Buckner Prez

Vacation

Today I am meeting in Longview with Buckner Foundation's Longview Development Council. Yesterday we met with the Lubbock Development Council. These councils are the creation of Bucker Foundation for purpose of helping specific locations of Buckner ministries coordinate with the donor base in those areas. The men and women who serve on those councils will make sure we are appropriate in donor relations and will help us network to a larger donor constituency. 

We have had extraordinary growth in our contributions over the past few years and we want to continue that momentum so that we can touch more children and family lives. Buckner continues to be one of the few ministries or charities in the United States that gives a donor the privilege of knowing that 100 percent of their gift goes to the purpose for which they are giving it. All the overhead and fundraising aspects of Buckner have been funded already through our permanent restricted funds. So when you give something to Buckner you can know your generosity is having maximum impact.

After today, I am taking about 10 days off. Vacation is a term that I don't particularly like because it implies inactivity. I hate to vegetate. So because I know it is good for me and good for Buckner, I am going to take a few days away from my job. I will fish, play golf, work in the yard and not get on an airplane. I promise to not spend time on the computer or read messages on my "smart phone." I even plan to read a book that has nothing to do with leadership, organizational management, or religious diatribe. So if you call that a vacation, then that is what I am going to do. Talk to you May 27.

Do You Really Care?

Let’s talk today about apathy – that is, if you care to.

Back in the 1960s, one of the most popular church youth musicals was called “Good News.” The musical included a song titled, “Do You Really Care?” Looking back, it was a very appropriate question for youth in the 60s.

But the question lingers today. Do church people today care? Do we/they care about lost people without Christ? Do we care about nearly 150 million orphans in the world? Do we care about those who are hurting today? In just the past week, we’ve seen a multitude of natural disasters, from the cyclone in Myanmar, to tornadoes here, to the massive earthquake in China yesterday. Do we care?

The easy answer is to say no, people don’t care. But let’s think about that first.

Too often we conclude that because someone doesn’t respond the way we would, that person must not care or must be apathetic. If the recent age of communication has proven anything, it’s that people nowadays have opinions.

We hear those opinions expressed on everything from Larry King Live to Fox News. And if you think people today are filled with apathy, then you haven’t listened to sports talk radio.

It’s not that people are apathetic. It’s that too often, we expect everyone to care about the things we care about. And when they don’t, we label them as apathetic.

So here’s my main point today. It is incumbent on leaders and organizations to tap into those things that excite and ignite people.

There are multiple examples, but one that comes immediately to mind for me is missions. Generations of Christians were raised on the idea that missions is something we study about, give to and pray for. The most excitement in a local church was the visit of a missionary from some far away land.

But a shift has occurred in churches that some interpret as a trend toward apathy when it comes to missions. Churches don’t seem to give as much to missions; pastors don’t challenge young people to give their lives to “full time” missions. Mission study groups in local churches have struggled for survival. All of this can be seen as a growing apathy toward missions.

But looks can be deceiving. For those organizations and ministries that see what’s going on, these are the most exciting days in the history of missions. What is happening is just the opposite of apathy. Actually, more and more people want to have direct involvement in missions by putting their own hands to work.

The way I see it, missions-oriented ministries have two choices:
1.) Try to continue forcing the old methods;
2.) Adapt and welcome the change. Those who choose the first think there is a growing apathy toward missions. Those who take the second are growing and attracting more “missionaries” than ever before.

As I said, missions is just one example of misdiagnosing apathy. There are others in the church and in our culture and society at large.

So before you label someone as apathetic, look closer – that is, if you care to.

What Makes a House ‘Home?’

As community supporters arrived at the reception at My Father’s House, Lubbock yesterday afternoon to celebrate the joining of My Father’s House with Buckner Children and Family Services, I reflected that “House” might be a misnomer. It’s more like home.

It’s definitely home to the residents who’ve chosen to make it home. My Father’s House is an ecumenical ministry to women in need of recovery or economic support in a desperate time in their lives. My Father’s House provides that, true to founder Shirley Madden’s vision of providing services within a culture of faith-based love and care. 

