This week finds me working on a variety of things for several international and U.S. projects, but also getting a crash course in "training FUTURE church leaders," as one of the many, many volunteers involved in supporting the Vacation Bible School of our congregation (Royersford Baptist Church).  Whew!  If I wore a hat, it would definitely be off to all of you who--like Nancy Ritchie and Megan Wescott at RBC--coordinate these massive undertakings!  The mobilization and coordination needed to pull off this VBS makes my international multicultural teaching gigs seem pretty simple, by comparison!

One of the projects I've been working on is preparing to teach "The Mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark" at Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, July 26-30.  I'm excited that, even during the "dog days" of summer a goodly number of students have signed up for my annual summer attempt to combine reading and reflection in current mission theory with inductive Bible study.  Please pray that the Lord will prepare all of us for a fresh encounter with both Word and Spirit that week!

Another "preparations" project at the moment concerns Berean Safari, the annual multi-agency, multicultural, multinational Bible study training event I am scheduled to help lead near Nairobi, Kenya, August 8-14.  It is an incredible privilege to have the chance to work with so many gifted and dedicated people from so many places.  The first three Berean Safaris have been very rich experiences, drawing participants from many countries throughout and beyond Africa.  We are praying that Berean Safari 2010 will be like them--despite challenges related both to the global economic downturn and to the political situation in Kenya.  You don't need any comment from me about the former, but the latter might not be on your mind.  Kenyans are preparing to vote August 4 in a referendum on the draft of a new constitution.  The run-up to the referendum has already sparked violence, and the Lord alone knows what awaits.  It is, at once, both a wonderful and terrible time to do serious Biblical reflection:  wonderful, due to the urgent need for God's wisdom and guidance in a highly conflictual situation; terrible, because there are no guarantees that wisdom or restraint will prevail in the midst of the conflicts (and clear reasons to bet that they won't!).

Please join me and the whole leadership team as we pray (1) for wisdom while making decisions and, even more so, (2) for God's grace to be poured out on the people of Kenya.

To help you visualize Berean Safari as you pray, here is are links to a couple of videos on YouTube.  Stephanie Castillo--longtime friend, gifted video producer and participant (from Hawaii!) in Berean Safari 2009--has put together a short video on Berean Safari from clips recorded by several of us, as well as an even briefer photo montage.  In 2009, Berean Safari was held on the Kenyan coast, just north of Mombasa.  The 2008 and 2007 Berean Safaris were held on the slopes of Mount Kenya, above Nairobi.  In 2010 we will be just outside the capital.

Thanks for your support and encouragement on the journey--both when we say "journey" in Swahili (safari) and when the journey happens in places from Philadelphia to Ho Chi Minh City!

Blessings,
Stan

p.s.  I am especially grateful for all of you who have been able to help meet the financial support needs of this ministry.  Progress has been good, but there's still much to do!  So, if the Lord has been tugging at you to give to this work--my MPT and I will rise up and call you blessed for doing so!!  :-)