JA FOI UM MES!

One month down already. 1/12 of my trip is history. What have I done with the time so far? Well, it has been a busy four weeks for sure.

1. Construction:
I have been highly involved in the construction projects on our mission compound. We have built a bathroom block which is nearing completion. A couple from Northern Ireland, Ian and Sharon Thompson, spent a little over two weeks with us. Ian is an electrician who was invited to use his expertise to help OMS complete the new school building in time for our deadline. I was blessed to spend quite a bit of time with him as we strung different buildings with electricity, installing sockets, switches, and light fixtures. Ian was a fun guy to hang around, always making light of serious, stressful, or relaxed situations. The Thompson's left this past weekend having done an incredible job. They will be missed.

2. Driving:
Three weeks after being here, I received the official go ahead to begin driving on my own. I am living in a new area, one of which I am still getting to know. I know my way around the capital city of Maputo, but the outer cities of Matola and Machava are still a little blurry. I apparently know enough now to get around well enough to make the missionaries on our compound feel free to ask me to run errands for them. I enjoy the style of driving here. It is a little quicker-paced and quite congested, especially in the city. But there IS a system to the madness. The key is definitely being flexible.

3. Relationships:
I have been blessed with the opportunity to make new friends, meet with old friends, and become better acquainted to people I didn't know very well in the past. I have made some fun friendships with some of the construction workers on our compound. I have been incredibly blessed each Sunday as I talk with pastors who were trained under my father. I have also had the chance to meet up with old schoolmates, teachers, and even my basketball coach! Toward the beginning of the month I struggled with loneliness, but God has overwhelmed that prayer request with a bounty of buddies! He is amazing! Thank you for praying.

4. Language:
Portuguese has never been my strong suit, but my vocabulary is developing rather quickly as I mingle with construction workers, share in churches, talk with the guards, hang out with Brazilians, and translate church services for other missionaries and visitors. God has answered this prayer request as well. I feel comfortable going anywhere, talking with anyone, and even praying and leading Bible studies in Portuguese. Granted, my vocabulary is still probably that of a 3rd grader, but it is definitely enough to get around. :) Praise God.

Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers! I know God is using you to keep me strong. I was telling my mom in an email earlier that I have written multiple sermons since arriving. God has been talking, and I have been writing. I actually start preaching to the birds outside my kitchen window when I can't write fast enough! :) I might write some of my ideas down in an update letter one of these days. We'll see what happens.

PRAISES:
safety (God is definitely my protector, and I know it.)
health (My body has adapted to African cuisine perfectly thus far.)
friends (Ministry is relational, and God has given me many areas to minister.)

REQUESTS:
dire: (My resident visa was apparently the wrong kind, and the immigration office is threatening not to issue my permanent resident visa [dire]. If they don't accept my visa application, I will be forced to leave the country and begin the process from scratch, which would be a major pain! Please pray God works things out. His will be done.)

safety: (Driving is dangerous here. I would appreciate your prayers for me as I will now be on the roads regularly, getting construction supplies, running errands, and driving into the city. I would also ask that you cover our entire mission team in prayer in relation to our personal safety on the compound. Pray our armed guards would be awake and alert. Please also pray for our workers to be safe while we continue cranking out these construction projects.)

Thank you again for your prayers and support as I attempt to allow the gospel to flow through me a little further for God's glory.

Boa Noite, todos!
(Good night, all!)

Profile of the Week

BINO ZUKULA

Age: 26
Family: Esposa, Inerto (son 5 yr.) & Iurka (daughter 2 months)
Hometown: Bedene, Mozambique
Occupation: Construction (concrete)
Hobbies: Soccer
Life Verse: John 8:32
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The morning after arriving in Mozambique, I journeyed outside my house and began mingling with the nationals. Due to the incredible amount of building projects that are currently underway on the mission compound, it was easy to find people. The first young man I met was a construction worker who specialized in concrete. His name was Bino. We really hit it off well. Since that first day I have become rather close to a handful of the workers, but there is something unique about my friendship with Bino.

