Jon Heisterkamp

Children of Conani

2010-05-15T00:41:00.000-04:00

Join me in praying for the missionaries in the Dominican Republic who work with the disabled children living at CONANI (the government run orphanage system).

An inside look into the lives of Lucumenos

2010-01-29T03:19:00.001-05:00

Here is a video produced by James Neuendorf from LCMS World Mission Latin America. It gives a look at the place where a new work was established 2 and 1/2 years ago. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about and pray for the people of Lucumo, Peru.

Nostalgia for “what was”

2009-12-20T16:42:00.001-05:00

Heidi wrote our Christmas Newsletter last night and we realized that there is just so much that has happened this year—there isn’t near enough room to write it out and share with all of you in a Christmas card! 2009 has been an unbelievable year. It is hard to rationalize in my thick head that 8 months ago I was living in Panama and working in a foreign mission field. We see God’s blessings all around us, but at the same time our emotions can sometimes catch the best of us. Heidi and I often find ourselves strategizing,“future-casting,” dreaming of the day that we will go back to the mission field, even to Panama. The Lord tells us to be content with what we have and where we are at in life. Is it a sin to long for what was, when “what was” is ministry and mission? We are called to live out God-honoring and God-glorifying lives wherever we are. If we long for what was or what could be, and don’t focus on the now…could we be missing out on a portion of infilling that God has for us?

I miss being in a position of full-time mission and ministry. But I’ve also always known that I am a full-time missionary no matter where I am or what I am doing. One thing that I’ve noticed about myself recently is that I have fallen into somewhat of a rut. A place where I’m not sure I love what I am doing, not sure how I am affecting people, and not sure how I can get out of it. Opportunities for career advancement use to be a huge thing for me—but now there are more important things to consider. I will soon have a family with a child in it. Life is starting to take a different shape. I know life will change dramatically. What will my role be? How will the next year be shaped by my worldview? How will my family meld together? And how will God move? All questions that can’t be answered…now. All questions that if not dealt with properly can cause a lot of unnecessary worry and migraine!

Do not take the above paragraph as meaning I am unhappy or sad. In actuality, I am very happy and excited about the fact that I am not sure about much. It helps me to be focused on what I am sure about in Christ. God’s grace holds us up. A verse that has been inspiring to me over the last few months is from Deuteronomy 33:17,

"The everlasting God is your place of safety, and His arms will hold you up forever."

His arms will hold you up forever…His arms will hold me up forever. We no longer have to stand on our own merits and fail. But on Christ alone.

So, maybe someday we will return to the mission field as full-time missionaries…maybe we won’t. All I know is that we need prayer to focus on the now—what God is doing now. God help us to know what role He wants us to play in His story at just the right time!

Boys who can shave

2009-11-06T20:50:00.001-05:00

I thought this was a great sermon by Mark Driscoll…have a listen!

HILLSONG UNITED I-HEART FILM

2009-10-27T23:52:00.001-04:00

We’re in this together! Who wants to go to this film on November 4th? It is showing at the Century 20 Jordan Creek movie theater in Des Moines. Check out the trailer below and also the website for the launch of the documentary here. Let me know if you want to go with Heidi and me.

Hillsong United :: We're All In This Together [Nov.4th] from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Catalyst 2009

2009-10-06T19:45:00.001-04:00

Those of you have have seen my status updates on Facebook or twitter know that Heidi and I are in Atlanta this week for a Leadership Conference. Over 12,000 Christian Leaders in one place learning, loving, and worshipping. I will try to take some video/pictures and post throughout the week. I am looking forward to the Christian friendship and being refreshed. Catalyst was so life-changing for Heidi and I last year—I wonder what will happen this year. Follow the action at www.catalystbackstage.com. I will be tweeting and Facebooking all week as well. I hope this will spark my blogging spirit again! :-)

What the Gospel is Not

2009-10-01T00:04:00.003-04:00

Some friends of mine posted this on their facebook page and it was convicting. Is this a message you needed to hear?

God keeps His promises, even when we don’t keep ours

2009-09-06T09:49:00.002-04:00

I have a lot on my mind this morning. Maybe it is a few months of writer’s block coming out now in one sweeping stroke of my pen. I have been pretty silent on this blog since I left Panama. I had promised myself, as well as others, I would keep writing.

As most of you know Heidi and I are living in the United States now because we believe that God called us back to our home country. He made it apparent to us that this move was an act of obedience. It was difficult for us to obey, but by His grace we did.

After being back for nearly 4 months now I am feeling the weight of sin in our country and in myself. It is not that in Panama there is no sin—there is much. It is not that I didn’t have sin before—there was much. I am trying to express the heaviness I feel about being back in this country and my struggle; living with a stronger awareness of the sin around me. I know it is right that Heidi and I moved back; the Lord has provided many opportunities to live a life that gives glory to Him—many of which I am sure we have squandered.

My work is an awesome place for me to give testimony to Christ and His amazing grace. Why don’t I testify to it more often? My prayer life has suffered since we returned back to the States, especially recently. It is not that I don’t want to pray—but lack of thought or motivation to do so is difficult to overcome. I don’t want to play catch up with God—like I am doing with this blog! Help and prayer for this to be overcome is greatly appreciated.

At the same time Heidi and I have been sure of the God’s promises to us, despite, at least, my own failings as a follower of Christ. I trust in His grace that covers those who believe in Him and His mighty victory over sin.

As we were deciding whether or not to leave Panama and come back to the United States, I had a series of different dreams (I may share others in the future) in which I believe God was speaking and making promises to me. One of the promises, or words to encourage obedience, had to do with children.

God promised to Abraham, in the Book of Genesis that he would have a son through his wife Sarah. Immediately after Abraham is promised this, he and his entire household (the males) were circumcised. It was an act of obedience after a promise that God had made.

Many of you know that Heidi and I went through a miscarriage in January of 2008. It was a difficult time in our lives and the months that followed were not easy. But, many of you don’t know the next part of the story. This last January, as Heidi and I were trying to make a decision about whether to stay or leave Panama; God spoke to me in a dream saying, “Follow me! Obey me and you will have a child.” I woke up that morning knowing we were to return to the States. God is faithful and as of 6 weeks ago, I am going to be a daddy!

Heidi and I fully understand that this is really early to be announcing a pregnancy. What if it happens again? What if something goes wrong? Those are legitimate questions, but we believe in a God whose ways are higher than our own. We believe that our family in Christ should know about and be praying for the life that is developing in Heidi’s womb every step of the journey. We have had one appointment with a doc to confirm the pregnancy. We will see him again in two weeks to do an ultrasound and see if we can hear a heart beat. Please be praying for the baby’s development over the next few weeks.

Even though the weight of sin is always around us—whether we are aware of it or not, God’s mercy and grace extend past it. He is righteous and just, and faithful to forgive us. He never goes back on His Word. He always keeps His promises. This is why I trust that, through Christ, the weight of sin has been lifted and we can live lives that give Glory to Him without shame and without guilt. As it is written in Jeremiah 31:33-34,

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

$12 Budget for Back to School!!!

2009-08-10T23:55:00.001-04:00

Blood:Water Mission Back To School Campaign from Blood:Water Mission on Vimeo.

One month and counting

2009-06-28T10:08:00.001-04:00

So I have been in my new position as a supervisor at Wells Fargo for just over a month now. It has been very interesting to learn all the ins and outs of the current mortgage industry. I read about all the issues that people were experiencing due to the immense drop in property values over the last few years, but now I get to here individual stories about how it is affecting them. As I work in the Loss Mitigation department for Wells Fargo, I have heard from people who are at the edge of foreclosure and losing their home. Some of these homeowners are...unique, but others are normal like you and me. Some can be helped, others cannot--and that is frustrating.

On the other side of things, I wish I could tell that person that is 10 payments past due on their $500,000 mortgage to sell their house and live in something they can afford. That person is the epitome of materialism, and what it means to have the biggest and greatest--without the means to pay for it. And, in the end we might just suggest that--we may tell them to short sale or sell the house, but only after months of attempting to keep them in their home through short term solutions.

As far as my daily role as a leader in my organization, I am finally getting to know my team and build some report with them. There are many opportunities to train, coach and influence in my role--I love that about my job. Also, I have had multiple opportunities to share my faith, and for that I am thankful. It is a much different situation than my last job (as a missionary) as I have to be careful about how I share my faith--so as to not initiate it as a conversation.

However, I did tell my boss in my interview, that I wouldn't be holding back my faith on the job--so she hired me fully aware of my beliefs and intentions. Another great thing where I see God's plan written all over is the fact that the two other men that work with me in a supervisor role are active Christians. One was a youth pastor before coming to Wells Fargo. I see a lot of potential, and feel God's hand over the work--I wonder who will come to know the Lord? So many of the people that work for me are hurting and lost. Their stories are just like those of many of the homeowner's we talk to everyday, so who is going to be the one that reaches out to them? When will that happen?

Lord, here I am, send me.

Humbly Home

2009-06-01T22:44:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I have been slightly disconnected for the last few weeks. I figured I better give an update on how we have been doing. A lot has changed since May 5th. The initial move back to the USA was fine as all of our luggage made it to our final destination. We spent a few days with Heidi's family in Fort Wayne and then headed onward to Saint Louis in a rented Budget Truck! We drove from Saint Louis up to my family's house in Akron, IA as a stopping point before we headed down to look at houses in and around Des Moines. WE ended up finding a great house in Ankeny, IA that fit our price range and also our tastes. It is great because I only have a 15 minute commute to Des Moines (where my new job is) and the same time frame for access to much of the Des Moines Metro area. We are getting to know our surroundings again, much like when we first moved to Panama, we have a lot to learn.

Here is a picture of our new home from the front:

So, for those of you who were wondering if we ever made it back to the States, or if I had just fallen off the face of the planet--I am back and will do my best to keep up with my blog posts! It should be an exciting summer! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the last few weeks!

Leaving home to go to a far off land...

2009-05-05T22:55:00.001-04:00

Well, tonight is our last night in Panama! I have mixed emotions as I sit here by myself. Heidi is at her last women's small group Bible study. I hope she is having a great time with them. It is a bittersweet feeling to know that God has called us to something else and it is truly evident that He has every step of the way planned out; and at the same time leave a place and network that God has used to bring us closer to Him.

God has continually provided for us during this time. We had no problem selling almost all of our belongings. That money will help us to find a house back in Des Moines, IA. I recently accepted a job offer with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and will start training there the end of May/beginning of June. Of all the jobs I applied/interviewed for over the last three months, this job is the one I wanted and they offered to it to me last Monday. I will be a supervisor over a team of 15 loan adjustors. I have a lot to learn about the industry and the job, but I am excited about working for one of the "healthy" banks in the US. Heidi and I both like Des Moines and are looking forward to this new adventure we are going on!

While we are still United States citizens, we have become a part of a different culture that mixes Latin American and North American lifestyles. We are different people now compared to who we were three years ago when we took this job with LCMS World Mission. So many people have been a part of our lives during this time, influencing us and helping us to grow closer to Christ and to one another. We thank each of you with whom we have come in contact during the last three years; for your guidance, prayers and support. We love each of you and you hold a special place in our hearts. We look forward to the years ahead as we continue our relationships; influencing each other and trusting in the Lord to bring more into His flock through what he does with our lives.

Praise be to God our Father, we thank Him for all that He has done. His works are mighty and just. We love Him with our whole heart, and we love the body of believers, who are the Body of Christ!

We can't live without forgiveness...

2009-04-24T10:28:00.001-04:00

Exposed Series 4 from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

God, help us to forgive one another so that we may live freely in you!

Our visit back and Luggage Issues

2009-04-18T21:22:00.004-04:00

Many of you know that Heidi and I flew back to the state to visit family over Easter and to have a few interviews. My interviews have been going so well--I have had one job offer already, and I expect at least a few more positions to be offered to me in the next week (if what was said at my interviews is any indication). We have been blessed in our time with family and friends, and are looking forward to this new adventure that God is leading us on.

One of my observations about the country and the economy is that people are half and half. Some people are extremely positive and upbeat about their lives and others are not. Some drag on the economy all the time and others don't. Some of the people that were extremely positive aren't even working because they were laid off--in Indiana, one of the hardest hit places in the country as far as layoffs go, I have run into some very positive and motivated people.

Lastly, the Lord just blessed us with a kind and loving person at Continental Baggage claim recently. When we flew into Omaha on April 4th two of our suitcases, those four wheel ones, had a wheel completely ripped out. There was a huge hole in the bag where the wheel had once been. I figured that the airline would not cover it, but called in a few days later when I realized that my warranty on the bags wouldn't cover it. The lady (continental customer service) on the phone said to take it to a Continental Hub and that a clerk there would either give me a voucher to replace the bags or send them in to be fixed. I was surprised at this, but took her word for it with a damage claim number. When we went over to Fort Wayne to visit Heidi's family, we planned a specific trip (we visited some friends as well) to the Indianapolis Airport (135 miles away) to go and talk with the baggage claim office there, fully expecting to be given a voucher or that they would send our bags in for repairs. These bags were not cheap when we bought them 2 years ago. When we walked in the clerk told us that they don't fix bags and they don't replace them if the wheels are busted off. I told her that the representative on the phone said they would. After a few minutes talking with this kind woman, she went to the back room and brought out two "stock" bags. And just gave them to us--and we kept our old luggage. Wow! What a blessing! The bags are very similar to the ones that were damaged, if not a bit nicer. They aren't four-wheelers, but now that we've had two break on the same trip we probably won't be buying them again. Here is a picture of our new bags:

Thanks Continental for being so kind and being true to the word of one of your representatives, even if she was wrong! Very good business!

MUB--Multiple Update Blog

2009-04-02T00:50:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends! I am currently experiencing a blog-writing writer's block, so I decided I just needed to give a general update over a few areas of our lives--in other words a MUB. I try not to do these types of long updates, but hopefully this will spark a bit more creativity for future posts.

