212 Degrees/Peak Performance

Unexpected Inspiration

2011-04-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here at 212 Degrees it is always my desire and our mission, to inspire others to influence those around them to impact their world for Christ. Over the past 2 weeks however, i have been the one inspired. And this inspiration has come in a couple very unexpected ways. i just returned home from a Medical Missionary Intensive training course through Equip Inc. in Marion, North Carolina and was unexpectedly both humbled and inspired. i sat in a room with 19 other missionaries from many different backgrounds, who came from all over the world, learning new skills that will better equip us to GO! and be a light in the darkness. One of them dedicated and committed to sharing the love of Jesus with the Muslim people in remote villages high on the mountain plateaus of Pakistan, or another who will be the first foreigner to ever step foot into the village of a mountainous tribe on an island in the Philippines. Several others who will be spending the next chapter of their lives living along side the people of Uganda and Haiti, or others who will suffer along side the church in the Sudan and Indonesia. And a pastor from Stillwater, MN who is leading his congregation into medical missions in Mexico. For 2 weeks i was inspired and influenced, by the lives of these heroes of the faith, to continue to impact the world around me for Christ through the skills that He has given me.

Then, upon arriving home, i received a letter from one of the young girls i sponsor from the Philippines. Ethyl Mae began her letter with these words. "Dear Scotty, May God inspire you when you feel down, encourage you when you feel like quitting, and guide you when all things become confusing. Stay happy because that's how God wants you to be." She then quoted James 4:10, Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. And then yesterday i received an email from an amazing friend, who has for the last 8 years or so, been a dedicated and faithful prayer warrior for me and so many others. She gave me a verse and a quote from the great preacher Charles Spurgeon which read,

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. (Psalm 138:8)

He who has begun will carry on the work which is being wrought within my soul. The Lord is concerned about everything that concerns me. All that is now good, but not perfect, the Lord will watch over, preserve, and carry out to completion. This is a great comfort. I could not perfect the work of grace myself. Of that I am quite sure, for I fail every day and have only held on so long as I have because the Lord has helped me. If the Lord were to leave me, all my past experience would go for nothing, and I should perish from the way. But the Lord will continue to bless me. He will perfect my faith, my love, my character, my lifework. He will do this because He has begun a work in me. He gave me the concern I feel, and, in a measure, He has fulfilled my gracious aspirations, He never leaves a work unfinished; this would not be for His glory, nor would it be like Him. He knows how to accomplish His gracious design, and though my own evil nature and the world and the devil all conspire to hinder Him, I do not doubt His promise. He will perfect that which concerneth me, and I will praise Him forever. Lord, let Thy gracious work make some advance this day!

Spurgeon

So, as i have been inspired, i hope this has in turn influenced you to impact your world for Christ. Thanks so much for your love, for your prayers and for your faithful support. God Bless!

The Confessions of a Ragamuffin

2011-04-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

i have an old friend whose most prized possession was her GPS. She took it everywhere with her and if she found herself driving without it, her anxiety level increased substantially. Whenever we would go somewhere together, she would have me drive, and i have to be honest, getting used to that GPS was a huge challenge for me. Not only was it a bit “foreign” having a woman with a british accent talking to me all the time, but constantly being told which direction to go was nerve racking for someone who is generally pretty good with directions. If you have ever used a GPS i am sure you can relate either to me or my friend. The interesting thing to me however, and the great benefit to having a GPS, is that when you make a wrong turn, the GPS will “re-calibrate” and give you new directions to get you back on track! No more pulling over to a random gas station to ask the attendant for directions, instead, your lovely British online navigator will re-calibrate your every move in order to keep you on course to your destination.

As many of you know, i have just returned from Nepal, where my team spent two and a half weeks doing some pretty amazing ministry. We recorded most our time on film in order to create a documentary of the plight of the Nepali people and what we are doing to make a difference in the lives of many who are suffering. It was an amazing time that took us from teaching in a Bible school in Kathmandu, to several public and private schools both in the cities as well is in remote mountain villages. We went from ministering to a community of lepers, to preaching in an old sheep barn that is now the church home to 30 new believers in the village of Ghandruk. We went from sitting on the streets with 6-8 year olds addicted to glue, to sitting in the homes of several friends who wonder each day where their next meal is going to come from. In Nepal, the team i lead did an amazing job of communicating the love of Jesus with each and every person we encountered. Thanks to the hearts and generosity of this team, many physical needs are being met, food has been provided, school fees have been paid, and the good news of Jesus and His love and grace has been proclaimed, changing lives for eternity. It was an amazing time of seeing God work in our lives as well as in the lives of the Nepali and Tibetan people.

Having had such an amazing experience, you would think that coming home would be filled with thoughts of God’s faithfulness. And in many ways, you would be right. However, the more i go into all the world and share the good news, coming home is always a challenge for me. Re entering the world as i know it, here in America, is very difficult. The first couple weeks is an enormous challenge, even for a seasoned missionary of 20+ years. i find myself feeling intensely alone, missing not only my team, but the friends i have left behind for the next 6 months. i find myself spiritually and emotionally exhausted from the intense ministry i have just completed. It is in moments like this that i am reminded of something my old mentor Greg used to say to me. He would tell me that times when we are emotionally and spiritually exhausted, we are always in danger of being cowards. What he meant by that, was that we are in danger of becoming complacent, we stop caring, we don’t think straight, and are in danger of making poor decisions and bad choices that get us off track. It is in these times that temptation is most significant, and satan seeks to derail us.

This is the place i found myself this past week. Tired, lonely, feeling sorry for myself, missing my friends in Nepal, and my amazing team of students, and struggling with why i am able to drop $15 bucks at Famous Dave’s when Susma is continuing to struggle with the $24 a month she makes to support her and her daughter. i found myself this past week making poor decisions. Decisions that were selfish, prideful, and choices that quickly got me off track and lost. i needed to re -calibrate the direction of my life! This, however, did not come through a British woman telling me what to do, but rather through a dynamic and powerful Mexican named D.A. Horton, and through the power of the Word of God. D.A. reminded me of the cost that comes with following Jesus Christ with my whole heart. He reminded me in Luke 9 about the DAILY task of picking up my cross and following Jesus. He reminded me of the tough choices i have to make in order to honor God and honor those around me as we seek to live completely in tune with our Lord and Savior. And God reminded me through Hebrews 4:12-13 that “...the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

i am thankful for the cross. For the grace and forgiveness that is ours when we stray off course, and for the power that is ours through the living word. i am also thankful for the gentle but powerful voice of the Holy Spirit that sometimes comes with a Mexican accent. And i am thankful for friends who always keep their GPS nearby to insure that we all stay on track. How is your calibration? It’s good to be on the right track and moving in the right direction, if you find yourself taking a wrong turn, “...listen to His voice, hold fast to Him, for the Lord is your life...” Deut 30:20.

Thanks for all your prayers and for your amazing support of the ministry i am a part of. i will continue to seek the Lord and His direction as together we take this good news to the utter most parts of the world. God Bless!!

scotty brown
Eph 5:10

Inspiring us to a greater view of generosity!

2011-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.vimeo.com/18404720

i was really challenged by this video in church on Sunday. Working for a non-profit ministry, my life is deeply affected by the generosity of others. In fact i would not be able to do what i do without this generosity. But i was really challenged in my own stewardship as it relates to how i spend my time, my talents, and my touch. What more could i do to steward those gifts in a way that brings His kingdom to earth. God has blessed us in ways that we often do not consider when it comes to the topic of stewardship. i am now asking myself the question, "How can i better leverage the gifts and abilities that God has given me? And praying that God would continue to make me sensitive towards fully utilizing not only my tithe, but also my time, my talents, and the ways i reach out and touch the lives of others. i hope you take the time to check out this video and allow it to inspire you to greater things!

Inspire, Influence, and Impact!

2011-01-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food, and someone say’s to them, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving them what they need, what good does that do? Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead. James 2:15-17

At 212 Degrees, we exist to inspire individuals to influence those around them to impact the world for Christ. We believe that part of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and encouraging our fellow believers, involves not only a deep and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, but also a deep conviction to putting that faith into action. We believe that their is great benefit to accomplishing our goals to inspire, influence, and impact through action oriented relationships.