I have gone to his house and met his family twice now. We have worked side by side for over a week. We have shared meals, played soccer, discussed countless topics from politics and relationships to witchdoctors and church traditions. We've even had the chance to sit down and study the Bible together! This man has become more than a coworker, more than a language instructor, more than a mentor, and more than a friend. My first entry for profile of the week is the older brother I didn't know I had, Irmao Bino Zukula.

My Favorites

I admit, the last blog was somewhat depressing. Loneliness is a definite reality of being a single, American male surrounded by a razor-wire fence that gets shut out from society each night at nine. But I have quickly found that it is also the perfect motivation to be intentional in learning the language by mingling with the locals during the day. When American fellowship is limited, branch out, right?

Each weekday, twenty-six young men from the community come onto the property to help with construction projects. It didn't take long for me to jump in and get dirty - slopping concrete together, helping with plumbing, and transferring truckloads of rock and sand to different sites on our compound.

In a matter of days, I have found myself communicating in a language I never really took seriously, sharing national dishes with the workers during lunch, and playing soccer in the sand. I have been somewhat adopted by a group of workers around my age. In fact, I just got back from a walk through the village to meet one of their families. I went to visit Bino's family. Four other workers heard of my plans and ended up following us out there and escorting me back to the property. On our trek through the bush, I was informed that I am no longer a "mulungo" (white man), but a "mulandi" (black man). Unfortunately, I doubt this will affect my vertical jump, but I am glad to know they have officially accepted me as a brother. :) Community is awesome, community is colorful, and community is always available in the Body of Christ. That is one of my favorites!

Another one of my favorites is meeting old friends who are so excited to see you that they can't stop laughing and smiling with joy. This is what happened earlier this afternoon when I met up with my high school basketball coach, Avelino. It had been five years since we'd seen each other, and words couldn't express the happiness of the reunion, so we just kept laughing, smiling, and re-shaking hands. We walked the streets of Maputo together reflecting on good memories, sharing life updates, and encouraging one another with our current difficulties and struggles. He is going to begin networking for me in an attempt to get my foot in the door of a professional basketball club team. Let's just say, I think God might have something super special lining up in the near future! :)

One more of my favorites is God's amazing providence and perfect timing. He knew I would be feeling lonely these first few days, and He purposefully placed special individuals (suitable helpers - GEN. 2:18b) in my life to help encourage me to glorify God by continually taking up my cross and following Him. My life verse is Hebrews 12:1-2 which tells us to "run with perseverance". It's amazing how difficult discipline and dependance on God can be, but "humility comes before honor" (Proverbs 15:33). I asked God for one special friend. Now I have many.

Tap into the vine (John 15) and see what He has in store for you!

God is GOOD!







Avelino & I at CAM

One Week Down

Nearing a week since I set off for Africa, my mind seems to be a blur. As I sit down over an over-sweetened cup of Nescafe Classic coffee, I manage to summarize my cross-cultural experience thus far…

"It is not good for the man to be alone." - GENESIS 2:18a

I've met new people, made new friends, and reintroduced myself to others. I've moved onto a missionary compound, into the far side of the first duplex on the left, right before the fire pit that's shaded by a litchi tree.

NEW EXPERIENCES
This trip has brought a lot of firsts for me. Although, it wasn't the first time I've flown in an airplane. It wasn't the first time I've been to London. It isn't the first time I've lived in Africa. It's not even the first time I've walked the sandy terrain of Machava. It's not the first time I've made sloppy Joe's. And it's not the first time I've driven a stick-shift on the left side of the road, granted, this time it was legal. :)

What then, you might ask, is new?

Although they've been done before, for the first time in my life, I've done these things alone.

FACING FEARS:
Crime
Coming to Africa has very much required me to face my greatest fears. Traumatized by crime as a child, I have returned to the country where those events took place. For the next year I will attempt to give my life to God in the same place where the devil tried to take my life in 2002. Growing up in Africa, I always feared getting robbed and being killed. Now I find myself living on a compound where a missionary became a martyr.

