Preachers In Kosova

WARNING EARTH!

2008-08-03T14:53:00.002+02:00

There is another Dingman in the world. John Albert was born on July 29 at about 9:30. He weighed in at 7.7 lbs and is 20" long. Mother and son are doing well.

The Apocalypse approaches!

2008-07-24T14:33:00.009+02:00

Is there any more ominous or dramatic omen of doomsday than the Cubs (Rev.13:2) and White Sox (Rev.11:2) both being in first place??

A bright light in a dark place

2008-06-19T22:31:00.003+02:00

My wife and I are sitting in a cafe in Zagreb, Croatia, waiting for our next flight. It's been delayed, so I thought I'd share this story.

It's about a preacher friend of mine in Kosova. I have many preacher friends, so it's easy to keep this anonymous. While Kosova is a free republic, societal and family pressures are still very strong. If the identity of the person in this story became public, it might be disastrous. The details are tantalizingly sketchy.

My friend got a call from an Albanian in Germany. We don't know how, but somehow he got this preacher's phone number. His family still lives in the remote village where he was raised. He had become a believer while living abroad, and he somehow got a Bible to his younger sister. He called my preacher friend, asking if he could somehow meet with the young lady who now wanted to know more about Jesus in Whom she now believed!

This young lady's situation is filled with drama. When I say the village is remote, I mean she had to walk to the next village to catch a bus that could take her to a small town on a highway that leads to Prishtina. Her village has no church or Christian living nearby to whom she could turn. Villages like this are usually very traditional, and turning to Jesus can bring tremendous family and peer pressure. Yet she was willing to make the walk, take the bus, and meet this preacher and his wife just so that she could find out more about her Savior.

I wish I could have been there. The whole conversation was a gushing of questions and answers. It was like a whole new world was opening for her. I've been in a few situations like this, and it's always almost as wonderful for the person teaching the Gospel as it is for the one who's listening. Frankly, I'm a little jealous.

Another notable aspect of all this is that this girl learned about Jesus from just reading the Bible story. There was no radio preacher; there was no powerful sermon delivered; there was no Gospel tract to help her along. She just had a Bible, but the Bible was enough.

We really don't know how to proceed. You really can't just drive out to her home on Tuesday calling night and drop in for a Bible study in the living room. We're pretty sure she must keep this confidential. Right now, she's just a mobile phone number. We will keep you informed, but pray for this bright light that shines in a small village in Kosovo.

Home for the summer!

2008-06-19T22:29:00.001+02:00

Well I asked everyone if they'll be able to make it without me for two months, and they assured me that they'll be just fine. Enise and I will have a busy summer, and we're almost desperate to see our children and grandchildren. I'll get to speak at a bunch of places, and the NACC will be an exciting convention (but the hours will be long).

Prishtina High School has made it through the first year, and the future looks bright. We return in August for Enise to begin teaching. She loves the students, and I think the effect she's had on some has been profound. She thinks she's right where God wants her to be.

The church in Prizren is at a point of transition and growth. The group as done as fine a job as anyone here, and they are eager to develop. We all know it's difficult for churches in America to grow, and the additional obstacles here make it more challenging. Several things are cooking, and either Wes or I will be writing of these in the coming weeks.

From mid-June till mid-August, I'll be reporting from the States. Wes and the gang will hold down the fort in Kosova as our future continues to form. Please keep our people in your prayers.

The advantage to marrying "ethnic."

2008-05-27T08:29:00.004+02:00

You marry an Arab; you get good food (even in Kosova!). We hosted a dinner party for mostly church folks, and my wife outdid herself. It was delicious! My personal favorite is the raw kibbe.

Homeward Bound

2008-05-19T09:59:00.000+02:00

Our friend from Pakistan has returned home. He had planned to stay till July (six months more than originally expected), but pressing family business forced his departure.

While he was with us, this brave, young man was tutored by Don, Wes, and I. Our goal was to give him the elementary tools needed to start ministering in his hometown. While he is a relatively new disciple, he's very bright. He possesses advanced degrees in two disciplines, and he was willing to learn. He was able to teach me a thing or two!

