Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! May 2009 be a year of abundant blessing in your life and ministry!

Psalm 90:4 (NIV) - "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."

2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) - "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

TR

It's the end of 2008, and perhaps you've had a difficult year in your international ministry. Perhaps you are bandaging up a lot of wounds caused by relentless attacks and criticism. Perhaps you are doubting if God really has you in the right place, or if you're doing the right ministry. Perhaps you're weary and tired and ready to throw in the towel. If so, then please read - and take to heart! - the following words of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, spoken at the Paris Sorbonne in 1910:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again (but) ... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

Amen, TR!

Church In A Cinema

Over the past several weeks at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, where we do church in a cinema, we have encountered the following Sunday-morning challenges:

1. A broken elevator.

2. A broken section of the escalator, caused by rowdy teens repeatedly jumping up and down on it.

3. A river of Coca-Cola on the carpet in the lobby where we have our information tables.

4. A blizzard of popcorn in the cinema where we have our worship services.

5. An insufficient number of cinema workers to clean it all up.

6. Corporate events and birthday party functions encroaching on the space we rent from the cinema each Sunday.

7. A Nike marathon running right outside our front door, and closing all the streets around the cinema.

8. Torn-up carpet in the lobby, where workers had begun to replace the carpet with tile, but hadn't finished the job.

9. A nearby church of another Christian denomination complaining to the parking garage that our members were taking up too many parking spaces.

10. Earthquake tremors during the worship services.

Yes, that's quite a Top 10 list!

And it serves to underscore the point that two of the most important talents that you must develop in order to have success in international ministry are adaptability and flexibility. Without them, you'll never make it.

As examples of our adaptability and flexibility, we reversed escalator paths so that everyone would at least have escalator access on the way up to the 4th floor of the cinema, where we are located. We also grabbed brooms, dustbins, towels, and anything else on hand to clean up the Coca-Cola and popcorn messes we encountered on Sunday mornings. We handed out promotional cards to those waiting to attend corporate and birthday functions in adjoining cinemas, and invited them to join us in the worship service, even if just for 5 minutes. Many did! As for the earthquake tremors, I just told the crowds that we should all sing "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."

Adaptability and flexibility. And a dose of humor. Embrace them in your international ministry. It will make all the difference in the world.

Baby Jesus Born To Virgin Mary In Peru!

Did you know that baby Jesus was born to Virgin Mary in Lima, Peru?

And all this time you though it happened in Bethlehem!

True story: a baby named Jesus was born to a young woman named Virgin Mary on Christmas Day (2008) in the Maternity Hospital in Lima, Peru. And Virgin Mary's husband is a carpenter!

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) - "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Make Room

Every year on Christmas Eve, the city of Lima is inundated with thousands upon thousands of poor people and families. They come to Lima from the mountain provinces of Peru every December 24 to beg for money and/or food, in the hope that the citizens of Peru's capital city will be full of Christmas cheer and generosity. It is common on Christmas Eve to stop at a red light in Lima, and to have your car surrounded by dozens of impoverished women and children, looking for a piece of fruit cake or a cookie or a coin.

Something that we have done every year in Lima is to reach out to these poor families. They are usually in Lima for just a day or two, and then they return to their native provinces. We prepare enormous quantities of "goody bags" for them, which are filled with juice boxes, candy canes, chocolates, cookies, and other Christmas treats. Last year we gave out over 1,000 of these goody bags to the children and families on the streets of Lima on Christmas Eve.

Luke 2:7 tells us how Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Similarly, most people in Lima have no room, in their hearts, for the poor who flood the city every Christmas Eve, looking for a bit of the true Christmas spirit.

Wherever in the world you are doing ministry, I am sure that a similar situation exists. Make room for the impoverished and the ignored this Christmas. Fill up a bunch of goody bags with Christmas treats and hand them out. The bags may contain nothing more than a few cookies and candies, but they'll also be filled with the love of Jesus, and that's the most important gift that we can give to anyone, anywhere in the world, this Christmas.

Peru Christmas Traditions

Here in Peru, Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas Day. Families gather together on Christmas Eve to have dinner and open presents. Generally this is not done until close to midnight. A traditional Peru Christmas Eve dinner includes roast turkey (prepared with a mildly-spicy Peruvian red sauce containing garlic, chili pepper powder, vinegar, and other special ingredients to give it a kick), mashed Peruvian yellow potatoes (there are 3,000 different types of potatoes in Peru), white rice, rice pilaf, potato salad, a sweet potato sauce that is similar in consistency to apple sauce, and a salad which consists of beans, carrots, and beets. Dessert includes hot chocolate made with cinnamon and clove (delicious, even if it is the summertime here!) and Peruvian fruitcake, called "paneton", which is light, tasty, and delicious, and is a world apart from the clunky, tasteless loaf that they have in the USA.

At midnight there are fireworks all around the city.

Christmas Day is more of a time to rest and relax with family and friends.

Santa Claus, by the way, is called "Papa Noel" in Peru.

Christmas also marks the beginning of the summer season here in Peru, so right after Christmas many families head to the beach for summer vacation. The coast of Peru has some of the biggest and finest waves in the world, and so it's common to see many people surfing on Christmas morning.

These are just a few of the Christmas traditions here in Peru. What are the local Christmas traditions where you are doing ministry? Have you embraced them and leveraged them for your ministry? It's not too late to do so!

Fruitcake

In the USA, Christmas fruitcake has become something of a joke. Most people don't like the taste or consistency of it. Many folks prefer to use it as a doorstop. Other just "re-gift" it. There's even a belief, held by many Americans, that there's just one fruitcake in the entire USA, and that it keeps getting sent and re-sent across the entire country, person to person, Christmas after Christmas, year after year.

In Peru, however, fruitcake is a whole different ballgame!

Peruvian fruitcake (called "paneton") is lighter and tastier than its American cousin, and Peruvian fruitcake is happily received as a Christmas gift. I've never seen a Peruvian turn down fruitcake as a Christmas gift. It's always received with a big smile.

However, I have seen some Americans here in Lima turn down Peruvian fruitcake as a gift, thinking that it was nothing more than the local version of the same tasteless, concrete-hard loaf that they hated in the USA. Their refusal was taken as a serious insult here in Peru, and they and their ministries suffered because of it.

What? Suffered because they turned down a fruitcake?

Yes, because it seemed to suggest that they were disparaging an important Peruvian Christmas tradition, and in turn it was as if they were insulting Peru itself.

Christmas, as well as other local holidays wherever you are doing international ministry, can be seasons that make or break your ministry. If you are seen as insensitive, indifferent, or insulting toward local holiday traditions, then you will be severely damaging your chances for success in your ministry.

Embrace your local holiday traditions. Celebrate them. Eat the fruitcake. It won't kill you, and you might actually like it, and the locals will salute you and your ministry for your efforts, and they'll also greatly appreciate your inclusionary attitude.

Guinea Pigs

Sometimes you may feel a little bit like a guinea pig as you do international ministry in some far-flung corner of the globe.

We eat guinea pig here in Peru!

Guinea pig (called "cuy" and pronounced "kwee" in Spanish) is a Peruvian delicacy. There's not a ton of meat on the little critters, but they are tasty. Frequently they are served here with a mildly-spicy peanut sauce on top.

I've eaten quite a few guinea pigs in my time here in Peru. Guinea pig doesn't quite rank up there with a tender filet mignon or succulent barbecued ribs, but I do like 'em, and I've earned quite a few brownie points among the locals down here for being willing to embrace local culture and dive in to a grilled guinea pig - with the head and eyes still attached!

When I grew up in the Boston area, we had two guinea pigs as pets.

Now we eat 'em!

The point of this blog post about guinea pigs - after our Friday discourse on turkey - is that you can get a lot of mileage, and make a lot of friends, and get a lot of positive pub and street cred for your international ministry, if you're willing to toss back a guinea pig or two, or whatever other critters that the locals like to grill up in your neck of the international woods.

I've eaten guinea pigs, worms, crocodiles, llamas, turtles, piranhas, and anacondas here in Peru.

In the case of the crocodiles, piranhas, and anacondas, my firm philosophy is to eat them before they eat you.

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and I think that the way to impressive ministerial impact is through your stomach as well. Stay away from eating nothing more than Big Macs and Whoppers. Throw down whatever the locals are throwing down. They will like you, and admire you, and respect you for it, and it will go a long way toward endearing them to your ministry.

Talkin' Turkey

I'm talkin' turkey today.

Specifically, Peruvian turkey.

It's traditional in many countries around the world to eat turkey at Christmastime - plus Americans have already pounded down a lot of the bird on Thanksgiving - and this is a tradition that can be used to boost your ministry around the world.

Peruvian turkey is delicious. It is prepared with a special Peruvian seasoning that features, among other items, chili pepper powder, garlic, and vinegar. This secret seasoning varies from family to family, and from chef to chef, and the specific mix and combination of spices can be as closely guarded a secret as Col. Sanders' famous mix of 11 herbs and spices at KFC. The spicy mix is either rubbed onto the turkey or stabbed into it - yes, stabbed right into the turkey! - before cooking. The spices seep into the roasted bird and fill it with a fantastic, flavorful kick. Peruvian turkey is indeed a treat.

