Ten years ago today I was in the midst of my new series “Where did the Bible come from?”, which eventually became a seminar which I have shared in Canada and elsewhere in Mexico as well.
Here I am with a replica of P52, a papyrus with part of the Gospel of John, dated from the early second century. Shari and I were able to see it in person back in 2011. As you can see, my t-shirt also fits the theme, with other fragments from the second century. This seminar is so much fun – I hope I can do it again!
Ten years ago today, Hannah and Nathanael were doing some cookie decorating with Tiffany at the community centre in Jesús María! Tiffany isn’t in this picture, but you can probably pick out Hannah and Nathanael. Just click the photo for a larger version.
Ten years ago today (2012) we were having a closing program for the community centre. Part of the program was to give out some wheelchairs to people who had been identified as having a special need.
These are the “old style” wheelchairs provided by another mission. The new ones are a lot better and more sophisticated. But for someone who had no access to any chair, these were a good start!
The beginning of an illustrious career? I don’t know, but on this day ten years ago, Nathanael and Shari were playing a game created by Nathanael himself. I have no idea how to play – maybe he remembers?
Yes, today indeed marks the anniversary of this blog – 20 years! Actually, today at 9:46pm. 🙂
Hannah at the computer – 2002
Our website was actually launched in 1999. But using software known as Greymatter, in October 2002 we started The Cottrill Family Journal, which became Finding direction in 2005. The first (boring) entry is here.
Eventually, we started using WordPress (which was launched in 2003). Actually, in 2002 there were a lot of things that didn’t exist yet, such as:
Facebook
iPhones
Gmail
Greta Thunberg
YouTube
Tesla
Minecraft
10,000 Reasons (song)
Back in 2012 I wrote a bit about what was going on in 2002 – check out Back in October 2002…
“Looking back over ten years, and now looking forward, I think it’s really likely that we as a family, and probably a lot of you if not most of you listening are going to experience more change in the next ten years than we have in the last ten years.”
Later on in the podcast I did apply the same thing to the world in general. And both turned out to be true! I also looked ahead to future church plants (the church we’re in now hadn’t started yet). And I did explain the need for more missionaries in this area – something we still need to work on!
In 2002, we had recently applied to CAM International (we had no idea what country we would end up in). As you know, the mission joined with Avant in 2019, which means we have about a 20-year relationship with the same mission. 🙂 Hannah was 1 year old (check out her first post here).
Over the past ten years (a little easier to measure than 20), these posts have been the most popular:
Where do visitors to this blog commonly come from? I was surprised:
China
Canada
India
United States
United Kingdom
Ghana
United Arab Emirates
Afghanistan
Antigua & Barbuda
Albania
Yep, China wins by a healthy margin.
Change in the world continues at an ever more frantic pace. And it would be naïve to think it’s going to slow down now! We face challenges today that frankly most of us had hardly thought about 20 years ago – or perhaps even 5 years ago! Our task to share God’s Word is ever more urgent.
I would venture to say once again that we will see more change in the next 10 years than we did in the last – and that goes for us as a family, for the Church, and for the world. We’re not ready, but God is. And He didn’t have to “get ready”. Nothing catches Him off guard. Nothing is outside of His sovereign control.
Recently I was reminded of a hymn that was published 131 years ago – “Faith Is The Victory”.
It seems that more than ever our focus seems to be more on our own worries and anxieties, and our songs and prayers reflect it. But remembering who our Leader is, and knowing the resources He has given us, maybe we should be reminded that victory is assured.
His banner over us is love, Our sword the Word of God. We tread the road the saints above With shouts of triumph trod. By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath, Swept on o’er every field. The faith by which they conquered death Is still our shining shield.
The Apostle John wrote: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4) He finishes his letter with this:
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 John 5:19-21
A great reminder as we head into the unknowns of the next 20 years.
Ten years ago today, Nathanael finished building a castle.
No, really. In fact, he even moulded all the bricks himself!
This was a very cool castle from a kit. I’m not sure they’re still making it, but I can see there are currently some on eBay. Recommended, if you can find one. But it does take time, because each brick has to be moulded and dried before you can start building.