And these are women who need it. Often they come from backgrounds where they’ve been told they “can’t.” They can’t get an education. They can’t succeed. They can’t provide for their children. They can’t be beautiful on the inside or outside.  They can’t break an addiction. They can’t make good choices. They can’t be loved. They can’t have – or be – a good role model. It’s the kind of criticism that degrades, that makes what’s supposed to be home – just a house.

But they choose to make a home at My Father’s House. They choose to create safe, loving families focused on Christian ethics, values, and ideals. They choose to meet the challenge of giving up old coping methods to learn new, positive responses that create hope, confidence and success in themselves and their children. They choose a safe place for  their children. They choose to make homes.

The feel of home was evident as the crowd of about 100 gathered for the celebration. It was like a home reunion. People who have surrounded these women with love and support for the past several years physically surrounded them yesterday. This community of encouragement united behind the ideals of My Father’s House laughed and shared about their experiences with residents.

Mayor David Miller noted the home-like atmosphere as he read a proclamation from the Lubbock City Council honoring the work of My Father’s House and the change it brings to the Lubbock community by providing home.

Paula Smith, interim director for My Father’s House, emphasized the joining of sister services as a combination alike in spirit and faith, what a home should be.

As Buckner ramps up to provide ongoing services to women through My Father’s House, we acknowledge that it’s a building, a big house, so to speak. But we also acknowledge that the love of the staff, the care they provide and the abundance of God’s grace make it more than a house. It’s home.

Shotgun Approach

I usually like to be as specific as possible. It eliminates any ambiguity or uncertainty. You can call it taking the rifle, or very targeted approach.

But today, there is so much to mention that I’m taking the shotgun approach, in honor of our sporting clays challenge held last Saturday. The old newspaper columnist Blackie Sherrod used to write a sports column called “Scattershooting.” So, here goes:

· Our group returned Saturday from a great trip to the Middle East that included stops in Egypt, Israel and Palestine. It would appear that Buckner has some immediate opportunities for ministry there. Please be in prayer with us about the possibilities and stay tuned. We’re all tired and recovering, but that is tempered with the excitement we have for what God is doing.

· Saturday was the sixth annual Frost Bank Sporting Clays Challenge in Dallas. Now this one really is about shotguns and scattershooting. We had more than 260 shooters attend this year’s event and it looks like we will net more than $100,000 for our ministries. We have a great group of volunteers led by Bob Gayden and Larry McDaniel who put this event on every year. And we couldn’t do it without the great support of Frost Bank, led by Hardie Herman and Linda Baker. We recognized Linda this year for her dedication to the event. Myndi Easter from our staff coordinates the activities with our committee. Who would have ever thought you could raise that much money with shotguns? By the way, if you missed Saturday’s event, you can join us July 18-19 for the Texas Bank and Trust Sporting Clays Challenge at Prairie Creek Sporting Clays just west of Longview.

· Last Wednesday, we received a truckload of shoes from Missouri Rotary District 6040 for our Shoes for Orphan Souls drive. The Missouri Rotarians began collecting shoes and socks in 2001 and since then, they have contributed 155,000 pairs of shoes and more than $54,000 in cash. This year’s contribution totaled just over 17,000 shoes, 1,300 pairs of socks and more than $6,000 in cash. And, they always work with UPS to ensure the shoes are shipped from Missouri to the Buckner Humanitarian Aid Center in Dallas at no cost to Buckner. And that’s not all. We have a big story to tell next week about one of the largest gifts ever given to Shoes for Orphan Souls. Stay tuned.

· Tomorrow is going to be a great day for Buckner in Lubbock. We’re hosting a reception at My Father’s House Lubbock, which became a part of our ministries in February. We’ve invited friends and supporters from both My Father’s House and Buckner Children’s Home to join us from 4 to 6 p.m. If you live in the area, please come by and join us. They mayor of Lubbock will be there with a proclamation honoring Tuesday, May 6, 2008 as Buckner Day in Lubbock.

Don’t worry. I’m not out of shotgun shells. There’s more to tell, but that’s enough for now. You can see why I needed a shotgun today instead of a rifle.

God is so good. These are wonderful days and I am so thankful and so honored to share in the work God is doing through Buckner.

Holy Lands

Palestine is known as the Holy Land. Holy means to be separate, set apart, and this place truly is special. It is an amazing feeling to know you are walking where Jesus walked.

