CQ

We are back from Thailand and God has multiplied our passion to include the 24 people that went on this trip. A friend of mine asked me if I was ruined and if we ruined our students as a result of the trip. He meant this in a good way. My answer is, I think He did. When you experience and share in the despair and pain of others at such a deep level and see so clearly that hope is found only in Christ it ruins your ability to be easily distracted from seeking the God solution. The Holy Spirit plants a passion in your heart to be his hands and feet and you are compelled to move out. It was clear as day again on this trip that Christ is the solution.

It is late and I need to try to get some sleep. Our body clock is still operating some place between Asia and the United States. For the next few posts I will share stories and character descriptions from the trip. I think that making the trip personal will allow you to share more deeply in our experience. Maybe God will call you to respond.

Please continue to pray as our team transitions back into our culture and processes all that God did. Pray for our amazing students that are moving out in a courageous way for Christ. Pray for the students at Grace Ministries that are doing the same. We are also praying about how God would call us to respond now that we are back in the states.  Thank you all for the tremendous support. More to come.

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This morning a team from Westside is boarding a plane for Thailand for 14 days. To learn more about this trip read through the Thailand page above. Please pray for our team as we seek to be open to God’s leading and that we authentically and appropriately respond to what we encounter. It would be encouraging if you would comment with your prayers. Below is our trip in a nutshell:

Tuesday: Fly from PDX to San Fran San Fran to Narita 15hrs
Wednesday: Narita to Bangkok Crash at a hotel

Thursday: Sleep in - eat lunch at a nearby mall and catch a train for Krasang (NE Thailand) 8 hrs

Friday: - Sunday: Spend time at Grace Ministries

Monday: Morning train to Bangkok 8 hrs - Evening train to Chiang Mai

Tuesday: Arrive in Chiang Mai and head immediately in vans to the hill tribes

Tuesday - Thursday: Ministry to the hill tribes people

Thusday: Evening dinner with orphanage children (Asia’s Hope)

Friday: Briefings from various ministries in Chiang Mai - Evening cultural dinner

Saturday: Cultural Day

Sunday: Morning at Asia’s Hope orphanage - evening debriefing

Monday: Travel by plane to Bangkok - Debriefing

Tuesday: Bangkok to Naritia Narita to San Fran San Fran to PDX

Thank you for your prayers!

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Over the past year I believe that God has directed a team within my school toward a vision that he is calling us to fulfill. Our school has existed for over twenty-five years and has been faithful to its mission.

We say that we exist to equip servant leaders in God’s kingdom for the next generation by educating and developing the whole person for the glory of God. We desire to fulfill our mission in the context of relationship and a family environment, while promoting and striving for excellence, and showing value to others through embracing God’s grace.

I believe the school is at a strategic point where God is calling us to continue to carry out that mission in new ways that could improve our school and better equip our students. In order to properly respond to God’s leading we have hired a consultant to help us. He will walk us through a process of prayerfully formulating and documenting a shared vision for the school. The leadership teams, faculty, staff, parents and students will all have a voice into the visioning process. We have covered this process in prayer for months and we are expecting an amazing result from God. I believe that the outcome of this process will compel people to get involved. We are planning two opportunities for our entire school community to enter into this discussion. We invite you to join us on June 12 and 14 at the school to discuss what the school could look like in three years. Please consider if this would be something you would be willing to attend.

Some may ask why it is important that we formulate a vision for the future. On Friday our consultant told a great personal story that served to illustrate the importance of casting vision, whether personally or corporately.

Larry, our consultant, is the oldest of nine children. His father was a CPA and worked very hard to provide for his family. It was not uncommon that his Dad would come to the table at the beginning of a meal to make an announcement. On this particular evening the family was seated at the table and Larry’s father exclaimed, “I have an announcement!” Larry said that all of the children groaned thinking this meant another child would be added to the dinner table in nine months. Larry’s father continued, “Your mother and I have decided that we are going to take you to Disneyland…” - the table erupted with loud cheers and shouts of celebration - “… in two years.”

“What you must be kidding?” Larry said out loud.

At first it was shocking and disappointing that they could not realize the dream right now, but it didn’t take long for the children to begin dreaming two years out. They began to imagine and anticipate how wonderful the trip would be. They began to plan and save money in order to make the experience everything they were dreaming. They arrived and had their wonder-full week at Disney.  When it was over, Larry thought, “Now what?” It was time for a new vision.