So what does all of this bird talk have to do with international ministry? Well, if turkey is consumed at Christmastime wherever in the world that you are doing ministry, then use this opportunity to embrace local turkey cooking traditions. Sponsor a turkey dinner, using local recipes, for families and individuals in need. Buy frozen turkeys at the local supermarket and distribute them to those in need. Purchase gift certificates for free turkeys and hand them out to those in need, or as a reward to deserving ministry workers. You may even be able to pick out live turkeys at a turkey farm as well. In Lima, we've seen pens of live turkeys on city street corners at Christmastime. People come along, pick out a turkey, pay for it, and ... well, you know the rest.

Christmas presents a fantastic opportunity for you to embrace local culture and food traditions, including turkey, wherever you are doing ministry. Use the Christmas season as a time to get closer to the local traditions wherever you are doing ministry. You'll be blessing others and boosting your ministry at the same time.

Mixed Messages

I was driving behind a white taxi in Lima yesterday. I noticed that the taxi driver had a Jesus fish hanging from his rear-view mirror. Very nice, I thought. A brother in the Lord. But then I noticed the rear bumper on the taxi. The rear bumper had a pair of identical stickers on it, each featuring a cartoon delinquent extending his middle finger and grabbing his crotch.

To paraphrase Fred Rogers from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" fame: "Can you say 'Mixed messages?' I know you can!"

A Jesus fish, a raised middle finger, and a crotch grab. Yeah, that pretty much meets the definition of a mixed message.

Are you sending out any mixed messages in your ministry? Perhaps you think that people only see the "Jesus fish" side of your ministry - the good-and-worthy spiritual side - but are you doing anything else that may be sending out a mixed message to your community? You may not be raising your middle finger or grabbing your crotch - at least I hope you're not! - but maybe there's a bad association that you're a part of, or maybe your ministry doesn't have as positive a street rep as it should, or maybe the people involved in your ministry come across as cold, indifferent, uncaring, condescending, arrogant, or holier-than-thou in the community.

You may have the greatest ministerial vision in the whole world, but if the vision is being trampled by a bad or mixed message, then you'll never accomplish it. Make sure your vision and message are on the same track. Make sure that when people view your ministry, they see the Jesus fish, and only the Jesus fish, and nothing else.

Law & Sausage

There's an old saying in the USA, particularly popular among lawyers and butchers (no jokes about how they're one in the same!), and it goes like this: "If you like law or sausage, don't watch either one being made."

I've worked as a lawyer and I've visited various slaughterhouses. I've watched both law and sausage being made. The old saying is a true one. It can be a very messy process to watch either law or sausage being made, but we generally like the end product.

I've decided that ministry is the same way, too, particularly after our Mary/Martha time last weekend. After the Sunday services were over, several people came up to me and told me how much they had enjoyed the music, the teaching, the Christmas decorations, etc. They had no idea how much sweat equity had gone into putting it all together early on Sunday morning. They didn't see the "messiness" that went into "making" the Sunday services, but they did like the end product. A lot. Just like law or sausage.

It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid Mary/Martha moments in your ministry. It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid law/sausage moments in your ministry. But even as you wallow in the messiness of it all, remember that there are still a lot of people who are going to enjoy, and be blessed by, your end product.

Mary & Martha

We started our Christmas series at FRC-Lima on Sunday, called www.TheGiftRevolution.com. It's a big series and it's a big vision that we have to change the world in 25 days, by committing random acts of kindness for strangers and having them pay it forward, and yesterday was the kick-off in Lima, Peru.

Yesterday reminded me a little bit of an Opening Night on Broadway. We arrived at the cinema at 7:00 AM, loaded with lots of extra stage decorations, including gift-wrapped boxes, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, brightly-colored stars and peace signs, among others, and we raced around for two hours to get everything set up, plus have a special time of prayer and Communion with our leaders, plus do a final music practice, plus check and re-check all of the audio and video, etc., etc., etc. The time flew by, almost too fast.

Frankly, there were moments when it got very hectic, as we raced against the clock to have everything ready before we opened the doors for the first service, and of course we were fighting against last-minute snafus and technical difficulties. I could feel frustration creeping into my bones as the time got short and the hour grew late.

At that same moment, all of a sudden I heard the names of two people being whispered into my soul: "Mary and Martha."

And then I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit: "Be like Mary, not like Martha."

You're probably familiar with the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. They were two sisters who were hosting Jesus at their home in Bethany one day. Martha spent all of her time involved in the preparations for Jesus' visit, while Mary sat at his feet and listened to everything that he said. Martha got mad, and told Jesus to tell Mary to lend a hand in the kitchen. Jesus told Martha that Mary had it right, and that Mary had chosen to do what was better.

I was more Martha than Mary yesterday.

It's very easy to get that way in ministry.

Everyone reading this blog post wants to excel in service and execution, but the risk that we run as ministers is that we fall into the trap of focusing solely on execution, and not at all on worship and adoration. That's the trap that we were falling into yesterday.

Obviously our adoration for Jesus Christ should lead us all to serve Him and to serve this world - that's a large part of what our Christmas series is all about - but we also must make sure that such service and execution is properly balanced, and should never be done at the expense of worship and adoration. It's easy to get distracted by total preparation and execution, and we have to guard against allowing our God-honoring priorities to get out of whack. We can never forget that, even as ministry leaders, we must never miss the opportunity to just sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his words for us.

Be more like Mary. Be less like Martha.

The Gift Revolution

One of the ways that we are getting intentionally international at Flamingo Road Church is through our Christmas series, which encourages people to commit random acts of kindness for strangers, with the intention that the gift recipients then do the same for someone else. It has already become viral all around the world. For more information, check out our website at www.TheGiftRevolution.com, and join the revolution!

YouTube

YouTube is slowly taking over the world. Videos from every corner of the planet are on the website. US President-elect Obama used it very successfully to get his message across during the presidential election.

You, too, can leverage YouTube for more growth and impact in your international ministry. Simply film whatever ministry or project you are involved in, and then go online to www.youtube.com and follow the simple instructions about how to upload your video. Within a few hours, your video will be available for all the Internet world to see!

If you search for "Flamingo Road Church" on YouTube, you'll find several of our FRC-Lima videos, filmed all over Peru. There are videos of our baptisms in the Pacific Ocean and in the Amazon River, as well as videos of our various service projects in the shantytown of Pachacutec, in the girls' orphanage in La Victoria, and in the Amazon jungle with the Yagua native tribe, among others. More than 20,000 people have viewed our various videos on YouTube. Some of the viewers have left comments. Some of the comments are good. Some are not. Some of the comments are down right nasty! Some folks delete the negative comments, but we don't. We welcome them, because at least it initiates the dialogue, and that's something we're not afraid of. As well, here at FRC-Lima, we're firm believers in the deep-rooted theological doctrine that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

(I can't quite locate that in my Bible, though. Maybe it's in one of the more contemporary versions.)

Little Miss Sunshine

Dorcas and I were at a print shop in Lima yesterday, trying to have some special promotional cards printed up for our big Christmas series that starts this Sunday.

It was a very frustrating experience.

From the moment we entered the print shop until the moment we left, the young woman at the counter did everything that she could to discourage the sale.

She told us about 100 different times and in about 100 different ways how they couldn't print the promo cards for us. The stock was too heavy. The stock was too glossy. The lettering was not clear enough. There were pixel problems. Her boss was at lunch. So was his assistant. The proof couldn't possibly be done for another day or so. There was no way in the world that they could guarantee that we'd have the cards before Sunday. Etc., etc., etc.

It was a mind-boggling performance!

There we were, trying to hand over a small chunk of the church's money to the young woman in return for a few promo cards, and she was doing all that she could to stuff the money right back in our pockets!

Maybe the young woman was just having a bad day, or maybe she had received some bad news, or was dealing with a bad personal situation, but her customer service skills were among the worst I've ever seen, anywhere in the world.

We even tried to help her out by showing her how it all could be accomplished, and easily so, but all she kept doing was shaking her head and saying no.

Wow.

Her attitude was the pits. Her attitude was costing her employer a lot of money, too.

I wonder how often we are guilty of the same thing.

International ministry is not for the faint of heart. It's filled with roadblocks and potholes, and even James Bond might be fighting against you (read yesterday's "007" blog post for more info). The enemy is going to keep banging you over the head, and trying to get you to throw in the towel, or at least trying to get you to become less effective in your ministry because of a bad attitude.

Charles Swindoll has said, "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life ... The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it ... We are in charge of our attitudes."

What has happened to you today? How have you reacted to it? How has your attitude impacted your international ministry today, in either a positive or a negative way?

007

James Bond was our enemy at the cinema on Sunday morning!

At the last minute, cinema management decided to schedule a corporate screening of the new James Bond film in Cinema 5, which is the cinema that we normally use for our pre-school and children's ministry on Sunday mornings. So we had to scramble big-time. All of our set-up and pre-school and children's ministry leaders and volunteers had to hustle to move everything at break-neck speed from Cinema 5 to Cinema 7.

Or maybe I should say from Cinema 005 to Cinema 007.

It was a pain and a hassle - it's not like Sunday mornings before the services aren't busy enough! - but in the end our troops pulled it off in fine fashion, and all the FRC-Lima kids had a great time.

Flexibility is the key, my friends.

International ministry is going to keep you hopping, and if your neck of the international woods is anything like Peru, then that's also going to mean a lot of last minute switcheroos and late-breaking curveballs.

Don't bail out of the batter's box. Stay focused on your goal and vision. Smack down all of the distractions and last-minute problems that the enemy is going to throw at you.

