Jet lag, when you travel from the UK to the USA, is not so bad as the other way around, of that I am sure!  On arrival stateside, for a few days you feel almost invincible.  Although a little tired in the evening, you force yourself not to go to bed too early.  Then, around 3 or 4 AM, it’s like a switch is pressed in your head. Bing! You are awake.  So, before anyone else is up, you get to do almost a whole extra day’s work.  And until the second or third day, a bit of coffee or tea is all you need to keep going through the day.  By the time you are starting to feel really tired, your body gives up the fight and you can sleep again like normal.

Coming home, it quite literally feels like your body arrives at least 48 hours before your spirit.  This time it feels longer than that!  I find myself incredibly hungry at odd times, and feeling physically sick at others, when everything within me says “sleep” but the alarm clock and my appointments for the day both say wake!  In fact, it’s Tuesday already, and almost the only times that I haven’t felt tired since getting home on Saturday are, firstly, on Sunday morning when the excitement of being back at the one and only Jubilee London gave me some adrenaline, and secondly, the first half of the night, every night!  I am quite literally shattered until the moment my head hits the pillow, when that switch seems to be activated once more, but not to the extent that I can do anything very useful as I stay awake.  Each night I hope and pray that my body will finally figure out that the fact it is dark is a big clue:  NOW is the time to sleep, not during the day!  I’m just glad I work from home, though I’m not sure my wife is right now as the kids are off school and I am not much help at the moment.  Things should be back to normal soon, though, I hope! I did manage to take four of the kids  swimming in the early evening today, which was fun.

This is the burning question on my mind following a conversation with a woman who sat next to me on one of my flights here in the USA. I know it won’t be me. My place in the body of Christ is firmly marked out for me back at home in Jubilee London. But I know that our local body has a role in sending people, and this blog can also encourage other people to think beyond their local situation. Perhaps today I can play a part in helping you consider reaching out to Native Americans living near you.

The lady I mentioned was herself a Native American, but spent much of her life working within the regular American community. Her heart for her people was strong. She told me that there are still 561 tribes recognized by the federal government as “domestic dependent nations” and others listed as “terminated” that in fact do still exist. To hear that these recognized tribes  have a degree of independence and their people are seen as “dual citizens” surprised me. Few Americans have ever spoken with me about the situation with the tribes. It is, of course, true that today I am relaying just my impressions of one viewpoint of all this. I may get some facts wrong. I may not share a balanced perspective. But to share something of what I heard seems like a good idea to me.

There is surely little or no dispute that historically the white man has not been kind to the Native American. There were land seizures, forcible removal of tribes to other parts of the country, taking children against their parents’ will and placing them in boarding schools, where they would be punished for using their own language. This lady spoke about some of her own recent ancestors who experienced such things personally. Even today many Native Americans do not feel included (nor in some cases do they want to be included) in mainstream society.

Some tribes, such as those living in Pine Ridge in South Dakota, are incredibly poor. A few are very wealthy. It is true that free health care and subsidized education is made available to Native Americans. But this is apparently due to an old agreement put in place in lieu of compensation for land seizures and in recognition of the extreme poverty. It seems that advances in freedom for Native Americans and for African Americans did not always mirror each other or lead to improvements. It is little known today, but some Native American tribes kept black slaves, learning this from the white man. Hostility and suspicion between races remains a problem today, not just in America, but elsewhere in the world.

My source claimed that the so-called “Native American Church” tends to be very syncretistic, marrying aspects of Christianity with aspects of their own religions. She also described the use of natural hallucinogens, which is legal for some tribes. She did not describe any deleterious effects of this, but knowing about the use of certain natural products in some immigrant communities in the UK and the harm that causes, I would be surprised if this is accurate.

Jesus told us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. It seems that there are at least 561 groups that are called “nations” by the federal government on the doorsteps of American Christians. I would be interested to know more about what efforts are being made by evangelical churches to reach them today.