In March of 2011, we will embark on 2 very significant ministry opportunities in 2 very different parts of the world. Amy Mulvihill has put together a team of women who will be going to the northern coast of Haiti to provide training and encouragement to 150 Haitian women through a weekend Woman’s conference with our Haitian partners at Open Door Haiti. During this conference we will seek to encourage these women in their faith, teach them from God’s word, and offer them some very practical and important training in the areas of women’s health, community education, and nutrition. We will be raising $15000.00 in order to cover the cost of the conference for each of the 150 women who will be in attendance. This will cover materials, food, lodging, transportation, and even a fun day that they will spend together outside the church. We will seek to inspire thee women to have a greater influence on their families, their villages, and their country, and to be a voice that brings good news to the captives!

Also in March, Scott will be leading a team back to the country of Nepal. For two weeks Scott and his team will be reaching out to families that we have been investing in, seeking to provide food, education, and even some micro businesses to those who have deep and significant needs. All of this will be done along side the local church as we seek to bring the love of God into their lives, their homes, and their communities. Our work with these families have resulted in several coming to church for the very first time, meeting with Pastor Raj Kumar on a regular basis, and asking profound questions that we hope will lead them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Both Haiti and Nepal are spiritually dark places and we covet your prayers as together we live out of mission to inspire, influence and impact our world through our trust and faith in Jesus Christ accompanied by actions that are motivated by the love that He has for us. Thanks so much for being a part of this ministry, for your prayers, for your support, and for inspiring me to live out the mission!

Lead well,

scott brown
212 degrees

Upcoming Nepal Trip in October

2010-09-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is the new incoming class of 2010 at Grace Bible School in Kathmandu. This Bible Seminary, led by Pastor Raj Kumar, trains young men and women from remote areas of Nepal. At the school they are provided with solid biblical and pastoral training which will enable them, when finished, to return to their villages and lead their congregation, and shepherd their communities. Due to the incredible poverty of these remote areas, each student has been sponsored and supported as God opened the doors for these men and women to receive the much needed training that will bring His kingdom to the people in areas that are still unreached. This October i have the honor of spending some time with these students and teaching on the topics of leadership and evangelism. Pray for us as we learn together!

Update on my May Trip

2010-09-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

We have been working with Sanumaya and her family for many years. Sanumaya’s husband died in a construction accident and left her alone with 4 small children. Over the years we have helped her with housing, food, and education for her kids. This past May when i went to visit with her, i found that her two youngest daughters were no longer in school. When i inquired as to why this was, she responded by telling me that she could no longer afford their school fees. i told her that it would be an honor to help her and that i would take care of any school fees required in order for them to register for their classes. Her daughter became very excited, but i noticed that Sanumaya was silent. The next day i returned with my friend and pastor, Raj Kumar. i asked Sanumaya about the situation and found out that her youngest daughter (12 yrs.) works cleaning houses and makes about 1000 NRP per month. (about $13 USD) Her older daughter (15 yrs.) makes about 1500 NRP per month. She told me that if her two daughters go back to school she would no longer be able to pay her house rent and would have no place to live. The money her children make covers the rent while the money she makes at her little bamboo tea shop in her neighborhood by the river, provides for their food. i found myself in the midst of a moral quandary. If i send the girls back to school to receive their much needed education i would end up putting the family out on the street. The next morning i met with Raj Kumar and the elders from his church to figure out our options. i discovered that for about $75-$100 i could provide Sanumaya with the training and equipment to operate her own candle making business. With only 8 hours of electricity provided per day in Kathmandu, there is an enormous demand for high quality candles and the revenue would easily provide the money she would need to offset the incomes of her two daughters. The next day i went with Pastor Raj Kumar and two of the elders from the church to share our idea with Sanumaya. As you can see from the photo, they are now both elated. Sanumaya is looking forward to the added dimension of her shop, learning a new trade, and having a solid education for her kids. Raj Kumar is also meeting with Sanumaya at her tea shop a couple times a week. While drinking tea, he continues to share the love of Jesus with her and the people who frequent her shop. An amazing connection!

First Night Back in Nepal

2010-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

It always seems like the never ending day. Starts out great, is miserable in the middle, and ends in euphoria. My day started at the Original Pancake House with Mike at around 6:30 am. That's the part thats great...good friends, giood food, and the anticipation of being back in Nepal. Then it is 5 hours to LA (with a little In And Out intermission thanks to the Thompsons!!) an 11 hour layover followed by a 17 hour flight to Thailand, with a 5 hour lay over (this is the miserable part), followed by 4 hours to Kathmandu. But upon landing, taking in the unique smells as you walk down the stairs of the plains roll away jet way, you forget about the fact that every muscle in your body aches from the small, confined space you have existed in for the past 42 hours. We headed out of the airport and wasted no time getting to our guest house, getting cleaned up with fresh clothed, and heading out into the streets of Thamel. Amy and i walked around Thamel as Amy was reunited with all the memories of 5 years ago when she traveled here on her first Peak Performance team. She was noticing all the things that were different, as well as many of the things that remained the same. After getting reaquainted we headed down to Visit Sanumaya, the mother of three of the girls we have been working with and a family i have been supporting for several years. Her husband died several years ago and she now works at a tea shop made of a bamboo and tarp shelter on the corner down by the river. We had tea and spent some time getting caught up with all that has been happening over the past few month. She shared some big needs that they had that we will take care of in the coming days, and i let her know that she is deeply loved.

We then headed into Thamel as evening came and were immediately acosted by many of the street kids that we work with. It was soo good to see them all and here a bit about their lives and just sit and listen to them laugh and share their hearts. Maya, Rupa, Shova, Dipa, Rita, Gita, and Sangita all were there. The ministry had begun, connections were being made, and we are excited about what God is doing and look forward to all that is in store. Pray for us as we invest deeply in these relationships. We have lots of stuff planned for this week and are excited to see what God has in store. i'll keep ya posted!

Orphans and Widows

2010-06-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a real good day of connecting with many of our Nepali friends that we have been pouring into for the past several years. It began with pastries and orange Fanta on the patio of Hot Breads. Kamal is an 19 year old boy who has been living on his own since his mother died when he was 8. His father had already left the family with another woman and no one knew where he'd gone leaving Kamal and his twin siblings Sagar and Nisha (who many of you know) on the streets to fare for themselves. i was able to get Nisha into Shanta's house several years ago and have been supporting her ever since, but it wasn't until two years ago that we were able to find her two brothers. Now we are trying to help them with housing and steady work. Tomorrow both Kamal and his brother will loose the housing they have had due to the house boss closing down the building. They have been living there free of charge in exchange for working some hours in a restaurant and now they have no place to go. We arranged a time to go look for some possible rooms nearby their work, and we will see what we can do to get them a place to stay. After we met with Kamal we all went to visit Sanumaya. i knew from yesterday, that she was in need of some food, so on our way i bought 35 kg of premium long grain rice and a couple dozen eggs. The rice will be enough to feed her and her two daughters for a couple months. (not a bad investment for a mere $20) They saw me as we were walking towards her tea shop. Sanumaya got a big grin on her face and her daughter just laughed. i think the grin was because i was carrying a huge sack of rice on my shoulders and she assumed it wasn't because i wanted Dahl Bhat, and the laugh was because you never see white people carrying bags of rice on this side of town and i guess i stand out a little bit. :-) As we sat and talked with Sanumaya and one of her daughters, Sapana, i learned that neither Sapana or her youngest daughter Sarmila were attending school. When i asked why they had stopped, she explained that she had lost her job caring for her house bosses 5 cows due to some of her physical difficulties, and that she has not been able to make enough money selling tea to pay for the house rent, food, and the school fees. We talked for a while, and i told her that i would take care of the school fees if the girls would want to go back to school. Sapana lit up with a smile, and Sanumaya said she wanted them to be able to go back to school but had a significant concern that really sheds light on the plight of so many children in this country, especially here in the Thamel area. You see, both her daughters work doing house cleaning during the week. The youngest one brings in 1500 NRP while the middle daughter 2500 NRP (equivalent to $55) each month. Without that income, they would end up loosing their home and could not afford any other room and still have enough money for food. So she asked what she could do? Educate her daughters or not eat seems to be a pretty big dilemma right? My heart broke. This little woman works at her tea shop from 6 am until 9 pm 7 days a week and still cannot make enough to pay for food and housing. She works very hard and loves her kids so much, but has no education and after her husband died has struggled to survive. On Sunday i will take her to church with me and introduce her to Pastor Raj Kumar and make the necessary arrangements to take care of her house rent as well as her kids school fees ($20 a month). Please pray that as we seek to eliminate the pressure of meeting some of these physical needs, that God would work through this local church community to meet some of the emotional and spiritual needs of this family. Their oldest daughter, Paraboti, who many of you know, is now married and living in her husbands village with their 4 month old baby daughter. Please keep them all in your prayers as we seek to be the hands of Jesus with those who need a bed to sleep in and food to eat, as well as those who just need a mom and dad to tuck them in at night instead of having to worry if they will have a place to be tucked in at all. And most of all that they would come to know the love of Christ, the one who provides.

