Children of the Dragon

It seemed like an anomaly. There were few restaurants in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic where I grew up, but one of them was Asian. These restaurants are everywhere. We were all aware it was Asian immigrants who connected our East and West coasts by laying railroad track across the wild interior of our country. Now Asians are doing the same in Africa, only delayed by the lawlessness of the interior. A seminary we have just begun working with in Barcelona, Spain has a complete Asian language track that mirrors their Spanish program, offering identical degrees to expatriate Asians who will pastor expatriate churches all over the world. No surprise this populous people group reaches almost everywhere in its influence. Nancy and I have a heart for the children of the dragon. All the American born Asians I have met are fiercely loyal to their heritage. Entrust is now translating our materials to train the children of the dragon. I cannot share here all we are doing to serve this proud people group, but another blessing for us has been Gabriela H., an Asian born student graduating from Denver Seminary, who asked Nancy and me to mentor her. Gabby is now beginning her one year internship with Entrust, having already served in some translation capacities.  

Speaking of Africa, Nancy and I are making a long overdue trip to Africa in July. We will be in three countries; Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, (six cities) in 16 days. We will facilitate workshops on marriage and mentoring for Kenyan urban professionals, and I have the privilege to deliver a plenary address at the Nairobi Global Mentorship Network Conference http://globalmentorshipnetwork.com. In Zimbabwe and South Africa we are meeting with More than a Mile Deep (MMD) students and staff. MMD is a ground-breaking, very practical accredited leadership training program that equips church leaders to address some of Africa’s most pressing problems such as HIV, systemic poverty, racial conflict, subjugation of women, delivering ageless gospel truths with the most up to date educational understanding and methodology. What I am most excited about is these highly original courses are all written by Africans, Christian Ph. D’s who are practitioners in their respective fields. We want to encourage these African staff members who are serving in very challenging circumstances - see and hear firsthand how God is using MMD to equip churches to see the gospel transform individuals and communities.

 

Would you please pray about considering additional support to our ministry account for this ministry trip? We appreciate your prayers for this need. It is essential that we participate, on location, with these incredible servants who lead in isolated conditions, and our hands-on presence is important.

Quick Update from Nancy 

Relationships - This season has been rich with people, which is a delight to our souls and ministry.  New friends, potential staff, Denver Seminary students. Early February our dear friends Rick and Judy hosted a dinner conversation for about a dozen of us – connecting one Asian ministry founder with one of our Entrust Asia teams . . . delicious food and exciting dialogue to encourage and catalyze ministry for a huge need. We were in Dallas for 12 days packed with Dallas Theological Seminary students, facilitating workshops for their World Evangelism Conference, hosting new staff who live locally, graduates, lay and staff trainers, presenting at Stonebriar Church, meeting with board and potential board members . . . We see God drawing people resources for now and the future – Please keep praying!

Office Move - A strategic change to create an updated ministry environment. January to March, Entrust staff invested hundreds of hours into moving from paper files to digital (still in process), and sorting through archives to prepare for the move. Our new location upgraded our technological capabilities for daily and conferencing purposes, provides an inspiring light-filled space with mountain views. Staff work both onsite and remotely with space designed for both.  Come see us at:  910 Pinon Ranch View #101 Colorado Springs, CO  80907-3311 (PO Box and phone, no change)   

Financially, the mission had an exceptional 2015, and for us, due to your generosity, it was also our strongest year since 2009 when we joined Entrust. We continue to be $1,000/mo. short in our support. It is a walk of faith and as David mentioned, this year we have additional travel expenses to teach and engage with our ministry in Africa. Thanks for praying with us about this need.

Family
Jessica* & Joey, in Thousand Oaks, CA: we are excited to be with them over Memorial Day weekend. Some of you know Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer almost a year ago, surgery, chemo, radiation, DONE. We thank the Lord this is all behind her. She courageously trusted the Lord in this journey with Joey at her side. We are grateful for prayers and God’s mercies. 

Matt, Monika*, Olive and Rockwell, in Denver: great to be with them at church when we are in town, they moved a short distance, still in South Denver, University Park area. Church camping trip with them in August!

Josh, Megan*, Sophie and Bennett, in Tucson: we celebrated Easter with them – Josh beginning his final year of residency at El Rio Community Health Center – praying about next steps.

