Unwrapping 2012

the law of investment

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,
who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags,
and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Then he went on his journey."

THE PARABLE of the talents is a familiar story for many.
A man preparing for a journey entrusts his possessions to three servants. The first servant receives the equivalent of five thousand dollars. The second servant is given two thousand dollars, and the third servant receives one thousand dollars.

After a long time, the man returns from his journey and has his servants present him with what has become of their entrusted talents. The first servant had doubled his five thousand dollars, and the second servant had doubled his two thousand. But the third servant had buried his money in the ground out of fear, only returning the original amount to the master.

The first two servants are commended for the results of their diligence. But the third servant is scolded by the master and thrown out for being lazy and worthless. The master then takes the third servant's talents and presents them to the first servant, who had profited the most.

Jesus explains the law of investment in Matthew 25.


THE PRESENCE of the talents comes in many forms.
God gives us countless blessings every day. With a new year around the corner we are reminded of people we love, possessions we own, dreams we hold, time we value, food we enjoy, bodies we cherish, and room we have for improvement. I believe these gifts are talents God entrusts to us. We can respond by either Holding On or Holding Out.

Holding On is protecting the talents God gives.

When something is placed in a person's hand, the natural response is to make a fist and grip it securely. Parents do this with children. Men do this with women. America does this with freedom.

Imagine a person receiving a handful of sand. What happens when they try to hold it by making a fist? It slowly slips through their fingers. The tighter the grip, the faster it slips. The more restrictions parents put on their kids, the greater the chance of inciting rebellion and losing them altogether. The more a man controls a woman for her own protection, the more she wants to walk away. The harder governments fight for freedom and equality, the further it imposes itself on its citizens. By holding too tightly to things we love, we risk losing what we already have. When we bury our talents in fear of losing them, they WILL be taken away.

The tighter the grip,
the faster it slips.

Holding Out is investing the talents we receive.

The way to hold the most sand in your hand is by keeping your palm wide open. When we receive blessings, we must do it with open hands, holding them loosely as a sacrifice of praise to God. Talents are temporary. We are given them for a time. It isn't about holding to what we have, because it will all eventually slip away. The Law of Investment is the call to boldly sacrifice trust with wisdom, to give God control of the blessings He provides. Talents are opportunities to bring God glory by receiving them loosely and offering them freely back. Are we investing wisely?

We are told in I Corinthians 13 that "love always trusts." What does that look like? Does that mean trusting everyone all the time? I don't think so. That would be foolish, because people are not completely trustworthy. No, I believe it means entrusting everyone all the time…entrusting them to God. He IS completely trustworthy, so we can always trust God with people. all people. all the time. It is a sure bet - a wise investment!

THE PURPOSE of the talents is to challenge our investment strategy.
What have you done with the talents in your life? How have you invested in people? in your dreams? How have you invested your resources? your time? your body? your spiritual gifts?

Trusting God with things we love is far from easy. Parents want to protect their kids. Men want to protect their wives. America wants to protect her freedom. I want to protect my sister, but the fact is, I may never see her again. It's not fun thinking about losing something or someone you love. Entrusting these things to God is not easy, but it's wise, and it's totally worth it!

Talents come in many forms, but the types of servants are only two. Which are you?

Have you been a good and faithful servant, holding out your talents through trust in God? Or have you been a wicked and lazy servant, holding on to them in fear?

The good news is - the master is coming back! The investment is maturing! The talents will be counted, and the servants will be rewarded accordingly. God wants to give you great and marvelous things, even before that day! As you are faithful with little, He will entrust you with much, much more.

It's all a matter of how you hold your hands.

Receive a very blessed 2012, friend!

acao de gracas (thanksgiving)

This year I have EVERYTHING to be thankful for!

Just to name a few, God has blessed me with:

awesome times of ministry with Warrenton Wesleyan Church;





amazing opportunities & generous hearts in raising support,
and a safe return to Africa to rock out a calling I received in 2003;

special moments with family and friends prior to my departure,
and increased dependence on Him through loneliness and transition;

greater independence through basic (very basic) culinary skills,
and great overall health during the past six months in Africa;

weekend getaways with incredible people to incredible places;

remarkable upsets at the African Games,
and more faith through miraculously approved visa applications;

new family and friends on the field,
and the ability to communicate in Portuguese;

two weeks with my father in Mozambique;





a brotherhood in the form of a basketball team,
and official permission to begin constructing CAM basketball court;

positions of influence in the lives of over seventy young people,
and six more months to live and learn along with them.

God is SO good! I'm overwhelmed by the ways He has chosen to bless me this year. It's like I'm sitting back and watching a dream play out in real life. It's incredible!