Albert Reyes is blogging about the critical importance of water in the Holy Land and you can follow his thoughts about our trip at www.pandulce.typepad.com. Albert observes in his blog that it’s so easy to get caught up being in the Holy Land that “it is easy to miss the point of the Jesus who came to live in the Holy Land.”

Yes, this is a holy land. The Hebrews called it the Promised Land and for thousands of years, it has been sacred to the entire world.

This trip comes just two months after my journey to Vietnam exploring ministry possibilities for boys and girls there. And while there is no chance I will confuse the topography of Palestine with Vietnam, I am moved by the reality that God is in both places.

This has been an extraordinary year for me already. I’ve traveled as much in the first four months as I often do in an entire year. And there is more to come.

Each trip is unique. Each country and culture is different. Yet there is a strange coalescence coming together for me today as I think about my first four months of 2008. It is this fact – that everywhere I have been this year, Jesus is alive and doing different things in this world. The more I travel, the more I am aware of God’s movement in so many different ways in so many different places.

The truth is, God is doing extraordinary things around the globe. The question is, can we catch up with what God is doing? God is touching lives and bringing people to himself and he calls us to join him in his worldwide work.

Whether it’s on the Vietnamese border with China or in the West Bank of Palestine, the gospel is being preached.

As that reality has set in on me, it has led me to another conclusion/observation – our world is simply too fractured for Christians to worry about or waste our time on petty little stuff. God is moving on and if we are spending our time quibbling about small things in our churches or denominations, we will be left in God’s holy dust.

For too long, American Christians have held the conceited opinion that we are God’s last and only hope for the world; that we somehow have a manifest destiny in God’s kingdom and because of that, God somehow needs us.

This trip to Palestine, as well as my travels to Vietnam and other places in the world, have shown me that God moves where he wills, with or without us. I pray we will move with him.

Jesus Christ is real. He is real here in the Holy Land; he is real in Vietnam and yes, in the United States. And the more I see the movements of Christ in places like Palestine, the more I am convinced of a truth I have known my entire life – that Jesus is the only answer to our problems.

It’s a great experience being in the Holy Land. But being here has made me aware that Vietnam and other places I’ve been are “holy lands,” too, because of the presence and movement of God.

This is my last post until I get back home. Our group leaves late Friday night for home. Please pray for our travels home and as you pray, please remember the boys and girls of Palestine…and Vietnam.

Wall to Wall

We hear a lot about building walls these days. If you’re from Texas, like me, then you know walls are in the news. The United States is in the process of building a wall on its border with Mexico.

The poet Robert Frost wrote about “Mending Wall,” and disagreed with his neighbor, who believed that “good fences make good neighbors.” We’ve debated that wisdom for ages.

I’m in Palestine on this trip through the Middle East. I’ve studied about this land my entire life, but I confess I’ve never thought much about the role walls play in the Bible. But when you stop and think about it, the Bible is full of accounts centered on walls.

The best example of biblical wall building is Nehemiah, who has an entire book in the Old Testament named for him and his efforts to build a wall around Jerusalem.

This trip has made me keenly aware of the presence and prevalence of walls in Israel today. Our Buckner group is traveling with a group from First Baptist Church, Palestine, Texas (get the irony there), led by Pastor Jay Abernathy. Jay has graciously loaned some photos to me that show the walls here.

The West Bank, home to the Palestinian Authority, is separated from Israel by a wall. It’s a stark wall stretching across the barren desert and when you stand and look at it, you can’t help but ask the question Frost asked in  his poem, “Is this wall keeping people in or out?”

Portions of the wall are lined with graffiti, an art form I don’t fully appreciate. But our group was stopped in its tracks today when we encountered a painting on the wall of a little girl stretching upward, straining to grasp a collection of balloons seeming to float just beyond her reach. Talk about a metaphor…

We’re spending our time here behind the wall. We’ve been asked by Palestinian Authority officials and the municipality of Ramallah here in the West Bank to assist in work with orphans and at-risk children.

The team for FBC Palestine and partners from Minnesota have introduced us to Pastor Munir Kakish, who is vice president of the Baptist convention in Israel and the West Bank. Munir grew up in a Christian orphanage and brings a unique perspective to the needs these children face.

