Here's the latest update from our friends Dennis Greeson and Asa Crow. Please continue to pray for the Lord's guidance a protection. - Tim
As I attempt this last update, I struggle to write for my heart is failing to hand any words to my groping fingers. This letter might be much longer in the making than my last ones. I center myself; quiet the turmoil that has been birthed from the contagious restlessness that hangs in India’s every breath. And as I do this, I find that I have great reason to rejoice: the fog is clearing and I can see the road we have just traveled, and I am thrilled at where the Lord has taken us.
Asa and I arrived in Bangalore yesterday at around 9:30am, having left Kolkatta that morning at around 6am (meaning we woke up and left for the airport at around 3:45). Asa has heard me say this many times, but there is nothing that allows one to appreciate Bangalore more than a week in Kolkata. It feels good to be here. There is silence for the first time in over a week—Asa sits across the desk from me here in the office enjoying the peace and taking advantage of the rare solitude.
Our time in Kolkata since the last update was a mixture of weariness, eventually giving way to rejuvenation; time spent combing the streets, ending in wonderful rest at Matt’s house with much-needed fellowship stirred in; a sense futility, growing into a marvelous faith in the goodness of God and the blessing of knowing He planted seeds through us.
After I sent out the last letter asking for prayer for us, specifically for Asa and his stomach, Asa got better. He was put on some heavy antibiotics and slept pretty hard with the sedatives we gave him. Continuing to eat, his health quickly returned to normal, and he seems to be back to his normal self. Praise God; it was not a crippling experience, and he seems to have journeyed through with little bitterness towards India and all she has to offer. Definitely he did not walk away from Kolkata slighted in the least, he received the complete experience.
The guy that you prayed for, Saleem from the university, met with me at the scheduled time. He brought two friends, all brandishing boldly their traditional beards with pride, and we decided it best to meet in my hotel room rather than in the crowded coffee bar. Isa, one of the two national brothers who worked with us throughout the week, was there with me.
The conversation teetered on the edge of being called an argument; however it remained peaceful and composed, full of love by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and therefore I think a better term for it would be “discussion”. We jumped right in, sharing our views and such, and talked long into the night. They left three hours later, shaking hands with smiles on their faces. It turned out to be a great conversation, no one lost their dignity, and they heard the true gospel several times.
I walked away feeling like we had just spun around in circles, not really getting any where. We all were very set in our ways, believing our beliefs to be undoubtedly truth. However, I know it is not us who change people, but only Jesus Christ who turns even the hardest hearts to flesh. These guys heard the gospel, which I know has power, and it will be all the Holy Spirit’s doing now. They were what we would call apologists for their faith, two of them leaders in Islamic movements on their campuses: very much men like Saul, who we all know became Paul by the miraculous workings of our Lord. Please pray for these guys, pray their hearts would be softened and drowned by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Life.
The rest of our days there in the downtown part of the city involved a number of great conversations, with many people receiving booklets and material in their own language about our message. Seeds were planted, all I can do now is trust God will be faithful to cultivate them, working in their lives and sending people likes us to follow up with them.
We spent the last three nights at Matt’s house, which is out on the outskirts of town in an apartment complex. It was a great time of being filled up, pouring into the families out there, playing cards, eating together, doing church together, and diving into deep conversations with people who speak our heart-language. Our last night there we had dinner with two journey-girls, Heather and Kayla, which sincerely encouraged all of us. Sharing our stories, our passions for Jesus, and a Western meal filled us up—physically and spiritually, giving us a taste of community that we’ve hungered much for.
I feel I have no words in which to conclude our time in Kolkata with but that our God is both loving and faithful, He leads and takes cares of His children. We were used by Him in ways we’ll never know or understand, our reason for being there is too great for me to grasp; yet I rejoice knowing that He is present, active, and intimately working our lives.
Christmas at the Greeson’s house this morning was a wonderfully simple time. We awoke to cold toes on marble floors, since a cold front had settled in over night. Breakfast was cooked and enjoyed, as well as steaming cups of tea. Then the whole family, Asa included, squeezed into a small breakfast nook where the tiny Christmas tree was hidden by small mounds of colorfully wrapped presents. Presents were opened, laughs were shared, and paper was strewn about the floor since there has been a shortage of trash bags at the house.
It’s been a quiet Christmas day, in the sense that though there is the constant clamor of life in India screaming all around us, we haven’t done much. And we don’t plan on doing anything much the rest of the day either. Asa and I are working on getting caught up on computer stuff, and might go grab a cup of tea before the afternoon is over.
Tomorrow we will drive deep into the Nilgiri Hills, a jungle-blanketed range of mountains nestled in the heart of southern India, and stay there for three days. We hope it to be somewhat of an escape, a time away from the city and the uncomfortable edge that gives life; yet we also hope it to be a time well spent in each other’s company, as one big family again (with a new addition).