Sure, it's not always easy living in Mozambique, but it's ALWAYS rewarding living where God leads. If you feel God calling you to go somewhere, to do something, or to join an area of ministry,
don't hesitate.

God doesn't call everyone to go overseas,
but HE DOES CALL EVERYONE.

"...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle;
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace."
Ephesians 4:1-3

If He calls you to it, He'll lead you through it.


Happy Thanksgiving, Friend!

Power of Purpose: a matter of perspective

History has a way of repeating

- for those who don't learn from the past.

Dirty. That's the first word I use to describe Mozambique.

It's hot. It's sandy. It's sticky. It stinks, literally.
There's trash all over the sides of the streets.

It is also sad, and at the same time, it's scary.

Poverty and crime are proportionately high.
Street corner stop lights host thieves and beggars, alike.

And justice?

A joke!

…long since replaced with corruption and bribes.

During the time I've spent here:
I've been robbed. I've been scared. I've seen death and disease.
And too much at that!

I want to leave.

Why am I here, holding so much resentment?

Why do I stay in spite of it all?

Ten years ago, I asked myself those questions as I grudgingly slumped through our missionary term one day at a time. Mozambique is a tough place to live, and I did not want to be here. My parents were called to Africa, I wasn't.

Growing up, I couldn't think of anything worse than living in Africa as a missionary kid (MK). Our first five years overseas were the darkest of my life. I quickly grew tired of constantly moving, transitioning schools, living cross-culturally, and seemingly meeting people just to turn around and say good-bye. Rotten sick of living in a third world country, I wanted to go home - to the States, to my friends, to stay, and play ball.

People and sports - that's my passion.

They always have been as I recall. Each place I've lived, we've met along the way. The faces have changed with the balls and the nets, but they've always been right there.

At the end of my rope with life overseas, God proved He is faithful. In the middle of a life with so much change, the most special things were maintained. Sport. People. Family. God.

On a hot summer day in 2002, God changed my life with perspective.

He did it by giving me purpose.

Taking what I loved the most, He showed me how to use it for His glory. In my last two years as an MK, I began to see the power of sport reach people beyond the steeple. Basketball attracted communities that would have never otherwise walked through our gates. It was awesome!

People were the target. Sport was the platform.
But the call was to Himself.

God's faithfulness that came to me in the form of sports ministry brought me out of Africa alive, developed in me through university, and has now led me back to the place I received the call - the place I completely despised as a child.

I can't think of anything better than living in Africa as a missionary!

My first life here was dry and thorny, but since I've returned it hasn't stopped blooming! God amazes me daily with His love that is abundant, grace that is humbling, and provision that is ever-present. When I think life can't get better, it does! Serving God is the most rewarding decision a person will ever make.

Mozambique is still dirty, still sad, and still scary.
I am still Phillip - still selfish, still growing.
God is still loving, still speaking, and still faithful!

Same place. Same person. Same God.
Completely different perspective!

That is the power of purpose!

History has a way of repeating
- for those who don't learn from the past,

But God has a way of redeeming the hell of our world for the best!

"Chick-Chick!"

MEET MY PARENTS:

This is Dad. He was raised on a dairy farm in Michigan.

Mom grew up in a Kansas City suburb.

Dad studied in a one-room school house. Mom attended a large public school. While Dad was driving tractors around the farm, Mom was cruising around the neighborhood on her groovy bicycle with a banana seat.

They were born into two different worlds. But both of my parents were brought up in Christian homes. This shared, wholesome upbringing played a key role in bringing them together.

They were kind enough to pass the legacy on to their children.

Dad was a Wesleyan minister. Mom was a loving nurse. With both of them wanting the best for their kids, it makes sense that one of the first things I remember them teaching me was the importance of God's Word. Some of my earliest memories are linked to the massive Bible they kept on the coffee table, including the night they opened it when I first prayed to live for Jesus.

As I got older and learned to read, Mom and Dad encouraged us kids to spend part of each day in personal devotion with God. Although their intentions were pure, I quickly associated Bible reading with the rest of my chores. During weekends, my brother and I would get up early to play video games. I would dread my parents waking up and asking if I had spent my time in the Word. If I hadn't (which was usually the case), I would have to stop playing video games until I read some scripture.

I began reading scripture to get it out of the way.

As legalistic as it might sound, I appreciate my parents' attempt to create in me a sense of respect and dependance on God's Word.

The most effective way they did this was by example.

There was something powerful in seeing Dad dig into the Word each morning. I wanted to be like him. Morning devo's were a huge part of who he was and what he aspired to be. That inspired me to do the same.

