drew moser

Convergence...

2008-05-06T10:19:00.002-04:00

I'm giving this blog a break. I currently don't give it the time and attention that warrants a whole blog devoted to me, me, me.

So, for the time being, when I feel the urge to post, I'll do so on our family blog: www.moseradventures.blogspot.com

There you'll find updates on our crazy life and mission in Vancouver. I'll still share books I'm reading, quotes worth passing along, and photos snapped.

See you there...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

[click] Storytime

2008-05-05T22:16:00.001-04:00

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

[click] Legacy

2008-05-05T14:32:00.002-04:00

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

[click] Discovery

2008-05-05T14:24:00.004-04:00

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

My New Favorite Term: Whimsical Holiness

2008-05-05T14:16:00.002-04:00

whimsical holiness: 'being like Jesus...with those Jesus would have been with."

Coined by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, CRM missional experts/practitioners [CRM is the parent org of NieuCommunities], leaders of the Adullam community in Denver, CO, and authors of The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community.

This is a fantastic book, in the same stream as The Shaping of Things to Come [but probably a bit more introductory and accessible].

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

How Am I?

2008-04-30T14:58:00.001-04:00

Glad you asked. I feel like one feels after a Thanskgiving meal.

Full.
Content.
But in desperate need of nap in front of a TV beaming football.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

From Darkness to Light...

2008-04-28T10:14:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to figure out photoshop. I'm in way over my head, but I'm having fun so far.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Ride Your Bike...

2008-04-17T14:09:00.002-04:00

On my way back to the office after lunch, I rode my 'new' 80's era vintage Schwinn cruiser. It's the old coaster brake style. Very cool. . . pics forthcoming. Bekah has a matching lady's cruiser. We plan to paint the town red with our matching red cruisers.

Yeah, we're THAT couple.

And it's all thanks to Craig and his wonderful list. I love Craig's list.

Anyway, on my ride I saw no less than 5 people I knew, and I was able to stop and talk to them.

If I had been insulated in my car, all I'd have to show for my commute was 5 courtesy waves hello, a couple dollars burned out of my gas tank, and some calories left unburned from my belly.

Instead, I rode my bike to work, and was able to actually have 5 real conversations.

You may be thinking: "Well, Drew, you live in a small town...that's different."

Is it?

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Camping in the Middle of Somewhere...

2008-04-15T09:43:00.003-04:00

I spoke at True North Church in Wauseon, OH last Sunday...a small church with a big heart and an even bigger impact.

They podcast their weekly services, and you can listen to my sermon HERE.

This is the first go-around [of 3 churches], so it's a bit bumpy in spots. My gifting is not preaching. . . Billy Graham I am not. But overall, it think it went very well. I used a few phrases that I won't again (for example: I mentioned 'Christian nation'....I don't think the U.S. was ever been a 'Christian nation'...but that's another story), and I'm going to clarify a few points I though might have come across a bit muddy.

Also, a few visual notes: I used some powerpoint slides, and referenced it in my sermon. Also, I was preaching next to the biggest pop-up tent ever.

I'll be speaking the [roughly] very same sermon this Sunday at Salem Church in Gridley, IL. So if you'll be there, don't listen to the podcast. It'll ruin the surprise...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Quotable Quotes worth Quoting...

2008-04-09T14:23:00.003-04:00

"The most powerful thing that can happen in the place of prayer is that you become the prayer. You leave the room as Jesus' hands and feet on earth."--Brennan Manning

"Service flows out of worship. Service instead of worship is idolatry."--Richard Foster

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

My Muxtape...

2008-04-08T15:14:00.003-04:00

This is fun. Bringing the mixtape back, Web 2.0 style! You can listen to mine HERE.

Do you muxtape? If so, let me know.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Urban Missions in an Image!?

2008-04-07T13:58:00.001-04:00

You may be saying, 'eh?'
Stay tuned...
In the meantime: read John 1:14 and meditate upon it.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us..."

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Cool Idea: Urban Rest Stop

2008-04-07T10:15:00.001-04:00

Check out the website for the Urban Rest Stop. Urban ingenuity for the sake of the people...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

The support of many...

2008-04-01T15:39:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to plug some amazing churches who have chosen to partner with us in our mission to Vancouver.

