Update: Turkey, Nepal, Haiti, and ME

212 Team,
Spring is here and summer is around the corner. We are pretty busy gearing up for our Peak Turkey Team to head out overseas this summer. Jake and Amy Mulvihill will be leading this team and are very excited to get back to the country that has captured their hearts. I will be back here
running the office, and playing the support role for them as they head out, much like Amy has
been doing for me and my teams these last two years. I will miss being in the mountains of Nepal this summer but God has different plans in store for me and there are several new ministry opportunities on the horizon which include getting back to Nepal as well as possibly taking several teams to Haiti over the course of this next year. Most of you know about the Pastoral Training Conferences we did last September in Nepal where we were able to see more than 400 pastors and lay staff from over 170 different churches from all over Nepal walk through our “Shepherding for Ministry Leaders” training. It was a huge blessing both for us as well as for the churches in Nepal. We had representatives from the far west, the southern plains, as well as a Sherpa from the Everest region, an area where we were unaware had a Christian presence. It was an amazing time of ministry and fellowship. We have been asked to return at least two times a year to offer ongoing theological, ministry, and leadership training to these and many more who are hungry for ongoing education. Tom and Dee Johnson and myself are making preparations this summer for our next training trip with will include a training on “Search For Significance”, and on counseling for those who are hurting within your community. We are very excited about this and covet your prayers. Haiti is another new frontier for us at 212, but one we are very excited about. I was introduced to the country of Haiti by an amazing friend of mine and through a series of events was able to go and be a part of a team of trainers for a youth ministry training school in Cap Haitian, a large city in Northern Haiti. Out of this experience, we have found a new ministry that is looking to have teams like ours come and help out in the remote mountain villages around Cap Haitian. We are also looking to expand our courses to include inter-generational teams to go to Cap Haitian and help with the growing ministry there at Open Door Church. This ministry includes the remote mountain villages, but also would include work with an elementary school, youth ministry training school, an advanced medical clinic staffed by one of the head doctors from the main hospital, as well as ministry at in the church and surrounding community. So as you can see, the ministry is very diverse, the need is great, and it is a place that is more economical. We can do a course in Haiti for less then the price of what a round trip ticket to Nepal now costs!! Now please understand, we are definitely not giving up our courses in Nepal, my heart will forever be intimately tied to the people of this country, and we will certainly continue to do ministry as long as God keeps those doors open and I have breath to share. But in light a struggling economy, people staying closer to home, being sensitive to what is going on around us and the ministry that God is presenting to us, we want to be wise and obedient in what we are being called into. As you can see, these opportunities are very different then the Outdoor Leadership School that has marked us as a ministry over the past several years. As a ministry we are trying to be proactive in looking forward at the new directions God might be taking us in during this season. Again, in light of what is going on in the world and being committed to our mission and vision as a ministry we are seeing new opportunities to re-invent ourselves as a missions organization; to continue doing what we have been called to, but expanding to what we believe are more effective and efficient methods of evangelism. We are hoping that you are as excited about this as we are, and that you will continue to invest in the ministry of 212 long into the future. As our board of directors meets to work through the details of these new endeavors we again covet your prayers. We will keep you posted on all the new developments as they come and continue to share the stories of God’s faithfulness through the ministry that we are doing together. Please know that your individual support over the last 18 years has been very appreciated. But also know that your ongoing support during these troubled times has been both appreciated and very humbling. It seems that there are new stories each week of the challenges and struggles that so many of us are finding ourselves in, and so your commitment to partnering with us in the midst of that is so very significant to me. God has continued to prove himself faithful as certain supporters have needed to drop off for a season and He has raised up new supporters to help out in times of need. i believe that this is how true biblical community works, and i have seen the body of Christ doing amazing things not just through your support, but in our church, my small group, and even in my own personal life.
On a more personal level, God has been humbling me on so many different levels over the past few months. It has been both extremely painful, as well as very exhilarating. But in all that He is
doing, i believe he is faithful, and when i struggle to trust in Him, He provides a friend to hold up
my arms in the midst to the struggle. i continue to love Jesus, i continue to strive to trust Him
when i don’t understand or see completely where He is taking me, i am committed to my own
personal growth and development, and i will continue to love well those He has committed to me to minister to. God is transforming me, humbling me, and changing me for the better, and i
believe He is doing the same for 212 Degrees. We want to be wise, effective, sensitive to His spirit, discerning, and ready to go when and where He leads. Please continue to join us in our journey or if you have been waiting to be a part, don’t wait any longer. May the Jesus who has me on the potters wheel, who is about transformation and restoration, the one who is able to do
immeasurably more than we could ask, dream, or imagine, mold you, bless you and keep you, and shower His love all over you!! Thank you so very much!! And please remember me in your prayers, both my heart and our ministry.
God Bless,
scott

