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Walk Like a Man
June 17, 2010

...I’m staying on the wrong side of a 10 lane motorway with no mediums or pedestrian crossings. This means I pray every morning as I cross this street to get to work. Here the drivers’ first instinct when you run in front of them is to honk rather than brake or swerve. My first attempt at doing this saw me running in a terrified zigzag before diving onto the opposing pavement leaving my left jandal still out in the middle of the road. This provided much amusement to a group of soldiers looking on. I’m learning that the Arabs here think very little of you if show any fear.

Packing a Surprise Punch
June 17, 2010

A young Kiwi guy has taken a beating and is sitting dazed by the kerb.  It’s easy to walk passed, after all, everyone else is.  I look at my watch...I haven’t got time anyway, I’m already running late...  besides what am I going to do for him, surely no one would expect me to go so far as to take him to a doctor or the hospital... I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks, it seldom is, I’ll look silly if I approach him and it turns out he’s really just fine...

Divine Opportunity in Diversity
June 17, 2010

It used to be true for most New Zealanders that to encounter people from very different cultures we had to move and base ourselves in a new country.  The skills and attitudes necessary for cultural adaptation used to be only for missionaries, diplomats and the like.

Gospel Revives Amazonian Culture
June 17, 2010

“At first we loved talking with outsiders. We taught them our language, shared our knowledge of the land, plants and animals, and debated important issues. But soon we came to realize that they only wanted to rob us of something: knowledge, language, territory, traditional medicine or dignity.  We become suspicious and with good reason.”

Missionaries as Cannibals
June 17, 2010

Like the way you notice the other person’s accent without getting that you have one too...  as long as we live in our own culture, we’re pretty much unaware of it. When we do encounter new cultures, however, it quickly becomes clear that other people live differently. First up we see the differences in how they dress, what they eat, how they talk and behave. Later we start to get that there are deep differences in beliefs, feelings and values. Finally, we begin to realise that there are fundamental differences in worldviews.

Palmy Trekker Amazed
April 27, 2010

Jo ‘trekked’ from Palmerston North to the WEC-associated Melusi Christian Community in South Africa.  Melusi ministries include caring for the homeless, HIV/ AIDS care, food distribution, outreaches and a kids club.  The excerpt below comes from an email four months into Jo’s six month stay...

WEC and Social Action
April 27, 2010

After looking at our website, several enquirers over recent months felt there was no “natural fit” for them in WEC.  It turns out however, that these people were a good fit, but got the wrong impression through a curious omission.

I think, therefore I do...
April 27, 2010

Whether it’s running schools, medical clinics, sustainable farming, developing literacy programmes, providing relief and development or cattle for those who have lost all they had, WEC teams are sharing Christ’s love around the world.  It is tough and often thankless, but so relevant and necessary.  Some of the workers involved are highly trained professionals, others with hearts full of love do what they can – just like Mary did for Jesus (Mark 14:6-8).

Here’s a random mix of just some of what WECers think and do...

The Personal Side of Poverty
April 27, 2010

Recently I visited HIV/AIDS patients at the general hospital.  I met a young man and his mother who sat on his hospital bed.  The other patient in the room was a Cameroonian man who was unresponsive - it was obvious he was dying in front of this young man and his mother.


After praying for everyone in the room, I left with my heart in my stomach.  Dying in a foreign country with no family by your bedside would be a nightmare in itself.  What is worse is that the hospital doesn’t even provide needed medicine. 

Avatar and Motives for Mission
April 27, 2010

“We’ve built them a hospital, taught them English, given them medicine…..what more do they want?” The line in the movie Avatar goes something like that. If you’ve seen it recently you may have been struck by how possible it is for evil motives to fire social action. “We’ll do XYZ so that we can get what we want.” In Avatar it was access and possession of a precious mineral. In mission life it could be acceptance and trust in a community in order to be able to preach and find receptivity to the gospel.