The Compassionate Edge ~ January 2020

HELLO FRIENDS,

It's a new year full of new opportunities!

LOOKING FORWARD:
After months of prayer, a year of volunteering with CompassionLink, and an invitation by director JoAnn Butrin, Stuart and I are looking forward to continuing our missionary career with International Ministries. As you know, making disciples in a compassionate capacity has always been near to our hearts; first as directors of New Vision children's home in Jamaica and then later as we served with Teen Challenge in Mexico City.

CompassionLink has a holistic, strategic, and sustainable approach to missions that empowers communities and churches to flourish. For us, joining CompassionLink just makes sense; it combines our compassionate missions experience with an ever-maturing paradigm of what successful missions should look like.

Stuart will continue working with the sustainable development team as well as train with the various ministries under the umbrella of CompassionLink. Likewise, Stuart is looking forward to a lot more global travel (like his recent trip to Burkina Faso). Wendy is also looking forward to coming on board as an educator to train missionary associates who join the ministry family.

Until then, Wendy is looking forward to Global Impact Week at Evangel University in the early part of March. Missionaries representing all regions will engage students in classrooms, chapel services, during hall take-overs and meal times. Wendy (missionary in residence), Darlene Robison (director for Missionary Church Planters and Developers), and Ron Maddux (regional director of No. Asia) will preach about God's global work and everyone's opportunity to participate.

Lastly, Stuart and I are looking forward to connecting with you very soon (especially this summer but also throughout the year). It's that season again to travel, share all the exciting opportunities God has in store for us, and raise the moolah to get it done. We'll be in touch!

Stuart with the CompassionLink team as they began their journey to Burkina Faso.

ASKING FOR PRAYER:
Please pray for Stuart and me. Although, Stuart and I are confident of God's will in this transition, it's still difficult. No one is more surprised than us at this turn of events in our lives. We appreciate your prayers as we, once again, navigate an unexpected change. Regardless, Stuart and I know from past experience, God is faithful in the unpredictable.

Please pray for Global Impact Week at Evangel University - that students will discern the voice and direction of God; for World Changers missions club - who have a lot of responsibility in making this hectic week happen; and for all the global workers who will share their experiences, offer their counsel, and encourage our future global workers.

Burkina Faso has been in our hearts and prayers since the trip.

OFFERING UP THANKS:
Stuart and I are thankful for our friends and families.
Grateful for the future generation of global workers we are mentoring at Evangel.
Pleased with our new ministry family at CompassionLink.
Thankful for your prayers.
Excited for our future.
And so very appreciative of all our faithful supporters.

Jack, our Schnauzer, is a resilient TCK (Third Culture Kanine); 

born and raised in Mexico City, he's adjusting to life in the US.

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The Merry Christmas Missive ~ December 2019

Hello friends,

It’s been such a wonderful year of new experiences, new challenges, and new family members!

Fall recap at CompassionLink:

In October, Stuart helped clean and fry about 150 fish for CompassionLink's 2nd annual fish fry to benefit their ministry. Local pastors, community members, and AG leaders toured the greenhouse, learned about the aquaponics system (where the fish were raised), and celebrated with the CompassionLink crew for another successful year of serving the worldwide church through partnering with missionaries, pastors, and community members.

At the invitation of the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Burkina Faso, CompassionLink visited (among other places) an Assemblies of God hospital and Christian school. The Christian school is available for those unable to afford their school otherwise. The leadership, therefore, needs sustainable solutions to pay their expenses which includes housing and feeding their students. This is what CompassionLink is all about. Partnering with Christian ministries like this to find sustainable solutions so they can minister long-term and effectively.

Stuart helped raise, clean, and fry 150 fish for CompassionLink's annual fish fry.

What a joy to connect with what God is doing in Burkina Faso.

Semester recap at Evangel University:
Wendy and World Changers missions club hosted one of their favorite events this semester: Secret Church. This year's experience focused on the church in Northern Asia. Guest missionary shared personal stories of life and ministry in China. Students listened intently, asked poignant questions, and prayed fervently for our guest and for our sisters and brothers around the globe.

Our end of year gathering included more lighthearted festivities. Students created gingerbread house churches, decorated ugly Christmas sweater cookies, and feasted on hot chocolate and goodies.

Next semester we bring the world to campus for Global Impact week. US and world missionaries will join us for five purpose-filled days of raising awareness and helping students find their place in God's global mission.