I continued reading the Bible -
not to get closer to God, but to be more like Dad.

Digging into a fish like he digs into the Word.

It has taken me a long time to receive this lesson of leaning on scripture from my parents. I am familiar with the Bible. I trust what it says. I believe God still speaks through it. But I have never experienced the sweetness of seeing the Word come to life as I have in these past five months!

Now I read the Bible for I value what it has to say.

My time in Africa has finally allowed me to catch a deeper glimpse into the vastness of God's love. I have become dependent on Him for fulfillment. I have waited on Him, trusting Him to act and speak and move. I have entrusted Him with my greatest dreams.

How has He responded?

He continues to fill me!
As I draw near to Him,
He faithfully draws nearer to me.

He is showing up right on time!
He has yet to be late;
sometimes my schedule's just premature.





He is blessing me beyond belief!
I came to Africa prepared for the worst,
but God hasn't stopped overwhelming me with blessing.

God blessed me this month by giving me two weeks to chill with my father. The pictures of us in this post are from a trip we took to the northern section of Mozambique. He was involved in leadership training, and I tagged along for the ride, moral support, and a little sports ministry with the kids. Coke was the theme if you can't tell. :)

I already miss him.

Praise God for another blessing of an amazing family of supporters and fellow missionaries! Thanks to care packages from friends at home, eager guards to help a brother out, and an awesome missionary's willingness to play along - God gave me a memorable Halloween this year! The guards didn't quite get the pronunciation down, but they had a blast celebrating the day of "Chick-Chick!" (Trick-or-Treat).

Kyla and I trick-or-treating at the guard shack

God cares about the little things and the big things in life. He cares about refreshing reunions with family members you haven't seen for months. He cares about relaxing evenings in a social environment often saturated in stress. God provides them both. He cares about we care about, and He wants to bless us abundantly if we will only give Him the time of day to do it.

If you don't spend regular time in the Bible,
please consider it.

Maybe it will start out like it did for me, like a checklist. Maybe you'll do it to be like someone else you respect. But let me warn you - when you start hearing God speak to you - WOW! You won't want to put it down! You will look forward to that time, you will protect that time, and you will be marked by that time throughout the day and for the rest of your life.

It truly is the Living Word.



No trick!
It's a treat!

unworthy.

As I reflect on my time in Africa, I am floored at God's grace that brought me here.

Mac Mac Falls, South Africa

24 years ago, I was born into a loving, Christian family with a father who worked hard to set a righteous example for me to follow, a mother who loved me unconditionally, and the most amazing sister I could ask for. Three years later, God gave me a best friend in my little brother. That same year, via a late-night conversation with my parents, I met Jesus for the first time.

I didn't deserve the family I got, but God blessed me with them anyway.

14 years ago, my family was called to serve as missionaries in Mozambique, Africa; I wasn't. Not realizing the blessing of traveling abroad, I felt forced to live in a third world country. I hated being separated from my family and friends at home. My eyes were focused on the tough, the scary, and the stinky parts of Mozambique. I couldn't look past the cultural differences to see the incredible amount of similarities I shared with people. I never got over the crime and corruption to realize the country's outcry for justice and equal opportunity. And instead of relishing the beauty of living near the ocean in a tropical climate with so much diversity, I chose to slump down in the back seat of our Nissan 4x4 and imagine myself in the USA. My parents were the missionaries; I was just a kid along for the ride…a ride I had no desire to be on.

I didn't deserve the life God gave me, but He blessed me with it anyway.

My hatred for life in Africa grew to the point where I found myself weighing death as an alternative. Serious thoughts of suicide began crossing my mind, but God's grace showed up again. When I was ready to throw in the towel, God told me a secret that turned my life around. He showed me something that gave me purpose for the present and hope for the future. The overwhelming sense of God's love that brought me to tears that day, has taken me through university, and has led me back to Africa again.

I didn't deserve the call God gave me, but He has blessed me with it anyway.

4 months ago, I arrived in Mozambique as a single missionary. As I unpacked my luggage I discovered encouraging notes from my family. Remembering my former struggles with life in Africa, my mother closed her letter to me with Isaiah 43:18-19 which says,

"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."

I have many things I don't deserve, all because of God's grace:
- I don't deserve a loving family, but I have one.
- I don't deserve salvation, but I'm forgiven through faith in Christ.
- I didn't deserve a culturally enriched childhood, but I had one.
- I don't deserve to be alive right now, but I am.
- I didn't deserve to receive the call to ministry, but I have.

