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Asian Access Blog Centre | Cape Town 2010

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Cape Town 2010 Posted: Countdown to an historical gathering In just a few weeks, Asian Access will be deeply involved in what one article in Christianity Today has called "The Most Diverse Gathering Ever". They recently published the article on Cape Town 2010 in the magazine's September issue. The importance of this event is significant as several leaders echo what one person recently said: "What happens at this Congress will reverberate throughout the worldwide Body of Christ for decades to come. There is no other event like it. There may not be another gathering of this magnitude in the next 20 years." The event is led by Asian Access missionary and board member, Reverend Doug Birdsall, the executive chair of the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization. In addition to Doug's role, several board members and staff members are playing key roles. Former Asian Access board member, Mrs. Grace Mathews, serves as the Director of the Programme Committee. Reverend Ajith Fernando, Asian Access Reference Council, will be a plenary speaker. Reverend Adrian De Visser, Asian Access Vice President for Partnership Development, is the Lausanne International Deputy Director for South Asia. Dr. David Bennett, Asian Access board member, serves as the Plenary II Session Coordinator. Reverend Kenneth Fong, Asian Access Reference Council, is on the Reference Council for the Congress. Dr. Sue Takamoto, Asian Access missionary, is on the Leadership Development Working Team. Mr. Jonathan Kohl, Asian Access board member, serves on the Business as Mission Working Group. Mr. Bobby Ryu, former Asian Access missionary, is on the Theology Working Group. Mr. Elliott Snuggs, Asian Access missionary, serves on the Arrangements Committee. Mr. Mark Larsen, Asian Access Finance Director, is on the Finance Committee. Mr. Ned Kiser, former Asian Access VP for Development, is Chief of Staff for the Chairman’s office and joining him on that team is Mr. Bruce Johnson, former Asian Access VP for Leadership Development. Furthermore, a number of Asian Access Country Directors, Faculty, Board Members and Reference Council members will join me as delegates at the Congress. I believe this event has enormous potential for the future of World Evangelism. It likely will set the pace for the Church for the next two decades. I invite you to join us in praying for the Congress. Also, if you would like to participate, there will be a number of Global Link sites where you can participate from your country. For those of you living in Southern California, my friends at Biola University are hosting one of these sites. Thank you for praying for us and praying for Lausanne. As you pray, you can use Billy Graham’s advice to us as a key reminder: "Keep evangelism at the center. Make Christ your focus. Base everything on Scripture. And pray, pray, pray." Joseph W. Handley, Jr.

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Is Cape Town REALLY Africa?

A lot of people say that Cape Town isn't REALLY Africa. It is completely different from the rest of the continent. Modern city, not many bugs, cool climate, etc. For example, when you think of Africa, would you expect as you stroll down the beach to run into a colony of penguins? I did today!

So, no doubt, Cape Town is very different. But, then as I was walking down a path and a baboon jumped out of the bushes with a screech right in front of me, well, I decided Cape Town IS Africa!

Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

The Cape Town 2010 office is now a buzz of activity, and the Ephesians verse is very appropriate for the remaining time before the Congress. I need wisdom in how I use my time. And we must be aware that the enemy is doing everything he can to mess things up. I appreciate your prayers for health and wisdom!

Yaweh Tsuri (The Lord is my Rock)

The Lord is My Rock. Cape Town is a beautiful city. Each day as I look at Table Mountain, I'm reminded that God is my Rock. You will even see in the picture what the locals call the "table cloth". At certain times (like tonight), a thin blanket of clouds rolls in over table mountain, forming the table cloth.

I'm thankful God is our Rock. Since landing on Tuesday I've been on the run, needing to very quickly secure contracts for radios, telephones and cell phones that we need during the Congress. Also, I had to generate the room set up sheets for every day of the Congress and get those to our liaison at the Cape Town International Convention Center, so they can begin to set their staff schedule. And then there were the flood of emails that came in while I was flying and out of touch--91 to respond to upon landing. Yikes!

Thankfully, the weekend has provided a chance to slow the pace down a bit and catch up on some of the workload. Tomorrow, Sunday, I plan to take mostly off as a Sabbath rest. Pray for good rest. Then pray for this next week that I can maximize the minutes of the day. Need wisdom!