January 2009 Peak Team

Well, once again it was an amazing trip and an amazing time of seeing God show up in some pretty unexpected and spectacular ways. We just got down from the mountain yesterday evening, and after trying to sleep in…5:30 am as usual, we have a much deserved day off. We had a few long days of trekking, 10 hours on our push to base camp, but the team was great and despite a few sicknesses the team did well. There is so much i could write about, and i will try to shoot out a few shorter stories, but i wanted to give you all a few of the highlights of some really great God moments. The first came on the second day of the trek.

We had one participant who was really struggling and was having a hard time eating. So the team made the decision to spend an extra day in the village of Chhumrung to give her some rest in hopes that she could get her strength back. This was an unexpected stop and left us with an entire day in this village. The result was, after a prayer hike through the village, that we were able to get into the school, meet several of the teachers as well as a few of us were able to speak in some of the classes. We invited Hardi, one of the teachers, to join us that night for supper that night and not only did i have the chance to share Christ with him but we also found out about a small group[ of Christians that lived in the area. There were 6 kids at the school from 3 different families and they had a small house church that met each Sat. Well, as a result of our unexpected stop, this meant that on our way back through the village of Chhumrung, we would be there on a saturday!! It was a huge opportunity for us to meet some of the believers in the area and not only encourgae them but get others we spoke with coinnected with this new body of believers. One our way back, we met several of the students and even got to see the house where they meet. Our Nepali friend, Kumar, will be going back there soon to spend more time building up this new church.

Also on the way down the mountain, we spent a few days doing ministry in the village of Ghandruk. Two students on teh team took the lead on this and we decided to do some prayer hiking followed by two days of ministry at the school there. The village of Ghandruk is the largest Gurung village in Nepal. They have about 470 students from K through class 10.
We were able to put together two short skits, one for the younger kids and one for the older ones. We also organized some team games and taught the students some english worship songs. The result was again greater than expected. The area around the school was filled with students hearing the gospel and interacting with the team. We also found out about a brand new fellowship that has been started in this village as well. There are 15 new believers in this village and they meet in a small church each Saturday. One year ago there were only 3 know christians between both the village of Chhumrung and Ghandruk. Now there are 2 churches and over 20 new believers. God is doing some very big things here and it is very exciting to be a part of it. Kumar and i met with one of the village leaders and the principal of the school and are planning a big ministry event this spring in conjunction with the schools 50th anniversary celebration. The gospel will be shared with many who attend this event. It will be lead by Nepali Christians from a local sports ministry that Kumar is a part of. So we have some really good connections and some new and exciting opportunities for Christ to be shared in both these villages. Keep these places in your prayers.

God is really moving here and hearts are opening up and the people seem eager to hear more about Christ. Hardi, the math/science teacher from Chhumrun said he had just read three books about Jesus and really enjoyed them. His questions were solid, and he is very interested in learning more about the Lord. We will be e-mailing each other as i continue to share with him. Keep him in your prayers as well.

The team has done a fantastic job of respreenting the love of Christ to everyone that we have met. They have been sharing, and really investing in the people here. We still have several days of ministry left so keep us in your prayers as well. Much more to come, but that will hopefully hold you over till next time. i appologize for the poor spelling. Some of these keys dont work so well :-) and the spell check in not working.

