by Mark Morris on December 24, 2011
Personally, I must admit that the Joy of Christmas 2011 would not be as meaningful for the Morris family without the challenges of Christmas 2010. Joy filled both last year and this year, as with every year. However, 2011 comes with a challenging year in our rear-view mirror.
Last year, we survived the near-death experience of my sweet wife’s second and third stem-cell transplants. Her sister Sherrie donated stem cells to provide the hope of a new immune system and more years of life for Cindy. We are forever grateful to Sherrie and Scott who gave us an irreplaceable Christmas gift. Sherrie flew to Nashville. Gave up her vacation time, and even spent time serving Cindy so that I could take a much needed work-trip. Yesterday as Cindy went through a hard battle with a simple flu, we again felt gratitude for Sherrie’s immune system that gave Cindy the ability to fight a simple, but common illness. If that same flu had attacked Cindy last Christmas, she would likely, not have survived.
Also during 2010 my mother sold her house and built an addition onto our house, where she now lives in a perfect setting for her golden years. What a gift to have her so close and to see her enjoying the continuation of her purposeful ministry, teaching the Bible, serving the Lord, caring for the needs of others, serving her church and her family and great-grandchildren. What a gift for us to gather last week with her and my brother and his family, sharing an early Christmas together.
The joy of this Christmas also comes after 4 consecutive, uncertain Christmases. Upon each of those Christmases we wondered if that would be Cindy’s final Christmas on earth. Each Christmas, God gave us one more. And that uncertainty was matched by a beautiful June wedding of our baby girl, Kelly. What a joy to walk Cindy down the aisle, walk Kelly down the aisle, and confidently give Kelly’s hand to our third wonderful son-in-law, John Irvine. And finally what a joy to perform the wedding in a God-honoring, Christ-centered experience of worship and commitment.
What joy this Christmas to see our two grandchildren being raised by such godly parents, John and Betsy Hill. What an answered prayer that John Hill safely completed his tour of duty with the third brigade, of the 101st airborne. And what a thrill to see Emily and Sam Hawes completing (very soon) the arduous task of Emily’s two years of clinical pharmacy residency at one of the finest programs in the country, UNC.
Let me contrast all of that with a mozilla video advocating the purposeful service of a community of non-profit software developers who produce firefox web browser. Their video talks of their purposeful, missional existence – living for principle rather than profit. These unorthodox developers live their lives with a purposeful passion for free, excellent web-based resources. Free web development is their mission and purpose. Interesting, but for me that would not be enough. What is enough in this life?
These Christmas reflections lead me to ask, “So, with all of these blessings, what am I living for? What am I offering in return?”
Fortunately the message of Christmas is that Christ has given all that can be given. He has done all that can be done. My purpose comes from receiving Jesus as THE GIFT. He is the only one. He is my purpose. He is my passion. His Spirit indwells in me, because many years ago, I welcomed Him into my life. He gives me daily purpose, as I yield to His Spirit’s working in my life; as I read His Word; and as I live by and for His glory.
As I reflect on the challenges and blessings of 2011, I’m reminded that all of those blessings are merely a dim light, in comparison to the radiant gift of Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
May we welcome you and receive your joy.
Help us to live by your Spirit, with passion, and for your purposes.
Mark & Cindy
by Mark Morris on September 15, 2011
If you are in the Atlanta area or you are attending Catalyst Labs, consider this opportunity. Last Letter and IMB South Asia are hosting a $10 Radical Dinner with David Platt in Duluth, GA on Oct 5. The dinner is not about the food. In fact, the dinner itself will be beans and rice, a sacrifice so that proceeds will benefit One Hope Center for rescued prostitutes. One Hope is a project of IMB South Asia and Last Letter. David will share his own experiences in South Asia.
Consider bringing a used smart phone to donate. The phone will be loaded with the Jesus Film and training materials to spread the message of Christ in South Asia.
As a special benefit Last Letter is offering a discounted Last Letter rate (use the code LL) for Catalyst Labs and Catalyst! LL reduced rates for Catalyst are only $249 per person (regularly $319). Register for Catalyst Labs at a reduced rate of $129 by using rate code LL or by phone at 888.334.6569.
For the Hopeless
Mark Morris
mark@thelastletter.org
Last Letter with IMB S. Asia
by Mark Morris on August 15, 2011
This week I was learned about AsiaStories, which introduced me to some great stories, one of which was an article about a missionary friend whose child died of leukemia. Trevor’s short life in Japan pressed a deep reflection of Christ into the hearts of friends and his community. Since my wife Cindy suffers from an “incurable” cancer in the same family as leukemia, the story hits close to home. I read this article with tears and with reassurance that God is Good and Faithful.
