CRM: How did you decide to become a missionary. Many times people talk about the missionary call, but how did you make that decision?
Al: Our call was probably a slow but steady call. We were both in the Air Force, I spent eight years in the Air Force and in the course of that time just different things along the way started pointing me towards ministry. To the point that in 1991, when I got out of the Air Force, I went to Columbia Bible College in Columbia, South Carolina. And all I knew at that point was that God wanted us in ministry and I wanted to get a Bible degree and so that is what I did. While I was there we thought maybe cross-cultural ministry was part of it, but there I became convinced that cross-cultural ministry was something we wanted to do.
CRM: So you were in the Air Force; how did that help your decision to go into ministry?
Al: Yeah, we had a lot of opportunities to do a lot of good ministry, like Navigators and a lot of discipleship stuff and we led Bible studies and that sort of thing and I was convinced then.
CRM: Now were you stationed overseas or were you stateside?
Al: Yeah, the last four years we were in Germany. We were involved with a Baptist church just off the base that had both Germans and military folks. And they ministered a lot in Romania so that helped us to develop a little bit of a heart for missions in Europe along the way.
CRM: Sometimes people think that Europe is very burned out and cynical and that it might be hard to share the Gospel there because it has been Christianized for centuries. Are you finding that kind of struggle where you are?
Al: Yeah I think that Europeans are in large part very skeptical of Christianity there is some sense of "year, we've been there, done that." Very secular minded, humanism, that sort of thing. But I do find that the difference is it is easier to talk to people about the Gospel, Christ, Church, whatever because it seems like at least in the countries I have lived in -- Germany and Holland -- they are willing to dialogue. I can share my view and they can share their opinion, whereas I find in American the minute you want to talk about church or God they immediately want to shut you off or whatever. There, they don't shut you off right away, but the minute you get pushy they do.
CRM: What is your vision for what God is doing through you and Christian associates. I know that you two have had personal struggles with Deela's illness, but listening to her this morning, there is a grace that does not seem to come outside of difficulty.
Al: I don't know how people make it without Christ in tough times. I think our desire even in the midst of struggling with Deela's cancer is that Christ be honored and glorified in that. And we even had some opportunity to -- I just got an e-mail from a gal that we got to know through chemotherapy, her husband is going through it and he's probably on his last months of life now and she shared that in the e-mail. But she's been really open to the Gospel, so even in this we have been able share, and because of the bond I think we have been able to connect with the neighbors. I talked about in church that their daughters has leukemia or had leukemia and we were able to celebrate with them and build relationships. So I think you know it is how people connect with us on a personal level.
On a larger level I think we want to see churches that are established that are vital and relevant, like Clear River, in Europe where people will engage people where they are at, that will engage post modernism, which is probably more profound in Europe than it is in America. Even though pop culture a lot of that stuff originates in America, it is just so ingrained in Europe the church needs to really engage with it in a way that it will be able to share the Gospel with postmodern people. 
I think that is part of our vision in Christian Associates is to be able to share the Gospel across Europe in a way that is relevant to them. To see churches established that are going to continue to engage the culture of Europe in whatever form that might look like. And on top of that we say the key element is raising up leaders, European leaders.
One of the things that I am excited about is that God is raising up a number of European leaders. One of my good friends is pastoring and helping to start a church down in Rotterdam that is a Dutch-language church. I am really excited to see a European like him take the vision for it. And also over in Germany we have a young German guy leading a church in Muenster, Germany.
One of our values is a heavy grace orientation, a real emphasis on grace that they don't find in a lot of Dutch reformed churches. They tend to be legalistic and so people find that emphasis on grace very refreshing.
CRM: When Bartimaeus called out to Jesus the thing Jesus asked him was "what do you want me to do for you?" How would you answer that question?
Al: Hmmm, that's a good question. I think that I would answer that He would so continually transform my life that I can really make a difference in Europe for the long haul. Not only I, but we, my wife and family that we would be so transformed by the love of Jesus that it would really just flow out and numerous lives would be transformed through our lives.
CRM: So how can we at Clear River partner with you and pray for you?
