WITNESS Vol. XXIII, No. 4
Pa r k C i t i e s P r e s by t e r i a n C h u r c h
NOVEMBER 2013
(Presbyterian Church in America)
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” —Micah 6:8
Above, prayer time in Zambia during the college mission trip Left, Garrett Edwards chats with a young resident at the Zambian Cheshire Home for the disabled. Arts Festival digs into theme of justice and mercy...........................2
Capitalizing on her call, energy, and art in Japan................6
Random collection of students finds unity in Zambia.........................8
Women address fear at Angelika premiere................................4
Love bold enough to bring salvation to a nation...........................7
Laotians have a home and family in Christ .........................10
Pastors’ wives in Senegal face difficult challenges .............................11
Proverbs 11:10: “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.”
Symposium and bus tour inaugurate the 2013 Arts Festival
hoods. Its mission is to see inner city residents experience God’s redemptive plan through safer neighborhoods free from urban crime and blight.
2013 PCPC ARTS FESTIVAL
Festival adds events to explore application of Micah 6:8
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his year’s PCPC Arts Festival season was kicked off on September 6 with the Justice & Mercy Symposium featuring presentations from four organizations that are turning the tide on poverty, racial divide, human trafficking, and other similar issues pertaining to justice and mercy in the inner city of Dallas.
“A righteous person is someone who disadvantages himself, for the advantage of others. ” —Reid Porter Reid Porter, Director of Advocates for Community Transformation (ACT), began the evening’s presentations by discussing the life-changing work ACT is doing in West Dallas neighbor-
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The unfortunate reality is that large segments of Dallas’s population lack the education, financial resources, or political clout to effect transformation in their neighborhoods. Reid said this void has “left people living in a culture of despair… in a mentality and environment of feeling helpless, powerless, and without a voice,” and it is why the call to do justice and love mercy (Micah 6:8) is the theme of this year’s Arts Festival; the Church is called to bring hope for our poor and hurting neighbors, and it starts with each one of us “extending the olive branch” to those nearest to us.
people who step up in their neighborhoods to provide leadership on issues they are collectively facing, and then creating an avenue for them to pursue biblical justice by advising them on their legal rights, counseling them through the entire process.
“It’s hard to talk about mercy and justice, when a (formerly incarcerated) man… isn’t accepted back into society. True justice is enabling the man, after he has served his time, (l to r) Lawan Glasscock, Imelda Ottmers (event organizers), and Brent Ottmers.
ACT also targets the training of leaders by using a unique model for community transformation and neighborhood revitalization. It assists homeowners by providing legal advocacy regarding crime-ridden and hazardous housing. ACT has created a grassroots network of righteous
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to get a job so he can serve his family. We need to be the championing voice, the advocate for these men as they assimilate back into society.” —Dr. Jeffrey Parker, ROD Ministries Following in the same vein of advocacy for marginalized individuals, Dr. Jeffrey Parker shared about the transformative work of ROD Ministries which serves men in prison and men who are formerly incarcerated.
“The sexual exploitation and trafficking of women is the human rights issue of our time.” —Katie Pedigo, New Friends, New Life
and children. It works with families to restore relationships and provide a nurturing environment for them, and it also works with society to combat the stigma that they’re judged or condemned, forever. This effort is where the Church comes in: it’s our job to combat the stigma by embracing these women—giving them jobs, friends, homes, and a hope for a successful future. The practical ways that NFNL empowers women to change their lives is by providing education resources and career counseling, helping them to find jobs to gain work experience for rebuilding their resume. In addition, they provide programming for the children to help break the generational cycle of abuse.
The overarching theme that resonated through each ministry’s presentation was an emphasis on relational healing and practical training. These truths were beautifully demonstrated by ROD Ministries. Every single week they are mentoring the men in prison and becoming their friends so that they have a place to go and friends to love them whenever they are released. ROD enables these men to successfully reenter society and be as productive as they can be. ROD reminded us that we should be dedicated to being a part of the rebuilding process, and not a tearing down process. Let us build people uptogether, linking arms to see change in Dallas.
