mwilkie's Xanga

Hoping to get water to these Yezide Kurds

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:21:59 GMT

Yezide Kurds are scattered around the northern mountains of Armenia and other places. In this village, where missionary Nick Puccini has made some great connections, they struggle to find clean water.

We're strategizing the best response of not only getting them water but helping them filter it, which would help keep them well, etc. This is their only consistent water source, and it's over 1 km from the village.

The area was absolutely beautiful, looking more like Ireland than what I pictured Armenia looking like...at least before it starts snowing here again. It's hard to imagine we're only 450 miles from Baghdad.

What would I do if we were starving?

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:57:47 GMT

When I'm not traveling, I come home each night to a beautiful wife and a little girl. We'll have a nice meal (April can sure cook) and spend some time together as a family. What if there was no food. What would I do?

Over the last few years and especially the last few weeks, the world has seen a food emergency like many have never seen before. The price of rice went up 10% last week, and in some parts of the world, they expect the price to rise 250% between now and June. In other parts of the world, crops needed to sustain families for the future have been washed away and the markets are either significantly understocked or overpriced.

If I came home and had no food for my family what would I do? If I had no food for my family for days or weeks or months, what would I do?

Would I steal from others in need?

Would I steal from those who had plenty?

Would I beg?

Would I rummage through trash to find scraps?

Would I go to the media?

Would I go to friends/family and ask for help?

If I found food, would I hord it?

If a food truck came, would I try to be first in line?

Would I go to church and ask for help?

What would conversations with my wife be like? Instead of making plans for the weekend, would I resort to offering excuses about not being able to find food that day?

Would I feel ashamed?

Would I be depressed?

Would I feel like a man?

Would I be suicidal?

I don't know answers to many of those questions. Some answers I do know...

I think I would go to family/friends and ask for help.

I think I would go to the church for help.

I think I would be ashamed.

I'd like to think I wouldn't steal or be suicidal or anything, but if someone was hording and I knew they had plenty and my family was starving it would be tough to keep that integrity.

It would be tough, if we were starving, to not try to rush the food truck.

What would I do? I honestly don't know.

People who love Jesus, love their families, are proud of their hard work, and walk in integrity are asking themselves the same questions right now. Right now children are asking fathers if they found food that day. Wives are speaking with husbands about solutions for survival. Some have asked families and friends for help, some have asked the church for help. All are in need, many of them facing needs like never before.

If it were you, what would you do?

The 5 w's and 1 h of Convoy of Hope

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:19:17 GMT

This is a great article...it clearly explains the vision behind this work. Also, it quotes one of our fall interns, Katie, and mentions the intern program.

Look here if you get a chance.

Thanks,

Matt

Our first intern turned Missionary Associate

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:27:28 GMT

People often ask me what I like most about leading teams. I battle internally over my answer. Seeing the light turn on in someone's eyes as they receive real and practical help along with hope in Jesus in the midst of great need is hard to beat.

However, seeing the team members I lead watch that light turn on in the eyes of the one they're helping just might be my favorite part of what I do.

Meet Shannon. I met Shannon at a conference about a year ago. She was a youth pastor in her home church. She had gotten saved through her church's bus ministry. When she, as a student at Southwestern Assemblies of God University got the opportunity to be the youth pastor, she told her students that she would be there until every one of them graduated. Committment.

Last year, the youngest of those first students graduated. God was prompting her heart to bust out and do some crazy missions something. What? She felt peace as He told her He'd let her know. We met a year ago. She came up after the service and said this was what God had for her and she was ready to join the team. That was a Saturday, When I called her on Monday, she had told her pastor, found some initial funding sources and was on her way.

She worked with us in El Salvador, Indianapolis, South Carolina, the Philippines and N. Asia.

This week she was approved to be a Missionary Associate. She's coming on board full-time.

If you've met Shannon, you know she's got that light in her eyes as she's watching from a front row seat some good things that God is doing.

Pray for Shannon! Pray her fundraising will be swift.

Pray that others will join her.

A blog name, and no...it's not me

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:14:40 GMT

So I've thought about changing the blog address to something that doesn't have "blog" or whatever in the name. I brainstormed, looking up just about everything I could think of. I've always been bad with coming up with names for things (i.e. the "House O' Coffee" at Park Crest back in the mid-90s).

Anyways, not that I would've used it, but one of the 100+ or whatever addresses I tried is http://www.pastormatt.com/. I immediately remembered that my friend Randy once warned me about that site. If you're wondering, and I'm sure that you are, it's not me. It really isn't me.

Does anyone know the true Pastor Matt? He sounds like a very nice guy.

Just wondering. Enjoy that site, and have a swell day.

Larry Norman died today

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:04:00 GMT

I just heard some sad (happy for him) news. Larry Norman is dead. He died this morning at 2:45 a.m. If you haven't heard of Larry, you should know that he's literally the guy who started Christian rock and roll.

The original Jesus Freak. He didn't do the peace sign, but as a leader of the Jesus Movement, pointed the index finger toward Heaven, signifying "One Way." He helped lead a movement.

A legend. With Jesus. The Jesus Freak met Jesus face to fact this morning. Would've been fun to see.

Some memories...

