Let's start with WHY

Several weeks ago I made a trip to Hungary.  I stayed with WGMs Country Director and his family and had a great time seeing the ways WGM is engaged in ministry there.  It was great to talk about 'leadership stuff' too!  Mark and Eszti have 2 active little boys and it was fun to get to know them better.  One of their son's favorite places is also one of my favorite places - the Jersey shore!  Mark's family, from Ohio, have a tradition of vacationing in Ocean City, NJ.  Now that's a tradition I can get behind:)  Someday I hope to be able to make sand castles in O.C. with these 2 little boys.  As I shared life with this family for a few days one question came up again and again.  "But why?"  

Put your coat on. . . buy why?   We're going to get in the car now. . . . but why?  You know the drill.  There are never enough answers for a child's inquisitive mind! 

And as I've been back in Tirana, Albania after my Hungary visit I keep asking myself, "but why?"  I'm working with the Country Directors in my region on their Annual Ministry Plans.  We've talked about knowing our "why".  And as they sit with their teams they're looking at the question, Why is WGM in Hungary, Japan, Papua New Guinea, etc?  

Which leads me to me and the why question.  Why do I do what I do?  Usually this stuff comes fairly easily to me - I love developing mission and vision statements.  I love thinking about what motivates me and what I'm good at and how God is leading in my life.  

But this time it's coming a little slower than it has in the past. So here's my attempt at defining my why, how and what. See Simon Sinek's short summary if you're not already familiar with these!

Why?  I do what I do in order to see individuals experience new life through a relationship with Jesus Christ who then engage their talents and resources throughout all sectors of society and replace the lies of culture with truth which ushers in the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.    That's my why and that is why I get up in the morning!  

"How?" is the next question.  How do I address my why?  My hope is that I am challenging WGM missionaries in my region to dream big, pray, and do life and ministry with excellence and accountability.  Measuring our success not on busyness and activity but on the impact being made by God in people's lives due to our availability. 

Which leads to the question, What am I doing?  I direct WGM's ministry in Europe, Asia and Oceania.  I do that by: making field visits, mentoring leaders, promoting and implementing WGMs Strategic Initiatives, looking for new ministry opportunties - especially for medical and community health/development initiatives, holding bi-weekly accountability meetings with those I supervise and enforcing policy.  One thing I love about my role is that every day looks a little bit different. Today I might be visiting a hospital in the hopes of sending doctors to work there and the next week I am sitting at my desk on a video call praying with people throughout our region.  

What follows is a glimpse of my WHAT over the last 5 months.  

After my spring update I made my first trip to Papua New Guinea.   I was reminded of Kenya as there were so many similarities and to be honest I got a little homesick.  One of the visits we made was to a mission hospital - I can't stay away!  During our visit it was confirmed that Kudjip Hospital, which is run by the Nazarene Church, is willing to have WGM Doctors work with them.   Medical Missions is an incredibly effective ministry tool and I'm excited for this opportunity!

Dan and Pam Schafer, WGM's President and his wife, on a tour of Kudjip Hospital, PNG.

This is the crew that hosted me in Mt Hagen while I visited PNG minus Jim whose vehicle broke down while he was towing another vehicle back to the workshop at the Pastor's Training School.  Like I said, so many similarities to Kenya:)  

The Porters live in the highlands of PNG near this spot where you can see one hundred mountain tops.  They are helping Churches recover from the severe earthquake they had in February.  

Coffee usually gets me pretty excited too so I was thrilled to find coffee-to-go in the middle of the PNG highlands.  It wasn't a bad cup of coffee either!  

My next international trip was to Japan where the trains are fast!  We experienced the bullet train as we traveled south from Tokyo to visit one of our missionaries who is married to a Japanese pastor. If you think the WGM missionary is on the right in the photo below, guess again! Brandon and Izumi minister together in the port city of Shimonoseki which is famous for puffer fish.  Although poisonious if not prepared properly we gathered our courage to try a bite and have lived to tell about it!