Archbold Evangelical Mennonite Church
True North Church
Salem Church

We are so, so thankful to have 3 churches prayerfully and financially supporting us. If your church is interested in supporting a family on the front lines of the new frontier of missions, feel free to contact me: drewmoser[at]gmail[dot]com.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

2,400 mi. [cont]

2008-03-27T15:23:00.003-04:00

The adage goes, "It's the journey, not the destination..."

But, if I'm going to drive 2,400 miles, and my wife is going to endure a cross-country flight with 3 kids under 3, the destination better be important.

This will be our street, the Commercial Drive [aka 'The Drive']. Well over 60 nationalities surrounding The Drive in a 12 block radius. Many of those don't know who Jesus really is.

Nice view, eh? Stay tuned...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

2,400 mi

2008-03-26T10:07:00.004-04:00

Archbold, Ohio to Vancouver, British Columbia [via Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington State]. 2,400 miles exactly.

Sheesh...that'll be a long drive. Spare some gas?

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Lessons learned from fundraising for missions...

2008-03-25T14:33:00.002-04:00

Now that we are adjusting to life with 3 kids under 3, our attention (what's left of it) now turns back to preparing for our missionary apprenticeship with NieuCommunities in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

We're a little over 2 months away [gasp] from moving our young nomadic clan to our neighbor to the north. In some ways Bekah and I can't fathom the reality of moving with everything else that has happened in our lives. On the other hand, we are so busy we barely have time to worry about the future; all our energy seems devoted to the present. So maybe that's a good thing.

Praise God, through the generosity of over 30 individuals/families, we're over halfway to our goal of raising the necessary $42,000 to live, serve, and worship in Vancouver. Thus far, our support has come in response to our support letter [which you can read in .pdf form HERE]. In April, we're going to be more proactive speaking at churches, meeting with people, etc. in order to shore up the needed funds.

Along the way, I thought I'd share a few lessons learned, many of them from people who are mentors, fellow missionaries to-be, or just friends who are wise beyond their years. [By recent posts on this blog, can you tell that God has me in a posture of learning?]

Seek God's face, not His hand [of provision]. Don't reduce your view of God to a vending machine which merely dispenses what you need or want.
When following God's call, tension is inevitable. Get used to it, and learn to thrive in it.
Financial support will come from some of the places you least expect, and it won't come from some of the place you most expect.
When doing something most would deem 'crazy', get used to (and learn to accept) that people will look down on your like you're a naughty kindergarten student, wave their finger at you, and say, 'shame on you.' Resist the urge to reply with, 'Well, shame on YOU..."
Change is hard. It is. It tests and stretches you, your relationships, and your faith.
Come to terms with the fact that I will have to explain over and over [and over] why it's not irresponsible to be a missionary in Vancouver and not learn French. [If you're wondering...not many French speaking Canadians that far west. English, followed by Cantonese are the lingua franca].
In life, we need a lot less 'stuff' than we have. Less is more.
Never forget that, in the midst of a national recession, a declining dollar, a struggling local economy, and a local church building campaign, God is the one who provides. He has infinite power and resources at His disposal. Remember, remember, remember.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Lessons from my first week of being a father of 3...

2008-03-22T06:37:00.005-04:00

It's 6:30 am, on my day off...and I've been awake for an hour. I never wake up at 5:30 on my day off. Never.

Well, now I do...it's the new norm. I'm out in the living room with Sam, our cute lil' one week old, letting Bekah get some sleep. This may be the only quiet time I get all day, so I'm taking advantage and dusting off the ol' blog.

My life has been turned upside down in a matter of a few weeks. Just a few weeks ago, I was a married, father of a 2 1/2 year old. Now I'm a father of 3 children. Such mind, body, and soul shattering life changes shake you up and teach you a few things. Here's what I've learned so far:

-It's incredibly difficult [at present] to go anywhere with 3 kids under 3. Bekah and I have considered a few ventures this past week, but the light bulb turns on in both of our minds as we realize that we are now outnumbered by our children. I'm sure this will get easier, but the fact remains that Ben could at any moment lead a revolution and stage a coup in public at any time, and we're done. He's a very charismatic individual, and people would follow him, and I would be exiled to the cold, damp basement.
-It's weird, but you wonder if you have enough love in your heart for more than one child. Ben was all I knew when it came to parenting, and I had trouble imagining loving any other children as much as I love him. Turns out I can love three children deeply. That is a wonderful, inspiring, and joyous experience. In fact, I think adding children to the family has caused me to love each of them better, as each individual encounter is more purposed and intentional.
-Personal time? What personal time? It's gone, by and large, but I'm realizing that this is OK. I now value the precious few moments I have to myself more, and I use them more wisely. And, being a father of 3 is teaching me to get over myself. A continual theme in my life is coming to terms with the fact that "It's not about me...It's about God and others..." I will enjoy the new 'routine' of coming home from work, helping feed the kids some dinner, trying to sneak a few bites in myself, giving baths, and wrestling with them for a little while in hopes of wearing them out before bedtime. I won't get a chance to really sit down until around 8:30pm, but it's still a pretty darn good routine.
-The main topic of conversation around our house: poop. We love poop talk.
-Speaking of poop...we're using cloth diapers on Isa (and will transition Sam onto them when he's a little bigger), and they're not nearly as difficult as you'd imagine. And they're saving us a ton of money.
-I've already had one person ask, when looking at my children, "Which ones are yours?" Bad, bad question. FYI: If you ever want to crudely raise the blood pressure in an adoptive parent, ask them that question. For the record: they are ALL mine.
-I'm tired, but very content. I look forward to a day when I can sleep normally again. Someday...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

What is going on?

2008-03-13T13:24:00.002-04:00

Holy smokes...life is crazy! Isa is home and adjusting well, all things considered. Tomorrow morning Bekah and I head to Toledo to induce baby #3 into this world. We're excited and terrified all at once. We were just getting the feel of caring for 2 toddlers, and now we're going to add a newborn to the clan!

When you think about it, pray for us this weekend. Pray that Isa sleeps soundly, comfortably, and at peace. She's sleeping pretty well, but has some rough times now and then. Pray the baby eats and sleeps well. Pray for Ben as his attention and his stuff keeps getting divided. Pray for love and understanding on his part.

After we get home with baby #3, I'll get back on the blogging horse, with some more posts about Vancouver, life, and all that jazz.

Until then, the entire month of March is shot in terms of fundraising. All spare time has been, and will continue to be devoted to our kids. God is providing, and we're about halfway to our goal of $42,000 to live and serve in Vancouver. So, if any of you would like to give a gift to commemorate Isa and/or baby #3's entrance into the Moser clan, click on the link below. Also, if any of you have ever said, "I'd like to support a missionary someday." Well, then...we'd love to be your first.

Or, if you'd be willing to give up your latte for a week, or even a day...no gift is too small to make an impact.

Thanks!

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Blogging from Guatemala...

2008-03-03T15:21:00.002-05:00

I'll be blogging HERE while in Guatemala. I leave Wed and return the following Tuesday. If you want to read up on the hilarity that will inevitably be '3 Men and a Baby'...check the site every now and then. Back to packing...

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Yesterday...

2008-02-26T08:57:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a good day. Actually, yesterday was an amazing day; the best I've had in a very long time. It was one of those days when the blessings just kept coming. It started normal enough: a typical Monday, but one Bekah and I have been looking forward to for months. We paid off our van yesterday. Words can't express how good that feels, going into missions without a car payment. By itself, this would've constituted a 'good day' in my ranking of days. But this was only the beginning...

Shortly after freeing our van from the bondage of bank financing, we got an email from the U.S. embassy in Guatemala. In all honesty, I've been really, really anxious about the timing of this adoption. Current projections place me in Guatemala on the very same week our 3rd child is scheduled to come into this world. The prospect of being in another country while my wife was in labor was really hard to consider. We've been on this adoption journey for 22 months, and of all the weeks for this thing to end, it had to be the week Bekah's due?

Bekah felt prompted (with hindsight, it was evidently by the Holy Spirit), to send an email to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, explaining our situation. AT BEST, I was expecting them to tell us to wait to hear from them on Tuesday (when our DNA results would arrive, legally allowing them to schedule us our appointment in Guatemala). I was expecting a diplomatic, automated response.

So, back to that email we received yesterday. Turns out they had a cancellation for Friday, March 7, and they are reserving that slot for us! That's next week! All that remained was to actually receive the DNA results, which were scheduled to arrive Tuesday (today). They arrived yesterday, and were a match!

This is nothing short of a miracle from God's own hand. I can go down on Wed, March 5, pick up my daughter, and be back on March 11, approx. 9 days before Bekah's due. This beautiful girl is coming home!