In high school I rocked out to Geoff Moore's remake of his "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"
In college I hosted a "Thief In the Night" party. We all sat in the Wilkie basement with Kevin on the guitar and sang, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready," a song he helped make famous.
We saw DC Talk sing the song a few months later...and saw the video where they reverently met him.
I was sitting at a concert during GMA Week in Nashville in '95 and a man behind me asks if I'd watch his jacket while he stepped out to take some medicine. It was Larry. I was in shock. We talked all through the show...Rebecca St. James debuted "God" that night.
That night he was asking a mutual friend about taking a cab to the Dove Awards. I asked if he needed a ride. He did. I took him. How cool?
We talked for the 30 minute drive to the Grand Ol' Opry. Got McDonald's. We got there and we went to the security desk to get back stage. I had press credentials...he didn't. They weren't going to let him through. I told the security guard, "This guy started this industry...you can ask anyone here." She leaned in and asked if I was serious. They let him through.
Back stage he introduced me to the hordes that were walking up for hugs and hellos. "Have you met my good friend Matt?" he often asked. Seriously. It was amazing. Among the those that night, guys ranginf from Toby Mac to Andre Crouch.
A few months later he played at my church. He played the Dave Weston piano. Incredible night.
He called a few times after the show. I had a message on my answering maching, "Hello, Matt, this is Larry Norman."
His CDs cell for a lot on ebay. I have sold none, but bought a few.

Forgive my name dropping...but that was one cool guy and I was freaked out I got to know him if even for a bit.

He loved his fans...never sold out. Was a little quirky (understatement). Had some extreme opinions. Loved Jesus.

Rest in peace my righteous rocking friend.

College students still stay up late and like Chili's

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:40:37 GMT

I learned some things this week.

Seven days ago I was in Phoenix at the Master's Commission Conference, I then went to Dallas (Waxahachie) to spend time with students at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Yesterday I was in chapel at Evangel. Busy week.

I've spent a lot of time with college (age) students lately. Here are a few things I learned...

1. I've heard it said that "this generation is overpreached and underchallenged." I think today it's more like "Challenged but underfacilitated." Yesterday a student told me, "I've wanted to do something like a Convoy of Hope Internship for a long time but didn't know how."

2. Still...some are bored with the thought of missons. They like the concept and agree it's a good and necessary thing, but aren't sure how it applies to them if they're not "called." I guess perhaps that's not necessarily news, but I saw it this week. How should the "normal" person who doesn't preach or feel led to fill a passport connect with missions?

3. There is passion when there is buy in. I saw some people near me in Phoenix who are passionate about Guitar Hero. They don't worship it, but they sure like it and spent a lot of time passionately playing. They're a part of something cool. I don't want to create a missions video game or anything, but it got me thinking...

4. Chili's has good chicken tacos. I enjoyed them with students. Good times.

It was also fun seeing a friend who works hard. I worked with Pastor Ornan in the Dominican Republic...in a pretty tough place. He was in Phoenix last week and told me how much Convoy of Hope helped his church last March when I was there, and broke the news that he'll be building a new church soon...cool.

One of those moments you don't forget

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:44:40 GMT

My wife loves her clients. She's known Jeane for about 10 years, and really has a wonderful bond with her. Our CBS affilaite, KOLR 10, has been convering Jeane's journey through hospice and was there when April and a friend stopped by. They're not interviewed for this story, but you'll see her work on Jeane's nails and feet. She loved the time. It wasn't easy but it was good.

http://ozarksfirst.com/media_player.php?media_id=26006

Good news with Mom

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:39:15 GMT

When Debbie left Hammond to come be with Mom for her breast cancer lumpectomy, my niece, Mattie, said, "You'd better not come back with any bad news!" Thankfully, things went about as well as they could've gone. The doctor believes they removed all of the cancer and the preliminary report on the lymph node biopsy was negative. We're thankful for this good news. Thanks so much for praying for her...it was nice having good friends with us in prayer and in person as we waiting all day.

We'll get the final lab reports with the continued treatment plan on Tuesday and we're praying for continued good news. She should take 1-3 weeks to recover, and then be back to work/etc. Radiation should start in about a month, and any other treatment would be decided Tuesday.

Thanks so much for praying.

Pray for Mom!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:35:31 GMT

I sure love my mom. We found out some bad news a couple of weeks ago...but we're confident things are on a good path. She has breast cancer. They found a growing cancerous tumor that needs to be removed. She had an MRI yesterday where they found no new cancer. This was a huge answer to prayer.

She'll have a lumpectomy on Friday...and should begin radiation soon. Please pray for her! While doing surgery, they'll do a biopsy from her lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread. Please pray it hasn't and that the surgery gets 100% of the cancer cells! If they do find more cancer, it may lead to a full mastectomy, chemo/etc.

She's in great spirits. She just learned the good MRI news a few moments ago which paves the way for the Friday surgery. Debbie (my sister) is on her way to Springfield tomorrow morning to be with the family.

She mentioned a few days ago that she can't understand how anyone could go through something like this without Jesus. We can't either.

Thanks for your prayers, and I'll periodically blog here with updates. We're very proud of the ways she's handling this, and know that while the road ahead isn't easy or painless, He'll walk with her and us.

Here she is with Mattie a few months ago...