Even when they involve James Bond!

Happy (Thanks)Giving

Happy Thanksgiving! Take time today to thank God for His provision for you and your family over the past year. It's been a very tough year economically for many people and families all over the world, but we also know that God has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us, and this worldwide financial crisis also presents us with a huge opportunity to bless those who seriously need a blessing today. Focus on the "Giving" part of "Thanks-Giving" during this holiday season, and watch how God blesses you and your ministry, wherever you are doing ministry in this world.

TeleStereo

We do different types of promotion and advertising here in Lima, but the most successful for us has been an advertisement that we do with the #1 rock-n-roll radio station in the city.

That's right: FRC-Lima is a church that advertises on a rock-n-roll radio station!

And it's paid off in huge dividends for us.

Every Sunday there are people visiting FRC-Lima for the first time, and they're visiting us because they heard our ad on TeleStereo Radio in Lima.

We used to have a weekly program on the Christian radio station in Lima, and it was very successful, but then we made a decision to try to reach more non-churchgoers, so we switched our advertising and publicity to TeleStereo, and it's been a home run for us.

Think outside the box when it comes to advertising and promoting your international church or ministry. Don't be afraid to use the secular media to send your message. In fact, it may prove to be more impactful for you and your ministry. It has been for us.

Little Cards, Big Promo

Last Sunday at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, a man came up to me and showed me a dog-eared business-card-size promotional card that we had used for a teaching series about 18 months ago.

"Hey," the man said to me, "do you remember when you gave me this card?"

I had to confess to him that I didn't remember the exact circumstances - it was 18 months ago, plus we give out promo cards like candy here - but I also told him that I was glad that he finally was visiting us.

"I had this in my wallet all this time," he continued. "I had forgotten about it, but then I saw it again in my wallet, so here I am!"

Something as small as a business-card-size promotional card for your church or international ministry can pay off in huge dividends. People are ridiculously over-busy these days, and their minds are focused on a million different things, so you need to put something directly in their hands so that they will remember you or your church or your ministry. Don't just give them your personal business card. That's great to give out, but they really need a similar-size card, business card-size, that promotes your church or ministry, gives all the relevant information (names, addresses, service times, websites, contact info, etc.), and is sufficiently small enough for them to stick in a wallet or purse. They eventually will dig it out again - although hopefully in less than 18 months! - and eventually curiosity will get the best of them and they'll check out you or your ministry.

Head out to your local print shop, print up a ton of colorful, creative, and contemporary promo cards, and then start passing 'em out like candy! Flood your city with 'em! Then watch how they lead to more contacts, impact, and interest in your church or ministry.

English

Here at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, Peru, we are doing international ministry in a Third World country where English is not the native tongue.

That has been a great thing for us.

When we started this church about 3 years ago, before we were even an offical multi-site campus of FRC, we felt the Holy Spirit telling us to start our new church in English. I couldn't understand the Holy Spirit's urging at all, yet I kept hearing it, day after day. I kept thinking, "But we're in Peru now, not the USA! We should do our new church in Spanish, not English!"

We were obedient to the Holy Spirit's nudge, though, and it has made all the difference. One thing we quickly learned when we started our new church was that there were a lot of Peruvians who were learning English for professional and career reasons, and our English-language church was a great way to reach many of them. And so we have.

If you are doing international ministry in a country where English is not the native language, then that may be a huge benefit for you. English is the international language of business today, and people around the world, in every country, are learning to speak English for professional purposes. Use English to reach these people! About half of the members of Flamingo Road Church in Lima are Peruvians, and many of them are young people who are learning English, and so every Sunday morning they receive a double blessing: they get to practice their English at FRC-Lima, and they also get to hear God's word taught in a contemporary and impactful manner.

Use English to reach others, particularly if you are doing ministry in a non-English-speaking country. There is a huge market there that you have the potential to reach and impact!

5-Minute Church

I've learned that a big part of international ministry involves ... just chatting.

We deal with an assortment of outside vendors here at Flamingo Road Church in Lima. We deal with a print shop where we print up all of our bulletins, teaching notes, publicity cards, brochures, and other items. We deal with a cafe where we have a free-coffee promotion. We deal with a parking garage where FRC-Lima attendees can park for free on Sunday mornings. We deal with a supermarket chain that supplies our food and supplies every weekend. We deal with a couple of hotels, where mission groups and other guests stay every time they visit us in Lima. We deal with a couple of other restaurants where we have special celebratory lunches or dinners or birthday parties. There are lots of other places, too.

One thing I've noticed is that when we enter these establishments, perhaps to pick up copies, or parking vouchers, or free-coffee gift certificates, or other items, the people working there frequently want to chat. They want to know how the church is going. They want to know how we are doing. They want to know how I, the gringo, am adapting to the culture and food of Peru (just fine on both counts!). And of course they want to tell us all about their lives, their families, their dreams, and their frustrations.

They really want someone to listen to them, even if it's just for 5 minutes.

That's what I call the 5-Minute Church.

Listen, I know that you are busy, and you may be reading this blog post and thinking, "I've got to just run in and out of those sorts of places, because I've got other places to go!"

If you adopt that attitude, then you're going to miss out on a big part of your ministry.

I have noticed that locals tend to take a shine to foreigners who are nothing more than ... friendly. Many foreigners, and sadly this includes many ministry workers, tend to spend as little time as possible with locals and natives, and that attitude is easily felt on the other side. So if you are nothing more than friendly ... then you're opening up a whole new world of possibilities and contacts for your ministry.

Take time to chat with the vendors who support your ministry. Take time to chat with the girl at the supermarket check-out counter, or the guy who serves you coffee, or the bellhop at the local hotel, or the waiter or waitress at your favorite restaurant or cafe. They just want you to listen to them for a few minutes. A lot of these folks have even started attending FRC-Lima as the result of the mini-chats that we've had with them.

Start up your own 5-Minute Church with these people. Watch how quickly you fill up the pews.

Thanksgiving Food Drive

Thanksgiving is not a holiday that is celebrated in Peru, or anywhere else in South America for that matter, which is exactly why we are doing a Thanksgiving Food Drive here in Lima.

We are going to be collecting canned and non-perishable food every Sunday morning in November at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, and then on December 1 we will be distributing it all to needy individuals and families in Lima. The recipients do not have to attend FRC-Lima. They don't even have to be Christ followers. In act, those are exactly the type of folks that we most want to impact by showing them the love of Christ.

Thanksgiving is really only celebrated in the USA and Canada, so if you're doing ministry anywhere else in the world, then November presents a great opportunity to leverage the Thanksgiving holiday. Tell others about the origins of Thanksgiving. Tell them how it is a day to give thanks to God for His provision to us during the past year. Bless those in need with such provision. Last weekend Flamingo Road Church in South Florida had a frozen turkey drive - which they wittily labelled "Flip us a bird!" - and they collected several hundred frozen turkeys, hams, and pies, all of which will be donated to needy individuals and families in South Florida.

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks to God for His provision, so take advantage of the holiday to be God's hands and feet and to provide such provision to others in need, wherever in the world that you are doing ministry.

Election Differences

The US presidential election is now history, after a campaign that lasted about 2 years. Some political pundits are already saying that the 2012 presidential race now has begun!

This is a big difference between the US and Peru. In the US, the presidential race now endures for 2 years and costs over $1,000,000,000. In Peru, a presidential campaign lasts just 6 months, and only costs around $1,000,000. The last presidential campaign in Peru was in 2006. Candidates first started running and Peruvians first started paying attention to the race in January 2006, then there was a first-round election (almost like the US presidential primaries) in April 2006, and then the final general election in June 2006. 6 months from start to finish. That's it.

Peruvians are always amazed at the length of the US presidential campaign, particularly in comparison to the short Peruvian election season, so it makes a great topic of conversation to respectfully compare and contrast the positives and negatives of the two systems. It also has opened doors for our ministry here in Peru.

Many Christians around the world are concerned about the separation of church and state, and also are concerned about the role of Christians in an election, and whether or not one should publically support a candidate or a party. These are all very legitimate concerns. This does not mean, however, that you must avoid any and all political conversation. General discussions about the pulse of a race or about comparative election systems tends to be a great ice-breaker around the world. Take advantage of this great political opportunity to make inroads with your international ministry, wherever you are.

US President-Elect Barack Obama

Congratulations to US President-Elect Barack Obama. God has established Obama as the next President of the United States, in accordance with Paul's words in Romans 13:1, and so now we need to pray for Obama as he undertakes this new position. He's certainly going to need a lot of prayer, as he's got his hands full as the next President of the US. Obama is going to enter the White House and immediately face challenges related to the international financial and credit crisis, failing banks, a falling stock market, home foreclosures, job losses, environmental problems, and terrorist threats.

Obama's historic victory is the main story here in Peru. All day long, Peruvians have been asking me for my opinion about Obama. I'm sure it's the same for you, wherever in the world that you are doing international ministry. Take advantage of this opportunity to engage others in conversation about Obama, and about what the Bible says about submission to authorities and God's establishment of governing authorities. Obama's victory is a great conversation starter, and a great opportunity for you to promote your ministry. The entire world is talking about US President-Elect Barack Obama, and you should be, too, regardless of whether or not you support him or his policies, but rather as a way to connect your international ministry and vision to the most important and most historic news story of the day.

