Well, there is just time enough for a quick post before whisking away my bride to a romantic restaurant. OK, for those of you interested in my thoughts on mission projects, here you go:

Scenes from an evening ministry we did in the D.R. two years ago:

We did it in the church, the sound was way too loud, we sang songs in English, not Spanish, not many adults came, the electricity went out halfway thru the mime presentation, and the children in the audience paid no attention to the testimonies. Yet in the end, the group’s ministry was a success.

They kept going with the mime in the dark until someone produced a flashlight. The many children present were thrilled just to receive hugs and sit in laps. And when it came time for the Dominican brothers to lead the singing, the pastor’s wife got up and danced in the aisles.

What could have been pure chaos became good ministry as the group made adjustments. The best evening ministry takes place outside where curious passerby can stop and see. It is short, drawing a crowd before breaking up into small groups where the best ministry happens. It is not so much about what happens on stage as what happens in the audience.