Vanuatu 2050 Chapter 1

Ling's Journal -- Aug 15, 2050

Aug 15, 2050  pleasantly sunny in Luganville, Santo


The weather and situation in Vanuatu is still very stable and I am very thankful for God's provision and protection. It is great to see the ni-Vanuatu and some diaspora Christians immigrants in the country have been transforming through the Scripture and have lived their life as Vanuatu's National Motto: "In God We Stand." Their faith and cultures conform with the Biblical value is the only way keep this nation survive in spite of the Neo-Imperial Global Union. I wish there can be new discovery of other hidden communities with diversified culture, before they will be unified the Global Union Force.  I haven't heard much from Hong Kong after 2047 and I don't know why I care, as I always told my parents that Hong Kong was their home place and not mine. BTW, no one believed that I was studying in English speaking school, with my Hong Kong Chi-English writing style. I don't even know where does this come from.
I am glad that the Carlson Institutes have made good use of ecological technology to keep this country running. I think the core value of altruism, sharing economy and open source community made a big difference in this country. I' enjoy the fellowship with the Carlsons and really admire Ben for their integration of their faith through and their career as researcher. Their testimony in marketplace have blessed the community immensely. I was almost admitted to the same college as Ben, when Dad and I visiting the Ben's parents and Grove City College decades ago.  Well I have to remember to get Joshua's diving gear fixed, as he is going to the beach with Ben's grandchildren this afternoon. I fear that I am getting old, and not able to keep track of the third generation of the community.  I will be the same age next month as my dad, when he disappeared in 2018. I am not giving up searching him. I just wanted him to know that He has been doing great as dad, and the ni-Vanuatu are so thankful for his teams, the development of Computer Aided Bible Translation and Digital Scriptural Engagement, which transforming the communities here.  As I am coming to my mid-life, I have been pondering along the same line of his last message:

香港華福聚會后個人化勉導、門徒訓練的反思

我昨晚參加了CCCOWE舉辦關於華人教會的勉導/教練門徒的會議。

會議的幾個亮點：
1.對基督教教會進行門徒訓練的必要性是毫無疑問的。問題是如何實踐？
2.有效的門徒訓練不僅僅是訓練/計劃，而是通過在較小規模的個人/關係互動中展示榜樣和與導師/教練/顧問互動來更新信徒在教會內外的生活方式，符合聖經的價值觀并與現實生活接軌。沒有適合所有處境的必勝解決方案。
3.勉導/教練門徒實踐的結構和使命功能的方面必須在個人層面和堂會層面靈活處理和度身定制。

與會者提出的問題：
1.如何匹配和勉導和被勉導者？
2.有什麽過去的成功模式的經驗和先例可參考？
3.指導關係有什麼潛在的危機、缺陷， 如：濫用？
4.實施有效門徒訓練需要什麽資源，結構和策略？
5.如何應付改變和創新在教會領導和會眾中的阻力？

我的問題：
1.新酒，新皮袋？ - 舊約和新約聖經中關於信仰實踐的家庭/個人參與以及培養門徒的有什麽是新酒？還是新的皮袋？我們如何在當今的環境下使如何符合現況？
2.全球性的國際差會/組織分享領導/培訓門徒的經驗如何回饋華人教會、當地機構？
3.如何在機構間和教會間的環境中分享、共用資源和外判教練/指導，並發揮協同作用？
4.我們如何培養實施健康有效的學科功能的能力？技術？技能？行政？

Mentoring/discipling Lifestyle-- a reflection of mentoring/coaching disciples of Chinese churches in GOSP4EL context

I attended an evening meeting about mentoring/coaching disciple in Chinese churches context held by CCCOWE last night.

A couple of highlights of the meeting:
1. There is no question about the necessity/mandate of discipling of the Christian churches. The question is how?
2. Effective discipling is not mere training/program but transforming of lifestyle within and beyond the church by showing example and connection of a mentors/coach/advisor in a smaller scale personal/relational interaction. There is no one fit all silver-bullet solution.
3. Structure and mission of the relational discipling components have to be flexible and customized at individual levels and the church levels.

Concerns raised by participants:
1. How to match the mentor and mentees?
2. What are the experience and precedences of successful models in the past?
3. What can be the potential pitfall about abuse/exploit of the mentoring relationship?
4. What can be the resources, structure, and strategy for implementing effective discipling?

My questions:
1. New wine, new skins -- is there anything new from the Old Testament and New Testament Biblical perspectives about family/personal engagement of religious practice and making the disciples? How can we make the model relevant in today's context?
2. How can global international mission/organization with precedences about leadership/mentoring program share/connect/coach the local Chinese churches?
3. How possible is to share resources and outsource coaching/mentoring discpleship in inter-agency and inter-church setting and bring the synergy?
4. How can we develop the competence to implement healthy and effective discipling functionality? technology? skill sets? administration?

What is mother tongue?

What is my mother tongues? Recently I read the news about Hong Kong people's mother tongue. What is my mother tongue? First language? Second language? What does it mean mother tongue/1st language? Many Hong Kong Chinese moved away from the ancestral land. Mine is Teow Chew/Chao Zhou.