While ROD focuses on training men to be successful citizens, New Friends, New Life (NFNL) focuses on training women and children, rescuing them from sex trafficking by equipping them to realize their potential. Katie Pedigo, the executive director of NFNL, cited statistics Panel participants at the symposium were (l to r): from organizations Reid Porter, Katie Pedigo, Elizabeth Cunningham, Shannon Geiger, Celestin Musekura, and Jeffry Parker. like the United Nations, which estimates that 25 million people African Leadership and Reconciliation “Proverbs says that if you can do are trafficked around the world. The Ministries (ALARM) equips leaders to good, don’t withhold from those National Trafficking Hotline says that who are without. That’s what we call initiate transformation and reconciliaTexas ranks number two among U.S. justice and mercy.” tion in their own communities. It has states in calls from trafficking victims, —Katie Pedigo trained nearly 9,000 leaders across east and that the border between Texas and central Africa in biblical theology, and Mexico is the number one supply The symposium was followed by a route for trafficking women in the U.S. conflict resolution, forgiveness, leadership, and reconciliation methods. At bus tour on Saturday to the neighborNinety-five percent of the women in hoods where these ministries operate the symposium, Celestin Musekura the sex industry say they desperately and serve our most needy communiwant out, and NFNL has helped 650 of shared about how many countries ties in Dallas. in Africa have suffered years of war, these women accomplish that dream. —Laura Allen tribal conflict, genocide and political turmoil. He emphatically proclaimed Traffickers prey on the most vulnerathat the transformation and further de- Go to the back page for photos from ble in our society: young girls, whose velopment of Africa rests in the hands the bus tour and responses from bodies are turned into property to guests who attended the weekend of Africans who have been effectively be bought and sold. NFNL works events. equipped to lead by bringing about with the Dallas Police Department peace through Christian forgiveness. to provide resources to these women PCPC WITNESS • NOVEMBER 2013
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Take O Courage, Ladies!
n September 11 the Angelika theater was not celebrating the opening night of a new blockbuster; rather, it hosted the PCPC’s Women’s Ministry Fall Premiere! The ladies of the church flooded the entire upstairs of the theater to enjoy food, fun and fellowship. Upon arrival, the women were welcomed by friends and sisters and directed toward the check-in table. Once guests were accounted for, they were able to mingle and enjoy treats from the dessert table as well as munch on complimentary popcorn and beverages from the snack bar.
Fall Premiere kicks off year for PCPC Women
Kari Stainback and Susan Bullock began the show with a skit exemplifying our daily struggle as women who fear and turn toward hiding as our escape (shown perfectly by Susan wearing a brown paper bag over her head)! Afterwards, a few women participated in musical chairs, but in the end Kristina Davis pulled through for the victory! The next segment was quite a crowd-pleaser—the satirical video premiere of the new fashion line FOBIÁ ! Some of our very own PCPC women modeled their favorite looks for the camera, showing us how to be truly fearless —in all denim, all black, and even in all animal print! Quite the look, ladies!
After a few good laughs, we got to talking about our true, deep fears in this life here on earth. A video was shown of four of our own women sitting down with Women’s Ministries director Kari Stainback for a round table discussion on the subject of fear (Linda Dixon, McKenzie Edwards, Susan Keyes, and Becky Bain). Knowing that we as women struggle with similar fears allows us to look toward The Lord together as a broken, helpless people in search of His goodness and ultimate comfort. (You can find both the FOBIÁ! AND panel Videos online at pcpcwomen.org.)