Driving
The most stressful and distasteful memories I have of my former time in Mozambique are all related to the road. Claustrophobic congestion of vehicles and pedestrians. Corrupt police checks looking for bribes from ignorant foreigners. Street justice in the form of broken bottles, split hoses, shovels, and fists. It's no wonder why my stomach was in knots as I drove outside our compound for the first time on Saturday!

Loneliness
"It is not good for the man to be alone." - GENESIS 2:18a

But the greatest fear I currently hold just happens to be the one I'm stuck staring down the throat each night. One might assume life on a compound would naturally bring community with it; I did. That was wishful thinking on my part. As a coworker put it, compound living is not communal living. I find myself sharing this village property with two missionary families of four, both with young children. The only other current resident on the compound is a single woman. Cultural barriers and mission protocol prohibit the interaction of two individuals of differing genders without the presence of a third party. Therefore, as over-worked missionary families fight for their private leisure time with the kids, I am blessed with the peace and quiet of living alone. God may call people to be single, but He doesn't call anyone to be alone. Private time alone with God is great, but even Adam needed human interaction. I'm definitely learning to trust Him more, which is awesome, because for these next few nights, He is quite literally all I have.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
These are my three prayer requests:
1. Please ask God to provide me with a "suitable helper" to confide in this year.
"I will make a suitable helper for him." - GENESIS 2:18b
2. Please pray for God's guidance and anointing power to minister effectively (especially as it pertains to language acquisition).
3. Please pray for me to be a willing vessel that glorifies God in accordance to His will as opposed to personal preferences.

Thank you, friend!

BTW - That was some good coffee! :)

Up, up, and away!

PRAISE

So I have a pretty exciting piece of news to share with you all this month. I’m finally leaving for Africa! Praise God! I fly out of St Louis at 5:00 PM on Monday, June 13. I will fly to Johannesburg, South African via Chicago and London. From Jo’berg, I will catch a bus to Nelspruit where I will meet up with Larry and Susan Weil for the last trek of the journey, crossing the Mozambican border to the capital city of Maputo, my final destination and new home for the next year.

UPDATE

This past month has been amazing. God gave me the chance to join Samaritan’s Purse and my cousin (Kyle Knierim) in a spontaneous effort to help families affected by the deadly F5 tornado that hit in April. The damage was incredible. The situation was overwhelming. And God was faithful, showing up through generous hosts, new friendships, and prayers with hurting families and amazing work teams. It was a very humbling experience. I discovered that service is contagious. We came to serve, but we found ourselves being served with free meals, shirts, and lodging. I thank God for the opportunity to go, and I thank Kyle for inviting me. The picture above is Kyle, Philip, and myself. We were able to tarp his roof, or lack thereof, after the tornado.

DEVO: Are we there yet?

The rest of the month has been an effort on my part to make the most of the little time I have left with friends and family. I thought I would be where I am (preparing to fly out to serve in Mozambique) this time last year. An entire year has passed as I have waited on God to work out the details of my calling to ministry. This waiting process has been a stretch for me for sure. We live in a society of instant gratification. Anything that demands patience is seen as a nuisance.

As I was thinking about waiting on God, He gave me an analogy of the biblical truth of God’s perfect timing (Mark 13:32-36). No one knows when God will return, so we should eagerly wait and prepare for His arrival. The analogy is a road trip taken by four different individuals.

Imagine a six-year-old child in the back of a car, waiting to arrive at Grandma’s house. He becomes impatient rather quickly, repeatedly asking the infamous question, “Are we there yet?!” This first illustration is a person who waits on God with UNREALISTIC prayers based in selfishness. The child’s inability to wrap his young mind around the concept of time and distance leads him to ask juvenile questions. The same is true for individuals who pray out of ignorance by selfishly asking God for personal blessings.

Fast-forward ten years. The second person is sixteen and pushing the limits by speeding and not stopping for gas or directions. Responding prematurely to a divine desire is RECKLESS. The teenager knows where he is supposed to go and how to get there, but he doesn’t want to wait. Some dangers of rushing God’s will in a sexual sense include unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. God has a plan, but we often have different schedules. When we feel God calling us somewhere, it is important to be sensitive to His timing. We should never mark our calendars before checking His.

