7/31/2019 Garrison 07 12

1/2

Underutilized.

Dear Family and Friends,

We have now been in theUS for more than a month.Since our primary goal in comingback this summer has been toget Emilee ready for living in theUS and college life, we have notvisited as many of you as wewould have liked. Nor have webeen able to stay at any onelocation as long as we wouldhave liked.

As we flit from place to place,the one thing we never growweary in hearing is, We prayfor you every day.Whilefinancial support sends us to(and maintains us at) a foreigndestination, it is prayer thatmakes us effective there.

We firmly believe that engagingin cross-cultural workwithout prayer support is notonly ineffective; it can bedetrimental. So our requestfor prayer support is earnest,not spiritual talk. We seekyour active prayer involvement.

With Grateful Hearts,

The Garrison Family

This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,your kingdom

come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. --Jesus

Underutilized Tools: Hospitality and Prayer

For the rest of our short time stateside we will be staying at the same

house. By not traveling around we have time to think. All the ideas that have

been bouncing around our heads are settling and we are trying to synthesize

those ideas into meaningful words so that we can communicate them. As

American Christians, we are constantly thinking about the American Churchs

role in missions: What are we doing well? What could we be doing better? What

should we stop doing? Are we asking the right questions?

We are aware of the increased missions emphasis on going and giving,

but what about the role for those who stay put? Is their role undervalued? Are

they using the tools available to them? Does the American church place as

much emphasis on prayer and hospitality as it does on giving and going?

Hospitality. As we have been back in the US for the summer, we have

enjoyed the hospitality of many and we are grateful. However, there is a much

bigger and more strategic application needed in missions. Every year there

are hundreds of thousands of foreigners entering the US to visit family, attend

a university and/or work temporary jobs. Sadly, most of these guests will

never be invited inside an American home much less a Christian home. The

Lord instructed the Israelites, The alien living with you must be treated as one of

your native-born. Love him as yourself... I am the LORD your God. (Lev. 19:34)

Many of the students will return to their country of origin to become leaders.

Why are we underutilizing this tool?

Prayer. We recently read an insightful blog post by J. Paul Reno, who

recounted the role that Daniel Nash and Abel Clary had in the ministry of the

great evangelist, Charles Finney. Reno wrote, With all due credit to Mr. Finney

for what was done (tremendous spiritual revivals) it was the praying men who

held the ropes. The tears they shed, the groans they uttered are written in the book

of the chronicles of the things of God. In scripture we nd that Daniel prayed for

the spiritual course of his nation, Jesus prayed for the unity of his disciples and

Paul asked that fellow believers would join in his struggle by praying for him.

Perhaps short-term missions has been improperly named. Perhaps it

should be referred to as catalysts, so that people return with the sense that

their going was just the beginning of a longer-term investment in missions.

Consider reading Renos post:

http://www.benjaminnolot.com/2012/03/daniel-nash-prevailing-prince-of-prayer/

Oer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

M Y A N M A R P R O J E C T J U L Y 2 0 1 2

7/31/2019 Garrison 07 12

2/2

Making Room:Recovering Hospitality as aChristian tradition

A book that makes us aware of our negligence and

calls us to action.

Christine D. Pohl, is a professor ofsocial ethics at Asbury TheologicalSeminary (and formerly Craigsadvisor and professor). If you areinterested in the topic ofhospitality and its lost role inAmerican Christianity, consider thisbook and its study guidecompanion.

One book reviewer wrote, Sheexplores the tradition of welcomingstrangers into our homes whilediscussing the ways in whichChristians can oer practicalhospitality to the poor, homeless andrefugees in our communities. I amimpressed that Pohl is careful not to

confuse the challenging ministry ofhospitality with entertaining.

May we also recommend the bookshe co-authored with Christ Huertztitled Friendship at the Margins,which discusses some of thechallenges of hospitality in oursociety. Weve read them both andenthusiastically endorse them.

Valuing Hospitality frommany angles

Former Ohio University Professor, World War II Veteran,

Host for Internationals, Professional Volunteer: Giord

Doxsee.

If you have never had the opportunityto sit and listen to our friend GiordDoxsee share about his life, you havemissed out on a tremendous privilege.He can tell you of his experiences inWWII, living in Lebanon, teaching

European and Middle EasternHistories, hosting internationalstudents from numerous countriesand in the various volunteer work towhich he is committed.

A couple of years ago he permitted usto pepper him with questions as wesipped soup in his kitchen. In youropinion, why is there such continuedconict between the Middle Eastern andWestern societies?

Giord responded, Because thehighest value in the Middle Easternworld is hospitalitybut the highestvalue in the Western world is truth.He went on to explain how each ofthese cultural values conict ratherthan compliment.

Fear and mistrust may also keepmany of us from opening our homesto strangers, especially foreignstrangers. In contrast, consider thetremendous courage a Germaninnkeepers wife demonstratedwhen she smuggled food scraps tostarving American POWs inGermany. "She rose above thehatred of the war to reach out to usas a guardian angel," recalls Doxsee.

(http://ezramagazine.cornell.edu/SPRING11/

People.html)

Migration ofInternational StudentsIn 2011, China sent 157,588 students to study in the

United States, representing a 23% increase from the

previous year.

Some of the best memories I have ofliving in Tulsa is of the ow ofinternationals who came to stay withus while in an intensive Englishlanguage program. We had studentsfrom Panama and Japan, a physicianfrom Czech Republic and an engineerfrom Siberia share their lives with us.In fact, our youngest daughtersmiddle name came from thephysician.

Today, 20% of the worldsinternational students are studying inthe United States. Many of thesestudents are curious about Americanlife including holiday celebrations,

family traditions and spiritual beliefs.While academics is clearly their focus,they are also seeking meaningfulfriendships and exposure to ourculture beyond the campus andtourist sites. Consider seeking out andinviting an international student intoyour home this fall and beyond.

(http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/

Open-Doors/Data/International-Students)

ViewpointsM Y A N M A R P R O J E C T J U L Y 2 0 1 2

All gifts toward our work with the people of Myanmar (Burma) should be sent to: CornerStone International, P.O.

Box 192, Wilmore, KY 40390. Please write Myanmar Project on the memo line. Additionally, you may make

secure online donations online at http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/sta-garrison/ .

THANK YOU for your generosity towards our family and the people of Burma!

Contact us by email at:

garrisoncraig@yahoo.com.

Asian hospitality is often sacricial.