Our time with TEAM Wheaton

The weather didn't look so good.  The storm & the rain worsened as the waters began to rise.  Caught in a fast-flowing river was a monkey who wasn't the best of swimmers.  As the monkey assessed his situation, he spotted a low-hanging tree limb ahead of him.  When it became within his reach, he seized the opportunity to save his life, and swung to safety.  While he sat safely in the tree, the monkey saw his friend the fish swimming frantically in the raging water.  At great risk to his own life, the monkey hung from his tail to reach down and save his friend the fish.  The monkey was glad to see that his friend was flopping around for joy that they were together.  Eventually the fish calmed down, and the monkey put him in a small nook in the tree.  The fish didn't move.

That - in my own paraphrasing - was a parable told to us by Roger Luce from "The Centre for Lifelong Learning."  It was one of the many valuable stories told to us by the TEAM staff here in Wheaton, IL.  The monkey was so concerned with his own needs that he didn't even stop to think that his friend the fish didn't share the same problem.  This happens in ministry.  Our mindset has been just, "Go, go, go - Serve, serve, serve," and - even with the best of intentions - if we don't stop to listen, observe the culture, and understand people's needs - we will just trample people.

One of the recurrent keynotes during our orientation & briefing has been relationships.  Our relationship with Christ & our relationship with others is what will last - nothing else will survive the grave, and that's why relationships are such a battleground for spiritual warfare.  Whether it be relationships with fellow christians, or with lost people in our surroundings; relationships are where ministry happens.  We've been encouraged to build relationships "intentionally" no matter where we find ourselves.

When we first found out about this trip, we didn't know who to contact or how to go about getting accepted.  We were thrust into our contact with TEAMserve and the application process was difficult & at times - it felt a little rushed... but we are glad that the Lord planned the paths of communication to cross the way that they did.  He obviously knows our needs better than we do, because we have been greatly helped and encouraged by the people here at TEAM.  It's been a scary process, but we've found ourselves trembling even more at what the Lord has in store.  Thank you all so much for your fervent love, support, & prayer that the Lord has used to get us this far.  Keep praying as we head out for Tokyo this Sunday (March 29).

In His Strong Hand,

Gordon & Julie Hengeveld