Arrived

Okay, thanks for your prayers! Got here safely and am trying to get settled. I'll be in the extended stay apartment for the next two weeks, before moving to the CTICC. Looking forward to getting over jet lag and getting to work!

Last Trip to Cape Town!

I'm just a few hours from departure--the last trip to Cape Town. I well remember my first trip in 2007. Since then it has been back and forth for 3 years preparing for NOW. I can't believe it. Finally come, and still too much to do. There are just so many things that cannot be done until the last. And that is where we are at now.

Pray for a restful set of flights over so I can be ready to hit the ground running!

Back Home

Hi all,

Wanted to let you know I'm back home in Los Angeles. After three packed days in Singapore meeting with our country leaders from around Asia, it is good to be home. Need a little time to catch up on sleep. But the trip was great. Heard some great reports from the field.

Thanks for your prayers!

--Elliott

Finished in Cape Town

First, let me thank you for your prayers over the last week. Without them I would never have made it through very rigorous days. But by God's grace the long days and intense discussions have been productive. We have solved many challenges, and identified the details that must be addressed in the next three weeks. Yes, believe it or not, three weeks from now I'll be landing again in Cape Town, this time for the duration of the Congress.

I'd like to ask for your special prayers tonight. One of the members of our arrangements team whose name is Megan has a heavy heart tonight and needs our prayers. Today her daughter woke up with a severe headache. They took her to the doctor, and the long and short of it is that she had and MRI and they discovered a large tumor in her brain. As soon as possible they will be taking her into surgery to remove the tumor. Megan's daughter is Courtney. Please pray for Courtney, Megan and Dion (father). Megan plays a key role on our team and I'm sure this is one more way the enemy is trying to disrupt the planning for the Congress.

Key Prayer Request: Protection over the entire team preparing for the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, Cape Town 2010. Kingdom work requires intense prayer covering!

Tomorrow I fly to Singapore for my Asian Access meetings. I will be joining country leaders from across Asia. I ask for your prayers as we seek God for what he has for us in 2011. And pray for my smooth flights and good seats as I travel. I need to sleep as I'll arrive in Singapore at 5:35 AM, and have a full day of meetings.

--Elliott

Cape Town Update

As I briefly mentioned a couple of hours ago, I have really been busy from the moment I landed in Cape Town on Wednesday morning. I was met at the airport by one of my team members who drove me to my hotel, where I checked in and then jumped back into the car and went to the convention center (CTICC). From noon until after 8:00 PM I was in one meeting after another. Then went back to the hotel, unpacked, and went to bed a bit early.

Thursday I was up and out the door by 7:30 AM for breakfast and then meetings starting at 8:30 PM. I did not see the hotel again until 10:00 PM that night. Solid meetings and/or meals straight through. Same basic schedule on Friday, though I got back to the hotel a bit earlier and so finally had time to go work out an internet connection.

Today, Saturday, I have a bit more time. I had a chance in the morning to catch up on a couple of emails, and then took a few hours to go down to the waterfront. Cape Town is a beautiful city, and fun to explore. Now I'm back, and ready to get to work again. I have a lot of emails to catch up on today, and then after church tomorrow, a lot more planning to do.

Key Prayer Request: I have a pile of details to deal with a mile deep. Pray for a clear mind and discernment to prioritize what I need to get ready for all day meetings on Monday at the Lausanne Cape Town 2010 Office.

Busy in Cape Town

Just a quick post as I finally have obtained internet connection. I've literally been on the run without a moment extra since landing three days ago. Today I finally have a chance to breathe and found an internet solution. More coming...

2/3 of the Way There

I'm now situated in Singapore, waiting for my flight to South Africa. All of the flights have been on time and very good flights. I've rested well and am ready to get this last long flight done with.

As you know, I'll hit the ground running in Cape Town! So pray for an alert mind and good health.

--Elliott

Leaving today--long way around the world

Hi everyone,

I'm leaving today for Cape Town via Singapore. Yes! it is the long way around the world, but is necessary because of meetings I already had booked in Singapore. I appreciate your prayers over the next 48 hours that my plane connections will all be on time. I have no wiggle room.

More updates as I move along!

