Dancing all over the world

The other day a friend of mine sent me a video that has been widely popular on the Internet. When you first watch the video, it is easy to see why people find it both amusing and fascinating. On the other hand, it makes you wonder how much spare time we have on our hands. I thought the video was just made up on someone's computer, until I looked into the story behind it. The video (pasted below for you to watch) is nothing more than a guy who is traveling all over the world, and records himself dancing in each of these locations. Here is the guy's story.

Matt is a 32-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play video games. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made a website so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the Internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum. They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea.

In 2006, Matt took a 6 month trip through 39 countries on all 7 continents. In that time, he danced a great deal.

(back to Sean) As I watched this video, I thought about several things. First, I was struck by how amazing our world is. It is impossible for me to look at how varied and majestic our world is, and not believe in a God who created all of this. Revelation 7 flooded into my mind, where John sees every nation, tribe, people, and language gathered at the throne of God in heaven at the end of time.

More than anything though, I thought about my life. Here is a guy who has the faith and sense of adventure to quit his job and travel around the world. Perhaps he sensed how life was short and many pursuits of man seem unfulfilling. Maybe, he was just lazy and didn't want to work. Anyhow, he steps out into this journey, and the next thing you know, a major company is paying him to do what he wanted to do in the first place. He sees 39 different nations and reaches people all over the world with his video. A video with no real message. A video that only seems to promote fun and the world, but no discernible teaching or way the world needs to change. I think about my life, and how in 1994, God called me to this life of missions. A life with no financial certainty. A life with no clear understanding of all that is next. Since I stepped out into this call, no major companies have called to offer to fund my missions trips and work. Many individuals and churches have given, even through their own economic tough times. Though Stride has not called me, one major backer has stepped out to help me: God! In those 13 years, God has provided for us and allowed me to travel the globe to Nepal, Sweden, Thailand, Japan, Canada, Israel, Norway, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In just the last few months, I feel a sense of joy and awe at what God has allowed me to be part of. I have been on the island of Taiwan, looking out across the ocean to China, a nation exploding with Christianity now. I have taught students about the books of Romans and Isaiah, and helped others see how worship has been a way to glorify God since the beginning of time. I have MC'ed a wedding, taught men's Bible studies, and traveled up to Canada to train missionaries. I wish I had a video that could capture all those moments, but I know that God receives the glory for it all. He is the one who calls us, provides for us, and guides us. If this guy can do what he did, why can't we do even greater things knowing God is our corporate sponsor? If he did it all just to have fun, why can't we risk and go to bring a message of life and hope to the nations? I say, "Let's dance!"

Hospital Trip turns into Missions lesson

You never know what God can teach you out of the most unusual circumstances. On the way to Taiwan to teach in the SBS there, I began to feel not well on the airplane. If you are in missions, there is one guarantee: you will become ill at some point on an airplane. There is nothing as fun as being trapped for 11 hours straight on an airplane not feeling well, especially if it is causing some gastro-intestinal issues (ahem.....) After arriving in Taiwan, it was clear that I needed to see a doctor. They have an amazing, nationalized health care system in Taiwan, so my friend Scott took me to the hospital to see what was going on. As we were waiting in the beautiful new hospital, I noticed that there were Scriptures from the Bible in huge letters on the walls of the hospital. I asked Scott how that happened. He began to tell me the story of Dr. Mackay, an early missionary to Taiwan. Due to his influence, they had named hospitals after him in Taiwan, and put Bible verses on the walls of the hospital. I began to think of the wonderful influence of this man. In a nation dominated by Buddhism, you have Christian Scriptures and this worldview of health permeating their culture.

Dr. Mackay was born in Zola Village, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada on March 21, 1844. Even as a small child, he felt the call of Christ and wanted to become a missionary. Thus on March 9, 1872, the Canadian Presbyterian Church commissioned him to go to Taiwan as a medical missionary. In 1880, Dr. Mackay founded the Mackay Clinic in Tamshui, which was the first Western hosital in the northern part of Taiwan. It was here in the humble surroundings of Tamshui that Dr. Mackay treated many patients while at the same time proclaiming the good news of Christ.

