By Carson and Laura Foushee The Foushees are CBF field personnel serving in partnership with the Japan Baptist Convention in Kanazawa, Japan. “By faith Rahab and the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobident, because she had received the spies in peace,” Hebrews 11:31. Growing up, I (Laura) do not particularly remember learning … Continue reading
By Marv Knox A 2017 meeting in a Spanish city hall typifies Michelle and Matt Norman’s ministry in northeastern Spain. By that time, they had been Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel in the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia about four years. Their progressing proficiency in both the Catalan and Spanish languages had enabled them to develop … Continue reading
By Greg Smith “Work yourself out of a job. That’s one of your most important goals.” Cross-cultural mission presents challenges on several levels. Oftentimes it requires learning a new language, adjusting to new cultural norms, working with key partners across religious and social boundaries, adopting new patterns of living and many others. One of those … Continue reading
By CBF field personnel Brooke Our trip did not start as planned. In fact, it was pretty rotten. The roads were rough, the sun was high in the sky and the back of the pickup was crowded as we traveled for hours to get to the villages. We were not beginning in a good mood, and it was … Continue reading
By Gennady Podgasiky Since the war in Ukraine started on February 2022, we visited Ukraine twice: the first time in August of 2022 and the second time in April of 2023. Both times the fighting was raging on the eastern and southern fronts of the country. There was an uncertainty about when and how this … Continue reading
By Rick Burnette “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). In the Misión Peniel kitchen at 3:00 p.m. June 1, I’m alone, sorting eggs donated by an area farm. The building is typically buzzing on Thursday afternoons when the Cultivate Abundance staff and Misión Peniel team organize … Continue reading
By Jessica Hearne I learned the term “forest bathing” recently, and I find it very intriguing. The idea comes from Japan, where people started practicing it in the 1980s to fight burn-out in a society that was increasingly technology- and achievement-oriented. The term describes a practice of immersing oneself in a forest, connecting with creation … Continue reading
By Carson Foushee One of the blessings of our work as field personnel with CBF is the partnerships we have with congregations across the Fellowship. This is especially true of the Encourager Churches with which we have covenantal partnerships of support. First Baptist Church Dalton, Ga, is one such congregation. A month before the pandemic … Continue reading
By Cindy Ruble What does it mean to be resilient? Are some people more resilient than others? Or is resilience something that can be nurtured and learned? In my work as an advocate for women and children, I have seen women survive horrendous things, rise and go forward with their lives. I’ve seen others crippled … Continue reading
CBF field personnel work to help local businesses become sustainable in Uganda. By Jade Acker “We are working on becoming more locally sustainable,” is an easy statement to make. It’s best to keep it vague. In 2016 we had the idea of starting to generate funds locally. The saying, “if you plant it in Uganda, … Continue reading