Staying Power!

Greetings All!

When I think about our staff posted overseas, I immediately thank God for them, hoping and praying they do well. We want them to have all they need to live godly lives, make palpable contributions, move the Kingdom of God forward, work hard and rest well.

I attended a webinar with Missio Nexus that opened up a study of 20 organizations, delving into 11 themes with a view to clarify what we benefit the most from while in the field. These also apply to us in our Canadian boundaries!! Here are six of the themes we looked at, in order of importance.

Calling – clarity and engagement

Hope – for the future and the effectiveness of our work

Inclusion – in decisions that affect us both directly and indirectly

Needed – in the field and by those around us

Usefulness – palpable feedback that our work is bearing the desired and anticipated fruit

Provision – that we have what we need in resources, income and support that allows us to do our work well.

This combines for a great acronym – CHINUP – keeping our chin up in the field!

If you want to dig deeper into this, simply put together a chart and rate yourself from 1 to 10 in each area to determine where you are doing well and where you would benefit from some more input, attention or investment!

Grateful for you all and what you do!

Irv

And Yet There Is Room for More!

Spring is sprung, April rains have come upon us and our spring programs are in full swing. As we speak participants and their faithful leaders are in Tabiro, Uganda through the Uganda Venture program, and our Mission Immersion Program in Ecuador is traveling up the Onzole River.

We thank God for these great programs, bringing a creative, healing, restorative and developmental effort to parts of the world that benefit greatly from such modest investments. At the same time we want these investments to be balanced back through an equally important investment back into the North American side of the equation, the honour of participating in a mutuality of ministry! 

And there are more opportunities! Perhaps someone you know is available and interested to pursue new opportunities! 

We have opportunities for individual or very small group overseas missions trips that are immediately available at very short notice and individually tailored! These include and are not limited to:

• Viet Nam, Danang  – Teaching English as a Second Language
• Turkey – involved in significant business opportunities, cultural and language acquisition, teaching children English as a second language in the context of families
• Lubango, Angola – teaching English as a second language, volunteering in a school for children with special needs, observing entrepreneurial initiatives take root and flourish

How do we do this?  Put the word out to your people. Listen for those who might be interested. 

Look for a future note from me with information on our web site (www.navigators.ca). E-mail me (irva@navigators.ca) or call me (519-660-8300) and put me in touch with interested folks!!

How In the World did We Get to the Caribbean?

By Irv Augustine

Several years ago a conversation that began between the International Executive Team of the Navigators and the US and Canadian Navigators regarding how we as a Global Work can organize ourselves in terms of world mission to see the Gospel Advance. We formed the North American Region of the Worldwide Navigators (NAR).

Donald McGilchrist, from the British Navigators, who became an original foundational member of the IET, provided excellent conceptual leadership as the International Executive Team under Jerry White’s leadership sought to coordinate, strengthen and create momentum in seeking to make Disciples in All Nations of the World. Donald along with the rest of Jerry White’s team called us out  to collaborate together, recognize our unique calling and unique characteristics of each culture, country and region, and coordinate our interests, efforts and energies.

Jerry White and his team strengthened our hands significantly as he led us as a Worldwide Movement in a huge effort of coming up with our CORE – our Calling, Values and Mission in the early years since the Millennium. The formation of the CORE has created synergy, collaboration, focus and direction for us precisely when we needed all of this to move forward as a Worldwide Movement.

To Advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom
Into the Nations
Through Spiritual Generations of Labourers
Living and Discipling Among All People(s)

Now Mike Treneer and the International Executive Team are leading us as a Worldwide Movement into building synergistic regional relationships and partnerships and collaborating in ways that will indeed advance the Gospel into all nations. Under his leadership we have formed the North American Region (NAR) and Eric Stolte and Doug Neunke along with some of their key people have been working at figuring out how to missionally move our calling ahead jointly.

One Huge application of this co-labourship between the US and Canadian Navigators has been to focus on opening mission into the Caribbean.

At this point, a Canadian and American team have been working together for the past 3 years and determined priority of focus to be Jamaica and Trinidad, one of Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, and then perhaps Haiti. As it stands right now we have the exciting developments of:  [this is good. It might make more sense at the beginning of the article however. Up until this point it isn't clear you are talking about the Caribbean Navigators]
·         Country Opener for Jamaica, Mark and Patty Bogart moving there later this year
·         An excellent short term program to Trinidad with Sue and Ragnar Oborn leading this. They have been to Trinidad three times now! And another program is in it’s last details coming together for this spring!
·         A Zonal Leader appointed, Joe and Joy Maschoff, going to language school this spring

We continue our search for a Country Opener for Trinidad, if anyone is up for a significant job shift, and is tired of our COLD WEATHER we are experiencing!

I am tremendously encouraged with all of this! God has met with us and we feel His Strength and Grace as we press ourselves into our calling, and we will be offering a short term opportunity for Trinidad Tobago once again this spring, again with Ragnar and Sue Oborn leading

So, please pray, press yourselves into our Core and Calling, and trust God for ongoing fruit and blessing through our labours!

God’s best,

Irv.