They treated patients suffering from a host of diseases such as malaria, which was a significant problem at that time. Besides treating patients, Dr. Mackay often preached and took teams of Taiwanese Christians with him on his medical and evangelistic tours in northern Taiwan. With the Bible in one hand and forceps in the other, he often defied mountains, rivers and jungle overgrowth to do medical evangelism.

Although practicing medicine and evangelizing Taiwan was very difficult work at that time, Dr. Mackay endured for over 30 years. During this time, he not only pulled over 20,000 teeth, but also proclaimed the Gospel to many different people around the island. In fact, he established more than 60 churches and baptized more than 4,000 believers. On June 2, 1901, Dr. George Leslie Mackay died of throat cancer in Tamshui.

It turned out that I had a virus, so there was nothing they could actually do to help me. Yet, God used this time to impress on me the beauty of missions, and how this one man and his family impacted not only his generation, but all the way to our present time. With Bible in one hand, and forceps in the other, Dr. Mackay is a great example of how we should be reaching the nations with truth and mercy ministries. So, next time you become ill, who knows what God will teach you through that time?

MST Project in Thailand

As I was teaching in Canada, I had the opportunity to talk with one of their young staff named Steve. Steve was leading us in intercession one morning for a ministry called the MST Project. The MST project is targeting one of the darkest elements of Thailand, sex tourism. Steve had just spent the last few months in Thailand working with MST. Most ministries in Thailand related to this issue try to directly help the women and young girls trapped in this bondage. A few young men who had worked long term in Thailand, felt God give them a different strategy. Who was reaching out to the thousands of men who come to Thailand each year for this sex trade? If they could cut off the demand, there would be no need for the supply of prostitutes. Many shied away from their vision, feeling these men were disgusting pigs who did not deserve prayer, help, and the Gospel message. Yet, as these young men braved the streets, they found that most of the men were "normal people" you would never suspect are going to Thailand for prostitutes. Many of them were broken, divorced, or completely hopeless in their personal lives. MST brings in outreach teams that go out in small teams to witness to these men. They also engage in spiritual warfare, utilizing a store in the district to set up prayer vigils. Others take polls of the men to initiate conversation.
I was reminded again of how much need there is in this desperate world. That this very moment, there are girls no older than my daughter Sophia (age 11) roaming the streets of Thailand, looking for their next customer. Knowing no other way of life, perhaps even sold into this trade by their own parents. For every one of these poor girls, is a man in pain and lost in sin. Could we dare to reach out to both of them? See both of them set free from slavery? MST Projects is hoping for just this. I have included a link to their website as well as a video below that will help you see that hope in the midst of darkness.
MST website:
http://www.mstproject.com
MST video:

Outreach Teams on Their Way!

In Acts 13, the early church at Antioch gathered around Paul and Barnabas to pray over and commission them out on their first "official" missionary journey. I had the privilege of doing this for our outreach teams just this last Thursday. One of our main goals in the School of Biblical Studies is to take what we learn and go out to the nations, teaching and training believers in developing nations. One of the main tools we use to do that is our Titus Project ministry. Birthed here in 1997 in Montana, the Titus Project takes our SBS graduates on an eight week outreach to help pastors and believers understand how to study the Word of God, as well as assist pioneering SBS works. I was the MC at our meeting the other night, and led our campus as we prayed over three Titus Project teams. One team will be ministering in Nepal, where they will be teaching in a pioneering SBS, doing inductive study seminars in remote villages, and continuing our effort in the Bhutanese refugee camps. The Bhutanese Bible School (pioneered by Titus Project) has undergone many changes since the United States agreed to allow thousands of the Bhutanese to resettle and immigrate to the U.S. The second team will be headed down to Chile, where they will be teaching in the SBS there, and doing teaching seminars for local churches. It is our desire to multiply more Bible schools in South America, and Chile would make an excellent hub for the region. The third team is headed to Mexico and Costa Rica, where they will be working with local churches and YWAM to expand training in Biblical studies. We currently have no Bible schools operating in Central America, so this is quite a strategic trip as well. Please pray for the safety of these teams, as well as the anointing of God in their teaching and training. I will posting updates and pictures as the teams send them, so stay tuned for amazing God stories!

