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Need Your Help!

One-time donations needed for the Gospel Impact Publishing Project

You can help WorldVenture bring tidings of comfort and joy this Christmas.

In 2020, the WorldVenture family came together to produce a Christmas devotional, Simple Christmas, with encouraging, Christmas-focused writings from global workers throughout the world. We did not print the booklet; we only delivered it in digital format.

There was an amazing response to Simple Christmas:

994 downloads of the computer version.
932 downloads of the tablet/smartphone version.
1011 visits to our Christmas page.
And we lost count of the responses from individuals and churches sharing gratitude for the booklet.

But there was another response that surprised us… we had numerous requests for printed versions. Some churches wanted to use it to for disciple-making in their communities by including the devotional in their outreach activities. Sadly, we couldn’t fulfill their requests at the time. But this year, we’d like to do so. And we’d like to invite you to help. We have created a new project called, Gospel Impact Publishing.

This year’s devotional, coming out ahead of the 2021 Christmas Season, is called “Every Good and Perfect Gift: Finding Joy in Our Trials” (from James 1:2-4 & 17). Like the previous devotional, it will include contributions from Global Workers all over the world. However, this year’s devotional is set up a little differently to include topic-based, longer form articles to help individuals who are walking through their own trials better connect with Jesus during Christmas. Your financial contribution to the Gospel Impact Publishing project between now and September 1^st, 2021 will help cover the printing costs of that devotional for distributing to many in need. And if we receive additional funds beyond the need, those will be used as seed to help fund future development of printed resources that help share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Would you consider making a generous one-time donation to this project?

Go to www.worldventure.com/GospelImpactPublishing and click on the “give” button.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

Blessings,

Nikole Hahn

Digital Disciple-Making Coordinator

P.S. If you would like to be kept informed on the progress of this devotional, please sign up for my email newsletter by going to www.worldventure.com/nhahn and clicking “once-per-month email” on the page.

Numb

When I go hiking in the snow or the cold, it never fails that two of my toes will go numb. My shoes are good, the socks are thick, and my feet are dry, but it doesn’t matter, those two toes will go numb. Numb is a good word that describes the world today.

A news story will show on my Facebook newsfeed, like the one about the woman who was mauled by a Grizzily at a campground. Instead of reading it, however, I immediately click on the comments. Reading human behavior is more interesting than reading a sensationalized news story created for clicks. The comments show a lack of awareness and compassion. When a friend of the victim shared a comment, trying to bring humanity to the conversation, to jar people awake from their numbness, it was met with more coldness. From one-upmanship to “being right”, the chat section of a journalism news page is crawling with people who are okay with being unkind because they are anonymous. None of them will likely meet up in the same aisle of the grocery store.

I normally see comments from people who only read the headlines. I also see opinions from people who may or may not have read more than the headlines. It’s like trudging through the snow next to a frozen lake. I won’t find comfort here, neither will that friend of the woman who died.

Did you also know that, if someone leaves a comment on a Facebook public post, like a news story, their friends will see it, too? Even more tragic, if that person was a Christian and, on one hand, posting an unkind comment, but showing on his profile a whole bunch of Jesus-loving memes and quotes. We don’t often view our social media platforms from all angles to see what kind of picture it paints of us to others.

It’s time to warm up those numb toes and build a fire!

Using social media for good means exercising a lot of self-control. This is a biblical thing.

Proverbs 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” A broken city brings to mind the recently viewed photos of a bombing in Asia or the blackened remains of a once beautiful forest after a fire. We can do better.

Using social media for good means deciding if what you will say will be helpful in building bridges, making good decisions about your tone in the text, and listening to others, even if you disagree with them. Building relationships online takes just as much time as in-person. A click of a button doesn’t give you the right to speak truth into a person’s life. Time might if you persist and pray. Until then, build a fire against the cold. Let the light contrast the dark and push away the shadows of night. Invite someone to share your light. It took a long time for a person to become numb; it will take an equally long time to thaw them into a human again.

