The (Minor) Trials of an Intercessory Missionary…
July 16th, 2007
One could rightly ask of me lately, “Where’s Waldo?” Many of you have. I am appreciative of the comments and emails that have come my way during my impromptu hiatus - but I hope to be back on my writing schedule as of this week. Of course, some are aware of a few of the major schedule disruptions that derailed me over the past two weeks; when you add to the major schedule disruptions a few minor life disruptions then my absence becomes all the more understandable.
It is well known that we just launched our second prayer room, what is not well known is the really funny coincidence of the majority of our leadership team scheduling ministry and support-raising trips at the exact same time. Good times for the five that stayed behind (out of fourteen). That was my story last week, as I was up in Bloomington, Minnesota - home of the largest shrine to modern consumerism that I have ever seen (Mall of the Americas - I left a small offering). It’s also the home of the modern mecca of good cheap furniture (IKEA), which left me with a certain bitterness inside over my inability to transport said good cheap furniture back to Kansas City.
It’s also the home of Bethany International and Bethany College of Missions, where my family and a small IHOP team spent the week, teaching and discussing the end of the age with young and old missionaries alike. I went up to do a modular course on Biblical Foundations of Eschatology for the students (and the many others that sat in) which included some fun, lively, and tender small group discussion in the early evenings. You never quite know how some of the information presented is going to be received, but I was pleasantly surprised and blessed by the humility and hunger of the group there. It was also fun to talk about the last missions movement before the Second Coming, as I don’t get to emphasize that too much here in Kansas City.
On the flip side, my personal life has been consumed by a leaky roof and a minivan at the end of it’s life. Thus I am confronted with the reality of having to possibly fix my roof and buy a new vehicle capable of transporting the clan. Fun times. The amount of money available for such Herculean purchases is, well, not worth discussing here, so we are happy for any that feel the burden to pray for our sudden need to be met. We’re really happy for any that feel the sudden burden to support an intercessory missionary.
It was shockingly fun to spend the evening of my wife’s birthday sneaking into closed car lots, checking out all the cars that are out there up close. What was shockingly not fun was spending the entire next day test driving a half-dozen of those cars. We both collapsed into bed that evening, having successfully eliminated one of the seven or eight cars from our list of possibilities. Argh.
Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It is good to be back, though, and I did miss you guys. I’ll be posting and commenting again this week as usual - hopefully.
David
Entry Filed under: life at ihop-kc
18 Comments Add your own
1. Jenn S. (a.k.a. Ducky) | July 16th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Everyone in my office is leaving on vacation/support-raising trips at the same time too. I am going to Minnesota; everyone else is going to California. Hmmph.
I am also planning to stop at IKEA and hope to jam a flat-packed bookcase in my car. (Emphasis on the word “hope.”) I think my best bet involves bungie cords, the roof, and a lot of prayer.
2. Cathy | July 16th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Sorry about your roof and van - pass on a happy belated birthday to Tracie from us!
3. David | July 16th, 2007 at 11:16 am
I’m sorry too!
It will work out, though - I’m confident in that.
Now the IKEA thing - that’s the big one I’m trying to figure out - the optimum is to get them to build one in KC….
4. Allison | July 16th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Hiya commander… Sorry for the uber-long delay in actually doing anything particularly productive for JPR… *heheh* Well, we are praying like mad, though. I’m so eager to be there. Hopefully we’ll be there next Sunday! Oh how I miss you all! I’m having mini freak out sessions of homesickness…
On a side note, we got to drive a rented 2007 Toyota Seinna for four days this last week. Oh my, am I green with envy or what! It’s bigger than our living room and waaaAAAAaaay more handy.
Although nothing compares with the 2008/2009 new solar, electric, amazing Volkswagen Westfalia camper bus, starting at a mere $69,000… *sigh* Truly my dream vehicle… see for yourself: http://www.verdier.ca/ Be sure to watch the design video… *sighs again*
Oh well… before this becomes a novel… know we miss you and give the family a big, heaping, hippie hug from us Moseleys.
love…..
5. Cathy | July 16th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
We have 2 massive IKEA stores within 30 minutes of our place and we own a truck, a van and a car.
Feel like a road trip?
I’d love to check out the Justice Prayer Room….