Hope you can read it despite this. God bless you all and thank you so very much for all your notes both here and on my facebook site. Your encouragement means the world to me!!

God Bless ya’ll

scotty brown

A Conversation With

His name is Tony. He is in his late 50’s early 60’s and runs the most successful adventure company in Nepal. We have been using his company to run our river rafting trips for the past 10 years. I had heard his name mentioned many times and worked with his staff but until this summer, I had never had the chance to meet him. Traveling between his homes in Britain and Nepal, he is a man on the move. But this July I heard he was in Kathmandu so I set up a time to meet him not knowing that my encounter with him would lead to a huge paradigm shift in the way I looked at our ministry in Nepal.

It was a typical rainy afternoon in Thamel as I sat waiting in the office of Himalayan Encounters. I was awaiting the arrival of the infamous owner of the company, Tony. He casually walked into the office, an older, unassuming British man with an enormous accent. We introduced ourselves and began getting to know one another. We shared our experiences with each other and stories of a place we were both obviously fond of, and a people for whom we shared a deep love. He shared with me how his company worked to develop local communities; helping them build homes, use more effective and advanced farming techniques, and developed new ways to empower the people and generate additional income. I shared similar stories of the communities in the mountains that we frequent, and the work we have done to develop those communities physically and spiritually. The pictures and stories that he shared were nothing short of inspirational. I shared about 212 degrees and what it was that we had been doing over the past several years. I shared about the relationships we had developed and the ministry that we had in the mountains of Nepal. i told him of our work with the street kids, who he knew well, and how we were helping to meet the needs of their families. As I shared he listened intently and again shared a mutual love and a joy in the work we both were doing. But after I had shared he responded with a statement that took me by surprise. He shared with me a lesson that he had learned over his many years in Nepal. It was a statement in response to something I had said and as soon as I heard it, I reached for pen and paper; a statement I did not want to forget. He said that for him (he was really polite in his challenge to me) the goal could not be to merely “meet” the needs of the people, but rather we must figure out how to eliminate the need all together. That we can take the kids out for a meal, we can feed the poor, and the result is that we can feel really good about it, but I does not eliminate the fact that when we leave, they are still hungry, they are still on the street, and they are still looking for that next tourist who will treat them to pizza at “The Roadhouse”. In many ways we actually create needs and a dependency that could be unhealthy for them. This began an hour discussion about how we could more effectively do what we do there in Nepal. It was about empowerment, not merely benevolence. I was being taught how to do ministry by a British man, who at this point does not even know Christ. It was such a huge reminder to me that we need to be much more intentional about how we engage people and ministry not only on a global level but also on a local level. And as I processed this conversation I realized that there ARE things that we do at 212 Degrees that very intentionally seek to eliminate needs. We help to empower women who have been rescued from the sex industry so that they can learn a trade and generate income for them and their families. We help families by purchasing a buffalo and teach them how they can sell the milk for profit, while also having a way to plow their fields and grow crops. We seek to get the children off the streets and into orphanages, and into schools so they can be cared for and educated and empowered. But we also do many things that ultimately make us feel good but that when thought through do not empower and can potentially do more harm then good. Tony is right when he says our goal should not be to meet needs but rather our goal should be to eliminate them. It like the old proverb, “To give a man a fish will feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.

So the result of this conversation for me has lead to an intense evaluation of what we do and how we do it. If we are about transformation we need to teach people how to fish. This can be a long process that starts with giving them a fish, but CANNOT stop there, we must go further and make an honest effort to teach, to empower, to transform them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now that I am back in the States, I am evaluating how I can be more effective at this philosophy in my ministry here at home, and in life as a whole. It is a prevalent thought for me, with the students I work with, the staff I lead and in my own personal life. It is such a simple thought, and we have all probably had it at one point or another, it just took a conversation with an old Brit over nepali tea on a hot rainy day for me to really internalize it and allow it to transform my life once again. I know that there are times where we just need to meet a short term need. A shut in, a sick friend needs a meal, your neighbor with the broken leg needs the lawn mowed. But I guess I want to get in the habit of always being a future thinker, and ask myself, “is there more I can do that leads to additional empowerment and transformation?” I think the result can only mean more changed lives, more transformation, and more people seeing and experiencing the kingdom of God here on this earth.

