Missionary Gas

Fitting in well:   Colombia butterfly near our old flat One of the effects of long-term missionary work is gaps in your history.   Recently I joined the Strathkelvin Ramblers.  Before going to South America I had done a little hill walking,  so I turned up confidently with my waterproofs,  chocolate bar and bottle of water.    But the missionary is soooo out of date.   The sight of my fellow ramblers made me fear we were going camping.      Their rucksacks were packed with what,   I wasn't sure of,   although one man had three pairs of gloves,  another had compass,  binoculars,  and sat-nav as well as a water-proof map.   Walking poles were produced,  two per person,  although it wouldn't have surprised me if some had a couple more,  just in case. Maybe it's Bishopbriggs affluence,  I said to myself.   But no,  other hill walkers were identical:    pol...

"God's providence is my inheritance":   the old wing of Ballygally  Castle  Hotel Today is the first day of my new job.  I'm now an Online Editor with the IMB, still involved in the Spanish speaking world,   but based in Lenzie.   It was a pleasant morning:  published a sermon in Spanish on building your house on the rock/sand (Mat 7:24-29),  and started writing an evaluation of   Textos fuente y contextuales de la narrativa evangélica .     This is a Jewish background commentary on Mark from the Qumran texts and the like,    written by a Catholic professor in Granada,   and is a challenging read. Hanging over me is a series for From the Frontiers .    Offering to do them for Charlie a couple of months ago was easy enough.  So also was signing up for a 10k race in aid of missions in Strathclyde Country Park.   I definitely need some kind of make-you-go-faster socks.

June picnic, St Andrews beach Today our Colombian student,  John Jairo,  experienced a picnic on the South Sands of St Andrews.     The usual profuse latino complements were somehow missing,  maybe because of the scarf around his mouth and the woolly hat pulled down.  One is confident that he found the experience memorable. The highlight of his day was,    I suspect,  scrambling along the dark, damp, eerie tunnel underneath the Castle.    It's the nearest St Andrews gets to Alton Towers.    I was surprised we didn't meet any other tourists there but they probably hadn't heard about it yet. He was also impressed with the lobster cages on the harbour and was keen to know how the creatures got into them.  Which is not an easy question to answer. His knowledge of the Reformation is hazy,  but better than most Scotsmen's of the conquistadores.    Thankfully I was able to present a positive...

Yu's pleased with what's she's done It's been an event packed period.  The five days of the General Assembly seemed like a month.     Then John Jairo from Colombia came to stay and our world became Latino.    Jim,  the fitted bedroom man from Lewis' arrived and produced computer-aided wardrobe pictures. But what has dominated above all is dress-a-girl-around-the-world.   Some American had the simple but brilliant idea of turning pillow cases into girl's dresses for those living in the Perus and Ugandas of the globe. It involved collecting sewing machines, buttons,  threads, ribbons, bias bindings, trimmings and long forgotten materials.    Then,  what seemed the impossible task,  of coordinating 45 women over a 12 hour day.   And I got a parking ticket. Finally 39 dresses were produced and 100 self-assembly packs made,  which are now heading off to Peru,  Uganda, Pakistan and Burkina Faso. ...

Careful leaving the Ark:  formal language at Strathclyde Uni People from Latin America,  tend to write emails as if speaking them,   which can take some interpreting.  José from Costa Rica wished "May God make you as balanced as the eagles and as buffaloes' hello's".    And Rubén, from Peru,  exhorted me to "fulfil your mission,  remember the fallen but not closed down,  between testings and fights continue walking,   looking at the perfect bullseye which is Jesus Christ". From Lima,  Manuel addressed me as,  "Señor Reverend Father" and went on to explain he was a Catholic,   ran a small business and had heard that a bit of theology would help.  What did I recommend ? May God make Berkhof understandable for him .

Olwen is away in Ireland just now,  so I decided to join the Strathkelvin Ramblers on their B+ walk around Ben Glas at Inverarnan,  the north end of Loch Lomond.  It was a brilliant day apart from the rain,  and the wind,  and the cold. Arriving home I dried out and found more Recursos Teológicos emails waiting for me.   Including a poor preacher who wanted a downloadable Bible dictionary and a Mexican missionary couple looking for financial help to go to Honduras to set up a restaurant in order to evangelize.  Near the top of Ben Glas in the rain and wind If variety is the spice of life,  life is pretty spicy just now.   .  

At last I've updated the Spanish theological resources page, Recursos Teológicos .  Each update brings a stream of emails from pastors and laity expressing thanks,  quite often in flowery language.   "Many thanks for the exquiste material" (mmm ... on Analogy and  Hermeneutics,  the construction of Christian citizenship,  and why did God use Samson?) Sometimes they want more material,   even though the site has 100s of articles and books.  Particulary for help to refute the Prosperity Gospel - which is a megaproblem in South American churches. And you occasionally hear from ex-students,  who make you sound as if you were the most wonderful teacher than ever chalked a blackboard.    I know it´s all blarney - but it´s exquiste all the same.  Even a Scottish bus getting OTT