Moving update

About two weeks ago I sent a list of items that Heidi and I would like to sell before we move to our friends and co-workers here in Panama. I thought I needed to do this about a month or so before we moved in order to get everything sold in time. Well, thirty minutes after I sent the email people were calling me asking if they could come over and buy stuff. That was at 10pm on a Monday night. Yeah. We have not had any problem selling most of our belongings for the asking price. I wasn't really prepared to have everything sold in a week, but it turns out to be a real blessing. Almost everyone is okay with us keeping our things until the week we leave and has paid at least 50% of what they are buying--like a layaway program! When people started coming over to see things, it started to settle in a bit more that we are really going through with the move and that it really isn't that far away.

We will continue to work with LCMS World Mission until June 30 as we phase out and my interim replacement phases in. Our visa here in Panama expires on May 6, so we will be flying into Fort Wayne on that day and start the re-entry process. While we know living back in the US will be a lot different than what we've come accustomed to--we have been back enough to not become totally disconnected from US culture and societal changes. We "think" we are prepared and know what to expect.

Mission Work

Mission work is going forward all over Latin America. I encourage you to follow some of our other missionaries blogs to see what is going on around Latin America in Lutheran Missions. You can find a list of mission blogs at http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=1231. Those of you who followed my work in Peru can keep up with it by checking out Anthony Diliberto's blog at http://godgraceandguineapigs.blogspot.com.

My work has started to get more intensely focused on financial statements and budgets over the last months. The current situation in the US has caused us to start planning for substantial budget cuts, yet the Lord is still graciously providing support through generous people, like those of you who read this blog! As I work to hand over my job to some one else, I want to make sure that everything is in order and clear as can be. I feel like I have put a lot of hours into making the accounting, budgeting and planning, office, and operations management as efficient and mission-driven as can be with the resources we have been given in Latin America. The idea is that the next person will be able to build on, and make better, the way that mission work is managed on the operations side of things.

Heidi and School

This Friday marks the end of the 3rd quarter at Crossroads Christian Academy where Heidi has been teaching four high school English classes as well as Debate. She has filled in for a teacher that is on maternity leave for 10 weeks. Since Heidi and I will be back in the states over Easter to visit family and interview for future jobs, Friday will be her last day teaching there. Heidi has really enjoyed her time there and it is hard to leave an organization that has treated her so well and has benefited from her as well. I think CCA and Heidi were deeply impacted over the last 2 and a half years; and that relationship will continue through the years.

Sophie Marie

Sophie is doing well. I think she is starting to catch on that things are going to change soon. When we travel home for Easter she will be staying here in Panama with Music Missionary Jack Johnson. He will be house and dog-sitting over the next two weeks. Sophie, who, as of right now, is the only dependent and focus of all our attention was pretty sick for about two weeks after she was treated for some skin irritations. I guess Panama isn't the best place for a Yorkie to live, especially during the high Mosquito season. We slowly nursed her back to health by feeding her rice and hard-boiled eggs. Yeah, who would have thought that kind of diet would help a dog get over a bad stomach virus?

Please join Sophie (and Heidi and me) in mourning with our parents, Tony and Jennifer, over the loss of their beloved German Shepherd, Sassy. She was quietly put to sleep yesterday morning after sustaining some bad injuries. She was the mother of 10 pups and the live-in girlfriend (can dogs be married?) of Buddy (also a German Shepherd), who is yet to be found. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Ponch (a Lab), and her pups.There is reason to believe that coyotes are to be blamed for the injuries sustained by Sassy and the disappearance of Buddy. We believe that Buddy valiantly protected Sassy--and if he is found that there will be a great welcoming party for him at the homestead.

MBA Studies and Employment

I just finished a course in Strategic Human Resource Management for my MBA two weeks ago and I will begin the next course on Monday. I am looking forward to the next year of coursework and onto graduation next March. YEA!

I have been pleased, so far, with the response I am getting in my job search. I am glad that I have started early and I am getting positive results. I will have some interviews for various types of management positions and/or leadership roles in different organizations. I am looking forward to the process and selecting the best fit for what Heidi and I feel God is leading us to do. Please continue to pray over our decisions and that God will bless the road we are on--we believe that we are following His call on our lives.

Trusting the Lord

I pray that you will move forward in boldness as you serve the Lord where you are, at work, at home, and in your communities. I leave you with a scripture verse that has encouraged me this past week,

"...but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 [emphasis added].

Hope you enjoyed this addition of MUB! God Bless!

Love is not a fight

2009-03-21T21:51:00.001-04:00

So in my last post I wrote how we saw Fireproof last night and it was a great movie. This song, "Love is not a fight" by Warren Barfield has a great message and the music video shows clips of the movie throughout.

Marriage has been a topic of discussion over the last few weeks here in our small group sessions. The statistics in the USA about the divorce rates just break mine and Heidi's heart. People give up too easily. Jesus forgive us. We need to be praying for married couples around the world. The devil is on the prowl seeking whom he may devour and he will jump at any chance to tear families apart. Let's be prayer warriors for all engaged, newlyweds, young couples and those that have been married for many years! Marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, we must fight to promote and protect it! Love is not a fight, but It is worth fighting for!

Have any of you seen Fireproof? What did you take away from it?

Is your marriage "Fireproof"?

2009-03-21T01:54:00.001-04:00

Tonight, Heidi and I were invited over to a friend's house to watch the movie Fireproof. I had heard of it and have wanted to get the book, but I wasn't expecting it to take on such meaning for me. With the way our culture treats marriage, it sure doesn't seem like anyone is asking, "How can we fireproof our marriage?" The story seems pretty typical and touches on issues that almost every man and woman have dealt with, but it touches the heart and convicts the mind. I dare any married couple that feels like they are losing control to watch this movie--heck maybe even do the "Love Dare!"

If this movie does nothing else, it portrays accurately that love and marriage is not easy. Your marriage must be based on Christ and the Word of God or you will have no understanding of what real love is. Marriage is about unconditional love. And there is only one perfect example of what it means to love unconditionally--and that's Jesus Christ. We must look to him in order to know how to treat our spouse!

Another part of the movie that I loved was the bond between the men. The father-son relationship was extremely meaningful. I also enjoyed watching the relationship between Caleb and his right hand man, who was a Christian. Everyone needs a person of their same gender for accountability--and to just bounce things off of each other.

In the end, there is no way to get around it--Christ must be the center of any marriage, or there will be a gaping hole that can never be filled.

Bathroom Bills? Marriage equality? Como Que? Wow...

2009-03-20T00:32:00.001-04:00

So I think this is absolutely ridiculous what some states are trying to pass as "gender-discrimination" bills. I mean, it's one thing to have a law that says you can't fire someone because of their sexual orientation--but something so inclusive that some guy can decide on any random day that he feels like a woman and wants to use the women's restroom--and there isn't anything wrong with that? I don't know about all of you, but I get a little freaked out when the cleaning lady comes into the restroom when I am taking care of business...I can't imagine what Heidi would do if some random dude, who thinks he is a chic, walked into the restroom where she was at. Get real! Modesty and sexual morality have gone with the wind...

I love being with this lady

2009-03-19T00:49:00.001-04:00

I would just like to take the time in this post to talk to you about how much this lovely lady, pictured with me in the picture above, and I love each other. She is my wife and I love her to pieces. I wouldn't have it any other way. It seems that as we are going through this transition, we keep loving each other more. We will be married 4 years this summer.

Don't get me wrong, we have our fair share of issues--like any married couple has--Sometimes I struggle with being insensitive, talking too much, and trying to make things logical; Heidi says she can be overly critical. There are times when we disagree on little things or just plain don't like each other. What do we do about it? Get mad and storm about the house? Slam doors and yell at each other? No, we aren't that dramatic, like in the movies...but it does take time and patience. Sometimes, we just need to be alone for a bit--and gather ourselves--when we come back together we apologize and move on, together. When I am working and traveling and Heidi is working her tail off at school, sometimes we don't have much energy left at the end of the day. Add a dash of stress, 2 cups of irritability, or some sort of cold or stomach ache--there are going to be times when we aren't nice to each other, or we just don't want to talk. Heidi and I try to make it a point to just sit and talk together--to connect--no strings attached, no matter how we are feeling that day. Sometimes that means talking about how we are feeling and why--just caring for each other. We have to be very intentional about it, or it will pass us by. It's hard work--to always, unconditionally, care for each other...because we aren't wired that way.

We are all wired, as humans in our sinful nature, to care about ourselves--our needs and our desires. How do you work this out inside of a marriage? One must turn to the life of Christ to truly understand what unconditional love is. And not only did Christ lead a life that was unselfish and characterized by serving others, he gave the most powerful gift of unconditional love ever known, on the cross of calvary--taking all of OUR sins so that we can spend eternity with Him. It's as if Jesus tells us, through his Word and actions, "Jon and Heidi, love each other unconditionally--no matter how much work you have to do, no matter how much you don't want to do the dishes tonight, no matter how much you don't like each other right now, no matter how bad your day was, or how uncertain the times may be--because you made a promise to love and serve each other for as long as you both shall live. Love one another, as I have loved you."

So, Husbands and Wives, love each other with all your heart, love unconditionally--no matter how much work you have to do, no matter how much you don't want to do the dishes tonight, no matter how much you don't like each other right now, no matter how bad your day was, or how uncertain the times may be--because you made a promise to love and serve each other for as long as you both shall live. Love one another, as HE has loved you!

Foxes have holes and birds have nests...

2009-03-13T10:33:00.001-04:00

Dave Ramsey is one of the leading financial and economic thinkers and he has a few things to say to us Christians who are freaking out about the economy. What are we really scared of if we have food on the table and a place to sleep? Isn't that security enough?

At a recent Bible Study we learned what the Holy Scriptures say about security and following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62,

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

The three men are like most of us who are so preoccupied with our own security; whether that is having a home, money or relationships. Jesus tells the first man that there is no place for him to rest his head to make sure the man is ready to truly follow him. If he does, he might be in the same situation! The second and third men, were directly called by God to do something and they wanted to follow, but they had their : "But first I..." So often we as Christians hear God calling us to follow him in doing something for others, giving generously, going to the mission field, pulling over to help someone with car trouble, being involved in your church, or spending time with someone who is hurting. But we have selfish security issues. If you are called to do something, you need to do it. Obey. We, all Christ-believers, are called to follow Jesus in some sort of ministry that he will use us in. The Spirit moves us. Your ministry might be inviting your co-workers to church--don't give excuses.

Here is a short video interview of Dave Ramsey with Craig Groeschel giving positive advice for us to live out our faith through finances in the current situation of the economy, enjoy!

Daylight Savings Initiative

2009-03-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

This is a hilarious video that you can use to remind your employees, church members, family and friends that this Sunday, March 8 is the day you spring ahead one hour. It is very important to save this precious resource of Daylight, we must conserve our daylight so that we don't use it all up. Otherwise, the generations to come will have to live in darkness. Funny!

Let the Lord Speak

2009-03-04T21:52:00.002-05:00

So I am here in Caracas again, but for the last time. It is a lot different here now. Our mission office, where I stay when I come here, is empty at night time. Missionary Pastor Ted and his wife Rebecca recently moved to the Dominican Republic to join in the work that is going on there. So I am in the big house that LCMS owns here and hearing little sounds and there is no one to talk with, except Jesus.

I wrote and sent our final newsletter as LCMS Missionaries today and the Bible verse I quoted was from my devotion this morning, in The Message version; Isaiah 51:4-6,

""Pay attention, my people.
Listen to me, nations.
Revelation flows from me.
My decisions light up the world.
My deliverance arrives on the run,
my salvation right on time.
I'll bring justice to the peoples.
Even faraway islands will look to me
and take hope in my saving power.
Look up at the skies,
ponder the earth under your feet.
The skies will fade out like smoke,
the earth will wear out like work pants,
and the people will die off like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my setting-things-right will never be obsolete."

Some people might think it is coincidence, but I believe that God placed this word in front of me today for a reason. I have mentioned that I feel called back to the market place, to a place where life is quite dark and gloomy now; a place where there isn't much hope. But we have hope in Christ's salvation, as it is written here; it will last forever. The stock market may crash, we might lose our jobs, we might lose a loved one unexpectedly; but His salvation is right on time and His will to set things right will never be out of place.

God, give us faith to trust in your Word and Power to save us!

Today it begins

2009-03-01T10:59:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Just a reminder that today is when 40 days of water begins. In my house we've already started. No juice or coffee to drink with breakfast, just water. You can still join in on this great cause, they even have a Facebook cause set up and nearly 25000 people are signed up for it.

You can too: https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=968&fundraiser_id=1338852&m=38d81d22; or you can download the scorecard and keep track of your beverages that you normally drink and donate what you would have spent at the end of the forty days on April 9. You can download the scorecard here.

Please keep Carissa, Heidi and me in your prayers over the next 40 days that we will grow closer to Christ and more aware of those that suffer without clean water.

Deleveraging Markets and Missions

2009-02-22T16:35:00.002-05:00

Below is a great article from The Mission Exchange that reminds us to embrace change and opportunities to better our processes. Posted with permission from Paul McKaughan.

Deleveraging Markets

& Missions

A McKaughan Musing

In the financial world, deleveraging forces people back to basics

For more of Paul McKaughan's Musings and other information on missions log on to The Mission Exchange and visit the online store.

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A new Musing from Paul McKaughan, Ambassador At Large for The Mission Exchange. Comment on this Musing by writing Paul at PMcKaughan@TheMissionExchange.org.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I find my attention riveted to the Financial channel on TV, and, along with millions of other Americans, I feel in my very bones the wild gyrations of the current market as it dramatically shrinks my retirement account.

New words have intruded into my vocabulary. One of those words is deleveraging. It is applied to banks, hedge funds, and all manner of corporate entities. The talking heads all say these huge corporate entities are deleveraging, and until the deleveraging process is over, the markets will remain volatile and chaotic.