Afterwards we will return to Bangalore for a few more days before we fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand, beginning our journey back to the States. We might send out another update in the next couple of weeks, but then again we might not. It somewhat depends on the access we have to a computer with internet, and our willingness to use it.
Still be praying for the work done in Kolkata, the seeds that were planted and lives that had an encounter with Jesus Christ through the lives we’ve lived and the words we’ve spoken. Pray also for the families of Kolkata, and the work that they are doing there. I have a new-found respect for them; please give them the support and encouragement of knowing they are remembered before the Father.
Merry Christmas,
Dennis and Asa.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Real. Life.
I asked a man at church Sunday "How are you doing?" I probably asked 20 people that same question. Most people say, "I'm doing good". This one was different...he actually told me. There was some junk going on. He told me about it and then said in an apologetic tone, "That's probably more than you wanted to know". It wasn't more than I wanted to know...but to be honest it was more than I expected. It was refreshing to see someone take off their church costume and just be...honest. It's impossible to build real community without it. I'm thankful that he felt comfortable enough to share with me. I'm ashamed that I didn't expect it.
Dennis and Asa Update #2
Here's the latest from Dennis and Asa...keep praying. - Tim
Here's an email I sat down and wrote this morning, but was not able to send till now. Since then somethings have happened. We walked the streets all day, talking and following up with some guys. Then this afternoon Asa started feeling dizzy. He's now throwing up every half hour and thinking he's got food poisoning. I'm out getting him some antibiotics we're going to start him on and need to get back to the hotel. Please pray for him. - Dennis
Sitting on the bed in our hotel room, tucked away on a tiny back street near Park Circus in crowed downtown Kolkata, a surge of feelings fill my heart. Its as present as the tides of harsh noise that roll in and out throughout the day and night; horns, crows, people, traffic, motorcycles, rickshaw bells, dogs, doors slamming, water splashing, voices yelling, telephones ringing—they all come in waves and slap against our ears, trying to steal any sense of peace we cling to here in the shelter of our hotel. Like this, feelings crawl overwhelmingly up into my chest, and emotions swoop down and land on my shoulder, pushing me to the ground. I’m discovering Kolkata has an unspoken heaviness about it; a spiritual exhaustion pervades the atmosphere and follows us around the minute we step outside. Discouragement seems to be a constant companion, along with a desire, I’m ashamed to admit, to stay behind locked doors and not venture out to the harshness and fatigue that populates the streets. Thanks be to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, that by His grace we can take courage and battle such fleshly desires. My frustration and war is with my fears, which bid me hide from the world that we come to bring light to; yet by Jesus’ strength we have and fight to continue to endure.Please forgive me and be not tempted to think we are struggling so much. It is only my heart venting, needing to put words to frustrations and discouragements that manifested themselves last night after a long day on the streets. We are really doing well, plodding along and seeing some wonderful things happen. Asa woke up feeling somewhat sick, so please pray for him. Aside from that, he has been a real trooper, interceding for us in prayer every where we go. He has taken the culture shock of being cast into the overwhelming heart of India amazingly. Allow me to give an update on the specific details of what we’ve been doing instead of talk about these hazy feelings and fears that really have no substance. A week ago we boarded a plane in Austin and began a journey that ultimately would take us till Saturday evening to complete. I did not realize that once we got to Los Angeles to fly to Bangkok that instead of breaking the flight across the Pacific up with a fuel stop in Japan or Korea like we normally do, we flew non-stop to Bangkok. At just under 18 hours, it was the longest flight Asa and I had ever taken. Weary and soar we arrived in Bangkok, caught some sleep during the 10 hour lay-over we had there, and then got back on a plane to Bangalore. We were joined by my sister who had flown down from Chiang Mai, Thailand where she goes to boarding school and was returning to India with us for her Christmas break. My family picked us up at the airport in India, where Asa received his first taste of the pandemonium that India is revered for. It took forever to get our bags because three full international flights arrived at the same time, and there was only one and a half baggage belts in a room that appeared it could only accommodate one flight worth of people. It was absolute bedlam. Then we put Asa in the front seat on the way to my house from the airport to introduce him to the wonders of the Indian traffic system, and my father’s driving. We spent the night at my house with my family, being roused from our jet-lag induced sleep by the 5am call to prayer from the local mosque. The day was spent repacking, eating our first Indian meal at a friend’s house, and returning to the airport. Because of the lines, we barely made it on to our flight; however we slumped at last into our seats, thankful to be on the final leg of the journey. Arriving in Kolkata late Saturday evening, Matt Reynolds picked us up at the airport and took us to his house where we spent the night. The next morning brought a very encouraging time, spent playing with Matt and Shannon’s two adorable daughters and experiencing a meeting of their house church. That afternoon we moved to our first hotel downtown, where we spent a restless night as there was nothing to muffle the noises of the streets raging up into our throbbing ears. The next morning we moved to a more peaceful location, and were very thankful for it. Then for the first time we hit the streets, trying to make relationships and direct conversations in a spiritual