Again we don't wish to be melodramatic, but publishing names can cause problems. Pakistan is our ally; its government is secular. It is not against the law to be a Christian there. Still, it is an ancient nation with very strong traditions. Our friend will find strong opposition and he will have to be careful. He is not without friends. There is a circle of believers in his town, and he'll have the best advice and prayer support we can offer. May God bless him.

I also want to thank his sponsor. There is a generous doctor in America that met our Pakistani friend via the internet. They wrote back and forth for a long time. This faithful believer saw a need for further training, and he sponsored his entire stay with us. I want to thank him publicly, howbeit anonymously.

"And the Lord added..."

2008-05-16T09:49:00.003+02:00

We are happy to report that a wonderful lady and wife of one of our members was baptized. This decision was months in the making, but as soon as she was convinced, she obeyed. Her husband didn't even know it was going to happen till she started filling the bathtub! Here's a picture of Don doing the honors. We’re not trying to be melodramatic, but giving details like a name causes some security concerns.

Tony & Sarah

2008-04-22T08:32:00.002+02:00

Let me tell you of our good friends. Tony and Sarah live in Cincinnati. Enise and I have known them for a long time; I did their wedding in Skagway, Alaska six years ago. Next Satuday, I'll do Tony's funeral.

I baptized Tony last year while he was in the hospital just before his first brain cancer surgury. It wasn't a rash decision. Tony had been thinking about it for quite some time. Then, suddenly, the awful headaches started, the scans were done, and the tumor was found. Tony finally decided it was time to act.

As frustrating as it was to see Tony delay this act of faith, it was just as rewarding to see how strong his faith was really was after he found out about his illness. How can relatively new Christians find such strenght in God? For the whole time he knew he was sick, Tony's courage did not waver (at least not outwardly). His thinking was like this; that if he was able to defeat his cancer, he wins. But even if he dies from his cancer, he still wins. Tony wanted to live. He loved his wife very much, and he wanted a longer life with her. He also wanted to do more for God's Kingdom.

But he also realized, like Paul, that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Frankly, I would expect such strong resolve from Sarah. She's been a Christian her whole life; she is rock-solid in the Faith. I've met most of her family, and they're all this way. I think she's one of God's favorites. When trouble comes my way, she'd be a good example to follow.

But how about Tony? Who would have thought that a brand-new believer like him could inspire an old-timer like me? I just finished writing Tony's funeral message while sitting here at a Starbucks in Istanbul. One of his requests was that I come back to do his service. Enise and I are sorry that Tony is dead. We feel so badly for Sarah, but we know her faith is strong. We rejoice in knowing that Tony is with God.

Tony and Sarah have taught us a lot.

Expelled, no intelligence allowed

2008-04-22T08:29:00.001+02:00

I found watching Ben Stein's "Expelled" to be a bitter-sweet experience. I had to catch it on opening night, since I was leaving the country the following Sunday, and I had to go to the late-night show because of grandparent duties. In spite of the late hour, the theater was half-full. It was the "rowdy-Christian" bunch, if you know what I mean.

I'm a Ben Stein fan, and I'm pretty sure this movie is a labor of love. Ben wants to defend God, and he wants to make a statement about academia. While I think he did a great job, I had a nagging, uncomfortable feeling all the way through.

The movie's strength is its narrow aim. Ben doesn't take on all that is wrong with the world. He just wants to show that scientists who believe in Intelligent Design experience professional persecution in an arena that claims to be open-minded and free. He hints and tantalizes about the inevitable conclusions such thinking has (like the inescapable denial of free-will), but these are only side-lines. He concentrates on how our scientific institutions are filled with as much prejudice as any other segment of society.