Might God be calling you to reach out to a Native American you know, or a community that lives near you?

I have had a great time here in St. Joseph, Missouri.  I traveled down with two men who I now call dear friends, Jeff Gates, the pastor at Living Hope Church, St. Joseph and Ben Roed, who with his lovely wife Peggy, are serving in Living Hope and are being well trained by Jeff. It was wonderful to see how clearly Peggy and Ben complement each other. They are relatively newly married, but it was obvious to see how much of a support Peggy is to him, and how her strengths will continue to complement and at times hide his weaknesses! A wife who will make you look better than you are is a gift from God.

Single men, if you think you may have God’s hand on you, make sure you marry such a godly woman who will help you achieve everything God has for you. Quite frankly, such a wife will be more important than anyone else in helping to shape you, all the time doing so in a submissive and honoring way. Beware, however, that as much as a good woman can make you, the wrong kind of woman can completely ruin you for any significant work for God.  The women I have met here, including Jeff’s wife, have all impressed me with their commitment to the cause, their warmth, and their loving support for their husbands. Anyone who claims that the women in our churches are somehow not valued and not given room to serve their Lord has not spoken to some of the incredible women we have in our family of churches, fully caught up in God’s mission and playing very significant roles.

All this, of course, makes me miss my own better half even more.  If ever a woman has had to put up with a busy husband who has needed a lot of help, a lot of “releasing” to do things like go on a two-week trip to the USA, and  a whole bunch of raw edges in him for her to lovingly confront,  it is Mrs. Andrée Warnock.  Thank you darling for being such a good wife to me, far better than I deserve.  I pray that I may be an ever better husband to you, and I long for our reunion!

Another woman I have met here was Gail Robins, who together with her husband Chris, have served me wonderfully by opening their lovely home to me.  Her passion to open a consignment store made me think of Proverbs 31:

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life . . .

She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

I was also impressed by the many Christians I met here both socially and during the meeting that was organized for me to speak on the resurrection.  Nobody anywhere has yet disagreed with my claim that we have all been neglecting the resurrection.  Yet we saw in the resurrection yesterday a wonderful tool to bring unity. As one of the  leaders of the three campus organizations that cancelled their own meetings to attend the meeting co-sponsored by Living Hope and Frederick Boulevard Church, St. Joseph’s said, “How could we refuse to listen to a talk on the resurrection of Jesus?”

Speaking of Frederick Boulevard, meeting their pastor Micah Fries was an absolute delight. One of many things that has impressed me about Jeff Gates this week is his eagerness to reach out and partner with other churches and Christian groups. Micah certainly seems to have needed no encouragement to make such a connection. He is sharp, bright, self-deprecating, willing to speak of what he sees as his own denomination’s strengths and weaknesses, and eager to learn from others. Being placed on a list of ten influential young Baptist pastors has not turned his head. I saw in this man a servant of the Lord, and it was enjoyable to spend some time connecting with him. I feel that God has given us this opportunity to meet for a purpose. I hope we can serve the Lord together in some capacity, even if it’s just engaging with each other’s online material.

It has been a great time, and as I prepare to leave for Kansas (known to me mainly in my youth for the Wizard of Oz!), I have many great memories from my time in St. Joseph. I am very keen on God’s work being done in big cities. Though this place is not a big city, however, God is also very interested in towns like this. Even its residents would admit that there is not much that marks out this place as very different from many other American cities. They were the home of the Pony Express, and a place where trade happened in early times with local native Americans, but there are few other major claims to fame. God is very committed to a place like this. He takes the weak things to shame the strong, and the things that are not to shame those who think they are something special.

I met many people who God has made to be very special indeed. This place will always have room in my heart. This is not least because it is the very first town outside my own country where God has taken me to proclaim his word. Seeing a mix of students and older adults getting excited about the significance of the resurrection we have all so failed to celebrate  was obviously the highlight of my trip so far. Please pray with me that those who heard me last night will continue to study the wondrous implications of Christ’s resurrection, and that we all may be better equipped by our Lord to share the full gospel with those we meet.