Top left: Claire Manigold visits with fellow greeters Top right: Phyllis Mabus and Susan Bullock Above, Kari Stainback and Susan (hiding from her fears)
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Taking this discussion even further, Mark Davis spoke about how to “take courage” in God. Mark made three points of what we do fear—what we don’t see, what we think we see, and what we do see. We seek control in every situation and do not trust. However, Mark offered comfort by saying this: “There is nothing God can learn. And, there is nothing God cannot see.” What great news! I know I certainly left feeling encouraged in knowing that the Lord is leading me, He is with me, and He will never let go of me. I will never be “good” enough to overcome fear, but I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness and covered in His grace. As I look toward the fall season, I am overwhelmed with excitement for the learning that is to come among the women at PCPC. I pray that we fear God, putting our hope in Him, and that we fear nothing else. —Lauren Ford “There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear.” – 1 John 4:18
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G etting C reative
J apan
She’ll use art to reveal the need for the Creator
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or Tricia Schoon, Tokyo is one of the most strategic cities for ministry in the world. The capital of an open, religiously free country that is 2% Christian, it represents a challenging but important harvest to which Tricia has been increasingly drawn over the past two years. “The Japanese are very nationalistic,” she says. “They find their identity in the fact that they’re Japanese. Most are agnostic or atheist, and there’s a great need for the Gospel.” Tricia, 26, first saw that need in the summer of 2011 on a PCPC Young Adults shortterm mission trip to Chiba, a suburb of Tokyo. The focus of the trip had changed largely to relief work when a massive earthquake hit Japan a few months before the group was scheduled to arrive, and Tricia spent a large portion of her time doing demolition. “The Japanese, being very Japanese, had everything organized at the city dump,” she said. “There were these perfect, two-story piles of twisted wood and metal, piles of couches, piles of pianos. It was a great metaphor for the Japanese—they are very ordered on the surface, and then you start digging in and realize it’s just a mess.” But life went on for Tricia. She returned to Dallas and started another year as a photography assistant and part-time elementary art teacher. That spring, however, she found
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herself unable to forget the words she had heard at the PCPC Remember the Nations conference last January. “Michael Oh said that people will tithe their time at the end of their lives when their kids are raised, they’re secure, and they have the time,” Tricia says. “How much more would get done if we tithed at a point in our lives when we’re most energetic, most flexible, have the least amount of commitments and are a little more keen on adventure? That was a catalyst for me.” After a second short-term trip to Japan during the summer of 2012, Tricia began to wrestle with the idea of full-time missions. After much prayer, she embarked on the Mission to the World evaluation process, receiving final approval to begin her support-raising process this past March. She plans to use her fine arts background as a means of reaching a population that rarely allows itself to be vulnerable. “When you start talking about art as a creative process in relation to a Creator, the conversation gets very deep very quickly,” Tricia says. “The arts are a great way to reach the Japanese because they don’t really need anything. They don’t have a physical problem; they have a heart problem, and the way to reach the heart is through beauty and creativity.” Tricia’s work will be primarily in support of PCPC church-planter Seima Aoyagi, devel-
oping relationships in the hip, newly regentrified Tokyo Waterfront area. She’ll also be working with Community Arts Tokyo, an arts center run by two Juilliard graduates who are also missionaries.