Productive Week, Headed Home

Thanks for your prayers. My week in Japan has been very productive. I've been able to gain a lot of insight from our staff in Japan that will help as we explore partnership opportunities. Even got to catch the U.S.A. world cup game vs. Algeria! Now looking forward to getting home. My flight is delayed leaving Tokyo. No biggie, but pray for a smooth flight and a good seat.

Thank you again for praying!


--Elliott

Thanks for your prayers. I'm safely in Japan and made the 2.5 hour train trek across Tokyo from the airport to Tokorozawa, where our office is located. It is almost 9:00 PM at night here on Tuesday. So will go to bed soon.

On the way across town, I stopped in Ueno (downtown Tokyo) for a few minutes to grab something to eat and poke around in what was a hangout for me back in the 80's when I lived in Japan. Pictured is one of the market streets I used to frequent.

Busniness starts early on Wednesday morning with an 8:00 AM conference call with the Asian Access Ministry Committee (of the Board). Then off to the office for a day of work.

Specific prayers: good night sleep, alertness throughout the day on Wednesday, health.

On the plane

It is a FULL flight, but I'm on the plane and ready to go. More from Tokyo!

Elliott Snuggs
via pocket pc

Headed for Japan

Picture is me sharing at my church a couple of weeks ago about what I'll be doing in Cape Town this October. But, tomorrow I head for Japan to spend a few days with our staff in our Tokyo Office (actually the office is in Tokorozawa, which is just outside of Tokyo about 30 minutes by train).

I always really appreciate your prayers for a safe flight, a good seat, and rest. I'm absolutely certain your prayers make the difference for my smooth travels. So keep it up! You're great!

Keep Lori, Ryan and Lindsey in your prayers too.

Thanks,
Elliott

Sun sets at Cape Town

Well, had time to take a walk along the ocean today. A beautiful sunset over the Atlantic Ocean here on the southern most tip of the African continent. It symbolizes the end to a very good 8 days of work preparing for the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in October.

Today I spent a few more important hours at the Cape Town International Convention Center. I walked the halls with Chris, the catering manager, and Blair, the Congress director. We needed to nail down a few more placements of tables and booths and establish where food service points will be located.

Tomorrow I'll attend the Global Day of Prayer 10th anniversary celebration at a local sports stadium. I'll look forward to worship with people from over 200 countries around the world. Then I'll leave just a bit early to make it out to the airport to begin the long trip home.

Please pray for the transfers tomorrow from the hotel to the convention center, the convention center to the sports arena, and from there to the airport. And I always appreciate your prayers for a good seat and some extra space on the flights home. It seems like the Icelandic volcano is behaving itself, so appreciate your prayers for that allowing me to head home without delay.

Back home soon!

Valuable Experience

The last 4 days at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) have been really tremendous. The role I've been playing for the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) is similar on a smaller scale to what I'll be doing with Lausanne. One of the key parts is working all day each day with both my key colleague for Lausanne and our key contact at the CTICC (pictured Low Bothma, director of Arrangements for Lausanne and Gaynor Kerr of the CTICC).

I've had an inside track getting to discover all nuances of running a conference at the CTICC. A chance to see both the real strengths and where things can be improved or streamlined. This first hand experience will be invaluable as I craft a plan for everything from office space for our over 600 volunteer staff to logistic plans for moving 4000+ people around the CTICC. In addition I've been able to have appointments with key vendors who will help us with everything from layout and design of the facility to office equipment, electricity and internet connections.

Of course all this valuable experience came as part of facilitating a wonderful conference in its own right, the GDOP. Over 700 people from all over the world joined together in a powerful expression of prayer and prophetic intercession. Pictured is one workshop featuring a well known prayer warrior, Cindy Jacobs. Most workshops were 30 - 60 people, but as you can see this one was over 100 people. The GDOP conference ended tonight with a communion service. Sunday I'll attend their 10 year anniversary celebration at a local sports stadium where over 200 countries will be in attendance, and over 7000 people.

Tomorrow I'm back at the CTICC with some of the Lausanne staff on a reconnaissance mission to make more decisions about space usage. Please pray for wisdom as we try and maximize every square inch of the facility. Thank you for your prayers for health. Despite long days, I'm holding up. Keep the prayers coming!

GDOP Kicks Off

Last night the Global Day of Prayer conference kicked off at the Cape Town Convention Center (CTICC). The opening ceremony was fantastic with a real South African flair.