January 2010 Peak Team

2010-02-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

This past January God put together a phenomenal team of students for the purpose of taking the message of the love of Christ to the people of Nepal, both in the remote areas of the Annapurna region, as well as in the big cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara. The team came from all over the US as well as our first international team member who came all the way from Bolivia. The team was very diverse in personality, but one thing was certain, they all were deeply in love with Jesus, had a desire to share that love with others, and as a team their diversity came shining through in a culmination of giftedness that made sharing Christ a powerful experience. When it came time to plan our outreach event for over 480 students at a remote mountain village school, Kelly’s creativity came to life, Claudia’s gift of evangelism was definitely loosed, and Kate kept us all focused, organized, and on track. The result was several days of clearly communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ with all of the students, the faculty, and many other members of the community. The relationships continued to deepen during our time there and God continued to lay the foundation for continued ministry in this village.
We have been going to Ghandruk for many years now and are beginning to see a powerful moving of the Holy Spirit there. Up until 2 years ago there were only 3 know Christians within a 6 hour walk of this village. Last year a home church was started about an hour away. This year there is a church that has been started a stones throw from the big buddhist monastery we have been praying over for many years. This church has about 25-30 regular attenders and just had a huge Christmas celebration where the entire village was invited. Many of the people we have been investing in attended this celebration and were asking more and more questions about what it means to be a follower of Christ. We are so very excited to be a part of what God is doing here. Our Peak Team did an amazing job of furthering the gospel in this community and i am so excited to be back there this coming May to do some teaching at the church, some discipleship with the villagers, and continued prayer with our brothers and sisters who call this place home.
We had a chance to sit down with one of the elders of the church on our last night in Ghandruk. As we sat around the bon fire behind our guest house we were able to pray for him and the church, pray over our friends who were there who do not yet know Christ, and continue to shine the light of the love of Jesus with them. One of the requests that was shared that night was for more biblical training and discipleship for the leaders of their church. They do not have any formal training or seminary degrees. No libraries or resources in their language. i will be working on getting them those resources through Desiring God ministries/Packing Hope, and will be planning some trips to help with ongoing training. Join me in praying as we seek to eliminate this need!

So He made a whip out of cords, and cleared the temple area...

2010-01-25T11:39:00.001-08:00

This past January i had something happen to me that i had never experienced before but anticipate will occur more and more in the future. It both breaks my heart and induces a bit of a holy rage within me. As many of you know, much of the work we do in Nepal is with many of the young girls who are at risk of being trafficked into the brothels both in Nepal as well as places like India. Many of these girls come from poor families and are working to help the family make enough money to pay house rent, buy food, and maybe someday have enough to enroll in school. One one of the last nights in Kathmandu, i had been spending some significant time with two young girls aged 13 and 14 who were selling small purses to tourists in the Thamel district. Earlier in the evening, one of them asked me if i could buy them some break to take home for their families. i said i would come back that evening before they went home and get them what they needed.

At about 9:30 pm i headed back into the busy streets of Thamel to take these girls to the bakery. On my way to the main intersection, where the girls would stand selling their bags, i was approached by a young boy in his late teens. assuming he was about to offer me "hashish" which is a very common occurrence in this area, i simply ignored him. As i walked, he matched my pace and whispered into my ear, "Would you like a nice Nepali girl?". Expecting something totally different, i was entirely caught off guard by the words he had uttered into my ear. i had been offered a lot of things during my time in Nepal, but no one had ever been so bold as to offer me this. i simply ignored the boy and kept walking. He continued walking beside me, and kept rephrasing his questions in hopes that i would accept his offer. The anger rose inside me as i thought of the girls on the streets who we work so hard to save from this very thing. Finally, i stopped, turned to face him, looked him in the eyes and told him i plain and simple language that i was not interested and that he needed to "go away". i then turned and continued walking. To my surprise, my "warning" was unheeded and he continued to hassle me. i stopped three times telling him i was not interested and that he needed to go away. Finally, on my last attempt to put an end to his badgering, he got close to my face and said to me, "...but they are very young, very beautiful, and very good Nepali girls.".

i have often imagined what Jesus was thinking after He left the temple courts enraged at what He saw. i have imagined what was going through the mind of our Lord when in John chapter 2 it tells us that He went and made a whip of cords, which takes a bit of time i would think, and went and "cleared the temple". Moved by a righteous anger, He responded with actions that sent a clear message that this was not the way His Father intended things to be, and that this would not be tolerated.

Now, i am not Jesus, and do not claim that my actions always line up exactly with how Jesus would do things, but i do know that the anger and rage in my heart over the fact that statistics now say that in the small tourist area of Kathmandu, knows simply as Thamel, now house more than 30,000 young women who work in brothels as prostitutes was and is a righteous anger. i know that the anger of knowing that one young lady we got off the streets a year ago and into school has now resorted to working in such a place in order to "help feed the family" is a holy anger. i know that as i was on my way to pour into the lives of 2 young lady's in an attempt to show them the love of Jesus and the hope of a different life that the anger i now felt rising up within me was both a holy anger and a righteous rage. Now whether the actions that came where like those of Jesus might be up for debate, but there was a clear message sent to this young boy that this was not the way things were supposed to be, nor will this type of activity be tolerated at least by this particular "tourist".

Over the course of the next 3 days not only did i have opportunity to talk with the girls about this situation, but also several shop owners who witnessed the "interaction". i also had a couple exchanges with that young boy and hope to have an ongoing conversation with him when i go back in a few months. What this did do is increase my awareness of how desperate this has become, and remind me of how very important the work is that we are doing on the streets of Nepal. Over the next few weeks i will share with you some specific stories of young women who are at risk. i will tell you their stories, their circumstances, and how you can be praying specifically for the work we are doing. In some cases there are very specific things you can do to help get them off the streets, into schools, and provide a better life for them and their families. But please know that your support and prayers are such a huge and much needed blessing to continue the work that we are doing.

With an "impressionable" memory left on the "minds" of all those involved in this unfortunate situation, lets remember to pray for both the boys and the girls that are being lured into this devastating and destructive stuff happening all over Nepal. If you want to know more regarding the trafficking taking place in Nepal, please visit our partnership in Nepal, www.peacerehab.org
God Bless, and thanks so much for your involvement in this ministry!

Thanks,
Your sometimes imperfect (or not) representation of Jesus

For the Love...

2009-12-21T10:24:00.001-08:00

God rests in His love Zephaniah 3:17 explains. He has no more complaints against us; He has extinguished every one of them in the Son of His love. “Divine wrath is silent, because love has hushed it. Divine justice is silent, because love has satisfied it. Sin is silent, because love has condemned it. Satan is silent, because love has vanquished him. God’s love has silenced every voice but its own.”

Oh what power the love of God,
To silence wrath on sinful clods;
Love pierced the heart of His own Son,
To hush the voice of ev’ry one!

Oh what power the love of God,
To satisfy and silence law;
Love bruised His Son in my own place,
To justice fill and give me grace!

Oh what power the love of God,
To banish sin and fill with awe;
Love stopped to serve and judge my case,
To draw me near to see His face.

Oh what power the love of God,
To vanquish Satan with His Rod;
Love conquered him -- my enemy,
To put to death all enmity.