It seems that in the "go-go" 80’s, 90’s, and right up until a few months ago, all manner of businesses borrowed huge wads of money in the hope that they could, by investing it, increase their profits. When the bubble exploded, when the complicated models for investment banking and real estate blew up because they were fundamentally flawed, corporate leaders had to deleverage. They had to find the money to pay back the people they had borrowed from. Brokerage houses, hedge funds, banks and many other business endeavors could not come up with payback funds and were liquidated or were forced to merge. It wasn’t that they didn’t have assets; they just didn’t have enough money available to cover their leverage. In the financial world deleveraging forces people back to basics.

Leverage essentially is the byproduct of inflated expectations, assumptions that lead people to take on additional and unwarranted risk. Yet it seemed so reasonable and safe. Everyone assumed real estate was always going to rapidly appreciate. Look at the track record. Return on investments should always be at least 10% to 20%, so it makes sense to borrow on your real assets to engineer an even bigger financial coup. The past few months have demonstrated quite vividly that even the expectations of very smart people can be unrealistic and quite wrong. Bigger is not always better, and growth at any cost can plunge whole communities into a financially toxic swamp. It is only when the crisis hits, and the bitter bottom is reached, that the deep hidden canker of inflated expectations, and just plain greed, can be lanced. Only then is a painful return to realistic assumptions and corporate health possible.

I have been thinking about deleveraging and missions. "Wait a minute" you say, "we don’t owe anyone any money. Our leaders are not paid exorbitant, even indecent salaries. Mission executives don’t have golden parachutes in their employment agreements." These, and all the other egregious acts, we have read about, were made possible with the complicity of a whole culture that lived on unrealistic expectations and false assumptions. The question that has been bothering me is, what unrealistic cultural assumptions and expectations have we in missions absorbed? Have our expectations and assumptions led us to make unwise decisions? Are they leading us into a situation where we will some day be forced to liquidate or at least deleverage?

We have enjoyed a protracted and unparalleled period of economic and organizational growth. This is true of the whole US evangelical community we are a part of. Our megachurches, schools, the para-church ministries have in the last 50 years prospered and grown enormously.

We tell ourselves that "Missions" has always gotten the economic leftovers. Yet our mission community is far wealthier, better educated and more comfortably sustained than ever in history. As the US has prospered, so have our missions. But have these boom times somehow warped our frame of reference and engendered within us unrealistic and, perhaps, even unhealthy expectations?

For us in missions, money has usually been tied to the support of individuals. People mean money. This may have influenced us to organizationally embrace an ever-increasing breadth of personal self-supported visions. Because expansion was relatively easy, we accumulated all kinds of ancillary programs. We broadened our organizational focus to accommodate greater breadth of purpose and the additional resources that came with it. All this we accumulated because at the time we thought it would make us more productive, and relative abundance allowed us to avoid the hard choices. In trying to get bigger and do a better job, we have, over the years, brought into our ministries all kinds of programs and people (leverage?) that have diluted our focus.

Times have changed. Missional deleveraging may be in order.

An author I was reading the other day called for the "creative destruction" of organizations in the light of the challenges businesses are presently facing.

His contention was that when the context in which one operates changes, then the organization that was designed for the former time must change or die. It is a kind of deleveraging process where all that was aggregated, hoping for increased effectiveness, must be paid for. The author was not talking about capricious corporate anarchy. He was calling for a thoughtful strategic deconstruction that would decisively pare the organization back to its most productive essence. Does not that represent a Biblical view of stewardship?

What are your expectations for the future? What pieces of the ministry do you need to "blow up" because they are not very productive today and will be less so in years to come? In hard times leverage, be it programs, people or money, entails the increased risk of irrelevancy one can’t afford.

One final thought: some missions should, as a part of the missional deleveraging process, pursue merger or even go out of business. Missions and other non-profits don’t tend to die decisive and honorable deaths; unfortunately they tend to malinger into irrelevancy, costing the church and its mission far too much.

Your friend, … Paul

V-Day: Camino de Cruces

2009-02-21T01:01:00.003-05:00

On Valentine's day Heidi and I went on an awesome hike with friends on a trail here called, Camino de Cruces. This trail is OLD. It was used by the Spaniards back in the 1500's to haul their loot across the isthmus of Panama. You can still hike the trail from Panama City, on the Pacific (south) side of Panama, to Colon, on the Caribbean (north) side. I have to say that this was one of the best Valentine's day holidays that I have had. Not just because we didn't spend money, but because Heidi and I were able to enjoy nature together and do something we like to do.

These two pictures below are from the top of a waterfall that is dried up right now. When rainy season comes, we've been told it is extremely powerful and beautiful. We got close to the edge and it was a long way down; don't let the picture fool you! All and all it was a beautiful day topped off with a Spaghetti dinner at home! What did you do for V-day?

40 days of Water

2009-02-19T18:25:00.002-05:00

Today I want to talk about a commitment that my household has made. Heidi and I, and Carissa, have decided that for 40 days we will drink nothing but water as our beverage of choice at meals or at any other time of the day. This means that we won't drink a morning coffee, have a coke with lunch, and that when we travel we will have to do our best to ignore Starbucks. But we are committed to and can do it.

The idea is that for the forty days (Lent) between March 1 and April 9 (the Thursday before Easter) we will be "giving up" or sacrificing all beverages, other than water, to remember those that do not have clean water in prayer. By doing this we will also be celebrating and giving thanks to God for the blessing that He has given us through water.

Water is an awesome symbol of purity to those of us who have Pure water! We believe all people should have this perception of water--as a cleansing and pure element. "...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22. We believe that all people should be guaranteed access to clean water to drink and for sanitation. We believe that water is a gift of God.

Each of us will keep track of the beverage we wanted to purchase to drink, or we will assign a value to that morning cup of coffee when we first get to work, and at the end of the 40 days we will donate what we saved to help dig clean water wells in Africa through Blood:Water Mission. We want to help this organization to give clean water to those who don't have a choice. You can learn more about the 40 days of Water by clicking on the banner above or here. If you would like to participate with us in this journey you can download this "scorecard" to keep track of the money you save by only drinking water over the "40 days of Water." You can click on the image below to be taken to a site to download the scorecard file.

So, will you take part in this with us? If so leave a comment so we can pray together for you; or send me an email, privately. We would love to see a lot of people get involved in this and see the fruits of this act of obedience. We will share with you at the end of the 40 days how much money we were able to save as a group of three (if you want to be included in the group just let me know)! We have never kept track of how much we spent on pop or coffee or milk or juice, so this could be very enlightening. (No need to be legalistic, we think it is okay to have milk in your cereal each morning). :-)

I will send a reminder on February 28th as we start the journey the following day. We believe the Lord will bless this.

Not Just Mere Mortals

2009-02-11T16:30:00.001-05:00

Our small group just finished the last lesson in "The Truth Project" last week. There are 12 lessons overall. They were all great, but that last one really got a hold of me.

During the last lesson a man gets interviewed that has not had, by most of our standards, a desirable life. He was abused as a child, his parents divorced, he never knew if his father loved him or not. Over the course of the program (12 weeks) this man was also interviewed on different topics and I thought nothing of it. I thought he was just a punk, tattoo-artist, that thought whatever he wanted to think and will never come around. Man, isn't that a boastful, prideful way for a Christian to think?

That man, isn't just a mere mortal. He has a soul that will go to an eternal place someday. He doesn't know Jesus. My heart broke.

Just think, if every time we interacted with a person we would remember that they are not just a mere mortal? How would we treat people differently? Would our priorities change? Or would we just feel bad about ourselves and for them?

The other day I wrote a Facebook status complaining about how a the customer service lady in front of me was taking her sweet old time. She was sending text messages and answering her cell phone. I spent at least 2 hours sitting across from her at her desk. I didn't once share the gospel with her. I never once thought of her as someone that is either going to have eternal life or eternal damnation. God, change my mind set and attitude to always be aware of the constant battle for the souls of your creation, your children! May we be a people preoccupied with the things of God, sharing with others what living in relationship with Christ truly means!

Hope: When Life Hurts Most

2009-02-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But TAKE HEART; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 ESV

Last week I listened to a sermon series by Louie Giglio with Heidi and Carissa. It was entitled "HOPE: When Life Hurts Most." I having been thinking a lot lately about how many of us are extremely worried about the economy, and are experiencing some minor(relatively speaking) troubles. As part of our call back to the States, Heidi and I want to be an encouragement to others, by our actions, TO TAKE HEART! This means that we must take heart ourselves. Christ tells us to be prepared for trouble, he warns us, and gives us a reason to take heart; in His cross! So many times Christians forget to be anchored in and always looking back and pointing to the cross of our salvation! If we always had the cross in front of us, would we be so quick to give up hope in our own circumstances? The body of Christ needs to return to a theology of the cross. Remember, when trouble comes and the bottom falls out on you, it fell out on Jesus too. He knows what it's like. And he's overcome it! Take heart!

I posted the first 10 minutes of the sermon series and you can find the rest on you tube. How has Christ given you peace this week? Is your hope anchored in the cross of Christ? Has the bottom fallen out from under you recently? Can I pray for you or hear your story? Make a comment or email me at jon.heisterkamp@gmail.com.

Big News and Change around the Corner

2009-02-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

How many of you have gone through a major change in your life in the last year or two? All of you?

I have to admit that moving to Panama was a huge change for Heidi and I. Actually, the whole first two years that Heidi and I knew each other and were married was one huge blob of change. I wouldn't take back a second of it!

Heidi and I have been working with LCMS World Mission for nearly three years now and living in Panama for just over two. When we first took this assignment we knew it was where God was calling us to be--we hadn't been married a year when I took the position.

Over the last year, Heidi and I have been pursued by God. It is obvious that coming to Panama has truly changed us. Being here forced us to rely on each other, yes, but ultimately on Jesus. He has been so good to us. After being back stateside to visit family this past summer, we were ready to spend the rest of our lives in Panama if that was what the Lord had us do. Yet....

Towards the end of 2008, Heidi and I both heard from the Lord that we were suppose to leave LCMS World Mission. This was a hard thing to hear. We resisted, especially me. I really do enjoy my job and those who I work with. I enjoy helping the team we have here. But, as you can imagine, trying to conform God to your own comfort zone doesn't usually work. And Panama has become that, our comfort zone. And as Heidi and I grew closer to Him through reading scripture and being in prayer, he continually put it on our hearts that we were to leave LCMS World Mission and return home. Why? Why in the world does he want us to go back to the United States? Why does he want us to leave our friends and spiritual network here? While I do feel called back to the marketplace, the answer is still: we don't know exactly. Maybe it is to take us out of our comfort zone to a place where Jesus isn't the center? What we do know is that we want to obey Him, and when you feel like God is calling you or telling you to do something, it's probably safe to say he has a plan already devised. And more importantly, His interests in mind.

So, what this all means is that by the end of June 2009, Heidi and I (and Sophie) will be packing up our belongings and moving back to the USA. Our plan (subject to change and His greater plan) is to move back to Fort Wayne, IN with Tom and Nancy. They have an apartment attached to their home that they have said we can use during this transition. I have started the job hunt, in essence, by putting my resume out on some head-hunter web sites. We are looking for work in the Fort Wayne area right now, but we would be willing to relocate and consider almost anywhere, if that is where the Lord is leading us. If any of you have connections or would like to make suggestions about certain organizations in need of a high-energy person like me and an awesome teacher like Heidi, please get in touch with us by email here. You can also direct people to my professional profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonheisterkamp.

We ask for your continued prayers and support as we manage this transition. I ask that you pray for the continued work of LCMS World Mission in Latin America. Please pray that the next few months will be extremely productive and beneficial to the mission team and churches that we support; it is important that the organization remain innovative in the way they approach operations in missions.

To those of you who follow my blog because you are financial supporters of mine, I hope that you continue to follow me. It will always be a great way for us to remain connected, and who knows what the Lord is calling us to next!

The Gift for Helly

2009-02-04T15:21:00.001-05:00

So I forgot to post what gift I ended up getting for Helly (I found out it is actually spelled Jelly). Cute.

Well after some prayer and just thinking about what a little girl would like to get--and use--and would stimulate her mind while teaching her about Jesus; I decided to use Lisa Asmus's recommendation. Yes, I purchased the Fisher-Price People's Nativity Set. Thanks Pastor Aaron for packing it and lugging it to Peru for me! Jelly loved it and so did her sister Karol. Here is a picture of when I gave it to them on the last night of our trip in January.

Thanks to all of you who commented with your suggestions. All were considered and greatly appreciated. I look forward to future opportunities to communicate like this!

Spasm control

2009-01-27T11:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, so this post may damage my reputation as a blogger and writer in general, but I cannot help sharing something that has made me laugh everyday-twice a day-for the last week. I better prep you first.

Most of you all know that I have been traveling to Peru on a regular basis over the last year and a half to work with a local community and help build a new mission. Many of you have even been to Peru with me to join in on this work. Actually, some of you may even be able to proclaim with me that you have suffered from food poisoning, montezuma's revenge, or even parasites living in you (or as I like to call them "my little friends"). It seems that every time I go to Peru I can spend all week eating the local back country food and not get sick. But it is almost guaranteed that on the last night I will eat something in touristy Lima and get extremely sick. I am talking major spasms--(if there are children around you may want to send them to bed)--and it is paralyzing. One time I got so sick from food that I ate in Lima that when I was back in the rural area I had to go to the local po-dunk clinic to receive TWO IV's. I was there for more than 8 hours because I lost so much fluid and weight--just had to soak it all back up.

So anyway, I should have known better than to eat anything in Lima on my last night of my recent trip because that next morning and for the whole following week I was paralyzed. I finally went to the doctor a week later when I wasn't getting better on my own. (I don't know why we men think this way--ah, just give it a few more days and I will feel better). So I've been taking the meds for four days now, and I feel wonderful and I can say that I have had success in my spasm control.