In a world of single opportunities, God has blessed me with a second chance at life in Africa. And He is definitely doing a new thing!

In this month alone...

I was blessed to attend the 2011 African Games.




Kyla and I took students to follow Mozambique men's basketball.




They kept winning, so we kept going!




Mozambique's Cinderella story took them past repeated, nail-biting upsets and to a silver medal!




I was blessed to define the word "catamaran" by riding one over the Mozambique Channel to Xafina Island for a relaxing day on the beach with missionary couple, Jim and Stacie Bowers.




I was blessed with a weekend getaway to South Africa.
Above: myself, Gary, Diane, and Kyla in front of Mac Mac Falls

We don't deserve a sight of a lot, but we serve a gracious God.

We live in a world of single opportunities, but we serve a God of second chances. It's easy to get lost in the difficulties of life, I know. But when you set your eyes on all the blessings God graciously gives, you will begin to forget the former things and you won't have time to dwell on the past.

Keep looking up, gang!

Yep. August flew by.

Here are some snapshots of what went down:

CAM: Maputo to Machava
Last month we moved Larry and Susan Weil and Kyla into their new house on the compound. After fifteen plus trips back and forth through traffic, toll gates, and village "short cuts", it was no surprise when the team decided to hire a company to move the school. I was up for the challenge of doing it ourselves and saving three grand to put toward a basketball court, but my vote was overruled by missionaries already on the brink of burnout. So we bit the bullet, paid the money, and hired a moving company to do what they're trained to do. The idea was to sit back and let the pro's do their job. We definitely got our money's worth:

They showed up right on time! (same day and everything)

The moving truck only got stuck in the sand on two of the three trips!

Oh, yeah - and they only crashed into our fence once! :)
Praise God we're in the new building with mostly everything still in tact.

Basketball Tournament
- A couple posts ago I mentioned an upcoming basketball tournament. It's over now. I played in a grand total of one game. My schedule was busy with all the moving and preparation for the start of school, so I wasn't able to make the other games. My team took fourth place which doesn't sound that bad until I tell you there were only four teams. There is good news though; this was only a practice tournament. The real tournament (which will include cash prizes) will take place later in the season. This was our attempt to assess the interest in the area. So in that respect, we were successful.

Other news in relation to sports ministry includes a brand new contact in Maputo. We have been informed about the possibility of gaining exclusive access to a basketball court in an area called Coup. This neighborhood is the same location of my family's first house in Mozambique. It's cool to see how God uses things of the past to confirm things in the present. For me, this confirmation has come in the form of my bedroom curtains, a refrigerator, silverware, and a desk. All of these things were originally purchased by my parents ten+ years ago and have now made their way through missionary families, guest houses, and back into the hands of a Telfer. It's comforting to find the familiar in the midst of change. This basketball court is another opportunity for further confirmation of God's purpose for bringing me to Mozambique. I have a meeting next week to discuss needed renovations, costs, etc. I appreciate your prayers as I go.

Xai-Xai trip
My last post was about a woman named Ro and the impact she had on me during a weekend adventure on the beach three hours north of Maputo. Her testimony combined with a Sunday morning sunrise and communion service on the sand was particularly powerful.

All in all, it was a very relaxing trip. We escaped with the purpose of taking one big gulp of fresh air before throwing ourselves to the mercy of the school year. I think I can say for the group that our time in Xai-Xai went beyond any of our expectations.

Gary and I were able to tackle (and be tackled) by strong waves. When I first went in the water I kind of forgot the ocean is a little different than a pool. Like a kitten climbing a tree, I took off toward the white caps in the distance, not considering the swim back to shore. When I turned around to see where Gary was the waves were high enough that they completely blocked my view of the coastline. I couldn't have been much more than 150 feet out, but when I started swimming toward the shore, each wave seemed to pull me further away. I was seriously huffing and puffing by the time I finally made it back to where my feet could touch. I've never been a great swimmer, but I've always been able to carry my own weight, so it was scary when I found myself struggling.

When I got within talking distance, Gary asked me if I wanted to go out a little bit. I declined, still trying to catch my breath. He went on out a ways and the same thing happened to him. The current took him out and started carrying him in the direction of a reef. After a South African man informed me that my 'dad' was struggling, I walked along the beach until I was even with Gary. Then I jumped in the water and headed out to give him a hand. That's all he needed. I grabbed his hand and we both made it into the beach where we laid down to build up the energy to walk back to where our girls were sitting. It WAS a little scary, but that's what makes life exciting, right? Good times for sure. It was a great weekend!