Burmese Bible School Update

Many of you may recall us talking about starting our first Bible School in Burma through the work of a past student named Saw Daniel. Saw Daniel is a 56 year old Burmese pastor who came to us for training here 3 years ago. His vision was to see the pastors in the Karen Baptist convention to be trained and equipped in inductive Bible study. We helped secure a scholarship for him, and he parted from his family for 9 months in order to be trained. We had attempted to bring his family with him, but after 3 years of having his visa denied, he finally had to come alone. Saw Daniel has 30 pastors that are under his oversight and care, and he began the first inductive Bible school for them in June 2007. The school graduated 13 students this July, 2008! Based on our training here, Daniel based his school on our 9 month course. The unexpected happened in September of 2007, when the Golden Yellow Uprising took place in Burma, ending in the death of many monks who were protesting. This landed Burma in the national news for the violence and brutality of the military government ruling over Burma. This uprising caused all ministries to stop for three months, until the political situation calmed down.
If an uprising wasn't enough, in April of 2008, Cyclone Nagris savagely blew through Burma, killing thousands, and leaving many more homeless. The students again had to take a break to repair damage to the Bible school, and help those in need around them.
Yet, nothing stops the plans of our God! Uprisings and cyclones can't thwart the plans of God, and so we are thrilled to report the successful conclusion of our first school there. Many of our US based staff traveled there to teach and support this school. Saw Daniel is already planning his next school this year, and we will again be sending our staff in to teach and support him.
Praise God! Enjoy some of the photos below from their graduation program. All you need to do is to click on the pictures, and your browser should open them in a large format so you can see them better.

First Burmese Bible School Graduation!

Northwest Where???

If you are like me, you probably have no idea where the Northwest Territories are. Even though I grew up in the United States, I continually am amazed at my ignorance of our neighbors to the north, Canada. The Northwest Territories is a huge expanse of land in northern Canada with a population of under 50,000. Originally inhabited by first nations and indigenous people, today it is a mix Canadian settlers and the original peoples. In one small town, called Behchoko (used to be called Rae on the map), there is a small Baptist church that has been laboring to bring the new hope to the Tli cho (Dogrib) people who live there. Like many native peoples, much of their culture and spirit has been broken due to colonialism and the effects of the settlers destroying their old way of life. Catholic missionaries came to this small town of 3,000 in 1859, but due to the loss of hope, unemployment, and poverty, many of the Tli cho here have turned to drugs, sex, and alcohol to escape their pain. Violence and child abuse are rampant, with drunks openly fighting in the streets, while their children are left alone at home. This small Baptist church was began by missionaries from Texas. They have labored and fought to stay through extreme winters (-40 degrees) and persecution as the only white family in the town. Wycliffe just finished translating the New Testament in Tli cho, and you can see a report of when it was in progress here:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/wordalive/archive/2003summer/index.html
The reason I am telling you this is that four of their young leaders, average age 20, are in the missions training program that I am teaching in this week. Sitting up late last night, these four shared their experiences growing up, and the challenges they face in trying to bring revival and change to this small Tli cho town. One young Tli cho woman told of how they have "girls night out" at the church, where about 30 girls from 3-10 years old at dropped off by their parents at church while the parents go out to drink and party. Another spoke of babysitting for a neighbor only to discover open sores on her baby due to neglect. She and her parents ended up taking the baby in for many months to nurse the baby back to health. One of the young Tli cho men was only recently baptized before coming to the missions school, but he is already using a local radio station to share a message of hope and play Christian music to the Tli Cho.
I was reminded again how there are churches and Christians in corners all over the world, battling against the powers of drugs and violence to bring new life to their peoples. Now I have one more people and town to add to my list for prayers!
If you want to see a slide show that the Tli cho put together about their home town and ministry in Bechoko, press play below.

