So What Does SonSet Solutions Do Anyway?

     Have you found yourself asking this question every time you hear from us? We talk a lot about what I am doing at SonSet Solutions. But we haven't talked a lot about what SonSet Solutions does. The name SonSet comes from John 8:36 in the Bible, which says, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." But the word "set" can also refer to technology, like a "TV set". So you might say that we make technology for the Son. But wait... Our name also includes the word "Solutions", which suggests that we provide solutions too. Put it all together and what do you get?

"SonSet Solutions provides technology-based solutions to advance the Gospel worldwide."

     SonSet Solutions has its fingers in a lot of technology areas, but here is a quick overview. Our rich history in radio technology has allowed us to plant more than 450 Christian radio stations worldwide. We have designed and distributed more than 44,000 solar-powered, fixed-tuned SonSet^® radio receivers for areas of  the world where electricity is scarce. We also are helping ministries monitor clean water systems in remote communities to ensure the liquid water and the living water continues to flow. Media will be used to create evangelistic tools that can be used on mobile technology to share the gospel. Here is our new video to explain more about some of  these ministries.

     Thanks for being part of the team! #PartnersForGlobalImpact

Doug (& Ruth)

Faithfulness

Hank (standing) with Ray Rising

Hank and I had the privilege of interviewing Ray Rising this week. Ray came to help us with the Global Impact Celebration at SonSet Solutions last weekend. He is hoping to raise the funds to send 1,000 SonSet® radios to Radio Logos listeners in the Peruvian jungle. Ray is helping several radio stations in Peru reach further into the Amazon jungle region of South America.  

Ray's faithfulness to the call of God has impacted me often. He was captured by the FARC guerillas in Colombia and held for more than two years. He later discovered that the man who had ordered his capture was in a Colombian prison. Ray visited him in prison and gave him a Bible. In spite of the horrific experience at the hands of his captors, Ray has returned to South America and continued in ministry.

I'm not sure I could do that... return to the field after such a tramatic experience. It would be so easy to say, "I've suffered enough for Jesus", or "I feel the Lord is calling me back home now". Somehow we think that if I just give enough to the Lord and then He will be happy and let me live a comfortable life. I'm not sure it works that way. What if God gives us trials in order to prepare us to do even greater works for Him? What if our trials are building blocks that purify us and make us more like Jesus?

I hope that I can be as faithful as Ray Rising. I would like to hear my Lord say to me some day "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Wouldn't you?

Doug (& Ruth)

Global Impact Celebration

Have you been wondering what it is that SonSet SonSet Solutions does exactly? We provide technology-based solutions to advance the Gospel worldwide. Still not sure what that means? Well, we create technology to help ministries worldwide be more effective in communicating the gospel. That started out as being radio technology, but we are branching out into some new areas as well like solar powered applications, remote monitoring  systems, and media content for mobile devices. 

On Aug 29th you will have the opportunity to see first hand some of this technology. From 2:00 - 4:00 pm we will be hosting an Open House in which we will have lots of our technology on display for you to see, touch, and experience. It will be an interactive time for the whole family. At 4:15 we will have a short ceremony to dedicate our building in honor of Clarence Moore, former HCJB missionary, creator of the popular ham radio antenna known as the cubical quad, founder of Crown International, and donor of  the building that we now reside in.

This would be a really great time to learn more about our ministry. The address is 2830 17th St. Elkhart, IN  46517. Hope to see you on the 29th! If you can't make it, check out facebook.com/sonsetsolutions for updates about our ministry. 

Doug & Ruth

What's In the Wind?

     One of the projects we have been working on for SonSet Solutions is a new promotional video. So last week, a colleague and I packed the car full of gear and headed off to Chicago to interview one of the board members of SonSet Solutions. His office looks across the expressway, right at US Celular Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.

On the Roof to See the Antennas

     I have not been in Chicago a lot. I know that is called the windy city, and it certainly was windy that day, especially on the roof of a 20+ story high rise. Why the roof? Well, our subject for the interview is not only interested in the technology solutions that our mission provides to partner ministries, he is also involved in technology research himself. So he just couldn't resist taking us up to the roof of the building to show us the antennas that monitor the radio spectrum around the city of Chicago. We then returned to his office where we talked about the future of the internet, communications, and mobile devices.