Since writing this blog I have found a fantastic resource that speaks to this issue and has reminded me that there is nothing new under the sun, and as a community of Christ followers we can constantly be sharpening one another. Thanks Robert Lupton!

Compassion, Justice and the Christian life…rethinking ministry to the poor by Robert Lupton.

No Longer an Orphan

His name is Sucille. He has been living on the streets for a few years now, well, since his orphanage closed down due to lack of funding. He is a polite and very articulate young man for his 14 years. Although he lives on the streets with so many other children, he seemed to be very different from many of the others who share his fate. Sucille keeps very much to himself, out of trouble, and far from the drugs, Roxy, stealing, and the other activities that often accompany life on the streets. One thing his does enjoy, and gladly joins in on is the game of soccer. So on a rare sunny day in July, near Phewa Lake in Pokhara, when he saw 5 Americans with a soccer ball he jumped at the chance to get in on the action. Little did he know that his decision to do so would alter his life for eternity. It was on that field that God began to transform lives. All of us were about to walk into a divine transformation that would leave us all changed. Although we were all impacted by what God was doing, it was Annan’s sacrificial love and compassion that God used to impact Sucille, myself, and the rest of the team. Annan embraced Sucille and began to empty himself into this young man. He soon found out that Sucille had found Christ several years before and not only has a desire to get off the streets, but to also learn and grow in his relationship with Jesus.

As the team learned more about true discipleship and how Jesus did life with the 12, Annan and the team found themselves living this life out with Sucille. Each morning Sucille would wake up from wherever he had laid his head that night, and would make his way to our hotel to join us for an early breakfast. Happy to get some eggs and toast, he would listen intently to our morning devotional and linger long into our individual time alone with Jesus. He would read as much as he could from our English Bibles, and listen to Annan and the team explain to him about the love of Christ. As he grew in his understanding of the love of Christ, we grew in our understanding of authentic spirituality as our life merged with the life of this young orphan boy.

Jimmy gave him his ball cap and Annan gave him warm clothes to protect him from the cold damp nights we were having, and as his physical needs were being met, his spiritual needs were also being poured into.

As our time in Pokhara came to an end and as we began to bring closure to some of our relationships there, Annan’s heart began to break at the thought of leaving Sucille without even the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and the unconditional love of Christ. So as we prayed, i began to look into some options that might work out to get him off the streets and into a loving Christ centered environment. After talking with a few friends who ran homes for kids, i finally found one that would take older kids!! The result is, that for the price of what many spend on mocha’s at Starbucks, we will be able to provide Sucille with a home, a bed, clothes, food, education, discipleship, and the unconditional love of a family; a family he has been without for most of his life. So Annan has made the choice to continue to pour into his life by supporting him physically as well as spiritually in their ongoing relationship.

So like Paul & Timothy or Jesus and Peter, Annan will continue to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ in the life of a street kid from Pokhara, and through this relationship others will know and see that the love of Jesus is alive. His transforming power is for everyone who believes. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

—another snapshot in the life of a Peak Team ‘07

Kathmandu Conference October 2008

We just finished the two day leadership conference here in Kathmandu and it was again an amazing time of seeing God work wonderously in the lives of our team as well as in the lives of the Nepali pastors and leaders who attended. The first day of the conference, Raj Kumar, the pastor of the host church, told his wife to plan food for 70 people. She suggested that maybe they plan for 100. After a short arguement he decided, like all wise married men, that he should listen to his wife. It was a good thing that he did, we served 200 for lunch that day. We had pastors come from as far as the Khumbu region of Nepal. Just for frame of reference, that would be where Mt. Everest is and took two days hike to the nearest airport and then a 1 1/2 hour flight into Kathmandu.