The missing vertical
“A lot of Japanese are very lonely and
don’t know how to deal with conflict,” she says. “They don’t have the vertical connection with God to explain their horizontal connections, so the horizontal connections are difficult to understand. I’m looking for ways to use art to get people to engage with each other.” These ways include art camps for young mothers and their children and exhibitions to bring people together around a common viewpoint. Her plans focus on giving people a reason to look at each other —guest portrait artists, a smartphone photo competition, and gallery shows where the audience will be invited to look directly at the people in their own community and celebrate individuality. As Tricia has continued to raise support and work toward a March 2014 start date, she asks that you pray not only for financial support, but also for support through prayer and relationships with people who can encourage her as she faces difficult language training and the prospect of sacrificing a comfort zone where she understands her cultural subtleties. “I’m learning a lot about how selfish I am,” she says. “I tried to cling to all these things here in America because I thought I needed them to healthy and happy. I was using the blessings in my life as excuses to not bless others, which I think is a big tendency for Christians today. The Lord has changed my thinking on that, and I’m looking forward to using those blessings to reach others for Him.” You can follow Tricia’s adventures at www. origamibutterfly.wordpress.com. —Julia Schwarz
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A Roaring Lion in Asia “Let love explode and bring the dead to life. A love so bold to bring a revolution, somehow. My God’s not dead; He’s surely alive, living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” –David Crowder
What a trip! Our PCPC high school mission trip to East Asia was like nothing I could have imagined. The words to the song above were constantly on my mind and influencing my actions through the week. Here we were—our team of 30 who knew the bold love that can bring the dead to life in a country that needs a revolution. God was roaring like a lion in this city. From the first Sunday at the school where we taught English to the farewell party at the end of the week, everywhere I walked, I heard someone sharing Jesus—in the bus, at a museum, a zoo, a Buddhist temple, lunchtime—our team felt the urgency and was intentional in our limited time with the students. Although I had never met any of the students before, I had been praying for these 50 kids since January. When they flooded into the classrooms on the first day, I couldn’t help but get a little choked up. I felt like I already knew them, and I knew God had a wonderful plan
to move in their hearts. After our first English lesson, we split up into small groups. There were two 13-year-old boys in my group—Eric and one who did not have an English name yet. I helped him pick out “Bieber” because he loved Justin Bieber!
of the students came to Texas in July, but I will never see most of them again. That separation is tough, but knowing many of them know Jesus now and will share the good news with their family and friends leaves me with a feeling of excitement!
At the end of Monday’s classes, I told Bieber and Eric about Jesus, and they wanted to know more. I took out my Bible and opened it before them. Their eyes lit up. Within five minutes, Bieber looked up and said earnestly, “This good book.” I found out a few days later that both of them believed in Christ that week! Praise the Lord!
Bad travel but good results
In spite of that great news, I often struggled with getting the job done in my own strength. Two days in, I surrendered to the Lord and reminded myself that the Holy Spirit does the work. By Friday night, 27 students had prayed to believe in our Lord as their Savior. It was pretty magical to see the numbers rise and rise. Our team was on fire! There were also so many laughs with our Asian friends with whom we became very close in five days. Everyone cried as we said good-bye and and exchanged gifts. Some
Although a lot of faith was required—both to prepare for the trip and throughout it with a very turbulent flight, a very delayed flight, a total of six flights, rare sunshine, polluted air, and “interesting” food—watching the Holy Spirit work through His people made all the difficulties more than worth it. Our team was blessed with safety and minor health issues as well! We felt your prayers. My mom says that the East Asia trip was like a Holy Spirit-filled train that God had already set in motion, and we are so grateful that we chose to hop on board! I learned that sharing Jesus is the greatest thing I can ever do. I was closer to Him than I’ve ever been—and in a communist and dark country. Please pray for the 27 souls (maybe even more now) that will now spend eternity in heaven—that they will be lifted up and find a community of believers in their lives. Chris Tomlin sings, “ You’re the God of this City. You’re the King of these People. You’re The Lord of this Nation. You are.”
God is God, and He is just as big in China, our wonderful, mighty, and international Savior. —Michelle Case Above, Bieber and Eric reading the Bible for the first time! Left, the gal students on the trip
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“We struggle to paint the picture of how the Lord is powerfully at work in some of the darkest and hardest places in the world.”
SNAPsHOts OF ZAMBIA
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n July I had the privilege of leading a team of 15 people on a shortterm missions trip to Zambia. The Lord brought together 12 college students and three adult leaders to serve orphaned and vulnerable children in Lusaka, Zambia. For five mornings we led a kids’ Bible camp at a local school, and in the afternoons, we would go to other places in the city to serve and spend time with other children. Among many highlights: we held babies at Mother Teresa’s orphanage, played wheelchair duck-duck-goose at Cheshire Home for the disabled, and ate Zambian Mexican food at the Arise Home. Best of all, we rejoice that 30 of the 65 students in our camp at Greenhill School expressed a desire to put their trust in Jesus Christ. Some of the things we saw during the trip were among the more difficult realities we have ever encountered. We squeezed into a tiny tarp-covered dwelling that is home for a family of 10. We met children with HIV or AIDS who have lost both parents. We saw the hopelessness of poverty and the impact of vast unemployment. Yet in the darkness, the light of Jesus Christ shines.