Along with leading his church, Munir founded the Home of New Life, a children’s home and he, along with the government, are asking Buckner to establish Christian ministries here and to strengthen existing ones.

The opportunities presented to Buckner here have caused me to ask the question, “What walls might keep us from responding to the call for help in Palestine?”
1.)    Will churches travel to a place of seeming unrest?
2.)    Will donors support our efforts here?
3.)    Do we have the expertise to do this work?
4.)    Should we be here?

I know the answers to questions three and four. Yes, Buckner has the expertise and ability to do this and we can make a huge difference here. Yes, Christians and Americans should be here doing this work.

But we won’t know the answers to questions one and two until we come back from behind the wall and can ask people.

I can tell you first hand that it is safe here, regardless of what you may hear, see or read. Our group has walked the streets of Ramallah and we feel safer than we would in most American cities.

I can also tell you that peoples of all faiths here are incredibly encouraging to us and hopeful we will return with more people and more help for their children.

Most of us remember the time President Ronald Reagan stood near another famous wall and entreated Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” And it happened.

But the reality of our world is that there are many walls that may never be torn down. So the question becomes, can we climb the wall? These days in Palestine have given me the answer – yes, we can and should climb the wall. And when we get to the other side, we find people who welcome us and who want to work alongside us.

I am so thankful that Buckner is the kind of ministry that never lets obstructions get in the way of what God has called us to do on behalf of “the least of these.”

Focus

I'm tired and about to go to bed. It's Sunday, and we just arrived in Palestine from Egypt. It's late, it's a little hard to focus, but this trip has been all about focus for me.

It is Eastern Orthodox Easter Sunday here and I'm reminded as I leave the land of Egypt and come to Palestine how diverse this part of the world is, even though the geographical area is so small. Of course, this condensed diversity of people and politics makes the geopolitical situation difficult, with a corresponding amount of unrest and violence.

But the reality -- and our focus -- must be on helping the victims of this unrest. The one true way for the children who are victims of the turmoil and economic deprivation experienced in this part of world is to show all that Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, reigns supreme.

I’ll be talking more about our observations toward the end of Wednesday, but this is already clear to us: We need to focus on solutions to man’s problems so God can bring blessing to the children of broken families, whether they are Palestinian, Egyptian or Israeli and, particularly in Palestine, we must answer their needs whether they are Christian or Muslim.

He Knows My Name

Performing artist Geoff Moore, who is an advocate for our Buckner work, sings a song called “He Knows My Name.” It’s a wonderful reminder that God knows who we are.

I was also reminded of that today (Thursday) during my visits here in Egypt. These are some of the most precious, beautiful children I’ve seen. They run up to us in the orphanages and beg to have their picture taken with us.

There are two million street children in Egypt. That is stunning to think about. But when I see these boys and girls, I remember that while we may not know their names, God does. And he knows where his lost children are.

Not only does God know the names of every child, he also knows the names of those he will use to help them. I’m especially aware of that today as I travel with a special group of Buckner friends and supporters.

Bob Hefner is a true friend to children around the world. Bob is a businessman from Dallas who has journeyed far and wide with Buckner in the cause of orphan children. We’ve traveled together countless times and on each trip in every country, I see the heart of God in Bob. He gives our Buckner team tremendous insight.

Barry Pryor is on our Buckner board. Like Bob, Barry is from Dallas and has been a companion on these investigative  trips before. Barry retired early from the Sewell Family of Dealerships, a car group, after a very successful career. He has a passion for these boys and girls.

Ed Waltz has been traveling with Buckner for years. Ed is a friend to children in need. He is an attorney with the University of Texas system, serving as a real estate expert for their foundation. He has been to Russia numerous times, as well as Southeast Asia. These travels give him great insight into other cultures and he recognizes the impact we can have on children’s lives through our direct-care ministries.

Jim Wright is from Longview. He and his wife are faithful donors to our work and he is a deacon at First Baptist Church. Jim has been in private business, working in the oil and gas industry. He brings great wisdom to us, coupled with high enthusiasm and a commitment to children.

Phil McKenzie first traveled with Buckner on a Shoes for Orphan Souls trip in 2000 and he’s been coming back ever since, using his resources and energy into his 70s on behalf of children. Phil is a former bank trust officer.