Get your Kleenex and read about God’s grace and goodness through the life of Trevor, a child of missionaries to Japan.
Missionary kid relationship yields fruit
By Marsha Woods
Posted Aug 08, 2011
Makoto Sato looked at me fearfully as he took off his shoes and stepped up into my house. My six-year-old son Trevor had met this boy at Sunday school and invited him home to play. From the look on his face, Makoto probably believed that I ate small children.
Trevor hurried Makoto into my sons’ shared room, pushing his little brother Nathan out the door. Usually I was against secrets behind closed doors, especially if it excluded little brothers, but I didn’t want to frighten Makoto any further by exercising any authority.
So began a lifelong friendship between my son and Makoto in the country we served as missionaries, Japan. Once it was established that I didn’t plan to eat him, Makoto relaxed and was soon sleeping over at the house frequently.
After a fun-filled Saturday of war games, reading manga (cartoons), watching TV, and eating every snack they could find, Sunday would arrive. The four nakamas (best buds), Trevor, Makoto, Jun, and Katsuya, would meander their way several blocks to Sunday school, arriving mostly on time and only occasionally forgetting to show up at all.
read more
by Mark Morris on June 21, 2011
So what will happen in Afghanistan, now that Ace of Spades (Ben Laden) is dead? STRATFOR is an exceptional intelligence report that comments extensively on what is next in that part of the world. Evidently, multiple definitions of “success” are shaping the argument. The question is how quickly and how significantly will the US depart? A followup question is what will be the results of the dramatic draw down of US troops?
See below several articles on the subject from this week’s STRATFOR report.
U.S. and Pakistan: Afghan Strategies is republished with permission of STRATFOR.??????
U.S. and Pakistan: Afghan Strategies
June 21, 2011 | 0846 GMT
By George Friedman
U.S. President Barack Obama will give a speech on Afghanistan on June 22. Whatever he says, it is becoming apparent that the United States is exploring ways to accelerate the drawdown of its forces in the country. It is also clear that U.S. relations with Pakistan are deteriorating to a point where cooperation — whatever level there was — is breaking down. These are two intimately related issues. Any withdrawal from Afghanistan, particularly an accelerated one, will leave a power vacuum in Afghanistan that the Kabul government will not be able to fill. Afghanistan is Pakistan’s back door, and its evolution is a matter of fundamental interest to Pakistan. A U.S. withdrawal means an Afghanistan intertwined with and influenced by Pakistan. Therefore, the current dynamic with Pakistan challenges any withdrawal plan.
There may be some in the U.S. military who believe that the United States might prevail in Afghanistan, but they are few in number. The champion of this view, Gen. David Petraeus, has been relieved of his command of forces in Afghanistan and promoted (or kicked upstairs) to become director of the CIA. The conventional definition of victory has been the creation of a strong government in Kabul controlling an army and police force able to protect the regime and ultimately impose its will throughout Afghanistan. With President Hamid Karzai increasingly uncooperative with the United States, the likelihood of this outcome is evaporating. Karzai realizes his American protection will be withdrawn and understands that the Americans will blame him for any negative outcomes of the withdrawal because of his inability or unwillingness to control corruption.
Defining Success in Afghanistan
There is a prior definition of success that shaped the Bush administration’s approach to Afghanistan in its early phases. The goal here was the disruption of al Qaeda’s operations in Afghanistan and the prevention of further attacks on the United States from Afghanistan. This definition did not envisage the emergence of a stable and democratic Afghanistan free of corruption and able to control its territory. It was more modest and, in many ways, it was achieved in 2001-2002. Its defect, of course, was that the disruption of al Qaeda in Afghanistan, while useful, did not address the evolution of al Qaeda in other countries. In particular, it did not deal with the movement of al Qaeda operatives to Pakistan, nor did it address the Taliban, which were not defeated in 2001-2002 but simply declined combat on American terms, re-emerging as a viable insurgency when the United States became bogged down in Iraq.
Asymmetry in U.S. and Pakistani Interests
The United States can choose to leave Afghanistan without suffering strategic disaster. Pakistan cannot leave Pakistan. It therefore cannot leave its border with Afghanistan nor can it evade the reality that Pakistani ethnic groups — particularly the Pashtun, which straddle the border and form the heart of the Taliban phenomenon — live on the Afghan side of the border as well. Therefore, while Afghanistan is a piece of American global strategy and not its whole, Afghanistan is central to Pakistan’s national strategy. This asymmetry in U.S. and Pakistani interests is now the central issue.