Shameless Plug - Monika and Megan launched Girls Can! Crate: a monthly subscription box of learning activities to inspire young girls to believe they can be and do anything, by introducing them to fearless women who made the world better . . .  www.GirlsCanCrate.com  (You can tell we are proud of the three* fearless women God has given us (who really make our family so much better).

 

       Thank you for your partnership, prayers and support!

You can also send gifts to:
Entrust, PO Box 25520, Colorado Springs, CO 80936-5520
Attach a note “For David & Nancy Goodman, M125”
Office: (719) 622.1980
Email: DGoodman@Entrust4.org or NGoodman@Entrust4.org
Web: www.Entrust4.org
 

 

Of holidays and complicated families

Do you have a complicated family? Jesus did.

The mother who miraculously conceived him, marveled at his interactions with the rabbis in the temple and watched him grow up to be an exemplary big brother still felt she knew what was better for her adult son.

The brothers who marveled at the fine wine poured from those six stone water jars at the wedding in Cana (jars they may well have helped fill with water earlier that day) still did not know what to do with their big brother’s unprecedented words and actions. The only category they could come up with was that Jesus had really “lost it!” The apostle John tells us Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in him. (John 7:5)

While he was busy saving the world, Jesus’ own family members seemed to be trying to save him from himself. What irony. Mark records that his family “went out to seize him.” They were certain he was “out of his mind.” (Mark 3:21)

Even more painful for Jesus must have been the time his family tried to interrupt his teaching. That day, the crowd was so thick his family couldn’t get through to him. When Jesus heard his relatives were outside trying to get in, his response was to gesture to his listeners and say, “Here are my mother and brothers.” (Matt. 12:48-50)

Pain was written on his face when he said that. I am certain. Regret that his own family did not know what they were doing. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” Jesus said. Could he have wanted anything more than for his brothers and mother to be part of this transcendent family from the start, rather than at the end when we find them all worshiping him in the upper room after his resurrection and ascension? (Acts 1:14)

For many of us, the holidays are complicated when those we love don’t know what to do with us. Making faith a priority just feels wrong to them. Our “strange” need for fellowship with other Christians and our desire to grow in God’s word seems like distorted reality to them. When some of us travel half-way around the world to minister the gospel, when others of us sacrifice to support those who go, those outside of Christ’s family can find no rational categories for such behavior.

As love sometimes compels those closest to us to oppose us, it is love that has the best chance of winning them over. Jesus demonstrated that love while dying on the cross as he gave his mother into John’s care. (John 19:26). I have to believe it was that consistency of Jesus’ love, combined with an unfaltering faithfulness to his calling, which finally won over his family.

What better hope is there, for those of us who find ourselves complicating the holidays among those we love?


© David G. Goodman
President, Entrust

The Halloween conundrum

Zombies, ghosts, witches, vampires and mutants cursed with supernatural powers; you’d expect primitive cultures to go there. So why, in striking contrast to Western society’s scientific rationalism, is every conceivable supernatural manifestation celebrated each year by educated people who are supposedly convinced otherwise? In fact, Hollywood produces a steady stream of paranormal themes because it sells; movie viewers can’t seem to get enough.

Why?

 Consider this analysis from BloomburgView:

“There’s a reason for the pull of the pagan. In the U.S., we’ve been vigorously scrubbing our schools and other public spaces of traces of monotheistic religion for many decades now. Such scrubbing leaves a vacuum. The great self-deception of modern life is that nothing will be pulled into that vacuum.”

Indeed.

Some might conclude such a vacuum exists because we humans are still early in our evolutionary process, but it seems more likely that God created us for a vital relationship with himself and, lacking that, we fill the void with crass imitations. This fascination with the supernatural is a form of age-old paganism in contemporary dress.

“But it’s all in fun,” some say. Perhaps. That very statement seems to reflect a desire to rationalize, somehow admitting we’re not entirely comfortable with this fixation. It is true, we do yearn for heroes, for some supernatural savior to rescue us from the hardships of this fallen world. Some would tell us that long ago mankind created a story of one such otherworldly figure who came to save us. The temptation exists to file that account with all the other superhero stories.

Jesus, unlike some ghost who leaves no footprint, fulfilled prophecies written centuries before and changed the course of history, with his own contemporaries documenting his impact. The question is, will we align ourselves with the current cultural worldview about supernatural forces, or will we accept Jesus as the real answer to our need for a supernatural savior?


© David G. Goodman
President, Entrust