direction and glory to God, made some headway. Two brothers with an amazing testimony came in that evening and are staying with us at the hotel. We have dearly enjoyed hearing their story and getting to partner with them as they show us what to do. Yesterday we went to an Islamic college and began conversations there, which was really encouraging. We met a guy who has agreed to meet today with us.His name is Saleem, please lift him up in prayer today. This evening we are going to sit down at a coffee shop and look at passages from the Koran and talk about religion and truth. We are meeting on the assumption that I want to learn more about Islam because I have been reading my Koran and want to discuss some passages that I have found about Isa (Jesus) in my search for what is Truth. Please pray for this conversation. Our encounter yesterday with Saleem was I feel by no accident, and I feel God wants to use us to plant seeds in his heart. He is a passionate and fiery young Muslim, who God could use in a powerful way at his university and in the city. Pray the eyes of his heart would be open, that his heart would be softened to the message of Hope through Jesus Christ. Pray that Satan would be bound in his life by the power Jesus gives us as heirs and fellow conquerors, and that ignorance would give way to understanding. Pray for an openness, and for words to be given to me as I share from my heart with him. No doubt I am afraid, but through Christ who gives me words, I will be obedient. Lift us up in your prayers before our Lord, please. That will be taking place tonight at 6pm, which is 6:30am your time, you who are in Texas. It will probably last several hours, so please if you think about, pray for us. The rest of today and tomorrow will be spent going out on the streets and seeing who God brings across our path. I’ll let you know what happens in the next few days. Please pray that we would find strength and encouragement from the Hope we have in Jesus, and that the fears and desires of our flesh would not stand in the way of what He wants to do through us. Pray that we would be courageously obedient. We love you and long to hear from you. We’ll be able to check email every couple of days.
Blessings,
Dennis & Asa
Here's an email I sat down and wrote this morning, but was not able to send till now. Since then somethings have happened. We walked the streets all day, talking and following up with some guys. Then this afternoon Asa started feeling dizzy. He's now throwing up every half hour and thinking he's got food poisoning. I'm out getting him some antibiotics we're going to start him on and need to get back to the hotel. Please pray for him. - Dennis
Sitting on the bed in our hotel room, tucked away on a tiny back street near Park Circus in crowed downtown Kolkata, a surge of feelings fill my heart. Its as present as the tides of harsh noise that roll in and out throughout the day and night; horns, crows, people, traffic, motorcycles, rickshaw bells, dogs, doors slamming, water splashing, voices yelling, telephones ringing—they all come in waves and slap against our ears, trying to steal any sense of peace we cling to here in the shelter of our hotel. Like this, feelings crawl overwhelmingly up into my chest, and emotions swoop down and land on my shoulder, pushing me to the ground. I’m discovering Kolkata has an unspoken heaviness about it; a spiritual exhaustion pervades the atmosphere and follows us around the minute we step outside. Discouragement seems to be a constant companion, along with a desire, I’m ashamed to admit, to stay behind locked doors and not venture out to the harshness and fatigue that populates the streets. Thanks be to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, that by His grace we can take courage and battle such fleshly desires. My frustration and war is with my fears, which bid me hide from the world that we come to bring light to; yet by Jesus’ strength we have and fight to continue to endure.Please forgive me and be not tempted to think we are struggling so much. It is only my heart venting, needing to put words to frustrations and discouragements that manifested themselves last night after a long day on the streets. We are really doing well, plodding along and seeing some wonderful things happen. Asa woke up feeling somewhat sick, so please pray for him. Aside from that, he has been a real trooper, interceding for us in prayer every where we go. He has taken the culture shock of being cast into the overwhelming heart of India amazingly. Allow me to give an update on the specific details of what we’ve been doing instead of talk about these hazy feelings and fears that really have no substance. A week ago we boarded a plane in Austin and began a journey that ultimately would take us till Saturday evening to complete. I did not realize that once we got to Los Angeles to fly to Bangkok that instead of breaking the flight across the Pacific up with a fuel stop in Japan or Korea like we normally do, we flew non-stop to Bangkok. At just under 18 hours, it was the longest flight Asa and I had ever taken. Weary and soar we arrived in Bangkok, caught some sleep during the 10 hour lay-over we had there, and then got back on a plane to Bangalore. We were joined by my sister who had flown down from Chiang Mai, Thailand where she goes to boarding school and was returning to India with us for her Christmas break. My family picked us up at the airport in India, where Asa received his first taste of the pandemonium that India is revered for. It took forever to get our bags because three full international flights arrived at the same time, and there was only one and a half baggage belts in a room that appeared it could only accommodate one flight worth of people. It was absolute bedlam. Then we put Asa in the front seat on the way to my house from the airport to introduce him to the wonders of the Indian traffic system, and my father’s driving. We spent the night at my house with my family, being roused from our jet-lag induced sleep by the 5am call to prayer from the local mosque. The day was spent repacking, eating our first Indian meal at a friend’s house, and returning to the airport. Because of the lines, we barely made it on to our flight; however we slumped at last into our seats, thankful to be on the final leg of the journey. Arriving