Al: Well you are already giving generously for which we are grateful. But certainly prayer for Deela's health is huge and praying for the kids. I mean you hear all sorts of stories about missionary kids. I think that our desire would be that our kids would really grow to love Christ and embrace Him as they grow older. It is a very liberal culture to live in and it is hard to sometimes know if you are doing enough to protect the kids and let them engage with the culture in a healthy way, but it is quite different from America.
CRM: What about short-term trips? If people from Clear River wanted to come over and do a short-term trip?
Al: Christian Associates has a growing short-term internship program. We have a lady who is running that now and is doing a really good job. Most of our church plants are hosting short term trips.
CRM: How important is a servant's heart in your work, particularly in Europe where people are kind of "over it." Does being willing to take the humble place open doors to people?
Al: I think so. When you really have a servant's heart it really builds respect with people. They really begin to see that you care for them and that opens doors. That is how we have gotten close to our one-side neighbors, we gave them a play set from the kids and they were so grateful for the generosity. It is easy to become critical of the culture when you move, but it is so critical to come in and just be willing to learn. And there will be things you don't like or disagree with but that you don't take a critical perspective, you take a learning perspective. Just realize it's not weird it is just different.
CRM: Deela, what is the biggest challenge for you?
Deela: Personally, right now the challenge is between my health, taking care of myself and taking care of the children and the household. I have had to back off a lot of ministry for the church and I still meet with the certain women that I disciple, or come along side. One I might mentor, another I might coach, and all those roles are all at one time. So I come alongside maybe four or five women personally on a one-to-one basis. And so I still kind of meet and touch bases and we pray together and encourage each other. So I sill do that but I am not involved in any ministry stuff. I take Care of myself and the children right now. It has been very much of a challenge to pull back because I am very much a doer and very much involved. So it is hard for me to say "no".
CRM: Well you have three kids so that's more than enough to do.
Deela: Well, yeah but I think I am the example for my children and if we are not involved in other people's lives and encouraging them and caring for them, then my children will not do those things. And I really want that and I think that is important for our children to see us ministering to others so that when they grow up. It's like my parents were in the Navy and they always had sailors over and served meals and stayed in the extra room that my dad built so that we could have people over stay there. And these young adults would be discussing the Bible over the table and a cup of coffee. And I grew up with that and that is very much the way life should be. And so I kept that mentality that our house is our home and people come over to talk and to share and to encourage and work through struggles and I want my children to see that so that legacy can be passed to my children. That is important to me.
CRM: So that must be a kind of push-me-pull-you now that you have, now that you are fighting another battle. You have responsibilities as a mom and with the ministry, but you have also got to take care of yourself.
Deela: Yes it is.
CRM: So how can we pray for you all. What can Clear River do to encourage you, support you or care for you? You can ask for anything. Don't try to think of something that people would like to hear.
Deela: First of all the thing that we value the most is knowing that people are praying for us. Because prayer support, knowing that people are praying for us, especially while I have been sick, has been so important. Say like practically, if people write me a little note or Al a little note in this process to encourage him. You know "I was thinking of you today and I am praying for you." Or just send a card . It just lifts our spirits to know in a practical way that someone's praying for us even though we haven't talked to them for months or we are not real close, that is a really big encouragement and it is a really practical way to help. For both of us, if he gets a card or a letter in the mail and it's not a bill or not anything else, you know saying that we love you and we are praying for you it changes the whole day.
And I think as you pray for us, it is for us to keep our eyes focused on Jesus because we tend to get self focused with what the doctor says or with discouragement or whatever. And we just get in a busy mode of work and children and just life. But to keep our eyes focused on who they need to be focused on through the whole thing. And that makes the bad times not so bad. And that is knowing that God's peace is there because those things are minimized if we know that people are praying for us. Okay I am discouraged, I recognize that, I give it up, and I press on.
We are now back in Iowa for two days visiting Deela's brother Tom's family and returning their car which they graciously loaned us to run to Texas with! We had a very nice time in Texas with Deela's family. It is a busy week with final preparations for our staff conference and our Europe Leadership Team gatherings.
We are in the U.S. and have had four Sundays connecting with our supporting churches. Our visits have gone very well and we are tremedously encouraged by the support and care from our churches and friends! I've had a hard time getting internet access at a decent speed so I'm sorry I haven't updated this more.