Oh what power the love of God,
To rest and never be at odds;
Love stills all voices but its own,
To reign forever from its throne!

From the book Growing Up In Grace, by Murray Brett

Cap Haitian, Haiti

2009-11-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

i just returned home from a return trip to Cap Haitian in northern Haiti. Amy Mulvihill, one of our team leaders and Peak instructors joined me as we spend several days working with Open Door Haiti. The ministry that is taking place in the village of Bois de Lance where the ministry is located is nothing short of amazing. Several work teams had been there working hard on the medical clinic, doubling it capacity and helping to create an on site laboratory so the blood work does not have to be sent out. They have also completed a tiled and painted computer lab. This is the only one of its kind as far as the eye can see. They are now working on an irrigation line that will bring much needed water to several acres of fields that they will use to provide food for those in the community that have need. So as you can see God is doing amazing things here.

Amy and i spent the first day working at the clinic. Amy helped to organize medical supplies, while i did rotations with the Dr. and got a better grasp on what medical and health needs the people in the village have. We talked about the prevalence of TB, Malaria, and that almost every person who walks into the door is suffering from a Urinary Tract Infection. The need for community health education is something we are working to help with through teams of nursing students from the Universities we work with as well as adult medical professionals who can go in an teach on community health issues.

The next day we headed up into the mountains for a time of worship and prayer. i wanted Amy to get a glimps of the villages up in the mountains where we hope to take Peak Teams to do relational outreach, and connect them with Open Door Church and Pastor Wiljean. Amy was able to get a great look at some of the villages and meet many of the locals, and a ton of kids!!

Sunday was a great day! i was asked to give the message in Church, which was an honor, and a ton of fun. Wiljean is an excellent interpreter, very gragarious and animated like me...so it was great!! We also experienced a couple local markets. One market, that in some ways would be like a farmers market in the states and in many ways nothing like the ones in the states, was just outside the walls of the church. The hustle and bustle of the local market is always a ton of fun to be a part of, especially when you the only non-local in the market :-) We also went to a market near the ocean where they have some arts and crafts. This is always a great cultural event that the students will enjoy being a part of.

Also while we were there Amy sat down with the pastors wife to begin to plan out a womens conference that they have asked us to help facilitate. This would take place a year from this December and would include up to 1500 women from all around Haiti. Amy will be putting together a team of women to go and train, encourage, and pour into the Haitian women from Open door as well as their two daughter churches and their surrounding communities. An incredible opportunity to share the love of Christ. The theme will be on Being Wholly His. What does it look like to be a Godly woman? What does it look like to be a Godly wife and mother? A Godly neighbor? All of these questions and more will be on tap for this conference.

The next day we jumped on a plane and headed back to the Cities. It was a very quick but very productive trip. We now will begin to plan out some possible spring break trips with college and university students as well as teams of medical professionals who would like to give of their time and talents to minister to these people. So if you are interested in being a part either as one who sends or as one who goes, please do not hesitate to give ma a call or email me at holywseat@hotmail.com.

Thanks so much for all you do to make this ministry happen. Your financial support, your prayers, and your love and encouragement are so very vital to not only the longevity of this ministry, but to my spirit as i seek to serve Christ the best i know how. God bless, and Much Love to all of you...Thanks so very much.

scotty

Heading Back to Haiti!

2009-10-26T13:20:00.001-07:00

The second weekend in November Amy and i will be heading back to Haiti. Amy will be meting with pastor Wiljean's wife to discuss the possibility of doing some womens ministry training with the ladies from the church. Amy has had a passion for training and discipling women and God has opened up some significant doors for her here in the States and is now seeking to take this training to some of our partnerships overseas. It is an exciting opportunity that will open up a new genre of ministry for 212 degrees. i will be building a low initiatives course for the school of youth ministry, working with the health clinic there in Bois De Lance, and heading into the mountains making some relational contacts for our future Peak teams. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel, for safety and for all the logistics to go smoothly. We are very excited about the future of this partnership and the real diversity of ministry that God has provided for us. The potential for Kingdom impact is huge and we are so very thankful to Open Door Haiti USA and Pastor Wiljean of Open Door Church for allowing us to come along side and be a part of the great things God is doing there and to have the chance to go into these un-reached mountain villages with the message of the love of Christ. We will keep you posted on all that is going on, and thanks in advance for your prayers!!

scotty

Pastors Training in Nepal

2009-10-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Many of you know about the pastors training that we did last year in the rural areas of the far west Nepal. Well two of our trainers are back in Nepal doing a follow up to last years training, and the ministry has been fantastic. Tom and Dee Johnson are from Spokane, WA and are in Nepal right now finishing up a two week stretch. i just received an e-mail from Tom today that i wanted to pass along to everyone.

Scotty!!

Greetings from KGH in KTM. We are here after a week in Dhangadhi. Raj Kumar, Samjhana, Dee and I went over and had a three day conference with Pastor Pushba Raj, et al. All went as planned and our time with everyone was very sweet. A primary difference this time is Pushba Raj had the conference at his church. Yes, that little lean-to room we visited. he tore off the wall on one end and put up a huge tent; added some lovely potties outside, dug a few holes to cook on and we were ready for a few hundred people for three days. it was a great time.

then back to ktm and a day at Raj Kumar's bible school. we sat in a class of fourteen students and listened to the testimonies of about ten of them. words fail in trying to describe how moving that was.

today we are finalizing prep for the conference here. tomorrow we begin the three days at rk's church. Then a couple days on the road visiting pastors and home.

we are taking rita etal to dinner tonight. they send their greetings.

wish you were here!

T & D

Thanks for your continued prayer for this and all the ministry here at 212 degrees.

Sweet Nisha...Please pray!!

2009-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is not one of my traditional blogs about what God is teaching me although He is teaching me a great deal about trust in situations that make little earthly sense. But this is more of a call to prayer and a request to pass this along to as many people as you feel might actually bend a knee. Nisha is a little girl who i have "adopted" as my own about 5-6 years ago and have been supporting those years sending her through school, handicraft training and all taking care of all her physical needs. She is truly one of the greatest blessings in my life and one of the greatest loves of my life. The following is an update on a situation that arose a few weeks ago, and i would ask and would covet your prayers!
Many of you have been praying very hard for Nisha these past few weeks and i wish i had some news to give that would indicate and clear answer to those prayers. However, despite much effort we have yet to locate Nisha or have any awareness as to her whereabouts. For those who don't know, Nisha was a little girl, who about 6 years ago was living on the streets of Kathmandu. Her father left the family years before, her mother had died, and her two brothers were taken to unknown orphan homes. She was living in alleys and drawing pictures to sell to tourists for money. She was at great risk of being trafficked and had already been exposed to some horrific experiences. So, one afternoon she grabbed my hand and asked me if i would take her to America with me. Through tears i told her i couldn't, but i asked her if i could take her to a safe place where she would be educated, have a place to sleep and food to eat. New clothes and a new family. Through tears of her own she said that she would love that. So this began an amazing relationship between me and this little girl of about 11 years of age. Since that day, she has gone through many handicraft trainings, school, and has found Christ as her Savior. Several years ago i tried to go through the process of adopting her as my daughter but due to being single i was told it would not be possible. So i began to search for her brothers so she could at least have some family there in Nepal. i have not only found her older brother and her twin brother, but have also found her father and have been able to reunite her with her brothers. She has been doing really well and has been able to work to save money and provide for herself through the training she has received. A few weeks ago i got word from the place where she has been living for the past 6 years that she had "left". i have contacted her brothers and their father, the people she knows in Kathmandu, as well as the organizations through which she has recieved her training. She has not been heard from or seen since the day she was missing. As you can imagine, i am struggling to understand so much of what is happening, and am praying that she turns up soon. My worst nightmare is that somehow she was taken. She is only about 16, and is a beautiful young Nepali woman who was living in the southern part of Nepal where there are incredible risks for women her age. So please join me in continuing to pray for her safety and that she will find her way home soon.

What Would You Rather Have?