in Kolkata late Saturday evening, Matt Reynolds picked us up at the airport and took us to his house where we spent the night. The next morning brought a very encouraging time, spent playing with Matt and Shannon’s two adorable daughters and experiencing a meeting of their house church. That afternoon we moved to our first hotel downtown, where we spent a restless night as there was nothing to muffle the noises of the streets raging up into our throbbing ears. The next morning we moved to a more peaceful location, and were very thankful for it. Then for the first time we hit the streets, trying to make relationships and direct conversations in a spiritual direction and glory to God, made some headway. Two brothers with an amazing testimony came in that evening and are staying with us at the hotel. We have dearly enjoyed hearing their story and getting to partner with them as they show us what to do. Yesterday we went to an Islamic college and began conversations there, which was really encouraging. We met a guy who has agreed to meet today with us.His name is Saleem, please lift him up in prayer today. This evening we are going to sit down at a coffee shop and look at passages from the Koran and talk about religion and truth. We are meeting on the assumption that I want to learn more about Islam because I have been reading my Koran and want to discuss some passages that I have found about Isa (Jesus) in my search for what is Truth. Please pray for this conversation. Our encounter yesterday with Saleem was I feel by no accident, and I feel God wants to use us to plant seeds in his heart. He is a passionate and fiery young Muslim, who God could use in a powerful way at his university and in the city. Pray the eyes of his heart would be open, that his heart would be softened to the message of Hope through Jesus Christ. Pray that Satan would be bound in his life by the power Jesus gives us as heirs and fellow conquerors, and that ignorance would give way to understanding. Pray for an openness, and for words to be given to me as I share from my heart with him. No doubt I am afraid, but through Christ who gives me words, I will be obedient. Lift us up in your prayers before our Lord, please. That will be taking place tonight at 6pm, which is 6:30am your time, you who are in Texas. It will probably last several hours, so please if you think about, pray for us. The rest of today and tomorrow will be spent going out on the streets and seeing who God brings across our path. I’ll let you know what happens in the next few days. Please pray that we would find strength and encouragement from the Hope we have in Jesus, and that the fears and desires of our flesh would not stand in the way of what He wants to do through us. Pray that we would be courageously obedient. We love you and long to hear from you. We’ll be able to check email every couple of days.
Blessings,
Dennis & Asa
Monday, December 17, 2007
Call to Die.
As a child I would often hear or read about people who gave their lives for different causes. Missionaries, patriots, activists...I have always marveled at these stories. I vividly remember seeing the images of the Tiananmen Square massacre on the news...the college student standing in front of the tank. I recall memorizing Patrick Henry's speech in 5th grade: "Give me liberty or give me death". I read numerous accounts from Foxe's Book of Martyrs. It's actually something that I gave a lot of thought to as a kid...as morbid as it seems. I've recently found my mind traveling back to these thoughts. I ask myself the question, why do people choose to die when mere words can save their lives? I think maybe it has something to do with the thought of what their lives might look like...without the things that give them meaning. For example, I believe I would die for my wife and children. Why? One reason is that I love them and will do all I can to keep them from harm, but another, underlying reason is that deep down I realize that without them life on earth would lose much of it's meaning. This is the reason the patriot offers his life for liberty...life without it is meaningless anyway. So then the question arises...would I die for Christ? If confronted with the choice of death or a life on earth without him, what would I choose? And...would a life without Christ look much different from the one I live now? I hope I would die for my Jesus, but it seems like I often choose life without him...when death isn't even the alternative.
"For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better." - Philippians 1:21-22
"We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it" - Philippians 1:30
"For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better." - Philippians 1:21-22
"We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it" - Philippians 1:30
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Dennis and Asa Update #1
Our brothers Dennis and Asa have set off on their journey to find where Christ is at work in Kolkata...and join him there. Please continue to pray. Here's their first update:
Brothers and Sisters,
This is my second attempt at writing this letter, and I apologize for now in the early hours of the morning (or late hours of the night?) my mind is cloudy and my heart is numb from the drowsiness that grapples at my body. Soon Asa and I will drive to the airport and get on a plane bound west for Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Many all you have heard our spiel before, but please allow me to pour out my heart again as I let it prepare for the coming days.
My prayer is that I would be stripped of myself; of my plans and my desires. May the Lord strip me of control so that He can show us unhindered where He is at work and what His plan is for us. I feel so many times that I get in the way, yet I long to see God work. May He work in Asa and I despite our weaknesses, fears, sins, and shortcomings. In this way He is glorified in us as He uses imperfect creatures for His perfect plan. He who is strong, wise, and loving; the deep changer-of-hearts, can change us and work to bring about good through us. Therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses and shortcomings, for I know as Paul said in II Cor. 12, that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is perfected in weakness, and through that He is glorified.