I think the reason why I have been successful is (among the two other medications that kill the parasites) I have been taking this:

Yeah, I am rolling on the floor even now! I hope this gives you a hop in your step for the rest of the week!

15 pro-life truths from John Piper

2009-01-26T06:12:00.000-05:00

1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother’s womb (except in the case of abortion).

2. Fetal surgery is performed on babies in the womb to save them while another child the same age is being legally destroyed.

3. Babies can sometimes survive on their own at 23 or 24 weeks, but abortion is legal beyond this limit.

4. Living on its own is not the criterion of human personhood, as we know from the use of respirators and dialysis.

5. Size is irrelevant to human personhood, as we know from the difference between a one-week-old and a six-year-old.

6. Developed reasoning powers are not the criterion of personhood, as we know from the capacities of three-month-old babies.

7. Infants in the womb are human beings scientifically by virtue of their genetic make up.

8. Ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Virtually all abortions happen later than this date.

9. Justice dictates that when two legitimate rights conflict, the limitation of rights that does the least harm is the most just. Bearing a child for adoption does less harm than killing him.

10. Justice dictates that when either of two people must be inconvenienced or hurt to alleviate their united predicament, the one who bore the greater responsibility for the predicament should bear more of the inconvenience or hurt to alleviate it.

11. Justice dictates that a person may not coerce harm on another person by threatening voluntary harm on themselves.

12. The outcast and the disadvantaged and exploited are to be cared for in a special way, especially those with no voice of their own.
13. What is happening in the womb is the unique person-nurturing work of God, who alone has the right to give and take life.

14. There are countless clinics that offer life and hope to both mother and child (and father and parents), with care of every kind lovingly provided by people who will meet every need they can.

15.Jesus Christ can forgive all sins, and will give all who trusts him the help they need to do everything that life requires.

My Review of The Shack

2009-01-25T21:28:00.002-05:00

The Shack is a heart-felt story of a man's personal experience with God. The main character goes through a horrible tragedy and the book goes on to tell the story about how God enters into relationship with Mack (the main character) and touches his heart.

I have had a great experience reading this book. I finished it last night. Looking back over the last week or so, each time I read the book I found myself desiring a deep intimacy. As I wrote that sentence I was reminded that the one who is reaching out and truly desiring intimacy with us is Jesus Himself. Of course, it is great that I desire intimacy with the Father, but it's not about me wanting it, it's about Him giving it. God desired(s) to have intimacy and relationship with us so much that he sent Jesus, his only son, to make it possible. God in the flesh.

I very much appreciate the story's way of describing the Trinity in perfect unity. None of the three parts of the Trinity acts, hears, or speaks without the other two knowing. They are one in three persons. God is so utterly different than us; but at the same time we are made in the image of Him! That is mind-blowing!

The Shack is a work of fiction and is not a doctrinal dissertation! The truth in this book is the relationship with God that was lost at the fall of man, and that the only way that relationship can be restored is through Christ. And the person(s) that go about expressing that relationship are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

I recommend this book to all of you, no matter where you are at in your walk with God. Whether you are Catholic, Pentecostal, Lutheran or Calvinist, or even an atheist, this story will move you. It will challenge the box that you have put God in and pull you closer to a relationship with Him.

Let us learn from a great leader

2009-01-22T23:28:00.001-05:00

A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

President Abraham Lincoln

Doesn't it seem that our nation is in the same circumstances now that we were in when President Lincoln put this national day of fasting and confession into place? We have SO FORGOTTEN the Lord Jesus in all of the blessings that he has bestowed upon us. Every blessing that we have comes from Him. NOT ONE BLESSING IS OF HUMAN ORIGIN!

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen: repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Revelation 2:5

Our nation was built on basic Christian principles, our founding fathers (contrary to what revisionist historians want us to believe) were true, flawed and sinful, Christians. If you study the founding fathers of our nation you will find that they profess ABSOLUTE truth in the Bible and Christ Crucified, and that any country that desires freedom and liberty must be grounded in absolute truth and morality which comes from Christian faith. My dear friends there are absolutes in life. Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, let us not forget!

An Explanation by one of the contributors to The Shack

2009-01-19T13:14:00.001-05:00

Is The Shack Heresy?

By Wayne Jacobsen

We knew it would happen eventually. Frankly we thought it would happen far sooner and in far greater quantity than we have seen to date. But we knew The Shack was edgy enough to prompt some significant backlash, which is why so many publishing companies didn't want to take it on at the beginning.
I never thought everyone was going to love this book. Art is incredibly subjective as to whether a story and style are appealing. I have no problem with a spirited discussion of some of the theological issues raised in The Shack. The books I love most are the ones that challenge my theological constructs and invite a robust discussion among friends, whether I agree with everything in them or not in the end,. That is especially true of a work of fiction where people will bring their own interpretations of the same events or conversations. I never view a book as all good or all bad. It's like eating chicken. Enjoy the meat and toss the bones.
What is surprising, however, is the hostile tone of false accusation and the conspiracy theories that some are willing to put on this book. Some have even warned others not to read it or they will be led into deception. It saddens me that people want to use a book like this to polarize God's family, whether it's overenthusiastic reader thrusting it in someone's face telling them they "must read" this book, or when people read their own theological agendas into a work, then denounce it as heresy.
If you're interested, read it for yourself. Don't let someone else do your thinking for you. If it helps convey the reality of Jesus to you, great! If all you can see is sinister motives and false teaching in it, then put it aside. I don't have time to give a point-by-point rebuttal to the reviews I've read, but I would like to make some comments on some of the issues that have come up since I'm getting way too many emails asking me what I think of some of the questions they raise. I'll also admit at the outset, that I'm biased. Admittedly, I'm biased. I was part of a team with the author of working on this manuscript for over a year and am part of the company formed to print and distribute this book. But I'm also well acquainted with the purpose and passions of this book.
What do I think? I tire of the self-appointed doctrine police, especially when they toss around false accusations like "new age conspiracy", "counterfeit Jesus" or "heresy" to promote fear in people as a way of advancing their own agenda. What many of them don't realize is that research actually shows that more people will buy a book after reading a negative review than they do after reading a positive one. It peaks their curiosity as to why someone would take so much time to denounce someone else's book.
But such reviews also confuse people who are afraid of being seduced into error and for those I think the false accusations demand a response. Let me assure any of you reading this that all three of us who worked on this book are deeply committed followers of Jesus Christ who have a passion for the Truth of the Scriptures and who have studied and taught the life of Jesus over the vast majority of our lifetimes. But none of us would begin to pretend that we have a complete picture of all that God is or that our theology is flawless. We are all still growing in our appreciation for him and our desire to be like him, and we hope this book encourages you to that process as well. In the end, this says the best stuff we know about God at this point in our journeys. Is it a complete picture of him? Of course not! Who could put all that he is into a little story like this one? But if it is a catalyst to get thousands of people to talk about theology--who God is and how he makes himself known in the world--we would be blessed.
This is a story of one believer's brokenness and how God reached into that pain and pulled him out and as such is a compelling story of God's redemption. The pain and healing come straight from a life that was broken by guilt and shame at an incredibly deep level and he compresses into a weekend the lessons that helped him walk out of that pain and find life in Jesus again.
That said, the content of this book does take a harsh look at how many of our religious institutions and practices have blinded people to the simple Gospel and replaced it with a religion of rules and rituals that have long ceased to reflect the Lord of Glory. Some will disagree with that assessment and the solutions this book offers, and the reviews that do so honestly merit discussion. But those who confuse the issues by making up their own back-story for the book, or ascribing motives to its publication without ever finding out the truth, only prove our point.
Here are some brief comments on the major issues that have been raised about The Shack:
Does the book promote universalism?
Some people can find a universalist under every bush. This book flatly states that all roads do not lead to Jesus, while it affirms that Jesus can find his followers wherever they may have wandered into sin or false beliefs. Just because he can find followers in the most unlikely places, does not validate those places. I don't know how we could have been clearer, but people will quote portions out of that context and draw a false conclusion.
Does it devalue Scripture?
Just because we didn't put Scriptural addresses with their numbers and colons at every allusion in the story, does not mean that the Bible isn't the key source in virtually every conversation Mack has with God. Scriptural teachings and references appear on almost every page. They are reworded in ways to be relevant to those reading the story, but at every point we sought to be true to the way God has revealed himself in the Bible except for the literary characterizations that move the story forward. At its core the book is one long Bible study as Mack seeks to resolve his anger at God.
Is this God too nice?
Others have claimed that the God of The Shack is simply too nice, or having him in humorous human situations trivializes him. Really? Who wants to be on that side of the argument? For those who think this God is too easy, please tell me in what way does he let Mack off on anything? He holds his feet to the fire about every lie in his mind and every broken place in his heart. I guess what people these critics cannot see is confrontation and healing inside a relationship of love and compassion. This is not the angry and tyrannical God that religion has been using for 2000 years to beat people into conformity and we are not surprised that this threatens the self-proclaimed doctrine police.
One reviewer even thought this passage from The Shack was a mockery of the true God: "I'm not a bully, not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way. I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation...." That wasn't mocking God but a view of God that seems him as a demanding, self-centered tyrant? The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself as the God who would lay down his life for us to redeem us to himself.
The words, "I don't want slaves to do my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me," are simply a reflection of John 15:15. Unfortunately those who tend toward legalism among us have no idea how much more completely Jesus transforms us out of a relationship of love, than we could ever muster in our gritted-teeth obedience. This is at the heart of the new covenant--that love will fulfill the law, where human effort cannot.
Does it distort or demean the Trinity?
One of the concerns expressed about The Shack is that it presents the Trinity outside of a hierarchy. In fact many religious traditions think they find their basis for hierarchical organizations in what they've assumed about the Trinity. To look at the Trinity as a relationship without the need for command and control is one of the intriguing parts of this story. If they walk in complete unity, why would a hierarchy be needed? They live in love and honor each other. While in the flesh Jesus did walk in obedience to the Father as our example, elsewhere Scripture speaks of their complete unity, love and glory in relating to each other. Different functions need not imply a different status.
This extends in other ways to look at how healed people can relate to each other inside their relationship with God that defines authority and submission in ways most are not used to, but that are far more consistent with what we see in the early believers and in the teaching of Scripture. It is also true of many believers around the world who are learning to experience the life of Father's family without all the hierarchical maintenance and drama that has plagued followers of Christ since the third century.
People may see this differently and find this challenging, if only because it represents some thought they have not been exposed to before. Here we might be better off having a discussion instead of dragging out the "heretic" label when it is unwarranted.
Does it leave out discussions about church, salvation and other important aspects of Christianity?
This is some of the most curious complaints I've ever read. This is the story about God making himself available to one of his followers who is being swallowed up by tragedy and his crisis of faith in God's goodness over it. This is not a treatise on every element of theological study. Perhaps we should have paused in the story to have an altar call, or perhaps we should have drug a pipe organ into the woods and enlisted a choir to hold a service, but that was not the point.
Is this a Feminist God?
The book uses some characterizations of God to mess with the religious stereotypes only to get people to consider God as he really is, not how we have reconstituted him as a white, male autocrat bent on religious conformity. There are important reasons in the story why God takes the expressions he does for Mack, which underlines his nature to meet us where we are, to lead us to where he is. While Jesus was incarnated as man, God as a spirit has no gender, even though we fully embrace that he has taken on the imagery of the Father to express his heart and mind to us. We also recognize Scripture uses traditional female imagery to help us understand other aspects of God's person, as when Jesus compares himself to a hen gathering chicks, or David likens himself to a weaned child in his mother's arms.
Has it touched people too deeply?
Some reviewers point to Amazon.com reviews and people who have claimed it had a transforming effect on their spiritual lives as proof of its demonic origin. Please! How absurd is that? Do we prefer books that leave people untouched? This book touches lives because it deals with God in the midst of pain in an honest, straightforward way and because for many this is the first time they have seen the power of theology worked out inside a relationship with God himself.
Does The Shack promote Ultimate Reconciliation (UR)?
It does not. While some of that was in earlier versions because of the author's partiality at the time to some aspects of what people call UR, I made it clear at the outset that I didn't embrace UR as sound teaching and didn't want to be involved in a project that promoted it. In my view UR is an extrapolation of Scripture to humanistic conclusions about our Father's love that has to be forced on the biblical text.
Since I don't believe in UR and wholeheartedly embrace the finished product, I think those who see UR here, either positively or negatively are reading into the text. To me that was the beauty of the collaboration. Three hearts weighed in on the theology to make it as true as we could muster. The process also helped shape our theologies in honest, protracted discussions. I think the author would say that some of that dialog significantly affected his views. This book represents growth in that area for all of us. Holding him to the conclusions he may have embraced years earlier would be unfair to the ongoing process of God in his life and theology.
That said, however, I'm not afraid to have that discussion with people I regard as brothers and sisters since many have held that view in the course of theological history. Also keep in mind that the heretic hunters lump many absurd notions into what they call UR, but when I actually talk to those people partial to some view of ultimate reconciliation they do not endorse all the absurdities ascribed to them. This is a heavily nuanced discussion with UR meaning a lot of different things to different people. For myself, I am convinced that Jesus is someone we have to accept through repentance and belief in this age to participate in his life.
Throughout The Shack Mack's choices are in play, determining what he will let God do in his life through their encounter. He is no victim of God's process. He is a willing participant at every juncture. And even though Papa says "He is reconciled to all men" he also notes that, "not all men are reconciled to me."
Is the author promoting the emergent movement?
This guilt-by-association tactic is completely contrived. Neither the author, nor Brad and I at Windblown have ever been part of the emergent conversation. Some of their bloggers have written about the book, but we have not had any significant contact with the leaders of that movement and they have not been the core audience that has embraced this book.
That said I have met many people in the emergent conversation that have proved to be brothers and sisters in the faith. While I'm not nuts about all they do, a lot of the statements made about them by critics are as false as what some say about The Shack. They do deeply embrace the Scriptures. As I see it they are not trying to re-invent Christianity, but trying to communicate it in ways that captures a new generation. While I don't agree with many of the conclusions they're sorting through at the moment, they are not raving humanists. I have found them passionate seekers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who are asking some wonderful questions about God and how he makes himself known in us.
Does The Shack promote new age philosophy or Hinduism?
Amazingly some people have made assumptions about some of the names to think there is some eastern mysticism here, but when you hear how Paul selected the names he did it wasn't to make veiled references to Hinduism, black Madonnas, or anything else. It was to uncover facets of God's character that are clear in the Scriptures.
It's amazing how much people will make up to indulge their fantasies and falsely label something to fit their own conclusions. Some have even insisted that Mack flying in his dreams was veiled instructions in astral travel. Absolutely absurd! Has this man never read fiction, or had a dream? Just because someone screams there is a demon under that bush, doesn't mean there is.
* * * * *
We realize this would be a challenging read for those who see no difference between the religious conditioning that underlies Christianity as it is often presented in the 21st Century and the simple, powerful life in Christ that Jesus offered to his followers. Our hope was to help people see how the Loving Creator can penetrate our defenses and lead us to healing. Our prayer is that through this book people will see the God of the Bible as Jesus presented him to be--an endearing reality who wants to love us out of our sin and bondage and into his life. This is a message of grace and healing that does not condone or excuse sin, but shows God destroying it through the dynamic relationship he wants with each of his children.
We realize folks will disagree. We planned on it. We appreciate the interaction of those who have honest concerns and questions. Those who have been captured by this story are encouraged to search the Scriptures to see if these things are so and not trust us or the ravings of those who misinterpret this book, either threatened by its success, or those who want to ride on it to push their own fear-based agenda.