That’s what’s so exciting about the Christian life; there are always new visions that God calls us to fulfill with him.  It is exciting to imagine what God could be doing through our students, staff, and parents three years from now. I invite you to dream with us.

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Westside Way Article

Last week I jumped on a JetBlue red-eye for New York City. The Westside choir had the opportunity to sing Handel’s Messiah on Palm Sunday at Carnegie Hall. What an amazing privilege!

If that weren’t enough, while on the trip we enjoyed a few shows, a game, and some sights. The first night was the rhythmic experience of Stomp. The most remarkable moment was when they played a piece with paper bags!  It takes talent and gifting to transform everyday objects into enjoyable music. We also went to a Mets game, The Lion King, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Empire State Building. Two locations that were awe inspiring to me were the United Nations Building and the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. These were all amazing experiential learning opportunities.

I have found that active learning inspires and motivates me to learn more. I find that I take ownership of what I am learning when I experience it first hand. I want to ask questions and find the answers to those questions. There were a couple of moments on this trip that I will never forget.

On Friday afternoon we took the bus from our hotel to St. Paul’s Chapel next to Ground Zero. It was here that we met Charlie, our tour guide. As Charlie began to speak I began to realize the unique opportunity that this was. Charlie was on Church Street on September 11 and saw the first plane strike the World Trade Center. As he described the horrific scenes I could see the pain and the reality of the situation in his eyes. Charlie worked for New York’s Department of Design and Construction which led the recovery effort for the WTC disaster. Charlie supervised the effort and is now designing the survivor’s memorial. As Charlie spoke about the impact of the disaster, his eyes welled up with tears and he admitted that he will never be the same.  I will not forget the pain and emotion I saw in Charlie’s eyes and I will not forget how the horrific events of September 11 had a personal impact on the lives of real people. How do people who have experienced such painful trials recognize the goodness of God? 

God’s plan is a little shocking to me. We are the plan. We are his plan to demonstrate the goodness of God to those who have experienced devastating tragedy, injustice, hunger, and separation from God. It is out of the transforming power of Christ in us that we can be a light to the world.

After sensing the suffering at Ground Zero and realizing the comfort that comes in serving a God who understands suffering, I was able to appreciate at a deeper level the magnificence of Handel’s Messiah. I was overtaken by the experience at Carnegie Hall. Bob, Betty, and I were given tickets to the center box in the lower balcony of Carnegie Hall. These were the best seats in the house and I wondered about the historic figures that had been in these seats throughout the years. As the Halleluiah Chorus was sung by over five hundred voices, I rose and felt chills running down my spine. This was a tremendously worshipful moment where I could fully celebrate the God who knows better than all of us the history and suffering of this world.

The opportunity to sing in such a historic venue was remarkable and all the shows and experiences will be memories we will reflect on for years to come; seeds of interest and inquiry were planted as we practiced active learning. There is value in all of this as well as in the beginning of significant relationships between students, teachers, and parents.
Our choir has three goals that Bob is intentional about communicating and developing in our students:

• Sing Our Best 
• Glorify God 
• Show The Love of Christ

I believe we were faithful to these three goals and that we truly sang the Messiah around New York City in word and deed.

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TRIP UPDATE:

Thursday night we went to the production of STOMP. It was amazing! The most impressive part was when they were playing paperbags. Yes….paperbags! It sounded incredible. On our way back we came across a gospel group that was singing in the subway. It was uplifting to stop and praise God with them in the moment. I recorded it the best I could with my phone; you are welcome to listen to a portion of the singing below.

Listen to the subway singing - Praise God!

More Singing…

On Friday morning my guys and I took of for 5th Avenue. I stopped of at St. Patricks Cathedral while my guys did a little window shopping in Saks Fifth Ave. I made them go to the Cathedral after I saw how beautiful it was. We then proceeded down to the very tip of Central park and jumped on a subway toward the hotel. We grabbed a little pizza for lunch. It was great!

Off Fifth Ave - Rockefeller Center

After lunch and while the students were rehearsing I went with a few parents to take a tour of the United Nations. This was fascinating! Below you can seee me in the meeting room of the UN Security Council. Next to me is one of many murels on display taken from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights document. This one captured my eye.

