches that were damaged from water. I pray we can all come together and help as the Lord supplies help and resources.

My devotion for this morning was about “building on the rock!” Jesus was exhorting people to build wisely on a solid foundation and not sinking sand. I almost laughed, then cried. I know He was talking about our lives but isn’t so much of our life built around the homes we have built? Sure is, and in this case we can all be reminded how temporary they can be, even when we think they are solid. The wrath of a flood can just be overwhelming. It can be gone in an instant.

I am reminded of what the Prohet said at one down time in his circumstances:

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (ESV)

As one woman from my church family said after losing her house, “the Lord was asking me if He was enough.” Wow, how hard that is, but how true it is in times like these. God is more than our stuff. He is Lord of all, He is enough! When I have nothing I can still have everything in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

My prayers are for all of us in the Wabash Valley as each of us struggle with our particular need and our particular opportunity to help those in need. Lord, stay close to us in these hard times. We need your support and strength. Rescue your people and save us! Give us this day our daily bread! Comfort and care for us. Calm the storms in our lives. Help those who have much care for those who don’t have anything. Amen!

Hard Preaching!

An article in Christianity Today listed the “hardest things for pastors to preach on.” The reason is that pastors would fear people would leave their congregations when those subjects were taught on. Only people who are not pastors would not recognize this list! Everyone of them save one I would have totally agreed on and had them on my “hot list.”

Pastors down through the generations have at least had these kinds of lists in their heads. They may not have put them in a professional journal, but they would have been able to testify to the fear and the concern at “going there!”

Here is the list: After the first three, the percentages were pretty even

1. Politics #1
2. Homosexuality #2
3. Abortion #3
4. Same Sex Marriage
5. War
6. Money
7. Women’s role in the church
8. The Doctrine of election
9. Hell

The list could of course be adjusted by your region of the country, your denomination, and of course your own personal struggles!

The first one up there I have struggled with big time lately due to the political climate that surrounds us here in the U.S. during an election year. It of course would always be int he top half no matter what! Let me take a stab at this one a little in regard to some current “evangelical” issues that have surfaced about this subject in a document called the “Evangelical Manifesto.” You can check it out at: http://www.evangelicalmanifesto.com

Here is a summary of the political section:

“Second, we repudiate the two extremes that define the present culture wars in the United States. On one side, we repudiate the partisans of a sacred public square, those who would continue to give one religion a preferred place in public life.

In a diverse society, it will always be unjust and unworkable to privilege one religion. We are committed to religious liberty for people of all faiths. We are firmly opposed to theocracy. And we have no desire to coerce anyone or to impose beliefs and behavior on anyone. We believe in persuasion.

On the other side, we repudiate the partisans of a naked public square, those who would make all religious expression inviolably private and keep the public square inviolably secular. This position is even less just and workable because it excludes the overwhelming majority of citizens, who are still profoundly religious. Nothing is more illiberal than to invite people into the public square but insist that they be stripped of the faith that makes them who they are.

We are committed to a civil public square – a vision of public life in which citizens of all faiths are free to enter and engage the public square on the basis of their faith, but within a framework of what is agreed to be just and free for other faiths as well. Every right we assert for ourselves as Christians is a right we defend for all others.”

Wow, if you don’t think that has caused an uproar you are sadly mistaken! All those “conservative right wing political folks” and the “liberal left wing political folks” are in a furor! The middle is hard ground! It is easy to get shot at or at least have things thrown at you.

But I must confess, I am there. Being “in the U.S.” but not “of the U.S.” is a sticky wicket. But because I see our democratic political system and our freedom of religion stance as the most viable for me it makes the choice a no brainer. The other two options just don’t work. IF we were to take a stand politically for only one way we might as well stop being so upset at other nations who are in turmoil for those very things. IF we say there is no place for religious faith in the political arena then we have Jesus to deal with!

I see those issues come to the top in discussions about our current political and religious issues during this election. IF I were to base my vote on only one issue or one faith stance at this point I might do as some evangelicals are doing; nothing! How awful! I believe our system wants us to vote for “the best candidate available.” We can’t just put the one up we “wish” were there.

The sad fact is that we are all “flawed.” Only Jesus is perfect and He isn’t running!

I know it is hard as a pastor to “stick to the issues” and not promote a candidate but honestly I am grateful for that especially in a year like this.

Here are some issues I want to raise for your prayerful and political action: abortion (it is a moral issue and makes God sad; life, all life is godly); war (no one likes it including me, we must get out of Iraq at some point, it will take someone with more insight than me to know when) poverty (Jesus loves the hungry, the homeless and those who need a job) race (Jesus love all people, shame on us for loving some more than others) marriage (a sacred relationship God is pretty clear about; we are the ones confused because of a lot of personal preference).

This isn’t about a political party or a particular candidate, it is about reflecting a life Jesus will endorse.

I love being a pastor but sometimes it gets a little warm in some kitchens!