In all honesty I am scared. Yet though plagued with doubt, I am rooted in the assurance that my Father has called us, that we are walking in His will, and that He has wonderful plans that, though I might not understand them, are good. He will come through for us, leading us in what He wants us to do, which takes an enormous pressure off my shoulders. My faith is in the One who holds creation in His hand and looks down at His children in love. He has gone before us, His presence is with us, bringing comfort and strength; not for our glory, but for His own.
May we be poured out for those we’ve been called to serve. I long to see God take my heart of stone and mold it into a heart of flesh that loves passionately and selflessly those whom He loves. As 1st John tells us, if we love the Father, then we should love those whom the Father loves. May it be true of us, by His grace.
We are nothing special by anything we ourselves have done; we are simply men whom by the grace of God have been given new Life in Christ and long to see others ushered up also into the Life we have been given. The endeavors we are setting out upon are opportunities given to us by God, who graciously is pleased to include His children in His redemptive love-restoration of His creation. To put it simply, we are seeking to be obedient to God’s call on our life for this trip because we love Him and we love people, and we long to see people come to see Him in all His freedom, joy, hope, and love.
I don’t know what we’re going to do while in Kolkata. And praise God that I don’t, and therefore cannot make any plans. May the Holy Spirit guide us each day where He desires us to go, and may He give us words. Like Christ, we cannot do anything of ourselves, but only accomplish things by seeing where the Father is at work and joining Him there.
Please pray for us as we seek His will for us. Pray for divinely-orchestrated encounters with people, conversations with those within who the Spirit is at work. We need words, and we need courage.
I’m losing battery on m laptop, so I’ll attempt to begin to wrap all this up. First: thank you, you who have supported us, whether financially or with your prayers and thoughts. Though you play an unseen and seemingly not very glorious role, yours is an integral part of what God is doing. It is through your obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit that we are able go and do what God wants us to do. And so we humbly thank you. May you have the joy of celebrating with us what God is doing and will do; we the Body each play different roles, but through them we each get to see the Father glorified through our members as He works and loves through the Body. Thank you so much, and Asa and I will keep you updated.
One of my prayers as well is that you would see God working through our lives, as we step out in faith and love, changed by the Holy Spirit and seeking His will, that you would not only celebrate it but also long for that in your own lives. As we lay down our lives as a joyous sacrifice to a loving Lord, may you be compelled to do the same. May a movement begin as we realize that this life, even the Christian one, is not about us, but about the good Lord that we serve. He who loves us is what it is all about, He is the purpose; may we abandon ourselves to that. I long to live more for Christ, love others deeper, and perhaps by the grace of God I will be taught that throughout this trip. Perhaps as you live through Asa’s and my stories that you would be drawn closer to the heart of God and your life would be changed somehow.
Pray for us. May we have endurance, obedience, and love. Also pray for those whom the Lord longs to set free from sin and death, leading them by His Spirit into new Life. They will not make the transition from being enemies of God to friends of God without opposition from Satan and his armies. Pray against them specifically.
Finally, pray for our safety and health. We leave tomorrow at noon, flying from Austin to Houston, then to Los Angeles, then to Tokyo, then to Bangkok, then to Bangalore, and finally on to Kolkata.
We love you and want to hear from you. We’ll be able to check email every few days. Look for our updates. Until then,
Dennis
Brothers and Sisters,
This is my second attempt at writing this letter, and I apologize for now in the early hours of the morning (or late hours of the night?) my mind is cloudy and my heart is numb from the drowsiness that grapples at my body. Soon Asa and I will drive to the airport and get on a plane bound west for Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Many all you have heard our spiel before, but please allow me to pour out my heart again as I let it prepare for the coming days.
My prayer is that I would be stripped of myself; of my plans and my desires. May the Lord strip me of control so that He can show us unhindered where He is at work and what His plan is for us. I feel so many times that I get in the way, yet I long to see God work. May He work in Asa and I despite our weaknesses, fears, sins, and shortcomings. In this way He is glorified in us as He uses imperfect creatures for His perfect plan. He who is strong, wise, and loving; the deep changer-of-hearts, can change us and work to bring about good through us. Therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses and shortcomings, for I know as Paul said in II Cor. 12, that His grace is sufficient for me and His power is perfected in weakness, and through that He is glorified.
In all honesty I am scared. Yet though plagued with doubt, I am rooted in the assurance that my Father has called us, that we are walking in His will, and that He has wonderful plans that, though I might not understand them, are good. He will come through for us, leading us in what He wants us to do, which takes an enormous pressure off my shoulders. My faith is in the One who holds creation in His hand and looks down at His children in love. He has gone before us, His presence is with us, bringing comfort and strength; not for our glory, but for His own.
May we be poured out for those we’ve been called to serve. I long to see God take my heart of stone and mold it into a heart of flesh that loves passionately and selflessly those whom He loves. As 1st John tells us, if we love the Father, then we should love those whom the Father loves. May it be true of us, by His grace.