For me, the true benefit is getting work with the CTICC staff on all the issues that come with running a conference. This is a great opportunity to develop a good working relationship and learn the in's and out's.

Today (Thursday) will be a long day of plenary sessions and tracks. So I appreciate your prayers for strength. I had a very short night last night. It is also the beginning of the winter here (though the weather is lovely, similar to San Diego in November. But it is cold and flu season. So need protection.

Meetings in full swing

The meetings here in Cape Town are now in full swing. I've been meeting with the key Congress directors in every spare moment on Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. It is now approaching noon on Monday and I'll be moving from the Lausanne hotel where the meetings are happening, over to the Convention Center. At the Convention Center I'll be working with the Global Day of Prayer staff and team to get a feel for actually working a convention at the Cape Town International Convention Center.

With the long hours, it can be physically draining. I really appreciate your prayers for me on this. I also need your prayers for "divine appointments". In other words, that God will lead me to the right meetings with the right people at the right times.

Thank you so much.

(pictured Michael Cassidy (founder of African Enterprise, Jomo (assistant congress director) and others on the Congress Committees.

Out of Heathrow Just In Time

Well, the news today is that airports in Britain could close Sunday through Tuesday due to the volcano in Iceland. By God's grace, I'm already in Cape Town! I arrived Saturday morning. I had a 12 hour layover in London, so did the "London Eye." That and Hyde Park took care of the layover. Hit the ground running in Cape Town with meetings as soon as I arrived at the hotel.

Now, time to recover from the travel. It was a very smooth trip and even had a seat open next to me from London to Cape Town. Thanks for your prayers!

on the way

Well I'm on the plane and on my way! It is a full flight. I'd appreciate your prayers for a safe and healthy flight. Hoping for sleep. Seated next to small kids ;)

Busy week preparing

This past week has been a very busy week of preparation. First for an important Asian Access Board meeting which starts with lunch on Monday. As is typical, we will be meeting near LAX to make it convenient for those flying in from other parts of the country. Please pray for safe travel.

Then, I also was preparing for my trip to Cape Town. One of the key things I will do in Cape Town is a walk through of the convention center with the various Lausanne Committees. I will be showing each of them the space allocated to them for offices, meetings, etc. This has been a real challenge as there is not enough space for all that everyone would like. So, pray as they have to adjust expectations.

Hoping this weekend will be a bit of calm before the busy-ness.

On the Way Home

I'm at the Singapore airport. After a short night's sleep in the transit hotel, I'm headed toward the gate for the long flight back to LAX. First stop, Tokyo. A short layover. Then on to LAX.

Thank you for your prayers. This has been a long trip, but very good. After two weeks with our Asian Access family (first in Japan and then Malaysia), I feel very blessed to be a part of such a special group of people that God has gathered together for his Kingdom purposes.

Meetings wrap up

The meetings have all wrapped up. We had very engaging leadership meetings today. I'm thankful we had the extra time to debrief the week. Now it is just the waiting game as I leave tomorrow (Sunday) for the start of my trip home.

Key prayer requests:

Some white space to renew before heading home. Good time with the Lord
Safe travels.
Health during the whole time getting back.

Thanks!

Thursday in Malaysia

We enjoyed another full day of meetings today. I'm a bit tired tonight, which is typical given the pace of the days. Pictured is one of the working groups today focused on program development.

Later in the day the interviews with three of our leaders went very well. Thank you for praying for those. I look forward to sharing more with you when I'm back. I especially enjoyed hearing from two of our leaders from closed countries. It is quite amazing to hear their stories and how God works in the most difficult of circumstances.

Tomorrow is the last day of meetings. Please pray that all 25 of us will have the strength and mental alertness we need for the day. We want to finish well. Saturday, though the main meetings will be over, I'll still be meeting with the leadership team to debrief and consider what action steps to take coming out of the week.

First full day a great start

It is Wednesday night here in Kuala Lumpur. Our first day sets the tone for the week, and the tone was well set. Thanks for your prayers. I felt strength despite fighting a cold. Please keep praying along these lines as I'm sure it is your prayers that are sustaining me.