School Starting
We just finished our third week of school at Christian Academy of Mozambique. It has come with many hiccups and scheduling conflicts, but it has come and gone nonetheless. I thank God for His provision and protection. I have been assigned the role of teaching high school Bible, Physical Education for all ages, and Video Production for the senior class. I have also been assigned to the Student Council where I will do my best to encourage school spirit, Christian leadership, and community outreach.

Susan Weil and Diane Gray:


This past Friday two of the student leaders asked me if I would be willing to be the speaker for CAM's upcoming spiritual emphasis week. I would appreciate your prayers as I ask God to use this opportunity to speak incredible truths to the students that will encourage and challenge them to serve Him well.

Field Council
All of the missionaries got together two weeks ago for three days of meetings known as Field Council. Each ministry leader presented a summary of last year's events. Evaluation is great and very important to the success of any business, job, or ministry. But, honesty, it was hard for me to sit through it all. I WAS able to spend a few minutes sharing my vision for sports ministry with the team on the third day of meetings. It was encouraging to be heard, but after the cost of building the new school and moving everything on site, OMS does not have the sufficient funds to lay a basketball court at the moment. A third request this month would be for incredibly clear guidance as to how to move forward with the sports ministry program.

As far as any of the decisions concerned me, I was voted to a shared position with Dave Dedrick to oversee the security of the compound. My house is the closest to the guards and it is convenient for me to be the one to check up on them and give them their walkie-talkie's each night. I keep one of the radios with me to ensure they are making their hourly rounds on the property. I also have to give them the gate key at 6AM to open everything up in the morning. Dave was kind enough to help me out with it all. We're taking turns with the radios, keys, and sleeping schedules. :) He's a great guy!


Irish Team
Over a week ago now, a group of six university students from Northern Ireland moved into the compound with plans to rock out children's ministry camps in two of our local congregations. It has been fun having some more peers on site. Yesterday Kyla and I took them into town to see the ocean, and last night we sat around a campfire until the wee hours of the morning, just enjoying life in Africa. Tonight might just be the second time I organize an outdoor movie showing by shooting a projector on the biggest wall on the property. Last that I heard, Pixar's animated feature, UP, is the team's movie of choice for the evening.

Celtic Women and Garreth:


Really, there is SO much happening in this little corner of the world, it's hard to remember it all and find the time to write it down. Everything from the blessing of replaced water heaters that hadn't worked for weeks to misplaced truck keys being found in the bed of the same truck after a long drive to washing machines miraculously appearing out of nowhere (yeah, true story!). God is showing me a lot in these days, but the days are so busy I am not giving Him the credit he deserves by sharing these testimonies with others. I'm sorry for not communicating better. I will try harder to keep you guys in the loop. I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate your prayer support in these days! I was telling a friend the other day that we will never know how many times God's grace has spared us because of the prayers of fellow believers.

Thank you!

Oh - yeah. Check out my garden! I'm trying my luck at strawberries. :)

Profile of the Week

RO in MO
serving by sharing

About a month ago, the OMS team in Mozambique had yet another visitor join the ranks for a time. Her name was Ro. She was a computer teacher from the UK. Her focus was to update old computers, assemble new computers, and connect them all to a network in CAM's brand new computer lab. She came. She conquered. And she left yesterday.

Ro came to serve God, and she did it by sharing with others. She shared computer skills, teaching tips, and much, much more! The impact she left extended far from flat-screen monitors and keyboards. She touched the hearts of students, teachers, workers, missionaries, and Mozambicans, alike. Her greatest influence on me was during a weekend we shared together on the beach in Xai-Xai with three other missionaries.

Gary and Diane Gray took Ro, Kyla, and myself on a weekend getaway to a beautiful coastline city three hours north of Maputo. Our goal was to take a deep breath of fresh air before being slammed with the beginning of school. We lapped up every minute!

The majority of our time was spent relaxing on the sand, and watching the ocean breathe waves in and out. I saw the idleness as a perfect opportunity to discuss the meaning of life. :) From before the time the sun shot over the horizon to after it dipped beyond the treeline behind us, I pestered Ro and Kyla with questions about God's will, human desires, and destiny. They kept responding, so the questions kept coming. :) It was great! And their responses were powerful.

Myself, Kyla, & Ro unveiling the sun together:


Sunday morning was met with a sunrise communion service on the beach. Ro shared her testimony with the group, which left me in awe at God's redemptive love. There were many moments that I will long remember with Ro, but that service on the beach stands unrivaled. During the short time she was with us, I was challenged by her faith; encouraged by her testimony; and blessed by her heart for serving others. These are three reasons Roselyn Moore is the profile of the week.

God bless her, and God bless you!