This is where the uncomfortable feeling arose in my mind. As I sat there watching sincere men and women tell of the abuse they suffered for trying to be honest and fair, I kept thinking of parallels I've seen in churches. For every example in the movie, I could think of several examples in church life. What made me sad is that the "bad guys" in science are not that much different from the "bad guys" in local congregations. It's even worse with Christian bad guys, because they do their dirty work while using the name of God.

I guess the lesson is that wherever there are people, there will be crummy people.

The movie ended to a round of applause from the rowdy church crowd (even though Stein is Jewish, I assume). I'm pretty sure that most of the people that will see this movie will be Christians. It's a good documentary, and I recommend it. I am hoping hope there will be a beneficial, unintended consequence. Maybe the Christians will see themselves as they boo the bad guys. Perhaps it will make them think.

Easter

2008-03-23T22:40:00.002+01:00

Just in case you wondered...

The first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the vernal equinox, that's how Easter's date is figured. This year is an example of the earliest Easter can possibly be. (Apologies to all you Quatrodecimanians out there.)

Guest Speaking

2008-03-23T22:35:00.000+01:00

Like Dude, I got my first gig last week (note the 90's vernacular for purposes of emphasis).

Well, it really wasn't a "gig" per se; I wasn't paid or anything. It's just that I got to preach at another church. Their services are held on Saturday night, so I was free. I'm the kind of guy that immediately agrees whenever ANYONE invites me to speak. Before Besim got the last sylable out, I said "yes." About a dozen members gathered in Besim's living room, and I spoke from Mark 8.

Besim is typical of the majority of Kosovars who are Ministers. He's a first generation Christian who's only a few years old in the faith. His theological education comes from reading books and a very few seminars. His ministerial education comes from emulating foriegn missionaries and preachers. Here's what I've noticed about most of the Kosovar Christians I've met...they really know their Bibles (at least the New Testament). Most of them would put our American counterparts to shame. They are like sponges, soaking up everything they can. I admire Besim and his church. His taste in choosing guest preachers remains suspect though.

Top Ten Immediate Consequences of Independence

2008-03-03T08:33:00.003+01:00

#10: Due to the media concentration on the protests in Belgrade and Mitrovica, our friends and family back home think we're soooo brave to be serving here.
#9: I should have kept count, but I'll bet I've had at least five free breakfasts and a dozen free espressos and machiattos just because I'm an American.
#8: Enise had three days off school.
#7: Three friends who haven't contacted us since we moved wrote just to see how we are doing.
#6: The Russians are really peeved (I grew up during the Cold War, and this feels really good!).
#5: I added the words "urime" and "pavarisa" to my Albanian vocabulary.
#4: Though things have returned to normal, the water and electicity supply has been extra good lately.
#3: The international chess game of who's going to recognize Kosovo and who isn't has made for great entertainment.
#2: Issues like "justice" and "freedom" are important world topics of discussion.
#1: This is a biggie...getting independence won't be the only thing Kosovars talk about anymore!!

Everything's OK...Really!

2008-02-26T09:39:00.002+01:00

A lot of my American friends over here experienced the same thing we did. Everyone was worried about the protests, building burnings, and police confrontations they heard about on the news. A slew of e-mails were urgently sent wondering if all of us were safe.

While it's kind of cool to be thought of in this adventurous way, I must report that everything is, well, sort of festive. I've gotten a lot of free espresso, macchiato, and burek just because I'm an American. All of the folks are happy and excited. The video you saw with all the violence is limited to a city near the Serbian border and in Serbia itself. The only out of the ordinary thing that happened to Enise and I was that our bus was stopped on the way to Prizren and everyone's ID was looked at. The NATO troops in charge were Swiss, and I played the role of an impatient American to perfection.

Our apartment is about two miles from Parliament, so if anything happens I'll be the first to know. I realize the Russians have used some strong language, and the Serbian government is an expert in veiled threats, but it's been very nice here. Even the electric and water companies have been at peak efficiency. It's been downright comfortable. This picture was taken on Independence Day. Enise is posing with a young lady dressed in traditional Husian garb.

