Upcoming Ministry Spring 2010

Minnesota / March 7-18

The Book of Acts

Bethany College of Missions

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Norway / April 13 – 22

Evangelism Methods

Smyrna Bible Institute

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London, England / April 23 – 26

Preaching, Teaching,  Evangelism

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New Brunswick / May 4-10

Communicating Christian Thought in a Post Christian / Post Modern World.

Bethany Wesleyan College

Take the “Good-O-Meter” Test

I know you wanna be a Canadian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw

New Podcast! Preaching in Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Spirit of Caleb

I was there in the first week of November 2009. Even with translation, I think this is a helpful message for all missionaries and churches serving in challenging (overwhelming) situations. The message speaks for itself.

http://www.binkostnacerkevlj.com/podcast_en.html

The Larger Place…an important new book on sectarianism.

Almost thirty years ago my wife, Jeanne wrote a book which biblically identifies and challenges sectarianism. We have never been so troubled by people holding minor doctrinal opinions as much as we have been concerned about what these distinctions have done in dividing the body of Christ.

www.alargerplace.wordpress.com

This book was the result of our own journey and experience. I believe that it is extremely well considered, important and timely and hope to see it into the hands of as many people as possible. Feel free to broadly distribute this link.

Jeanne’s Christmas Letter 2009

December 2009

Dear Friends,

This has been one of the most monumental years of our lives. As most of you know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, and for the next eight months our lives were consumed with tests and treatments of one sort or another. When cancer is caught early, you have no symptoms—no pain or discomfort to alert you to its presence. Yet you must hit it hard to prevent its spread … and then the discomfort begins!

Throughout these months, Tony and I went through most of the emotions associated with a shocking diagnosis: disbelief, dismay, sadness, even flashes of anger. But thankfully I was spared the paralyzing fear that often comes as well. From the very beginning, I had an overriding sense of God’s peace, reassuring me that everything would be okay. All I had to do was trust and rest in Him. And so I did (most days at least). J

God’s grace was freely given as so many friends and family members prayed for me, and it proved sufficient for everything I had to go through. On November 9th I had a follow-up CT scan, a routine check after the chemotherapy and radiation treatments are complete, and the results were everything we had hoped: no cancer anywhere else in my body! Thank you, Lord!

With my health issues, Tony had to shift his priorities and ministry schedule. He was a great support to me and in some ways suffered along with me, especially during the chemotherapy phase. But thankfully he was able to get away and teach at Bethany College in Minneapolis twice this year—in January and June. Then in October, he made a three-week trip to Italy and Slovenia to encourage the believers there and teach a seminar on preaching.

We were glad to be able to travel together in September to minister at the church we planted in Ottawa 25 years ago—Chapel Ridge Free Methodist. I loved speaking at the ladies brunch and catching up with many of you over that anniversary weekend. Tony stayed on an extra week after I flew home to take part in the annual ACCI board meeting. 

We had several visits from our children this year. What a blessing, since I was unable to travel to see them! Matt and his family came for a visit in March. Rachel came to help out while I had my surgery in April and returned with her two boys for another visit in June. Then Sky and his family came for a week’s holiday in August. Amy and her family still live nearby, so we get to be a part of their lives on a year-round basis. We’re excited about the upcoming arrival of grandchild #10 … a new baby for Matt and Noemi. They are expecting a girl, which will even out the numbers a little. Right now we have 2 granddaughters, and the rest (7) are all grandsons! Every one is unique and wonderful.

In 2009 Tony and I also enjoyed hosting friends in between our treatment and work schedules. Some came for only a few hours, while some stayed for a few days. It was fun to see Bud and Debbie Narraway, Brian Gallagher, Ken and Linda Roth, George and Dolly Foster, Ralph and Lois Kellett, Larry Brune, Mark and Ben Peterkins, and the Cerasino family (Aldo, Mariela, Rebecca) from Parma, Italy. I hope I didn’t miss mentioning someone who visited! If I did, please forgive me. J

My brother, Gary, and his wife, Christy, visited us a couple of times this year—once in January and once in October. The Lord continues to build our relationship with them. We’re thankful for the opportunity to sow seeds of God’s love into their lives. Gary’s son, Aaron, who now lives in Pennsylvania, also came to visit his grandmother and stayed with us. My mother had her 93rd birthday in September. She is slowing down, but continues to be blessed with good health considering her age. She lives in a memory care facility 12 miles from our house.