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TEAMING UP Very few of us knew each other before the trip, so I had concerns about our team dynamics. I encouraged our team to consider Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21, where Jesus prays that His people would experience the same unity that He Himself enjoys with the Father. He prays that His people would be so united that the world would see it and believe that the Father really sent the Son. I dared our team to pray for such unity because only the Lord could unite such a random collection of people. By the time we returned to Dallas, the Lord had brought our team together in a beautiful way.
What did the Lord teach you on the trip? I learned so much about trusting the Lord in every situation. By being so completely removed from situations I was used to, I
The work that the Lord began in Zambia continues as these college students return to campuses in Dallas and other cities. Recently I asked the students to share their reflections on the trip. Here are a few of their snapshots of Zambia.
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was constantly forced to trust in the Lord. In some ways it seems ironic— since at kids camp I was supposed to be teaching about faith—but I learned so much about faith, too. —Susanna Carlson When you’re desperately trying to reach a group of fifth grade girls with the Gospel, while working through language and cultural barriers, I learned that listening to the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Without the Holy Spirit’s illuminating work, our feeble words are nothing. —Jenna Tenpenny I’ve never seen the Lord work so much in my life as He did in just one week in Zambia. It was such an awesome and life-changing experience for me. —Luke Irby
How has the trip impacted your life back in the States? The trip to Zambia greatly deepened my daily walk with Christ and helped me realize how I am totally and completely dependent on God. —Jenna Tenpenny
Zambia. And the Lord is more than big enough to take care of us all. —Susanna Carlson
I was intimidated to go on a trip with people I barely knew, but our team was so amazing. There hasn’t been a week since I’ve been back that I haven’t seen at least one of them. Many of us have stayed in close contact and are able to regularly speak into each other’s lives. —Alicia Fike
After a shortterm trip, I always feel like we are grasping for words to express the inexpressible. We struggle to paint the picture of how the Lord is powerfully at work in some of the darkest and hardest places in the world. Our new friends in Zambia have very different circumstances, but we share the same need for God’s grace. In all of our darkness, God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). —Robby Higginbottom
Ever since we’ve been back, I’ve been constantly meditating on Matthew 28 and Psalm 23. —Luke Irby When I got home it really hit me how materially blessed I am. It wasn’t until I was sitting in my own room in my own bed that it really sunk in. I’ve struggled with the why questions. Why do I get my own bedroom with hardwood floors while a family of ten lives under a tarp in the dirt? Why do I get to go on a family vacation while a little girl in Zambia dies of AIDS? I don’t have all the answers, and I honestly don’t think I ever will. But we serve a sovereign God. A God who is bigger than illness, bigger than money, bigger than any earthly problem. He has put me in the States, and He has put others in
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Left page top, Luke Irby and a camper middle, Jenna Tenpenny and her fifth graders below, singing and signing at camp This page above, Jacques, the camp monkey left, Emily Podnieks with a child at the Cheshire Home for the disabled
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Refugees no more L
aughter, a different language, the wonderful aroma of Asian cuisine, colorful traditional costumes, and worship and praise all filled our halls for four days last July as PCPC hosted the 32nd annual Lao Conference of Churches (LCC). Over 300 adult and children believers came from across the U.S., Canada, Laos, Thailand, and Singapore to connect in their common heritage and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Laotian refugees began arriving in the U.S. in large numbers in 1975 when the Vietnam War spilled over into Laos and the Communist government came to power in this mountainous, landlocked country situated between Thailand and Vietnam. Political persecutions in Laos were especially harsh between 1975 and 1978, which caused many Laotians to risk their lives to cross the vast Mekong River into Thailand, and from there—if they survived—they would continue on to the United States. Today, most Lao Americans live on the west coast, but
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PCPC’s own Lao congregation
the Dallas-Fort Worth area also has a significant population of over 10,000. Refugee camps in Thailand became for many of today’s Laotian believers the first place where they were introduced to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, as one of the five remaining Communist nations in the world, the Laotian government continues to repress freedom of worship and allows local village leaders to expel or harass Christian with little fear of government repercussion. The American Laotians gather yearly to pray for each other but also for Christians back in Laos. The LCC is a non-profit organization, based in California, which brings together Lao Christians from various denominations in North America. The LCC was established in 1981 when the Rev. Donald Durling in Michigan brought together 16 Lao pastors from around North America and from a variety of denominations. The following year the LCC was formally established, with Pastor Chanthone Kounthapanya as its first president. In 1990, Pastor Inta Chanthavongsouk, who still leads the organization today, was elected president of LCC.