A few of the facts I can remember from the tour:

-6.5 billion people in the world today - half of them live on $2 a day or less
-There are 30 million orphans today as a direct result of loosing parents to Aids
-191 member nations in the UN general assembly
-15 members of the Security Council - 5 permanent members - the others are voted in each year.
-The UN Budget is 2.5 billion every 2 years - the US is responsible for 22% of that budget
-The UN property is international territory and does not belong to the US
-The money ($9 million) to purchase the property was donated by the Rockefellers
-There are 85k UN peace keeping troops in the world today

There was much more, but that is the best I can do for now.

In the evening we took the subway to the Mets game. We had a box all to ourselves. They provided us with a buffet dinner, we saw two home runs, and enjoyed the game in an amazing setting. The Mets guy came to our box to visit.

More to come…

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Tomorrow night I will be jumping on a JetBlue red-eye for New York City. The Westside choir has the opportunity to sing Handel’s Messiah on Palm Sunday at Carnegie Hall. What an amazing privilege!

If that weren’t enough, while on the trip we will get to enjoy a few shows, a game and some sites. The first night will be the rhythmic experience of Stomp. I may not be able to help myself, I’ve been known to break into the the running man at the sound of a beat.

For another evening I will join a group that is seeing the Broadway show, The Lion King. My two year old son will be jealous of that opportunity. We have the “Lion” video and he would watch it multiple times a day if we allowed.

I am also planning to see a Mets game. This will be my second big league game. Do the Mariners count as a big league team? :-)

I anticipate that the most moving and sobering experience will be a visit to Ground Zero. I can’t imagine how it will feel to be at the location that represents such a massive scope of pain and suffering for so many individuals, families and our nation.

I am looking forward to experiencing all of this with our students, staff and parents. The opportunity to sing in such a historic venue is remarkable and all the shows and experiences will be memories we will reflect on for years to come; but I believe this trip will be more than that if we are able to treat eachother and those we meet along the way as Jesus does. 

Our choir has three goals that they communicate openly. Bob (our choir director) is intentional about directing the focus to these three things:

• Sing Our Best
• Glorify God
• Show The Love of Christ

I believe that if we are faithful to those three things we will truly sing the Messiah to New York City.

I believe it is already happening. God is preparing the way.

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Last night I was very encouraged by a meeting at Westside for parents of students who are interested in the Thailand trip this summer. The more I talk to people the more passionate I get about what God is doing in me and our school. We are being challenged to move outside of our building and ourselves toward meeting the needs of others. There is no doubt something special is happening and people are catching the vision. I can’t wait to see what will happen when we actually go.

Before the meeting Don and I were talking about names for this movement in our school. A few weeks ago in another conversation Rob (our development director) called the movement “Westside Outside.” I will just leave it at that for now. This could mean a lot of things especially if we realize that we can compliment outside with “Westside Inside.” I believe the combination of these two phrases could be used very powerfully to communicate what God is doing in our school on multiple levels. Before I give you my thoughts I would love to know what Westsiders and others think?

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Over the past eight weeks I have felt convicted to be more intentional about prayer. God has recently captured my heart and given me a deeper love and burden for people, which compels me to drop to my knees. In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster says, “The inner sense (that comes from Christ) of compassion is one of the clearest indications from the Lord that this is a prayer project for you (p. 40, 1998).”  There seems to be a link between compassion for others and an aspiration to pray.

After my recent experience in Thailand I’ve become passionate about praying for the oppressed and those who minister to them. I am also determined to pray that our students are being equipped to become a generation of servant leaders. This means they are not only prepared well educationally and biblically, but also with a deep calling to live their life sacrificially for Christ. I believe they could be the hands and feet that change the world for Christ. That is worth praying for!

John 12: 24-26

24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

I feel so blessed to work in a learning community that encourages and even requires us to continuously learn more about disciplines like prayer, service, and dying to self. The disciples of Christ expressed their desire to learn about prayer when they said to Jesus, “Lord teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1).  I still have a lot to learn.

Foster says, “I determine to learn to pray so that my experience conforms to the words of Jesus rather than try to make his words conform to my impoverished experience.” (Celebration of Discipline, p37, 1998).  Jesus says in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” I think this scripture implies that we will know the right things to ask for because we know and are known by Christ intimately. Since I have started praying more consistently, some amazing things have been happening. God has been answering my prayers.

Last Saturday evening was the culmination of banquet week at Westside.  It was a celebration of our school community, highlighting the students that were selected by their peers to be on the banquet court. The most encouraging point for me on Saturday evening was the announcement of the court. As each court member entered the room, thoughts they had put on paper were read aloud for all of us to hear.  Every student on the court expressed to their peers and teachers their unique and authentic desire to serve Christ with their lives.  God is answering prayer!

