Tag: witness

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Crossing Cultures Devotional Making Disciples Memoir

Faithful witness

It’s a winter Sunday in Karachi. The late 1990’s. The worship service of the International Church of Karachi closes with the benediction.

Children run outside to play tag on the lawn in the sunshine. And adults filter slowly through the doors onto the patio.

Greeting one another. Stopping to chat and catch up. Pouring and sipping cups of tea in the shade of the carport. 

Tea times after worship at the International Church.

Many linger for these fellowship times after the services. Sometimes for longer than the actual service itself. 

Getting to know one another’s stories. Offering encouragement as we navigate the urban and cross-cultural challenges of living in the megacity. Karachi.

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Making Disciples

Parenting teens

I remember the day it hit me. Specific prayer for my teen was a much more effective way to persuade her to do something.  Words seemed to have little effect. Even triggered resistance. And created a rift between us, making matters worse. 

But silent prayers by faith—with a sincere heart—brought change in a way my parental speeches had not.

And praying changed me. Helped me consider what was true. What was necessary. Brought back memories of my own journey in adolescence.

This experiment was a process. And led to a few practices that paid off in building relationships with our teens. 

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Crossing Cultures Making Disciples

Gospel conversations

The lines were forming to board several Air Asia flights out of Penang. I asked the woman behind me if this was the line for Singapore. Yes. She was also going to Singapore.  She asked which seat I was in. 18B.  Her seat? 18A. 

Once we boarded, I found out she was traveling to visit her brother and sister who are now Singaporean citizens. I was going there to overnight with our daughter before heading to the US.  

In further conversation, we talked about the weather and she said, “I like cold weather.” 

In this tropical country? “Where do you go for cold weather?” 

“London,” she said and shared that her other sister had lived there until her sudden death from cancer the year before.  I told her I was sad to hear of her loss.

In flight.
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