Author: David M. Hare
4 Misconceptions of the Missionary Call
We are currently out on our American Tour, and are talking to people about what it is like to be a missionary. We have found that there is a very common perception that certain people are “called” to be missionaries in a unique way. While I certainly have met a lot of unique missionaries, I believe that there are some misunderstandings undergirding this belief. Below are four of these misconceptions I hope to clear up in this post. The first misconception is that… 1. Normal people are not “called” Stacey remembers hearing a song in her church where she grew…
The Wisdom of the Folly of the Gospel
I will not make you raise your hands, but I want you all to consider a question. How many of you have ever questioned the wisdom of God? Perhaps it was in a personal situation: “Why did God let my sister die?” or “Why is God not answering my prayer for the salvation of a friend?” I recently read an atheist mocking the God of the Bible by saying that the idea of creating an exclusive way of salvation is foolish. Even more, he said that God’s choice to send out his foolish message by word of mouth was absolute…
The Need for Cultural Humility
I had an interesting conversation with a couple at church a few Sundays ago. They both were born in Africa, but have lived in the US for a number of years. In discussing children, they told me that they were concerned about raising their daughter in America because of the dangers here. Without a second thought, I knew exactly what they were talking about. As Americans we have become accustomed to comfort, such that we think we deserve it. We have grown cold to the suffering of those in the majority world, and we are greatly tempted to live only…
How Does it Feel to be Back?
Imagine waking up one day in your own bed, next to your own wife, but all of your walls are white, when yesterday they were eggshell. And you are not 100% sure that they have changed, but they just feel different. You go to work and to church and on the way you see buildings that you could swear were not there the last time you passed. You see your friends and co-workers and some of them look a little bit older, some a little heavier, some a little lighter. All of the children are taller, more grown up. And…
[VIDEO] Four Years, Two Languages, Still So Much to Do
I am sure that many of you have seen the new video in our most recent newsletter, but I wanted to post it here as well. And, just for memories sake, I also have posted the video we did at the end of our time in France as well. These two videos represent the last four years of our lives. It has been a tough climb but we are so thankful to see fruit of our labors and the grace of God throughout. Now onto bigger and better things! End if First Term in Cameroon:Year in Review from France:
When the Church Does Not Look Like You, and When it Does
Walking into one of the first church services we attended in France in 2013, I saw a large bearded man holding the door open. As I approached, he grabbed my hand and moved his face directly next to mine so that our hairy cheeks almost touched. I learned later that this is an intimate greeting that the French call the “bise,” a small air-kiss on each side of the face (although with one man it was straight up a kiss on each cheek). I had heard of such greetings in France, but I was not expecting to receive the bise…
In a Country Where Abortion is Illegal
If you knew some of the things that happened here in Cameroon, you would be so angry. There are injustices here that, just to be honest, we would never see in the US. And if they did happen, it would be in the news and people would go to jail. I doubt that this is particularly surprising to most of you. We tend to think that unjust things happen in third-world countries. But have you ever considered that the practices of your nation are shocking to someone in the third-world? I am not talking about just culture shock, but real…
Stacey’s Interview with Pilgrim Radio
Check out Stacey’s interview on Pilgrim Radio regarding her post: Why in the World Did I Leave America?
Have a Sober New Year
2017 is off to an extremely sober start here in Cameroon. Our friend and brother in Christ, Nestor, the only elder-qualified Baka man in our area, lost his wife this morning. She, still a very young woman, has battled sickness off and on, but I do not think anyone was expecting her death. We went to her funeral this evening and listened to the wailing cries of her lost family members. We reminded Nestor of the fact that, as she is in Christ, she is already doing much better than we are. But we reminded him with tears in our…
Merry Christmas from the Hares!
Merry Christmas from the Hares. We celebrated with presents, cupcakes, church, and a lot more dancing than we would have in the States. So overall it was a great day.One amazing aspect of Christmas this year was the sheer mass of children that the Lord has brought to our church. We decided not long after we moved in that we should add a children’s ministry focus to our lives. It is beyond belief how God has used that prayer. It was a great celebration. May God continue to grow his church in Cameroon for years to come!
