GREENSide Update
  • reflecting a bit
    • Easter 2019: Four ‘D’ Words of The Passion Week
    • Spring 2019: ‘Kingdom of God’ Reflections a Week After
    • Early Winter 2018: Taking a Closer Look at The Advents
    • Late summer 2018: Impressions from the Incapacitated
    • Summer 2018... Confronting Fears
    • Happy New Year 2018 Wishes
    • Christmas 2017 - Reconstructing the Christmas Story
    • Fall 2017... Returning, Rest, Quietness & Trust
    • Summer 2017... Reflecting Pools Matter
    • Spring 2017... The Singularity of God's Kingdom Purposes
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... One Foot, Two Feet, Three
    • Fall 2016... Personal Confessions of Mistaken Political Thinking
    • Summer, 2016... Waiting and Listening
    • Resurrection Sunday, 2016
    • Winter 1st qtr, 2016... The Marrakesh Declaration
    • Christmas 2015 Greeting
    • End of Year, 2015... Are We To Care?
    • Spring 2015... What are you and I doing about it?
    • New Year's Day 2015... New Mercies Never End!
    • Christmas/New Year 2014/15... Holiday, Holiday, What have you done?
    • Fall 2014... On Kingdoms... Past, Present and Ethereal
    • Spring 2014... Didascalicon: Man, God and Greatness
    • Christmas 2013... Even in the Air and Space
    • Winter 2013/14... Callings
    • Christmas 2012... 'Jumping Beans' in old age
    • Spring 2012... New Beginnings
    • Fall 2011... People of Promise
  • a look behind
    • Spring 2019: ...Off the Starting Blocks
    • Early Winter 2018: Sabbatical Results and First Furlough Leg
    • Summer 2018... "Come and See"
    • Summer 2017... Making Full Circle
    • Spring 2017... Completing Pre-furlough Commitments
    • Fall 2016, JJ's New California Home!
    • Summer 2016... Accomplishing Significant Milestones
    • End of year, 2015: Building God's Kingdom Among the Middle East Unengaged Muslims
    • Summer 2015... Building Deeply in Small Ways
    • Christmas 2013 photos
    • Winter 2013/14... Up and Running!
    • Winter 2012... 'Global Impact 29', first steps
    • Fall 2011... A great school; A promising alliance
  • a look ahead
    • Spring 2019: Finishing Touches to a Special Furlough
    • Early Winter 2018: Expanding to New Beginnings
    • Summer 2018... Winding Around the Country
    • Summer 2017... Three Decades and Counting
    • Spring 2017... My Upcoming Two Greatest Decades
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... Our Upcoming Furlough, Part Two
    • Summer 2016... Our Upcoming Furlough, Part One
    • Early Winter 2016
    • Summer 2015... Looking to Remember the Middle East
    • Winter 2013/14... The West heads East
    • Winter 2012... Coming out, going deeper
    • Fall 2011... Getting and Giving 'Perspectives'
  • prayer
    • Spring 2019
    • Early Winter 2018
    • Late summer 2018
    • Summer 2018
    • Fall 2017
    • Spring, 2017
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016
    • Fall, 2016
    • End of year, 2015
    • Summer 2015
    • Why pray?
    • Winter 2013/14
    • Winter 2012
    • Fall 2011
  • finances
    • Spring 2019
    • Early Winter 2018
    • Summer 2018
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... Year-end giving
    • Fall, 2016
    • End of year, 2015
    • Summer 2015
    • Winter 2013/14
    • Winter 2012
    • Fall 2011
  • get involved
  • fun
  • more contemplation
  • in case you missed it
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Click anywhere on this graphic to be taken to the website of our next ministry chapter
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Early Winter 2018
on... Sabbatical Results and First Furlough Leg
PictureOur Sabbatical Personal Design Profile workbook - a great resource!
As 2018 begins its closing month of December we are giving thanks to God for granting us a wonderful sabbatical full of Rest, Reflection and Retooling that officially ended in August of this year. We're now off to a great start having finished the first leg of our Furlough -- Partnership Updating. We have now successfully contacted nearly all our current Financial and Prayer Partners with the news of our change in ministry from the Frontiers Sending Base Staff to our next ministry chapter PLAN panta ta Ethne (PLAN All Nations) that will also include a positive ongoing Frontiers relationship as Frontiers Alumni. Please take time to learn about this new initiative by clicking here or the graphic above. 

