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May 17 / Bill

Reflections from an Antigua B&B

May 18, 2010

This stream came on line earlier this month.

From this quiet Antigua B&B I see, hear, smell some of those unique elements of this ancient city, this marvelous country.

Antigua street feast--ya gotta trust the cook

Church bells and fireworks combined with the fragrance of fried “platanos” (plantains); the lichens on the old roof tiles have seen so much history; in the distance over the roof of the ruins of the Capuchinas church and convent (established in 1728) I catch a glimpse of the twin volcanic peaks of Acatenango and Fuego—the latter living up to its name, “fire”.  The truly discerning ones know the role that volcanic ash plays to produce Guatemala’s primo coffee (the best goes to Japan!).

I wrote just after an intense and enriching week of relationships, prayer, and speaking at the 5th World Mission Conference of the Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City—where Yvonne and I were based for the first 17 years of our global mission ministry.

A slight body twist to make a key Spanish point.........

It is always a gift to return to our beloved Guatemala, rich in memory and people, believers and churches, foods and smells, holidays and hard work, the nation and culture where our kids were born, the site of first ministry—growing family, teaching, mentoring, making art (Yvonne as a classical pianist and her pre-evangelistic concerts) and church planting—where together she and I served; the educational gift for our kids at the Austrian Institute of Guatemala.

SETECA Chapel

I am overwhelmed with memories. Tears flow, primarily of gratitude, but we cannot reverse history. They come because I really no longer fit here any more.

I have been privileged to be part of all five of SETECA’s mission conferences—the first two as director, the last three as plenary speaker. On this occasion I spoke on: “The Mission of God in the Pentateuch”, and “Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Persecution and Martyrdom”. My workshops were on missionary training.  Over 600 people were registered, including the entire seminary student body, administration and faculty, as well as many from Guatemala and other countries.

Classic Valdir at work: But do you really see????

It was a high honor to deepen my personal friendship with my beloved friend, Dr. Valdir Steuernagel of Brazil, now serving with World Vision. He is one of the people who’s impact has been profound on my life, by his life, his perspective, his gifts, his passions, his unique speaking method (crazy and marvelous and too much like my own—people say) and the unprecedented richness of his Bible and missiological teaching.  We both grieve that we live so far from each other.

Carlos Madrigal and I roomed in the same house for a week. He and his wife and kids have served for 25 years in Turkey. Nobody has more insight into Turkey than he. Nobody has done a more thorough job of church planting, apologetics and even public TV debate than Carlos. Our relationship is on solid growing ground and I look forward to his seminal contribution to the book we are working on (see further on).

MC Colleague David Ruíz, my Guatemalan friend over some 35 years

And my beloved friend of many decades, Guatemalan MC colleague, pastor and writer, servant and missiologist, David Ruíz. We have spent long times together this week talking, laughing, praying, strategizing. He is also my Prime Mac Computer Global Wizard!  Yesterday en route to Antigua we dropped by his house to visit his beloved wife, Dora Amalia, and their three adult kids. Our love for each other is rich and mutual.

This mission conference is one of many components that underscore the growing maturity of the Latin American movement: by the major themes and speakers invited to address them; by the Latin Mission Fair with such a diverse representation of groups and people;  by the discussion on how to grow the necessary Latin American mission structures for effective global mission (mission-minded churches, training programs, sending agencies, support teams and member care….amongst others); by the reports from Latin field missionaries—from Morocco, Senegal, Spain, Iraq, India, Turkey and other locations.

Married and very much truly in love--Yvonne and Bill

I am ensconced in this old house to write, alone, quietly, without commitments, alone and in quietness. Yvonne allowed me to stay extra days but only if I returned with two completed writing projects. I do need help as I write: to conquer initial inertia and writers block, to grow in my conviction that I have substantive topics to write on, simply to WRITE, and to meet the deadlines.

A final story from the mission conference: Friday morning as I finished a seminar, a middle-aged woman of humble background and speech asked me to bless her. Literally she asked me to “pass on an unction from the Spirit”. When I queried who she was, she said she was a returning missionary. When I asked from where, she simply said, “Senegal…after three years of work”. I was deeply moved, laid hands on her head, waited, and prayed into her life that request. She wept, and so did I.

Such is the Latin American mission movement. No longer emerging, it has emerged; not dependent on ideas or funds from the USA, it is self-funded and self-motivated. Yes, of course, by our Triune God on mission: the Father sends the Son, the Son the Spirit, the Spirit prepares the way for both Father and Son, the Father and Son reveal themselves through the empowering person and presence of the Spirit. This is our Great Mission Community and Team.

