My Name is Hezekiah

It is not often that life forces us to face our own mortality and it is not one of the favorite subjects of blogging as I see it, but sometimes our own imminent death forces itself on us. Last September I was diagnosed with Melanoma, a dangerous and often deadly form of skin cancer. I was told at the time that if it comes back a second time, there might be little they could do about it, so a spot was removed from my right hand and I went through a series of chemotherapy treatments, the last of which nearly killed me. Then early this month, June, they found melanoma in a lymph node under my right arm which necessitated a second surgery from which I am still recovering--all of this to say that I was forced to consider the very real possibility of the end of my days. As a pastor and preacher of the Word for more than 50 years, I had presumed to help others through similar situations and have officiated at many funerals. Is it now my turn?
I don’t want to be morbid about this and my kids will likely fuss at me, but it has been a valuable experience. I have had time to think and even plan. I can’t imagine how one would do all this is the few split seconds before a head-on car crash or a massive heart attack.
Anyway, long story short, earlier this week my surgeon reported that of the 19 lymph nodes he removed from under my right arm, only one was infected with cancer and that the CT/PET scan they did of my whole body, showed that only that one lymph node was infected with cancer. That has now been removed, and as far as the doctor knows, I am cancer free. So I feel a bit like Hezekiah, the king of Israel whom God gave 15 more years of life – 2 Kings 20:5-6. And I have a new and stronger appreciation for prayer.
After getting the disturbing news that my cancer had returned, I sent out a prayer letter by Email. I requested the elders of our church to pray for me according to James 4 and began to receive assurances and promises of prayer from people all over the world. I believe the Lord has heard those prayers as he did that of Hezekiah. So I am praising the Lord for his goodness and grace to another undeserving soul.

How Long Will You Do This?

A good friend came by the office this week to visit and talk. He is the associate minister of a local church and has recently accepted the position of senior minister of a large church in a nearby town. He was surprised to see the numbers of people involved in the Team Expansion home office and to hear about the variety of things we do to recruit, train and help field missionaries be healthy and successful. After touring the office he asked me, “Wayne, how long do you see yourself doing this?” My reply was easy, “As long and the Lord will allow me.” My friend laughed and told me of another friend who says he will retire when God forces him to retire.
I cannot see myself playing golf every day. In the first place I could not afford the green fees. But I could enjoy more fishing than I have done recently. The last time I went fishing was with our grandson in Texas, fishing for the tiny perch in the little stream that runs through the green belt of their sub-division.
I really do enjoy the work I am doing. Every day, through the “magic” of internet technology, I talk with missionaries literally all over the world. I get to be involved in their lives and ministries. I help them with their problems, encourage and pray for them when they need it. Sometimes they need to be prodded or simply be held accountable. God has taught me a few things over the years, sometimes through the school of hard knocks my grandmother talked about. While lessons learned the hard way usually stay with you, there is no need for a young or new missionary to be knocked around like I was if I can help them avoid it.
There is a young school teacher tutoring a family of missionary children in what we call a “sensitive” Muslim country in Eastern Europe. She has had a difficult time recently. She had to have oral surgery to care for an infected tooth and so could not talk for weeks. Unable to talk, she could not teach the missionary children. AND, dentists in Eastern Europe are not as well trained or equipped as US dentists and she had to trust the best one she could find. Not long after that, she got a bad abscess that had to be opened and was on antibiotic IVs for several days. Through the “magic” on the internet I could be there for her with prayer and encouragement. I could even put her in touch with best dentist I know to help guide and advise her through this experience. She is still there, teaching the Missionary Kids and making it possible for an effective missionary family to do their work. Because of their combined efforts, there are the beginnings of two churches in a small, backward Muslim country in Eastern Europe. I am happy I could help a little. I know of former missionaries who came home when faced with problems like hers. It may be because no one was “there” to help.
So, perhaps I should do more fishing, but I enjoy what I do every day too much and feel it is too important to stop until the Lord tells me it is enough.

Family

We had a Meece family reunion last week in California. We were all in Santa Barbara for our granddaughter's graduation from Westmont College. The family had not been together since 2002 and some of the little ones were too young to remember, so for them, it was the first family meeting ever. Westmont College is a fine Christian school and we are all proud of Jackie. She got her degree in History and hopes to work in a historical museum.

In the picture at the right, she is with her fiancé, Micah Ralston. They plan to be married next June. The graduating class wore scarves made from Kente cloth made in Ghana, West Africa. The president of the class is from Ghana. I had lots of fun telling the students the meaning of the cloth, how it is made and about Ghana.

The Kente cloth they wore was of particular interest to Greta and me because we lived in West Africa for almost 25 years and have visited Ghana many times. Kente cloth is largely associated with the Akan peoples who are from Ghana, but have moved and settled all over West Africa, taking their culture, and their Kente cloth with them. The cloth is woven on narrow hand-made looms in narrow strips about 3 to 5 inches wide. The strips are sometimes sewn together to make wider material for robes, table cloths, bed covers or wall hangings. The various colors and patterns with black, yellow and green being the dominant colors, reflect Akan beliefs, history, events and other aspects of their society.

A family reunion is just the kind of event that would inspire a special pattern in Kente cloth. So this event will be remembered and cherished by the Meece family for the rest of our lives.

