Sabbatical Reflections

My Fall 2010 sabbatical is now officially over with the start of the Spring 2011 classes. As I reflect on the last six months, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to my bride and kids for their patience with my globetrotting and writing that dominated my waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours. I am also very thankful to the SBTS trustees and administration for the sabbatical leave, to the IMB and field missionaries who hosted me, and to my staff at Reaching & Teaching International Ministries for coordinating all my travels, hotels, and planes, trains, & automobiles.

In addition to teaching pastors and leaders in jungles and mountains, rural and urban settings, and leading orientation for churches and missionaries in the USA and in South America, I have seen some significant personal milestones as well. On December 10, my son, daughter-in-law, and daughter all graduated with Masters degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—I think we set a record that day for most graduates from one family in the same ceremony. The very next day, my daughter married a godly young man, who thankfully will keep her close-by for a few years as he is one of our PhD students at SBTS. We then learned the bitter part of the bittersweet as our kids spent Christmas with their in-laws and Mary and I made our way to Mississippi for our first Christmas without kids in over 27 years.

On 31 December, Christopher, Carol, grandson Abraham, and unborn granddaughter Anna Beth, left the USA for language school in Costa Rica. I have often thought of how proud I would be (and am) that one of my children would follow in our missions footprints, but hugging Abraham for the last time and sending them on their way was and is the hardest thing I have ever done. I now believe that I have never made or known any sacrifice in missions until now. It has made me a better missionary, missions professor, and missions mobilizer to now know first-hand what grandchildren, children, parents, and grandparents go through when missionaries follow their call. It is a radically different experience from the excitement of being the one going to being the one saying goodbye and staying behind with full a heart in an empty nest.

Another change that has come about over the last six months is that while Reaching & Teaching International Ministries will continue to send short-term teams and coordinate training programs overseas, we will not be actually sending out our own missionaries. Instead, RTIM will focus its work on theological education, deep discipleship, and pastoral training with missionaries from a myriad of agencies such as IMB, Global Outreach, Training Leaders International, etc. These agencies will handle the logistics and heavy-lifting of sending and supporting the missionaries while RTIM will help them with the connections, opportunities, and resources the Lord has given us.

The newest development at Reaching & Teaching is our launch into the world of publishing. From the very beginning, RTIM has had the writing, publishing, and distribution of training literature as a core element of our vision. This month marks the release of a new textbook written in Spanish for Spanish speakers. It is an introduction to missiology written by Dr. Hayward Armstrong of SBTS, Dr. Mark McClellan of Oklahoma Baptist University, and myself. Details will follow soon for those of you who would like to order this latest tool for missions training among Spanish speakers.

Finally, thank you so much for praying for me as I traveled to teach, counseled, preached, wrote, and mentored around the Americas during these last six months. Since so many have asked repeatedly, “Where are you this week?” and “Where will you be next week?” and “Are you getting enough rest?” I am appending a list of the highlights on the last six months. Thank you for praying and please do not stop. Pray for Reaching & Teaching International Ministries, pray for our family, and pray for the International Mission Board as they seek a new President in this crucial era of world history. Stay tuned . . . .

Sabbatical Travel/Speaking

• May 15, 2010- Orality Seminar, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, KY
• May 24-29, 2010- REAP South Summer Missions Training, Lima, Peru
• June 13, 2010- Ninth and O Baptist Church, Louisville, KY (Missions)
• June 15-16, 2010- Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL
• June 26-July 3, 2010- Ecuador Baptist Theological Seminary, Quito, Ecuador
• July 17-26, 2010- Ninth and O Baptist Church, Louisville, KY (Missions)
• August 3-6, 2010- REAP South Church Partner Training, Atlanta, GA
• August 8-15, 2010- Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ecuador
• August 15-21, 2010- MATSIL/IMB Program Course, Lima, Peru
• August 21-September 6, 2010- Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ecuador
• September 12, 2010- Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Boones Creek, KY (Missions)
• September 13, 2010- Jefferson County, IN Missions Conference, Madison, IN
• September 25-October 10, 2010- Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary, Quito, Ecuador
• October 15, 2010- SBTS Preview Conference, Louisville, KY
• October 23-30, 2010- Spiritual Emphasis Week, Spanish Language Institute, San Jose, Costa Rica
• November 8-22, 2010- Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary, Quito, Ecuador
• November 28, 2010- Vann Avenue Baptist Church, Evansville, IN (Missions)
• November 28, 2010- Ninth and O Baptist Church, Louisville, KY (Missions)
• December 1, 2010- Crestwood Baptist Church, Crestwood, KY (Orality lecture)
• December 5, 2010- Oak Park Baptist Church, Jeffersonville, IN (Missions)
• December 17-19, 2010- Bull Street Baptist Church, Savannah, Georgia (Missions)
• January 9, 2010- Grace Baptist Church, Paragould, AR (Missions)
• January 16-21, 2010- Center for Pioneer Church Planting, Harlingen, TX (Contextualization)
• January 23-30, 2010- Ingleside Baptist Church Mission Trip/IMB REAP North Pastors Conference, Huaraz, Peru