2009-08-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday night i sat in a little church nestled in a NE Minneapolis neighborhood listening to the music of Flora. Mark and Lisa are two of my very favorite people and if you ever have a chance to see them live, it is truly an amazing experience. Their flavor of Americana Gospel with a rockabilly flair is always a recipe for a great night. Towards the end of the show, Lisa stood alone at the mic, and sang a very powerful rendition of the old hymn "I'd Rather Have Jesus". As she sang, and as her heart spilled out into the ears of those who listened, you could almost hear Jesus say, "What would you rather have?" i was unable to get that song out of my head for days and in the quiet moments since, i can still hear it echoing in the chambers of my mind. i can say without question, that yes, i would rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. Knowing that my life does not always emulate this desire, and i sometimes fall short, i am reminded that some things i have been chasing after pale in comparison to the living water that Jesus offers not just the woman at the well, but to each and every one of us who thirsts. So often i forget and try to drink of so many things that will never satisfy. i hope that this song whispers gently into your ears this week as an amazing reminder of the love that Jesus has for us, and that He is truly all we need. This is such a counter cultural message especially right now when so many of us are suffering job loss, and economic hardship...but i think this is maybe when we are most open to the reminder in Luke 12:22-34 You are more valuable than the lilies! Also read Mathew 16:24-26; Phil 3:8 Thanks Mark and Lisa for sharing your hearts and for not only listening to your Abba, but for going where He says "Go!".

I’d Rather Have Jesus –
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

I’d Rather Have Jesus is a song written by Rhea F. Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea.

His Love is Good Medicine

2009-07-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

There is an old Haitian saying that says, “Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt.”. i could share with you a number of stories where the “good deeds” of well intentioned people resulted in not only very little change, but often very negative effects on a specific community. In his book Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder tells the story of Dr. Paul Farmer who has dedicated his life to being an agent of change in the country of Haiti. If you have not read this book, i would go so far as to say it is a necessary addition to everyone’s library, a must-read. In his journey Dr. Farmer realized that the constant lack of nutrition, scarcity of clean water, and the exiguity of good hygiene will always work against, and often foil the attempts of treating what would otherwise be a curable illness in most places around the world. As a result, he has established rules at his hospital, that in addition to receiving free treatment for TB, each individual will also get regular visits from community health workers, and a small monthly cash stipend for food, child care, and transportation to their appointments. (Kidder p. 34) You see, he wants to save peoples lives. To do this they must do more than hand people a bottle with directions on hoping that they will not only follow those directions but also that they would somehow believe that what is in the bottle will actually do what it says it will, which in Haiti can be a very significant issue.

As it relates to evangelism, i have found that a similar law is at work. For over 18 years i have been leading teams of students on outreach trips around the world. For the past 10 years my journey has taken me to developing countries, primarily Nepal. Nepal is an exotic place that holds great mystery and is steeped in traditions that date back thousands of years. Our teams walk through ancient villages in remote places high in the Himalayan range where time seems to have stood still. The terraced fields are still plowed by hand or with a yoke of oxen. They build their homes from the rocks they unearth from the fields that yield their crops. There are no phones, no cars, and until recently not even electricity. They live from day to day, dependent on nature and each other for their survival. Their buddhist culture rings in your ears from the time the monks begin their morning prayers as the sun peeks over the mountains, until the time of their evening offerings long after the sun has made it’s journey to the other side of the earth. These are a people who often exist outside of the monetary system of their own country. They survive by working the land and bartering goods with one another. And when nature takes an angry turn during the monsoon season, and washes their lives into the river below, life gets very difficult. The needs that arise in that moment are paramount. They become all-consuming and the people make sacrificial trips over rough terrain, often for days, just to obtain food for the family. The entire village suffers as they rebuild their lives and try to hold on to some semblance of hope for the future.

These are the lives that 10 years ago i went to save high up in the mountains of Nepal. In my eager ambition and authentic love for Jesus Christ, i entered into these peoples lives with an honest desire to “save” them. i took teams of university students into their villages to share the phenomenal news of what Christ had done, and that He has them in His heart and on His mind. i wanted them to know the depth of love that He has for them and how He desires for them to know Him and His goodness. And so, as they reached out with empty hands, hunger pains and desperate hearts, i tried to fill them with words. Good words. Powerful words. But words they could not hold. Words that did not fill the stomachs of their children, and thus could not make it into their hearts. It took me a while to fully grasp what i was doing, which can happen when you are blinded by a passion for something good in a place or with a person you may not fully understand. It is not that this passion is wrong. Doesn’t Jesus tell us to go and preach the gospel? i think sometimes i get a little ahead of Him. Like a little kid, i run ahead and need to slow down and rethink not my passion, but the effectiveness of my communication. i learned that giving them a bottle with directions on it, or walking them through certain steps to salvation did not guarantee that they would be healed of their disease. For what good is medicine, when you are washing your hands and drying them off in the dirt? What good is the love of this “Jesus” whom they have never heard of, when their stomachs are empty, and their village needs to be rebuilt from the damage of the monsoon? When i began to rethink this many years ago, it quickly set in, which often is the case when true passion is involved. It may take a bit to get it, but when it hits, that potential energy quickly translates into kinetic!

You see, Jesus healed the Leper of Matthew 8 with a word, but restored his dignity with a touch. Jesus did not give the woman at the well a systematic approach to who he was and then leave her there to ponder this new formula for obtaining eternal life. i heard John Piper say in a recent sermon, “He did not even condemn her for her sin of adultery.” (desiringgod.org) He simply pointed it out and continued to tell her about the living water that He longed to give her. He also did not end their conversation on a distant hillside, but Jesus continues to meet a need by going into the village and living among them for a few days. By doing this He physically demonstrates and embodies the love that He has for them; pouring Himself out, the living water that will never run dry. As a Jewish Rabbi this was so radical...we can’t even wrap our minds around what He was doing and the cultural barriers He was shattering...it is absolutely crazy!
i have found these same principles hold true in Nepal. When the local people see these students working to rebuild the only trail that connects their village to the rest of the world, when a widow with four hungry children sees me walking up to her make shift home with a 50 kg sack of premium rice, when the 450 children at the local mountain school see a group of students from the U.S. repairing the playground equipment, when a team takes time to “live among” the people and invest in their lives into them...it is then that they see Jesus. When, over a hot meal, we share what Tim Hansel calls the 5th gospel, the story God is telling through OUR lives, it is in that holy moment that they not only see, but are experiencing the lavish love of the Savior of the universe! This is the kind of love that leads to the transformation of entire villages. Villages that now have house churches on Saturday mornings and whose worship rivals the chants of the buddhist monks who have stood uncontested for over a thousand years. It is this love that leads those same monks to inquire how they can experience this Man who has so altered the road they have traveled. It is in these moments that the simplicity of the gospel comes to life. A man was quoted once as saying, “And the word became flesh, and through theologians became words again.”. Now please don’t misunderstand me. There is definitely a place for systematic theology, for the study of God’s word and for spiritual formation. It is for this very reason that we have another team returning to the remote parts of west Nepal, for an in depth training conference. But when someone is sick and in need of medication or they might die, you may very well need to couple that medicine/message with personal investment. Meeting of the impending physical or emotional needs that would otherwise constrict or even mask the transforming love that is the ultimate healing agent, becomes vital. This has become an intentional focal point in how we DO outreach in places like Nepal, Haiti, and Turkey.

Now i find myself back in the affluence of my comfortable suburb on Lake Minnetonka. The rules have changed, and the needs are again shrouded by a different way of living. How will i adjust to effectively communicate the good news of Jesus Christ? Are there physical needs that are in the way? Emotional hurts buried under layers and layers of forced smiles and self sufficiency? People here in the US are equally as needy for the Gospel; we just miss it because it is more subtle than a stomach visible with malnutrition. We hide our superstitions much better than the witch doctors of Haiti. As followers of Christ, our passion should be to reach ALL people with the good news of Jesus Christ, those who are our very best friends who we don’t want to make uncomfortable, our co workers, and our class mates. How are we loving them, living among them, demonstrating the love of Jesus through our intentional actions. Everything Jesus modeled for us was intentional...how are we emulating Him?

i am always looking for good answers to these questions. In no way to i have the market cornered on this “evangelism” thing. i would love to hear your stories or the different ways you have demonstrated this love to those around you. i am always encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in your lives. Write a note on our Facebook site, respond to the blog...How are you meeting needs and loving others well and leading others into an eternal relationship with Christ?