***********

I realize this is a long post to read, but I thought it would be appropriate to post this after my post yesterday. Does is it stimulate any thoughts for conversation?

Interesting Chart--What do you think about it?

2009-01-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

Beliefs

Biblical Christianity

Transition

See Emerging, Kingdom and PEACE

New Spirituality

See The Shack, The Secret and Theosophy

TRUTH

Timeless

relative?

God's eternal, unchanging Word! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Truth is de-emphasized to avoid division: “Humanity is recognizing the need for a more vital approach to God... men are tired of doctrinal and dogmatic differences....”23

“...a portion of truth... is found in every religious and philosophical system…. There is no room for absolute truth.... But there are relative truths."26

“When we can contact our own inner God, all truth will be revealed to us."58

JESUS

our Savior

or a

"World Teacher"?

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matt 16:15-16

"...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord....." Phil. 2:10-11

“The teaching of Christ is not obsolete and out of date. It needs only to be rescued from the interpretations of the theologies of the past …”8

“…see Christ as representing all the faiths and taking His rightful place as World Teacher.… They may not call Him Christ, but they have their own name for Him and follow Him as truly and faithfully as their Western brethren.”13

INCARNATION

Jesus

you?

"He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God..." Col. 1:15 "The Word became flesh (incarnate) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory." John 1:14

"For the church not to speak to pop culture, not to use [its] images... that's not being very incarnational.... In order to incarnate Christ into the culture... we have to look to redeem pop culture." Leonard Sweet [note 2]

"God, the scripture is saying, is formless consciousness and the essence of who you are." Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, p. 219

"You are God in a physical body ... You are all power ... You are all intelligence ... You are the creator." The Secret. [note 3]

SALVATION

By faith

by works?

"...by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works...."

“...wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.... Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life... there are few who find it." Matt. 7:13-14

"We have taught that Christ died to save the world and have endeavored to show that only believers could be saved … Individual salvation is surely selfish in its interest and its origin.”76

"Only those principles and truths which are universally recognized and which find their place in every religion are truly necessary to salvation.” 20

FAITH

Based on Truth or experience?

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." Gal. 2:20-21

"...your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Cor. 2:5

“The need is for vision, wisdom and that wide tolerance which will see divinity on every hand and recognize the Christ in every human being.”10

“...there will emerge the universal religion, the One Church. …doctrines and dogmas will no longer be regarded as necessary, for faith will be based on experience.…"16

SIN

Confessed

ignored?

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

Sin and guilt are ignored, minimized, redefined, or replaced by unbiblical tolerance or -- as spirit guide Djwhal Khul called it, “the Law of Loving Understanding."

"There is no sin." [note 1]

“That old message of right and wrong … good and evil, everlasting rewarding and everlasting damnation, has done nothing to end the suffering. …because it is a message of separation.”77

GOSPEL

The Truth

or deception?

The "good news" about the suffering, redeeming death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus -- that we might be saved from sin and joined to Christ.

Those who deny His Gospel will face His judgment.

The old Gospel is replaced by a more "positive" gospel: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you. Just agree and accept in His love. Don't dwell on sin.

"...this message is the only message that can save the world.… That message is The New Gospel: WE ARE ALL ONE.”78

FELLOWSHIP

In Christ or through facilitated dialogue?

"...love one another; as I have loved you..." John 13:34

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another....singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord....." Col. 3:16

Small dialectic groups must be non-judgmental, "authentic" and affirming, showing unconditional tolerance and acceptance, seeking consensus and unity in diversity. [note 4]

"Our object is not to destroy any religion, but rather to... filter each, thus ridding them of their respective impurities.... Free discussion, temperate, candid, undefiled by personalities and animosity, is, we think, the most efficacious means of getting rid of error.... ”26 [See The Dialectic Process]

SERVICE

God's way

or the world's way [Praxis]

"...whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." Col. 3:23

"...they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us..." 2 Cor. 8:5
"...distributing to the needs of the saints...." Rom. 12:13

"The first Reformation was... about creeds; this one's going to be about our deeds."

"The last thing many believers need today is to go to another Bible study.... What they need are serving experiences..." Rick Warren [note 5]

"The New Group of World Servers ... can be regarded as the embodiment of the emerging kingdom of God on earth ... not a Christian kingdom.... It is a grouping of all those who – belonging as they do to every world religion... are free from the spirit of hatred and separativeness..... It is a group... without a ...bible of any kind... it has no creed..."[note 6]

SEPARATION

universal oneness?

"Walk as children of light ... finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. " Eph. 5:8-11

"Key to the New Spirituality is a belief that God is not separate from anyone or anything -- and neither are we."44

“...the ushering in of the new world order... will gather into its ranks all men of peace and good will … the embodiment of the emerging Kingdom of God on earth… It is a grouping of all those who... are free from the spirit of hatred and separativeness.”52

PERSECUTION

"tolerance" for

"resisters"

"...the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me." John 16:2-3

"Postmodern culture is a change-or-be-changed world. The word is out: Reinvent yourself for the 21st century or die." Emerging church leader, Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami

"Evolve or die: that is our only choice now. ...at this time about ten percent of people in North America are already awakening.... This is probably enough of a critical mass to bring about a new earth." Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth and The Power of Now

KINGDOM

of GOD

Kingdom of the World?

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son... in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13

“Christ's major task was the establishing of God's kingdom upon earth. He showed us the way in which humanity could enter that kingdom … the way is found in service to our fellow men …"4

“The true Church is the kingdom of God on earth … composed of all, regardless of race or creed, who live by the light within, who have discovered the fact of the mystical Christ in their hearts.”11

I am almost done reading "The Shack" and I knew that a lot of it would be pretty controversial (looking at it from a traditional conservative Christian theological view). I like how it shows intimacy with God and how He heals us with love when we are in a relationship with Him. I don't think I can get myself to lump "The Shack" into the far right column of the chart above, but I do know that I believe all that is in the far left column of the chart because it is pure scripture. I know that the Shack has led me to tears and to laughter and that it is a very involving story that makes me want to believe that the experiences are true. I think it is a wonderful work of fiction that pushes people to examine their walk of Faith.

What do you think? Tell me.

2009: Jon's year to learn Obedience

2009-01-02T11:26:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you! This year I am going to write out my desires for 2009 (what I would like to see happen in my life and others).

Spiritually:

Ø I desire to be more intentional about my time with God. The Plan: I will get up 20 minutes earlier each day to dig into God’s Word and pray. A person can only go so far in the sanctification process by just hearing smart people talk about God. When the Word is opened up it allows for the Holy Spirit to do a great work of revelation. Prayer and the Word

Ø I desire to learn what it means to fast, because it is an act of obedience.

Ø I am very excited to attend Catalyst again next October.

Growth:

Ø I desire to read at least 12 books (outside of required school readings) this year. The books can be Spiritual in nature, fiction, professional and leadership based, etc.

Ø My current reading list for 2009 starts with 12 and will hopefully expand from there:

UnChristian by David Kannaman

Culture-Making by Andy Crouch

Pagan Christian by Viola and Barna

The Shack by William Paul Young

Leading Change by Peter Drucker

The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg

IT by Craig Groeschel

The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Oath by Frank Peretti

Convergence by Sam Sterns

Traveling Light by Max Lucado

This is a tentative list of books. I already own most of them. I also would like to read more books by Seth Godin (marketing guru) and by John Maxwell who is an expert on leadership. I am willing to move the list around and/or change some books out based on suggested reading from my valued friends and mentors!

Educational:

Ø I desire to be very intentional in my MBA coursework this year. I have one more year so I want to finish strong this sprint in the longer race we call life.

Ø I desire to be more intentional about my learning, taking full responsibility for it rather than relying on professors and others.

Family:

Ø I desire to spend as much time as possible serving Heidi, loving her and caring for her. No matter what happens this year she will be the only human that influences my life every day. I will spend more time praying for her.

Ø I will spend more time praying for our families

Ø I desire to pray more intentionally for my God-daughters Allison (my niece) and Helly (from Lucumo).

Ø I desire to build better and stronger relationships with my sisters, Emily and Katie.

Ø I desire to learn more about and become closer to Heidi’s family.

Ø I desire to go hunting with my dad this fall, to go to another Vikings game and go fishing.

Ø I desire to support and pray for my mom in her work with the women’s Bible Study at her church; that her group will grow closer to God and pursue His will.

Ø I desire to pray more specifically for Tom and Nancy’s ministry.

Ø I desire to support Mom and Dad in all the different and wonderful things they are doing.

Others:

Ø I desire to learn new technology and software to make better movies (home videos and promotional)

Ø To take more pictures

Ø I desire to go snorkeling once a month

I desire to pursue change, not just for the sake of change, but for growth. A quote that I heard from a friend that I believe comes from a Keanu Reaves movie goes like this, “People only change when they come to a moment of crisis. Don’t rob me of my crisis!”

Lastly, I desire to trust and obey Jesus with all of my heart. I want the year 2009 to be a year where I learn the gift of obedience. By obeying I know that the Lord will show and do great things. Therefore, my theme for the year 2009 is:

“2009: Jon’s year to learn Obedience”

Why be a missionary?

2008-12-29T15:45:00.003-05:00

I was backing up and digging through some old files on my hard drive when I came across some old video files. Along with many other attempts to be cool; I made this little audiovisual presentation in early 2006 with Windows Movie Maker to show at my first presentations to raise support to move to Latin America. That was nearly 3 years ago. Technology has changed,even over the last three years...but the message hasn't! It is simple, but take a look!

Our first Christmas away from family

2008-12-25T23:41:00.001-05:00

This Christmas is the first time that Heidi and I have not traveled to visit either of our families and stayed here in Panama. First off, as much as I miss snow, it was quite amazing to play two-hand touch football on Christmas eve and then outdoor basketball today in 100 degree weather. Back home in Iowa, we would have been stuck inside in the air conditioning--but that 100 degree weather just felt a little warmer than usual to me.

Well, the Christmas events that did take place here in Panama were very wonderful and helped to alleviate the sadness of not being with our own immediate family. We have some amazing friends here in Panama that feel like a second family.

Here are a few photos covering the events of the last few days:

We have been so blessed to be surrounded with mission team members and friends here in Panama!

Heidi and I pray that you had a very blessed Christmas and hope that you will bring in the New Year remembering the Joy that comes in the finished work of Christ!

FELIZ NAVIDAD y PROSPERO ANO NUEVO

Happy 50th Birthday Dad!

2008-12-21T14:31:00.001-05:00

This year marks the 50th birthday of Anthony Ray Heisterkamp, born December 21st, 1958. He is a dad, friend, missionary, businessman, family guy. I am very blessed to have been raised by him and my mom.

I have been privileged to be apart of 26.5 years of my dad's 50 years on this earth. I have seen my dad in times of prosperity and when times were tough, when he was sick and when he was healthy, in church and in business, with family and with friends. He has been my role model, the one that I asked millions of questions about millions of things. He and my mom provided for my sisters and me all of our lives and continue to bless us to this day.

Dad, as you always told the three of us kids, I will tell you now, "I am proud of you, for who you are and for who you are becoming." Here's to the next 50 years, may they be fruitful and to the Glory of God, our Father in Heaven.

We love you so much! Happy Birthday!

Love, Jon and Heidi

One of my favorite Christmas cartoons ever!

2008-12-19T01:06:00.002-05:00

For your Christmas viewing pleasure! Doesn't it just take you back to lying on your living room floor a view days before Christmas and there is a blizzard outside? I have fond memories of Disney's Christmas programs from back in the day! Enjoy!

Wonderful Christmas Concert in Panama

2008-12-18T14:44:00.001-05:00

The video in this post is of the Christmas Concert that each Lutheran congregation here in Panama participated in. Thanks to James Neuendorf, our communications specialist here in Latin America, I was able to catch a glimpse of what it would have been like to attend the Christmas concert--and now so can you! Enjoy!

Letter concerning Christmas

2008-12-17T13:44:00.001-05:00

The following is a letter that I received last Christmas from a family member. I wanted to share it with you all!

