Yesterday evening I had perhaps the saddest meeting in my 16 years with this ministry.
Background
In 2004 our team of Steve, Joe, Taylor and Wallace worked in El Quior. Over 120 people prayed to receive Christ. They did not have a place to meet, so they asked new believers to host Bible studies in their homes. 7 new cell groups started that week.
About 8 months later I returned to Santa Cruz. I heard that the 7 cell groups had multiplied to 11, so we visited on a Saturday afternoon. They had just gotten permission to meet in a school in return for a promise to paint some classrooms.
On that surprise visit I saw some wonderfully surprising things. About 40 adults were doing discipleship lessons in the shade of the school building. 100+ kids were involved in various activities under the trees. The church was alive and healthy.
Bad News Last Night
Yesterday I was eager to revisit the church. In the evening we were close by, so we stopped by the church. It was dark, but we could see the outline of a huge building. The building was dark, but the light in the pastor’s house at the back of the property was on. We knocked on the gate.
As we sat down to talk, sadness rolled in like a damp fog. “This morning we had 2 adults and 15 kids in our service,” the pastor replied to our questions. “And in the afternoon service we had 9 adults and 20 kids.”
What Happened?
Only God knows. But I have some questions.
The church was planted with the vision for focusing on discipling new believers. No building? No problem! The discipleship continued in homes. It even multiplied in homes even though (or maybe because?) they had no place to meet.
At some point did the focus change to a building and programs? On that second visit, I met a missionary couple. They had not been present during the first 6 to 8 months of that new church—they were on furlough back in the States. They were not there when the 7 groups grew to 11 home groups.
After that visit, I began to get their newsletters. They asked for money for a building. They told what programs they were leading. No mention of discipleship. No talk of equipping local believers to do the work. Did the vision change?
Last night the pastor shared how they started to give out food every week. Then they implemented membership cards to control who got the food. Then they added more rules to stop people from bringing multiple cards to meetings.
Buildings and handouts are not bad in and of themselves. The question I have is “did the church die because the vision died for obeying Christ’s command to make disciples?”
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
But Wait, There's More
“But wait, there’s more.”
When I hear those grating words on the TV commercial with the bearded guy, I lunge for the remote to mute whatever infomercial he’s doing that day.
But those words were pretty sweet here in Bolivia.
Yesterday I saw Pastor Luis, whom we worked with last year. A year ago our team of Kip, Greg, Jocelyn and Mike worked with Pastor Luis as he planted a new church. Pastor Luis is a missionary from Argentina, and he already had started the work. But we had the opportunity to serve him and his team for a week as they planted “Iglesia Biblica Missionara” (Missionary Bible Church).
This morning I had an exciting assignment—I got to preach in that church. Here’s a picture of the adults attending this morning after the kids and their leaders went to do Sunday School. About 60 adults attended, plus 5 leaders and 30 kids. God is at work. This church is thriving. Hallelujah!
“But wait, there’s more.”
This week this one year old church is planting a new church! It has picked an area about 40 minutes away where it is working to establish a new church. So Kip, from last year’s team, and Scott and his son Sam, are again serving Luis and his team. God is at work in Bolivia!
Please pray for Jesus to fulfill His promise in each of the 8 places we are working this week: “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
When I hear those grating words on the TV commercial with the bearded guy, I lunge for the remote to mute whatever infomercial he’s doing that day.
But those words were pretty sweet here in Bolivia.
Yesterday I saw Pastor Luis, whom we worked with last year. A year ago our team of Kip, Greg, Jocelyn and Mike worked with Pastor Luis as he planted a new church. Pastor Luis is a missionary from Argentina, and he already had started the work. But we had the opportunity to serve him and his team for a week as they planted “Iglesia Biblica Missionara” (Missionary Bible Church).
This morning I had an exciting assignment—I got to preach in that church. Here’s a picture of the adults attending this morning after the kids and their leaders went to do Sunday School. About 60 adults attended, plus 5 leaders and 30 kids. God is at work. This church is thriving. Hallelujah!“But wait, there’s more.”