If nothing else, all this has illustrated that good news is no news. The news agencies know that covering a celebration doesn't generate interest like protestors getting arrested or buildings being burned. It sort of makes me wonder if the news I'm getting about the USA is accurate or tainted.

There is danger. There is always the possibility of something going awry, but for the present, everything's OK. Really!

National Celebration!!!

2008-02-14T12:57:00.001+01:00

I've never been to a national wingding before, but I'll get my chance sometime next week. Keep your eyes on the news because in a few days Kosovo will be declaring its independence.

Let me tell you...if there's one thing the Albanians know how to do, it's celebrate. My goodness, their weddings last a week. Imagine what's going to happen when they let loose as a country. I'm looking forward to having a blast.

So if you catch an item on CNN about an American preacher being arrested with a lampshade on his head and firing shots in the air, don't assume it's me (it sounds like more like something Wes would do anyway).

Independence is near. Pray for Kosova.

2008-02-12T10:03:00.000+01:00

Pray for Kosovo. Pray for peace. Pray for wisdom.

Everyone in Kosova has been holding their breath since Kai Eide recommended in the summer of 2005 that the UN Security Council start talks between Prishtina and Belgrade on the issue of Kosova’s final status. The issue is: Should the region be returned to Serbia, or become an independent country? Talks began in late 2005 and continued through February 2007. Martti Ahtisaari, the UN’s head negotiator, recommended independence for Kosova to the Security Council in early spring 2007. But Russia blocked all attempts to approve of the independence plan, and forced another 120 days of talks between the two sides under the asinine pretext that compromise was possible and that a solution could be found which would please both sides. But no one really believes that a middle ground exists between independence and non-independence. Serbs said that they would compromise with the Kosovars just as soon as they accepted being a part of Serbia, and the Kosovars said they would compromise with Serbia just as soon as Serbia recognized Kosova’s independence. And in the midst of all of this word-bantering stood the United States, and to a lesser extent the European Union, who were openly supporting Kosova’s drive for independence.

The end, it seems, has come. Kosovar leaders in all likelihood will declare Kosova’s independence on Sunday, February 17. Even major Western (and Russian) media outlets concede that the declaration of independence is imminent. Foreign journalists have begun to descend on Prishtina, and Kosovars living abroad are coming home to be present for the new country’s birth. Everyone is still holding their breath waiting for the joy – and the release – of knowing that they are independent. Yes, release. Martti Ahtissari has called the status process agony, and it indeed has been agony – the first and last thing mentioned on the evening news for over two years. It has been agony for the Kosovars, not knowing what country they belong to, being citizens of nowhere. Imagine living on the boarder with Canada, and for ten years the USA and Canada argue over which country your town belongs to. And while they are doing that, you can’t leave the town. That has been Kosova since 1999.

The agony is almost over. Please pray that Kosova lands softly. There are still Serbs living in the country. They could cause problems. Some elements of Serbia’s government may even be toying with the idea of invading Kosova.

Kosova’s status has blinded many Kosovars eyes to almost everything else. Pray that more opportunities for the gospel open up in the coming months as people begin to understand see that there is more to life than the issue of Kosova’s political status.

Prizren Church bulletin available

2008-02-07T19:52:00.000+01:00

You might find our bulletin interesting. There's a link on Comenserv's homepage at "http://www.comenserv.org"

Good Preaching

2008-02-07T16:15:00.001+01:00

I'm sitting here wondering what gives me credentials to analyze something like this. Partly it's because I'm serving in a place where sermons must be translated. I want to share what good preaching is all about. Giving sermons is a balance between HOW you say something and WHAT is being said. To get these out of balance can only be a bad thing.

For half a year before I moved over here, I had the chance to hear many preachers. I also have a very close friend who has a PhD in Rhetoric from an Ivy League School. What I observed anecdotally, he verified scientifically. My observations match his conclusions.

It seems that most preachers these days are concentrating on getting just the right illustration that entertains or just the right phrase that tugs at the heart. The goal on Sunday morning is to "touch" the souls. The minister wants them to be mad or sad or exuberant when they leave the building.