Teaching in Turner Valley
The beautiful picture you see is sunset at the Turner Valley, Canada Youth With A Mission campus. This campus was pioneered by staff from the YWAM Montana campus where we serve now. It has a focus on short term missions as well as Biblical Studies. I had the pleasure of coming up here 2 years ago to teach in their Biblical Studies program, and now I am teaching one week for the Discipleship Training School. This satellite campus is smaller than ours, and has 8 students in their DTS and 9 students in their SBS program. Their focus as a campus overseas is the Shan people group in Myanmar (Burma). As you know from reading recent news articles, Myanmar is still ruled by a brutal, military junta. Even the recent cyclone which devastated the nation and killed thousands didn't cause the fall of this government. The Burmese government has been persecuting both minority people groups and Christians, and we have recently started a Bible school inside the country. My student, Daniel, from 3 years ago, just sent me a photo album of his 12 students who recently graduated from the first year! The Shan people have asked our Turner Valley campus to help them set up their own Bible school. Daniel's school is primarily focused on the Karen people, so it would be wonderful to see another people group reached with the Bible.
As I train these students this week, I think about the fact that in a few short weeks, they will go out on their mission trip to Myanmar to the Shan people. I am teaching the foundations of Christianity, so that the students will have this firmly in their hearts, and so they can know what foundational things to teach others on outreach. It never ceases to amaze me how God weaves all these people and places together: a Bible teacher from Kentucky, who lives in Montana, going up to Canada, to train people headed for Myanmar! Did I mention that the 8 students are from 4 different nations including Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, and the US? Go God!

A New Season

I have been working now with the School of Biblical Studies for 13 years. The last time I was doing something other than SBS school, I was only 22 years old, Katie and I had just been married one year, and we had no children! We have been so blessed to work in the program for this many years, having the opportunity to train and work with many sent out to world missions. For this year, I will be stepping out of the classroom full time in order to help Ron and Judy Smith with the SBS International. SBS International now has over 50 schools worldwide throughout Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, and the Pacific. The need for Biblical studies is only growing as the Gospel goes out, so we must continue to see new schools pioneered and multiplied. With the experience I have from leading the program for 10 years, God has asked me to put this into practical helps for those schools and pioneering projects. I will be recording lectures into MP3 format, making resource DVD's with SBS manuals and materials, traveling to the pioneering projects and teaching and training, training young pioneers here on our campus to go out and start SBS's, and of course a wide range of different teaching within and outside of SBS to promote Biblical studies. My work this year will also be building up to the SBS Consultation, a global meeting of SBS leaders and staff in Germany in May of 2009. Here we will be praying and seeking God's direction and wisdom for the future of SBS in the mission. This year could be a critical time of tightening our relationships and strategy within the movement.

Ellis Express Online

The Ellis Express is online again!
After a long absence from the web, we have the Ellis Express online again! We have revamped the site to include links to MP3 audio Bible teachings from Sean, outreach and family photo albums, and blog articles to keep you updated on what is happening with our missions work. We will be updating this blog once a week, so stop by and see the new articles, photos, and teachings. We are so grateful to have such great friends, family, and supporters, and we want you to know what things are happening in our lives and ministry. The first post we will be doing this week will be letting you know what is happening with the School of Biblical Studies around the world, and how we will be more involved with the international aspect of the ministry this year. In addition, we will be sharing about our outreach opportunities coming up soon. God bless you all, and thank you again for your love, support, and prayers.
Sean, Katie, Sophia, Max, Joseph, and Kai Ellis