We were so humbled by their presence at our training, and were so very excited to be able to minister and fellowship together. i will give you a longer update soon, but many have e-mailed and asked how things went and i wanted to get word out that God moved in very powerful ways. Thanks again for your prayer support and all your encouraging e-mails. It means so much to be able to connect with you guys and am encouraged by your kind words. Thanks guys, your awesome!!

scotty

October 2008

Our conference in West Nepal was unbelievable! There were over 200 people who came to the three day training and we had pastors from over 40 different churches from as far away as 5 hours bus ride. One woman walked 3 hours each way everyday just to be with us. They were so hungry for the Word and devoured everything that was given. Glenn Johnson who has been a missionary in SE Asia for over 22 years and the author of four different books was the key note speaker. He did an amazing job of really challenging these leaders in the area of shepherding their flocks. We had a three part seminar for the women led by Dee Johnson that spoke into issues that women are facing both at home as well as in the church. They were challenged in many areas of their lives and learned not only how to be free in Christ, but also how to help other women find their identity in Him. Tom Johnson did the same for the men as he talk about 4 lies that satan throws our direction and how to counter those lies with 4 truths from God's word. My sessions covered how to take these lessons and effectively share them with others, and talked about how to effectively share the truth of who God is through servant evangelism.

i do have to say, that in over 18 years of ministry, i have never had to stop in the middle of speaking because my audience was thrown into a frenzied panic due to a large snake passing a foot behind me. For those who followed my time in SD, there seems to be a pattern developing here.

i also knew that i was not back at home when i asked a group of men to come up with a couple ways they could demonstrate God's love in a practical way in their villages or communities. One man stood up and said, "When there is an accident and someone is injured, while the other villagers are beating the driver and setting his car on fire, we could instead find out if the injured man is ok and turn the driver in to the proper authorities." And he was dead serious! i responded with a resounding "YES! That is a great idea. Are there any other ideas?"

In the end, we wrapped up the final session with Glenn bringing it all home and sending them out with a great challenge to love well their families, church members, and people in their communities. But i think the climax for the five of us came when we then told 150-200 people that we had a gift for them. We then handed them 5 resources to take home with them. A book by Glenn that has been translated into Nepali, a new testament commentary, a Bible dictionary, a concordance, and a book of sermon outlines. These would have cost many of these pastors over one months salary. Many eyes filled up with tears including ours. It truly is better to give than to receive.

There is still much to be done and many more dreams and visions we have for the leaders in this area. The 5 of us have already begun to help one pastor set up a small business to help some of the women in his church, and we have identified several other needs we would like to pour into. So please stay tuned for ways you can pray and be a part of what God is doing in this area of Nepal. Thanks so much again for your love, your prayers, and your amazing support of what God has entrusted us with.

We start a new training tomorrow here in Kathmandu with another 100+ leaders. Please pray for energy for the team, as we are super tired and have been going 100 miles an hour since we landed 10 days ago. And for me, please pray that i would get some much needed sleep, something that has evaded me the past couple weeks, and that my mind would be free from any distractions.

i have so many more stories that i want to share with you, but will wait and post them in another e-mail soon. Again, thanks! This would not be possible without you guys on my team. i am so very thankful for all the folks back home at Wooddale, MCC, Westchester, Rimrock, and First Federated, as well as all the friends and family who have been lifting me up. Much love to you all!!!

His,
scotty brown

October 22nd 2008

Suman is a 12 year old boy who attended our conference in Kathmandu. He was one of the most attentive and enthusiastic 12 year olds i have ever seen. He was so excited about the conference and was so hungry to hear and learn from God's word. He was a very prolific guitar player, and played both the guitar and the drums on the worship team. He was such a joy to watch. When Suman and i began to talk and get to know each other, i found out that he was an orphan living at a Christian children’s home. He wants to finish school and go on to Bible school and Seminary. When i asked him if he wanted to be a pastor he smiled and said "No way, i want to be an evangelist here in Nepal!" What a great heart. During Tom and i's break out sessions he was always the first to find the passage and the first to volunteer to stand up and read in front of a room full of 75 pastors from all over the Kathmandu valley. His passion for God and His desire to grow in his faith was so inspirational. It was also a huge encouragement to know that this is the future of the church here in Kathmandu.