Dear Children,
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a Nativity scene on YOUR OWN FRONT LAWN. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love-- and remember-- I LOVE YOU, JESUS

Gift Ideas for Little Helly

2008-12-16T00:58:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to write a quick note asking for suggestions on what kind of gift you think Heidi and I should get for our new God-daughter, Helly, who I wrote about here in November. She is two years old and the youngest of two girls. I will take ideas in the comments section and then I will let you all know what we decide to get for her in a post before I leave for Peru on January 10th. Multiple votes for a certain gift will give weight to what we decide to give, but I am looking for an original gift idea. If anyone is interested in making a gift that we could buy from you--give me a proposal and I will let you know!

Jesus and Santa

2008-12-15T13:30:00.001-05:00

50,000 shoes in 50 days--Only 18 days left

2008-12-12T10:50:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have heard about Soles4Souls and what many bloggers are trying to accomplish in a 50 day time period. With only 18 days left nearly 10,000 shoes have been donated! There is still a long way to go!

The person who donates the most shoes this week will win an autographed Amy Grant guitar (silent auction style)
With every pair of shoes you donate you’re entered for a chance to hand deliver your shoes in person on a Soles4Souls trip to Mexico.
If you donate $25 (10 pairs of shoes) or more you will receive a free jar of “Save My Sole” foot cream compliments of sponsor, Underology.
There is a 1-for-2 match going right now. That means that if 1000 shoes are donated by 11:59 pm on December 13, a sponsor will donate an additional 500 shoes!

Will you join Heidi and I in giving to this worthy cause? Spend less on gifts--give more to people in need! Go to http://www.50000shoes.com/.

With Thankful Hearts We Praise Him

2008-11-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

Praise God this Thanksgiving! We give Him praise with hands and thankful hearts lifted high! Join Heidi and I in singing praises to the King for all that He has done for us. We are all so blessed!

Some things that I am most thankful for this day:

My salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ

Family--those that are near and far

Great friends

A God-given purpose in life

Health

and the fact that there is love in my life!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We love youall and give thanks to God that you are part of our lives!

Love,

Jon and Heidi

Interesting Statistics on My generation of Christians

2008-11-25T23:04:00.001-05:00

Here is one of the blogs that I had wanted to post last week but due to the business of the seminars I was participating in I was unable to write much!

I have been reading the book UnChristian authored by David Kinnaman with research completed by the Barna Group, a very well known and respectable research organization.

The book takes a look at what my generation and a few younger than me really think about Christianity. The findings overwhelmingly point to the fact that many Christians don't practice what they preach. While looking down on non-Christians, intentionally or not, we are putting on a face of holiness that is false. We look like hypocrites. As Biblical Christians with sound doctrine we should hold to a certain view and practice that is contrary to the world. We preach this daily in our churches and mission fields. The statistics below will show, though, that many young Christians believe things to be morally acceptable that the Bible explicitly condemns and tells us to abstain from.

This isn't a big surprise, and could be easily written off by Christians who say that we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. This is the truth that we are all sinners. But the problem enters in when we condemn non-Christians for doing the same things we do. Instead of pointing fingers and pretending to be holy, we should be showing how we have failed in our sin to those in similar situations, but how God has saved us and wiped our slate clean to live a new life for Him.The new life we have is a transformed life in relationship with Him. This research should cause us to take a step back and look at how we as Christians treat non-Christians; as well as evaluate how we are living--as examples of Christ or not.

	Christians 23-41yrs old	Christians 42+yrs old
	Percentage that believe each is morally acceptable
Cohabitation	59%	33%
Gambling	58%	38%
Sexual Thoughts/fantasies about someone	57%	35%
Sex outside of marriage	44%	23%
Using profanity	37%	17%
Getting Drunk	35%	13%
Looking at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior	33%	19%
having an abortion	32%	27%
having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex	28%	13%
using drugs not prescribed to you	16%	8%
allowing f-word on broadcast television	7%	6%

Peru Mission Events/Being a God-parent

2008-11-15T15:02:00.003-05:00

I haven't really written on my blog in about 14 days, but I have like 5 different topics that I want to write about over the next week so get ready!

Today, I want to tell you about this beautiful child pictured with me above. Her name is Helly and she is the youngest daughter of Elvis, a man I told many of you about this summer when I was home on furlough. Elvis was a very hard man when I first met him, angry, upset, and on his own. At the beginning, the times that I was able to talk with him he had usually drank too much liquor beforehand. Or it was about how many bags of cement we could carry down the road to our work site. One time it seemed that he even wanted to pick a fight with me. After a few weeks of working with Elvis, though, I began to see him change. He wasn't as hard-hearted towards me or anyone else in the group. He was smiling; and I hadn't seen him drunk...maybe even using restraint. Either he was just trusting us as people coming to serve him, or he was being changed by the Holy Spirit. I think it was both!

It is hard to stay in touch with Elvis because, well, communication isn't so good in their area--and there is a lack of technology. But each time that I've returned to Lucumo, we basically pick up where we left off.

So what does this all have to do with Helly? The last time I was in Lucumo was November 4th and 5th with Pastor Jorge Groh and Anthony Diliberto. On November 5th Helly was baptized along with her older sister Karol. Elvis asked me if Heidi and I would be Helly's sponsors, or God-parents, and I, of course, accepted! It is such an amazingly beautiful journey that God is letting us be apart of in Lucumo and Peru. A story that is about Him. That's what happens when God brings you into life with him--He gives us a role in the greatest story ever told--His Story.

Yes, it is an honor to be sponsors now of two young and beautiful little girls; Allison and Helly.

But we don't take this lightly. I've been thinking about this lately. A God-parent is called to be a witness of Christ to the children they sponsor, to be their prayer warriors and to use every opportunity they have to teach them about Jesus and what He has done for us. Being a God-parent is not just a title that you get to wear, or an honor that friends and family give each other to say that they really do like you; it's a responsibility. When someone asks you to be a sponsor, they are asking you to be their second. That if they should pass on you will be responsible for their child's spiritual growth, to teach them all you know about Jesus and the Scriptures.

If you are a sponsor, I challenge you to look at what that means for you. Are you praying for that child daily? Are you preoccupied with his/her spiritual growth? Please don't take it lightly!

Technorati Tags: Allison,Helly,Baptism,Sponsors,God-Parents,Peru,Lucumo,LCMS World Mission,Conversion

Advent Conspiracy--The meaning of Christmas

2008-11-15T01:09:00.005-05:00

Take a look at this video. It sure make us think about how much we take for granted...

Now what? We can't claim ignorance anymore. We really do spend $450,000,000,000 on Christmas every year! What a waste. Gifts are great, but come on! Worship Jesus, love Him, and love others!

If you are interested in helping with AIDS and Clean Water, one place you can check out is www.bloodwatermission.org.

How can we serve?

Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Unity

2008-10-31T12:56:00.002-04:00

What do these four words have in common? What type of action do they require of people who want to exemplify them? Can one exist without the other, or does one have to exist for the other three to happen?

These are some of the question that I am trying to answer after reading Tom Morris's book, "If Aristotle Ran General Motors." This book was a required reading for my Applied Business Ethics class for my MBA, but once I opened it up, it wasn't hard to read the whole book in one sitting. (I still have to write the paper that corresponds with the reading, but my blog seems to be more important at this moment...lol) Since then, I've gone back through it and wanted to put some of Morris's points out there to see what the rest of you think.

Truth

The first (or base) universal dimension of human experience that Morris mentions is our intellectual dimension, which aims us at truth. We all need knowledge and to have ideas just as much as we need to have food, air and water. We need truth so that our minds are nourished just as our bodies are nourished by the food that we eat.

I wrote about truth in an earlier post here. I was looking at truth asking the question is there ever a time when you shouldn't tell the whole truth, or when it is okay to lie. Or how do you tell the truth when it might be very hurtful.

Here are some quotes from the book about truth that might hit home for you:

"We should cultivate an environment in which people are not afraid to tell us the truth."

"Too many workers and managers are reluctant to pass on a hard truth to the person they report to, because they are working in a corporate culture where it's not clear what the value of truth is."

"I search after truth, by which man never yet was harmed" --Marcus Aurelius

While this book was written for the business person, I see how these quotes are very important to our everyday lives, in our churches, in non-profits, in politics, in mission-agencies, and in our families. We are so hung up on keeping "the peace", avoiding conflict, and/or making sure everyone is happy that we end up hiding the truth. If we were able to tell the truth without fear, think how many problems and difficulties we could avoid.

Goodness

As Mr. Morris writes about goodness he is talking about ethics and morality and what they all imply. He also writes about how our culture has failed at being good and why. Here are some of his points:

"Ethics is not primarily about the big things [ie: abortion, homosexuality, social injustice, euthanasia]; it's not the sole preserve of mind-bending dilemmas and difficult cases. It's mostly about everyday matters like how we treat the people around us and how we conduct ourselves. If we don't get it right in the little things, we're unlikely to get it right in the big things."

"The best portion of a good man's life: His little, nameless, unremembered acts of Kindness and of Love."--William Woodsworth

"A moral crisis seems to have enveloped all sectors of American-Life [not just Wall Street or in abortion clinics]. If you have any doubt, take your car to a mechanic, talk to a contractor about building a house, ask around town for a lawyer you can trust, shop for an used car, or even a new car...brackets are my comments

Apparently, the only guidelines for conduct widely in all these contexts are:

1. Look out for number one
2. Whatever you do, don't get caught
And for those who are ethically sensitive and altruistic:
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS"

We as Americans have become so wrapped up in short-term thinking and our immediate gratification. I too struggle with this, I'm not just condemning without pointing the finger at myself. Morris says that in the type of climate where short-term thinking dominates, "urgency easily pushes out the important."

Some of the questions I wrote in the margins of my book when I read about this were:

"Why do we have to be so short-term results focused? Why do we need instant gratification? When did we change from being Long-Term focused to short-term and self-centered?"

Morris wrote that when we think about the consequences of our actions we tend to think only of the immediate effects--we don't look far ahead.

Two questions that I want to take away from this reading and continue to ask myself anytime I have to make a decision:

1. What impact will my decisions and my behavior have on the people closest to me over the long-run?

2. And what sort of person am I becoming, long-term, by the decisions I make?

This book has invoked a lot of thought over the last week, and helped me to start aligning all the garbled thoughts I've had about ethics, morality, decisions I've made, and the decisions I still have to make. I feel a little bit more liberated to take my time in decision-making. That's a good feeling.

Reference

Morris, T. (1997). If Aristotle ran general motors: the new soul of business. New York, NY: Owl Books Henry Holt and Company, LLC

I miss my woman!

2008-10-30T19:16:00.001-04:00

I love you Heidi!

VOTE

2008-10-26T21:50:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to make something clear after my previous post; please vote!

I was writing about my struggle with deciding which candidate to vote for if I only looked at the concern for the life or death of another human being. I was running through the different options that one might have if they only voted based on those two issues; war and abortion. I realize there is more to the current state of our country than those two issues.

Voting has serious implications about what we say we believe vs. what we really believe. We must exercise this freedom to choose, not just for the sake of choosing, but so that we can know ourselves better. We can say what we believe out loud as much as we want, but until we act on what we are saying, it's just a bunch of fluff. When we vote we start to follow through on our beliefs and it's a first step in the direction of acting out what we believe.

I will be voting when I receive my absentee ballot!

Lesser of two evils?

2008-10-25T15:41:00.004-04:00

I hate war. I hate that we kill babies. These are two major issues for me. If these two issues were what I based my vote on how can I decide who I would vote for in this election? (I say would, because SD hasn't sent me my absentee ballot yet, and I doubt it will get here in time.) Would I be justifiying death and murder by voting for either side?

Do I desensitize myself to the situation and vote based off of other issues?

Or do I pick the one that will kill less people?

Here are some stats on the death toll due to the Iraq war (http://icasualties.org/oif/) :

4187 Americans Killed
176 UK killed
138 Other
4501=total Coalition death toll in Iraq in 5 1/2 years

Here are some stats on deaths due to abortion (http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10123) :

3,288 Americans Killed per day
23,016 Americans Killed per week
1.2 million Americans killed per year

The numbers are overwhelming. If you wanted to kill less people, I guess you would vote for the candidate that says he would overturn abortion. But I don't think I can handle knowing that I am responsible for one death through my vote. Maybe I would vote for the anti-abortion candidate, because at least our servicemen these days made a conscience choice (a service-focused choice at that) to do what they do and babies don't have any choice or protection when it comes to abortion.

But still, I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that whichever way I vote I will have someone's blood on my hands...

Maybe I wouldn't vote, even if I had an absentee ballot. I don't believe either of the candidates will make any real change. Why do we think we can put all of our trust in one man or woman to revolutionize our country? When are people going to stand up and get things done together? When will we reach out and help that person we know who is going to lose their home? When will we reach out and help that pregnant, single-mother, so that she doesn't have an abortion? When will we start, as real people, to really help others?

Maybe voting is just a way for me to be an active participant in this difficult, moral, and ethical process? Maybe it will encourage me to be an advocate for life, no matter the situation?

What we need is to refocus our attention and trust in the One True God and our Savior Jesus. We need mercy from God. We need to turn to Him and He will lead us; and not our selfish, self-preserving desires. Let's get on our knees in prayer for our families, our neigbors, our nation, and our world.

A call to give Him Glory

2008-10-15T13:12:00.002-04:00

Let us give Him glory in all that we do; for He is the Most High!

Catalyst--Together

2008-10-14T14:21:00.001-04:00

Well, I wrote last week how I was really excited about the Catalyst leadership conference that Heidi and I attended in Atlanta. If you read the blog I posted last week you know that God was doing something and showing me his love.

Throughout the conference the speakers just spoke to the heart of the matter. I learned so much from experts on leadership and heard from some great Christian leaders as well. Over the last week, God has really identified for me that I struggle the most with pride and what others think of me. It's idolatry to always worry what others think of you...Heidi has been telling me this for a long time, but I guess I never really heard her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to to stop considering others, this is still very important. For me though, it's like every decision I make I have to go through a list of people to make sure that no one will find fault with me. When really, it's okay if someone sees fault in me. It's going to be a tough road to get over this...but with God's grace and forgiveness I know I will get through it.

