SUNDAY - ONTARIO to BOISE to SEATTLE

Hi everyone,

I had the greatest day today. Yesterday evening I travelled from Boise in Idaho just across the border into Oregon to have some ministry with a church in Ontario. I was billeted with a great couple. They have travelled all over the world as Doug worked as a dentist in places like Nepal and the Marshall Islands and they also spent some time in YWAM and did travelling in Indonesia. We talked and swapped stories till late and connected in that wonderful way God's kids get to do.

This morning the first service in Christian Life Fellowship, Ontario, Oregon was at 9:00 and the second followed right on at 10:30. This was a great bunch of people and we connected very strongly. I had some minor language problems, which I warned them about in advance and so it was pretty much fun all the way. God's presence was strong in the meeting and there was a wonderul reponse and responsiveness. This church is planted in the poorest part of Ontario and the people are wonderful down to earth loving people. I had to watch the time for the first service, but had more opportunity in the second. I have a strong feeling that we will build a connection with this church. The pastor has a great visions for working in Ontario with other churches to reach the whole region. Anyway, we will see what eventuates.

After the services we drove back to Boise to join with the rest of the team for lunch and then it was time to go to the airport to catch our flight to Seattle. One of the great things about doing things like this is the opportunity to meet and share and gauge what is happening and gain insight from what we have heard and seen. The additional gain is to be able to talk about it as a group. This was the case with our trip around Australia last year. We didn't stop talking from the time we left till the time we finished. On this trip Ian and Seb and I are able to share in the same way.

One of the things we are longing to see is a group of leaders in a city who have the commitment and the heart to build a leadership community into the city that will both model the life of Christ as well as pour this life into the church in the city itself. So much of what we do is cooperative but not purposeful oneness. If Jesus wants to dwell in a body prepared for him, then that body must be the church in city. How can Jesus dwell in a "temple" that is in ruins? The house of the Lord must be built. It is interesting that the prayer time focused on division in the church, but that division is often only thought of in organizational terms, not in organic ones.

We default to something that will never achieve that goal with the greatest of ease. We put up lame substitutes and call them by the same name.

The connection with the Treasure Valley in Idaho was very much in the Lord, I am sure of that.

I'll talk again very soon.

Brian