Recently Marta and I have been praying about her level of participation in the Thailand trip this summer. We are both passionate about the trip and all that it represents, and she would be there in a heartbeat if we didn’t have two young children. Last week we stayed up late one night weighing the pros and cons. On one hand it would be hard for our kids to be away from both of their parents for such a long time, but on the other, they (especially our five year old) could learn a heart level lesson by sharing their parents for twelve days with children who don’t have parents. Marta was leaning toward not going but felt she needed to keep praying because she hadn’t heard clearly from the Lord yet. We brought up the subject with our daughter, telling her that we were in the process of praying about it, and not to our surprise, she told us she didn’t want Marta to go.

Two days later our daughter asked Marta, “Have you decided to go to Thailand?”  Marta replied, “No, Daddy and I are still asking God if He wants me to go?”
“I don’t want you to pray.”
“Why not?”
“I know what Jesus would say.”
“Oh really?”
“He would want you to go.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know, I just know that’s what He would want.”

Two hours later our daughter asked in a very soft voice, “Are you going?”
Marta asked, “To Thailand?  We’re still praying about it.”  With a sad look on her face our daughter said what sounded like, “I think you should go.”  Marta was not sure she’d heard her correctly so she asked, “Did you say you think I should go?”  Our daughter nodded affirmatively.  Putting together the sad face and the response, Marta said, “You think I should go even though you know you’ll miss me and that will make you feel sad?”  She nodded again.

Another prayer answered!  We were amazed that our little five year old was willing to show this type of sacrificial love.  Thank you, Lord, for speaking to us through a child. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last. Needless to say, we are leaning the other way now.

PSALM 8: 1-2

“1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

Keep praying!

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Originally Written for the Westside Way on 8.20.05

A few weeks ago, Don and I were sitting in my office talking about the focus we were going to bring to the faculty and staff during orientation week. The discussion centered on issues of the heart and our desire to be intentional about living our lives coram deo, before the heart of God.

Before Bob Pierce founded World Vision, he had these words written in the fly-leaf of his Bible: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” One of our desires this year is to help students move closer to the heart of God. Unfortunately there is no simple formula to change or strengthen the heart, yet this is at the core of our relationship with God.

During this discussion with Don, I began to think about Solomon and his honest request for wisdom. He could have asked for wealth, an easy life, happiness, or power, but he asked for wisdom. This request was not a manipulation to impress God but an honest desire, with a motive that was pure, seeking after a better understanding of God’s heart. I pray that in the coming year I will continue to grow tender for the things of God, that I will understand Christ more, and that I will honestly ask for His wisdom and be able to live out his love.

It is also our desire that our students get to the point where they, like Solomon, honestly desire God’s wisdom and a tender and compassionate heart. It is important to be excellent at teaching our students knowledge, but if God’s principles do not become a conviction and passion of the heart, all is lost. Our mission as a school is “to equip servant leaders for the next generation, by educating and developing the whole person for the Glory of God.” In the coming year, we are going to saturate our school with a focus on developing our hearts. This is not an easy task and will require us to work together as a family.

One of the ways we intend to accomplish this is through providing more resources for our parents. In partnership with PTF we will be providing various parent seminars, some around the topic of developing the hearts of students. We will also be using our Core Groups to strategically support this topic. Our faculty and staff will spend time developing tools to encourage heart growth in balance with the training of the mind. We are also looking at providing some kind of out of class ministry experience for students that would stretch them and allow them to better understand God’s heart.

I really believe that God is building up students from Westside to be the next generation of Christian leaders. I also believe that a battle exists for their hearts, and we must be strategic and intentional about providing opportunities for them to grow toward servant leadership.

In July Marta and I went to Bellingham for a friend’s wedding. Just before we left for the trip, we saw a documentary that powerfully communicated the tragic injustice of child trafficking and the sex trade that is currently at epidemic levels in our world. Our hearts ached for these children, and we began researching and talking to our friends about this horrible practice. In our conversations we discovered the name of a man who had a similar experience and has decided to take action by using his gifts and talents to bring about change for these children. Carl Ralston is a businessman with many gifts and talents, who felt a nudge to be used by God. In tandem with reading through The Purpose Driven Life he heard a missionary from Cambodia speak at a seminar regarding a specific instance of a twelve year old girl named Nhu who was sold into child slavery and exploited in the sex trade. Carl’s heart was touched and he took action. He is still a businessman, but he is using his gifts to run a non-profit organization he started called “Remember Nhu.” This organization focuses on prevention and intervention, identifying girls and boys most at risk for a future in the sex trade, and providing them with housing, education, and vocational training in a Christ-centered environment. It is this type of servant leader that we seek to develop at Westside. In the future, some of our students may be in vocational ministry, but I pray that all of our graduates’ hearts will be in line with God’s heart and that they will use their gifts to further His kingdom. God has a purpose for each of us and we need to be ready to ask him for the wisdom to live it out.