     So many times we use the technology in our hands without giving it a second thought. In fact, it's pretty hard to remember what life was like before desktop computers, cell phones, tablets, cable TV, etc. etc. I have lived in a generation that has seen this amazing growth in technology. But many experts tell us that most of the world will not experience technology that same way. Most people in developing nations will skip right over wired telephones, "standard" cell phones, and desktop computers, and they will jump right to mobile devices. What we have seen happen in the last 30 or 40 years will occur in a matter of a few years for them.

The Chicago Skyline from Our Rooftop Perch

     That is why I am so passionate about finding ways to communicate with people who are using these new tools of communication. Our friend is monitoring radio spectrum usage in downtown Chicago with an eye on the future. We need to be looking at how we communicate the gospel with an eye on the future too. Mobile technology will soon be the way the world communicates, and we want to be ready for that day.

Doug (& Ruth)
    

The Call

You don't hear much about the "call" to missions anymore. That was much more of a thing when I was young. We were often asked about our call to missions 25 years ago when we were headed to Ecuador. I was reflecting again on our call to missions this past as I prepared a devotional for several engineering students who were spending their spring break to intern at SonSet Solutions.

One of the Churches We Helped Plant in Ecuador

Paul talks about his Macedonian call in Acts 16 and the need for people to tell others about Jesus in Romans 10:13-15 where he uses words like "go" and "sent". Jesus talks about the fields that are ready to harvest in Matt. 9:37-38 and of course, the great commission in Acts 1:8. But frankly, few of us get a call like Paul did. For me the call came over the period of a several of years.

First, I became aware of  the need for missions. I had been a good witness to my co-workers I think. But it wasn't until a missions trip to Mexico that I really experienced the white fields of harvest. Witnessing to my co-workers yielded little fruit during the 9 years that I worked in the US. But I saw several people come to know Jesus in a little Mexican church through my simple preaching and translation of the God's word.  People here were ready to follow Jesus... they just needed someone to tell them about Him!

Second, God began to put a dis-satifaction with the status quo in my life. I was working for defense contractors as an engineer at the time, pushing the envelope in radar development. We had the latest technology and were doing things that had never been done before. They were exciting times. But I was increasingly unhappy and uneasy. A growing fear of becoming too complacent in my comfortable world made me long for something more.

Thirdly, God produced in me an intense sense that what I was doing had no eternal value. We were working long hours at times in our push to stay ahead of our competitors. But what was the eternal value of what I was doing? Was this just "wood, hay, and straw" that would eventually burn up when my earthly deeds were passed through God's quality test by fire?  I began thinking about the bigger picture of life and God.

Some 25 years later, I am glad that I responded to God's call to serve Him. It has not always been easy, but it has been rewarding in so many ways. Do you hear God calling you to serve Him in some way? I encourage you to follow His call.

Doug

Exodus: Gods and Kings.

I took the family to see the movie "Exodus: Gods and Kings" last weekend. The production quality was excellent. The special effects were amazing. Some of the scenes were simply epic! But much like the movie "Noah", it was inaccurate in sevearl places. But that is exactly why I recommend these movies to you!

You see, story telling is a tricky thing. The problem is our tendency to "enhance" the story, or "fill in the gaps" in order for the story to make better sense or increase the excitment. The result is usually a published version that deviates from the original story in many ways. If you have ever read a book and then gone to see the movie, you know what I am talking about. I constantly hear people say "well you know... that's not the way it is in the book!"

So why go see these movies? Because they are the perfect opportunity to discuss with your friends, co-workers, and neighbors how "the book" is different from the movie. You might even get people interested enough in the book that they will want to read some of the Biblical account with you.

I have had many conversations with people who know little or nothing about Jesus and I have often wondered how to steer the conversation around to some spiritual topic without sounding lame or fake or disingenuous. Since Hollywood seems to have discovered that there is a "Christian market" for movies today, why not take advantage of the situation and use these movies to start a conversation. Then at the appropriate time, shift the focus to spiritual things by saying something like, "You know. That's not the way it is in the book...." It's one of the most natural, culturally accepted ways to refocus a conversation today and the best part is that your audience is already interested in the storyline!

In fact, I think the worst thing we can do is dismiss these movies out of hand and leave people wondering why you won't even discuss a story that they know very well is based on the Bible.

What do you think?

Doug

Transition.... Again

Seems like transition is just a way of life these days. After we finally completed our 2-year transition from Ecuador to Indiana, the tech center, now called SonSet Solutions, decided to make a transition of its own. I talked about that in the last post. What this means for us is that I am heavily involved in communicating the change and helping our staff communicate the change both internally and externally. Here are some of the things that I have been involved in recently.

