Dear Lord, today is the first day of the rest of my life. I need Your power to follow-up and follow through -- to transform what I have seen in Africa last week into action today ... to apply the lessons I have learned in my day to day life here in California. Today, it is not about Africa here. Today, it is about China (since our China program director is from Beijing). Today, it is about the street children living in the sewers of Ukraine (since Slavik Radchuk of Father's House in Kiev is coming in from the former USSR tonight for dinner). Today, it is about direct mail fundraising in Europe. Today is about my executive role at World Children's Fund ... my missionary role at Christian Aid ... my husband role in my marriage to Ivy ... my fatherhood role with my children and grandchildren. In all this, I must hold onto the memories of the orphan children in Malawi and South Africa and not let die that new fire that burns in my heart as a result of this trip. Lord, in Jesus' Name, help me to carry the ball forward today.

This morning, I was given four minutes in church to report on our mission. Just four. I knew the time would be brief and I had so much to say! I had to use every minute. Anyway, I determined to say the three most important things in the four minutes allowed.

FIRST, I thanked my church and affirmed them for having a global ministry through us. After all, how many baby "church plants" send aid half way around the world -- and intentionally make the Great Commission and the Great Commandment part of their DNA? I was able to thank them for the Christmas boxes we took in their name to the orphans at Abandoned Baby Care in Walkerville (see photo). I was able to report "Mission Accomplished" to our church! By God's grace we were able to deliver their love to children of St. Francis' Parish, Diocese of Christ the King through many obstacles, trials and opposition.

SECOND, I boldly proclaimed that we have the answer. My home church is made up of many medical professionals so it was with some delight that I was able to say with confidence that we have the answer (the only answer) for the AIDS Orphans Crisis in Africa. Our "Three M" Approach (Morals, Meds and Meals) is working! Without behaviourial change through godly living, anti-retroviral drug protocols, and proper nutrition all combined at once there is no hope and no victory over this wave of death. We're making a difference. We're bringing hope. Although the situation is grim in Malawi and the other countries in the AIDS belt, we have the answer. I don't mean that "WCF/Citihope" has it but faith based charities hold the key. Only we can do what the government cannnot do alone. What the medical establishment and public health cannot do alone.

THIRD, I was able to thank them for sending us and being our partners in this mission. These were the hardest words for me to form because they seemed so self-serving and trite. It wasn't just that I needed the church's financial support. No. We really needed the church to be our witnesses to this mission. If the church had not sent us, it would be somehow not valid. Only as they sent us out with prayer and blessing were we able to authentically represent Christ. We needed to represent the whole of Christ's body and that is them, the church.

This of couse, is true for all the encouragement and validity we receive from our Prayer Partners and Support Team as well. Sorry I have to use the word "support" in this context because that is so limiting a concept. It sounds only like we're only asking for money ... and that we have to do all the time ... but the missionary ambassadorship we represent is far more than being financially sent. We are deputized. Ordained. Called out. Selected. Sent forth. Endowed and authorized, by the church, to be their witnesses of Christ's love.

Friday afternoon, we tried to go back to work after giving our testimony and report to the Christian Aid staff in chapel, but it was useless. My fingers just wouldn't move anymore on the keyboard.

I suddenly realized with amazed guilt that it has been four weeks since I last accepted the gift the Lord gave us in the Fourth Commandment! No wonder we couldn't go on. God has programmed us to have one day in seven to rest and I had missed four weeks in a row. Looking over at Ivy, I clicked off my computer and stood up leaving my desk full of work, papers spread out everywhere. Rest is healing. The Sabbath was made for man, like sleep, as God's gift to His hard working, weary children.

"Let's go home dear!" I nearly shouted to her relief and mine. We couldn't get out of the office fast enough. What a joy it was to just close the door on that pile of paper and escape to the arms of the Lord. I turned off my cell phone and disappeared.

What followed was 36 hours of mostly blissful sleep. My oldest son Billy had put a lamb roast in the oven so we ate at home, prayed and "vegetated" all Friday night, Saturday and into the pre-dawn hours of Sunday. We finally had to get up to be ready for church and my flight to San Jose, California in the early afternoon.

The only break from sleep was a reunion lunch with my Saturday accountability group in Charlottesville. Not only had we had no rest for four weeks ... but we had skipped four weeks of accountability meetings as well! Of course, we had great times of reflections with the team on the road, but that is far different from the familiar comfort of our regular group which knows our secret struggles and has shared everything with us for years.

We all need Christian friends. People who will witness the drama of our lives. Care for us. Show us the living Body of Christ -- and incarnate the Lord to each other. This is what the church is really all about. It is why we all need a church within in the church where we check in every week.

Last night, at Kruger's Gate, our mission team had our final daily reflection and prayer time. Rev. Mpho handed each one of us what looked like a piece of letterhead. At the top, mine was addressed "DEAR BILL" and at the bottom it was signed "LOVE, GOD". In between it was blank.

"I want you all to prayerfully fill in the blank space," she said quietly. "What has God said to you on this mission trip?" Here is what I wrote:

DEAR BILL,

It has been a real pleasure to lead you on this trip to Africa because you have been humble enough this year to trust me with the details of the mission -- to let me do my work in you thourgh Mpho Tutu, Paul Moore and the other members on the team. You've talked a lot less, and listened a lot more. That's good.

I hope you've seen that you need to devote the rest of your life and ministry to finding a balance between truth, righteousness, justice and mercy. I hope that you've learned the message from Desmond Tutu and the South African church that there is no future without forgiveness ... and that you will take that message back to your backslidden brothers and sisters in the American churches. I'm not happy with the sin in America.

So, reflect me in my glory to the world and the church. Display me through your life as the one Almighty God, the Holy God who demands morality in my people, but who is also the God of love, merciful and true.

I also hope that you've finally learned that you can trust me to provide for you as you obey my call on your life -- and that you will no longer be enslaved to ministry clients and project partners who will be able to buy you cheap through bribes and promises of financial security in this world. Just as you've learned the secrets of how to discipline yourself through your diet, I expect you to discipline yourself now in both your personal finances and in the funding of my new work in the world which I am entrusting to you. This won't be easy, but I expect you to do it.

As you have seen Bill, I'm not broke. If you require funds to accomplish my purposes in Africa and other places, you can count on me to pick up the tab. I will pay my bills.

So don't be afraid about the future. You've grown up now. You are no longer a child in the Kingdom of God and my work so I expect you to act your spiritual age. Behave like the Apostle and Prophet which you are to be in my body, the living church. Feed my sheep. Do my will. Speak out my word. Stand up for what is right. Fear not.

LOVE,

GOD

P.S. Bill, one more thing. I'm glad that you've seen that while I do work a lot through humanistic charities, governments, and NGO's like World Children's Fund -- the real transformation miracles and resurrection power occurs more easily in faith-based missions. That's why all the saints and angels up here in heaven are rejoicing with me that you're going to focus your work where I am focusing mine -- in those places where my Holy Spirit is allowed to freely work. Now that your eyes are open, I expect to see some changes in the kinds of partners you take to the dance. I'm watching you. By this time next year, I want you to look more like my body and less like the world.