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.

9/11: An International Tragedy

I was in a Starbucks in Lima early this morning, and a Peruvian friend came up to me and solemnly expressed his condolences over the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as we mark the 7th anniversary of the attacks today.

I grew up in Boston, where the two planes departed from that were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center twin towers in New York. I knew a woman on one of those flights. She attended the same church as me near Boston. She was a grandmother who was on her way to Los Angeles to visit her grandchildren on September 11. She never made it.

Everyone knew someone who died on September 11. The pilot of one of the hijacked flights lived near the parents of my sister-in-law. One of the flight attendants who was killed lived a few blocks away from where I grew up. Everyone knew someone who died that day.

As I spoke with my Peruvian friend at Starbucks this morning about the 9/11 attacks, I reminded him of some little-known facts. 6 Peruvians died in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. People from over 90 different countries were killed that day. Colin Powell was in Lima, Peru, on the morning of 9/11 at the time of the attacks, meeting with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo.

The 9/11 attacks have given us an opportunity in international ministry. Here in Peru we share the story of the 6 Peruvians who died that day, as well as the people from 90 countries who perished, to show how the terrorist attack was launched not only against the United States, but against the world. The 9/11 attacks also have given us an opportunity to tell others how no one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even death or the sword, and how we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:35-38). We also have used the 9/11 attacks to share God's promise found in Revelation 21:4, that in heaven He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

The events of September 11, 2001, were a tragedy on an international level. It is now up to us to use this tragedy to show others the internationality of it, and to use the opportunity to lead others to the feet of Christ.

Ute? What's A Ute?

"Did you say 'ute?' What's a 'ute?'"

That was the question that Fred Gwynne asked in the movie "My Cousin Vinny" when he couldn't understand Joe Pesci's New York accent.

When Joe Pesci said "ute", he really meant "youth."

My dusty, well-worn Webster's Dictionary defines "ute" ... er ... "youth" ... as "the time of life marked by growth and development; the period between childhood and maturity."

Webster apparently wasn't Peruvian.

Here in the land of the Incas, "youth" appears to refer to anyone who isn't married, whether they are 18 years old or 58.

We have begun a couple of different ute/youth services here in Lima, and each time we do it we discover that folks who aren't "utes", age-wise, attempt to be part of the service. Their justification is that until they are married, they are still part of the "ute" in the church, even if they are closer to retirement age than high school.

I'm serious. We've had people in their 50s who want to be part of our "ute" service. I've seen the same thing in lots of other churches in Lima, too.

We have diplomatically explained to these folks that "ute" means students at Flamingo Road Church, and we also have started a new small group for singles who, according to our FRC-Lima definition, no longer are "utes."

It's a little comical on one hand, but this is also a sensitive area for some people, and we truly cherish our older singles at FRC-Lima, and we want to accommodate them as best we can.

The moral of the story: be like Fred Gwynne. Ask "What's a ute?" in whatever country in which you are located, so as not to assume certain age parameters, or to hurt anyone's feelings, or in any other way damage your ministry.

Ambassadors

This week my wife, Dorcas, and I attended a luncheon with representatives from the United States Embassy in Lima. The US Embassy reps were there to share updates and new information with American expats about visas, passports, and absentee ballots, particularly in light of the November 4 presidential election in the USA.

As we spoke with the US Embassy people after lunch, I was reminded of the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV), when he says, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us."

The Embassy officials at the luncheon were there on behalf of the US Ambassador to Peru, and the Ambassador serves here in Peru on behalf of the US government. The US Ambassador represents his country here in Peru, seeks to promote the US to others here in Peru, and strives to improve the relationship between the two countries.

As Christ's ambassadors here in Peru, or anywhere else in the world, that's exactly what we do, too. We serve God instead of the US government, we represent Him before others, we promote Him to others, and we strive to see others improve their relationships with Him and His Son.

The work of an ambassador can be difficult and challenging, but as Christ's ambassadors anywhere in this world we know that we are representing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and there's no bigger or more important responsibility or representation to be found on this planet.

Gas Pains

The cost of a gallon of gas in the USA these days is around $3.50-$4.00 a gallon. The public is howling and the two presidential candidates are making all sorts of promises about how each of them will bring the price down.

In Peru a gallon of gas is $5.50-$6.00 a gallon.