This weekend I embark on a two-week trip on the other side of what we affectionately call “The Pond.” I would value your prayers and look forward to meeting some of you. In some ways I wish I could stay longer and make it to more places, but this is the longest I would want to be away from my family. I thank God for iChat which will help me stay in touch with them.

I do plan to blog about some of my experiences. Then, once I am home, Raised With Christ information will, as much as possible, be confined to the book’s own website, though headlines will continue to appear in the sidebar. I am eager to get back to “normal” blogging, if there is such a thing!

Here is my schedule:

Saturday, January 30
Travel to Minneapolis

Sunday, January 31
Attending Bethlehem Baptist Church

Monday, February 1 – Wednesday, February 3
Attending the Desiring God Conference
1 PM CT (2 PM ET, 7 PM UK) on February 1 Live radio and Web interview with Janet Mefferd
8:45 PM on February 2 Taking part in a “Meet The Author” and book signing.

Wednesday, February 3
Traveling to St Joseph, Missouri

Thursday, February 4
4 PM – 6 PM Book signing and “Meet the Author” at local Borders Bookstore.
7 PM Speaking at joint meeting at Popplewell Room, Missouri Western State University co-sponsored by Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church and Living Hope Church

Friday, February 5
7 PM Speaking at Grace Church, Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Saturday, February 6
Traveling to St. Louis

Sunday, February 7
Attending both Jubilee Church, St. Louis and The Journey
Hoping to attend a Super Bowl party to enhance my American cultural knowledge!

Monday, February 8
Informal meeting with local church leaders and free time.

Tuesday, February 9
Traveling to Chicago area.

Wednesday, February 10
Free day, except:
1 PM CT Recording Interview for Bob Boyd

Thursday, February 11
Speaking at Crossway Books staff chapel service and having various meetings with people from my favorite publisher.

Friday, February 12
7 AM Live from the studio of the Moody Morning Show
Then recording an interview for Moody Primetime.
Flying home!

It’s the time of year when I travel a lot. Perhaps you or someone you know are in the same boat or rather the same plane. Everyone is trying to fit in their meetings before the summer break. Once more I find myself sitting in the familiar Giraffe restaurant at Heathrow reflecting on what it is about this place that makes it so welcoming. There are few places like it in any airport in the world. Is it th decor? The imaginative food and drink product? Or the staff? Or a bit of everything. Certainly it has some kind of formula that keeps me coming back and helping me to approach the journey in the calm way every business traveller learns. Wherever I am in the world it can become my office, my relaxation room, or if I get my attitude wrong my prison! It really doesn’t matter if the plane is late. It makes no odds if I am sitting on the Tarmac or am in the air.

This trip is just as we Brits like to say “to Europe” and just for two nights. There won’t be any time for sight seeing. But as usual the hardest thing is leaving my wife behind to care alone for our children. Spare a moment to pray for her or a mother you know in the same situation. Perhaps even pop by and offer that mother some help, perhaps half an hour to pop out or just lie down with no interuptions. Don’t call first, though as you will just add to her burden as she panics that the house does not look like a show home! No ones house who has kids ever does! And like a teenagers spots, the blemishes always look worse to the individual than to anyone looking on.

This trip will soon be over, but my heart goes out to those mothers who are always alone and to those parents who never get to go out alone. Maybe there is something you could do to help one of them.

Steven Spielberg ought not to be afraid. With my video skills, I’m no threat to him, I know. But, here is some video we took at our favorite Disney park – previously known as MGM Studios.

We’re home again! The reunion was sweet, although the three of us are rather tired. I worked today, while both Henry and Tamasin spent some time sleeping. Unfortunately, none of us slept a wink on the plane!