Our own pastor King Sribounheuang and members of Lao Presbyterian Fellowship (LPF), as well as Barbara and David Horn and Kay and Robert Mighell (who have faithfully served LPF from its humble beginnings some 30 years ago), played an active role in the conference, serving their visiting brothers and sisters with great joy. Also, a very sweet bond was formed between the Lao believers and our PCPC sextons, who worked tirelessly during the conference. You are always welcome to stop by the PCPC Chapel at 9:30 am (main LPF service) or by Room 430 at 11:00 am (adult Bible study and children’s programs) on Sundays to meet the Lao believers in our midst. We are also always looking for more volunteers to help with children’s programs (the children speak perfect English, so don’t be intimidated!) If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact me—Marzena Dunham, 214-224-2523 or marzena. dunham@ pcpc.org.
As they came together, many Laotian Americans, who are often isolated in their urban communities, were blessed by the Lord. Through the talent shows, children and youth programs, special guest speakers, seminars, and devotions daily, these believers were able to connect with each other and encourage each other in the faith.
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Senegal Missions Trip
Sisters joined at the heart M y first exposure to our church’s involvement in Senegal was through a video* shown one Sunday morning. I was so impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit. Around the world people are believing in Jesus! Not just a few—a lot of people! The boldness and commitment of the church in Senegal to the spread of the Gospel is challenging and contagious, and I don’t want to miss out on being a part of God’s action!
Some years ago PCPC and Redeemer Seminary partnered with the Presbyterian church in Senegal to have a pastors conference several times a year for a week of teaching to help this fast growing church. It was my privilege to be supported by PCPC members and part of an incredible team and to help lead about 15 pastors’ wives. They are eager to help their husbands in the service of the Lord and His church. They brought along a lot of children too, making it extra special. I even learned how to tie a baby on my back! The women are patient, beautiful, and sincere in their faith. They work long, hard days, often cooking over wood fires and washing clothes in buckets. I asked one friend what she would be doing if she were at home in her village. She said, “Carrying water. Two times a day I make eight trips to the well 500 meters away.” She also has eight children. I regretted ever complaining about anything in my life! As we would sit together around a delicious big plate of “cheb u jam” (rice and meat), eating with our hands, I wish I could express the community of friendship we had as sisters in Christ. We all have so much in common—being mothers, trouble at work, sick family members, wayward children, wanting our neighbors and family to know Christ, wanting more children. These were all mentioned in their prayer requests. Indeed, we all bear each other’s burdens in Christ.