Election Day

It's Election Day in the USA. God already knows who's going to win and become the next President of the United States. Whether you support Obama or McCain, and whether your candidate wins or loses, it's important to remember the words of Paul in Romans 13:1 (NIV), "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Pray for the winning candidate, even if you didn't support him or vote for him. He's going to need it.

Halloween Shake, Rattle, & Roll!

We had a great time on Saturday afternoon at our Halloween Outreach/Children's Costume Party at KFC in Lima. Between children and adults, there were about 70 in attendance. Right before the party started, though, a strong earthquake tremor rocked Lima. It registered 4.3 on the Richter Scale. It lasted just 5 seconds, but it felt like a freight train smashing into the side of the building. Children in Peru practice "earthquake drills" in school, just like I used to practice "fire drills" at school back in the day, and so they knew immediately what to do: they quickly gathered around each other in American football-style huddles. The children were far calmer than the parents, who all were running around, trying to make sure that their kids were safe after the earthquake tremor. One of the kids was totally unfazed by the jolting tremor, because he thought that it was part of the special effects for the costume party!

Earthquake Tremor Rocks Lima!

Just moments before we were to start our Halloween Outreach Children's Costume Party at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Lima, an earthquake tremor rocked the city! It shook buildings, rattled windows, and registered a 4.3 on the Richter Scale. It was quite a jolt for the kids that arrived early at KFC! More details coming soon!

Halloween Outreach

Different Christians have different opinions about Halloween. When I was growing up near Boston, we always put on costumes and went out and collected candy. It was always a blast.

Here in Lima, Peru, Halloween is celebrated pretty much the same way as we did back in the day in Boston. Kids get dressed up and go out and collect candy. The one big difference is that in Peru the kids don't shout "Trick or treat!" when they ring your door bell. Instead, they just shout out, "Halloween!"

The evangelical church in Peru tends to run pretty conservative, and as such it basically opposes Halloween. Here at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, however, we take a different approach, and we've decided to shine a light into the darkness.

As a result, we are very pro-active and intentional when it comes to Halloween here in Lima, because we see it as a great outreach opportunity. We are hosting a children's costume party on the 2nd floor play area of a local Kentucky Fried Chicken. The KFCs here in Lima are huge, with large children's play areas, and so we're taking over one for Halloween. Our pre-school and children's ministry director, Mariana, and her team of volunteers, are putting together a show for the children featuring song and dance, and of course the kids also will get to chow down on some fried chicken and french fries, and they'll each receive a bag of candy. We've also invited special needs children to be a part of the party. We hope to have around 50 children and their parents at the costume party. Oh, by the way, we also make sure to include a promotional card for Flamingo Road Church in Lima in every bag of candy that we give out.

Don't be afraid of the darkness! Shine a light in it, just as it says in John 1:5. If Halloween is celebrated wherever in the world that you are doing ministry, then take advantage of this opportunity to reach out to families in your community. You may surprise a few people, but you'll bless many more.

Prayer Request

Please join us in praying for Karyn Barriger. She is the wife of Pastor Robert Barriger of the Camino de Vida church in Lima, Peru. Karen has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she begins chemotherapy treatment this week in Lima.

Guilt & Association

The biggest story in Peru these days is a huge corruption scandal involving various high-level government officials doing favors for a foreign oil company and, of course, getting their palms greased in return. The entire presidential cabinet recently had to resign because of the scandal, and one ex-minister is on the lam as we speak, supposedly hiding out in Mexico or Argentina. Both the Peruvian national police and air force have been accused of helping him flee the country to avoid arrest. The on-the-lam ex-minister's daughter is a well-known member of Congress, and the media is hounding her for information about the flight of her notorious father.

Several political careers have been ruined, while others are on the brink of ruin. A lot of top government officials are sweating it out big-time these days, wondering if the jig is about to be up for them, too. It's not a pretty sight, and it leads the local TV news every night.

I have met some of the allegedly-involved government officials at various functions in the Peru Congress, and it's sad to see them end up this way. It also makes me realize that we need to be careful with the associations that we make in international ministry.

As foreigners, a lot of people may be drawn to us out of interest or curiosity in our ministry. Many may want to practice their language skills with us. Most of the time, the associations will be innocent and worthwhile and beneficial, but you also need to know that there will be those out there who will try to take advantage of you or your ministry for bad purposes.

Frequently, there is a mindset that foreign ministries are loaded with cash, so there will be those that will look at you as a bank and nothing else. We always have people hitting us up for money, even if they've never attended a single church service at FRC-Lima and don't even know my name. Sometimes the need is legitimate, but we've also run into several cases where someone was simply out to rip off the church and separate us from what God has blessed us with as stewards.

The associations between greedy politicians and seedy businessmen has caused scandal and ruined lives here in Peru. You may not be facing the same Page-1-newspaper-headlines sort of controversy in your international ministry right now, but beware. The wolves are out there, licking their chops, waiting to pounce on you and devour you, and then leaving others to pick at your bones when they are gone.

Be careful with whom you associate. We know that Jesus hung out with all sorts of n'er-do-wells, including thieves, corrupt tax collectors, and prostitutes, but He never was stained by them. Do likewise. Be wise in your associations, befriend the friendless, and serve the least of the brethren, but be extremely careful that at the end of the day the reputation of you and your ministry remains spotless.

Change The World

Today I want to add to yesterday's blog post about next week's US presidential election, and whether our political activism and/or support of Obama or McCain may help us or hurt us in international ministry.

Troy Gramling, our lead pastor here at Flamingo Road Church, recently said that Obama and McCain only get to be President of the United States, but you and I get to change the world. We get to work for God, build up His kingdom, and lead people to the feet of Christ. That's a whole lot more than the next occupant of the White House gets to do.

Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, made similar remarks earlier this year when I heard him speak at a conference in Dallas, Texas. He said that people need to see Jesus, more than political candidates or issues, when they see your church or ministry. I'd add that this should apply to churches and ministries internationally, and not just in the USA.

If you're a US citizen, then pray, vote next Tuesday, and then pray a whole lot more for whoever wins, because that person is inheriting a wagon-load of problems. Use your conversations about the US presidential election, wherever you are in the world, to tell others that God is in control, no matter who wins and who loses. That sort of testimony will go even further than your vote in this election.

Rock The Vote

The US presidential election is a week and a day away. Here in Lima, every Peruvian I meet wants to know who I'm voting for: Obama or McCain. I don't tell them, as I don't want to alienate half of them, one way or another.

I'm sure that the same thing is happening to American expats all across the globe, and so it's extremely important in the coming week that you be very careful when you are drawn into a conversation about the US election.

Everyone reading this blog has political convictions, and most folks like to trumpet their favorite candidate and political party in the days leading up to a big election. But will this aid you in your international ministry? Will pasting a bumper sticker for Obama or hammering a yard sign for McCain help you bring people to the feet of Jesus Christ? Make sure that your political convictions do not trump your spiritual convictions, and in turn compromise the vision that God has given you.

Matthew 17:8 (NIV), in describing Christ's transfiguration, says, "When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus."

It should be the same in your international ministry. Let those whom you are serving, no matter where in the world you are, see not Barack Obama or John McCain, but only Jesus Christ.

Go Back To The Drawing Board

There once was an artist who came up with an idea for a cartoon rabbit. The idea turned out to be a pretty good one. He quickly found a distributor, and soon his rabbit was the star of cartoon shorts in movie houses all across the USA.

The artist, however, was naive in the ways of business. When it came time to renew his contract with the distributor, he learned that the distributor had secretly stolen away all the rights to the cartoon rabbit, and also had secretly hired away all of the artist's assistants who helped him draw the cartoon shorts.

The artist was devastated. He had already declared bankruptcy once in his life, and now he was looking straight down the barrel of another financial disaster. All of his hard work and creativity and dreams seemingly had been for nothing.

The artist got on a train in New York. He had a long trip back to his home in Los Angeles. He didn't know what to do, or what the next step was that he should take. He took his drawing board out of his bag and began to doodle. This was something that always brought him pleasure and comfort, even in life's darkest moments. The artist began to doodle some other animals. He was trying to think of another idea that would be even bigger and better than the rabbit.

The artist came up with the idea of a cartoon mouse.

The artist was Walt Disney.

His creation was Mickey Mouse.

You know the rest of the story.

In your international ministry, you will have seasons of heartbreak and betrayal. People you trust will knife you right in the back, and people you thought were your friends turn out to be your worst enemies. Your plans and your vision may be in jeopardy. Fear not.

You can always go back to the drawing board.

Whenever I hear this story of how Walt Disney came up with the idea for Mickey Mouse, I am reminded of God's words in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

I know nothing of the spiritual life of Walt Disney. But I do know that the story of how he came up with the idea for Mickey Mouse should inspire all of us to keep moving forward in our ministries, even when the enemy has stomped all over us and has seemingly ripped our vision away from us. If that is happening to you right now in your international ministry, then go back to the drawing board.

It made all the difference in the world for Walt Disney, and it'll make all the difference in the world for you, too.

Bigfoot

I have no idea if Bigfoot (a/k/a Sasquatch) is real or not, but I know one thing: I want to be Bigfoot.

I say this because of a brief conversation I had on Sunday after our FRC-Lima services were over. As church in a cinema, we have to set up everything early on Sunday morning, and then break down and store everything after the services are finished. On my way out the door in the afternoon, with everything packed up and gone, a first-time visitor remarked to me, "It's as if the church was never here!"