The Endgame in Afghanistan
That game is now breaking down, not because the United States raided Pakistan and killed bin Laden but because it is becoming apparent to Pakistan that the United States will, sooner or later, be dramatically drawing down its forces in Afghanistan. This drawdown creates three facts. First, Pakistan will be facing the future on its western border with Afghanistan without an American force to support it. Pakistan does not want to alienate the Taliban, and not just for ideological reasons. It also expects the Taliban to govern Afghanistan in due course. India aside, Pakistan needs to maintain its ties to the Taliban in order to maintain its influence in Afghanistan and guard its western flank. Being cooperative with the United States is less important. Second, Pakistan is aware that as the United States draws down, it will need Pakistan to cover its withdrawal strategically. Afghanistan is not Iraq, and as the U.S. force draws down, it will be in greater danger. The U.S. needs Pakistani influence. Finally, there will be a negotiation with the Taliban, and elements of Pakistan, particularly the ISI, will be the intermediary.
by Mark Morris on May 27, 2011
www.ethnecity.com
by Mark Morris on May 1, 2011
Today I’m writing from India. If you have been to India you know that there are many very interesting road signs to read along the way.
It’s not unusual to see large vehicles in front of you that have been adorned with the sign, “Harn Please!” To translate, “Out of common courtesy, please blow your horn at me when you are passing.” It turns out that blowing your horn is common courtesy in India. Who would have known?
Today as I walked out of church I saw a sign that you don’t often see in the USA. It was a sign indicating the headquarters of the National Communist Party of India – adorned with the red sickle and hammer. Just around the corner I saw one that took the cake.
Plastered above an office this is what I read. “Democratic Secular Spiritualism.”
I have no idea what that means but it is certainly a sign that fits a nation of 350 million gods and 350 million English speakers, the second largest gathering of Muslims, and the second largest country in the world.
I have no idea what Democratic Secular Spiritualism means? It seems to speak of paradox, doesn’t it. Here are some options on how to get at the meaning.
Perhaps the name tells me words carry different meanings in different cultures?
Perhaps this strange sign is an indication that the combination of words changes the meaning entirely?
Or perhaps what I should know is that someone created an organization with a name that would cover a very broad spectrum of extremes so that everyone could find a place within?
Perhaps this is just a bad translation of a Hindi name?
I really have no idea what a Democratic Secular Spiritualist is but I know this, there is more to it than meets the eye.
Lesson learned? Read the signs along the way with investigative cross-cultural lenses.
by Mark Morris on March 16, 2011
New International Mission Board President
By Erich Bridges
DALLAS (BP)—By a unanimous vote, Thomas (Tom) D. Elliff was elected International Mission Board president March 16 by IMB trustees meeting in Dallas.
Tom Eliff, New IMB President
Elliff, 67, a longtime pastor, Southern Baptist Convention leader and former missionary, will lead one of the largest evangelical missions agencies in an era of rapid change at home and around the globe.
The greatest mission challenges, he said, are the world’s overwhelming spiritual lostness and the urgency of mobilizing churches to take the Gospel of Christ to all peoples.
“We must realize that we’re in a world that is hostile to the message of the Gospel, yet there are so many people who are longing to hear,” Elliff said. “That’s why we must go to the uttermost now. Frankly, I think we live in a generation of students who are asking, ‘Why do we keep hearing about these unreached people groups? Why don’t we just go reach them?’ I believe we are seeing, even in our own convention, a groundswell of men and women of all ages who have the heart and are willing to go to the unreached now.”
Addressing questions about his own age, Elliff added: “I’m not coming as an ‘interim.’ I’m coming with a vision — and I will serve as long as God gives me grace and energy.”
Elliff succeeds Jerry Rankin as president of the mission board, which serves Southern Baptists and the 5,000 missionaries they send worldwide. Rankin retired July 31, 2010, after 17 years as IMB president. Executive Vice President Clyde Meador has served as interim president during the search for a new leader.
“This is the result of many months of missionaries praying, Southern Baptists praying and our trustees praying,” said IMB Trustee Chairman Jimmy Pritchard, who led the presidential search committee. “God has answered our prayer.”