We are nothing special by anything we ourselves have done; we are simply men whom by the grace of God have been given new Life in Christ and long to see others ushered up also into the Life we have been given. The endeavors we are setting out upon are opportunities given to us by God, who graciously is pleased to include His children in His redemptive love-restoration of His creation. To put it simply, we are seeking to be obedient to God’s call on our life for this trip because we love Him and we love people, and we long to see people come to see Him in all His freedom, joy, hope, and love.
I don’t know what we’re going to do while in Kolkata. And praise God that I don’t, and therefore cannot make any plans. May the Holy Spirit guide us each day where He desires us to go, and may He give us words. Like Christ, we cannot do anything of ourselves, but only accomplish things by seeing where the Father is at work and joining Him there.
Please pray for us as we seek His will for us. Pray for divinely-orchestrated encounters with people, conversations with those within who the Spirit is at work. We need words, and we need courage.
I’m losing battery on m laptop, so I’ll attempt to begin to wrap all this up. First: thank you, you who have supported us, whether financially or with your prayers and thoughts. Though you play an unseen and seemingly not very glorious role, yours is an integral part of what God is doing. It is through your obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit that we are able go and do what God wants us to do. And so we humbly thank you. May you have the joy of celebrating with us what God is doing and will do; we the Body each play different roles, but through them we each get to see the Father glorified through our members as He works and loves through the Body. Thank you so much, and Asa and I will keep you updated.
One of my prayers as well is that you would see God working through our lives, as we step out in faith and love, changed by the Holy Spirit and seeking His will, that you would not only celebrate it but also long for that in your own lives. As we lay down our lives as a joyous sacrifice to a loving Lord, may you be compelled to do the same. May a movement begin as we realize that this life, even the Christian one, is not about us, but about the good Lord that we serve. He who loves us is what it is all about, He is the purpose; may we abandon ourselves to that. I long to live more for Christ, love others deeper, and perhaps by the grace of God I will be taught that throughout this trip. Perhaps as you live through Asa’s and my stories that you would be drawn closer to the heart of God and your life would be changed somehow.
Pray for us. May we have endurance, obedience, and love. Also pray for those whom the Lord longs to set free from sin and death, leading them by His Spirit into new Life. They will not make the transition from being enemies of God to friends of God without opposition from Satan and his armies. Pray against them specifically.
Finally, pray for our safety and health. We leave tomorrow at noon, flying from Austin to Houston, then to Los Angeles, then to Tokyo, then to Bangkok, then to Bangalore, and finally on to Kolkata.
We love you and want to hear from you. We’ll be able to check email every few days. Look for our updates. Until then,
Dennis
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
To India...With Love.
Please read this letter from my friend Dennis Greeson. Dennis is a student at UMHB and a leader at The Vista. He's only 19, but he has a heart for Christ and a passion to share his heart with Muslims in South Asia. Please commit to pray for for Dennis and his partner on this trip, Asa Crow. They are trusting in God, claiming that the Holy Spirit has already gone before them and is working in the hearts of people in Kolkata. They are seeking where God is at work. I will post updates on this blog as I recieve them. They need our prayers.
Brothers and Sisters,
Although it is December, the air wafting around the bench upon which I sit is warm. The sky is a hazy white, which would like to boast its grey, however it bears no further rain, having relinquished all of it last night. The evidence of this is seen in a film of moisture that gives a clean sheen to everything around me. Had I been anywhere else, at anyother time, I would swear monsoon season had arrived to bless me; however here in Central Texas there is no such thing, especially in the midst of the arrival of winter. In any case, the unexpected weather births in me a certain nostalgia and raises the eyes of my thoughts toward the coming weeks and the journey that looms before Asa and me. I am delighting in our Father because of this wonderful morning He has given me, and praising Him for where He is taking us. I am afraid I am overdue in writing this letter, but please discount that as you hear my desperate request. As many of you know, a little over a week from know—on the 12th of December, my friend and brother Asa and I will be boarding a plane bound for India . Allow me to briefly give some background on this: Almost a year ago I was on the road and allowing my thoughts to wander. Through the course of that thought-trail, I realized that there was a certain emptiness in my life. In putting words to it I understood it to be that I had no need for God. In my daily life I was sufficiently making it, living life here and going through each day, in my ignorance, without God. I was subconsciously convinced that I could make it on my own, and when I realized that, I wanted nothing more than for that to be stripped of me. I longed for God to strip me of the control I had on my life. This began a journey in my life that would months later lead me to the Maldives , a chain of islands off the western coast of India . While there, I lived on various islands for about a month, giving the gospel to all who would listen, relying on God for everything from where to stay the night to which direction to go while walking the streets of Male, the capital. God did so much in my life, and worked in amazing ways in the Maldives despite my shortcomings. In returning to the States, my friend Asa and I began talking and dreaming. Soon we began praying, asking God for direction as we felt Him leading us somewhere during the Christmas break. Within a month or two, God opened a door, and readily we stepped in, which leads us to our current position. God has provided all the financial support, and even an abundance. He has taken care of all the details. And He has not failed to be working in our hearts throughout this whole time. Therefore, in little over a week Asa and I are setting off forKolkata , India with desire in our hearts to serve, trusting God for each step we need to take. We have very little idea as to what He will have us actually doing; we trust that He will reveal that in His timing, and be faithful to lead us. Through this we are nervous, but rejoicing in the fact that everything about this trip is not in our control, but in His hands that are both loving and wild. To settle some doubts in our hearts, God has in the last few weeks allowed us to go through some serious spiritual warfare. Despite the fear and despair it has stirred us, we take it as a sign that we are a threat to Satan and the forces of evil, and therefore rejoice that we are walking in the will of our Father. I will include no details about all this, so as not to give undue glory to Satan; but please sense the weight of all this. God longs to do something through us, and Satan quakes because of it. This brings me to my request. We would be fools to attempt to set out on this trip, venturing into such a dark city under the premise of doing the will of our Lord, without the covering of prayer from our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. This is my plea: each of you have come to mind because I know or it has been made known to me how serious prayer is to each of you—warriors, we need your prayers. We need them desperately. We need you to commit to interceding for us and those whom Jesus longs to set free from the bondage of sin and death, fighting along side us as we are about Kingdom work. Here are some specifics for you to pray for:
- Physical safety and wellness.