There's nothing wrong with this, unless it gets out of balance. Rush Limbaugh's analysis of modern day political speeches is "symbolism over substance." This is what I've noticed creeping into our churches. The ministers I heard were trying to say things well; they just weren't saying very much. The style today centers around pop-psychology (The Four "R's" to Finding Happiness), or "how to" messages (The Four "R's" of a Happy Marriage). Usually there's a Bible story used that somehow connects the theme to Scripture, but what follows is some cutesy formula that appears in whatever book is popular at the Christian bookstore that week. It is sad.

It was during a sermon that Don Tingle was giving about a month ago that all this really hit home. Don was preaching about the Lord's Prayer. He was eloquent and deep and powerful, but he was only using little words and simple sentences. He was doing this not just because it's an effective way to preach, but because you have to keep things simple if you have to worry about the translator. WHAT was being said was complicated and deep, but the WAY it was said was simple and direct.

I then turned a critical eye towards Wes Dingman, who preached a short series after Don. Wes is a university grad, but he's not been to a Bible College or taken a preaching class in his life. This is how Wes preaches. He selects a portion of Scripture for the series. Then he selects an appropriate pericope (how's that for being esoteric?). Then he interprets it. Then he explains it in everyday language. Then he applies it to life today. He does this not just because it's a good way to preach, but because it has to be translated.

Here's my point. What makes for a good sermon that must be translated makes for a good sermon in general. Translated sermons must be stripped of fluff and frills; only the message remains.

The disturbing trend is that preachers are becoming "wordsmithys" more than anything else. I first got this uneasy feeling last year when I realized the illustrations in the sermon seemed more prominent than the text. In speaking to colleagues, I've discovered that their research and study centers more on collecting little stories and poems than Scripture.

I certainly understand how important an illustration can be. Sometimes it can make or break a message. But it's just wrong for a joke, poem, pop-psychology, or story to be more important than the Bible.

I'm not against good speaking; my PhD friend has made a career of teaching effective communication techniques. He's upset, as am I, that the "tricks of the trade" have become more important than the meat of the message. In some circles, HOW it's said is more important than WHAT is said. We hope this disturbing trend reverses soon.

Christian Standard Article

2008-01-30T12:06:00.000+01:00

Mike Grooms has an article in the Feb. 3 issue of the Christian Standard http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=813. Feel free to psychoanalyize him all you want.

Suicide

2008-01-29T09:29:00.001+01:00

A local preacher called for our help last week. He knew Enise has had a lot of experience helping people in distress and a member of his church attempted suicide the night before. Like most of the indigenous ministers here, this faithful servant never had the chance to go to Bible College or even take a class on counseling. He was looking for some extra assistance.

In this chaotic and depressed society there isn't any safety net for a person who's at risk. It opens a new area where we can help. I don't know how this story will play out, but I think I know what would have been in store for this young person had my wife not been available. Except for the prayers of concerned Christians, this teen would have faced a family driven more by shame than concern. Without someone to help this person understand the whys, the thing that drove this person into this act desperation would have only been magnified. There would have been another attempt.

The rising suicide rate here is alarming. I don't think it compares to some other countries, but it was almost unheard of in times past. Now Kosovo is quickly catching up with the rest of the world. There are many factors for this rise, but very little in the way of assistance.

One positive item I can report is the joy expressed by at least two other ministers that someone with expertise in Christian Counseling is available and willing to help. Enise will get the chance to help others to help others. While we never doubted it, God keeps making it clear that we're supposed to be here.

Expletive Deleted

2008-01-21T10:05:00.001+01:00

I don't know how many details to include in explaining this, but it's evidently extremely funny to pronounce a new word in Albanian and have it sound like a very vulgar word in Albanian.

Let's just say I was talking about buying a hamburger at a local eatery, but it sounded like something I could only buy at a local brothel. The men AND WOMEN that were there were laughing so hard that they couldn't breathe. Even though this happened in Prishtina Wes Dingman, my friend and partner on this blog made sure his wife and everyone else in Prizren knew all the details.

