It is excited to be able to attend this event and to be a part of the equipping and mobilization of Himalayan Christians who have caught a vision for the Great Commission. They recognize that the age of mission "from the West to the rest" is over and that mission today is "from everywhere to everywhere". For my part, I will be leading two, 2-hour sessions on issues related to diaspora mission, refugees, and contextualization.
I definitely need your prayers for the trip. My wife has posted some details about how you can pray and will keep that updated during the trip.
Also, some of you are probably interested to know how my fundraising for the trip is going. Good news! While most people have not used the online giving options to do so, I have raised almost all I need for the trip. Friends and family have been really getting behind me in this. It was especially encouraging when "SK", my first-ever Nepali friend, who came to know Jesus as a student in Oklahoma City where I was a international student minister, send a gift of support. He and his wife now live in Europe and were full of encouragement for this trip.
SK's gift was followed by gifts from several Bhutanese-Nepalis who were waiting for my birthday to give money for my trip. To receive such generous support from refugees who have come to know the Lord through our ministry in Chicagoland is deeply encouraging. One sister even bought me some new dress clothes for my presentation!
In all, I believe I now have enough funds for the plane ticket, lodging, food, and conference expenses. I am hopeful that some more gifts of support will come in today (on the eve of my trip) to help me buy Nepali-language resources at the conference to bring back here. I'm not exactly sure what resources will be available, but I'm hopeful that there will be some really good stuff that we can use in our ministry here and elsewhere. Particularly since our ministry opportunities are expanding all the time.
Just the other day, I received an email from a church in another American city that has been working among Bhutanese-Nepalis and other diaspora groups. Dealing with the diversity of diaspora mission has left them feeling both excited and puzzled about what to do. They write:
"Our leadership is in a quandary because we know we must help them in their spiritual growth but with the language barrier we are at a loss. We don’t know how to grow in His name with the diversity that we are encountering. We do know that God is leading us in this direction as He has opened up all the doors for us to enter and we must follow what He is giving us. Is there any assistance you can give us?"
Well, this is the kind of thing we live for and love. Please keep us in your prayers and me especially as I head to Hong Kong tomorrow. Support us financially as well so that we can continue to do these sorts of things. The ministry of TIBM has expanded beyond our wildest imaginings and God is doing marvelous things.
- To make a gift of support for Cody's trip to Hong Kong to equip Himalayan Christian leaders click here!
- To make a gift of support for the general ministry or to meet specific needs of TIBM click here!
- To pray for the ministry of TIBM click here!
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