- Logistical details, from flights and luggage, to daily issues that might arise.
- Asa and my relationship, may nothing be allowed to come between us.
- Leading and direction of the Holy Spirit.
- Hearts that are in the right place, sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit .
- A dependence on God and not on man.
- The binding of Satan in the hearts of those God is working in.
- That we would find a “Man of Peace”, someone whom God will use to lead many more souls to Him than we ever could.
- A movement among the Muslim in Kolkata would begin - For the seeds that will be planted during this trip.
I will be writing updates throughout the trip to keep you informed of what more you can pray for, and what God is doing. Please email me with your questions, and if you would like to encourage us, even your prayers. Thank you so much.
Dennis
thegreeson2003@hotmail.com
Mission is not an event...it's a movement. It doesn't take an institution to accomplish it...it takes broken and surrendered hearts...offered up. - Tim
Brothers and Sisters,
Although it is December, the air wafting around the bench upon which I sit is warm. The sky is a hazy white, which would like to boast its grey, however it bears no further rain, having relinquished all of it last night. The evidence of this is seen in a film of moisture that gives a clean sheen to everything around me. Had I been anywhere else, at anyother time, I would swear monsoon season had arrived to bless me; however here in Central Texas there is no such thing, especially in the midst of the arrival of winter. In any case, the unexpected weather births in me a certain nostalgia and raises the eyes of my thoughts toward the coming weeks and the journey that looms before Asa and me. I am delighting in our Father because of this wonderful morning He has given me, and praising Him for where He is taking us. I am afraid I am overdue in writing this letter, but please discount that as you hear my desperate request. As many of you know, a little over a week from know—on the 12th of December, my friend and brother Asa and I will be boarding a plane bound for India . Allow me to briefly give some background on this: Almost a year ago I was on the road and allowing my thoughts to wander. Through the course of that thought-trail, I realized that there was a certain emptiness in my life. In putting words to it I understood it to be that I had no need for God. In my daily life I was sufficiently making it, living life here and going through each day, in my ignorance, without God. I was subconsciously convinced that I could make it on my own, and when I realized that, I wanted nothing more than for that to be stripped of me. I longed for God to strip me of the control I had on my life. This began a journey in my life that would months later lead me to the Maldives , a chain of islands off the western coast of India . While there, I lived on various islands for about a month, giving the gospel to all who would listen, relying on God for everything from where to stay the night to which direction to go while walking the streets of Male, the capital. God did so much in my life, and worked in amazing ways in the Maldives despite my shortcomings. In returning to the States, my friend Asa and I began talking and dreaming. Soon we began praying, asking God for direction as we felt Him leading us somewhere during the Christmas break. Within a month or two, God opened a door, and readily we stepped in, which leads us to our current position. God has provided all the financial support, and even an abundance. He has taken care of all the details. And He has not failed to be working in our hearts throughout this whole time. Therefore, in little over a week Asa and I are setting off forKolkata , India with desire in our hearts to serve, trusting God for each step we need to take. We have very little idea as to what He will have us actually doing; we trust that He will reveal that in His timing, and be faithful to lead us. Through this we are nervous, but rejoicing in the fact that everything about this trip is not in our control, but in His hands that are both loving and wild. To settle some doubts in our hearts, God has in the last few weeks allowed us to go through some serious spiritual warfare. Despite the fear and despair it has stirred us, we take it as a sign that we are a threat to Satan and the forces of evil, and therefore rejoice that we are walking in the will of our Father. I will include no details about all this, so as not to give undue glory to Satan; but please sense the weight of all this. God longs to do something through us, and Satan quakes because of it. This brings me to my request. We would be fools to attempt to set out on this trip, venturing into such a dark city under the premise of doing the will of our Lord, without the covering of prayer from our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. This is my plea: each of you have come to mind because I know or it has been made known to me how serious prayer is to each of you—warriors, we need your prayers. We need them desperately. We need you to commit to interceding for us and those whom Jesus longs to set free from the bondage of sin and death, fighting along side us as we are about Kingdom work. Here are some specifics for you to pray for:
- Physical safety and wellness.