We came to Egypt at the invitation of the government and alongside Hope Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nev. Hope is committed to the children here and is working with a group of churches to do ministry in Egypt. The pastor of missions and outreach, Chip Riggs, is coordinating the work and bringing Buckner in. You can check them out at www.hopebaptistchurch.com.

Here’s the thing I keep coming back to today. Every time we turn around at Buckner, God is showing us extraordinary needs. But right alongside the needs, God brings extraordinary people for us to work with. There is no way humanly speaking that we could have planned what God is doing. We’re not smart enough or creative enough to do this.

So, I’m reminded again that God knows – he knows my name, he knows the name of these precious and wonderful children in Egypt. He knows the names of Bob, Barry, Ed, Jim  Chip and Phil.  He knows the Bucker staff traveling with me, Albert Reyes, Randy Daniels and Kenton Keller.  And he knows the names of the children we are meeting this week.

God knows. That’s a comfort to me.

First Day in Egypt

We started out having been delayed by 12 hours and finally got to the hotel at 4:00 a.m.  We’ve had a full day of meetings but were unable to meet with the First Lady of Egypt, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarek, because of some issues related to the Palestinian Crisis and Hamas.  We had great meetings with the Evangelical Union, which included Dr. Rev. Safwat Nagiub EL-Baiady, President of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, President of the Middle East Council of Churches, Engineer Fouad Youssef Abdel Misseh, Secretary General of the General Evangelical Council of Egypt and Representatives of the Evangelical Fellowship, who are working with orphans, widows, and children at risk.  We met with a number of ministries that support work to at-risk children, and they have asked Buckner to cooperate in helping them to achieve their mission of helping to improve lives of the children and families in Egypt.

The Evangelical Union is made up of all the protestant denominations of Egypt.  All of the denominations have been forced to cooperate and have created a wonderful synergy and cooperative spirit that makes a huge impact on the lives of its people.  They need a partnership from the West to strengthen what they want to accomplish.  Egypt is the lead country of the Middle East, so the Evangelical Union wants to create a platform that will give them legitimacy to Middle Eastern culture.

In the afternoon, after having had a wonderful meal prepared by the Evangelical Union, we met with NGO’s (Non Government Organizations) that are working in Egypt and heard their request for help in areas such as accountability, governance, and election of boards.  There are 23,000 NGO’s in Egypt and no coordination among them at all at present.  They envision a large ministry such as Buckner coming in and helping them to be able to fully leverage relationships.

Next we went to the Lillian Fowler Orphanage, which is 97 years old.  It was established by a missionary to Egypt from Florida.  She died in 1961, but the work has continued.  There are 76 girls that reside in a very aging facility with very few staff.  They have asked Buckner to assist them in their efforts.

I’ve just been in Egypt one day and have been impressed with the country, people, and natural resources.  It is quite evident that they don’t need our expertise, but they do need our servant attitude and spirit.  They are doing a great work.  They need to know that there are friends in America that are trying to walk alongside with them to assist them in achieving their goals for their country.  There are two million street children in Egypt alone.  We will continue dialogue with government, churches, and businesses to look at ways that Buckner might be of assistance in touching lives in this beautiful place.

Exploring the Middle East

I’m leaving this morning on a two-week journey to Egypt and Palestine with a group of Buckner staff and supporters.

We’ll be spending the next several days meeting with leading government officials in Egypt, including a scheduled meeting with Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt. We’re also planning to tour a number of locations and sites in Egypt working with orphans and at-risk children.

Along with government leaders, our group is also scheduled to spend significant time with religious leaders connected to work with children.

We often don’t think about children in this region of the world. Our focus is usually on the plight of children in Third World countries. But as I’ve prepared for this trip, I’ve become keenly aware of some the needs we’ll be seeing.

It has been encouraging to watch the planning of this trip and see the response and anticipation of our various hosts who are aware of the work of Buckner. They are as excited about the possibilities as we are.

Our group appreciates your prayers during this trip. We leave at 2:45 p.m. today and we won’t be back in Dallas until Saturday, May 3 at 2:30 p.m. This is a long trip, both in terms of miles and time. Please remember us during our journey.

Depending on Internet access over the next two weeks, I hope to provide sporadic updates on the trip and our group. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do my best.

God bless you and again, please remember us in your prayers.