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One of my favorite times was when we talked about forgiveness through Jesus. Using Colossians 2:13-14 as a reference, we literally took a long ream of paper, wrote on it a super long list of sins—just a symptom of the sin we are born into—and actually nailed that written code onto a wooden cross. We thanked Jesus for taking it away, for canceling our debt! Later in our discussion of Matthew 18, the parable of the unmerciful servant and the merciful King, we discovered that these women knew all too well from their own experience what it’s like to have a debt too large to pay back and having to beg as the only way to have that debt forgiven. They told us about people in their villages who had been jailed for unforgiven debts. We rejoiced in our Savior who has paid a debt He did not owe for us who owed a debt we could not pay! And the singing was awesome; I still have the sound of their songs going in my head! Pray for these dear sisters in Christ as they desire to raise their children in the Lord. As Christians in a Muslim country, it is an opportunity—but a big challenge. They need our prayers! One prayer request was “that Satan wouldn’t tire them out; that she would have more faith since she is recently converted and since she is illiterate, that she would still be able to grow in her faith.” “Roog a faaxa! A faaxa lool na mi!” God is so good! He is so good to me! —Leslie Newman *Find the link to 2020 Vision Video #3 International Church Planting at vimeo.com/22312783. Below, front (l to r) Leslie with Marie Agnes and MTW missionary Kyria Johnson with several pastors’ wives
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Symposium and bus tour
continued from page 3
Some responses from attenders included: “My wife and I were both encouraged and inspired by the entire Justice & Mercy Symposium. The hosts gave a wonderful opportunity for the people of God within the region to come together in love and fellowship. Also each presenter because of their personal leadership involvement gave a hands on and birds-eye view of both the challenges and hope for the poor and hurting within our city and region. Thanks, and may your tribe increase!” —Dr. Walter & Deede Fletcher, Hebron Covenant Community
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Vol. XXIII, No. 4 • NOVEMBER 2013
Park Cities Presbyterian Church 4124 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219 www . pcpc . org
Periodical Postage Paid at Dallas, Texas
reunited with their children after serving time in prison, and they live together in a very structured, yet supportive apartment living situation. The daily classes on life skills (parenting and budgeting) as well as having jobs and discipleship, plus counseling—it’s a terrific model that could be replicated for so many other issues where people need to push the re-set button on how to live life. I’m so grateful Dallas has so many ministries reaching out to do good, and I hope more of them know of each other and utilize one another—both for encouragement to continue and to encourage others to join. Good changes really are happening in Dallas at the hands of people who love both Christ and their neighbor. It was so humbling.” —Shannon Geiger, Counselor, PCPC “The weekend exposed us to a passion for serving others and how to start:
On the bus tour: Top, Debbie Chiechhi Jackson enjoys her lunch conversations at Greater Mt. Hebron Baptist Church in West Dallas Above, Reid Porter becomes a tour guide
“Your Justice & Mercy seminar at Park Cities Presbyterian Church was a well-planned evening. The speakers were informative, and the networking opportunities were a great help. Reconciliation Outreach has been looking for someone to help us build an ESL program, and your leadership has offered to work with us to that end. We have needed a vehicle to bring together the many inner city ministries in Dallas, and working together for Christ is the best way to reach those in need who are outside the church. Many thanks for a job well done.” Dorothy Moore, President, Reconciliation Outreach “This is not earth shatteringly profound, but one of the main impressions left on me was that Christ really, truly transforms people, and we all need this hope no matter what privileges or poverties we come from. I especially admire the model of Exodus Ministries where women are
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Focus on God to serve Know that we all are called to serve Be excited about serving new friends Worship with those who don’t look like us.
The symposium provided great opportunities to hear and meet many of the individuals and organizations involved in serving and helping hundreds of God’s children. The speakers and the choir on Friday evening were a great beginning for the weekend and an introduction to what is happening in our own neighborhoods. Saturday’s bus tour brought us face-to-face, meeting additional deserving friends and servants doing God’s will. Both days were filled with joy. Our eyes were opened to many, many opportunities and needs of God’s children. We must step up, put in, be present, be involved, serve with our heart and focus on Christ while sharing with others. Face to face with our new friends lets us know them and that we love them and that God is love. I was impressed with the attendance for both events and hope this will be happening again in the future.” —Cynthia Stone, artist