This week this one year old church is planting a new church! It has picked an area about 40 minutes away where it is working to establish a new church. So Kip, from last year’s team, and Scott and his son Sam, are again serving Luis and his team. God is at work in Bolivia!
Please pray for Jesus to fulfill His promise in each of the 8 places we are working this week: “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
David / Jenny / Ben Team
Ben and Raul, his translator extrordinaire
Evening Bible Study with one light bulb
Virgin territory for this new church!
Evening Bible Study with one light bulb
Virgin territory for this new church!
Auzelio / Mark / Cathy Team
Carol's team shares door to door
Xemina trusts Christ as Mark shares Gospel
Auzelio leads neighbor to Christ
Xemina trusts Christ as Mark shares Gospel
Auzelio leads neighbor to Christ
Jim / Michelle / Luke Team
Much fruit in this neighborhood!
Ministry is turned over to local believers
Joy of seeing local teenagers learn to boldly share their faith
Follow-up discipleship visit with new believer
Ministry is turned over to local believers
Joy of seeing local teenagers learn to boldly share their faith
Follow-up discipleship visit with new believer
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Heading Back to Bolivia
If you’ve been to Bolivia with us, clicking on this slideshow will bring back great memories of your visit. If you’ve not been, it will give you an idea of the many people there who God has touched through people praying and people going.
Please pray as you watch. Our next team to Bolivia leaves this Friday. We’ll be working with about 8 churches who want to start new churches. Your prayers back in the States will make a difference in Bolivia.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Africa Prayer Update
Coming into our kitchen a few days before I left for
· God’s direction for our
· Staffing and finances to accomplish our ministry plans in both countries
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Back to Africa (Rwanda)
This morning I head back to Rwanda. I love Rwanda. God has completely changed it since the genocide in the mid 1990s. Its president has led it through a wise process of reconciliation and rebuilding.
What do you do when your population is about 9 million, but then hundreds of thousands of those people participate in killing a million of your people? How do you come up with enough courts and jails to deal with that situation? The Rwandan leaders decided to focus on reconciliation instead of retribution. The key leaders of the genocide were dealt with in one way. But the rank and file members of the mobs were handled differently.
They set up community genocide courts. They still meet every week all over the country. If a perpetrator explains who they killed, how they did it, and who they worked with, and publically repents, then they are forgiven! They have community service to perform, but they go free to provide for their family.
The president also focused on cleaning up the country. He has worked to clean up corruption, crime and even litter! Now Rwanda is the cleanest and safest country in Africa. Construction is booming as international companies build headquarters and invest money there.
On this trip we will be interviewing applicants for a new national director. It is exciting reviewing the resumes of the experienced and solid leaders who have applied for the job. Please pray for God’s will to be done in this selection process as His will is done in heaven. We are surrendering this process to the Head of the Church so that we hire His choice for this strategic position.
Blessings.
Mike Jorgensen
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Personality Makeover
Now that our son, Philip, has finished his Eagle Scout project, he decided to have a personality makeover. If you need a break from work, or political news, or stock market rollercoastering, or whatever else has ya buried, take a look at the process--
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP3G8dIAgsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP3G8dIAgsk
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Back in junior high, my joints ached all the time. My mom’s words of wisdom were “Don’t worry, they’re just growing pains.” I grew over 6 inches in less than a year. But the pain was worth the progress, especially during basketball season.
Our family and e3 Partners Ministry both are experiencing growing pains as God blesses us with progress.
A, L and baby Elizabeth
Our daughter "A" has “wonderful” growing pains, as she now is 5 months pregnant! (Easy for this new Granddad to say, huh?) The morning sickness is easing, just in time for the backaches to start! On Valentine’s Day, they treated us to a visit to “Stork Vision.” We crowded around a big screen TV hooked to a sonogram and found out . . . it’s a girl! So now we can pray for little Elizabeth Grace by name. The pain is worth the progress.
We enjoyed A and L’s five week visit here in the States. They are now back in Asia—back to their Ph.D. and language studies, back to reaching out to fellow students, back to daily eating with chopsticks. The pain of seeing them get on that plane is worth the progress being made there. But we’re counting down the days until we go see them this summer, right before A’s July 9th due date.