Be kind and thoughtful. The struggle is worth it.

New Zoom Class in Chino Valley, Arizona

In 2020, during shut downs, Zoom saw 200 million daily meeting participants. Post-pandemic, our small community still struggles with how to use Zoom, except those who use it for their home offices or businesses. In other states, some were marginalized by technology and isolated because they never learned how to use the technology to use its face-to-face features, like video calling. We can continue to use Zoom as a tool for many ministry opportunities, including prayer and one-on-one discipleship or Bible Study meet ups.

I am teaming up with the Digital Prayer Leader of Grace Church‘s Digital Outreach Team on July 17 and July 28 to co-teach a Zoom class called, “What is Digital Prayer? And How to Use Zoom for Friends, Family, and Ministry.”

To register, click here for July 17 and here for July 28.

This is open to all Christians in the area. You do not have to attend Grace Church to take the class. We welcome pastors from other churches in the area as well.

Balancing Life and Work

Reading a scanned article that was sent by email, I was struck, not just by the funny comic, but also by these words. I have repurposed them for me, but it feels right:

I am willing to make tough calls in ministry. I am willing to be poorly thought of by some people. I am willing to give up my house and my relationships (except my husband as that wouldn’t be biblical nor loving, and why would I leave him behind? He’s my other half) to go across the world to bring this message. I will pay the price of leadership.

I so get the part where the article talks about ministry depression. I actually experience that here and there once in a while and in the past when I worked full time and served.

Rich Nathan said in this article, “I’ve come to accept that, following a conference or weekend of ministry, I will be subject to spiritual attack and feelings of depression. I try to give myself more time to be away from people.”

In 2015, I took a deep breath and said, “I can’t burn the candles at both ends or I won’t last. I. Must. Have. Balance.”

I like the reference of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:3-5. He had enough. I can imagine himself throwing his hands in the air. All he needed was a nap and something to eat to feel better. The Angel provided it.

However, my idea of rest is very different. I love isolation in the woods. I love doing photography and having the joy of sharing my good ones and bad ones with you. I love reading. I love spending alone time with my husband. I like watching brain-numbing tv shows or movies just to not think. I like writing. I like running. I like walking.

And sometimes, I even like people.

The Death Toll in India

I can affirm the charity for India and the story as from a legitimate source. If you feel led, please consider making a one-time donation. This is an article by a fellow worker.

India just passed the 300,000 death toll of reported Covid19 related deaths. The real death toll, especially from rural areas, is unknown. The media continues to report that India’s emergency goes on and facilities are stretched beyond the breaking point. Christians are helping.

Kachhwa Christian Hospital (started by missionaries in 1897), near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed a Covid hospital. Kachhwa Christian Hospital is one of many small hospitals now drawn in by the government as the country’s health system is in meltdown.

“People are dying in ambulances because hospitals have to turn them away,” says Ram Gidoomal, chairman of South Asian Concern. “These hospitals have been serving their communities, especially the poor and neglected, for many years. Now they face this frightening new challenge, with no oxygen. If we exceed the target, we will pass on the extra to our partner hospitals of the Emmanuel Hospital Association’s 19 hospitals.” All monies donated will be used to help with this ongoing emergency, purchasing oxygen generating machine, ventilators, and other Covid-19 related needs.

Here are two things you can do:

First of all, pray. We need a spirit of wisdom, generosity, and discernment for governments.
Secondly, if you can, please give. Donations for the appeal can be sent to South Asian Concern by cheque (payable to South Asian Concern) via please visit our Give.Net page here; or by bank transfer to South Asian Concern at CAF Bank, Sort code: 40-52-40, a/c no 00099484. Please indicate that your donation is for the ‘KCH oxygen appeal’ (by emailing to celia.avinash@southasianconcern.org).