Roshani is in her mid thirties and was working at the hotel coffee shop where we had breakfast every morning. She would welcome us with a big smile every morning and in her best attempts at english, would serve us our tea and coffee, and make sure our breakfast was perfect. i was able to get to know Roshani a little bit as we would chat each morning. It turns out she is the mother of a 14 year old boy and an 8 year old daughter. Her husband died 3 years before from complications surrounding a massive drinking problem. The pain was still fresh as her eyes filled up with tears recounting the circumstances surrounding his death. The result is she had to get a job to raise her children. She begins work at the hotel at 6 am having already prepared food for her children prior to coming to work. She would then work until 3 or 4 pm and then head to her college classes. She desires to get her BA so that she can get a good job guiding westerners up into the mountains. After school she has to get home and feed her kids, and study before heading to bed and starting all over again. She has Thursdays off however, but she says that she is not able to celebrate her day off like in my culture, but rather spends that day cleaning her room (house) and washing (by hand) her clothes and her children’s clothes. If time permits she will study some as well. All this for about 2500 Nepali rupees per month. (about 35 bucks!) She confessed that in the mornings she prays to her gods and asked them to help her, but she does not think they hear her and sometimes she gets angry at them. Each morning i would read my Bible during breakfast and she would ask about the book that i was reading. i had an opportunity to share with her the good news of Jesus Christ, that He is the God who hears the cries of His people. i was able to get a Nepali Bible from Shanta and give it to her before i left. i highlighted some passages for her to read and she has been reading her Bible every morning before work and is really enjoying what she is reading. i hope to get her connected with the pastor in Kathmandu and am very excited for what God is doing as He draws her to Himself.



Laxmi and Puja were two girls that i wrote about from last January. These two girls were hustling tourist on the streets at night, asking for money and food. I sat down on the curb with them and asked them what they really wanted/needed. They said that they needed rice for their families and that they both really wanted to go to school but could not afford it. I sent out an e-mail to you all and asked you to pray about getting involved. Within hours i had received an e-mail from a Sandra, a supporter and friend from California. She said she wanted to help and sent money for these two girls. Well, good news!! i went to Pokhara for a day and was able to go back and visit the mothers and get an update on how they are doing. Both of them are in school and doing very well. One of them even has a job working at her aunts restaurant during her vacation time.



These are just a few of the little snapshots of my last few days in Nepal. There are soo many things that God is doing that fill my heart with joy. He is moving in the lives of these people and raising up indigenous leaders who have a strong passion for His word and a vision for their country. There are also so many hurting people who have been blindly following false Gods. One woman i spoke with in Pokhara prays in front of a big picture of Ganesh, a hindu deity. She says that she doesn't believe in him anymore. She says that she prays to him and he does not help her and sometimes she spits on him, which one could plainly see from looking at the picture. They need to know the power that comes from the ascended Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father and is interceding on behalf of His kids. They need to know HIM! So we will continue to take the message of Christ to the people of Nepal, and so will Suman, and pastor Raj Kumar, and Shanta, and the Peak Team this coming January. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to serve in a place that is ripe for the harvest. Pray for Suman, that he would continue to grow stronger each day. Pray that Roshani and her entire household would come to know the God who listens and who desires to bless those who seek Him. Pray for Laxmi and Puja, that through Sandra's generosity and the prayers of all of us, that they would find a relationship with Jesus and irresistible draw.



There is so much more i would love to share, so maybe next time we see each other we can share stories of God's faithfulness over a good cup of coffee. Till then i will continue to share via these updates and begin to add to the blog on my web site.

Again know that non of this would be possible without your prayers and support. You are fulfilling the great commission through your commitment, your prayers, and your generosity. May God bless you all, and thanks so much for listening and for doing!



peace,



scotty brown