Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray you are well.
I am writing this article in Christchurch, NZ. I got a great night’s sleep and feel very rested. They have us in the Commodore Hotel, which is a family-owned affair and very friendly to American troops. The weather is very nice in New Zealand, and people are playing rugby or cricket in the park nearby. Today I will get my extreme cold weather gear and meet with the vicar of the cathedral for Christchurch to pick up Admiral Byrd’s communion set. I have been meeting with senior leaders for this mission and am very impressed. They are very interested in a robust chaplaincy presence among the troops. We praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
God has already provided several opportunities to share the Gospel with others. My plane flight from LAX to Auckland provided me the opportunity to share the Gospel with a college professor. He is a Christian, but he has not been practicing faithfully. Please keep his mother in your prayers. He was flying to NZ to help his siblings move her into a retirement home that is attached to a hospital. On another leg of the trip, I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone who worships according to the principles of yoga. For him, it is not just a breathing exercise. He was raised Baptist, and then became a Muslim before converting to yoga. I found it helpful just to ask simple questions as a starting point in the conversation. Jesus used questions all the time in helping people learn more about His Father’s love for them.
A favorite question of mine is, “How can I pray for you?” I love this question because, as Christians, we are called to be people of prayer, and we are called to pray for all people according to their needs, in Christ Jesus. I find this question to be helpful because it clearly establishes the nature of our relationship as being more than just “relationship building.” The person can see that I want them to have God’s blessing in his or her life.
On this deployment, I will be asking people in Antarctica, “How can I pray for you?” Then, I will pray for them and minister to them with the Gospel and whatever earthly resources I can help them with. When you live in Chicago, the South Pole seems “upside down,” but really it’s not. When we minister to others, their situation may seem “upside down” to us, but really it isn’t to God. His grace and mercy can make all things turn right-side up.
I am posting on Facebook (@BuckmanSouthPole) and Twitter (@LtColBuckman). Our Facebook page already has over 500 likes! We praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Sarah Chang, our Communication Specialist on staff, reports that teachers from the public schools whose flags we are flying on Antarctica are already tweeting about us. We praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
I have to tell you—the troops of the National Guard think this idea of flying flags for local public schools is fantastic! Kind of surprised no one has done this before. For the National Guard, our mission is the local community, so this is just a great fit on all sorts of levels.
I have a request of you—reach out and get to know someone at church whom you don’t already know. Maybe this is someone you have seen before; maybe it is someone who is a first-time visitor. It is just super important to reach out and say hi to one person you don’t know when you are at church. When you reach out to introduce yourself, please don’t ask them, “Is this your first time here?” That is not a good question to ask. Because if this is not their first time, then you have made them feel unimportant. It is better to simply introduce yourself, “Hi, my name is ____________,” and then let the conversation develop naturally.
Love seeing your likes and comments on our Facebook page. It feels like I am right there with you.
God bless your day!
V/r,
Pastor Jim