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A major goal of our sabbatical was to revisit the Call of God upon our lives and take stock of the fruit of our years of ministry and experience in light of God's purposes for our lives. We did this with the help of professional sabbatical coaches and our Accountability Council resulting in a refined Ministry Statement. We share it with you here, still quite in line with the original call given to us by God back in 1987:

Believing Almighty God to be full of grace, mercy and compassion we trust Him to use us in His great purpose to redeem the lost of πάντα τὰ ἔθνη [panta ta Ethne (all nations); cf. Lk. 24:47 & Mt. 28:19] to persuade, influence and partner with the Latin American Church in the recruiting, partnering, training, shepherding and mobilizing of Latin American cross-cultural workers called by God to inaugurate His Kingdom among Unengaged and Unreached People Groups, especially Muslim, by establishing church-planting movements (CPMs) comprised of indigenous disciples initiating disciple-making movements (DMMs).
PictureOur good Biola alumni friends. What a joy it was to see them all doing so well in the Lord!
It's a big vision and we have seen fruit. So much is happening all over Latin America, and Colombia is but one player in the larger picture. We know from personal experience there is great need and want globally for a variety of Latin American cross-cultural workers. We are choosing to answer the need with a new sense of urgency desirous to work toward a more eclectic broad-based deployment encompassing areas of Latin America where Frontiers does not yet have presence. In this new venture we will now have the liberty to coach, teach and creatively partner with not only Frontiers where they work, but other like-minded organizations as well, eg. seminaries, church movements, institutes, grass-roots mission agencies, etc, etc. And we will now do what we can to respond to invitations continental-wide. Clic here to learn more about what the future holds for us.

Since the change was formally made in September we have worked hard night and day touching bases with all our Financial and Prayer Partners in order that all be initially informed prior to the end of November when our Frontiers account will be effectively closed. We are physically taxed, but warmed in our hearts for having connected with all the wonderful people we have seen and ministered to along the way. Check out the adjacent photo of one such group of Biola alumni buddies who continue to partner with us from way back. God is good and we have been blessed to connect with so many good friends and co-laborers in the Lord’s harvest over these past couple of months.

As to my ankle surgery I am happy to report it is doing well and getting stronger with each passing day. I rejoice in the Lord that I can once again walk, although the foot remains a bit more stiff than I wish. I am now walking regularly and looking forward to a bit more rigorous exercise in the New Year. I am also thankful for the operation as my incapacitated state made possible the completing of my sabbatical responsibilities.
PictureA Thanksgiving dinner together after more than 20 years (K's dad took the pix)
We are happy to report our son is doing well in Houston, having found an excellent job that will not only give him the hours he wishes, but also the stability he is needing from the last two years of back-and-forth craziness. He is definitely a trooper and reportedly doing a great job. We are so proud of him and thrilled he loves his work, where he says, “It’s great to be at a job where everybody wants to be working!” We are thankful for the Lord’s care over him as he strikes out on his own... now in full force as a fine young man.

Finally, this ‘look behind’ would not be complete without stating our gratitude to God for allowing us the joy of being with K's family this Thanksgiving weekend, not only affording us special times with family (our first Thanksgiving together in over twenty years), but also giving good opportunities to share our ministry, preach and teach in a few different venues.
There is much to be thankful for and our hearts are full of gratitude to the Lord as the Thanksgiving season ends and Christmas begins.


Clic the Partner With Us button below to make Personal and/or Project contributions.
AOS is our financial provider; rest assured if you see 
PLAN panta ta Ethne (All Nations) at the top of the page you are at the correct donation page for the Green's ministry.
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