National Day of Prayer in D.C.

Wow, what an exciting and long day Sandy and I had in Washington D.C.

We arrived at the Cannon Caucus Room at 11 am for a noon prayer gathering.  It was broadcast live on GodTv.  Shirley Dobson, sick with a cold and all, led the meeting.  Ravi Zacharias was the keynote speaker.  Ravi did a marvelous job talking about the power of prayer in his life and the power it has in all our lives.  He is so eloquent!  He focused on the fact that prayer is our strength and shield.  Our ultimate hope and answer lies in a sovereign God who is a near as a friend.

There were government officials; congressman, judges and pentagon representatives.  The Secretary of the Interior took the main stage fromt he White House.  Mr. Kemphorne is a devout follower of Jesus and did a great job sharing his heart for prayer.  There was a great time of worship led by the worship leader of Thomas Road Baptist Church.  Dave Butts from Harvest Prayer Ministries is the National Prayer Committee chairman and led in one of the prayers for the government.

We left that gathering around 3 pm and went to the lawn of the capital where the local expression of the days event had gathered.  There was a nice crowd of diverse ethnic and church representation.  Dave Butts was one of the national prayer leaders who led a section of the prayer time.  It was a gorgeous sunny day.  We then went to dinner with the NPC group at Union Station.  Had a wonderful time of fellowship.  Sandy was able to meet Beth Moore and she was thrilled!  Beth will be next year’s honorary chairman and keynote speaker.

Well we are getting ready to fly home!  God truly blessed us with this wonderful experience.  As one of the NPC leaders said, “the Kingdom advances through friends

Washington D.C. 4.29.08

After a 4 am wake-up call on Tuesday we made it to D.C.!  Wow, what a city!  It just made us tingle.  We spent about 4 hours walking the mall area and visiting memorials; Lincoln, Vietnamn, WW II.  We looked, listened and just were in awe.  We took a tour of the Capitol thanks to Congresswoman Musgrave from Colorado.  It was amazing!  Then we prayed!  We met with the NPC leaders at the New York Prsbyterian Church where Abraham Lincoln had worshipped and Peter Marshall had been pastor.  It was a great prayer time.  The worship leader was from Rhwanda!  Go figure!!!!

Battle Over “Guns and Religion”

It is Saturday morning in Terre Haute Indiana. Things have calmed a bit since Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have headed out of small town America, but not in my spirit! I am still fired up and proud to be a Christian and an American! Wow, what a privilege it is to have these conversations even though they are heated and full of emotion.

I know that as a pastor I am walking on dangerous ground, but as an American it is holy ground! I have the right as a citizen to speak my views on issues. I don’t have a right as a pastor to publicly from my stage at Maryland Community Church promote a candidate and I respect that. This isn’t about ‘a candidate’. It is about an issue or shall we say a mixed bag of issues.

First, I am one of those small town people that Mr. Obabma was talking about. I am by my standards a conservative politically, there you go I said it. I do want to address the heart of what this candidate and the other two said about his statement. Generally the statements he made centered around relying on “guns and religion” when the government isn’t listening to us. Here are some direct quotes from Fox News on the issue:

Mr. Obama:”It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Mrs. Clinton: “Americans who believe in the Second Amendment believe it’s a constitutional right. Americans who believe in God believe it’s a matter of personal faith. Americans who believe in protecting good American jobs believe it’s a matter of the American dream,” she said. “People embrace faith not because they are materially poor but because they are spiritually rich.”

I truly believe what both of them said is true! I will say that most of us that I know in the Mid-West don’t have a hot-line to the White House. But I must also remind all of us, we do have a computer, email, telephones, paper and pen, and the right to talk to those in office at all levels. For that you should be grateful and thank God for!

Our country was founded on a general belief that we as citizens have the right to protect ourselves against a government turned evil. We can possess and use a weapon in such a case. There are of course folks like myself who choose not to, but I do have a right to. There are many nations in which citizens do not have the right and are in a horrible situation when an evil dictator takes over the government. I don’t like thinking about such things but I and all citizens must at times.

Let me also be very clear, the owning of a weapon does not entitle me to use it to kill innocent people. We all struggle with the horrible use of military style weapons being used in our schools and towns for the wrong reasons. It is a very very hard balance to maintain. Our government and we as citizens have a hard and complex issue facing us. I believe we should work hard to both allow the possession of weapons under the best and most manageable means keep them out of the hands of criminals who will harm other people. Sounds like a no brainer…..but it isn’t.

As for God. Wow, I don’t even want to begin speaking for Him! But, as a pastor who has been called by God to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ I must speak on behalf of what I know and am willing to die for.

No government or President is above God’s Law. As a citizen I have not only the right but the obligation as a follower of Jesus Christ to make sure I pray for my government and my President no matter who he or she is. I must add, this process; prayer and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ are my primary weapons for change and the power to have peace for all my fellow citizens of this world. I could quote you some bible but I don’t think that is necessary.