Tony and I have been attending a Nazarene church in Charlotte for about six months. It’s located close to where my mother lives—that’s how we found it in the first place. The pastor is an excellent preacher/teacher and his wife leads the worship team each Sunday. We’re praying about how we can get involved there beyond Sunday morning services.

I’m still enjoying my full time job at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. My department leaders helped me in every way they could throughout my treatment process, and my co-workers freely gave me both emotional and spiritual support. Praise God that He went ahead of me and prepared these resources before my need arose!

Tony and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your friendship. We were reflecting on the fact that we’ve known some of you for over 30 years! Isn’t it wonderful that we still enjoy a strong bond of Christian fellowship after so long a time? This gift, given by the Holy Spirit, is precious and rare these days. All of you—no matter how long we’ve been connected—provide great encouragement to us through your love, prayer support, and financial gifts. Thank you for believing in us!

We praise God for all He is and all He has done in all our lives. How faithfully He has kept us through the “many dangers, toils and snares” we’ve already been through, and we know that what the old hymn says is true: “Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Remember to cling tightly to the Lord in the coming year. No matter what may come, His grace will be sufficient! Our prayer is “that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).

Love in Christ,

Jeanne Hedrick

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; the Lord is my strength and my song. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. … Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you” (Isaiah 12:2-3, 6)

Italy and Slovenia Ministry Trip / Fall 2009

Original Watercolor by Tony Hedrick, Via Garabaldi, Parma, Italy

October 19 – November 12, 2009

In this series of

26  Entires 

you will be able to follow my most recent  adventure which covered approximately 17,000 miles in twenty-four days. 

In this blog series you can view perhaps as many as 100 photographs, meet some of the many contacts that I have made along the way and missionary friends that I serve alongside.

Your comments are always welcome.

 

Entry 26 Between Padua and Vicenza

Rich, Rhonda, Ashley and Tori Hanssen

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Rich suggests that I take the train to a small village called Grisignano di Zocco (see the photo) where he would, as they say in Italy, come and “collect” me.

 

 

 

Tori, Rich, Rhonda and Ashley

I arrived in time for lunch and went immediately to their beautiful home. For a variety of reasons (usually economic) most missionaries here are usually forced into living in sub-standard housing until they find their way around and make the necessary cultural connections.

I wondered how they could have such a great place at such a tremendously fair price. American’s get gouged but this doesn’t appear to have happened in this case.

Their basement sanctuary

It is explained that the landlords are very nice and quite wealthy (or so it appears since they have just purchased a completely refurbished seven hundred year old villa in the heart of the village).  What a nice deal this turns out to be since they can also host their church of some thirty-five or so in the basement where they have a sanctuary and classroom – nursery.

The adjacent nursery

It was about five years ago that I first came into contact with the Hanssen’s when Rich inquired of me how to go about getting papers to settle in Italy. I was able to provide a few tools through another friend and he, Rhonda and the girls are now in the Aviano region primarily serving American military personnel stationed at the airbase near there. Over the last few years they have attracted others including Italian’s, Liberian’s and Spanish speakers.

The girls are both very crafty and talented so I enjoyed seeing Ashley’s quilts and Tori’s jewelry. Their mother, Rhonda put together a wonderful (mostly American styled) lunch and after a talk with prayer, I went back to the train to make my way on down to Verona for the night in a three star (yes, three star!) hotel. I know this wouldn’t be suitable for Benny Hinn but it works for me.  

Entry 26 Venice and the Pugiottos

Venice and Pioggia, pioggia, pioggia…

Monday, November 9, 2009

Some of you may know that I first became acquainted with Piero through a Brazilian friend who introduced us over the internet. Piero had about a billion questions and whether my friend didn’t have the answers or tired of the questions remains to be known. All I know is that he eventually handed off to me and apparently I was convincing enough that he invited me to meet him in Venice at the train station on my next trip through the region. At that time, Piero was a single man about town and known by just about every life- long Venetian. I did meet him and in the short time that we had we walked the streets, along the canals, had lunch, then finally sat on the steps of a cathedral and talked about , what seemed to me everything that had ever popped into his mind. In the end, I must have come out on the best side of the conversation because over the next several years, Piero warmed to the idea of Christianity as a life and eternal option.