Our community building time was strong today. There is no doubt the enemy is trying to stop what we are doing. But, that won't happen. God will win the victory. Today we spent an extended time praying for our Cambodian leader who as much as anyone is feeling the brunt of the enemy's attack (he is pictured). His name is Meng. Just a week ago his wife, Rady, had a miscarriage. Then, as I wrote before, she was seriously burned only a couple of days ago. We felt strongly Meng should be back with his wife, so we are sending him home tomorrow. We will miss him being with us. He really wanted to stay because of the importance of this week, but he also agreed right now it is more critical to be home tending to his family's needs and the ministry at hand.

I organized a fun activity for them today, a photo scavenger hunt. They had a great time with that and it was a good team building activity. Tomorrow our Indian leader, David, will organize a fun game in the afternoon as well.

I'll be interviewing our leader from a large closed country tomorrow. It will be a chance to be updated on key events in his life and country. Also, joining us today was a leader from our newest country, which is also closed so I can't refer to it specifically on the internet. Pray for him as he is enfolded into this wonderful group.

God bless,
Elliott

Arrival day

It is Tuesday night here in Malaysia. Today most all of our people arrived from around Asia and around the globe. They came in throughout the day. The core leadership team all arrived in the morning and we went out for lunch to finish last minute planning.

After dinner, we had an informal opening meeting (see pictures of Joe [president] starting us off and some of our South Asia leaders praying). There are still a few people flying in late tonight and one tomorrow, so please pray for their safe arrivals.

Here is a key prayer request: Pray for protection from spiritual attack. It is quite interesting to hear how many of our leaders have faced particularly fierce enemy attacks to try and keep them from attending. Our leader in Cambodia's wife had a miscarriage in the last week, and then suffered a serious burn to much of her body in an accident. Another of our leader's daughter is needing surgery. Still another leader is coming in late tomorrow because of a crisis in his church.

The good news is that God must be planning to use these leaders mightily this week, and the enemy sees that. Thank you for prayers of protection!

Also, thank you for continuing to pray for me. I've felt your prayers very much today. Despite my sore throat and fighting a cold, I've had plenty of strength for the day. Please pray for good sleep and to fight off this cold completely by morning.

Quick prayer request

It is monday night and I'm safely in Malaysia. But I'm feeling like I'm fighting a cold. Would you pray for a good night sleep and perfect health in the morning?

Elliott Snuggs
via pocket pc

It's a Wrap--On to Malaysia

Well, it's a wrap in Japan. The retreat for our missionaries ended with a wonderful communion service Sunday morning. I enjoyed my time with the A2 family in Japan. We have an incredible group of people who love the Lord and have a very special DNA that make Asian Access what it is. Pictured are some of the missionary kids singing with the worship band and childcare team.

Right after the communion service, I headed by train to Tokyo's Narita airport. I've made the 7 hour flight down to Singapore and am in the Singapore airport waiting for my flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As you know, I'll be there with 25 of our Asian Access leaders including the nine countries we are currently in, as well as some of our faculty and staff.

Monday I will be focusing on logistics: arranging pickups for our folks as they arrive at the airport, preparing the meeting room at the hotel, printing up last minute items. Since I'm spending the night (it is 1AM here right now) in the airport, please pray for energy during the day.

Key Prayer Requests:

• Safe flight to KL
• Awake and alert during the day so I can prepare at the hotel
• Still am waiting to hear from two of our leaders when they will arrive so we can meet them. Communication in some countries we work in is a real challenge, so pray we can connect with them.
• Good relationship with our event coordinator in Malaysia.

Saturday Morning in Japan

It is Saturday morning here in Japan. It is a beautiful clear, crisp morning with about 6 inches of snow on the ground. Our missionaries are here from all over Japan at this rustic retreat site in Karuizawa, about an hour north of Tokyo. I can look across the valley at a ski resort where people are crowding the lifts for a weekend of skiing.

Today we will have our annual business meeting and I ask for your prayers as I update the Japan staff on how we are doing financially and new rules and regulations that impact them in the United States. I'll also be bringing an update on the Lausanne Congress which they have a lot of interest in since many from Asian Access are involved.

Key prayer requests:

• Tomorrow I fly to Singapore for my connection to Malaysia. Pray for a restful flight. I arrive in Singapore just after midnight and have an 8 hour layover. Right now all the hotel rooms at the airport are full, so I'll just find a chair unless something opens up. Pray a room opens up.
• Pray for my health. I'm doing great. But it is taxing on the body to go from temperatures hanging around freezing and very dry air to temperatures in the 90's and tropical. I always feel your prayers on these trips and God is very gracious.