6. Jennifer | July 16th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Aaron and I went to the Ikea in Seattle. We DID ship some stuff back (a coffee table to replace the one that Refe Tuma accidentally kind of ripped in half…) and man, let me tell you, shipping that stuff makes it very suddenly NOT cost effective. I think a bunch of Ihoppers should go in on one of those huge Penske trucks, drive it up there, shop Ikea and drive it back. You and your new minivan could be the flag ship (van) of the caravan!!
7. David | July 16th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Okay, that Volkswagon video was INTENSE! Oh my - that is quite the “uber-vehicle” of hippie camper / traveler types. I don’t know that I’ve seen anything quite like it. If I were following Phish around, I would do it in that, and be the envy of all my hippie friends.
The Sienna is nice if you have $42,000 laying around. Might as well throw in the extra 20 g’s and go for the Hippie Pope-mobile from the video.
Cathy, for IKEA furniture, anything is possible….
8. Michaela | July 16th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
yep… good times last week…. good times.
9. Travis | July 16th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Can I just say the only thing more frustrating than leaving IKEA is discovering they can’t ship things you saw there that they told you they could? Welcome back David….I feel your pain
10. Cathy | July 16th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Wow - you must like the stuff! Dean won’t have it in the house. I think his words to me when we were first married were “IKEA? No wife of mine will shop at IKEA!”…hahaha… All in jest, of course. He’s had some of the furniture fall apart on him in years past, and insists on building everything himself now “out of REAL HARDWOOD!” He actually built our one of our beds, a few end tables, built in bookcases, and several storage units, so he’s pretty good at it.
Come to think of it, maybe I’ll send him to KC!
11. Jake | July 16th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
David,
Glad your back! As to our meeting with the city it was…well…I guess productive but left us with no real answers yet. We are now in the process of hiring an architect which is what the city said would have to be the next step in which we will sort out the building code issues surrounding saftey. We still have not heard from the attorney if we have to vacate on the 24th or not pending our current research. That said we have 2 new part time staff members and another new muiscian in the mix and things are rapidly progressing! We are filling the heavens with prayer and it is GOOD! Looking forward to the newest writing.
12. Steve Bunkoff | July 16th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
We’re so glad Waldo is back. I thought maybe you were at IPHONE school.
13. Julia | July 16th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Praying for God’s provision for your family! It was nice to meet ya at the Pastor’s and Leader’s conference David. Thanks for your advice!
14. Steve Bunkoff | July 17th, 2007 at 5:30 am
It’s a good thing that they let you into the Mall of America. I just read this news article. The Mall of America in Minneapolis Minnesota has joined other malls across the country in barring Seniors unless they are accompanied by a teenager.
Acting manager of The GapAaron Hill said: “They all come in like a pack, with their walkers and wheel chairs, clogging up the aisles, holding up pedestrians, and delaying transactions as they slowly count their money or argue that they aren’t getting their Senior Citizen Discount.”
Tom Dylan, Mall Manager, said: “The worst are the walking groups. Hot or cold, rain or shine, they come in, never stopping to buy anything, just slowly passing the storefronts like coyotes on the prowl for food.”
15. Caffeine Chris...Prayer Juice | July 18th, 2007 at 9:40 am
The Mall of America is a bit overated don’t ya think. I mean even pre-fasted lifestyle I was disappointed by it. America is known for hype.
Ikea…needs to move to KC 5,000 to 25,000 Prayer Missionaries that need to furnish their humble abodes…bring it on!
Car and roof? We pray with you!
16. Josiah | July 18th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Nice, sharing the Word in Minnesota, at Bethany. That is such an answer to so many prayers. Praise the LORD!!!
17. Kelsey B. | July 18th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Dwayne and Jen are begging to rent a truck and hit the road to the nearest Swedish superstore……want in?
18. Rose | July 19th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Sliker! I laughed and laughed and laughed…….and laughed some more when I read about the shrine to modern consumerism and your small offereing you left there. A friend told me about your blog…..now I get to be in your fan club too! (Or your stalker.)
LOVED the pictures of your family…..nearly brought tears to my eyes actually. Take care, the Sliker family will forever be in my heart!
Rose
Oh, my husband and I have IKEA furniture in our apartment. He proudly put it together all by himself! (And only put the backing on the wrong way……:)
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