SonSet Solutions Web Page

We recently launched a new web site for SonSet Solutions. I am overseeing much of the content that goes on this web site as well as working with a team that decides things like layout, structure, etc. You can see the site by clicking on SonSetSolutions.org. I am also doing a lot of the posting on our Facebook page, which you can follow at Facebook.com/HCJBTech as well as our Twitter feed Twitter.com/HCJBTech. These are all important tools for telling others about the ministry we do.

Whenever a change like this occurs there is a mountain of communication tools, letterheads, forms, etc that also need to change. So our small communications/media team has been invovled in designing the new logo, creating new letterhead, new e-mail addresses and signature blocks, new brochures, new office badges, new signs for the street and doors, new shirts and coffee mugs, and the list keeps growing. I even wrote an official press release for the first time ever.

Practical Gifts Campaign Photo

We did get some time to create a new video a week or so ago. We are in the midst of a fund raising campaign for SonSet Solutions which will help us with some important startup costs as we become our own, independent 501(c)(3) organization. In addtion, SonSet Solutions does a Practical Gifts Campaign every year to raise money for tools and equipment that we use in ministry, but this year is different.... Find out why by watching our video. Click on ...  Practical Gifts Campaign.

I have been having a great time using my skills and experience to help us during this transition. By the end of the year we hope to be mostly through the transition and I will begin to concentrate on video production again. I already have some things brewing on the back burner.

Doug

The Name Game...

So, how are you doing with the name game so far? Let's review.... HCJB Global became Reach Beyond last January. Ruth and I then became missionaries with Reach Beyond, but we moved to Indiana to work with the HCJB Global Technology Center (no, the Tech Center didn't change their name) in their Nikkel Media Works studios. Are you keeping up? Well, now I have another one to throw at you...

The HCJB Global Technology Center has now changed its name to SonSet Solutions.

SonSet Solutions was also granted permission to separate themselves from Reach Beyond and become their own independent, non-profit 501(C)(3) organization. Although separate, the two organizations will maintain close ties. So where does that leave Ruth and I? We are now Reach Beyond missionaries serving in the Nikkel Media Works studios of SonSet Solutions. See that wasn't so hard now, was it?

Yes, the decision was made this week and announced to our staff today (Friday). And then the www.sonsetsolutions.org web site was launched. I have been working on the web site pretty much exclusively for the last several weeks. This is the first time that the tech center has had their own web site, even though we have beed in existence for some 28 years. You can read about our history on the web page. Next I will be involved in "getting the word out". Since SonSet Solutions doesn't have a "marketing" area yet, my team and I have decided that media should pick up that role until we can get someone in-house to help us. Do you know of any missionaries with a marketing background?

There are a number of things that lay ahead of us. We need to let people know that Reach Beyond has given a generous matching grant to help us get started with some of the startup funding that will be required to get us off on the right foot. It is much like setting up your first apartment.... all those little things you took for granted at Mom and Dad's house. So we need to start producing printed material, some short videos, social media strategies, letterhead and business cards, etc etc.

We are excited about this change and are anxious to get started on some of the new initiatives. If you want to help us get started, you can donate to SonSet Solutions to help with their startup funds (see the web page for more info). You can also pray for us as we work on these new communication and media tools. I don't really have a lot of experience at this kind of thing, and we don't have a lot of time to put things in place.

Thanks for being a part of our financial and prayer support teams...

Doug (& Ruth)

Showers of Blessing

     Being in Indiana again, I am reminded of summer showers. They usually come after a long hot and humid spell and they usually come just when you think it will never rain again. Then suddenly the sky gets dark and the air gets cool. And then... there it is... a summer shower. It is such a refreshing experience to have the rain fall. The pitter patter sound it makes on the roof is soothing. The heat subsides and the air becomes new and fresh again.

At the Tech Center

     I feel like we have been living in a shower of blessings this summer. After a long 2 year transition from Ecuador to the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Indiana, we are experiencing a downpour. God has blessed us in so many ways... Safety as we pulled a heavy trailer from California to Indiana with our belongings. A place to stay while we waited to get into our new home in Indiana. People to help us load and unload our trailer and  moving truck. A beautiful home here in Indiana which we never expected to be able to afford. The sale of our house in Ecuador just when we needed the funds to buy this new home. A free rental truck upgrade the night before we picked up the truck (and yes, we needed the extra space). A washer and dryer that our sellers left in the house, much to our surprise. The list could go on and on.