        

Our group also met with the leaders of the IGM - a Church denomination that WGM partners with.  According to Japanese tradition gifts were exchanged.  Luckily our Country Director was able to guide us in proper cultural protocol! 

We left with a burden for the Japanese Church.  It's growth is not keeping pace with the aging population as 82% of their churches have less than 50 attendees.  Japan is an easy country to live in - but a difficult place for ministry.  Join me in lifting up our team of four in this modern, yet spiritally dry country.

I was able to attend several meetings at WGM's HQ in Indiana this past summer.  This included an organizational-wide Family Retreat, our week long Orientation Camp where I taught several lessons, and a 2 day seminar where we learned about measuring our ministry impact.

Learning how to assess ministry impact with representatives from our Hungary and Papua New Guinea fields

Then I moved!  I moved to Tirana, Albania where I'll be based half of the year.  One benefit of living in my region is that it makes meeting with people in my region a lot easier.  Rather than a 14 - 15 hour time spread it's only 8 hours between me and my furthest field, in PNG.  

Early August found me at SIBS - a seminary that WGM founded 81 years ago.  Although we don't have full-time personnel at this South-Asian school WGM stays involved. I attended the Annual General Meeting as well as spent time with students and faculty.

Students participated in a World Cafe event led by my WGM colleague, Shelley. 

SIBS plays a key role in preparing leaders for transformational ministry.  I'm excited to be a small part of God's Kingdom work at SIBS whose motto is "Saved to Serve".

At the end of August the Albania field hosted the Hungary team for our first Europe Regional Retreat.  We enjoyed times of learning, worship, prayer and fun together.   

After the marathon of spring and summer I was thrilled for four weeks to spend at home in Tirana getting caught up.  Unfortunately I didn't quite get there before it was time for the next trip on my calendar. 

As September drew to a close, WGM's President, Dan, and his wife, Pam, Schafer made a visit to Albania and Hungary.  I joined them on their visits with our missionaries.  Here my brother, Len Phillips, is giving a tour of GDQ - the International Christian School where he and Betsy are ministering here in Albania.

The Hungary team enjoyed a time of fellowship at a Christian run Ranch where WGM is involved in ministry.  

I'm excited to see and hear expressions of transformed lives in my region but at times the pure scope of my responsibilities overwhelms me.  I look at the statistics and see how many  have never heard about Jesus and who currently have no one to tell them.  I see the spiritual darkness and poverty of others.  And my heart yearns for His Kingdom to come, to come fully to those whose hearts are hardened, who believe cultural lies over truth.  But I realize I'm not responsible to bring about transformation, Jesus is.  As I meet with folks around the world from my computer here in Tirana I was reminded just this week as I looked at my computer screen that this is His work and He is with me!   

To those of you who partner with me through prayer, giving and encouragement I appreciate you much more than I can tell you.  Even when you do not hear from me I am blessed by your support.  In the near future I will be sharing more frequent updates, prayer requests and praises on facebook.  Look for your invitation if we're already friends.  If we're not facebook friends and you'd like an invitation email me.  

In the grip of His grace,

joy

There have been times over the past year when I've felt like my to-do list looks like this mass of wires seen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The challenges before me have felt hopelessly chaotic with too many loose ends to tie up.  Sometimes.  But in the past two weeks I am beginning to see some light!

One reason is that I now have Country Directors in five of the countries I oversee.  Over half of them are new to the position  and I'm enjoying working with them as they learn their roles and as they take on some of the responsibilities I was caring for.

I'd appreciate prayer as I continue learning my role as WGM's Regional Director of Europe, Asia and Oceania.