He was right, of course. The cinema is spotless when we leave on Sunday afternoon after the services, with not a sign or a banner or an information table or even a bulletin left behind that would show that we had been worshipping there on Sunday morning in two services.

That's the way we want to leave the cinema. But that's the only place where I want it to be said about our ministry that "it's as if the church was never here!"

In every other area, and in every other way, I want to have a huge impact wherever we go, leading countless people to the feet of Christ, and bearing a whole bunch of fruit. In every other area, and in every other way, I want to leave a huge footprint behind, so that everyone knows that we were here, loving God and others, and serving God and others. In every other area, and in every other way, I want to be Bigfoot!

Don't leave mouse tracks behind you when you do international ministry! Let 'em know you were here! Be Bigfoot!

Crisis & Opportunity

The US economy is in the tank. Banks are failing, there's corruption on Wall Street, the stock market is sinking like a rock, people are losing their jobs and their homes, no one can get credit, and a gallon of gas is as expensive as a cup of coffee at Starbucks. The whole world is feeling the effect of this crisis, and it's a real question as to how much a new US president can do to reverse things.

But even in the midst of this crisis, we see an opportunity. We don't understand it, but we see it.

As the US economy has declined, the value of the US dollar overseas has risen. That's right. The US economy is weaker at home, but the US dollar is stronger abroad.

I don't understand it. I'm not an economist, and I would've assumed that the value of the US dollar would sink right along with the US economy. But it's just the reverse!

This has created an opportunity for us here in Peru, as our US dollars now have more purchase power than they did in the past. This allows us to do more with our ministry, to reach and impact more people, and to bear more fruit.

Check out the daily exchange rates wherever you are doing international ministry, and find out how the US dollar is doing. I bet it's up wherever you are. If you are able to do ministry using US dollars, then take advantage of this opportunity to make the most out of the rising US dollar. It's not known how long this opportunity will last, so take advantage of this positive situation as quickly as you can.

(Don't) Send Me!

Charles Swindoll has said that when he was starting out in ministry, he told God to send him anywhere that God wanted Swindoll to pastor a church, except for three places: New England, California, and Texas.

Can you guess the three places that God sent Chuck Swindoll to do ministry over the course of his life?

New England, California, and Texas!

Whenever I am reminded of Swindoll's story, I think of Isaiah 6:8 (NIV), "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

I must ask you this question today: is God nudging your heart to do international ministry in a certain place, and are you resistant to go?

Do you hear the voice of God saying to you, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

If so, what is your response to His nudging?

"Here am I. Send me!"

Or, "Here am I. Don't send me!"

I am posting this blog in Lima, Peru. In recent days Marxist terrorists, in alliance with narcotraffickers, have killed nearly 20 people in the jungle. The Shining Path terrorists are rising up again in Peru, and they are trying to re-establish another reign of terror, just as they did in the 1980s and early 1990s in Peru, when they killed over 70,000 people, including about 10,000 Christians. Peru also is reeling from an enormous government corruption scandal which has led to the resignation of the President's entire cabinet. One ex-minister has fled the country to avoid arrest due to his role in the scandal. The city of Lima also is awash in a crime wave right now. The daily newspapers and nightly TV news are filled with reports of more murders, kidnappings, and armed robberies all across the city.

Lima - and all of Peru - is a challenging place to do ministry right now, but I also know that this is where God wants us to be at this time. And I say this as someone who has been the victim of a violent attempted kidnapping, when two armed men tried to force me into a waiting car and hold me for ransom.

Ministry can be very difficult, but being outside of God's will for your life is even more difficult.

Is there a Nineveh and a Tarshish in your life or ministry? Is there a Nineveh where God desperately wants to send you, but you'd rather hide out in the Tarshish of your life instead?

Is God hearing you say, "Send me!"

Or is He hearing you say, "Don't send me!"

International ministry is not for the faint of heart or soul. God may be nudging your heart to minister in a dangerous part of the world. Perhaps it is a place that is extremely inhospitable to Christians. Perhaps it is a placed plagued by terrorists. Perhaps it is a war zone. Wherever it is, and no matter how hard of a place it may be, if God wants you there, then you need to go.

Today God may be asking you, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

Make sure He hears you respond, "Here am I. Send me!"

Small, Medium, & Large

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and "Purpose Driven Life" fame has said in the past, when talking about church and ministry growth and impact, "when you're small, others ignore you; when you're medium-size, others take credit for your growth; when you're large, others criticize you."

This is something that you're going to have to deal with in your international ministry.

As your international ministry grows and impacts more people and bears more fruit, you will quickly discover that not everyone else is going to be celebrating along with you. Not everyone else is going to be happy about your success. In fact, you're quickly going to discover that some others will be down right angry about your success. As your ministry grows, the amount of criticism and negativity directed against you and your ministry will grow, too.

Sadly, there are several churches and ministries out there that see all of this as nothing more than a big competition. If they see you bearing more fruit than them, however it is measured, then they may start to go postal on you. The vast majority of the criticism and negativity directed against you - probably 98% of it - will be based on nothing more than ministerial jealousy and envy. I've seen this happen all over the world, including in the USA, Peru, Cuba, England, Russia, and Israel.

As Rodney King so aptly put it, "Can't we all just get along?"

Some of the gravest wounds that you will suffer in international ministry will be the result of friendly fire. Some of the gravest wounds that you will suffer in international ministry will come from the "Christian" world, not the secular world.

Be careful not to lose your focus and vision when the bullets start flying. Be careful not to stoop to the same low level as those who have gone postal against you. The enemy would like nothing more than to see you get right down there in the mud with them, and therefore gravely injure two ministries instead of just one. Those who have gone negative against you will have to answer to God for their harmful words and actions - but remember that you, too, will have to answer to God for your response to them.

Opportunities Or Distractions?

Andy Stanley is the founding pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, and he wrote a great book called "Visioneering." In this book, Andy writes about how every day we will receive opportunities that will have the potential to distract us from what God wants us to accomplish, and how we must learn to say no to some good things in order to accomplish the most important things.

Andy talks about how we will receive entertainment opportunities, athletic opportunities, financial opportunities, relational opportunities, religious opportunities, investment opportunities, career opportunities, business opportunities, and vacation opportunities, and how the opportunities with the greatest potential to distract us are almost always good opportunities, not bad ones. However, pursuing these opportunities will cause us to make less progress toward what God has us here to do for Him, and will kill any chances of accomplishing the vision that God has given to you.

This is such important advice, and I see this all the time in our international ministry here in Peru. Every day I receive invitations to attend local conferences, or to sit in on meetings, or to fill up my day with other engagements, commitments, and cups of coffee. Almost none of it is bad stuff, but unless God was to supernaturally extend my day by several hours, I simply can't do it. This means that I have to say no to some people and to some opportunities. I always try to say no in the most positive and diplomatic way possible, but sometimes it is not received well.

It is important to guard your vision and your ministry jealously, because it is easy to dilute it by trying to do too much other stuff. It is very common for locals to want a foreigner to serve on a committee, or to attend a meeting, or to provide leadership or counsel to their own ministries, or to speak at a conference or at a church service. It's all good stuff, but if it's causing vision leak, then you've got to give it up, and you've got to start to say no to some people and to some opportunities.

Ask God to give you the wisdom and discernment necessary to know the difference between good-but-not-vital opportunities and vision-enhancing opportunities. The line between the two can be very fine sometimes, and only God can give you the wisdom and discernment to know the difference between them. Ask Him about it, and He'll give you the answer that you need.

Workin' For A Livin'

It is very important to understand the work and employment culture wherever you are doing international ministry.

Example: Here in Peru, the typical workday runs from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. This means that if we have a ministry meeting, most Peruvians will not be able to arrive until after 8:00 PM, particularly if they are working full-time. No one in Peru is singing "9 to 5" with Dolly Parton. Peruvians sing "9 to 8."

As well, there is almost nothing in terms of workers' rights or union protection here in Peru. Overtime is frequently demanded, without any additional pay. If a worker wants to leave the office early - let's say for a ministry meeting or study - then he or she risks being fired, as it is not work-related or a family emergency. It's a tough situation in a country where unemployment and under-employment is around 50%.

In our case, knowledge and understanding of the Peru work culture helps us to make our ministry more effective. It allows us to know more precisely when to schedule meetings and conferences and studies.

It is just as important that you know the work culture wherever you are doing international ministry. Don't try to schedule an after-work meeting at 6:00 PM if everyone there is working until 8:00. All you'll do is scratch your head and wonder why no one showed up. It's probably not the case that people don't want to attend, but that they fear losing their jobs if they cut out of work early. It's important to know the difference, and to know the local employment culture, and to ... work ... around it.

The Larry Lesson

A few days ago I blogged about my encounter with Red Sox great Ted Williams down at spring training in the 1980s. Today I want to share with you another story of another encounter with another Boston sports legend.

The 1980s was an awesome decade for the Boston Celtics, the 17-time NBA World Champions. The Celtics of the '80s were led by stars such as Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, Danny Ainge, and Dennis Johnson. Oh, and there was one other player, too, who contributed a little bit to the success of the 1980s Celtics teams. His name was Larry Bird.

Larry Bird was the greatest NBA player of the last three decades. You can have your Dr. J, your Michael Jordan, your Magic Johnson, your Kareem, your Shaq, your whoever, but Larry beat 'em all.