These are hard times. Who isn’t for change! None of us, including President Bush, want things to stay the way they are. Shame on us if we think it is that simple.

I don’t honestly believe any of us want this to be about sexuality, race or religion. We want the best for our country and the right to follow our God in the process. We want peace on the earth, we want a roof over our head, food on the table, clothes on our back and have it be safe to walk our streets.

Please, vote your conscience and your belief, but vote! Don’t just get frustrated and angry at the democratic process. It could be worse! I didn’t have a choice about where I was born, but every day I make a choice to live here. I say, God bless America! I say America Bless God! I say God save the world! I say citizen of the earth, live responsibly! Your life matters and counts! You are somebody and don’t ever for get it, no matter where you live!

As someone famous once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” I want to also add, don’t ask, what can God do for me, ask, what can I do for God!

A humble and proud citizen of God’s earth living in Terre Haute Indiana and serving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Goma Refugees Update

We made it to Goma, at the north end of Lake Kivu, this morning at about 10 AM.  It was a 2 hour trip by ferry.  The ferry trip up the lake is not bad but the larger ferries have all had some kind of problems and are not running right now so the one we took was much more cramped.  There was no room to move your feet much at all and there were some engine fumes coming into the cabin.  I sat next to a window so I could get a little good air.  The further to the front the better so on the way back I will go even further up.  The ride though was smooth.  They don’t allow pictures so I can’t add one of those for you at this point.

 

We met with the church leaders of this area and discussed the funds we received from IDES for the refugees.  They are very thankful for the help as these people have really suffered.  Most of the money will be used for long lasting things like blankets and clothing but some clothes and medicine will be necessary as well.  They had worked out a very good list of things to buy and are now revising it down a little so they can fit within the budget we have.  Then they will have a 10 person committee to do the distribution which will include people from every level of the church.  It is a very good plan and should be able to be done in the next few days.  Tomorrow they will buy as much of the goods as possible and then work on the plans to get it transported to the outlying areas where the hurting people are living.  At this point there are no longer people living out in the open.  Everyone has a least a tent like structure to be in but many have no way to stay warm, etc.  Also there are some who can return to their homes but they have to rebuild so a small percentage of the money will be to by some roofing for them.  In those areas they can get poles and mud for the walls but roofing is the difficult part.  It won’t help everyone but a few will be blessed.  Most of the members of our churches who have been displaced will get something.  This should reach into the lives of more than 500 people.  God bless all have given for this and other emergency situations through International Disaster and Emergency Services (IDES).  God bless all the work IDES does.

For those of you who have been following our work in the Congo; here is an update from Ed Buell.

“I am doing well here and very busy. I am in meetings of one kind or another almost every day in order to get things going at Tracy’s Heart and other projects. We met on Saturday morning with the Coordinator of a program similar to Tracy’s Heart we are starting. It was a wonderful meeting. The lady who runs it is very sharp and knows what is happening and what is needed. They have a training program available which we will send our people to as well. It is for people who will be counseling or dealing with the women and their families in any way. The task is huge but Lord willing we will help make a dent in it as well. That group helped 448 women last year but I think all on an out patient basis. Anyway, I am glad to have their assistance and hope we can work together in the future. Though it is our plan to open the center before I go, we will probably not bring in any women until we have a chance to train some workers first. If we do any helping it will be completely on an out patient basis as we have already been doing with 4 women and then we will see about actually brining some into the home after that.

We do though say a big thanks to International Disaster and Emergency Services for sending us over $5000 to help with rebuilding the wall at Tracy’s Heart. They also sent $10,000 to help some refugees in North Kivu who have been forced out of their homes due to continued rebel activity in their area. I hope to go there early next week to see that project get underway. I will take just a couple of days myself but may leave someone there to continue seeing it through.

Sopo is making good headway on his house. He had the doors and windows installed yesterday so it now secure. He will have a crew of friends there tomorrow morning at 6 am to tear the old house down from inside the new one. (The new one was built around and over the old one.) They will then dig holes for the poles which will be used to separate the various rooms, nail pieces of split open bamboo across these so they can then fill in between with rocks and mud to make walls and to provide insulation from the cold. I am not sue what the next step is after that but we are taking it one phase at a time. I hope to get with the other pastor who lost his house to the earthquake to get him started on his building project as well. I want to get at least a few pictures to send to you before I leave.

We have had a couple of pretty hard shakes the last two nights. Friday night about 2 AM and Sunday about 3:15 AM. I sure wish they would stop. I feel light ones quite often but the hard ones keep us all on edge and a little shaky.

God bless, thanks for the prayers and love which I constantly feel.”

In Christ, Ed

Ed Buell
Field Coordinator - DR Congo
ACM International

Update on the little boy of the rape victim

Ed sent some pictures of the little boy who had surgery on a tumor. Thanks to the folks who gave so this little boy could be helped! Him mom, one of the rape victims we met in Bukavu is overjoyed!