I don't speak Teow Chew, a branch of Minnan language group. I can understand some daily Teow Chew because of my parents used Teow Chew, when I was very young. I went to school and most of my peers are Cantonese speaking. Thus, I guessed my first language was Teow chew. I started learning Teow Chew recently. My Cantonese is definitely more fluent than my Teow Chew. I was using English textbooks in most of my education. Thus I consider I am more fluent in English for my work and study.

Ethnolinguistics is a branch of study about the relationship between an ethnic group and the languages(written and spoken). In the Chinese language/dialects context, spoken language can be quite different from the written. The writing styles of Cantonese speakers can be very different from other Chinese even though we are using the same writing scripts either in traditional characters or simplified characters. This is a slide in my presentation about "Engaging Chinese Diaspora for Bible Translation Ministry. One of my unresolved questions is "What does 'Chinese-ness' mean?" Who can and Who should define the term? Where is our ancestral land, I believe that all people were coming from the same boat. We are the diaspora of some kind, diversity with unity. What are the implications of this? How do you think?

Overcome defensiveness (against God)

I came across the following blog about how to overcome defensiveness.

https://leadingwithquestions.com/personal-growth/overcoming-defensiveness/

I like the blogger mentioned 3 F(Fight, Flight and Freeze) - response when we perceive ourselves in dangers, which is the cause of our defensiveness.. She suggested Stop, Drop and Roll remedy with illustration with three different scenarios/cases common to us.

I found some of the key concepts mentioned in her conclusion/the bottom line helpful:

"We are hardwired to protect ourselves.

To find the connection, even when you want to defend yourself, try getting curious and listening. Ask a question.

Curiosity brings us closer together, while defensiveness drives us apart."

Stop: Figure out who we are -- hardwired to protect ourselves.

Drop: Explore and Connect with yourself, others and God, 

Roll: Try getting curious and listening, asking a   question.  Move forward.

What do we feel/fear, when we encountered God? How well do we connect with ourselves, others and God? What would be our next response? Defense, deny or ask a good question and following by obedience with action steps.

What questions that we should be afraid to ask ....

I have been coaching informally many years and intensively developed as professional coaching recently. One key element of coaching is about ask good questions. As coach and senior consultants, I keep asking myself, If "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"  Jeremiah 17:9

How can I know that I am not deceiving myself?

Last week I also came across the message from a devotional speaker Jeremiah 33:3,   ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Then, I came across a question of "What questions that you are afraid to ask .... "

This is an very interesting and inspiring question:

1. Pragmatic issues, what is the subject(argument) of the questions? Try using different pronouns? Whom and I asking this questions? If I am asking you about what question that you afraid to ask ... Why would you answer my question?

2. What are the subject matter? What are our concerns?

3. What are the cause/source of fear? What are we afraid of?

4. Why are we afraid of what?

One question that I think we should be afraid of to ask is:

How can I .... with the name of Bible Translation/Ministry .... YHWH in order to whatever apart from God's purpose in my life?

There is no fear in Love/God. The great commandment summarized the ten commandment.

Love God(people) with truth and not idolatry/selfishness. Serve with a regular break/rest.

I'll consider general purpose of Christian's life is to trust and obey, and be example of how we following God/Christ instruction to and until the end of the world.

I fear that I can ask the right question and have all the answers in my mind, but not my word and deed with my deceiving heart.

Dear Father, Have mercy on me!

Reconsideration of the core value of self-sustainability in GOSP4EL

This morning I came across two passages in my personal bible reading Mark 6 and Matthew 6. One is about just take what you need in your journey, not spare set of clothes, not your money bag .... etc ... Another one is don't worry about what you eat, what you dress ... He will provide. Do the bible teach us to be self-sufficient, self-sustainable. My family and I have been supported by the churches in last 25 years. Some time I felt that I was the debt and burden, rather than the asset and blessings to the church. I want to be .... I want to be .... I want to be self-sustainable, so that I will not be the financial burden of  others. What behind such thought and feeling can be some kind of pride. I am good. Yes, I am good and I am sufficient under the mercy of God and His churches. This morning I came across a devotional message about Jeremiah 33:1-3:

"While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: 2 “This is what the Lordsays, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ "

I was in a country, where God have given me through the sermon/preaching from the book of Jeremiah a couple of times in last 15 years during my transitions. I have been thinking that I am doing something can be rather ridiculous in some people's eyes. I have to be careful, whether I would to call to God or not. It's scaring to be in the ministry of God's Words, especially translating God's Words. Am I really ready for God's answer or prefer not to hear from God. How good am I relate and connect well to God? If I am self-sustainable, I am not likely will call to him. He want to make sure that my family and I am not self-sustainable, and have to call to God.

Other brothers and sisters got a 'secular' job and support their family and themselves also have to live by faith and depend on God. There is no-one can be self-sustainable in a community within the boundary of God's Sovereignty and Creation.

Dear Father, I will love to call to you  and listen to your answer. Please also help us to have a heart to obey your command for whatever great and unsearchable things ahead of me. Thank you for keep me ignorance about things that I don't need to know in your time. Only reveal to me what I need to know for your Glory. In the name of Jesus of  sacrificial love and act beyond human understanding, Amen.