I want to be remembered for my preaching and teaching here. Instead I'll be remembered for mispronouncing "little hamburger."

Tri-Translating

2008-01-15T15:40:00.000+01:00

Here's something a preacher in the USA wouldn't normally encounter. How about a tri-interpreted lesson? Joshua Han is a Korean Presbyterian preacher who comes to Tuesday Morning Study at the AIM office. I lead the session there. Normally there's a about a dozen folks from all over. I speak in English, then it’s translated into Albanian.

But this week Joshua was entertaining about ten Korean Presbyterians who are in Kosovo for three weeks. He brought them to this study, where I'm going over some lessons in Revelation. It was a crowded and very good meeting.

Joshua speaks some English, but his Albanian is better. I was teaching in English and the visitors only spoke Korean. So everything I said in English got translated into Albanian by Niela (a nice lady who works for AIM), and then Joshua would take her Albanian and translate it into Korean. It went as smoothly as it could be, but things developed a sort of rhythm that got a little humorous after a while. Of course, with my luck, I was trying to explain about the two witnesses in Rev. 11 instead of something plainer like Jn. 3:16.

I'm used to getting translated, but this third element seemed strange. I keep wondering if what I actually said in English is what the Koreans heard in their own tongue. They appreciated the lesson very much, but I'm afraid it might be because my translators make me sound better than what I am. So the next time you're preaching in a foreign land, and people from a third country are in the crowd, don't be afraid. It'll turn out just fine (though that miracle in Acts 2 would sure be a handy thing to have!).

Inflation and Missionaries

2008-01-15T15:36:00.000+01:00

I'm in a good position to write this because my wife works here as a teacher and she's paid in Euros. This means that we aren't hit quite as hard as your typical missionary. When I write about this, it won't seem as self-serving most everyone else. It's about the problem of inflation for those living overseas.

Here's an example from November and December. I get $150 a month to help with travel expenses. In November, this translated into 110 Euros (which is what we use here in Kosovo). In December, the $150 only came to 103 Euros since the rate of exchange changed by that percentage. I can clearly remember back in 2001 visiting here and getting 100 Euros for $100. What this means, of course, is that if a missionary was over here for those six years, and if his support as measured in dollars didn't increase, that he'd end up only 66% of what he once got. It'd be the same as cutting his salary by a third.

On January 7 it broke the 150% barrier. I took 200 Euros from an ATM using my bank card from Cincinnati, and it cost me $304. Ouch!

CNN covered a similar story about military personnel living in Germany. The inflation over there is like here (since Germany uses Euros), and just like most missionaries, the soldiers get dollars. With soldiers who've brought over their families, they've found it impossible to keep up with the rising costs of housing, food, transportation, and the like.

Unless you live overseas, you don't realize how big a problem this is. Members of a congregation's Missions Committee aren't in a position to understand the position of having to increase your funding by 50% just to stay even.

So I thought I'd gently remind those wonderful Christians who care enough to help those spreading the Gospel overseas to take this "inflation factor" into consideration. Of course with my luck, just watch the situation reverse with the dollar becoming much stronger. From what I've just said, I'd deserve a cut in pay!!

Two Kosova Jokes

2007-11-24T13:12:00.000+01:00

American men insist on "ladies first" out of politeness and respect. Albanian men insist on "ladies first" because there might be land mines.

Here's another....

The Pope dies and goes to Heaven. St. Peter says "Welcome, but you'll have to wait for your room." Then Billy Graham dies and goes to Heaven, and the same thing happens. After the Pope and Billy Graham have waited a week, an Albanian taxi driver dies and goes to Heaven where he's greeted by St. Peter, and ushered right in.

The Pope and Billy Graham then go to St. Peter and say "We don't want to seem ungracious or impatient, but why did that guy get right in while we have to wait?"

St. Peter explained, "It's because he caused more people to pray in the last year, than both of you put together."