- Logistical details, from flights and luggage, to daily issues that might arise.
- Asa and my relationship, may nothing be allowed to come between us.
- Leading and direction of the Holy Spirit.
- Hearts that are in the right place, sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit .
- A dependence on God and not on man.
- The binding of Satan in the hearts of those God is working in.
- That we would find a “Man of Peace”, someone whom God will use to lead many more souls to Him than we ever could.
- A movement among the Muslim in Kolkata would begin - For the seeds that will be planted during this trip.
I will be writing updates throughout the trip to keep you informed of what more you can pray for, and what God is doing. Please email me with your questions, and if you would like to encourage us, even your prayers. Thank you so much.
Dennis
thegreeson2003@hotmail.com
Mission is not an event...it's a movement. It doesn't take an institution to accomplish it...it takes broken and surrendered hearts...offered up. - Tim
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thanks.
In case you're looking for some reasons to be thankful this week, here are a few:
1. In the Asian, African and Latin American countries, well over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank has called "absolute poverty".
2. Every year 15 million children die of hunger.
3. One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5.
4. Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion - a majority of humanity - live on less than $1 per day, while the world's 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world's people.
5. 3 billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2/day.
6. Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished.
7. Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger.
Gives us some perspective...doesn't it?
"When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been intrusted with much, even more will be required." - Luke 12:48b NLT
1. In the Asian, African and Latin American countries, well over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank has called "absolute poverty".
2. Every year 15 million children die of hunger.
3. One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5.
4. Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion - a majority of humanity - live on less than $1 per day, while the world's 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world's people.
5. 3 billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2/day.
6. Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished.
7. Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger.
Gives us some perspective...doesn't it?
"When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been intrusted with much, even more will be required." - Luke 12:48b NLT
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Forgotten Ways.
I've been reading the book The Forgotten Ways - Reactivating the missional church by Alan Hirsch. Hirsch is a pastor/church planter/missionary in South Melbourn, Australia. Here are a few quotes that have resonated with me:
"Mission must take place in and through every aspect of life. And this is done by Christians everywhere. Both forms of mission - the apostolic mission of the community - as well as the individual expression of God's people must be activated if we are to become a truly missional church."
"I have come to the unnerving conclusion that God's people are more potent by far when they have little of what we would recognize as church institution in their life together."
"Phenomenal Jesus movements grow precisely because they do not have centralized institutions to block growth through control... remarkable Jesus movements have the feel of a movement, have structure as a network, and spread like viruses."
"...we ought to try and see how we can engage our culture on its own turf (missional), rather than expecting them to come to ours (attractional)."
"Mission must take place in and through every aspect of life. And this is done by Christians everywhere. Both forms of mission - the apostolic mission of the community - as well as the individual expression of God's people must be activated if we are to become a truly missional church."
"I have come to the unnerving conclusion that God's people are more potent by far when they have little of what we would recognize as church institution in their life together."
"Phenomenal Jesus movements grow precisely because they do not have centralized institutions to block growth through control... remarkable Jesus movements have the feel of a movement, have structure as a network, and spread like viruses."
"...we ought to try and see how we can engage our culture on its own turf (missional), rather than expecting them to come to ours (attractional)."
Monday, November 19, 2007
Yesterday.
Yesterday my wife and I took our two month old baby girl (Reese) to get her shots. Five shots in her tiny legs. Three in one…two in the other. To be honest, I didn’t want to go…but I sucked it up and went anyway. My wife held our baby as the nurse did the deed. I sat there next to her…powerless…as my child experienced pain unfelt before in her brief life. My wife cried. I cried. The nurse cried. I wanted to yell out “Stop!” I can only imagine what Reese was thinking…”What did I do?” or “Why aren’t Daddy and Mommy protecting me?” She had no way of knowing that what we were doing WAS protecting her. Even if we told her, she wouldn’t be able to understand it. I wished that I could somehow let her know that this was all for her benefit. That we still loved her…that we where allowing this to happen because we loved her. Then I remembered a question that I’ve been asked by a number of hurting people. A question you’ve probably heard or asked yourself: “How can a caring God allow so much pain in the world?”
I think I understand this a little bit better…after yesterday.
“And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” – I Peter 1:5-7 NLT
I think I understand this a little bit better…after yesterday.
“And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” – I Peter 1:5-7 NLT
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