Catalyst really challenged me, with 12,400 other Christian leaders from EVERY denomination, to embrace change in our lives; it's how God pulls us through the process of sanctification. He is a Holy God and ALL of his ways are righteous.

I pray for God's direction in your life and that you wouldn't resist when He is calling you to change. I pray that God will open our hearts to receive His grace and direction.

Happy Birthday Allison!!!

2008-10-13T01:00:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday to our one and only niece! We hope you enjoyed your second birthday and can't wait to see you again! Love, Jon andHeidi

I'm Broken AND Put Back Together

2008-10-07T22:56:00.001-04:00

I am on an airplane from Santiago, Dominican Republic on my way to Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference. I have a stop over in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Heidi and I will be meeting up to attend the conference that will cover a bunch of different things, from Passion, Influence, Justice, Community in the context of being young leaders. I will write more about this later, but know that we are very excited about this opportunity to learn from others in the Kingdom.

But what I really want to write about is how God has touched my heart today. When I sat down on the plane I turned on my iPod and the first song was by Hillsong, "For who you are". The chorus is:

I will worship you for who you are

I will worship you for who you are, Jesus

Standing here in your presence

Thinking of all the good things you have done...

Holy, Righteous, Faithful to the end

Savior, Healer, Redeemer and Friend

and during this chorus I started to ask myself if I was worshiping Jesus, in my life, for who he is and I just started to break down and cry. He is all those things in the song, and more. But he only needs to be one of them for me to honor him, a Holy Savior. Have I honored Him? It's a good thing my seat is in the last row and I'm by myself. I don't cry much.

I sat there convicted. All the things I've said or done in the last few weeks have been done with pride. Not the good kind of pride either. Gosh, why do I have to struggle with my flesh so much! I'm crying out in my heart to God that I am sorry. Sorry for not acknowledging His "omni"-presence, for blatantly ignoring His presence. Sorry that I've lost focus of His Cross, even as I'm telling others to focus on it!

He's saying back to me through His word, "I Forgive You". God loves me. He loves all His children dearly and wants them to confess. He will take care of it; he already has, actually, with the blood of Jesus. He changes our hearts. He is changing mine. Praise be to God.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:1-5

Important Questions

2008-10-04T11:51:00.001-04:00

I have been struggling along with some of our friends here in Panama over truth the last few months. I think I have always felt that truth was more important than anything else, and sacrificing truth for the greater good wasn't really a concept that could exist. I have been challenged over the last months and wanted to pose the question to all of you that read my blog. I am thinking in more of a Evangelism, Bible-understanding point of view, but please feel free to answer the questions I pose with world examples as well. Also, the questions may seem simple but to me they are very deep and pivotal to how we live our lives day to day. Please answer with care.

What is more important?

Telling truth vs. keeping the peace

Telling truth vs. maintaining hope (possibly false hope)

Telling the truth vs. Getting people in the door however you can with the intention of telling the truth later. (evangelism idea, but can be applied elsewhere, like politics)

When does telling the truth become an UN-loving thing to do? I believe truth is absolute. Do you? Is truth the end or the means? Where do you find truth? In God's word? Inside yourself? What's your foundation of truth?

I would love to have as many responses to this blog as possible!

In Christ,

Jon

First Time Back Since June

2008-09-27T20:43:00.001-04:00

Well, here I am back in Peru for the first since we finished up the Water Project in June. I am currently in Lima, but will be heading to Lucumo and Lunahuana tomorrow morning sometime. I find myself anxious and happy at the same time to be reunited with the friends I came to know and love while I was here working the whole month of June. Due to the limited ability to communicate and lack of those same types of communication tools, the times I have been able to get in touch with the people of Lucumo have been few and far between. They know we are arriving there tomorrow to see them and talk about the future! Such an exciting time to see what God has done over the last few months. I pray that he will give us (Jorge, Olga and Me) the words necessary to encourage them in the faith.

Lord, you allowed for many people to be touched by your Word in June, both Peruvian and Americans. I ask that you would bless our time together this week and that we will find amazing ways to serve you together as we continue down this road. I thank you for bringing Anthony into the team and I pray that you will guide his time of preparation in Panama over the next few months. Lord, use us to your benefit, to share your gospel without leaving anything out. Let us be beacons of your truth. Amen!

Amazed

2008-09-25T11:56:00.003-04:00

I hope that you will take the time to watch the videos that I posted below. There are 5 clips that are about 10 minutes long. Start with the post that has 3 clips in it and then move up to the post with two clips.

We watched this the other night during a Bible Study and it's just amazing how involved and concerned for our lives that God is. He has created us and the whole universe. I especially love the 3rd video in the first post about our conception and creation. So amazing.

We've really messed up, we humans, and don't deserve the love and grace that he pours out on us. We think we are so big in our own lives and we do whatever we can to lift ourselves up and get what we want, while in the whole scheme of things, we are these puny little nothings. We think that we can save the world...we think we can change the order of things in this life on our own. We are such a silly people.

We are totally at the disposal of God. He could crush us in a second. But he won't. He crushed someone else in our place; His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we don't have to bare the weight of God's wrath, because we repent of our sins and believe in him as our Savior. Where are you in the grand scheme of things?

Second Set of Videos

2008-09-25T11:55:00.001-04:00

Watch these!

2008-09-25T11:50:00.001-04:00

Coordination and Planning

2008-09-16T13:44:00.001-04:00

It's been a week or two since I last blogged so I am writing as I think of things this time around. Since we returned to Panama from furlough many things have taken place.

One of the major accomplishments is the near completion of the Regional Mission office in Panama City. The only step left is to install some small office divisions to give privacy to some of our staff. We have a newly set up conference room where we will be able to hold Regional Team meetings and conferences with our partner churches and other organizations. I have to say that I am proud of the work. I will have to post more pictures at a later date!

Another big thing in my agenda lately is planning the first Latin American and Caribbean missionary retreat since 2004. We will be hosting all of our LCMS WM Missionaries and alliance (partner church) missionaries in Panama, December 1st-6th. We will have 4 full days of worship, fellowship, and plenty of information sharing. There will also be plenty of time to relax and rejuvenate and just be with God, as we all know ministry, unfortunately, sometimes gets in the way of that. Many of you probably don't know this but most of our missionaries are on their own in their host country. Granted our missionaries have great relationships and are integrated into the life of the local church where they work, but contact between missionaries on a regular basis can be very miniscule and at times we may feel very isolated and alone. A regional retreat like this is meant to make each of us aware that we are not alone in our work and that many others are going through the same things.

So I have been busy planning this event, from the hotel to the transportation, to the food, to making sure everyone has their tickets purchased. I am really enjoying doing all of this coordination...I think I inherited this trait from my father. :-)

Well, I will sign off for now! Give praise to Him from whom all blessings flow!

In Christ,

Jon

Here we are painting what is now the conference room in the regional office. It took a good three coats to cover the once bright green walls.

Happy Birthday Mom

2008-08-29T14:13:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom!! I wish we could be home to celebrate this day with you! I love you so much and I am so thankful you are my mom! Have a great day!

Where do they stand?

2008-08-25T12:11:00.004-04:00

I'm usually quiet on political matters but I can't help but point out Obama's political-ness when answering questions pertaining to faith and things like abortion. Here is a link to a blog that reviews the discussion held by Rick Warren with McCain and Obama...Pro-Choice or Pro-human rights? Which would you choose?

I am a moderate and believe in things like Social Justice and helping the poor. I don't like big business without some sort of social governance, but I am in favor of a government that helps small companies succeed. But when it comes down to it, the Bible, ethics, and basic human rights are what shape my decision when it comes to abortion. Places like Planned Parenthood don't give an opportunity for that human life to continue living, they don't expound to the woman the blessings of adoption or give help to the woman that decides to keep the baby...they only way planned parenthood stays in business is by women continuing to get abortions. It's come full circle--what probably was intended as a way to help women out has become dependent on women continuing to have abortions to keep their business going.

I don't think enough is being done by either side to end abortion and promote abstinence until marriage or to make raising a child any easier on single mothers, and that is what needs to change. No life is worth more than any other, we are all created equal and should be given an equal chance to live.

This issue just shows us how depraved our world has become. We just keep becoming more desensitized to death, murder, extreme poverty, and other sinful acts that it doesn't even phase us. What was once seen as freeing (as in getting away from the rules) is now what condemns us.

For those of us who believe in Jesus as the only way to salvation and truly believe what the Bible teaches about how we should react to poverty, homosexuality, abortion, sexual immorality, and adultery (affairs, sex out of marriage, pornography); we must stand firm against it while teaching others the Biblical truth about what we should all be doing to counteract them. God loves all of us, all of us sinners, and wants us to come to repentance and a knowledge of His truth and saving Grace through Jesus. Without repentance we remain lost sheep...

Human rights does not mean we all have freedom to do what we want, it means there are certain privileges that are available to each human life, like laws that protect that life.

Great Furlough--Back to Panama

2008-08-14T23:01:00.002-04:00

Well after a good 6 week stint back in the USA, Heidi and I have returned to Panama. We arrived back to our home here on August 1st, sometime that evening after getting our luggage. The road construction in Panama has advanced quite a bit over the last two months, and you could tell by the traffic. It will be great when that's all finished!

Furlough was a great time for both Heidi and I. It was extremely busy and we were on the road most of the time visiting many churches. However, we did get to visit with family some. Since we've returned to Panama we've allowed some time to get back into the swing of things. I'm back to finishing up the office move with a few final touches. I will also be getting two apartments ready for 3 more missionaries that will be arriving to Panama in September (a couple and a single guy). We are looking forward to having them here!

As for now, we are enjoying being back in our home and catching up with all of our friends/co-workers for Christ. We will keep you posted! Blessings in Christ!

Week 4 Project Finished!!!

2008-06-24T09:49:00.003-04:00

Greetings from the USA! Heidi and I just arrived last night to Minneapolis and will be heading on furlough this afternoon. Saturday morning I was in Lima, Peru preparing to go back to Panama after finishing the project in Lucumo! WE FINISHED! The Bocatoma wall took the full 4 weeks to complete, but we are so thankful to the Lord that HE did it!
I want to give a special thanks to the group that came in the 4th week, they were dedicated to getting the wall finished before they left.
Over the weekend the water canal should have been opened up again by the people of Lucumo and water should now be running to their faucets and irrigation systems!
I am also very encouraged about the relationship that was built over the last four weeks and the change that occurred in the people of Lucumo! The last night I was there I had a conversation about the future relationship we will have with Lucumo, and the leaders were very excited and asking for someone to come and teach them the Bible. These people are thirsting for the Word of God. They've seen the love of God through the actions of the 4 groups that came down to work with them on this project, but now they want to know why. They want to understand the Hope that we have in Christ. I can assure you that we are in a deep search for the right person to come and teach the word to these people. I am SO encouraged by the people of Lucumo, they surprised me with their requests for teachers and preachers, God is Amazing. Here is a video of that shows the work from beginning to end!

Week 3--Much Advancement--Week 4 Working Hard

2008-06-17T17:11:00.010-04:00

Greetings! I know this is a little late but this post is to talk about what we accomplished during the 3rd week of the bocatoma project in Lucumo, Peru. The group that came down for this week consisted of members from two churches: Prince of Peace in Palatine, IL and Concordia in Conover, NC. In total there were 17 members that traveled down to Lima on June 8th...they were and are the largest group I received for this project. With coordinators, drivers, foremans and the men from Lucumo, we had between 23-33 people working on the project at any given time. We put in some late nights pouring concrete mix. This group was quite different from the other groups, not just because of their size, but because there were so many youth that came down to work. I could tell that it was a great experience for them to get out of their box and see some of the REAL world.

What you see in the picture above is me and Kaleb Unverfehrt mixing cement with aggregate and rocks, by hand...I'm still breathing and finding concrete mix all over me :). This mix was to pour the first portion of the almost 3 foot wide wall that we are constructing to divert the water into the irrigation canal.

We advanced the project quite well during the third week mostly because of the number of people we had on site. We proved that if we had a body we could put it to work!

This group's devotional time was based around Ecclesiastes and I have to admit I have not spent a whole lot of time studying Ecclesiastes; but I have to agree that there is nothing better than going to bed after a long days work and not having the energy to worry or think about anything. We enjoyed the toils of our labor so much that we went to bed most nights by 9 pm. And the sleep was very necessary since we were putting in long hours in very physical labor.

It was also great to have Heidi with me for the week! It was nice to know she was close by and I could steal a kiss or a hug in between wheelbarrels! It was comforting to know she was safe with me! :)
I am currently back in Panama for a few days, but I will be heading to Peru again on Thursday morning to wrap up this weeks group. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and safely! Ask God to give the group strength to finish the project this week!

Here are a few more pictures:

Ladies working hard!

I told you we put those wheelbarrels to good use, right Landon?!

My hands are still dirty...

And in case you don't believe how hard core this group was, here is a picture of them picking out their live Guinea Pigs to eat the next night for dinner:

Week 2 Done

2008-06-08T00:24:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! This blog is going to be a little shorter since I haven't had much time today to sit down at the computer...even though it's the only time of the week that I have internet availability. We have finished the second week of the "bocatoma" project and all seems to be going well. We are a little behind due to some materials not showing up on time, but we are making up ground. According to the foreman of the project he thinks we will finish with some time to spare...let's pray for that!

I had quite the week...last Saturday morning around 3 Am I woke up with a fever and pain all over. It quickly got worse and I had chills and sweats...I had gotten some sort of bacteria from something I ate at a very popular restuarant...called Tony Roma's. Don't worry, I won't be going back there again. Unfortunately the bacteria then gave me some other unwanted to side affects that caused me to get dehydrated. On Monday I could hardly move and was in quite a bit of stomach pain...so I was taken to the local clinic in Lunahuana. It's the clinic where the locals go to get health care. While I was a bit nervous about the state of the facilities and the cleanliness, the nurses did a good job taking care of me and keeping the IV going. I was there for 8 hours after getting two IVS and some medications. All in all I felt better and I'm still recuperating now. My energy seems to be back at normal levels. Not bad for a $12 trip to the emergency room; including IV and prescription medications!