Evangel University's World Changers missions club hosted Secret Church: Northern Asia Experience

End of year festivities included decorating ugly Christmas sweater cookies.

Giving thanks: 
Stuart and I are thankful for our families.
Overjoyed to celebrate Olivia's recent wedding.
Grateful to welcome Brandon into our family.
Greatly satisfied to serve people in diverse and far-flung places.
Pleased with the future generation of missionaries being raised up at Evangel.
And last of all, but not least of all, appreciative of all our faithful supporters.

Both our son Wesley (bridesman) and Sophia (maid of honor) stood aside their sister Olivia at her wedding.

Stuart and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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The Missive ~ Summer 2019 (July - September)

Hello friends,

Ready for a recap of our summer?

Since we last talked, Stuart and I celebrated our son's wedding, traveled to Florida for General Council, and then enjoyed a "family reunion" at Together '19 (the largest gathering of Assemblies of God global workers we've ever had in one place, I believe). We are grateful for the many pastors and churches who made this time special for all of us. Thanks especially to The Caring Place (Jon Susa), River City Church (Robby Bradford), Grace Assembly of God (Wayne Murray), Realife Church (Adam Detamore), and Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (David M Wigington).

Katie & Wesley share their first dance.

And then their second. It was a fun wedding.

Ready for some exciting news?
During General Council, JoAnn Butrin (director of International Ministries) sat down with the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Burkina Faso. As it turns out, the general superintendent’s son runs a school and a children’s home in their beloved country. Furthermore, he has extended an invitation to CompassionLink to join him in Burkina Faso to talk about sustainable methods for long-term growth and health of the ministry. In turn, CompassionLink extended an invitation to Stuart to join them on this trip (October 28-Nov 5).

As you know, Stuart has been working full-time as a volunteer at CompassionLink since the beginning of the year. Although, grateful for the invitation Stuart and I wondered how we would come up with the necessary funds. Due to send out a newsletter, I began to craft a plea. However, would there be enough time to raise the funds? Or would Stuart have to pass up the opportunity for a later one? The answer came sooner than either of us expected when the very next day, Stuart received word that JoAnn Butrin and CompassionLink secured the funds on Stuart’s behalf and the trip is completely paid for!

Evangel University World Changers Mission Club prepares to raise awareness and encourage involvement in God's global mission.

In the garden center, CompassionLink also raises bunnies. These happy rabbits are relieved to tell you of the upcoming CompassionLink Fish Fry on October 1 to raise funds.

Ready to pray?
Please pray for ... the Burkina Faso trip: may it be a productive relationship-building time as the national church and the CompassionLink team find sustainable solutions together.

CompassionLink's Fish Fry fundraiser on October 1. May supporters and potential supporters be energized by all that the team is doing to develop, train, and provide compassionate and sustainable solutions worldwide.

a personal request: our daughter Olivia gets married in December. We'll all be traveling to North Carolina for the nuptials as soon as the semester ends.

Olivia and Brandon will be dancing at their own wedding soon.

Proud sister Sophia and friends look over the happy couple.

Thanks, friends, for your faithful support. Stuart & Wendy

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The Missive ~ Spring 2019

Hello friends,

Stuart continues to work with CompassionLink - an International Ministry with AGWM, as I (Wendy) prepare for my final year as Missionary in Residence at Evangel University,

Just recently, CompassionLink welcomed golfers and guests to a complimentary steak dinner on the eve of its annual Golf Classic. Specialty items from around the world helped to raise funds in a silent auction and exceptional door prizes surprised a few grateful attendees.

Donna Barrett, general secretary of the Assemblies of God, encourages donors at the CompassionLink golf classic.

CompassionLink partners with AGWM missionaries and the communities they serve to find and use locally available resources to create spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthier communities. In preparation, the CompassionLink team customizes seminars, clinics, and projects to adapt to unique environments.

For example, in our last newsletter, I described the aquaponics process of siphoning off fish waste to fertilize and grow vegetables - a sustainable project to feed a family or a village. As you can see (below), the hydroponically grown buttercrunch lettuce that Stuart planted weeks ago thrives in the greenhouse at CompassionLink.

Buttercrunch lettuce thrives in the CompassionLink greenhouse.

