Ralph Winter, Queen Mary, and Joanna, Wife of Chuza

Ralph Winter, Queen Mary & Joanna, Wife of Chuza

After this, Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. – Luke 8:1-3 [NIV]

This is a reflection that I shared with my colleagues at IFES/USA:

When it comes to women and money for ministry in the Gospels, we’re often referenced to the sacrifice of the widow’s mite. But these verses in Luke 8 present a much more compelling picture. (more…)

Road Trip 2023

With all of my overseas visits in 2023, it wouldn’t have been a complete travel year without a road trip.

the Marion Wade Center in Wheaton.

The first stop, as I headed east, was the Marion Wade Center in Wheaton.

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North to Alaska

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The story of my 2023 Alaskan adventure began in 2018 when I accidentally ran into KICY radio station manager Patty Burchell at the Urbana Student Missions Conference.

Patty Burchell at Urbana

We had a conversation about radio and before I knew it I had sort-of volunteered to help out the radio station in Nome when they are short-staffed during March high school basketball tournament time.

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Wrapping Up Oxford

Traveling in January is not always fun but my trip to Oxford was great fun and the city is very photogenic. So I have many more photos. Here are a few more that I have not shared yet on the C.S. Lewis post and the Ashmolean post.

The best price for flights that I found was on Iceland Air.

The best price for flights that I found was on Iceland Air. As with most international flights I arrived about 3 hours before takeoff. At both ends, O’Hare and Heathrow, there was no line to check in with Iceland Air, while there were huge lines for the other carriers.

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Archaeologizing with Lawrence of Arabia

I once read a quote by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) where he used “archaeologizing” as a verb. Lawrence studied archaeology at Jesus College in Oxford so it was not surprising to find his desert attire on display, when I visited Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.

Lawrence adopted Arab dress as he fought with the Arab army during World War I.
Lawrence adopted Arab dress as he fought with the Arab army during World War I.

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An Inkling About the Inklings

I discovered C.S. Lewis in high school and added J.R.R. Tolkien to my pantheon of great English writers in college. Somewhere along the line I developed the urge to visit Oxford to see where those two used to hang out with the rest of the Inklings. It helps to work for an organizations that has an office in Oxford, the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. I wouldn’t say that was the main reason I took this job three years ago, but it was a factor. Earlier this year myself and two colleagues went to Oxford for meetings and I took about 350 photos as I wandered around town between meetings. Presented here are the photos involving C.S. Lewis, other photos will be shared later.

White Horse Pub & Blackwell's Bookshop
I downloaded a C.S. Lewis walking tour from the internet, which was a great help. It started on Broad Street, in the middle of Oxford, at Blackwell Bookshop and White Horse Inn.

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