     Many of you have been part of that shower of blessing. Your friendship during the last 2 years while we were in California has been a great blessing. Many of you have been praying for us during this tranistion and continue to do so. Some of you have given faithfully to support our work with Reach Beyond and others have joined our team just recently. Kind notes and comments on Facebook encourage us and help us know we are loved and missed. A warm and freindly reception at the Technology Center has helped us feel at home even before we have unpacked our boxes.

     Yes, we are definitely in the midst of a summer shower of blessing. It's refreshing and soothing and relaxing. I think I will just stand out here in the rain for a while and soak it all in....

Doug

Timing....

Timing... What is it about timing that drives us crazy. We are constantly thinking about how the timing will work out, what's the right timing, or how to create the right timing. Time is a funny thing. We fret over it. We plan it. We optimize it. We take pains not to waste it. We even try to create more of it. We spend lots of time trying to manage our time. But in the end, there are usually a lot of things about timing that we simply can't control.

As our family shifts into major transition mode again, moving from California to Indiana, timing is on my mind. How can we squeeze in all of the visits with friends and family before we leave? What's the right timing for transitioning our responsibilites with the Spanish ministry at church? What happens if our house in Latin America doesn't sell before we need to buy one in Indiana? How do we work out the timing between moving into a house, and buying the furniture for that house? What is the best timing for begining our ministry at the Tech Center versus our need to get settled into a new home?

We are doing our best to plan our time well, but much of our plan depends on things beyond our control.That is why I am glad that I serve the God that created time. I serve a God that is active and loving and caring and wants to provide for me. I serve a God who knows the timing and I have seen him do some amazing things with timing, bringing two parrallel paths together at just the right time.

So we are trying to not worry about all of the timing issues related to our move from California to Indiana and leave those to God. It isn't easy. We are a society that is obsessed with time. But in reality there is only one person in all of history who has ever stopped time (Joshua 10:13), and He is the one who is calling us to this new land of ministry.

Doug 

Announcing.... "Reach Beyond"

     Yes! That's right. HCJB Global is Now Reach Beyond... No, its not a corporate buy out. We are still the same organization and our direction and goals have not changed... It just seemed like an appropriate time to change our name to better reflect the growing reality of our ministry.

     HCJB are really the call letters of our flagship radio stations in Ecuador, and they will continue to use these letters in their name.  And for now, the technology center, where we will work in Indiana, will retain the name, HCJB Global Technology Center. However the letters "HCJB" don't really convey the ministries that we do in healthcare, training, or leadership development. Nor do they convey the international scope that our ministries now enjoy.

     If you support HCJB Global (now Reach Beyond) or our missionaries, know that you don't have to change anything. Keep giving as you are now. But you will notice a change of name on your receipts, credit card statements or EFT bank charges.

Now, here is a brief video from our President, Wayne Pedersen, who will explain the reasons for the change in a little more detail.



Doug

Grab & Run!

     Having lived overseas for 20+ years, I have often rehearsed in my head what I would do if I ever found myself in a "rapid evacuation". It's the kind of thing that you never think will happen to you, but Ruth and I have talked for years about what we might take with us in that kind of scenario.

View to the East as Daniel Left for School at 6:37 a.m.

     As our son Daniel was on his way to school yesterday, we noticed thick billowing smoke in the sky above our apartment. As we looked around the side of our building we saw the source... the beginnings of what now is being called the "Colby Fire" in Los Angeles. As Daniel headed off to school I decided to keep an eye on the smoke plume coming from behind the hill to the east. Within half an hour the flames had crested the hill and the westerly Santa Anna winds were driving the flames down the other side, hopping and leaping as they came. It took just 15 minutes more before the flames were so close that we started packing our most precious belongings.... we were in the midst of our very own "grab & run" nightmare.

View to the East at 7:10 a.m.

     So what would you take with you? How would you prioritize your belongings? What are the most important things in your life that you would not want to lose in a fire? We had only 10 minutes to think about that, grab them and get them to the car. Ready?... Set?... Go!

     Priorities are a tricky thing. We think we can't live without a lot of things in our lives... the latest fashion, that big screen TV, our favorite book series, that ultimate stereo system, our baseball hat collection... But are those the really important things in life?