Rankin, who recruited Elliff to a high-level IMB assignment during his tenure, agreed.
“Tom brings an amazing combination of qualities to the task,” Rankin said. “He has a deep personal walk with the Lord that inspires and challenges others. His heart for missions grows out of a personal calling. His understanding of mission strategy comes from years of involvement as a missionary, pastor and senior executive team member at IMB. He has great communication skills, genuine passion to reach a lost world, the favor and respect of missionaries and IMB staff, and he is well-connected with the churches and Southern Baptist Convention leadership.”
Born in Texas, Elliff is a fourth-generation Oklahoman and third-generation pastor. He served with his wife, Jeannie, as a missionary to Zimbabwe in the early 1980s. They resigned in 1983 after their daughter, Beth, was seriously injured in a car accident there.
He was twice elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, in 1996 and 1997. He has led several key churches in the denomination, including First Southern Baptist Church of Del City, Okla., where he was pastor from 1985 to 2005.
Elliff then served as IMB senior vice president for spiritual nurture and church relations from 2005 to 2009. In that role, he taught and counseled missionaries and helped mobilize churches throughout the convention for missions involvement. Since then he has led Living in The Word Publications, a writing and speaking ministry he founded in 2005. He is the author of numerous books about prayer, spiritual awakening and family life.
by Craig Schmidle on March 16, 2011
Another major disaster this time in Japan and rippling out. The first reaction for many is how can I help. For some that means grabbing that checkbook and pen but to others it is how can I put boots on the ground fast. The first is always easy because there are many groups that will put their hands out, some are reputable and some are not. I am not going to voice my opinion on who is who, just let me say do your own homework based on prior events. Some money is in limbo doing nothing from the last tsunami.
Now the boots on the ground process becomes a lot more complicated for a number of reasons. The first is the logistics. The last thing a disaster needs is another disaster to fly in. Teams with great hearts showing up without a plan or resources just adds to the stress on the ground. Second, great hearts but no training is a bad combination. A great heart will go far but if you are not trained in something that is needed stay away. If your heart hurts every time a disaster occurs God is telling you to get prepared for the next one. Training is available through FEMA, denominations, Red Cross and many other independent organizations. If you have a specialized field, such as medical or engineering, etc. check with the association to see if they have training. Third, if you plan to go prepare yourself for what you are about to see. Over the years I have been involved in responses to hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and war. Each has had a physical and emotional cost. Prepare your heart and mind through prayer.
I write this on a plane coming home from Bangalore, India were I have seen another disaster. Unfortunately it is one that is duplicated around the world. As we see the immediate devastation of a disaster may our eyes be opened to the constant needs around the world.
More details on hoe to prepare to help coming soon.
by Mark Morris on March 12, 2011
One of our partners, BGR is sending an assessment team to Japan. The following is their update.
March 12, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A BGR assessment team will be on-ground in a few hours. Contact has been made with a Japanese Baptist church in Tokyo and the team will be based out of there.
“The Japanese government is very strong and able to respond and is not asking for private help from outsiders,” said Jeff Palmer, BGR executive director. “However, BGR working through our Japanese brothers and sisters, we will be able to mount a response that will be effective, meet needs in overlooked areas and help strengthen the witness of Japanese believers to hope in Christ.
“Please pray for the response. Please pray for wisdom and knowledge as we try and discern how to best help. Most of all, please pray for Japan: physically and spiritually.”
Updates on Baptist Global Response relief efforts can be monitored on Twitter (www.twitter.com/gobgr), Facebook (http://on.fb.me/hKaE6J), and www.gobgr.org.
by Mark Morris on March 11, 2011
Pray for Japan and ask God to show each one of us how we must respond to the overwhelming human suffering that follows the wake of the 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
The following is the first statement by the International Mission Board, one of the largest mission agencies serving Christ around the world.
Prayer is urgently needed for thousands of people in Japan whose lives have been upturned by a massive 8.9 earthquake and tsunami on Friday, March 11. As the tsunami threat continues to unfold across the Pacific, please join in praying for those who may be in harm’s way.
We have been able to communicate with all field personnel who live in the area most affected by the quake and are thankful that all are safe. We want to join in praying for those who have lost loved ones in this disaster.
Needs will be assessed as quickly as possible to see how Southern Baptists may join in ministering to those affected by the disaster.
Now, what we must do is pray. If you are asking yourself that question, take a look at Craig Schmidle’s post, Emergency Response of Bust. In Craig’s post you will find some steps you can begin taking immediately.