Twenty years later we find a married man at the healthy age of thirty-six. While driving down the highway in the family van, racket from the kids, conversation with his wife, and stress of the road cause him to encounter a test of patience during the trip. Waiting on God requires RESPONSIBILITY. There will be countless distractions begging for your attention when you find yourself waiting for an answer to prayer. It is important to wait proactively without becoming consumed with distractions. We have responsibilities to uphold, but we have the ultimate responsibility of obeying God. Ministry and service projects should be evident in every believer’s lifestyle, but they should never come before that individual’s personal walk with the Lord.

The fourth illustration of a person waiting on God is seen through the retired eyes of a sixty-six year old. RELAXATION is key for this person when it comes to traveling. Country roads, frequent stops, picture taking, and memory making is more important than reaching the destination. When it comes to waiting on God, we should have a peace in knowing His timing is perfect. The danger is becoming idle during the silence period. It’s important to be at peace, but it’s a sin to be complacent in your walk with God. We are called to continually draw near to Him, especially during a period of wait.

So there you have it. Each individual is waiting on God, but they are doing it in three different ways. They are all on the same trip; they are just taking different roads. Be encouraged to wait on God. He has great things planned for you! Relax. Be responsible. Be patient. And just ask!

PRAYER:

1. Documents: I still need to receive my visa, passport, and police release prior to flying out next week. Please pray these details will be worked out.
2. Departure: Ask for God’s traveling mercies for Kyla and myself as we embrace the next step in God’s call on our lives.
3. Dynamics: Please pray for a blessed bonding between OMS Mozambique team members.
4. Deployment: Please pray that God will clearly prepare me for ministry, lead me to people He wants me to meet, and provide me with His words of truth and love.

February 2011

Hey Gang!

Devotional Thought
Another month is upon us. I know January's letter wasn't sent at the beginning of the month, but it still seems like the past thirty-one days have flown by. Speaking about flying by, all kinds of snowflakes are flying around the Midwest this week. Newscasters are calling for blizzard-like conditions from Oklahoma to Michigan. As I write, I am sitting in front of our fireplace in Missouri, enjoying the refuge of the warmth inside. My heart goes out to those less fortunate who are forced to brave the weather without such effective protection. As my back sweats from the overwhelming scorch of the fire, some families huddle around electric ovens, waiting for the feeling to return to their fingers. Why is there such an imbalanced distribution of wealth in the world? Just a thought. I've often wondered and struggled with the injustices of mankind.

Each Sunday morning, I get together with some of the young men in our local youth group to read the Bible and pray before the service. We typically read through a proverb and discuss verses that seem to speak to us. This past week, we observed Proverbs 30 and the pastor's son selected verses 8 and 9 as his verses of the day.

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
Proverbs 30:8-9

Continuing on the thought of disproportionate distribution of wealth, this past Sunday, I was refreshed to talk to the guys about what really matters in life. American society tells us that materialism and consumerism are among the loftiest of goals, but this passage allowed us to be reminded that glorifying God is the ultimate target to shoot for in life. Earlier in January, I invited six of the guys over to my house for a sleepover (mom was thrilled). We stayed up eating pizza, talking in the living room, and watching a movie. It was a good time for everyone. A good majority of the conversation was related to our bucket lists (things we want to accomplish before dying). Typically materialistic items and events were listed. They wanted to own certain vehicles, go to particular places, and go skydiving. But I was humbled and proud to hear the number one item on two of boys' lists. The most anticipated achievement before dying for two of our most influential teenagers was to organize a mass week of revival in New York City. They had it all planned out to speakers, music artists, broadcasting, and promotion. It was great to see these young men infusing others with energy as they took us to the stadiums and acted out the week's activities in my living room.

This month's devotional thought is to remember what is eternally important and to live your lives accordingly. The Lord has blessed us differently, and it is hard to understand the imbalances therein, but Matthew chapter twenty-five reminds us to take however many talents He provides and use them to actively and tirelessly bring glory to His name. In the passage in Matthew, the talents were monetary, but in reality, the talents we receive from God come in many different forms. Family, friends, relationships, spiritual gifts, personalities, physical bodies, and natural aptitudes are all included. Instead of asking God why we aren't blessed like "so-and-so", we need to respond to each blessing God does choose to bestow on us and do our best at bringing Him glory with them. How do we do that? Find the answer in MATTHEW 27:35-36.