View to the West at 7:34 a.m. as We Drove Off the Property

      Family memories were at the top of our list. Photo albums were the first things in the car. Then hard drives and computers, cameras, medical records, passports & birth certificates. In the rush to get out before the fire got to us we didn't have time to pack any clothes. By the time we left the property the Colby Fire had already burned behind our apartment and was headed down the hill to the west, threatening to block our way of escape.

      So I would just like to encourage you today to think about what is really important to you? Hopefully you will never find yourself in a "grab & run" situation like we did, but if you only had 10 minutes to clear out of your house, what would you take with you? Then remember to thank God for those things, and His protection over you each and every day.

Doug

PS. The fire burned to within 100 yards of our apartment. We are all safe and have returned to our apartment, thanking God for his protection of us and the Church of the Open Door, on whose grounds our apartment sits. Thanks for praying for us. You can see more pictures on my Facebook page by clicking on... https://www.facebook.com/DouglasBWeber .

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Well, the Christmas Season is in full swing.... Black Friday.... Cyber Monday.... Giving Tuesday.... Snow storms across the country.... It's even been cold the last few days here in Southern California. It's a time when we think about giving to others. Shopping for just the right gift. Hoping it won't cost an arm and a leg.

Christmas is a wondrous time of year. It's one of the few times in the year when we stop thinking about ourselves and we focus on others for a while. It's a time when we think about the homeless, the poor, the shut-ins, and the sick. We give special gifts to people... Take them a plate of Christmas cookies. Buy them a food box. Give a little extra to our missionaries, pastors and churches.

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

But I've been thinking about that one great gift this year, the gift of salvation. How can I give the gift of salvation to some of my friends this year? There are probably more opportunities to share our faith with our friends, family and co-workers during this season than at any other time of the year. After all, Christmas is all about Jesus coming to save us. There will be special Christmas programs, concerts, parties, Live Nativities, cookie exchanges, Christmas teas, you name it!

So as we move through this Christmas Season, let's not forget about giving the greatest gift ever. Let's decide to be deliberate and invite someone go caroling, or attend a Christmas brunch with us. Then let's use that time to help them understand the real significance of Jesus' birth on earth. And the best part of this gift is that it is still free and it will last forever!!

Doug  

Does the Church Have OCD?

     We are talking about the people Jesus met on the street during our indoor soccer half-time devotions at church. Jesus never seemed to be too busy to stop and engage the people that he met along the road. Some of the people he met were wealthy tax collectors and rulers of the people. Others were poor beggars. Still others had broken homes, were prostitutes, outcast lepers or sick, lame, or blind. Jesus stopped to talk to all of them, and often did the unexpected. He ate with sinners. He healed the lepers. He forgave the prostitutes. He healed the sick. And he chastised the rich for thinking they could get into heaven because they were wealthy and successful.
     Jesus didn't seem to have a problem getting his hands dirtied by associating with people of the world. In contrast, the modern church seems to suffer from a bad case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Oh we are willing to get our hands dirty in the world, as long as we can get back to our safe little enclave where we can get cleaned up and wash off all the filth of the world. But we become very uneasy whenever someone with real problems wants to join our community. We don't know how to deal with that.
     It's really a sad commentary on the church that we have to go outside our four walls to find real people with real struggles in this life. We tell ourselves that we couldn't make it through life without Jesus, that He is the answer to all of life's struggles. But when someone from "the world" comes into the church with real problems, seeking help, we find ourselves washing the germs off the door knobs as they leave. After all, we don't want to be contaminated by the world...
     I am afraid we have not progressed much from the early church. In James Chapter 2, the half brother of Jesus chastised the church for making distinctions between people. Sadly, we still seem to be doing that. Hospitals are filled with sick people. And people who work in a hospital are there to help the sick get well. Everyone knows that. So why isn't the church of Jesus Christ known as a place filled with damaged, hurting, and lost people, who are seeking God? And why aren't church people known as loving healers who are doing everything they can to help the broken find Jesus. 

