Barby and I are in the USA for a week celebrating her father’s 90th birthday with family members. It is just the third time in thirty years that we have gathered like this. The family’s Christian roots lie with the Mennonites…
A highlight for me has been the visit to the Menno-Hof (kinda like a museum) in Shipshewana (Indiana). A stirring apologetic for the Amish-Mennonite story.
Here is a little story (click on it to make it bigger): 
On opening the latch, the story continues like this:
[It reminds me so much of the story about the five men martyred by the Auca tribe in South America going on for fifty years ago now. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and Co. The ones doing the killing eventually became Christians (with their leader later working closely with one of the martyred men’s sons – Steve Saint). A key element in their conversion, as it emerged later, was the intrigue caused by the fact that the missionaries had guns, but chose not to use them. Why?!]
Then this display caught my eye (click on it to make it bigger):
And for good measure, a photo of Dad with his five kids that ranks already among my favourites. It says so much…
nice chatting
Paul
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
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Happy Birthday to Barby's Dad!
Wow! That story re. communion… I've saved the picture to look at again from time to time. Trying to change that reality has been a big part of my focus in recent years, but it's stark to see it like that.
The communion story reminded me of the one about "if all the world were a village" – and then it proceeds to give us all the statistics in a simple way which highlights the areas of urgent need and great inequity.
Two good tools to use to give people a sense of the way the global village carries implications for the global church.
I'm loving reading your blog, Paul. Does Barbie have an identical twin? One of her sisters looks just like her. Merry Christmas, oops, Joyful Christmas, Steph