This was the longest I’ve been away from my dear wife, and the longest I have been in America. We even found ourselves talking about “restrooms” and “strollers” and “pacifiers”—words for which most of my English friends would need an interpreter. Sadly I gained about 3 kg. during the last two weeks, so I’m afraid I was right about the poor diet I would likely be subjecting myself to. We wanted quick food, so that meant fast food, and on a few occasions, “eat as much as you like” deals. So all that walking didn’t do any good—thanks, I guess, to all those hot dogs and “freedom fries”! I missed our own English chips—which have nothing to do with either what Americans call “chips” OR what they call “fries.” Our chips are apparently like American steak fries or pub fries, and oddly, that was one of the first foods I craved on my return home! Far superior in taste, but probably equally as fattening. It’s now time to revise my food intake habits, I suspect!

I’ll share a couple more videos, and maybe a few more photos and reflections, but for now I’m about to go to bed in an effort to stave off the jet lag that is likely to hit me like a brick when tomorrow morning I have to start work at what will feel like 4 a.m. to my body!

On Thursday of last week we went to Magic Kingdom and then to Downtown Disney. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park. It’s amazing in its architecture and totally unique. But to be honest, we felt it was showing its age a little. It IS a magical world. It IS an amazing sight. But on the day we visited, two of its main thrilling rides were closed (including one which broke down that day). I understand that the roller coasters are not as fear-inducing as those at Universal, but there’s no doubt that younger children will be totally wowed by the experience. And while we DID enjoy it a lot—we just didn’t find it quite as enjoyable as some of the other parks we’d visited.

This may be a Disney heresy, but I have a confession to make. My children and I were thrilled more by Downtown Disney, and in particular DisneyQuest, than Magic Kingdom! Please don’t shoot me. Please let me out of the country tomorrow! Why did we like it so much? At DisneyQuest you have this large arcade with simulators, all kinds of games, and some animation all included in the admission price. We loved the simulator roller coaster, which allowed you to design and ride your own track. We managed to persuade someone to teach us how to produce one with 13 inversions! (We have a DVD to prove it!) 

Today I visited Metro Life Church in Orlando, which is part of Sovereign Grace Ministries. This is the home church of blogger, Jesse Phillips, and is led by Danny Jones, Senior Pastor, who is a part of SGM’s apostolic team.

The venue was very nice, and as the worship began I felt very comfortable, having been warmly welcomed. The worship time was upbeat, and the modern songs were carefully chosen for their rich theological content. There were several prophetic words—given mostly in the first person rather than reported in the “I feel God may be saying” style. There was a time of prayer ministry following one of these. Individualized prayers were offered and hands were laid on a number who responded to a call to acknowledge they were battling against fear in their lives.

Benny Phillips, Executive Pastor at Metro Life and father of Jesse, preached on Mark 4:26-29 on the way in which the gospel works progressively, slowly, but unstoppably. Benny explained that the Word of God is a seed that is doing the work. It can take years, but will produce fruit. Sometimes in our lives a period of harvest comes suddenly, but will be the result of years of faithfulness to God’s Word.

He highlighted the fact that God’s methods are different than ours, and that his glorious future victory has implications for the here and now. He shared the following quote, which explains this well.

“The kingdom which is to come . . . has, in fact, entered into the world in advance in a hidden form to work secretly within and among men.”

— George E. Ladd

He applied this to both our own personal lives and to the spread of the gospel evangelistically. He then drove home two questions: “What kind of soil are you?” and “Is the seed in you?” He argued that if the answers to both questions are correct, there is a guarantee that fruit will indeed be produced. The Word of God will permeate and have its effect. God’s intent is our salvation and our sanctification. We have to be patient like the farmer who sows the seed and waits for it to do its work. It is God’s miraculous work to build a kingdom into our own heart.

“The Lord is not slow to fullfill his purpose as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Yes, it really is true that we managed to take all the above photos during a single day at the Animal Kingdom this week. Back on Wednesday, which seems an age away now, we spent a fantastic day on the wilder side of Disney. Actually, we got there closer to lunch time than opening time. (We are now firmly on American time and are no longer waking very early every morning as we did for the first few days!)