Doug

Looking Back to See the Way Forward

     I have always been fascinated by the way certain characters in the Biblical text stop at very important transitions in their lives and re-tell the history of the Jewish people. They often do this just as the people of God are embarking on some new adventure or plan for the future. That doesn't seem to be the way we do it these days. Modern leadership gurus tell us we need to focus on that end result, that thing that we want to achieve, that place where we want to end up. We hype up the crew with words of confidence about how we can get there. We tell them that we have the the unique experience, vision, skills, talent, etc to make it.
     The Bible likes to look backwards, re-telling the story of how we got to where we are today. But the stories don't focus on our great achievements. They don't recount how the 7 great wonders of the world were created. They don't talk about how humanity put together a "dream team" to solve the days pressing problem. The stories all focus on what God did. They talk about how when we were stopped in our tracks, God came through. They talk about when all was lost, God acted.
     How many times do we retrace what God has done in our lives? How many times do we do this as part of our plan for the future? One of the great things about being a missionary is that people are always asking us how we got to the mission field. We have told and retold the stories of how God brought me to the place where I would even consider missions. We tell the story of how God allowed us to go to new missionary orientation during the school year and how Ruth got paid time off to do that. We tell the story of how God protected me from a community that was intent of sending a message in no uncertain terms that they didn't want a new church in their community.
     As we move into this new phase of ministry and look to the future, I find myself wondering if it will become a reality. I wonder if I am up to the task. I wonder if we will have the resources to pull it off. And then I find myself retelling those stories in my head.... and I realize that I am only here today because God acted. And if I ever get to that goal in the future, it will also be because God acted. That is a comforting thought...

Doug

Leadership Essentials

     I was flying home from a leadership conference last week when I picked up the in-flight magazine and opened it to an article on leadership. Now I have read a lot of books and articles about leadership over the years. But there is something "new" in the leadership literature these days. Leadership trainers are talking about character as the basis for leadership and you can pay big money (up to $13,000 according to the article) to learn how to improve your character as a leader.

Playing a Leadership Game

     Most of the character traits these big time consultants talk about can be found in the Bible... but you probably already knew that. I have been in a lot of leadership workshops, and we usually talk about character as one ingredient for leadership. But last week we spent most of the week talking about character and wrestling with who we are, what we believe, and how that affects our leadership. That is how important it is. It isn't the things you say and do. It's what really motivates those actions and words, deep down in our hearts that makes a good leader. It's called authenticity. It means that we aren't just saying and doing the right things in order to be a leader. It means we're a leader because people want to follow someone with deep personal convictions and character.

     Young people will catch on to our authenticity or lack of it right away. I think that's why we are losing so many of our young people... why they are leaving the church in droves. Our lives just don't seem real to them. Too many of us in the church wear a mask and say "everything is fine here", yet up close you can still see the cracks, the flaws, the defects. Authentic people admit they don't have it together. They show the cracks and flaws. They admit that they struggle with life's issues. Authentic people take off the mask and trust that God will heal the defects.

     I certainly have my flaws and I am painfully aware of them. How about you? Let's all try to be just a little more authentic in our lives. Who knows, an unbeliever might even get an up-close look at us and decide that he or she doesn't have to be perfect to follow Jesus either... 'cause if that was the requirement, none of us would make it
....

Doug

Do You Want to Please God or Trust God?

Two Paths.... Which One Will You Choose?

     I have been reading The Cure, by John Lynch, Bruce McNicol and Bill Thrall.  They talk about two paths in the Christian life, the path of pleasing God and the path of trusting God. They suggest that most Christians choose the path of pleasing God in their life. It certainly sounds good. We all want to please our heavenly Father. But pleasing God rests on the premise that I must do the right things to make God happy with me, my life, my work, my family, etc.

     The other path, trusting God, is much more difficult to comprehend and, because of that, is the less chosen path. What am I supposed to do to trust God? What does trusting God even mean? How will I know when I am trusting Him? Trusting God means knowing that we can't please God, but that God has made us pleasing to Him. It is knowing that I can't do anything to change the circumstances in my life, but He can. It means getting to the point where we say, I know I can't do anything about this Lord, but I know that you can.

     I have come to this point many times in my life. I have hit a roadblock in life where I have tried and tried to resolve things and it just isn't getting better. Then I just have to sit back and say, OK God this one is for you... I tried. I can't make do it on my own. You take over. But wait.... Is that trusting God? Do I only trust God when my own efforts fail?

     I hope that one day I can trust God BEFORE I run out of my own options. I have some big ideas for future ministry. I have a great passion for telling others about who Jesus is. But my greatest desire right now is that I can trust God to take my ideas and desires, and mold and shape them into what He wants them to be. That's a tough thing, because if things are not going the way that I have them envisioned in my head, then I feel like a failure. Why? Because I am trying to please God?

