Part of My Journal entries

4:30 pm 10/21/2007 some where over the Atlantic Ocean…

I heard at least 5 languages and saw people from ten different ethnic peoples at the Minneapolis airport today. We live in an amazing time, and it is so clear at times that God has arranged to times and places where peoples should live and move and have their being. We must make a way for the gospel amongst those near and far.

We are in the air now (Tom and I) headed for Frankfort, Germany. We will get their about 5:30 in the morning there. Then head to Moscow, Russia about three hours later. How amazing that we can get around our own small planet so quickly when only a week short decades ago it took weeks.

9:45 am 10/23/2007 Ryazan, Russia – New Horizons Center

We arrived last night here in Rayzan in the dark. The food has been good, nothing that Fear Facture will be worried about. Dema picked us up at the airport and drove us all the way here in about 4 hours. The roads have improved greatly since my last visit in 2001.

Today we have a packed schedule with meetings every couple of hours. We will hear all the ideas these brothers have and well and discuss the resources and possibilities. I am hoping we can get some discussion of the biblical roots commerce in a stealth manner. Pray for these brothers.

One idea that has already been mentioned which we already outlined for Mongolia is an auto parts franchise. There is a brother here who has already offered to give (donate?) about 30K of parts to help start a car parts store. This has unique possibilities like, very relationship rich environment, franchising is possible with reproducibility of teams with our dual purposes in mind for church planting. Also there is no national chain here already, only ones, tootsies. This could also be combined with complimentary business lines, such as carwashes, or service, oil change garages.

Everyone seems to have gotten a good night sleep. I only woke up once and took another Excedrin Pm and went back to sleep. Only a 7 hour ride over the Atlantic seemed shorter and easier to me than 12-14 over the Pacific. I guess it is all in Perspective.

Tom has agreed to take notes, (which it seems he is good at) that way I can concentrate on asking questions and interaction. Praying for the insight of Issachar today (I Chronicles 12:32) “men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do….”

Here we go….10:07 am…

9:19 pm 10/23/2007 Back at the New Horizons Center

We had three long meetings today

#1 With Victor & Vladimir – Church planter/pastors. They shares ideas about the businesses that would help their ministries. First was a puppet making company that they have already started. They would expand it with and be able to sell about $5000 gross a year with about half being profit. This would only create supplemental income, since a family of 4-5 needs about $500/month. It would be a learning experience for them. The second idea has more merit. Buying old flats in the downtown district of Rayzan and converting them to commercial space and then leasing or selling them. This could be quite profitable in the six figure range. The time frame for this is limited to the next two or three years, but the capital could be reinvested. The concern for the team (Scott, Tom, Steve) is too much money to fast. We would need a plan and agreement to make sure these brothers reinvest a fair portion of the money back into ministry, other Kingdom business development. The need for K business development is evident here.

#2 With Andrei and Nastie – They are church planting in an apartment complex and have started a hair salon. 8 months into it they believe they are going to make it and break even somewhere around 18 months. They are full of questions; desire how to make their business more affective for the Gospel and more profitable. This has franchise and reproducibility possibilities build right into it. They both expressed a desire to learn from western business coaches. They are reaching young people which also fits into a growth pattern. They also have a concern for the (Romani) Gypsy population here and desire to reach them with the Gospel, which is an unreached ethnic people here. This is the strongest idea to come out of the day.

#3 With Victor – Pastor of Resurrection Church – An older, declining congregation. He was the most conservative of the people we met today. He is working at a carpenter/tradesman to supplement his income. He struggle s to do both work and ministry and tends to see them as competing. This, I think, is because in his world, they do. His trade is fairly solitary, and ministry in the church is people rich and time demanding. He is a dear brother, who came to Christ in a miraculous way, but he is very conservative and not entrepreneurial in spirit (he didn’t start the congregation; he took over as pastor five years ago. Perhaps he could fit into a real estate, renovation business related to the first meeting today.

We travel tomorrow out west two more hours to a rural village church planting area. Please pray for us to continue to have wisdom and diplomacy. I could tell you were praying today, especially when I felt in need of questions and loving diplomacy in the last meeting.

I love you all (Amy, Sam, Luke, Hud, Mo). Thanks to everyone else for your continued prayers.