We saw everything we wanted to and had no need at all for Fastpass. The rides were good, but not too scary or dramatic. The safari was fantastic, and walking through the park a true pleasure. We were glad to see that the tigers were firmly behind walls which appeared totally unthinkable for them to jump over!

The less dangerous animals were close enough to touch from our safari truck. Those people (such as my darling wife, Andree) who have been to Africa will have to confirm this, but it seemed to me that Disney has done a pretty good job of at least trying to get a flavor of the real thing.

Animal Kingdom was definitely a treasured experience, although it was very different to any of the other theme parks we’d experienced.

On Tuesday we visited Disney’s answer to Universal Studios. It’s not as big as its rival, but has lots of rides and shows. Fantasmia lived up to its reputation at the end of the day. The Tower of Terror set a mildly horror-based scene which was an irritating distraction to the real basis of the ride—a crazy, randomly generated sequence of rapid rises and drops in a demented elevator. It was a real hit and the ride that we have repeated the most times (except for the Universal roller coasters). The best thing about it is that it was a new ride each time we rode it and therefore you couldn’t predict when you were going to plunge or be launched with equal violence!

The Rocking Rollercoaster is good, but not as scary as any of the top three Universal ones. We enjoyed the backlot tour, and some of the shows—especially the two stunt shows and the Star Wars ride, which was surprisingly rough.

We only needed one Fastpass during the whole day, which was for the roller coaster. The lines were short, perhaps partly because of the rain, which didn’t put us Brits off. Tamasin said, “Now I don’t feel as homesick!”

After a quieter day when we went back to Islands of Adventure to revisit some rides we especially liked, we moved to the Pop Century Hotel at Disney.

One major advantage of being here at this time of year is that we were able to do almost everything we wanted to do at EPCOT despite arriving just before lunchtime.

We still had to use FastPass, however, for Soarin’ and the Test Track. Soarin’ is an “unmissable” hand glider experience. A 3D movement effect is produced that makes you think you’re flying over parts of America. More than once I found myself moving my legs to miss the rapidly approaching trees!

The Test Track brought you to speeds of 65 MPH in a small open car, close to the track. The crash into a wall test was genuinely scary for a moment.

What felt like the strongest G-forces I have yet experienced occurred on the Mission:Space ride. In fact, it is the sustained nature of the 2G force that makes it feel stronger. Other rides produce over 4G (the biggest being Hulk), but do so for a matter of a few seconds (see http://www.local6.com/news/5423136/detail.html). We worked up to the Mission:Space by doing the no-spin version first, which seemed a good strategy, especially after hearing that someone had died on it!

We enjoyed the shows such as the Circle of Life, O Canada, and the 360 film of China. The way in which the park is laid out—exhibits of different nations around a lake—made for a lot of walking. But, especially for those Americans who never leave their own state, it made for an interesting introduction to some of the cultures around the world, even if they were a bit stereotypical.

The American history show was surprising for a Brit. The level of self-belief and pride in their history of the average American is staggering for those of us who are, more commonly apparently, ashamed of our past. It did make for quite a story, but not quite enough to inspire me to want to live here, Andrée will be glad to know!

I’m slipping a bit behind with my update posts . . . too busy enjoying ourselves! Here is some video we took at Sea World, however.

Saturday was Sea World day and the Mardi Gras. Tamasin described it as follows in her diary:

Today we went to Sea World. Sea World is joined up with Discovery Cove (the place with the dolphins). Sea World was really cool. They had a roller coaster (it was easy but fun) and a water ride. I got so wet I had to buy a new top. There was loads of shows, including a dolphin and whale show, an otter and sea lion one, one nothing to do with animals but called itself a circus, another with big massive killer whales (we got soaked).

Henry said:

Today was great coz we went to Sea World to go on a few rides and shows and rushed off to the Mardi Gras! I collected 34 beads that you have to catch.