     So.... Are you pleasing God or trusting God in your life?

Doug

It's Not About the Techonology

A World of Technology

     "It's not about the technology." That was one of my favorite mantras while I was the Media Director for HCJB Global in Latin America and I drilled it into our staff as often as I could. And it sounds pretty strange coming out of my mouth, being that I am an engineer and worked on state of the art radar technology in the defense industry before going to the mission field 20 some years ago. Even now, as I do research on how to use the new technologies of internet, cell phones, and mobile devices to communicate with people, I have to remind myself that its not about the technology.

     So what is it about? It's about having a message, a saving message, that we need to communicate to a world that hasn't yet heard the news. In days gone by, that communication had to happen face to face, or maybe by writing a letter. But the messages traveled slowly and two way, long distance conversations were laborious. Radio and television changed all of that. Suddenly, we were able to communicate around the world, into remote areas, behind political and geographic borders. Today we are seeing a new revolution in communication technology... rapid two-way communication using the internet, cell phones, and mobile devices.

      But it is still about the message.... We can sometimes get wrapped up in the latest and greatest technology, but what good is the technology if we have nothing to say? Knowing how to communicate the saving message of Jesus Christ effectively is still the most important thing. If you can't do that, the technology won't do it for you.

     So how are you doing? When was the last time you articulated the Gospel to a friend or neighbor? Can you respond with love when someone ridicules your faith or argues with you about the authority of the Bible? Remember... it's about not about the technology... it's about the message.

Doug

Heroes of the Faith... Do You Have One?

     Do you have one? A hero of the faith, I mean.... Do you have one? We often answer that question by going to Hebrews 11 where the Bible lists its faith "hall of fame". There are plenty of " big names"  on that list.... Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David... But what strikes me most about this list are all the "little people" who made the list. They aren't named. We've never heard of them. They didn't make it into the pages of scriptures. They are the unsung heroes of the faith.

Clemente, wife Cecilia, and son William

     When I was asked that question as a younger man, my answer would always gravitate toward one of those well heroes of the Bible. In recent years, those names have been replaced by others. One name is Clemente. Clemente is the Ecuadorian pastor/evangelist who helped us plant the church in El Tablon. He doesn't get paid to be a pastor, but he definitely has the gift. He made my list as I watched him resign from his steady employment from our radio station (HCJB) and walk by faith for his daily sustenance so that he could be available to serve the Lord, where ever the Lord would lead.

     Another name is fast becoming a part of that list. His name is Jose. Here is a man who, as he matured in his faith, decided he needed to begin telling the truth about some things in his life. It cost him his job. Yet he remains faithful to the Lord and although he is passing through difficult days, he has not questioned the wisdom of his decision. His confidence that God will provide for him astounds me.

     I have worked closely with and mentored both of these men. I have seen their lives up close. And I stand humbled by their faith. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "... the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, ..." I wish I had the faith of Clemente and Jose... but I rejoice in seeing them exercise their faith.

So who are your heroes of the faith?

Doug (& Ruth)

We Are All On a Journey...

At the Nikkel Media Works Studio

     We just arrived home from a 3-week trip from California to Indiana/Michigan and back. It was a great time of seeing people. We decided to drive so that we could see more people and stop more places. Ruth figured out that we slept in 9 different beds, did 6 presentations of our work with HCJB Global (in 8 days), had 3 family reunions, saw over 100 friends and family that we have not seen in a long time, attended a wedding, attended a desert night, attended a Ladies Luncheon (Ruth), traveled over 5,000 miles, did 2 college visits and met with the staff at HCJB Global's Nikkel Media Works where I (Doug) will eventually work when we return to Indiana.

     It was great to see many of our friends, family and supporters on this trip. We are constantly reminded of the great group of people that God has put together who stand behind us in prayer and finances. If you want to be a part of that team, we would love to hear from you.

     I think the really exciting news is that just last night we were talking to a family from the Spanish congregation from our church here in California. As we talked, Ruth and I realized that their daughter had not yet made a commitment to follow Jesus even though she is scheduled to be baptized on Sunday. Well we were privileged to be able to help her understand how to do that. We didn't expect that to happen when we talked about getting together, but it just reminds me that we need to always  be ready to share our faith. I would challenge you to think of someone near you... maybe a neighbor, a coworker, or a family member... and begin praying that you will have an opportunity to share your faith with them.

Doug & Ruth