By Kim Burdick I thought I had missed out on it. You know…the “Green Thumb” gene. My grandparents sure had it. I remember our summer visits and counting the amazing number of vegetables and fruit at each meal that came from their abundant garden. I assumed I had it too, though hadn’t had a chance to really put that assumption to the test until the summer of 1986. Brent and I had been married 2 …
What future missionaries say about CIT:
Here is what the latest class of future missionaries shared about their language learning experience at CIT: “CIT is so much more than a classroom experience. It is a bonding, growing in community and learning more about our identity in Christ. We learned that culture is just as important as the mechanics of the language in the language learning process. Cementing our identity in Christ and developing a community of believers to grow in spiritual …
The Lausanne Movement: Impacting Global Christianity
One of the joys I have had recently is to work with the Lausanne Movement. In addition to working with the Center for Intercultural Training, which I highlighted in my last letter, I also coordinate Lausanne’s Global Classroom Project. The Lausanne Movement was started in 1974 out of the vision of Billy Graham to bring together evangelical Christians around the world in a common statement of faith. Global Christian leaders met in Lausanne, Switzerland …
Training the next generation of cross-cultural witnesses
A few days ago, I was going over some of the content on the new touch screen missions program that Dawson and I had designed for Gordon-Conwell seminary. I came across a video link on the 50th anniversary of Don Richardson’s “Peace Child”. I had not seen the whole video yet so took a few minutes to watch. As I stood there, a lump swelled in my throat. The video reminded me why I love serving …
Amazing Heaven
Do you ever wonder what we are going to do for the rest of eternity? The typical thought is that we’ll sit around on clouds playing harps. BORING (and un-biblical too)! God has so much more in store for us! In Genesis chapter 2, verses 15-17, God put Adam in the garden of Eden to “work it and take care of it”. One important thing to note: this was BEFORE the fall, before the punishment …
Strange Love
Who do you love? Sure, you love your family, friends, those who have special significance in your life. Maybe a spouse, a son or daughter, parents, a buddy or kindred spirit. Those people are generally easy to love. They make our lives complete. They encourage us, provide for us, help us when we’re down or sick, and enable us to live our lives and be more effective. Often, we reciprocate to them what they do …
Doubts
Do you ever have doubts about God? We all do from time to time, I think. People in the Bible who walked with God did too. Take Abraham for instance. He was God’s friend. God appeared to him many times and gave him great promises. But God’s promises took their time in coming, and that’s what made Abraham doubt. Think about it. Abraham actually spoke with God! God made covenants with Abraham that are still …