My last trip was to Cambodia and I accompanied WGM's President and his wife, Dan and Pam Schafer, along with my boss, the V.P. of International Ministries, Tim Rickel.  We visited a new family who have only been in Phnom Penh for six months.  This country is full of painful history.  Some of you may remember the true story captured in the Oscar award winning film, The Killing Fields.  Two million Cambodians were killed in the late 1970's by the Khmer Rouge.  It was sobering to visit the school turned prison where innocent civilians were tortured and killed.  We were able to meet one of the 12 survivors from this experience who is still alive today.

Joy, Tim Rickel and survivor of Toul Sleng Prison

We then traveled just outside the city to a monument at the killing fields.  It was a grim reminder of the evil of genocide.

We were introduced to both rural and urban life in Cambodia where 83% of the population are Buddhists. We enjoyed the opportunities to share with pastors and visit several outreach projects.  Opportunities abound!   Learn more about this incredible country in this 2 minute video.

Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, on the Mekong River

My last trip also involved visiting friends in another Asian country.

Again, so much to learn.  New foods, experiencing a crowded street like never before (and I've been a few places:) and having our hearts broken from hearing from local brothers and sisters who struggle to make a difference in the lives of others.  We left encouraged and were happy to hear about involvement through counseling, International School education, a baby home, and teaching English.  All these activities are making a huge impact in lives.

And before that I was in Albania where I celebrated Easter.  Although I was there for only a few days it was great to get together with our team including my brother and sister-in-law, Len and Betsy.   Easter Saturday, a blustery day, the Waggoner family took me, a friend from Kenya and a volunteer to the coast.

It was a wonderful time to appreciate God's beautiful creation and get over 18,000 steps in!  Compared to Asia Albania has a lot of similarities to the US.  I even found what looked very close to a hot cross bun at the local bakery!

Before Albania I spent some time in Greece where I attended a continuing education medical conference.  Sessions in the Community Health track were insightful and inspirational.  It was especially fun to see so many of my former colleagues from Tenwek.  One day a friend and I made our way to Athens via public transport.  To be honest, the fact that we maneuvered the bus and metro systems successfully without getting lost was a huge success in and of itself!  In Athens we visited a refugee camp that hosts people who have fled Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa.  Check out their instagram account.  

Our tour guide was a volunteer who is a graduate from my alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan University!  Activities that volunteers help with at the camp include:  arts & crafts, theater & film, sports & games, little school, dance, women's hour, sewing, and green street, etc.  

WGM is hoping to send a team to Project Elea next spring.  Stay tuned for more information.  

And how fun that this view can be seen from just a few metro stops away from the project!

I'm preparing to visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Japan in June.  I will also be in Indiana for several meetings.  I've come down with a respiratory bug after 3 out of my last 4 international flights.  Will you pray with me that my immune system will remain strong enough to fight off these bugs that I may come into contact with while traveling?

One project that WGM has been active in for 80 years is the South India Biblical Seminary. (Article at bottom of link is about WGM's history with SIBS)  It was great to be able to celebrate that milestone with them last November.  This ministry includes a Seminary and VBS ministry. 

SIBS was founded by WGM and we are committed to continuing to support its mission of preparing leaders for the Church in India.  Would you consider joining me in partnering with SIBS?  Online gifts can be made here.  Please pray for SIBS's new Principal and the Board as they continue investing in the academic and spiritual life of the school.  Pray that this year's VBS materials will reach tens of thousands of children hungering for truth and love.  To date their materials have reached over 2 million children!

I am grateful and blessed by your partnership in ministry.  I hope I've said it before but in case you haven't heard me say it in a while, "I could not do this without your partnership!" I rely on your prayers.  The challenges ahead of me are God-sized and only with His strength and power will I accomplish what He has for me.  Will you pray for me weekly?  I am starting a private facebook group to share prayer requests and praises.  If you'd like to join me send me a private message on facebook or email me.  Your financial generosity is a double blessing.  Thank you! 

May God be gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine on us*,

joy

* This scripture from Psalm 67 is beautifully portrayed in this prayercast video, aptly named, Shine.  A great addition to your devotions.