STOPOVER IN INTERNATIONAL GENEVA
My friend Rich Morey and I traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, where I spoke three times at the Crossroads Church. The Edmonds (Gary and Tricia), Halls (Chris and Debbie), and Sharon and I (along with our six children) moved there in 1980 to start an international church…and an INTERNATIONAL CHURCH IT BECAME.
Today, it is the largest English-speaking church in Geneva with some 60 nationalities represented in the church. One-third of Geneva’s population are from somewhere else in the world. One article says Geneva is “indeed like few other cities in the world. It is at one and the same time a globally-significant city with an iconic brand; a transnational urban agglomeration.”
In the Thursday night service, I spoke of the nomadic early days history of founding the Crossroads, as we moved to five different locations before landing on a longer term suitable location. Like Israel in the wilderness, we followed the leading of God from place to place. On Sunday, I spoke on “taking hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” I continue to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for who God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Given the transitoriness of the international community in Geneva, the Crossroads (now two of them in the greater Geneva area) have ministered to hundreds and hundreds of people since it was birthed.
MORE FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN INTERLAKEN
From Geneva, Rich and I trained to Interlaken, where we were part of staffing the Traction retreat. Here are some of locations the men who attended were from: ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BULGARIA, CENTRAL ASIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, FINLAND, GERMANY, GHANA, HUNGARY, JAPAN, JORDAN, KENYA, MOROCCO, NIGERIA, PERU, PHILIPPINES, ROMANIA, SUDAN, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TUNISIA, TÜRKIYE, UGANDA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, UNITED KINGDOM.
The 15 staff were there to meet with and encourage the approximately 60 missionaries attending. Daniel Hahn led a session each morning on lessons from the life of David. Rich and I led one of the breakout small groups made up of nationals from Peru and Hungary, and Americans ministering in Japan and the UK. Each afternoon we had one-on-one appointments to process issues that those attending wanted help with.
Each appointment was different. Here are some of the topics that those I met with wanted to process:
“I feel inadequate in the role I am in.”
“I am not sure what I believe, anymore.”
“I am relocating to another country in the Middle East and am concerned about the impact it will have on my children.”
“I have been asked to take the leadership of my mission organization and am not sure whether I should or not.”
“I have a daughter who thinks she is a lesbian”
It was such an honor to enter into these men’s lives and be part of working through the challenges and struggles of life and cross-cultural ministry they face. Most of those who attended the Traction conference, went away feeling encouraged, rested, refreshed, and ready for the next season of their call to missions. I left with a tremendous sense of God at work all over the world.
2 COUNTRIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA TO 3 COUNTRIES IN AFRICA
I am back for a couple weeks before leaving for our next Global Training Network Divine Expedition training in Guatemala. Meanwhile in just this past month we have had Divine Expedition teams in Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. More about these in my next ministry update.
Thankful to be a co-laborer in the Harvest with you.
Linus
“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:34).
On Expedition + 