Rain, rain, rain…

Venice on a rainy afternoon

On one of my trips he came with me to Parma where he met my friends, Aldo and Mariela along with many of the church members. During the same period he took a trip with his father to Brazil where he, once again, encountered Christians who shared their faith with him.  All the time I was noticing a warming of his heart toward the idea of being a follower of Jesus. On his second trip with me to Parma he made a clear commitment to Jesus.

Piero, Cristiano and Natasha

Piero’s  new wife Natasha is Moldovan and Russian Orthodox (one of those, “I was born Russian Orthodox and I will die Russian Orthodox”) types. Yet, now it seems that I am like her father and she treats me this way. She insisted that I have supper and stay the night. She calls me Anthony and I like that. She loves for me to pray over the meal and bless them and their house. I have given her the gospel in Russian and I wait to see. Piero is always explaining how Russian Orthodox is not in the question, in the end, systems will mean nothing. I believe with Piero that circumstances of their coming together were so providential that there is nothing that will keep her from becoming a full-out Christian. It is my view that I could not have wished for a more lovely mate for my friend.

Piero’s Apartment on Isola Judiaca

Natasha posses every Christian virtue.

Can you imagine? Piero has no church or Christian community to rely upon and yet he has grown exactly as he should. He gets most of what he knows from the internet but it is amazing to me that with all of the stuff he could land on, he seems to have come up with the right stuff. At first he had issues concerning the exclusiveness of Christ but now he is clear on this and even while working as a concierge at the Hilton and surrounded by people of various faiths, much atheism and homosexuality, he appears to have emerged as an undeniable witness to the gospel. He gives credit to God for every improvement in life of which there have been many.  I still believe that there is something more in store for this young couple.

After a delicious cena di sera (supper), exhausted, I went to Cristiano’s room fell upon the bed and awoke at six with the sounds of Natasha readying herself for work.  Later, after Cristiano started to complain, Piero got out of bed to make me breakfast and visit until I went by water taxi to the train station at ten in the morning.

Entry 25 Trieste to Pordenone

A Visit with Gene

International Teams Missionary

Monday, November 9, 2009

I also serve to reconcile and link people and ministries in relational partnerships…

Gene Coleman

Through a friend in Minneapolis (Paul Higdon) I was introduced to the Coleman’s who serve with International Teams in the northeast part of Italy.

After waiting about an hour after arrival (I knew in advance this might be the case and I am used to a great deal of waiting) Gene came into the station to take me to lunch. It was only 11:30 and an unusual time to lunch in Italy (Italian’s usually have lunch at 1 or 1:30 and dinner hour might be as late as eight pm.) so he first took me out to what he called the “Sala”, an Italian word for assembly hall or meeting room.

The "Sala" in Pordenone

He told me ahead of time that I would be impressed with their facility and I was! In Italy it is almost impossible to find and then obtain permission to publically gather. Some feel that this is intentionally meant to discourage evangelicals from organizing themselves and having a visible presence in any city.

The well equipped kitchen

The building which once served as an automobile repair service. The church were shown incredible favor by the owner who permitted this free-standing building to be put at the service of the local congregation for the measly sum of ??? Euro. We agreed that a similar location and space might run as much as four times this amount. 

From here we went to the restaurant but being Monday (lunedi) when many stores are closed we landed upon a marvelous restaurant (you must go there) called Barrique Drag & Max Bar, Trattoria, Pizzeria. Here we had a long visit regarding our various journeys and decided that, indeed we are cut from the same cloth, serve the same Lord and share similar philosophies of what constitutes purposeful missionary work. In the three hours that we were together we covered most everything that two rather non-relational men can come up with in the length of time.

With various commitments to work in tandem, I was back to the trains and on my way to Venice to stay the night with Piero, Natasha and little Cristiano Pugiotto.