On top of that, airfare and hotel worked out perfectly, and we have a 24 hour window to rebook everything in case this all falls through.

If this weren't enough, we received a handful of pledge cards in the mail today, from people who have decided to support us as we serve in Vancouver. God is good!

Yesterday was a good day.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

New Look...

2008-02-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

If you read this-here blog using an RSS feed reader, than click your way over to the actual site, and check out the new look. Nothing drastic, but instead of the 'amber-waves-of-grain' feel, you now see the Vancouver skyline. Be sure to click on the 'HOME' link and check out a stunning evening look at Vancouver's skyline.

Many thanks to my brother, Travis, for the design work.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Adopt-a-Pixel, Help a Family Adopt

2008-02-22T13:21:00.001-05:00

Jamie & Kim Arpin-Ricci are missionaries with YWAM in Canada. They've struggled with infertility for years. In spite of the fact that they are donor-supported missionaries, they're taking the plunge to adopt a baby from Ethiopia.

But they need your help, and they have a very cool idea for raising the necessary funds (approx. $20,000). You can go to their adoption site, and 'adopt-a-pixel' of an adorable pic of a baby.

So check out their site, Adopt-a-Pixel, and skip your triple grande no-fat caramel latte for the day, and use the money to help a couple adopt an orphan.

Election Year Politics and Kingmaking...

2008-02-20T08:44:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'll admit it: I have a touch of election fever. I'm fascinated by the gamesmanship and competition of an election year. I think it derives from my love for sports; I see politics from the lens of competition. Whether that's neither accurate nor appropriate, I can't seem to help it.

However, I'm enough of a Mennonite to be truly guarded when it comes to my expectations for our next president. As a fiercely loyal subject to the King of Kings, I'm wary (and weary) of the Messianic expectations that are projected upon candidates each year. They breed shortcomings and disappointment, and we have historical amnesia, as we crown another candidate, placing all our hopes in yet another.

If you're trying to decipher which political party I'm attacking here, I'll save you the effort: all of them. I'm fiercely independent, because I believe it's the most appropriate biblical stance. I flirted with becoming a libertarian a short time ago, and while I still appreciate some of their views, I simply can't buy in completely. Now, some of my fellow Mennonites go so far as to abstain from voting (or, writing in 'Jesus' for president, to make a very poignant expression of their allegiance to Him and Him alone.) Some will even renounce their citizenship to their country of nationality [which, in some isolated instances, I support...but not as an all encompassing Christian requirement].

I value and appreciate some aspects of their position, but I'm not going to burn my passport. I need one to get my daughter from Guatemala, and to serve the poor and marginalized of Vancouver. Plus, I do value the freedom America has to offer. I appreciate the right to vote, and I will vote. (If you would like to know who I'm voting for and why, you'll have to email me. I may or may not tell you. It depends on whether you want to lecture me, or whether you want to have an authentic dialogue).

I vote because I care, and because people gave their lives for the right. However, I think it's very important to have a balanced perspective: vote because it's important, but realize that your candidate isn't Jesus reincarnate.

And, as the media juggernaut of election coverage chugs on, heed the words I read this morning, from I Sam 8:7, when the nation of Israel demanded a human king to lead them:

"And the Lord told him [Samuel]: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you. It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as King.'"

Now, before you leave a long discourse-comment on the clear differences between American democracy and Old Testament monarchies, I'll save you the time and energy. I KNOW. But beyond the socio-political differences lies a very important question:

In whom does your true and ultimate allegiance lie?

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]

Speaking [Mini] Tour

2008-02-18T15:08:00.002-05:00

I'm in the process of developing my sermon/teaching/presentation on God's heart for missions (and specifically, Vancouver). Here's my schedule so far:

April 6: Archbold Evangelical Mennonite Church [7pm evening service/missions emphasis]
April 13: True North Church, Wauseon, OH. [10 am worship service]
April 20: Salem Church, Gridley, IL [9:30 am joint Sunday school, 10:30 am worship service, followed by a potluck lunch/Q & A time]

If you're in the area on any of these dates, please come and join us. Also, if you're looking for a guest speaker for your church, small group, organization, etc about the new frontiers of today's mission work, contact me: drewmoser[at]gmail[dot]com.

[Donate to the Moser family's mission in Vancouver! Click HERE to give online.]