Joanna: New Teacher . . . Again
Every new teacher looks forward to their 2nd and 3rd year when they have lesson plans prepared, they have learned the ropes, and can focus more on teaching than on daily preps. But this year Joanna endured another “first year” as she felt called to change to teach ESL (English
as a Second Language). But the progress she has made toward her goal of ministering in other cultures has more than offset the pain of starting over.
Philip: Eagle Growing Pains
Recently we celebrated with Philip (with proud sister Joanna in picture) as he attained the rank of Eagle Scout, something only 4% of Boy Scouts do. He persevered through literally hundreds and hundreds of requirements that must be finished to get to this level. The toughest were not the ones he did himself, but the ones when he had to lead others to accomplish a goal or complete a project. Some little, some big, but cumulatively very, very challenging.
As is common with many students, there were times he walked away saying “I’ve had it.” But God gave him the persistence to always return to successfully finish whatever task was blocking the trail to Eagle. The pain was worth the progress.
e3 Partners Ministry
Three years ago we began to expand beyond doing only church planting mission trips. We started recruiting national networks of church planting coaches. As God provided funding, we equipped them with training, EvangeCubes, First Steps church planting manuals, discipleship materials and other resources to help them help more churches plant more churches.
I am using skills I honed practicing corporate law more than I ever thought I would as I was asked to oversee this new part of the ministry. Please pray for us as we go through the growing pains of making progress in these areas—
· Setting up offices in 25 countries
· Hiring national staff in each office
· Developing policies and procedures that work across many cultures
· Updating our First Steps church planting curriculum that we used last year to train over 20,000 pastors and leaders
· Registering to do ministry in each country
· Training the first generation of church planting coaches in several of these countries
Thank you.
Thanks to all of you who have partnered with us in going, giving, and praying. Because of you, we get to see all these growing pains as God continues to grow us as His servants.
Blessings.
Mike Jorgensen
Back in junior high, my joints ached all the time. My mom’s words of wisdom were “Don’t worry, they’re just growing pains.” I grew over 6 inches in less than a year. But the pain was worth the progress, especially during basketball season.
Our family and e3 Partners Ministry both are experiencing growing pains as God blesses us with progress.
A, L and baby Elizabeth
Our daughter "A" has “wonderful” growing pains, as she now is 5 months pregnant! (Easy for this new Granddad to say, huh?) The morning sickness is easing, just in time for the backaches to start! On Valentine’s Day, they treated us to a visit to “Stork Vision.” We crowded around a big screen TV hooked to a sonogram and found out . . . it’s a girl! So now we can pray for little Elizabeth Grace by name. The pain is worth the progress.We enjoyed A and L’s five week visit here in the States. They are now back in Asia—back to their Ph.D. and language studies, back to reaching out to fellow students, back to daily eating with chopsticks. The pain of seeing them get on that plane is worth the progress being made there. But we’re counting down the days until we go see them this summer, right before A’s July 9th due date.
Joanna: New Teacher . . . Again
Every new teacher looks forward to their 2nd and 3rd year when they have lesson plans prepared, they have learned the ropes, and can focus more on teaching than on daily preps. But this year Joanna endured another “first year” as she felt called to change to teach ESL (English
as a Second Language). But the progress she has made toward her goal of ministering in other cultures has more than offset the pain of starting over.Philip: Eagle Growing Pains
Recently we celebrated with Philip (with proud sister Joanna in picture) as he attained the rank of Eagle Scout, something only 4% of Boy Scouts do. He persevered through literally hundreds and hundreds of requirements that must be finished to get to this level. The toughest were not the ones he did himself, but the ones when he had to lead others to accomplish a goal or complete a project. Some little, some big, but cumulatively very, very challenging.