I used to go to Celtics games a lot in the '80s at the old, musty, dusty, cramped, but altogether glorious old Boston Garden, which of course is pronounced "Gah-den" when it's pronounced correctly. The gates at the old Gah-den opened an hour before the game, and usually I was right there when the gates opened so I could try to score a few autographs before the game.

Normally I was one of the first fans to arrive in the old Garden. And frequently, when I made my way down to courtside, there'd be exactly one player out on the fabled parquet floor, warming up an hour before the game.

It would always be Larry Bird.

Larry would be out there an hour before the game, by himself, alone, practicing free throws or 3-pointers. I was mesmerized to watch Larry swish ball after ball. I think he could've done it blindfolded.

As I think back to those moments watching Larry Bird practice by himself in the old Boston Garden, it makes me think of how we can apply this Larry Lesson to international ministry.

What impressed me so much about Bird practicing silently by himself an hour before game time was that he already was the best player in the game! If there was anybody who could probably walk in off the street 5 minutes before the game, throw on his #33 Celtics jersey and shorts, and still go out and light it up for 40 points, it would be Larry.

But there he was, already the best player of his time, still out there with nobody else, still working to make himself an even better player.

We need to have the same attitude as Larry Bird when it comes to international ministry. We need to be out there, alone, by ourselves, silent, practicing, and perfecting the little things that become very big things once the game begins. We can never rest on our laurels. We can never think that we've become so good at whatever we do that we don't need to practice anymore. We need to be out there even when no one else is, perfecting our ministry, always seeking to improve, always seeking to bear more fruit.

That's what made Larry Bird ... Larry Bird.

That's the Larry Lesson for today.

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

How well do your neighbors know you?

Wherever in the world that you do ministry - do your residential and commercial neighbors know who you are and what you do?

Do the people who live on the same street as you, or in the same apartment building as you - do they know about you and your ministry?

Do they know you at the local supermarket?

Or at the local restaurants and cafes?

How about at the local gas station?

Or the local laundromat?

Or pharmacy?

Or bookstore?

Or at the local schools and universities?

How well do they know you - wherever you are?

Have you made a footprint in your community?

Have you ever walked your neighborhood or community or city?

Too many international ministries want to have an impact in foreign lands, but then adopt a circle-the-wagons mindset once they get there, hanging out with like-minded foreigners and ministry partners, and never getting a feel for the place where they are.

Walk your neighborhood. Say hello to your neighbors.

Frequent local shops, restaurants, and cafes. Chat with the employees. They're always interested to know why a foreigner has arrived in their country. Also be a generous tipper.

By doing this, you will become more embedded in the local community, and the word will spread about your ministry, and you'll make more friends and contacts, and eventually you'll bear more fruit which, as Jesus tells us in John 15:8, is really what it's all about.

Get out there, neighbor!

Goin' To The Chapel

There is one big difference between wedding traditions in the US and in Peru. In the US, it's traditional for the bride's family to pay for the wedding. In Peru, it's the exact opposite: it's traditional for the groom and his family to pay for the wedding. I discovered this difference when I married my Peruvian bride!

One day I was explaining this difference to a Peruvian pastor, and I asked him what he thought about it.

His response: "In Peru, have daughters. In the US, have sons!"

Keep Your Eye On The Ball!

I grew up in Boston, MA, and every March during that glorious decade known as the '80s I would go down to Winter Haven, FL, to watch my beloved Boston Red Sox in spring training.

It's easy to be a Red Sox fan these days, with 2 World Series championships in 4 seasons, but back in the day we were traumatized by the foul memories of Bucky Dent, Mookie Wilson, and other post-season Red Sox debacles, and being a Red Sox fan had a certain stigma attached to it.

One March in the '80s when I was watching the Red Sox in Winter Haven, I ventured down to one of the minor league fields to try to hustle an autograph or two. When I arrived there, I saw a large man with a loud voice, clad in his white, double-knit Red Sox uniform, shouting instructions to a bunch of nervous-looking minor leaguers trying to make the Show.

"Keep your eye on the ball!" the Red Sox coach boomed at the minor league hitters. "You've got to focus! Watch the bat meet the ball!"

Watch the bat meet the ball? Was this guy crazy? Did he have any idea how impossible that was to do? I played baseball in my younger days, and I knew that this guy was asking the minor leaguers to do something absolutely impossible.

Then I got a glimpse at the number on the back of this crazy coach's uniform.

It was #9.

It was Ted Williams.

The greatest hitter in baseball history.

The Red Sox minor leaguers were learning from the master. It'd be like taking painting lessons from Picasso, or guitar lessons from Eric Clapton.

"Keep your eye on the ball! Focus!" Ted Williams kept barking at the minor leaguers.

As I reflect on Teddy Ballgame's words today, I realize that it's much the same in international ministry.

The enemy is going to do everything that he can to make you lose your focus and to take your eye off the ball. He'll throw curveballs, knuckleballs, and right-under-the-chin fastballs to knock you on your seat. The enemy will try to cause you to focus on absolutely anything but your ministry. He'll try to cause you to focus on language problems, cultural problems, visa problems, customs problems, tax problems, medical problems, denominational problems, technology problems, weather problems, team problems, governmental problems, financial problems, Wall Street problems, family problems, parent problems, children problems, or whatever it takes to cause you to lose your focus.

Stay focused on the ministry at hand. Keep your eye on the ball! Excel and focus on your ministry the same way that Ted Williams excelled and focused on his hitting, and watch your ministry become Hall of Fame-worthy in no time.

Money, It's A Gas

Peruvians are breathlessly running up to me these days, full of panicky questions about the US financial crisis.

"Will the New York Stock Exchange collapse like it did in 1929?"

"Will this effect my family in the US?"

"Will my family lose their bank savings?"

"Can I still get a job in the US?"

"How does this affect the economy in Peru?"

"How does this affect the free trade agreement between the US and Peru?"

"Does this affect the Lima Stock Exchange?"

"Can I change my US Dollars for Peruvian Soles?"

There's panic on Wall Street and on Main Street in the US, and in Ovalo Gutierrez in Lima, Peru.

The US financial crisis is Issue #1 in both the US and Peru, and also all around the world.

Our Lead Pastor at Flamingo Road Church, Troy Gramling, recently said how the US financial crisis presents all of us with an opportunity to share with others about the lessons of Matthew 6:19-34, and how Jesus talks about storing up treasures in heaven, and not on earth, and how where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus goes on to say how you cannot serve both God and Money, and that worrying about all of this won't add even a single hour to your life. In fact, it may subtract from it.

This same opportunity exists in international ministry. No matter where God has placed you on this planet, there is an excellent chance that people there are talking about the US financial crisis and bank failures, and wondering and worrying about how it might affect them personally. The US financial crisis is a global issue, not a national one, and it also presents a huge opportunity for you to share the same lessons of Matthew 6:19-34 with the citizens of whatever country you are in.

Take advantage of this opportunity! It's like taking a wide-open jump shot or swatting a hanging curveball. People are worried and anxious all over the world, including wherever you are, and God can use you to calm them down about this financial crisis, and to get them to focus on the words of Jesus about true treasures, true service, and true peace.

Mr. Personality

Earlier this year I was at a conference in Dallas, TX, and I heard Bishop T. D. Jakes of The Potter's House say that a church mirrors the personality of its pastor, whether that personality is warm and friendly, or cold and icy.

This is something that is so true - and so important - in international ministry, and it is something that many foreigners struggle with when they leave their own country and culture for a new one.

Different countries, regions, and even continents around the world have different cultural reputations when it comes to friendliness or iciness. Here in Lima, Peruvians have a well-earned reputation for being warm, friendly, social, and conversational. We try to mirror that cultural warmth at Flamingo Road Church. As campus pastor, I spend a lot of time in the lobby after each service, greeting people, chatting with them, praying with them, and answering questions about the church, all in an attempt to help personalize FRC-Lima and to make it a warmer and friendlier place, and reflective of Peruvian culture. Our First Impressions team at church (ushers and greeters) also does a great job with this.

I have seen foreigners, though, from "less-warm" countries or regions around the world who have come to Peru, and who have struggled mightily with this. They seem to think that presence, not personality, will be the key to their ministry success. Usually they fail.

It is important to adopt the cultural personality of the country or region where you are doing international ministry. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul talks about becoming all things to all men, so that by all possible means he might save some. Apply that same philosophy to your international ministry. Be very intentional in embracing the cultural personality where you are - and not where you are from - and watch what a difference it will make in your ministry.

Doped

I am fascinated by the Amazon jungle. I absolutely love it there. My wife, Dorcas, and I have been to the jungle about 12 times, and FRC-Lima has even planted a daughter church in the Amazon jungle with the Yagua tribe. Right now FRC-Lima is supporting the Yaguas as they build their own church building in their native community. The church will be used for Yagua and for inter-tribal worship services.

Every time we go to the Amazon jungle, we visit a small, family-owned zoo on the banks of the Amazon. The zoo features giant anacondas. I have seen anacondas as much as 20 feet long at this zoo, and I have even held them across the back of my shoulders. The anacondas are absolutely beautiful, with a green-and-black skin that is smooth like leather. The anacondas also are absolutely deadly. The zoo owner told me that they could strangle and suffocate a fully-grown human being to death in less than 10 minutes.

And yet I have held these killer anacondas on my shoulders, and in my arms, and I am still here to blog about it.

Why?

Because the anacondas that we visit at the jungle zoo are doped.