I leave you with a picture of the past week that shows some of the progress we made. If you'd like to see more, please check out my picasaweb. http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.heisterkamp.

Week 1 done--Three to go

2008-05-31T11:14:00.004-04:00

Hello from Lima! Here I am back in Lima for the weekend; last night I dropped off the first group that came down to start work on the "bocatoma" or water/dam/irrigation project. The picture you see to the left is what the Bocatoma looked like before we came. We are dismantling this makeshift dam to replace it with a long-term concrete one that will not need to be rebuilt every year. It will increase the water pressure to the local village; allowing farmers to adequately water their crops and provide sufficient drinking, cooking and bathing water for this small town of 250 called Lucumo.

According to our rough calculations, the group came to the conclusion that we had moved roughly 30 tons of materials 1/4 of a mile; either on our backs and shoulders or in wheelbarrels. Due to the lack of infrastructure in the area there is no way to get a large dump truck down to where we are working so everything must be moved by hand. So not only did we carry a lot of weight we also walked almost 5-6 miles each day carrying those same materials; and that's not stretching the truth.

By the end of the week, Friday, we had most of the old structure dismantled and we used the pieces to start constructing a bridge so that we can get the materials across the river where all the work will take place. It's such a complicated process, but it will be very worth it. We will be making life a lot easier and less complicated for the people of Lucumo by the time this project is finished. Below see a picture of the makeshift bridge in process:

I will continue to post weekly about the progress we are making on the project when I come back to Lima on Friday evenings. Please keep me and the groups in your prayers during this great time of service and work for our brothers and sisters in Lucumo. May the Lord allow us not only to give the people in Lucumo water to quench thirst, but may He give us His words, His hands, and His feet, that He will quench the eternal thirst that all of us have...

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! PRAYER NEEDED!

2008-05-25T00:27:00.002-04:00

Hello all! I am writing to you from Lima, Peru; where I'm preparing to pick up the first group to work on building a new irrigation system for the town of Lucomo. We will be working hard for the next 4 weeks to get the dam built before June 20, 2008. Which is the day that last volunteer group of the States goes home. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY! Pray for safety, pray for good weather, pray for patience, pray for mercy, pray for cooperation, pray for energy and health, and so much more. Pray that the Lord protect us from any harm physical or spiritual. The Devil doesn't want us to be where we are going to express God's love and share the Gospel. Pray that we will be firm in His Word that Christ might shine through us. Without him, we are nobody, but with HIM we become his hands and feet. Lord, please use us to express your love for the people of Lucomo! Give us your words to tell them what they need to hear! Lord send your Spirit on Lucomo and Lunahuana...I pray...grant us your peace...

Good Evening

2008-05-12T21:10:00.002-04:00

Just so you all know in my last blog I wasn't trying to complain about being tired. I am very blessed to be apart of the work here and I have enjoyed coordinating the different events that are happening and those events that are going to happen. I'm pretty sure this is what I was called to do.

Today was a very good day as I was able to paint some of the rooms upstairs in our office. I look forward to finishing the painting this week!

Again, please pray that God will give me patience and allow me to show his mercy to those I come in contact with daily.

Good Morning

2008-05-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

According to what I've been hearing from you all back in the States, it seems that spring has sprung. At least, it's not snowing anymore right?

I'm just sitting here drinking my cup of coffee and listening to all the parrots and parakeets that live in the tree outside our front door sing. I love waking up to them...I don't think Heidi likes them in the morning, but we definitely enjoy them throughout the day! I will have to post pictures some time. Our camera, even our nice one, doesn't seem to do the bird justice since they are up so high in the tree. I will need to look into getting a new lense soon for bird-watching pictures. Do any of you own those binoculars that take pictures? I think I saw it in Skymall. That would be an awesome thing to have.

Well, let me fill you all in on what's been going on here in Panama over the last few weeks. We decided to move our mission office to a larger locale the beginning of the month. We were using a smaller two bedroom apartment as our office until now. Since we are creating a more regional mission office/center, we have now moved to a larger 4 bedroom house that is two stories. It has been a very big move and a long process at that. Who knew that coordinating so many people to do the move, run electrical wiring, telephone lines, network cables, and doing basic updates would be so tiring? I can say that I am exhausted. And I still have another week or so of work to have the office in full operating order! Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed doing the work and I like being with the different people that come into our office on a daily basis to help us get set up. As I see little projects come to completion I get a sense of satisfaction, I sure hope that I have a BIG sense of satisfaction when the whole office is completely up and running. Still, when I get home at night, all I want to do is sleep.

Today I will be painting the whole upstairs of the office. We have four individual office spaces which were bedrooms before, that we will use for missionary offices. One is mine. We are painting everything white...I know boring. But the landlord only wants light pastel colors, and I don't like pastel colors....too girly. So I decided to paint white and then decorate with pictures and wall hangings.

On top of all of this, somehow I need to maintain my regular work--accounting, reports; keep up on my school work and readings, and plan for the next trip I'm going on to Peru on May 22-June 21. I really hope that I get this office done this week so that I can relax a few days and get my body and mind back on track!

Please pray for us as we finish up these important transitions. Also please ask the Lord to strengthen my mind, to give me patience and mercy so that I treat those that are working with me with respect.

Look forward to hearing from you all soon!

Blessings,

Jon

More often

2008-05-04T19:09:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! I know I haven't been very active on my blog, but I'm turning over a new leaf if you will. I plan to use my blog more often as a way to communicate to everyone back to the states! I am having a really hard time sending newsletters out on a regular basis, and I'm always in front of a computer. It's just taking the time to write a newsletter and format a template and all that jazz...it's hard! :-) I will still do newsletters, but writing a blog sure is a lot easier and I can post all the pictures I want without worrying about how much it will cost to print!

So you will see more frequent posts from me about how our work is going here, our spiritual lives, any hard times, good times, in the middle times that we are having. You will be plugged into our life, well at least mine for sure. I'm working on getting Heidi into blogging too. We will see how it goes!

We love you all! LIVE FOR HIM!

PS. If anyone has some tips on making your blog look cool please share!

Here and Now

2008-03-17T22:52:00.002-04:00

So, I see a recurring message in my blogs..."wow, it's been a long time." LOl. I wonder if I will ever be a consistent blogger. It's funny because I always get so frustrated when no one else is blogging! Maybe if I would lead by example?

I'm having a hard time uploading pictures right now, otherwise I would share some funny ones. Go ahead and check out our Picasa site: picasaweb.google.com/jon.heisterkamp. We have been keeping that updated with all of our photos.

Just so you all know, things are going very well here in Panama. I have been traveling a lot lately; but now I don't have to travel for work until April 15. During the time between now and then Heidi and I will be heading to Costa Rica to visit my host family and meet my host brother's new baby boy. He should be born any day now. I will definitely post pictures of that trip.

When we get back from that trip, Emily, Chuck and Allison will be coming to Panama to visit! No one from my family has come to visit us yet in Panama so this is a momentous occassion! (disclaimer: my parents were going to come to Panama in January, but I made them go to Peru instead). It will be a lot of fun to have them here and they can see a glimpse of what life in Panama is like.

I also was approved to go on furlough this summer. So we should be back in the States in time for the White Family Reunion at Camp Okoboji; we will be in the States until the end of July. And if any of you have churches that are looking to support a missionary, we'd love it if you would pass our name along and maybe we could do a presentation during July.

Thanks for reading!

2008-01-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on here. I've wanted to post since I left Caracas in october, but I've just been so busy. And then we went home for Christmas to visit the famliy and I didn't even think of blogging.

So what's been going on since October? Well, I was in Peru doing some research with a team of 5 and planning out a mission trip that I will be leading starting this coming friday! My parents and their church are coming to Peru to help with some earthquake clean-up that is still left to do from the 7.6 richter scale quake that happened in August. Then I went to the Dominican Republic--on the way home from there I got sick. Must have been too much air time or something? I had a small cold, a sniffle before I left, but then my ears didn't pop when we were landing and I couldn't hear out of my left ear for almost a week. I was stuffed up, sneezy, runny nose, coughing and sore throat all through our time back in the states visiting our families, but now that we are back in Panama, I'm feeling a lot better.

I have to say that we are experiencing a little bit of culture shock this time around. Panama is very well developed country compared to most Latin American countries, but we've had a hard time adjusting to the way the medical system works here. The doctors may speak english but they don't show that they really care about you as a patient. I'll admit that we've only really had a few bad experiences with one or two doctors, so my ranting isn't fully credible. I just wanted to share that in our circumstances the two or three experiences we've had with doctors here in Panama have not been pleasant. Also, because our insurance is US based we have to pay everything upfront and then get reimbursed by filing a claim with our insurance company. I knew about this policy before we came to Panama, and I understand, but it's just another thing for me to worry about getting done. It sure would be nice if our company could get directly billed rather than me having to fill out a bunch of paper work!

Work is going well. I've been very busy with budgets and planning since we've been back home in Panama. In November I was budgeting for the next fiscal year which starts July 1, and we were planning for a pretty aggressive increase to the budget. But now I have to prepared for budget cuts during this fiscal year, because funding isn't coming in at the rate we need it to. So if you have an extra $1 send it in to LCMS World Mission!

Alright, I think this blog is long enough. I'll try to keep on top of things and write more soon! Remember...You're blessed to be a blessing!

Beautiful View in Caracas Venezuela

2007-10-25T16:20:00.001-04:00

Here I am in Caracas, Venezuela. What do you think when you here the word "Caracas"? Do you think of poverty? Hugo Chavez? Socialism? This is only my second time to Venezuela, and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous/scared to travel here because of the "politcal issues" and the danger to American Citizens, due to anti-American sentiment, but so far I've had a positive experience. Granted I've been stuck in an office to this point in the trip reviewing expenses and dealing with property issues. But tomorrow night I will be travelling to Maturin, Venezuela to visit with National Church leaders and attend a church inaguaration on Sunday. I am looking forward to experiencing the more rural side of Venezuela. Even though we will be staying in a hotel in the city of Maturin, I will hopefully be able to visit a farm project where a LCMS missionary couple is working.

I'm staying at the mission office right now, which is also the house of Missionary Pastor Ted Krey. Pictured here:

I'm just getting to know Pastor Ted, but I think he is a good guy. He works really hard training young men to become missionary pastors. I met some of them the other night while eating homemade Hawaiian Pizza. We dug into God's Word and had great fellowship. A fun time was had by all.

Even though, things are going well here in Caracas, Heidi got sick the night that I left and went to the emergency room with a really severe headache. They gave her a morphine shot to take away the pain, and I told she had to stay home from work yesterday, which she did. From what I can tell when we spoke on the phone, she is feeling a lot better. I have to say I was a little upset that I was traveling when this happened. I wanted to be there for her. But our fellow missionaries in Panama, Arthur and Eva and Carissa took care of her. Thank you! I go back home on Wednesday, so I have a while before I get to see my family (Heidi and Sophie) again. Here is a picture so you can remember them too:

I will write more when I'm in Maturin, if internet is available! I hope you all have a blessed day!

Neither here or there

2007-10-18T14:25:00.000-04:00

So today has been pretty uneventful, just good old data entry. I have enter in all the transactions that happen each month into this accounting program called DacEasy. It seems ancient, even though I just upgraded to the newest version! For my personal finances I use Microsoft Money. It's really helpful and keeps me on top of things. I don't have to remember account numbers to assign transactions or anything. But with the accounting software that I have to use for the mission; it just isn't user friendly. At the beginning I had to print off these 20 page booklet with all the different account numbers for each area/project/line item. What amazes me is that I don't even have the "Chart of Accounts" out on my desk anymore. I have every single account number memorized. So if you asked me what is the account number for Brazil's budget line item for the missionary training school, I would tell you.. "52100170 and don't forget to credit account number 411050 to show revenue received." Fun huh? It just makes me think about how amazing our brains are, that we can memorize things like sets of numbers. I can remember phone numbers for people I haven't spoken to in 10 years. Crazy.

It's been good to be home (Panama) for the last few weeks! But, I leave on Tuesday the 23rd for Venezuela and will be gone until Halloween. The trip to Venezuela will be quite long and there will be a lot of work. I haven't been there since February due to my other travels. I'll have to review all the books from February through October, redo their account numbering system, do an audit on Richard Ellis because of some problems we've had with them, and attend a church inauguration in western rural part of Venezuela! I'll be sure to take some pictures and hopefully post some on here. If not, they will be posted on my picasaweb site. http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.heisterkmp.

I think this is enough for now. Have a great day!

Can't Sleep

2007-10-04T03:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I seem to have turned into an insomniac this last week or so. I can't seem to go to sleep until after 2 am in the morning. It makes me really tired for the day! I don't know what's wrong with me. Hopefully it passes soon, because there really isn't anything to watch on tv this time of night except for CNN Hong Kong! :)

Tomorrow, I have to start working on the budget for the next fiscal year which starts next July 1! I know, seems early right? Well it takes from now until July 1 to hash out any changes made to the next budget! It's a long process.

Right now, our mission in Latin America is going through some major transitions, too. Three missionary families will be returning to the states during the next 10 months. The face of World Mission in Latin America will be quite different a year from now with this change in personel.

Okay...well I'm going to try to sleep...pray that I will get good rest!

A new dawn

2007-10-03T14:15:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! This is my first official blog. I don't know how good I will be at keeping it up to date! I guess if I write as much as I look at everyone else's blogs it should be pretty darn updated! :)

Today I'm not feeling to well so I'm working from home. I'm suppose to be in a conference call right now, but there is something up with the technology. Go figure.

I'm actually home for a few weeks in a row now! Almost a whole month. Well, I'll write more soon!