Praise
1: Part-time job landed at a factory!
God has provided a job opportunity at a local factory these past couple weeks. I have been working at a dog shampoo factory, and God has allowed me to make new friends and actually counsel some of the workers.

2: Over 25% funded!
I have continued selling football season highlight DVD's to people in the public. All of the proceeds are being sent to my mission account. In addition to this, people have been incredibly generous and faithful with their love and financial support, bringing the total to one-quarter complete!

3: Boa Nova property
One Mission Society was blessed to purchase a considerable piece of land outside the capital city of Maputo in Mozambique. This property will be the new site of the expanding mission school. It will also be used for missionary housing. This is most likely the area where I will be living when I serve my twelve month term shortly. Construction will begin this summer in hopes of completing buildings and athletic fields for the 2011/2012 school year in August.

Prayer Requests
1. Continued fund-raising opportunities
2. Construction in Boa Nova
3. Safety for travelers affected by the Midwest Wintry Blitz

Thank you again for all of your love and support!

Deus abencoe voces!
(God bless you all!)

- Phillip

January 2011

Happy January!

This is my very first monthly mission update letter. The plan is to send monthly emails to keep you up to date on what's going on in my life and how God is making Himself known to me and others.

Thank you SO much for all of your prayers and financial support as I prepare for overseas missionary service in Mozambique, Africa! I couldn't do it without you! I have been extremely humbled by this whole fund-raising process, but I am starting to realize the partnership opportunities it has created for individuals to impact lives for Christ without actually going overseas themselves. Thank you again!

This month's letter is a little unique, because I have included a rather lengthy portion below that describes some of my thoughts at the beginning of a new year. In the future, I intend to include personal prayer requests, bullet-point updates, and perhaps a short devotional thought. It won't be this long every time, I promise.

LIFE UPDATE

Training Postponed:
The update on my situation right now is that my January training for overseas missionary service has been postponed until July. Apparently, there are not enough missionaries far enough along in their funding to attend the meetings. This training is mandatory for all missionaries prior to departing for the field. I was upset when I heard the news, but this will allow me to continue raising support and preparing myself for the ministry I believe God has called me to.

Movie Production:

I want to praise God for giving me the opportunity to travel with our local varsity football team this past fall. They had a record year, finishing the season as the runner-ups at the Missouri state championship game. My purpose for traveling with the team was to record their games. At the end of the season, I produced a season highlight film that recapped the team's success. I was able to sell copies of this DVD to parents, fans, and alumni at the awards banquet last week. All of the video's proceeds are being sent to my mission account. Over $1,000 came in the night of the ceremony, and I am still filling orders for additional copies. The Lord is good and faithful!

PRAYER REQUEST

Job:
Naturally, with the month-long training having been postponed, I am looking for something to fill my time. I am asking God to provide a job for me during these next few months. This will allow me to raise a sizable portion of my support, which will be a great blessing!

Support:
I would like to continue lifting up my mission support. OMS requires all missionaries to be fully funded prior to leaving for the field. I would love to be at that point by July if not sooner. It would be ideal for me to depart for Africa immediately following the training period in July. I am trusting God to bring the support in His perfect timing.

Preparation:
My third request for this month is for the spiritual preparation for myself and for the people I will be working with in Mozambique. The Bible talks about the harvest being plentiful, but the workers being few (Luke 10:2). In the same way that God prepares the fields for harvest, I believe He also prepares the workers for harvesting. Ask God to soften my heart for selfless service in His name.