As is common with many students, there were times he walked away saying “I’ve had it.” But God gave him the persistence to always return to successfully finish whatever task was blocking the trail to Eagle. The pain was worth the progress.
e3 Partners Ministry
Three years ago we began to expand beyond doing only church planting mission trips. We started recruiting national networks of church planting coaches. As God provided funding, we equipped them with training, EvangeCubes, First Steps church planting manuals, discipleship materials and other resources to help them help more churches plant more churches.
I am using skills I honed practicing corporate law more than I ever thought I would as I was asked to oversee this new part of the ministry. Please pray for us as we go through the growing pains of making progress in these areas—
· Setting up offices in 25 countries
· Hiring national staff in each office
· Developing policies and procedures that work across many cultures
· Updating our First Steps church planting curriculum that we used last year to train over 20,000 pastors and leaders
· Registering to do ministry in each country
· Training the first generation of church planting coaches in several of these countries
Thank you.
Thanks to all of you who have partnered with us in going, giving, and praying. Because of you, we get to see all these growing pains as God continues to grow us as His servants.
Blessings.
Mike Jorgensen
Monday, January 07, 2008
Don't Wish Your Life Away / Africa Trip
“Don’t wish your life away.”
I can remember my Mom telling me that as a kid. Don’t so look forward to what’s in the future that you want to bypass what’s coming up first.
I’m struggling with this advice today. Next week A and L, our daughter and son-in-law, return home for a visit from Asia. We’re excited anyway about their visit, but now that A is pregnant our eagerness to see them is through the roof!
But today Curtis Hail (e3’s President) and I head to Africa. The trip is a combination of working out problems and evaluating new opportunities. But probably a little heavier on the problem side of the balance than the opportunity side. So an agenda full of issues to resolve this week, coupled with Alycia and Landon’s arrival next week, leaves me in serious “wishing your life away” mode.
So please pray for our trip as we meet with many leaders—
• Jan 8 to 10—Ethiopia—meetings with Yoseph Menna, our national leader, and leaders from several denominations about partnerships. Planning meetings re new AIDS Cube.
• Jan 11—Uganda—meetings with Joseph Oyuki and Moses Kaziba re 2008 ministry plan.
• Jan 12 to 14—Rwanda—meetings with Rwanda leaders re choosing new national leader for e3.
• Jan 15—Ethiopia—more meetings before evening departure back to States
• Jan 16—return home
• Jan 17—Alycia and Landon, our daughter and son-in-law, return home from Asia!
We need God’s wisdom for all these meetings with key leaders. We need His direction and wisdom for the issues that need resolving, and the opportunities that must be evaluated. Please also pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Thanks, Pr-Air Force.
I can remember my Mom telling me that as a kid. Don’t so look forward to what’s in the future that you want to bypass what’s coming up first.
I’m struggling with this advice today. Next week A and L, our daughter and son-in-law, return home for a visit from Asia. We’re excited anyway about their visit, but now that A is pregnant our eagerness to see them is through the roof!
But today Curtis Hail (e3’s President) and I head to Africa. The trip is a combination of working out problems and evaluating new opportunities. But probably a little heavier on the problem side of the balance than the opportunity side. So an agenda full of issues to resolve this week, coupled with Alycia and Landon’s arrival next week, leaves me in serious “wishing your life away” mode.
So please pray for our trip as we meet with many leaders—
• Jan 8 to 10—Ethiopia—meetings with Yoseph Menna, our national leader, and leaders from several denominations about partnerships. Planning meetings re new AIDS Cube.
• Jan 11—Uganda—meetings with Joseph Oyuki and Moses Kaziba re 2008 ministry plan.
• Jan 12 to 14—Rwanda—meetings with Rwanda leaders re choosing new national leader for e3.
• Jan 15—Ethiopia—more meetings before evening departure back to States
• Jan 16—return home
• Jan 17—Alycia and Landon, our daughter and son-in-law, return home from Asia!