Japan update

Thank you for your prayers. I am in Japan and have made it up to the retreat site. It is cold with snow on the ground. But the fellowship is warm! It is good to be with our people.

Pray for divine appointments and good health. I will be here until Sunday.

Elliott Snuggs
via pocket pc

Ready to go again

It has been a short time back in the U.S., and now time to make a trip to Asia. This is such a key trip--one I take every year at this time. First I will be enjoying our mission's annual conference for our entire mission family that lives and works in Japan. We have been in Japan for 43 years now as a mission. But there has never been a more important decade than the one we are just entering. We are in our last 10 years of our 2020 vision, birthed in 1987. Our vision is to see 100 church multiplication teams that start 1000 reproducing congregations which in turn enfold 1,000,000 believers into the church in Japan. And, we pray the church in Japan out of this harvest will send 1,000 missionaries to the cities of Asia in what many have called the Asian century. (pictured: Elliott, Lori, Silk and Joe Handley-president of Asian Access)

Second, I will be coordinating our summit of our leaders from every country we work in throughout Asia. This will be in Malaysia and about 25 of us will be together. Some of our leaders still are waiting for visas so they can come. Please pray they get them and can arrange travel.

More posts along the way!

Key Prayer Requests:

• Visas for some of our leaders
• Safe travels for myself and all of our people
• Health and energy for a full and important two weeks of ministry

Singapore Sunday Night

Well, my time in Singapore is just about over. In the morning I start my way back to Los Angeles via Tokyo. Our meetings over the last few days have been tremendously productive. What a blessing to get to work with such capable godly men. I was just reflecting today that being with our leader from India and China the last few days represented two countries that account for over half of the world's total population. The enormous opportunities for the good news to spread is powerful.

The picture is of a hawker's market in Singapore. Think of it as an outdoor food court. They are all over the place in Singapore, on almost every block. They are incredibly cheap. So much so that a significant % of Singaporeans don't cook the dinner meal at home, but just eat at a hawker's market. They say it is actually cheaper than cooking at home. A family of four can eat for about $10.

Today we joined a church here in Singapore for worship. I've blogged before how amazed I am as I travel around the world to be able to walk into a church anywhere on the globe and find the Spirit of Christ the same. I ran across this devotional today which resonates with me:

"In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord." (v.21)

There can be little doubt that meeting together with other members of God's family is a powerful way of bringing about a changed perspective. Another thing that happens when we go to church or meet together in Christian fellowship is that we are reminded that the very existence of the Church in today's world is proof positive that God is on the throne. Voltaire, the French infidel, said: "It required eleven men to build the Church; I will prove that it needs only one man to knock it down." He was wrong on two counts: first, it was not eleven men who built the Church, it was one man, the Man, Christ Jesus, and second, no one can ever knock it down, for its omnipotent Founder declared: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt. 16:18). The mere existence of the Church is, I submit, decisive proof that the living Christ is in the midst of it. Voltaire is dust; Christ lives on. Think of the tempests the Church has weathered through the centuries. Think also of the persecutions through which it has victoriously come, and try, if you can, to account for this extraordinary phenomenon apart from the fact that its Founder and Protector is Jesus Christ. The next time you meet together with your fellow Christians, reflect on the fact that, although every generation has produced people who have predicted the downfall of the Christian Church - it is still here.

--Selwyn Huges

I ask for your prayers as I travel home--safe flights, health, and some rest.

God bless,
Elliott

Singapore

It is Chinese New Year, so the festivities are in full swing here in Singapore. I arrived in Singapore early this morning, around 1:00 AM. Got to the hotel and to sleep about 2:00 AM. Our meetings started today at 9:00 AM. Add jet lag to that and you will understand why I really appreciate your prayers for strength and energy!

The flight itself was great. United rewarded the amount of miles I flew last year by upgrading me for free to business class the whole way here and probably the whole way back! I can't even begin to describe how much nicer that was. It was a real treat after just flying a couple of weeks ago all the way to Cape Town. The trip to Singapore is long, but not as long as Africa. Singapore was about 18 hours flight time and a short layover in Japan. Maybe only 20 hours or so total.

