After General Assembly, we began six weeks of more traditional home assignment. We want to thank the great pastors, NMI presidents, people who hosted us in their homes, and members of congregations for your kind words and support. Our typical home assignment presentation was basically a brief report on ANU, and then sharing some of the insights about holiness that we've gotten from our interviews with current and future African leaders.
The Africans don't all agree about a single definition of holiness, but they DO all agree that it is something to be "incarnated", to be implemented, to be reflected in their lives. They also agree that holiness provides a highly relevant response to issues such as corruption, violence, HIV/AIDS and poverty. We have been inspired by the deep commitment of Church of the Nazarene in Africa to the message of holiness.
What we saw on our visits to churches was American Nazarene pastors and churches working hard, attempting to impact their communities, faithful in the work of the church, doing Work and Witness, finding ways to engage their youth. We have great memories of the lilting harmonies and guitar-playing of three men from the 1st Hispanic Church of the Nazarene, of the membership explosion at Zion Community outside Bloomington Indiana as a result of Upward Sports and of their new educational wing (pictured) , of warm fellowship and great food at Spencer, Payette, Parma, New Hope; of an inspiring Celebrate Recovery service at Nampa First, our home church; of the great new church in Hemet California and the group of Work and Witness folks just returning from Hungary to the Highland Avenue church in California. Our time in Hawthorne CA and Brazil IN with family in attendance were also memorable. We continue to pray for the pastors and churches we visited.
In between deputation services, we got to spend time with family. That was wonderful too. We celebrated Mark's birthday in Indiana with a county fair, midway barbecue and turkey legs, and a demolition derby--what could be better!? County fair pictures just below and then more narrative...
The Nampa visit was equally pleasant and WARM in more than one way--temperatures several days above 104! We stayed with our friends Ray and Teresa Burwick, pictured, and enjoyed the friendliness and hospitality of our churches on the Intermountain District. Mark got to spend some time on the NNU campus, hearing about improvements in the library and in the music department and about new programs that have been submitted for approval. Nancy got word the second day we were there that the kids were dealing with a family crisis in Seattle, and she went to be with them. Without going into detail about that, it was a time of some tragedy for the kids, but also a time of healing and affirmation. Nan and the kids felt the prayers of the churches that knew about it and were remembering them.
After Idaho, and a brief "personal" time with Nan's sister and her husband in Seattle area, we went to California to be with all of the kids and it was a really wonderful time. Ben drove us to our first California service in Hemet. Thanks to you, Pastor Mike, for the special introduction and attention you gave to our son. You modeled for us how important it is that we lift up and affirm each other's "kids!" Three of the sons are buying a house together, and we have memories of several barbecues on the patio on top of the garage((daughter-in-law Birge, son Ben and Mark pictured) as well as announcements of an impending marriage for Nathan and his fiance Marli (Nancy pictured with Nathan), and of a child for Andrew and his wife Birge. Ben and Isaac and I visited Gene Autrey's Museum of the West where they posed on a recreated performance stage (Isaac and Ben pictured).
In the next section, we'll talk a little bit about what's happened since we got back. Even looking over these pictures and reviewing the events of recent month, we'd appreciate your joining us in praying for the Kingdom work of these churches and pastors, and for our kids. In each case, and in our own lives, the challenges of the day require wisdom and discernment that only the Lord can give.
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