We often forget the meaning and importance of Family. We forget that family is a precious gift from God. When He made Adam and Eve in the Garden, His instructions to them were the foundation for home and family. "What God has joined, let no man take apart" was spoken of Family, not just husband and wife. I don't know how the Akan people would design a cloth for this event, but I know it would be special. Our family will weave it into the fabric of our memory and hold it precious for many years. We will also pray that as our family grows and changes we will find ways to celebrate the important events and find ways to remember them. Our family tradition has almost always been to share a meal together. Just before this picture was taken, we had shared a meal at a nice restaurant on State Street in Santa Barbara, California. Who knows where the next reunion will take place or when. We would like for it to be soon.

Praying For Our Missionaries

When our missionaries visit the home office, we always try to give them a good meal, debrief them, let them tell us of their work, ask a lot of good questions and them we pray for them. We all gather around them, put our hands on them or on each other in a kind of prayer chain of contact and pray.

Somehow there is just something special about the Biblical format of laying hands on someone and praying for them. For many of our people it is the highlight of their time with us. We always take a picture and give them a copy. It is one way we can feel that we are sending the out properly.

We pray every day for our missionaries in some way, and a group and individually, but I try never to miss the group prayer and "laying of of hands." I get a blessing from it too.

Doing Church

Josh Furnal is a Team Expansion missionary in Ancona, Italy. This week he sent me an update about their coffee house ministry and some of the people who attended. Then he made this comment and I asked and received his permission to use it.

"These are the same people that I mentioned in my prayer update last month where we got the chance to talk about some significant things concerning Christ and faith. Before they left last night, they invited us to join them tonight for dinner so we can continue the conversations that were started then. I want to ask you to pray for us today as we go and sit around their table and discuss what it means to be a follower of Christ.
I’m discovering that the conversations we have with people here must be weighed equally, if not more than, their conversions. For it is in our eating and conversing together that “church happens.” When the eating together ceases or is prohibited, the church ceases to exist. For it is for the gathering that the covenant was created and the mission carried out. We are gathered locally, dialect by dialect, feasting on the Bread of Life. Everyone is to bring something to the meal, its their gift. All are invited to come and eat. And according to our story, the Host will come again to dine with us. He has left his Spirit to guide us in the way of bringing quality to the table. And so, we continue to meet and eat until that day comes, showing others, preparing others to leave a seat at the table for the Host, who graciously provides our daily bread. I was always taught not to lean on the table during mealtimes. But those seated around the table lean forward, not to just engage one another in conversation, but they lean forward in anticipation for the Host’s coming. They lean forward, not out of fear, but with delight. We finish each meal raising our glasses to life and to each other, “L’haim!” Hoping that maybe next time, we dine in the New Jerusalem. The meal is not confined just to my table or yours, but we delight in taking the meal to our neighbor’s table, being their guest, enjoying their hospitality, and sharing our gifts with them, blessing not only them but their families and friends. So in that sense, we are not only for the gathering round the table, but also for the scattering into the city, into the lives of our neighbors, to share, to bless, to eat, to drink, until He comes. In love, we do this together."

I think Josh is on to something here. It sounds a lot like what happened in Acts 2:46 when Luke says of the Jerusalem church, "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." There seems to be no way that the typical Christian congregation can do church like this. Not much of what is described in Acts or Ancona occurs in the typical church communion service. Perhaps this is why I love church pot-luck dinners and fellowship suppers. There is something special about Christians eating together. It's a universal thing that I have experienced in North America, Europe and Africa. People love eathing together and when Christians eat together a special kind of "church" happens.

Getting Started

I'm new at this and a bit confused by it all. Had you asked me a few months ago, "Do you blog?" I would have wanted to know, "What is a blog?" Let me explain. I am 69 years old and my wife, Greta, and I have spent most of our productive lives - 23 years - working as missionaries in West Africa. I remember manual typewriters, rotary dial phones, out houses, drawing water from a well and I know from experience where milk comes from. So, while all this is new to me, I do understand the value of being able to share my thoughts with a wide audience and at the same time, learn from the ideas and thinking of others.
I am a missionary, a second and third culture person. I speak a bit of bad French and know enough of one or two African languages to get into trouble, but not enough to get out. So my heart language is missions and reaching the world with the message on Christ. However I do have other interests and many other concerns. So I hope my friends and passers-by who read this will feel free to share their thoughts, ideas, suggestions and arguments - friendly ones of course.
I work for a mission agency named Team Expansion, in Louisville, KY. I am the Field Coordinator for Team Expansion workers in Europe and Africa. I am a "missionary to missionaries." My primary responsibility is to help our missionaries stay on the field and be successful. I am a coach, mentor, advisor, encourager and, when necessary, critic to some wonderful people who have moved far from home, learned a strange language and culture so they can bring the message of Christ to people who have never heard it. I work with teams in Ireland, Italy, Kosova, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Ghana, Angola, Uganda and Tanzania. Eventually I will visit each team in person, so I get to travel a lot.
My wife's name is Greta. Next year we will celebrate 50 years together. We have always had what I call a "mutual ministry". We work at it together. She helps me keep track of our people, communicate with them and often makes trips with me to help minister to missionary women and children.
As time goes on we will share some of our experiences with you - past experiences as well as current ones. I look forward to sharing with as many as possible.