Give thanks, USA, for cheap gas, at least by international standards. Be thankful that you don't have to fill up your tank in Peru!

Football ... Or Football?

Tonight the National Football League kicks off the 2008 season with a game between the Washington Redskins and the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands will be packed with fans sporting the jerseys of Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress, and the TV ratings will be off the charts.

And not a single Peruvian cares.

Oh, you'll have some expats in Peru (such as myself) who will thank Jesus tonight for DirecTV, but your average Peruvian wouldn't know the difference between Jason Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor.

However ... if you start to engage a Peruvian in a conversation about La Alianza or Los Universitarios (a/k/a La Crema or La U) or Cienciano ... then you've hit a hot spot!

For those of you who don't know, those are three of the most popular football teams in Peru. Umm ... that'd also be known as soccer to those of you up there in the USA.

Sports is another way to ingratiate yourselves to the locals when you are doing international ministry. Look, I'm an NFL fan (Go Miami Dolphins! Go Ricky Williams!), and I always will be, and I do thank Jesus for DirecTV, but I also know that if we're going to have an impact here in Peru, then I'd better learn the names of some teams and players here.

Learn all you can about the most popular local sports and pastimes, wherever you are. Know the names of some teams and star players. Buy a jersey or a cap. Learn to play the sport. The last time we were in the Amazon jungle, we played soccer with members of the Yagua tribe on a scrubby little field in the community where they live on the banks of the Amazon River. They ate it up. So did we.

Knowing and playing the most popular local sports wherever you are can bridge gaps and build bridges in a lightning-fast manner.

"This Is Church"

It goes without saying that preparing and executing impactful services every Sunday is a key objective of any church that wants to bear much fruit. At the same time, however, it is important to remember that so often the small stuff can lead to a great harvest as well.

Recent my wife, Dorcas, and I had the opportunity to attend the Willow Creek Association Leadership Summit, and Bill Hybels said the same thing. He talked about the importance of doing the small stuff and the little things. Hybels said about these things, "This is church."

"This is church."

Bill Hybels hit the nail on the head with this one.

When we are listening to a taxi driver talk about his life's struggles, or when we are having a cup of coffee with a man whose marriage is crumbling, or when we are going to a clinic with a pregnant teenage girl because the father of the baby has abandoned her, or when we are receiving a 3:00 A.M. phone call from an anguished mother whose son has just been in a car accident, or when we are trying to find a job for a man who is having trouble putting food on the table for his family ... "This is church."

It's very important to focus on the bigness of a well-executed and impactful Sunday morning service.

It's just as important to focus on the bigness of small acts of kindness which show the love of Christ to those who desperately need it.

"This is church."

Brother, Can You Spare A Sol?

Ed Young of Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, has said that it takes super-sized cash to do ministry. He's right, of course, and I'd add that it's also important to know if that super-sized cash is going to be in dollars, euros, pounds sterling, pesos, shekels, drachmas, or denarii.

Here in Peru, the national currency is called the sol. Right now, one US dollar equals about 2.80 soles (I know because I checked the exchange rates this morning). In recent years one US dollar was worth up to 3.50 Peruvian soles, but the value of the US dollar has weakened significantly around the globe. This impacts our ministry here in Peru. For example, we used to pay the rent at the cinema where we have Flamingo Road Church in Lima in US dollars, but now the cinema management requests payment in Peruvian soles. Since the value of Peruvian soles has risen as the value of US dollars has dropped, this means that we are now paying more to rent the cinema. Other local businesses in Lima with whom we have a relationship, such as printers, parking garages, and cafes, also now request payment in Peruvian soles instead of weakened US dollars.

The ebb and flow of currency and exchange rates is something that you simply have to get used to if you're going to succeed in international ministry. A rising US dollar would certainly be of benefit to us, but we have learned to bob and weave when it falls.

Just Another Manic Monday

If you're reading this blog in the USA today, then you're probably at a cook-out or barbecue somewhere, enjoying the Labor Day holiday. In Peru and in the rest of the world, though, it's just another manic Monday.

While the USA celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday in September, Peru and the rest of the world celebrate it on May 1, when it is commonly referred to as Worker's Day. That means that today is just another working Monday here in Lima, with the streets clogged with environmentally-challenged buses, taxis, and short-fused motorists.

Enjoy your labor-free Labor Day, USA!