As handyman Scott looks on (and as I teased on social media), Stuart and MSU intern Marcus show off their current project - a rocket stove! This highly efficient stove requires much less fuel – imagine only needing small branches or twigs to cook a meal – while significantly reducing smoke to allow a healthier living environment. Materials used to make the stove can be found almost anywhere in the world which makes this a wise and sustainable option.

Stuart and company build a rocket stove

These are just a few of the many unique ways CompassionLink serves the world.

School’s out for summer, but as Missionary in Residence at Evangel University the fall semester promises two (very) full classes in New Testament Literature and Introduction to Intercultural Ministries. As faculty advisor of World Changers Missions Fellowship, I look forward to a great year promoting missions and mentoring the next generation of global workers. 

Even better than building rocket stoves and tweaking lectures, Stuart and I will celebrate with family and friends at the wedding of (our son) Wesley and Katie (Lafon) in July. Then we are off to General Council and Together '19 in August.

Wesley and Katie

Thanks, friends, for your faithful support. See you soon!

Stuart & Wendy

Stuart and I visited my family in Connecticut recently to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.

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How Fortunate We Are

Recently, I visited with a kind and dedicated professional in her office. Before we got down to business, we chatted a bit as people like to do (well, as extroverts like to do, and as introverts loathe to do). Realizing that I am a global worker, she mentioned she had been on a few short-term, cross-cultural trips. The small-talk portion of our meeting ended when she related to me how she wanted to eventually bring her young son on a cross-cultural trip so that he could know how fortunate he is.

“So, he could know how fortunate he is.” I smiled weakly as her words hung between us. I wish I had the presence of mind in that moment to ask her to finish that thought. But thanks to newfound allergies, my congested and scratchy-throated self could only offer her one of those I’m-just-going-to-smile-at-you-weirdly-and-not-comment-because-you-seem-like-a-nice-person-but-what-you-just-said-sounded-a-bit-odd-to-me looks.

My untimely loss for words led to a momentary silence and an awkward segue before we proceeded to talk about other things. Yet, if I could go back and grab those words out of the air, I would ask her to finish her thought, “How fortunate he is … to what?”

How would you respond?

I imagine we might say things like: “I want my son to know how fortunate he is to live in the US.” “I want my daughter to know how fortunate she is to want for nothing.” “I want my children to know how fortunate they are to have nice things.”

But what does our responses say about what we value? Or what we think God values? 

I propose that wanting to participate in a cross-cultural trip so that we can know how fortunate we are, is a rather unfortunate reason to go and often an unfortunate by-product of going. Many short-term trip participants return home with the guilt-induced revelation, “We don’t know how good we have it here,” while the rest of us applaud their enlightened view. But I dare say, we are missing something quite profound about cross-cultural trips if we come back with the flawed notion, we are more fortunate than everyone else in the world because of what we have (or what we know, or whatever). 

I appreciate the professional I chatted with. I believe her genuine concern and generous spirit make her the effective professional that she is. I appreciate she wanted her son to learn gratitude (for I trust that is what she meant and probably would have clarified if I gave her the chance). But I don’t believe we nurture gratitude through comparison. I believe comparison nurtures something far less virtuous.

Comparison focuses on what I have and what (I perceive) you don’t have. And feeling fortunate for what I have (and what you don’t) and assuming what I have is better (and what you have is not) isn’t gratitude. It’s pride. Likewise, “We don’t know how good we have it here,” isn’t a testimony. It’s a confession. An unwitting acknowledgement that we think our stuff (our know-how, our whatever) is superior.

Here’s the thing, going on a cross-cultural trip isn’t about being the sole provider or even the better provider of material resources (or knowledge, or whatever) to the people we meet wherever we travel. It’s about, at least in part, humbly showing up with what we have to offer, truly valuing what other people have to offer, and intentionally learning from the other how we can work together for the glory of God. Gratitude playing an essential role in that whole dynamic.

I believe we can nurture gratitude wherever we go, when we pause to appreciate God’s grace wherever we find it. And let me tell you, we can find God’s grace everywhere, for God is everywhere. The next time you travel to a foreign land (or down the street, for that matter) I challenge you to ask yourself a few questions. Ask yourself if you can see the face of God in the people you pass; if you can feel the presence of God in the hands you grasp; if you can discern the voice of God in the languages you hear. Because if you can, you are fortunate indeed.

And for that, we can be truly grateful.

Our family walking near the Zócalo in Ciudad de México 2012.