Another Poem by Rolland Smith

Cooperation

Most CAMex missionaries do not lack when it comes to ambition

For our goal is to fulfill the Lord’s Great Commission.

God’s answer is found in being “one”

If we are to see the work well done.

He continues to speak as He says:

“It would be great to see my children cooperate.”

That the world may know what the gospel is about

We must be ready to show our unity to a lost and dying community.

Some missionaries say, “Together we will serve,

If only we had access to that thing called MERV.

Excuses like that don’t help us unite;

So away with that mockery-Let’s walk in His light!

Jesus is coming again soon. Do we see the sinner’s fate?

There is a time limit. God has set the date.

We will be effective in reaching this nation

Only when we can be counted on by our cooperation.

Wouldn’t it be grand for the world to see

what the Lord can do thru you and me?

We feel the weight of responsibility, we dare not shirk;

This is all the more reason we need team work.

First, we are to model “oneness”. All eyes are watching us.

We are under the gun.

Who said this couldn’t be accomplished?

We’re now having fun!!

This being “tight” in our fellowship is contagious, you know.

The Mexican brethren can see we are actually beginning to grow!

It is true we are one flock, so let’s serve together.

Do this in His might.

Be sensitive to one another;

That’s only right.

One day we will stand before our Lord.

Our desire is to hear Him say:

“Servant, well done.”

We will cooperate together in the race that we run!

The Power of Three Minutes

The Power of Three Minutes

By Beth Gross

I was floored by the deep issues that surfaced in three minutes . . .

During the third week of April, Jonathan Edwards led a group of Questers in pursuit of better listening skills. He taught the principles of listening skills, demonstrated with a brave volunteer and then set us loose in groups of three to practice them. In every group, each Quester had 3 (or 4) minutes to share while another Quester practiced the listening skills and a third evaluated. I was floored by the deep issues that surfaced in three minutes.

It made me wonder why we don't see more of that kind of sharing in our casual conversations. Maybe some of it can be attributed to the urgency of the time limit or the preparation of the participants.

But, I think some things we learned about active listening are transferable to everyday interactions.

1. Freedom to choose. Our group found if we left the field wide open, others were more likely to share below the surface. Instead of greeting someone with "How's the wife and kids?" we could say "What's on your mind?"

2. Be quiet. Too often in conversations, someone's sharing triggers the memory of an experience or story. When it's our turn to speak, we jump in with our two cents, the conversation takes a turn and the opportunity to hear someone's heart is missed. Instead, we could recap what they have said, ask for more information or ask about the emotions involved.

3. Avoid advice and solutions. Sometimes a person's greatest need is just to be heard. Resisting the urge to "be a fixer" allows another the chance to continue telling his story. Affirming the difficulty of a struggle and the emotions involved can in itself bring healing. At that point, the story-teller might be ready to look for solutions.

A lot can happen in three minutes. Let's listen for it.

After attending the Quest conference in April, Beth Gross who serves in Puebla, MEXICO wrote the above article