To learn more about our trips, check out our web site at www.212degrees.org. We are headed back to Nepal this coming January. We have a team heading to Haiti this fall, and our training team will be in Nepal at the end of Sept through mid October. Keep us in your prayers. i also covet your prayers and financial support as my income is dependent on your kindness. You can support me via our web site donation link or shoot me a note if you want more information. Thanks for honoring me by reading my often meandering thoughts and reflections. It has been a while since i have written, and God has been giving me many good things to ponder. i look forward to sharing with you and having this be a very reciprocal “blogging” relationship. Much love to you all, and thanks again!! God bless you as we all crawl towards the Lamp.

Update: Turkey, Nepal, Haiti, and ME

2009-06-24T15:22:00.001-07:00

212 Team,
Spring is here and summer is around the corner. We are pretty busy gearing up for our Peak Turkey Team to head out overseas this summer. Jake and Amy Mulvihill will be leading this team and are very excited to get back to the country that has captured their hearts. I will be back here
running the office, and playing the support role for them as they head out, much like Amy has
been doing for me and my teams these last two years. I will miss being in the mountains of Nepal this summer but God has different plans in store for me and there are several new ministry opportunities on the horizon which include getting back to Nepal as well as possibly taking several teams to Haiti over the course of this next year. Most of you know about the Pastoral Training Conferences we did last September in Nepal where we were able to see more than 400 pastors and lay staff from over 170 different churches from all over Nepal walk through our “Shepherding for Ministry Leaders” training. It was a huge blessing both for us as well as for the churches in Nepal. We had representatives from the far west, the southern plains, as well as a Sherpa from the Everest region, an area where we were unaware had a Christian presence. It was an amazing time of ministry and fellowship. We have been asked to return at least two times a year to offer ongoing theological, ministry, and leadership training to these and many more who are hungry for ongoing education. Tom and Dee Johnson and myself are making preparations this summer for our next training trip with will include a training on “Search For Significance”, and on counseling for those who are hurting within your community. We are very excited about this and covet your prayers. Haiti is another new frontier for us at 212, but one we are very excited about. I was introduced to the country of Haiti by an amazing friend of mine and through a series of events was able to go and be a part of a team of trainers for a youth ministry training school in Cap Haitian, a large city in Northern Haiti. Out of this experience, we have found a new ministry that is looking to have teams like ours come and help out in the remote mountain villages around Cap Haitian. We are also looking to expand our courses to include inter-generational teams to go to Cap Haitian and help with the growing ministry there at Open Door Church. This ministry includes the remote mountain villages, but also would include work with an elementary school, youth ministry training school, an advanced medical clinic staffed by one of the head doctors from the main hospital, as well as ministry at in the church and surrounding community. So as you can see, the ministry is very diverse, the need is great, and it is a place that is more economical. We can do a course in Haiti for less then the price of what a round trip ticket to Nepal now costs!! Now please understand, we are definitely not giving up our courses in Nepal, my heart will forever be intimately tied to the people of this country, and we will certainly continue to do ministry as long as God keeps those doors open and I have breath to share. But in light a struggling economy, people staying closer to home, being sensitive to what is going on around us and the ministry that God is presenting to us, we want to be wise and obedient in what we are being called into. As you can see, these opportunities are very different then the Outdoor Leadership School that has marked us as a ministry over the past several years. As a ministry we are trying to be proactive in looking forward at the new directions God might be taking us in during this season. Again, in light of what is going on in the world and being committed to our mission and vision as a ministry we are seeing new opportunities to re-invent ourselves as a missions organization; to continue doing what we have been called to, but expanding to what we believe are more effective and efficient methods of evangelism. We are hoping that you are as excited about this as we are, and that you will continue to invest in the ministry of 212 long into the future. As our board of directors meets to work through the details of these new endeavors we again covet your prayers. We will keep you posted on all the new developments as they come and continue to share the stories of God’s faithfulness through the ministry that we are doing together. Please know that your individual support over the last 18 years has been very appreciated. But also know that your ongoing support during these troubled times has been both appreciated and very humbling. It seems that there are new stories each week of the challenges and struggles that so many of us are finding ourselves in, and so your commitment to partnering with us in the midst of that is so very significant to me. God has continued to prove himself faithful as certain supporters have needed to drop off for a season and He has raised up new supporters to help out in times of need. i believe that this is how true biblical community works, and i have seen the body of Christ doing amazing things not just through your support, but in our church, my small group, and even in my own personal life.
On a more personal level, God has been humbling me on so many different levels over the past few months. It has been both extremely painful, as well as very exhilarating. But in all that He is
doing, i believe he is faithful, and when i struggle to trust in Him, He provides a friend to hold up
my arms in the midst to the struggle. i continue to love Jesus, i continue to strive to trust Him
when i don’t understand or see completely where He is taking me, i am committed to my own
personal growth and development, and i will continue to love well those He has committed to me to minister to. God is transforming me, humbling me, and changing me for the better, and i
believe He is doing the same for 212 Degrees. We want to be wise, effective, sensitive to His spirit, discerning, and ready to go when and where He leads. Please continue to join us in our journey or if you have been waiting to be a part, don’t wait any longer. May the Jesus who has me on the potters wheel, who is about transformation and restoration, the one who is able to do
immeasurably more than we could ask, dream, or imagine, mold you, bless you and keep you, and shower His love all over you!! Thank you so very much!! And please remember me in your prayers, both my heart and our ministry.
God Bless,
scott

January 2009 Peak Team

2009-06-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

Well, once again it was an amazing trip and an amazing time of seeing God show up in some pretty unexpected and spectacular ways. We just got down from the mountain yesterday evening, and after trying to sleep in…5:30 am as usual, we have a much deserved day off. We had a few long days of trekking, 10 hours on our push to base camp, but the team was great and despite a few sicknesses the team did well. There is so much i could write about, and i will try to shoot out a few shorter stories, but i wanted to give you all a few of the highlights of some really great God moments. The first came on the second day of the trek.

We had one participant who was really struggling and was having a hard time eating. So the team made the decision to spend an extra day in the village of Chhumrung to give her some rest in hopes that she could get her strength back. This was an unexpected stop and left us with an entire day in this village. The result was, after a prayer hike through the village, that we were able to get into the school, meet several of the teachers as well as a few of us were able to speak in some of the classes. We invited Hardi, one of the teachers, to join us that night for supper that night and not only did i have the chance to share Christ with him but we also found out about a small group[ of Christians that lived in the area. There were 6 kids at the school from 3 different families and they had a small house church that met each Sat. Well, as a result of our unexpected stop, this meant that on our way back through the village of Chhumrung, we would be there on a saturday!! It was a huge opportunity for us to meet some of the believers in the area and not only encourgae them but get others we spoke with coinnected with this new body of believers. One our way back, we met several of the students and even got to see the house where they meet. Our Nepali friend, Kumar, will be going back there soon to spend more time building up this new church.

Also on the way down the mountain, we spent a few days doing ministry in the village of Ghandruk. Two students on teh team took the lead on this and we decided to do some prayer hiking followed by two days of ministry at the school there. The village of Ghandruk is the largest Gurung village in Nepal. They have about 470 students from K through class 10.
We were able to put together two short skits, one for the younger kids and one for the older ones. We also organized some team games and taught the students some english worship songs. The result was again greater than expected. The area around the school was filled with students hearing the gospel and interacting with the team. We also found out about a brand new fellowship that has been started in this village as well. There are 15 new believers in this village and they meet in a small church each Saturday. One year ago there were only 3 know christians between both the village of Chhumrung and Ghandruk. Now there are 2 churches and over 20 new believers. God is doing some very big things here and it is very exciting to be a part of it. Kumar and i met with one of the village leaders and the principal of the school and are planning a big ministry event this spring in conjunction with the schools 50th anniversary celebration. The gospel will be shared with many who attend this event. It will be lead by Nepali Christians from a local sports ministry that Kumar is a part of. So we have some really good connections and some new and exciting opportunities for Christ to be shared in both these villages. Keep these places in your prayers.