It's true. The zoo owner lights a cigar, holds the lit cigar under the nose of the anaconda, and the mighty beast is rendered powerless. Something as pedestrian as cigar smoke can reduce a 20-foot-long killer anaconda to almost nothing.

So the question I have for you today is: how have you been doped in your international ministry?

What is it that is keeping you from reaching your full power and potential in international ministry?

What is the cigar smoke that has rendered you powerless, fruitless, sluggish, and as doped out as a 20-foot anaconda?

The enemy has lit his cigar and is waving it under your nose. He's going for the KO punch, hoping to drive you to your knees and to watch you hit the canvas. He doesn't want you to prosper and prevail in your ministry! He wants you to lay down and become as lethargic and drowsy and powerless as a doped-up anaconda.

God has given you anaconda-like power and strength in your international ministry, and He wants you to use it mightily. Yet despite the supernatural strength that God is ready to give us, so many of us fall prey to the cigar smoke doping of the enemy. So many of us are lethargic, sleeping giants, unaware of the great and mighty things that God wants to do through us internationally.

I once heard Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston say at a conference, "God puts in us things that we don't even know we have." That's exactly how it is for the doped-up anacondas. They have no idea of the strength that they possess. And it's exactly the same for us, too. We have no idea of the spiritual strength God will give us, and what God can do through us if we let Him.

Be like the anaconda in its natural state, strong and fierce and fearless. Avoid the enemy's cigar smoke, and watch what great and mighty things God can do through you!

Boxed In

Over the weekend the cinema management decided to install new seats (faux leather style) in the cinemas where we have our FRC-Lima worship service and pre-school and children's ministry. We spoke with the cinema management early on Saturday afternoon, and we were told that the workers would be installing the new seats all through the night and - have no fear! - the job would be completed and cleaned up by 5:00 AM on Sunday moring, 2 hours before we show up at 7:00 AM to start setting up for our first service at 9:00 AM.

Ahh ... the best laid plans of Peruvian mice and men ....

We arrived at the cinema at 7:00 AM sharp on Sunday morning, and went up to Cinema 6 on the 4th floor, where we have our worship service. When we arrived there, it looked like an earthquake had hit. There were open boxes, closed boxes, cut-up boxes (all the size of refrigerator boxes), dust, dirt, debris, empty Coca-Cola cups, empty 2-liter water bottles, and empty popcorn boxes all over the stage area and all in and among the 18 rows of seats in the cinema. We also found about a half-dozen "workers" there - and I use the term "workers" very lightly - all of whom were either sleeping or puffing on cigarettes. They had only completed 5 of the 18 rows in the cinema. I think they spent the night in the cinema having a slumber party or watching continuous loops of "Pineapple Express" in Spanish.

I was not amused.

I must admit to having a Jesus-turning-over-the-tables-in-the-temple moment in the cinema. No doves or sheep were scattered, although a few kernels of stale popcorn were.

The workers suddenly sprung to action and began to clean up their mess. They left us with barely enough time for additional clean-up and set-up and a final music and schedule run-through, but we got it all done just seconds before we had to open the doors to greet the crowds for the 9:00 AM service.

This is not the first time that we have had Sunday-morning-chaos in the movie theater. It won't be the last. And I say that while also adding that we have a very good relationship with the cinema management.

But the lesson to be learned and re-learned from Sunday morning's free-for-all is that you always have to expect the unexpected. We had been promised by two different members of cinema management that everything would be fine and dandy by 5:00 AM on Sunday, but ....

The enemy will do his best to throw you off of your A-game by hurling similar wrenches at you as you prepare for your Sunday morning service or other ministry project or outreach. Expect it. Work around it. Be flexible. Always have a Plan B, and even a Plan C or Plan D if necessary. Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water ... or into the cinema ... that's when the enemy's sharks will start circling.

As I've said before, flexibility and adaptability, plus an ability to work at a rapid pace when necessary, are keys to success in international ministry. It will make you or break you, depending on whether or not you have it. If you have it - good. Keep building up that muscle. If you don't have it - then learn it and get it ASAP. You don't ever want to find yourself "boxed in" as we almost were early on Sunday morning at the cinema.

Spears (And I Don't Mean Britney)

Just in case you were wondering, ministry envy and jealousy is alive and well here in Lima, Peru. Yesterday my wife, Dorcas, learned that a woman pastor in Lima said some very ugly things about Flamingo Road Church, and questioned our vitality and durability here in Peru. It's very sad, but not at all surprising.

Here's a 100%-guarantee-or-double-your-money-back: you will face envy and jealousy against your international ministry, no matter what country you are in. Do not be so naive as to think that once you have left your native country, all of this petty jealousy and envy ceases. It does not. I've seen ministry envy, jealousy, and competition in the USA, Peru, Cuba, England, Russia, Israel, and other places where I've done ministry. It happens all around the world, and mainly because too many pastors and ministry leaders forget the words of Paul in Galatians 6:4-5, where he warns against comparing yourself to somebody else.

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, now the pastor of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, has written, "No one spears a dead fish. It's only when you're alive that people will start throwing their spears." Big George connected on that one just as if he was throwing a quick right for a KO!

There will be jealousy and envy and competition against you in your international ministry. There will be lies told about you. There will be spears thrown at you. Being from another country does not make you immune to it; in fact, it might even make you a bigger target.

But fear not, because this means that you are making a difference and having an impact wherever God has put you!

Stay focused. Don't get off your game. Test your own actions. Don't compare yourself to others. Carry your own load. Develop the hide of an elephant. Keep your eyes on the prize. While others are grumbling and carping on the sideline, you need to stay on the field and keep your mind in the game!

Lima Prison Blues

We're partnering with the US Embassy in Lima to provide toiletries and other basic items to American citizens imprisoned in Peru.

There are 19 US citizens imprisoned in Peru, mainly on drug trafficking charges, and they've all been pretty much abandoned by their families. They have nothing. The prisons in Peru where they are being held are not exactly the Four Seasons Hotel. Tuberculosis runs rampant in these places. The US Embassy was looking for a charity or NGO to donate toiletries and other items to the US prisoners, so we here at Flamingo Road Church in Lima stepped up to the plate. We announced this new partnership and outreach at church last Sunday, and the people responded magnificently, already volunteering to buy toiletries, donate clothing, and visit the prisoners.

Embassies may provide social outreach opportunities for you in international ministry, and it is something that you should investigate. Be ready to step up to the plate and volunteer if an embassy is looking for help with a social project or with disaster relief assistance.

Ironically, we know that most, if not all, of the 19 US prisoners in Peru may never darken the door of FRC-Lima (or at least not for 30-years-to-life). That doesn't stop us. We're grateful for this opportunity that God has given us to reach out to men and women in prison in Peru ... and in the US Embassy, too.

Jesus Fish

Do you have a Jesus fish on your car?

Should you?

A couple of days ago, Dorcas and I were driving back home from an appointment. We were stopped at a red light just a few blocks from where we live. There is always a physically-challenged young Peruvian man at that intersection. When the light is red, he limps over to the waiting cars, rag in hand, hoping for the opportunity to clean your windshield in return for a tip. This is a common site at almost every intersection in Lima. It's kind of like the folks who want to clean your windshield in NYC.

We know the young man. Juan Carlos is his name. He hobbled over to us, smiled and waved, and swept his rag across our windshield. We greeted Juan Carlos and gave him a tip. Next to us was another car, a small Toyota sedan, with two men in the front and one woman in the back. They were all well-dressed. I also noticed that they had a big, red Jesus fish hanging from the rear-view mirror, complete with a Bible verse in Spanish.

Juan Carlos hobbled over to their car. He waved his rag in the air, trying to get their attention and approval. They kept staring straight ahead, and ignored him the entire time. They didn't even acknowledge Juan Carlos for 1/1,000 of a second! As soon as the light changed from red to green, the folks in their Toyota roared off, leaving Juan Carlos to suck on their exhaust fumes.

But they had their Jesus fish!

Great testimony, folks!

Maybe those people thought that the big, red Jesus fish was going to give them some sort of divine protection on the streets of Lima (which is frequently needed!), or at least better gas mileage. I don't know. But I do know that the big, red Jesus fish stood for absolutely nothing when they ignored Juan Carlos and covered him with exhaust fumes. Maybe Matthew 25:40 (about helping out the least of the brothers) had been torn out of their Bibles.

If you're going to advertise the fact that you're a Christ follower, then act like one.

Do you have a Jesus fish on your car?

Should you?

Politics

I'll always remember the first time I ever preached in a church in Havana, Cuba. Prior to speaking, I was handed a document by the pastor of the church. He asked me to please read it and agree to its contents. His hands were trembling as he passed it to me. On the piece of paper was a list of "Dos & Don'ts" for anyone speaking at that church. Actually, it was almost all "Don'ts." At the top of the list, in all capital letters, and underlined and highlighted in yellow marker, were the words, "Do not discuss politics or the government!" Yes, there was an exclamation point at the end of that sentence!

The Cuban pastor begged me to adhere to the document. I smiled at him and said, "Of course." He was greatly relieved.

After the service that muggy August evening in Havana, he told me how there were government spies in the crowd taking notes on my message. Apparently, in the past, visiting foreign pastors would use their messages to tweak the government of that island, in a misguided attempt to show solidarity with the church there, but all it did was get Cuban pastors in some very hot water.

