Bob Young Resources

Richard Swenson provides a helpful insight and corrective in his recent book, Margin. The primary meaning of the word margin (of common origin with mark) is a border or limit. It comes to denote the area surrounding something (as the margin on a page, usually blank). We reflect this concept in the phrase, “margin of error”. To marginalize something is to push it to the borders or outside.

Swenson urges us to recognize the value of the margins of life. Rather than pushing one’s self to the absolute limit, consider the value of maintain a margin. The margin is the space that exists between our reality and our limit. It is a reserve for meeting unanticipated situations and stressors. Today, one-third of Americans claim to live in extreme stress; nearly half say stress has increased in the last five years. Most of us live life to the limit with no available margin. Living lives “filled to the brim”, we do not have the emotional, physical, financial or time reserves essential to handle unexpected events in our lives. We operate on “overload”, drawing on all of our resources and even beyond our resources, as one can overload an electrical circuit so much that it eventually fails.

Swenson concludes that we must restore the reserves essential to handling the unexpected stresses of life. This requires adjusting our point of view. In a world that is driven by success and pushes capacity to the maximum, the biblical model provides a clear alternative. God gives rest, not only eternally, but in the present. Our world seems to thrive on commitment overload, information overload, technology overload, activity overload, choices overload….the list is virtually endless. Protecting the emotional, physical, financial, and activity margins brings contentment, simplicity, balance, and rest. Most important, it makes us available to fulfill the purposes of God in our lives and in this world.

Christians committed to the purpose of God in this world cannot afford to live life without margins. Margins help us maintain a store of energy, vitality, and confidence so that we can seize the moments God provides.

I phoned to my sister this morning.  During our conversation, she mentioned a Gandhi quote that she had seen in the office of an acquaintance.  “What you do will never be enough, but it is important that you do it.”

I think the exact quote is this: Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it.

May we go forth to do what God provides us to do, however insignificant or seemingly fruitless.

After almost two weeks in Ecuador, it is good to be back in the office and able to resume a more normal schedule. The last week has been one of intense travel–seven consecutive nights in a different bed each night, but also a week of intense beauty and encouragement. The opportunity to see what God has done in his physical creation in Ecuador, and to see what God is doing in his spiritual re-creation in the lives of countless men and women, boys and girls, families and neighbors in Ecuador was extremely rewarding.

I came away with one thought echoing in my mind: we have made evangelism and the growth of the kingdom too hard. I am thinking especially about the U.S. church in comparison with the Latin American churches. We have sought panaceas and easy fixes. We have eagerly run after the latest new gadget or gizmo. We have purchased techniques and materials, we have copied DVDs and CDs and tapes. All of the above probably have some element of good, some may even prove somewhat effective.

The church grows when we meet people, demonstrate caring, establish relationships, and share the life of a disciple. In the Houston airport, we met a young couple from Ecuador, along with their two children. After their trip to Ecuador, they were planning to move from New Jersey to Houston. In fact, they had already completed most of the move, and would fly back from Ecuador to Houston to settle into new surroundings. When they found out we were with a missionary conference group, talk turned to religion and church and Jesus. They wanted to know about good church options in Houston. I asked if they wanted to worship in Spanish, and they said “si”. I gave them information about a friend (Baxter graduate) who is working with the church in Houston. They seemed genuinely appreciative.

Talking to people, caring, sharing, even daring to mention the “unmentionable” subject of Jesus. If Christianity has been removed from the public arena and limited to the private spheres of our North American society, if Christianity has been relegated to the fringes of our culture–the fault and problem is partially ours as Christians! We must never stop talking about what we have seen and heard. In our culture and society, we can talk about it almost everywhere we go. We can act like disciples of Christ–we do not have to travel incognito.

Our airport interaction was helped by the Pan-American Lectureship name badges all were wearing. Perhaps we need to go forth into our world each day with name badges indicating that we are followers of Jesus Christ. Woudn’t that be a better approach? Wouldn’t that work? Probably not. (1) It’s artificial. (2) Some people’s actions would deny the claim of the badge. (3) People ought to already know by the way we live, the things we talk about, the priorities we demonstrate.

Our Latin American brothers and sisters in the churches we visited just keep on telling the story, keep on sharing information about Jesus, keep on teaching and preaching, keep on talking to neighbors and friends and family and all who will listen. They keep on establishing new churches, keep on inviting, keep on helping, keep on demonstrating the power and change of Jesus in their lives. The churches are growing, new churches are being planted, people are giving their lives to Jesus. Maybe they’re on to something!!

“What you do after you get back from a short-term mission trip  is more important than what you did while you were there.”  –original source unknown

After brief visits on Friday to the equator (Mitad del Mundo–Center of the World) and Arasha (a rain/cloud forest resort and biodiversity hotspot), we have spent the last four days visiting churches across Ecuador. On Saturday we visited the church in Santo Domingo, Sunday we worshiped with the church in Portoviejo, Monday evening we were with the Guayaquil Centro church, and Tuesday at Guayaquil South.

This afternoon, we fly back to Quito (after about 15 hours in the bus, most are very glad to be making the return trip by air!). Our flight back to the States is scheduled tomorrow and we look forward to being home after seeing so much of what God is doing in so many places across Latin America, and especially in Ecuador.

I hope to write more about some of the churches, and to share observations in future writings. Pray for the advance of the kingdom around the world. Truly, the fields are white unto harvest!

“Seventy-five percent (75%) of short term missions are done poorly.” –Missions Today

Today found us on an altered schedule. After Phil Slate’s presentation on Paul’s mission strategies (a most helpful series of lessons which will undoubtedly bless many churches seeking more effective mission work), we left for Otovalo, a native Indian market. Otovalo is the oldest continuously-operating market in the Western Hemisphere, a place where native Indians have gathered for centuries to exchange wares.

Not long after we arrived at Otovalo, Jan and I were invited, along with Calvin and Linda Henry, to visit in the home of one of our Baxter graduates, an invitation which we gladly accepted. (Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ is always better than a shopping trip, despite the various interesting things in the market and the conversations one can share.) Juan Jose had come to Otovalo to meet the group–he drove us to his home in Ibarra, a distance of some 25-30 minutes. We shared a delicious lunch and were able to meet his mother (Nancy), his grandmother (Pastorina), a sister (Estefani), a brother (Santiago), and his sister and brother-in-law (Jeaneth and Mauricio) whom we had also known as Baxter students. In addition to his work with a local church, Juan Jose teaches two days each week in the Quito School of Biblical Studies. The church has a very adequate three-story building, first floor assembly area, second floor classrooms (although lacking some partitions), and a third floor yet to be finished. The building is right across the street from a public park which gives good exposure in the city of about 150,000.

Ecuador is a beautiful country with delightful people. The rugged terrain, dotted with beautiful lakes, seems to come to clearer view with the briskness of the climate, a perpetual spring which varies little throughout the year.

Tomorrow the usual schedule resumes and we look forward to the inspiration and encouragement. The banquet on Thursday marks the last formal presentation. The group will travel to the Equator on Friday, after which Jan and I will begin the post-lectureship “church planting” extension.