Now back home, some thoughts and calls to the Father:

  • That God would give both Yvonne and me wisdom and strength to discern which invitations—locally or those that require travel—to accept. This is not easy.  I never accept an invitation before asking Yvonne’s wisdom, and waiting at least two days before responding.
  • That God would manifest His glory and power through our home church in Austin, Christ Church Anglican. It is a delight to worship, learn, create community, see the Spirit alive and at work. We long to see people come to radical relationship with Jesus.
  • That I, Bill, would know how to walk into my new future of identity (I sense that the Lord is “re-naming” me) and ministry as mentor and writer. While I continue to travel and speak, these engagements must be made with great guidance from the Lord.
  • That with the heavy, early 2010 travel season over, that I would be able to focus on my writing assignments. My friend, Jon Bonk, editor of The International Bulletin of Missionary Research has asked me for an essay “My Pilgrimage in Mission”, my first of an autobiographical focus. The next MC book project is huge: Mission in Contexts of Suffering, Violence, Persecution and Martyrdom, co-edited with Tonica van der Meer of Brazil and Reg Reimer of Canada.
  • That at this stage of the Great Marathon I would walk-run in holiness and growing dependence on the Spirit of God; that I would receive fresh eyes to read and discern Scripture; that I would know how to mentor younger men from my church, and globally.

Bill—gazing across those old tile roofs over to the volcanoes now shrouded in rain clouds.

May 1 / Bill

TheGlobalPilgrim.org—wisdom reflections for the journey

My personal vision for the blog

As I dreamed of a personal blog in recent years, I confess I also dreaded it as an onerous, boring task and after all, who would read it? But a series of distinct “nudgings” from the Lord last November at the international ETHNE network gatherings in Bogotá, Colombia, changed me. During those pregnant days I sensed the Spirit’s whisperings: “Your life is changing… and your strong role will be to mentor and write”. The next day, the word was. “This change will begin in your 70th year…and you are in it already.”

Back home I dialogued with Yvonne about these two words, and then early in January as I put the 2010 itinerary together it became clear that, for the first time in 24 years, my commitments were about 1/3 of “normal”. Yvonne knew that was significant and encouraged me to be quiet for a season, to listen to the Spirit, and to ponder what I was hearing. Just at the same time, during one five-day period, I spoke with five international colleagues, sharing the calendar changes, and all five said something like, “Bill, your life is changing…..and you must mentor and write.”

What do I want to write about in this blog?

  1. I will begin with initial musings and reflections on some of the following themes:
    • I want to reflect on both the inner and out landscape of life and ministry; about wisdom lessons; about the long journey towards God; about the seasons of a man’s life; about spiritual formation; about prophetic words for mission and the church; about the fullness of our Lord’s transforming commissions and commandments; about some of the controversial issues of mission; about younger and older leaders; about leadership transitions; about parenting and grand-parenting; about life in the latter stages of the Great Race; about finishing well; about authentic partnership in the global Gospel Cause; about what it means to listen, truly, to international voices of the people of God.
    • I want to discern the times, to grow as a son of Issachar, to seize courageously the Kingdom of Christ as it advances boldly and in the face of evil opposition.
    • I want to mull over how God gathers His people together for Common Gospel Cause: whether teams and networks, alliances and associations, gathered and scattered Church, other mission structures.
    • I also want to connect people, and I start with links that simply put you in contact with others. It will be a growing list. As time moves on I want to profile some of these entities and their creative and committed leaders from all around the world.
    • I want to evaluate everything that I have ever written and see how it might serve the global body of Christ today.
    • I want to post some thoughtful articles that friends and colleagues have written.
    • I want to write on behalf of the WEA Missions Commission, especially as editor of Connections, and MC publications coordinator.
    • I want to point people to the amazing set of print resources that have been generated by the MC over the last 23 years.

  • Articles to read and mull over….and let them mull you over

  • Thought-provoking publications, from the MC and other sources
    • An annotated bibliography will be posted of Mission Commission publications, on global issues, evangelism and religious pluralism, mission and Bible and contextualization, missionary life and work and crosscultural communication, holistic mission, spiritual formation and spiritual warfare…and more.

  • A photo gallery will be created that will focus on
    • People
    • Ministry
    • Personal images
    • Family
    • Travel
    • Food (right!)
    • Humor—of a cross-cultural nature

  • A few words of gratitude
    • Thank you, Yvonne Christine DeAcutis Taylor, my Italian-Irish-Texan artist and muse, my resident spiritual director. I am in so many dimensions who I am because of your investment in my life.
    • Thank you, W. David O. Taylor, son, arts pastor, writer, blogger, for encouraging me. And to the rest of my children by blood and marriage: Phaedra Taylor, Cliff and Christine Warner, Stephanie and Scranton Twohey; and those six plus grand-children that fill our lives with joy and prayer.
    • Thank you, Tommy Crawford, my friend and fellow worshipper at Christ Church, Anglican, here in Austin. You have volunteered to shepherd me in this next communication stage of blogging, web sites, designing and hosting.
    • And Becky Yates, who with her good engineer husband, Matt, are headed into longer-term cross-cultural mission. I love what she wrote me upon sending the logo options, “Matt and I often think of you as a compass, providing direction, pointing us towards something or someone.  You provide wisdom and are a common link to many people and resources, so in that sense a compass-type image could be a strong visual.”