The Cuban pastor told me how his father had spent several years in prison on the island because of his faith, and my pastor friend also told me how frequently he would be summoned to police headquarters on Sundays after services in order to explain some of his messages. For example, one time the police asked him who he was referring to when he was talking about the devil in his message. They thought he was referring to the leader of that country.

You can understand his concern over the words of visiting pastors.

Politics and the proximity to political power, both nationally and internationally, can be intoxicating to many pastors. I've seen pastors who thought they could singlehandedly change US-Cuban relations with their words, and all they did was cause big problems for Cuban pastors. I've seen mission groups get involved with worker strikes in Peru, and it caused them to get thrown out of the country. I've seen Peruvian pastors who traded their place in the pulpit for a place on the election ballot, and they fell out of God's favor.

As pastors and Christian leaders we need to remember that we are serving a power that is greater than any human government. For some reason, though, many of us forget this as soon as we shake the hand of a political leader. We want their power, instead of what God has granted to us.

Avoid political entanglements in your international ministry. It will limit your capacity for success, and it will alienate you from a large percentage of the local population. It's perfectly fine to minister to local political leaders, and in fact it's important to do so. But also remember, as Tony Campolo once noted, that Jesus was neither a Republican or a Democrat.

We are here on Earth to serve God, not human governments, and we are here on Earth to win souls, not votes.

Distractions

I've been to Cuba a few times. Once I was there to speak at a church in Havana, and to deliver a few suitcases worth of Bibles to them as well.

After I finished my final teaching at the church in Havana, the pastor thanked me profusely for all of the Bibles that had been delivered. The church did not have any more Bibles - not even one! - to distribute to new believers, and finding Bibles in Cuba, as you might imagine, can be a real challenge.

The pastor told me how his church had been blessed by the donation of the Bibles, but I told him that I had been even more blessed by the unforgettable time of fellowship and fraternity that I had shared with him and his precious church. It was awesome for me to see how the gospel of Christ was aflame in Cuba, in spite of decades of persecution and suffering and extreme poverty.

"Do you know what the difference is between Christians in your country and Christians in my country?" the Cuban pastor asked me.

"What is it?" I responded.

"In Cuba, we do not have the distractions that you have in your country," he continued.

Boy, was he ever on target with that one!

Distractions.

I understood exactly what he meant. Distractions. Things that turn our focus away from God. It could be the new iPhone, or a Blackberry, or checking e-mails every two minutes, or text messaging, or a Facebook account, or a MySpace account, or voting for the next American Idol.

They don't have any of that in Cuba. Because Cubans have so little around them, their focus is mainly upward.

I've seen the same thing in Peru. I've seen foreign mission groups come here and become so focused on replicating their creature comforts and conveniences from back home that they totally lose their effectiveness. I've seen foreign missionaries and pastors go absolutely apoplectic in Lima (and even worse in the jungle) if they can't get their iPhone or Blackberry to work properly.

Listen, we have been able to leverage modern technology to bring more people to the feet of Jesus Christ, but it's important to remember that we need to have dominion over technology, and not vice versa.

Be careful not to get distracted by your desires for comfort, convenience, and technology, particularly if you are going from the first world to the third world. It's easy to get ensnared in that trap. God has your back and He'll meet your needs, whatever they may be and wherever they may be. Don't let the enemy use distractions to throw you off of your A-game!

Take Me Down To The Water

You already know that we have Flamingo Road Church in Lima in a cinema complex, so that presents a challenge for us every time we want to have a baptism. It's not too common to find a baptistry in a cinema complex, and ours is no exception.

So what do we do here in Peru? We adapt. We get creative. We use the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon River for our baptisms.

Lima is located right on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, so when it's summertime here (January-April), we go to Playa Santa Maria ("St. Mary Beach") and we have our baptisms there. Peru features some of the biggest waves in the world, which is awesome for surfers, but a little bit dicey for baptisms, so we have to make sure to time each Pacific Ocean baptism perfectly, in between the crashing waves. The last time we were at Playa Santa Maria, we even baptized an 8-month-pregnant woman! (Hmm ... does that one count as a double?)

We've also gone into the jungle and had a baptism right in the Amazon River. Last March we were in a native community called Puerto Florido, in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, and we baptized 13 people, including 11 members of a native tribe called the Yaguas. Yes, the Amazon River is filled with anacondas, crocodiles, and piranhas, but I'm still here to blog about it. It was one of the most God-saturated days of my entire life.

You can watch videos of our Pacific Ocean and Amazon River baptisms by going to www.youtube.com and searching for "Flamingo Road Church."

Be creative with your baptisms. Don't be limited by the lack of a baptistry. Find a nearby lake, river, ocean, or other body of water. That's how Jesus did it 2,000 years ago, and it's worked out well for us here in Peru, too.

Ronald & The Colonel

I come here today in praise of fast food.

You already know how we partnered with McDonald's in Lima, Peru, to stage our pre-school and children's ministry in Mickey D's on Sunday when we could not do so in the cinema complex because of a film festival. The staff at McDonald's was friendly, helpful, and in all ways made the experience a happy one for the kids (and the Campus Pastor) of FRC-Lima.

We also have staged Extreme Week (some of you might call it Vacation Bible School) in Kentucky Fried Chicken. It also was a huge success. At KFC in Lima they say, "We do Extreme Week right!"

(BTW, Kentucky Fried Chicken is the most popular multinational fast food restaurant in Lima, beating out McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and others that entered Peru. Peruvians prefer chicken to beef or pizza, so KFC rules here.)

Why do we use McDonald's and KFC here in Lima, Peru, for ministry purposes? Because both of them feature bright, colorful, clean, safe, large, inviting, two-story restaurants with huge play areas. That in turn becomes a huge attraction for children. The kids invite their friends, they come to KFC or McDonald's together, and they play, learn, sing, dance, eat, and have a ball. The parents and other curious adults come to check it out, and the kids tell them what a blast they had. And then the kids and their parents become integrated into Flamingo Road Church in Lima.

Ronald & The Colonel have treated us well.

I've said before that one should embrace local culture as much as possible as a means of becoming successful in international ministry, but that doesn't mean that you have to exclude foreign culture in its totality. Peruvians know and love McDonald's and KFC here in Lima no different than in LA, Miami, NYC, or anywhere else in the world, and so here at FRC-Lima we have leveraged that internationality to reach others - in this case especially kids and their parents - with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Here at FRC-Lima, we're doing church in a cinema. And in McDonald's. And in KFC. And it works!

I'm Lovin' It!

On Friday I told you about the challenges that would be facing us on Sunday at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, such as how there was going to be a film festival in the cinema complex where we hold services, and how we would be prohibited from having any lobby presence (where we usually have our Information Table, Small Groups Table, Youth Service Table, plus other promotional banners and materials), and how we also would not have use of the cinema where we always have our pre-school and children's ministry on Sunday mornings.

I was talking to another pastor in Lima on Saturday about all this. He said, "I'd just cancel the services for the weekend!"

I didn't take his advice.

Instead, as a team we rose to the challenge. We placed a smaller-scale version of our Information Table inside the passageway which leads into the cinema where we hold our worship service. It was smaller than what we usually have on Sundays, and did not feature as many items as usual, but did include all of the essential items, such as bulletins, promotional cards, and sign-up sheets for newcomers and for those wishing to be part of our baptism in two weeks. It worked.

And then there were the children.

Ah, the children.

An angel in the form of a red-wigged clown came up to me and said, "Steve, you deserve a break today!"

And so we rented out the 2nd floor play area of the McDonald's next to the cinema complex, and turned it into our pre-school and children's ministry home on Sunday! Happy Meals and all!

The kids had a ball. In fact, I have a feeling they'd rather have us rent out Mickey D's every Sunday for them!

Our First Impressions team (ushers and greeters), led by Xenia, did a great job handling the crowds at the mini-Information Table, and our Pre-School and Children's Ministry team, led by Mariana, did a 5-star job shuttling kids back and forth between the cinema and McDonald's, and teaching them and feeding them.

It was a big challenge and a lot of extra running around yesterday to pull everything off, but we coached our team about adaptability and flexibility in the days leading up to Sunday, and so when Sunday's curveballs and knuckleballs came floating up to the plate, they whacked them all right out of the park.

Adaptability + Flexibility = Success in International Ministry

Adaptability

As I have mentioned before, Flamingo Road Church in Lima is located in a cinema. There is a film festival this weekend at the cinema complex. Do you know what that means for us this Sunday? It means that we won't be able to have any lobby presence or children's ministry presence in the cinema! Yes, that is what the cinema management told us this week.

Ah, the joys of doing church in a cinema. These film festivals occur once or twice a year, and it always means a reduced presence for us on that Sunday in the cinema, but it also has taught a great lesson to us here at FRC-Lima: that we always must be able to adapt to our circumstances.

Adaptability is one of the greatest strengths that you can have in international ministry. Adaptability is one of the strongest muscles to build in international ministry. You have to assume, prepare for, and be ready for curveballs and knuckleballs being hurled at you as you step up to the plate, along with fastballs that whiz right under your chin and knock you on your seat. That's international ministry. That's what we face this Sunday. But these challenges have forced us here at FRC-Lima to build up our adaptability muscle, and so we're adjusting our helmet and stepping back in to the batter's box.

We have a plan for this Sunday, even given the limitations imposed on us due to the film festival. Next week I'll tell you what we've planned to do, and how it all goes.