From

From: John Jupe [mailto:jupe@brutele.be]
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 08:42
To: Dunn Jack
Subject: Circular

Dear Jack

Thanks for keeping us all in touch. I'm afraid that many of the community email addresses that I have are out of date so it would be nice if you could post this newsletter on the site.

Blessings

to you and the family

Warwick (I usually go by the name of John now, Warwick got a little difficult in intercultural situations - nobody could spell or let alone pronounce it.)

Whenever an email or a letter comes from a missionary friend, it usually amazes me how faithful they are in corresponding and at the same time injects a pang of guilt as I do not seem to be half as diligent. It helps me to remember them but also serves to remind me that I am a missionary and that God is doing good things in and around the ministry of my family as well. Thank you for your support in these efforts in prayer.

God sent us to Brussels to build his kingdom and in his wisdom has seen fit to place me amongst the leaders of the capital and the nation. There are now four of us in the team which leads our “denomination” ACCB (Antioch Christian Communities of Belgium) which comprises about 60 churches of differing ethnicities scattered across the country but mainly focussed on Brussels and Antwerp. We have been working hard (I almost wrote tirelessly) to promote unity in the body of Christ and inspire a desire in other leaders, especially those at least nominally bound to us in our network, not only for a loose collegiality but a loving team spirit. Unfortunately, it does get tiring and sometimes seems to be very dry bread to chew on.

The scripture where Jesus states, “How can you believe if you accept praise (in the KJV ‘glory’) from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise (KJV ‘honour’) that comes from the only GOD?”, haunts me. I can feel real empathy with pop stars and the like who mess up their lives because they do not know what to do with the praise and honour they receive. It is too easy to turn praise back on myself. We had a great meeting in Lubumbashi, DR Congo. There were probably in excess of six thousand listening to the Gospel. The Lord gave me a message I had never preached before. Hundreds (really!) came to the altar call – so many that you could not count them all. It was inspiring. Everybody was lavish with their praise. I begged the Lord that I might continue to believe. It is not me who has caused the healings; it is impossible for me to fill people with the Holy Spirit; it is insanity to think that I can save anybody.

And yet it is a delight to see God’s Spirit move. A special highlight came after I spent time with my younger brother (we’re all over 50 years old now!). It was the first occasion I had visited him at his house for 28 years. Nothing spectacular happened during the stay, in fact to get to speak to him I had to go to the local bar. After I left, however, he phoned to say that he had stopped smoking and then later even drinking (serious alcohol problems for the last 30 years or so), even though I had never nagged him about it. That is really God at work in the miraculous. My brothers will get saved yet! Eeva was fortunate enough to see one of her sisters-in-law saved. It was wonderful to see her in a church where I spoke.

Mentoring is a word which I find faintly annoying. It always seems to suggest a top down relationship. Mentor groomed the king’s son – a mere boy – for kingship. Nonetheless, I have asked the Lord to help me to help others be better leaders and found that I have learnt a considerable amount myself.

After the two trips to the Congo this summer, I came back ill just this week from the second. It was acute lumbago which sounds like a silly sickness but is completely paralysing and debilitating. It came on after getting cold and then a truly manic, back-wrenching 9 hour “taxi” ride again with cold air blasting through the windows. Kinshasa must be the most chaotic town that I have ever visited. The people are really nice and friendly though. Nothing daunted, there is another trip planned for India in October. I got ill from the constant clouds of dust and smoke last time I was there lurching about for 10 days in a springless three wheeler. Your prayers would be much appreciated.

Cultural anthropology may not sound like a gripping subject but it is quite relevant to religion. This is the subject that I am supposed to teach on in Sri Lanka at the beginning of next year and I am enjoying the challenge of structuring something new in order to be able to help others understand it. It seems especially interesting to take the Jewish people as an example but also draw from the broad racial mix that exists in our larger cities these days.

A quick update on the rest of the family: Eeva is still as caring as ever, looks after people and is a good pastor’s wife. We both go regularly to a German speaking house group of which I am not the leader but in which we can both participate. Hannah has now passed her exam to become a solicitor (lawyer) and starts work in London this month where she is now living with her husband Andy who is still engaged on his doctorate in law at Oxford. Sarah finished her year at bible school in Oxford and is currently awaiting the answer to her application to go and work as a missionary in Mauritania. Sam spent the whole summer on the road – this travelling thing must be in the blood – and has now begun his final year at school with the European baccalaureate exams next summer. In response to global warming, we have finally thrown the carpet that Eeva has hated for the last nine years and which has probably been on the floor for another nine and have replaced it with tiles. Of course, not wanting to spend a penny more than absolutely necessary, there were not enough to finish after some got broken in the laying process. But we shall get there in the end.

It would be really good, if not amazing, to hear from. May the Lord keep you and bless you.