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Originally Written for the Westside Way on 3.15.05

Try to put yourself in this story. You have been happily married for over twenty-five years. Life is pretty comfortable. You have been living in the same house nearly your entire marriage. In fact, your mortgage will be paid off in just a few years. Your children are not children anymore and they are leaving for college this year. Your career has been fruitful, and you have made a difference in people’s lives. You have done your part and retirement is now within reach. It will be a nice change of pace. Because you have been fiscally responsible over the years, you will be able to live out the remainder of your years modestly.

Now this is where it gets a little sticky. One day you go to a doctor’s office for a routine check-up. While at the clinic you strike up a conversation with a woman (we will call her Vicki) in the waiting room. She tells you the story of an infant that has just been left in her care as a result of a difficult family situation. Vicki is planning on taking care of the baby until other arrangements can be made. Feeling God’s leading, she expresses to you an immediate dilemma. She has an unavoidable, previously scheduled engagement tonight and will not be able to take the baby with her.

Your son and his friend are sitting on the couch watching TV when you walk in the door. You feel somewhat foolish and scared, yet faithful and obedient. Before they get a chance to see the bundle in your arms you say, “I have an interesting story to tell you.” As you explain the situation, a look of shock comes over your audience.

This story does not end with you helping this child for one night. No, you feel called to faithfully continue to support this young child. Vicki, you and your spouse feel called by God to love this child for life. Vicki decides to seek custody after already having raised her children, and you release your financial future into God’s hands in order to help support them. You do not retire when you had planned or pay off your mortgage when you thought you would. But now you have a critically important relationship with a child who needs you. Fifteen years later, your compassion and willingness to sacrifice for this teenager is unwavering.
(The above story has been modified to protect identities)

I remember that day when my good friend and I were sitting on the couch watching TV when his mother walked in with that baby. I remember the sacrifices they made to pay for the legal bills as they helped Vicki seek custody. I also remember thinking that they were taking a foolish risk. I don’t think that anymore.

What is it that causes people to be compassionate like that? The first chapter of James gives some great examples of how God prepares and molds us to be compassionate.

James 1 (Message)
“3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

9 When down-and-outers get a break, cheer!

12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

22 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! 23 Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, 24 walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.”

And finally in James 1:27 (NIV)

“27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

My friend’s parents lived out these verses and risked it all to save a child they barely knew. What caused them to do that? I believe it was the result of two people allowing Christ to transform their hearts. And when God’s compassion manifested itself in their hearts, they were able to relinquish control and obey.

I recently read about a study where a minister named Doug Huneke interviewed three hundred rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust. From these interviews Huneke found ten common experiences or characteristics among those who were willing to risk it all to save their Jewish neighbors. The themes from James 1 have an amazing parallel to these findings. The rescuers:

-Experienced some form of being left out, undervalued, or marginalized.
-Tackled childhood problems and worked toward goals.
-Identified with a morally strong parent. (Sometimes this was a grandparent.)
-Belonged to a community or group that valued compassion.
-Grew up in a home where hospitality was valued.
-Were exposed to suffering at an early age.
-Were able to empathize with others.
-Were able to present themselves, speak up, and be persuasive.
-Were skilled at cooperating and promoting the well-being of others.
-Were able to examine their own prejudices.
(*Paraphrased from Growing Compassionate Kids, Johnson, p. 36, )

I share this topic with you because it seems to be a recurring theme and challenge in my life. I’ve also been challenged to consider how a school can teach compassion. Can a school partner with parents to encourage students to live out their faith? Can we help our students develop hearts like their Savior’s for the lost and hurting?

Compassion is not a personality trait. It is the overflow of love that originates in Christ. It is learned in times of suffering, trial, and sorrow. It is learned on a mission trip when we empathize with the poor and sick. It is learned when we are mocked for speaking up for the broken and hurting. It is learned when it is modeled to us by a mentor or parent. It is learned when we see others faithfully risking it all to love the widows and orphans.

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