I suspect that this will be my final post, at this time, about the Choco mission. But, I wanted to point out that there is a relationship between the Choco mission and the work that my wife and I were involved with in the inner city. Unfortunately, it is a sad relationship. I am talking […]
The Choco mission, part 05
In my previous post on Choco I mentioned that, “I now look back and wonder whether or not there was truly something calling out to me that night, something that was not of God, but also could not harm a servant of God.” The reason I mention that is the following story from the Choco mission. […]
The Choco mission, part 04
One of the things one learns in foreign missions is the difference between the classroom and what actually happens. Classroom situations are always written after the fact. And, we all know how easy it is to look by and analyze a situation by hindsight. Nevertheless, the classroom learning does help to prepare one for the […]
The Choco mission, part 03
So, how did I get involved personally in the Choco mission? Well, it was all because of Fr. Alejandro. He went the first time, and he also went a follow up time. My assumption and encouragement was that he would be the one to keep going out there. After all, he speaks Quechua; he had […]
The Choco mission, part 02
I mentioned the last post that the 1998 El Niño rains in Peru caused a massive landslide that blocked one of the streams going by Choco, a stream that had become a raging river. As a result, the river swept over part of the small bluff that houses Choco, killing 34 persons and wiping out […]
The Choco mission, part 01
If you notice, on the previous post there is a photographs of some Quechua farmers with ancient-design farming equipment and a couple of ladies, one carrying her child in a blanket on her back. That photograph was taken while I was visiting Choco, Perú, the title was Photoshopped on later. The Choco mission was a […]
Mission minded congregations are not necessarily nice
Continuing on with some of my comments on missions and fund-raising, I recently posted the note below on another blog. After I posted it, I thought that it might be worth reposting here. Since I am no longer an overseas missionaries, it may be that my memories of how it really was will be helful […]
Multiple Missionary Support by Local Congregations
Have you ever been to a local congregation that has a missions board up with multiple missionaries? I do not mean a large congregation with multiple missionaries. I mean a typical size medium congregation, one with an attendance around a couple of hundred people. Sometimes their missions board will proudly display ten or more different […]
Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox? – part 03
OK, I understand much of what you have been saying, but why must I have a sponsor, or why is a baby expected to have godparents? Well, in the book of Hebrews, it says: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of […]
Why do you make it so hard to become Orthodox? – part 02
So, why is a catechumen encouraged to take on a “new” name when they are chrismated? What’s in a name? Taking on a new name is not necessary, but it is highly encouraged. The background to a name change goes all the way back to the beginnings of God’s special interactions with Abraham and continued […]