God is really moving here and hearts are opening up and the people seem eager to hear more about Christ. Hardi, the math/science teacher from Chhumrun said he had just read three books about Jesus and really enjoyed them. His questions were solid, and he is very interested in learning more about the Lord. We will be e-mailing each other as i continue to share with him. Keep him in your prayers as well.

The team has done a fantastic job of respreenting the love of Christ to everyone that we have met. They have been sharing, and really investing in the people here. We still have several days of ministry left so keep us in your prayers as well. Much more to come, but that will hopefully hold you over till next time. i appologize for the poor spelling. Some of these keys dont work so well :-) and the spell check in not working.

Hope you can read it despite this. God bless you all and thank you so very much for all your notes both here and on my facebook site. Your encouragement means the world to me!!

God Bless ya’ll

scotty brown

A Conversation With

2009-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

His name is Tony. He is in his late 50’s early 60’s and runs the most successful adventure company in Nepal. We have been using his company to run our river rafting trips for the past 10 years. I had heard his name mentioned many times and worked with his staff but until this summer, I had never had the chance to meet him. Traveling between his homes in Britain and Nepal, he is a man on the move. But this July I heard he was in Kathmandu so I set up a time to meet him not knowing that my encounter with him would lead to a huge paradigm shift in the way I looked at our ministry in Nepal.

It was a typical rainy afternoon in Thamel as I sat waiting in the office of Himalayan Encounters. I was awaiting the arrival of the infamous owner of the company, Tony. He casually walked into the office, an older, unassuming British man with an enormous accent. We introduced ourselves and began getting to know one another. We shared our experiences with each other and stories of a place we were both obviously fond of, and a people for whom we shared a deep love. He shared with me how his company worked to develop local communities; helping them build homes, use more effective and advanced farming techniques, and developed new ways to empower the people and generate additional income. I shared similar stories of the communities in the mountains that we frequent, and the work we have done to develop those communities physically and spiritually. The pictures and stories that he shared were nothing short of inspirational. I shared about 212 degrees and what it was that we had been doing over the past several years. I shared about the relationships we had developed and the ministry that we had in the mountains of Nepal. i told him of our work with the street kids, who he knew well, and how we were helping to meet the needs of their families. As I shared he listened intently and again shared a mutual love and a joy in the work we both were doing. But after I had shared he responded with a statement that took me by surprise. He shared with me a lesson that he had learned over his many years in Nepal. It was a statement in response to something I had said and as soon as I heard it, I reached for pen and paper; a statement I did not want to forget. He said that for him (he was really polite in his challenge to me) the goal could not be to merely “meet” the needs of the people, but rather we must figure out how to eliminate the need all together. That we can take the kids out for a meal, we can feed the poor, and the result is that we can feel really good about it, but I does not eliminate the fact that when we leave, they are still hungry, they are still on the street, and they are still looking for that next tourist who will treat them to pizza at “The Roadhouse”. In many ways we actually create needs and a dependency that could be unhealthy for them. This began an hour discussion about how we could more effectively do what we do there in Nepal. It was about empowerment, not merely benevolence. I was being taught how to do ministry by a British man, who at this point does not even know Christ. It was such a huge reminder to me that we need to be much more intentional about how we engage people and ministry not only on a global level but also on a local level. And as I processed this conversation I realized that there ARE things that we do at 212 Degrees that very intentionally seek to eliminate needs. We help to empower women who have been rescued from the sex industry so that they can learn a trade and generate income for them and their families. We help families by purchasing a buffalo and teach them how they can sell the milk for profit, while also having a way to plow their fields and grow crops. We seek to get the children off the streets and into orphanages, and into schools so they can be cared for and educated and empowered. But we also do many things that ultimately make us feel good but that when thought through do not empower and can potentially do more harm then good. Tony is right when he says our goal should not be to meet needs but rather our goal should be to eliminate them. It like the old proverb, “To give a man a fish will feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

So the result of this conversation for me has lead to an intense evaluation of what we do and how we do it. If we are about transformation we need to teach people how to fish. This can be a long process that starts with giving them a fish, but CANNOT stop there, we must go further and make an honest effort to teach, to empower, to transform them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now that I am back in the States, I am evaluating how I can be more effective at this philosophy in my ministry here at home, and in life as a whole. It is a prevalent thought for me, with the students I work with, the staff I lead and in my own personal life. It is such a simple thought, and we have all probably had it at one point or another, it just took a conversation with an old Brit over nepali tea on a hot rainy day for me to really internalize it and allow it to transform my life once again. I know that there are times where we just need to meet a short term need. A shut in, a sick friend needs a meal, your neighbor with the broken leg needs the lawn mowed. But I guess I want to get in the habit of always being a future thinker, and ask myself, “is there more I can do that leads to additional empowerment and transformation?” I think the result can only mean more changed lives, more transformation, and more people seeing and experiencing the kingdom of God here on this earth.

Since writing this blog I have found a fantastic resource that speaks to this issue and has reminded me that there is nothing new under the sun, and as a community of Christ followers we can constantly be sharpening one another. Thanks Robert Lupton!

Compassion, Justice and the Christian life…rethinking ministry to the poor by Robert Lupton.

No Longer an Orphan

2009-06-24T14:14:00.001-07:00

His name is Sucille. He has been living on the streets for a few years now, well, since his orphanage closed down due to lack of funding. He is a polite and very articulate young man for his 14 years. Although he lives on the streets with so many other children, he seemed to be very different from many of the others who share his fate. Sucille keeps very much to himself, out of trouble, and far from the drugs, Roxy, stealing, and the other activities that often accompany life on the streets. One thing his does enjoy, and gladly joins in on is the game of soccer. So on a rare sunny day in July, near Phewa Lake in Pokhara, when he saw 5 Americans with a soccer ball he jumped at the chance to get in on the action. Little did he know that his decision to do so would alter his life for eternity. It was on that field that God began to transform lives. All of us were about to walk into a divine transformation that would leave us all changed. Although we were all impacted by what God was doing, it was Annan’s sacrificial love and compassion that God used to impact Sucille, myself, and the rest of the team. Annan embraced Sucille and began to empty himself into this young man. He soon found out that Sucille had found Christ several years before and not only has a desire to get off the streets, but to also learn and grow in his relationship with Jesus.

As the team learned more about true discipleship and how Jesus did life with the 12, Annan and the team found themselves living this life out with Sucille. Each morning Sucille would wake up from wherever he had laid his head that night, and would make his way to our hotel to join us for an early breakfast. Happy to get some eggs and toast, he would listen intently to our morning devotional and linger long into our individual time alone with Jesus. He would read as much as he could from our English Bibles, and listen to Annan and the team explain to him about the love of Christ. As he grew in his understanding of the love of Christ, we grew in our understanding of authentic spirituality as our life merged with the life of this young orphan boy.

Jimmy gave him his ball cap and Annan gave him warm clothes to protect him from the cold damp nights we were having, and as his physical needs were being met, his spiritual needs were also being poured into.

As our time in Pokhara came to an end and as we began to bring closure to some of our relationships there, Annan’s heart began to break at the thought of leaving Sucille without even the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and the unconditional love of Christ. So as we prayed, i began to look into some options that might work out to get him off the streets and into a loving Christ centered environment. After talking with a few friends who ran homes for kids, i finally found one that would take older kids!! The result is, that for the price of what many spend on mocha’s at Starbucks, we will be able to provide Sucille with a home, a bed, clothes, food, education, discipleship, and the unconditional love of a family; a family he has been without for most of his life. So Annan has made the choice to continue to pour into his life by supporting him physically as well as spiritually in their ongoing relationship.

So like Paul & Timothy or Jesus and Peter, Annan will continue to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ in the life of a street kid from Pokhara, and through this relationship others will know and see that the love of Jesus is alive. His transforming power is for everyone who believes. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

—another snapshot in the life of a Peak Team ‘07

Kathmandu Conference October 2008

2009-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

We just finished the two day leadership conference here in Kathmandu and it was again an amazing time of seeing God work wonderously in the lives of our team as well as in the lives of the Nepali pastors and leaders who attended. The first day of the conference, Raj Kumar, the pastor of the host church, told his wife to plan food for 70 people. She suggested that maybe they plan for 100. After a short arguement he decided, like all wise married men, that he should listen to his wife. It was a good thing that he did, we served 200 for lunch that day. We had pastors come from as far as the Khumbu region of Nepal. Just for frame of reference, that would be where Mt. Everest is and took two days hike to the nearest airport and then a 1 1/2 hour flight into Kathmandu.