We need God’s wisdom for all these meetings with key leaders. We need His direction and wisdom for the issues that need resolving, and the opportunities that must be evaluated. Please also pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Thanks, Pr-Air Force.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Bolivian Missionaries in Bolivia
Thanks to everyone who gave so our good friends in Bolivia could go on their mission trip to Riberalta, in the north of Bolivia. 20 Bolivians made the trip, as you can see from Enzo’s report below. It always gives us great joy to see the passion they have in Bolivia for reaching their country! Praise God with us as you watch this short online slide show—
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Enzo G. Saavedra
To: Mike Jorgensen
Subject: Trip to Rberalta
Good afternoon Mike,
This are som information from the trip to Riberalata, I will be sending pictures later. if you need some specific information just call us.
7 Mother Churches
7 New points
20 Nacional volunteers
108 Local workers
59 Cubes distributed
1,602 Gospel presentations
1,146 Professions of Faith
793 Discipleships
There were 14 persons that went form Santa Cruz and 6 from Trinidad.
God was good on this mission trip taking care of everyone and giving good fruits.
Enzo
From: Enzo G. Saavedra
To: Mike Jorgensen
Subject: Trip to Rberalta
Good afternoon Mike,
This are som information from the trip to Riberalata, I will be sending pictures later. if you need some specific information just call us.
7 Mother Churches
7 New points
20 Nacional volunteers
108 Local workers
59 Cubes distributed
1,602 Gospel presentations
1,146 Professions of Faith
793 Discipleships
There were 14 persons that went form Santa Cruz and 6 from Trinidad.
God was good on this mission trip taking care of everyone and giving good fruits.
Enzo
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Ethiopia's 9/11
What would you do if fanatics in your town killed some of your Christian friends and burned your church down?
About a year ago while we were commemorating 9/11, Muslims went on a rampage in the region of Jimma, Ethiopia. Many evangelical believers were killed, as well as members of the Orthodox church. Churches were burned. Other churches were turned into mosques.
But our friends in Ethiopia did not shrink back, they moved forward.
"TA" shared with me during our visit in Ethiopia that God brought great glory to Himself out of that persecution. The persecution was followed by a wave of miracles confirming the gospel. People were physically healed as evangelists preached. Some of the Muslims who killed Christians had visions of Jesus as they worshipped at their mosques. Several accepted Christ as their Savior, and then testified to others about the visions they had had.
Evangelicals banded together and shared clothes and encouragement with evangelicals and Orthodox alike. Because of that, evangelicals have been invited into Orthodox churches to preach the gospel.
There are now 520 Kale Heywet (Word of Faith) churches in this region. Their goal is to plant 300 new churches in the next 5 years. Please pray for them as they work to train enough new leaders to pastor these new churches.
Hear TA's testimony by clicking on the link below.
About a year ago while we were commemorating 9/11, Muslims went on a rampage in the region of Jimma, Ethiopia. Many evangelical believers were killed, as well as members of the Orthodox church. Churches were burned. Other churches were turned into mosques.
But our friends in Ethiopia did not shrink back, they moved forward.
"TA" shared with me during our visit in Ethiopia that God brought great glory to Himself out of that persecution. The persecution was followed by a wave of miracles confirming the gospel. People were physically healed as evangelists preached. Some of the Muslims who killed Christians had visions of Jesus as they worshipped at their mosques. Several accepted Christ as their Savior, and then testified to others about the visions they had had.
Evangelicals banded together and shared clothes and encouragement with evangelicals and Orthodox alike. Because of that, evangelicals have been invited into Orthodox churches to preach the gospel.
There are now 520 Kale Heywet (Word of Faith) churches in this region. Their goal is to plant 300 new churches in the next 5 years. Please pray for them as they work to train enough new leaders to pastor these new churches.
Hear TA's testimony by clicking on the link below.
60 Churches Plant 60 More
Merdekiyos Meja attended our Ethiopia Leadership Conference in early 2005. As the leader of a district that then had 60 churches, he went home “infected” with a vision. He shared that vision for multiplying those existing churches with his district pastors. Today those 60 have planted 60 more! They doubled in less than 3 years! All this took place in a region of Ethiopia that has experienced great persecution from Muslims (see entry above).
As one of their national leaders put it, this is historic in their denomination—an entire district doubling so quickly.
32 of the churches now have buildings, which they paid for with local tithes and offerings. The other 28 meet under trees, in homes and other places.
