NEWS FOR MID JANUARY 2009

Dear Friends,

One fascinating thing about organizing conferences is the ripples that it creates and the interest that it generates around the conferences themselves. Mennonite missionaries who have been working in the Argentinean Chaco with Indian tribes for decades share that: "we have been quite cautious about promoting partnerships and mission visits and work projects in the indigenous contexts, because of the fear these only contribute to the demise of self-reliance by fostering a certain dependency and imitation of dominant cultural styles or patterns." Sadly, many missionaries around the world have come across issues that the Alliance for Vulnerable Mission is trying to address.

This US trip brought an end to more than a month's stay in Andover enjoying Christmas events with family as well as being in close fellowship with my home church. Thanks again to all who have made me welcome. I now find myself at the edge of the Rocky Mountains at Colorado Springs in USA with a few days before the conference on 16th January. I am enjoying quality American hospitality at the home of Jay Gary. (We have had to cancel-out on the first conference at Oklahoma on 13th.) I am trying to improve the publicity for our other conferences, some of which have still had few registrations.

Prayer valued as we are close to engaging in the actual face-to face conferences for which we have been preparing for well over a year!

Welcome to a conference!

Best wishes,

Jim

See details of conferences to be held in Colorado Springs, Boise, Seattle, Indianapolis, Lancaster (PA), Peak District (UK), Andover (UK), Germany.