We were so humbled by their presence at our training, and were so very excited to be able to minister and fellowship together. i will give you a longer update soon, but many have e-mailed and asked how things went and i wanted to get word out that God moved in very powerful ways. Thanks again for your prayer support and all your encouraging e-mails. It means so much to be able to connect with you guys and am encouraged by your kind words. Thanks guys, your awesome!!

scotty

October 2008

2009-06-24T14:05:00.001-07:00

Our conference in West Nepal was unbelievable! There were over 200 people who came to the three day training and we had pastors from over 40 different churches from as far away as 5 hours bus ride. One woman walked 3 hours each way everyday just to be with us. They were so hungry for the Word and devoured everything that was given. Glenn Johnson who has been a missionary in SE Asia for over 22 years and the author of four different books was the key note speaker. He did an amazing job of really challenging these leaders in the area of shepherding their flocks. We had a three part seminar for the women led by Dee Johnson that spoke into issues that women are facing both at home as well as in the church. They were challenged in many areas of their lives and learned not only how to be free in Christ, but also how to help other women find their identity in Him. Tom Johnson did the same for the men as he talk about 4 lies that satan throws our direction and how to counter those lies with 4 truths from God's word. My sessions covered how to take these lessons and effectively share them with others, and talked about how to effectively share the truth of who God is through servant evangelism.

i do have to say, that in over 18 years of ministry, i have never had to stop in the middle of speaking because my audience was thrown into a frenzied panic due to a large snake passing a foot behind me. For those who followed my time in SD, there seems to be a pattern developing here.

i also knew that i was not back at home when i asked a group of men to come up with a couple ways they could demonstrate God's love in a practical way in their villages or communities. One man stood up and said, "When there is an accident and someone is injured, while the other villagers are beating the driver and setting his car on fire, we could instead find out if the injured man is ok and turn the driver in to the proper authorities." And he was dead serious! i responded with a resounding "YES! That is a great idea. Are there any other ideas?"

In the end, we wrapped up the final session with Glenn bringing it all home and sending them out with a great challenge to love well their families, church members, and people in their communities. But i think the climax for the five of us came when we then told 150-200 people that we had a gift for them. We then handed them 5 resources to take home with them. A book by Glenn that has been translated into Nepali, a new testament commentary, a Bible dictionary, a concordance, and a book of sermon outlines. These would have cost many of these pastors over one months salary. Many eyes filled up with tears including ours. It truly is better to give than to receive.

There is still much to be done and many more dreams and visions we have for the leaders in this area. The 5 of us have already begun to help one pastor set up a small business to help some of the women in his church, and we have identified several other needs we would like to pour into. So please stay tuned for ways you can pray and be a part of what God is doing in this area of Nepal. Thanks so much again for your love, your prayers, and your amazing support of what God has entrusted us with.

We start a new training tomorrow here in Kathmandu with another 100+ leaders. Please pray for energy for the team, as we are super tired and have been going 100 miles an hour since we landed 10 days ago. And for me, please pray that i would get some much needed sleep, something that has evaded me the past couple weeks, and that my mind would be free from any distractions.

i have so many more stories that i want to share with you, but will wait and post them in another e-mail soon. Again, thanks! This would not be possible without you guys on my team. i am so very thankful for all the folks back home at Wooddale, MCC, Westchester, Rimrock, and First Federated, as well as all the friends and family who have been lifting me up. Much love to you all!!!

His,
scotty brown

October 22nd 2008

2009-06-24T13:58:00.001-07:00

Suman is a 12 year old boy who attended our conference in Kathmandu. He was one of the most attentive and enthusiastic 12 year olds i have ever seen. He was so excited about the conference and was so hungry to hear and learn from God's word. He was a very prolific guitar player, and played both the guitar and the drums on the worship team. He was such a joy to watch. When Suman and i began to talk and get to know each other, i found out that he was an orphan living at a Christian children’s home. He wants to finish school and go on to Bible school and Seminary. When i asked him if he wanted to be a pastor he smiled and said "No way, i want to be an evangelist here in Nepal!" What a great heart. During Tom and i's break out sessions he was always the first to find the passage and the first to volunteer to stand up and read in front of a room full of 75 pastors from all over the Kathmandu valley. His passion for God and His desire to grow in his faith was so inspirational. It was also a huge encouragement to know that this is the future of the church here in Kathmandu.

Roshani is in her mid thirties and was working at the hotel coffee shop where we had breakfast every morning. She would welcome us with a big smile every morning and in her best attempts at english, would serve us our tea and coffee, and make sure our breakfast was perfect. i was able to get to know Roshani a little bit as we would chat each morning. It turns out she is the mother of a 14 year old boy and an 8 year old daughter. Her husband died 3 years before from complications surrounding a massive drinking problem. The pain was still fresh as her eyes filled up with tears recounting the circumstances surrounding his death. The result is she had to get a job to raise her children. She begins work at the hotel at 6 am having already prepared food for her children prior to coming to work. She would then work until 3 or 4 pm and then head to her college classes. She desires to get her BA so that she can get a good job guiding westerners up into the mountains. After school she has to get home and feed her kids, and study before heading to bed and starting all over again. She has Thursdays off however, but she says that she is not able to celebrate her day off like in my culture, but rather spends that day cleaning her room (house) and washing (by hand) her clothes and her children’s clothes. If time permits she will study some as well. All this for about 2500 Nepali rupees per month. (about 35 bucks!) She confessed that in the mornings she prays to her gods and asked them to help her, but she does not think they hear her and sometimes she gets angry at them. Each morning i would read my Bible during breakfast and she would ask about the book that i was reading. i had an opportunity to share with her the good news of Jesus Christ, that He is the God who hears the cries of His people. i was able to get a Nepali Bible from Shanta and give it to her before i left. i highlighted some passages for her to read and she has been reading her Bible every morning before work and is really enjoying what she is reading. i hope to get her connected with the pastor in Kathmandu and am very excited for what God is doing as He draws her to Himself.

Laxmi and Puja were two girls that i wrote about from last January. These two girls were hustling tourist on the streets at night, asking for money and food. I sat down on the curb with them and asked them what they really wanted/needed. They said that they needed rice for their families and that they both really wanted to go to school but could not afford it. I sent out an e-mail to you all and asked you to pray about getting involved. Within hours i had received an e-mail from a Sandra, a supporter and friend from California. She said she wanted to help and sent money for these two girls. Well, good news!! i went to Pokhara for a day and was able to go back and visit the mothers and get an update on how they are doing. Both of them are in school and doing very well. One of them even has a job working at her aunts restaurant during her vacation time.

These are just a few of the little snapshots of my last few days in Nepal. There are soo many things that God is doing that fill my heart with joy. He is moving in the lives of these people and raising up indigenous leaders who have a strong passion for His word and a vision for their country. There are also so many hurting people who have been blindly following false Gods. One woman i spoke with in Pokhara prays in front of a big picture of Ganesh, a hindu deity. She says that she doesn't believe in him anymore. She says that she prays to him and he does not help her and sometimes she spits on him, which one could plainly see from looking at the picture. They need to know the power that comes from the ascended Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father and is interceding on behalf of His kids. They need to know HIM! So we will continue to take the message of Christ to the people of Nepal, and so will Suman, and pastor Raj Kumar, and Shanta, and the Peak Team this coming January. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to serve in a place that is ripe for the harvest. Pray for Suman, that he would continue to grow stronger each day. Pray that Roshani and her entire household would come to know the God who listens and who desires to bless those who seek Him. Pray for Laxmi and Puja, that through Sandra's generosity and the prayers of all of us, that they would find a relationship with Jesus and irresistible draw.

There is so much more i would love to share, so maybe next time we see each other we can share stories of God's faithfulness over a good cup of coffee. Till then i will continue to share via these updates and begin to add to the blog on my web site.

Again know that non of this would be possible without your prayers and support. You are fulfilling the great commission through your commitment, your prayers, and your generosity. May God bless you all, and thanks so much for listening and for doing!

peace,

scotty brown