Meetings today went very well. We are strategizing new countries we will open, our leadership summit in March, etc. We all sense this new decade will be very important for the growth of the church in Asia. We are working hard to be in a position that God can use us however he chooses.

Again, thank you for your prayers!

A2 Board Meeting

Lori joined me for the Board dinner on Monday night (pictured with Joe and Silk Handley). Thanks for your prayers for the board meeting. It went very well and I think there were a lot of good insights coming out of the meeting that will help us position Asian Access to increase focus on Japan and our 2020 vision for that country over the next decade.

Tomorrow I get on the plane for Singapore. Please keep the trip in your prayers and Joe and I (and Joe's son John) flight the 20 hours or so across the Pacific. Also keep the meetings themselves in your prayers as we meet with our leadership team for Asia.

More updates from Singapore!

Images from my Cape Town trip

I had an 8 hour layover in London, so went into the city and spent a couple hours at the Winston Churchill museum and WWII underground war room. It was fascinating enough to keep me awake and to get adjusted to the time zone before flying 12 hours almost due South to Cape Town.




Cape Town is a beautiful city. This is a picture from the V&A Waterfront looking toward Table Mountain. Other pictures below are from the Cape Town International Convention Center where I was in and out of most of the week as we prepared for the October Lausanne Congress.

Back from Cape Town

Thanks for your prayers for me over the last week. I finally made it back, a much longer trip home than expected when my flight from London to LAX was canceled. But, the week in Cape Town was very, very productive. I'm excited about the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, and being able to help facilitate it by coordinating the logistics of the convention center. With around 4500 participants possible, plus staff, we need to maximize the use of every square inch of the space. So a lot of my time was walking the halls, and drawing out possible ways to use every nook and cranny, literally.

Just before leaving Cape Town I had a couple hours to enjoy the city. The congress director, Blair Carlson, and I went to lunch on at a beachside cafe, and then we stopped by the memorial to Andrew Murray, one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend in particular his book on Humility. He is South African from the turn of the 20th century.

As you know, I need to hit the ground running. Time to focus on Asian Access for the next several weeks as we have a board meeting a week from today followed by a planning meeting in Singapore. So I have one week to get back on L.A. time before traveling the other way around the globe. I'd appreciate your prayers for health as my body catches up with me, and God's guidance as we work on positioning Asian Access for this new decade.

Travel Update

I'm in London. My flight to LA is indeed canceled. Unfortunately, the plane I was supposed to be on is stuck someplace on the East Coast. So now I sit here half the day before catching a flight to Chicago and then hopefully from there can get on an overbooked flight to LAX. Just adds an additional 8 hours to my trip.

Thanks for your prayers, and continued prayers for a safe flight home and no more delays.

Finished in Cape Town

Thank you for your prayers this week. I've finished in Cape Town and am at the airport waiting to start my journey home. A quick prayer request for the return home as my flight from London to LAX has been canceled because of the storms on the East coast. Apparently the plane I was to get on is grounded in Washington DC or someplace. So I will have to see what happens. It will certainly mean a longer more grueling flight home. So pray for God to open up the best possible option.

Meanwhile, my time in Cape Town has gone great. I spent Friday and Saturday mostly at the Convention Center working out more of the details. One of the key things is how we will use the space in the center to accommodate all of the program needs. That is coming along well.

Can't wait to get home!

Mid-Week update from Cape Town

The week is going great. I spent all day Monday and Tuesday observing a conference at the Cape Town Convention Center called the Mining Indaba. It is for natural resource professionals from around the world. The size of the group was about 4800, so roughly equivalent to what we anticipate for the Lausanne Congress in October. I had a chance to watch the CTICC staff in action, monitor traffic flow, see how crowded the restroom facilities got, etc. Lots of valuable information as I think about how to manage our own group.

Today I woke up to a beautiful rainbow over Cape Town. It reminded me that "the future is as bright as the promises of God" (Adoniram Judson). I trust that will be the case for what we are preparing for here this week. The rest of the day was quite productive as I met with a few of the Arrangements team, mostly the technical crew. We prepared a detailed agenda for our meeting tomorrow with the Program team.

So, the prayer request is that we could come to agreement and decision on several important matters over the next two days. We must balance vision with reality, desire with cost. Thanks for praying!