Please pray that this “infection” will spread throughout Ethiopia.
Hear this testimony--click on link below.
As one of their national leaders put it, this is historic in their denomination—an entire district doubling so quickly.
32 of the churches now have buildings, which they paid for with local tithes and offerings. The other 28 meet under trees, in homes and other places.
Please pray that this “infection” will spread throughout Ethiopia.
Hear this testimony--click on link below.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Dancing with the President (Burundi)
Burundi has the same “Country Threat Security Warning Level” as Iraq! The most dangerous level of 5.
But God is at work here. When we arrived last Sunday our hosts casually said “we’ll be by at 6 to take you to dinner at the President’s house.” The first thought this ole Iowa farm boy had was “Huh? I’ve not even taken a tour of our US White House, and we’re going to DINNER at the Burundi Prez’s house?”
His Excellency, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi (middle of pic on left), accepted Christ as his Savior about two years ago. Now each Sunday evening he has a worship time (this week’s was 3 hours!), followed by dinner. Sometimes he invites local pastors, sometimes international ministry guests visiting Burundi. This week there was a couple from Sweden, 3 other pastors from Texas doing leadership training, our team, plus the nationals hosting each of us.
I’ve never been hugged by a President before. I’ve never danced to praise music with a President before. I’ve never worshipped with a President before. God holds the hearts of kings in His hands. He certainly has a good grip on the President here. Please pray that God will honor his obedience by changing Burundi and bringing peace after more than a decade of civil war.
The President also has his own soccer team that plays around Africa. Its name: “Allelujah FC”!
One more highlight of the night. Two years ago a Burundi pastor named Jérémie attended our leadership conference in Rwanda. I can still remember standing in the lobby of the hotel on my way to the airport. As we shook hands goodbye, Jérémie said “please, please, please come to Burundi.” I gave my standard answer of “we’ll pray, and if God opens the door, we’ll come.”
As I was ushered to my seat at the Burundi “White House,” I was seated right next to Jérémie! God confirmed in those surprising moments that He indeed wanted us there. He gave me good news—his church now has planted 9 churches in Burundi and Zambia, and are planning one in Tanzania soon.
Africa Trip Score: Uganda done / Rwanda done / Burundi completing / off to Ethiopia for last stop.
Blessings.
Mike Jorgensen
But God is at work here. When we arrived last Sunday our hosts casually said “we’ll be by at 6 to take you to dinner at the President’s house.” The first thought this ole Iowa farm boy had was “Huh? I’ve not even taken a tour of our US White House, and we’re going to DINNER at the Burundi Prez’s house?”
His Excellency, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi (middle of pic on left), accepted Christ as his Savior about two years ago. Now each Sunday evening he has a worship time (this week’s was 3 hours!), followed by dinner. Sometimes he invites local pastors, sometimes international ministry guests visiting Burundi. This week there was a couple from Sweden, 3 other pastors from Texas doing leadership training, our team, plus the nationals hosting each of us.
I’ve never been hugged by a President before. I’ve never danced to praise music with a President before. I’ve never worshipped with a President before. God holds the hearts of kings in His hands. He certainly has a good grip on the President here. Please pray that God will honor his obedience by changing Burundi and bringing peace after more than a decade of civil war.
The President also has his own soccer team that plays around Africa. Its name: “Allelujah FC”!
One more highlight of the night. Two years ago a Burundi pastor named Jérémie attended our leadership conference in Rwanda. I can still remember standing in the lobby of the hotel on my way to the airport. As we shook hands goodbye, Jérémie said “please, please, please come to Burundi.” I gave my standard answer of “we’ll pray, and if God opens the door, we’ll come.”As I was ushered to my seat at the Burundi “White House,” I was seated right next to Jérémie! God confirmed in those surprising moments that He indeed wanted us there. He gave me good news—his church now has planted 9 churches in Burundi and Zambia, and are planning one in Tanzania soon.
Africa Trip Score: Uganda done / Rwanda done / Burundi completing / off to Ethiopia for last stop.
Blessings.
Mike Jorgensen
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