Note: This is a United Kingdom Charity. It is in “pounds”, not dollars. Probably no tax deduction on this in the United States. Please check with your tax accountant if you have any questions about overseas charity.

New! Photos

My photos are available to use under these conditions:

If you are a publication, my photos are available to use for a donation of any amount to worldventure.com/nhahn.

Go to my Instagram account and find a photo you like. Or private message me on Instagram to ask about a specific photo.
Make a donation of any amount to worldventure.com/nhahn.
Forward me a donation receipt with your questions or description or screenshot of a specific photo you like.
The original photo file will be emailed to you.
Send me a hard copy of the publication that uses the photo or a link to the digital publication.

If you are a church, photos can be used as bulletin covers.

If it is used as a bulletin cover or with other church publications, and byline is given on the inside cover with a link to worldventure.com/nhahn encouraging partnerships to the mission, the photo does not require a donation. It will require a hard copy mailed to me and permission first.

The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel: Lessons in Social Media

The real tragedy in The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel on Netflix was how internet users became ruthless in their pursuit of “truth.” In this four-episode series, two characters emerge–Elisa Lam and the Cecil.

Elisa was a Canadian, a student, and a Tumblr blogger. She micro-blogged in the same way many of the early bloggers did when blogging was young—transparently, authentically. Her Tumblr was self-expression and connection. This is refreshing, considering that most blogs now are about selling you something. We are led through strange events, including the history of this Skid Row hotel.

Live interviews from a former manager, a former maintenance worker, police, the coroner, psychologists, Youtubers, bloggers, historians, and other “web sleuths” led us through the Cecil Hotel’s dark history and the strange journey of Elisa. The series seemed to present the story similarly to how the public heard the information as it was happening. This is good story-telling, giving us the right ambiance.

When the last episode plays out, and her body is found floating in the water tank, you are left feeling sad for the family who endured the media coverage as well as the victims of assumptions made by people online.

Morbid, a death metal musician, was mobbed online with hateful messages and death threats as people assumed by his music and his stay at the hotel that he killed Elisa. Hundreds of death threats and messages peppered his Youtube account. The Mexican FBI even briefly visited him at his home. This drove Morbid to an unsuccessful attempt at taking his life. To this day, Morbid said in the interview, he has trouble getting back into his art. He says no one apologized to him for the cyberbullying and the pain it caused.

From this, I felt we could learn some lessons from the Vanishing…

Hotel Cecil was located in Skid Row and housed people like Richard Ramirez. Elisa Lam was under-medicating as bipolar 1 and hallucinating, acting out, and being strange. No one thought to question her behavior or get help because it was the Hotel Cecil—a hotel where the unknown was an everyday occurrence.
Always Google map or Google earth a hotel before staying. Stay on Main, and Hotel Cecil shared the same elevator. It was not two different hotels, just two distinct hotel experiences to gain more business. It was still dangerous for a tourist.
The police do not share all their information, and the media is usually wrong or has an agenda.
Do no harm. Having a social media platform is a form of power.
Don’t obsess over bloggers or any other social media personality.
Think of the family of the one who vanished or died. I can’t even imagine how they felt watching all this unfold online and on television.
Use social media to connect and help each other.
Your words on social media will live long after your time here on earth is over. Make it count.

Some still believe that Elisa Lam’s accidental drowning was some kind of conspiracy. The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel very thoroughly debunked any conspiracy theories. She wanted to see the world, and instead, lost her life in Los Angeles. However, her words on Tumblr live on.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

A New Email Service Opened

It’s tough these days to keep a good attitude. I want to help.

Once a week, beginning next Monday, I will be opening up to you a new email service.

Catch Your Breath: Your Weekly Encouragement will be a quick read filled with encouragement and Scripture. You do not have to be of my faith to sign up and receive them. You can reply to this weekly email if you do have prayer needs or have questions. This is different than my regular ministry emails.

Sign up by clicking here.