DEVOTIONAL: choices

I come out of the Christmas season with many questions in my head and on my heart. Up until this point in my life, most everything has been marked out for me. My immediate family has largely defined my life steps. Granted, it has been quite random at times and flexibility has pretty much become a Telfer pseudonym. I have been through double-digit moves, with more on the way. I have studied at seven different sites. I have worked jobs from daycares and factory lines to landscaping and movie production. I have visited fifteen countries and counting. I have followed my parents’ footsteps to Africa and back. I have finished high school. And I have trailed my sister through college to a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Sports Ministries and official unemployment. I have had to make decisions here and there, but for the most part, it has all been laid out for me…until now.

This Christmas I realized that life is a choice. We are all born. We will all die. The dash between the years on a person’s tombstone is where they find uniqueness. Epitaphs are bottled descriptions of life, or the lack thereof. No one wants to hear how a person died. How one lives is what’s passed on: Where they were from; what they overcame; where they went; what they studied; how they used their education; who they married; how they raised their family; and what kind of legacy they left behind. These are a few of the questions I have been challenged with recently. How will I be remembered? Will I be remembered? What do I want to leave behind? What can I do today to impact the world if I were gone tomorrow? My prayer this month is that I will make the choice to truly live.

Some people go through life in the attempt to avoid death. Unfortunately for them, death is inevitable. I believe their efforts to elude death’s certainty pervades their mind, perverts their perspective, and prevents them from taking full advantage of the opportunity of truly living. How depressing to run from a predator incapable of being out-chased! I don’t know when death will greet me, but it will. That’s enough motivation for me to take advantage of the time I have.

I believe the magic of Christmas is a choice. What if life could be seen through the lens of a child? What an adult might see as meaningless, routine tradition, a child might find as magical, wonder and excitement. In the mind of a child - a fake, energy-sucking, wire tree covered in sappy, knick-knacks is transformed into the epitome of the glories enwrapping the Christmas season of love, joy, and peace in the shape of beautified packages under an evergreen that sparkles and smiles, flowing with rows of bright, colorful lights and graced with garland. Suddenly what an adult might consider to be society’s genius marketing ploy becomes a child’s favorite time of year, because they feel loved.

I know it’s not about the packages. Children enjoy the holiday season for simple, selfish reasons of receiving gifts, eating sweets, and staying up late. But Christmas isn’t about what lies hidden beneath the wrapping paper; it’s about who lies hidden behind it. With every package comes a price and with every gift, sacrifice.

This is where the magic begins.

The Nativity. We all know what it is. Despite debate, we can picture the scene and the characters. We can hear the sheep and smell the shepherds. We see it every year. Mary and Joseph become the proud parents of Jesus in Bethlehem, the city of David. It’s familiar, but is it magical? What does the first Christmas gift, the birth of Christ, mean to you? Is it a gift? Or is it just a story? Is it even true? If so, is it a history lesson or could it be something more? What is the significance of a Savior being born unto the Jews? What was the purpose for Christ’s coming? Crucifixion? Resurrection? Forgiveness of sins? Restored communication between man and God? The gift of eternal life and salvation through faith in Christ? Absolutely!

…Is that all?

Think again about the child looking at the presents under the Christmas tree. It’s all about what’s behind the paper, inside the box. It’s all about what’s for me. Is eternal life the ultimate gift that began one evening in Israel over two thousand years ago? No.

Christmas is not about receiving at all. It’s about giving. The nativity is the greatest picture of sacrifice possible. Jesus (the Word) became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14). God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. God is love, and love is sacrifice. With every gift, sacrifice must be made. Christmas isn’t about what lies hidden beneath the wrapping paper; it’s about who lies behind it. It isn’t about what we can get, but what we can give. The focus shouldn’t be on what the nativity gave us (eternal life), but on Who gave it, how we can respond, how we can share the story, and how we can love others like He first loved us.

What will you give Him this year? Will you take advantage of your time on earth or live trapped in the past, stuck in apathy, or frozen in fear of possibility? Will you be intentional on growing closer to God? Will you give up an addiction? Will you climb the next stair on the ladder of spiritual development through repentance, prayer, accountability, personal devotions, discipleship, and evangelism? Will you be real (living transparent lives with those around you)? Will you be purposeful in loving God, yourself, your family, and your friends?

What will you give God this year?

It’s your choice.

Have a blessed 2011!

- Phillip