As you know, I travel a good part of each year. Most of it is for what we call “Pulpit Ministry,” that is, guest preaching in churches around the country. One of the greatest joys I have as a minister of the Gospel is preaching God’s Word, and it’s through preaching that I communicate the motivation and passion behind our ministry. What we do here in the nation’s capital as missionaries to government officials is inseparably linked to what happens in the local church. It’s within congregations we discover Christians who share with us a deep concern for the moral and spiritual well-being of our American civilization. It’s also where we find people who will pray for us, which is the most important thing they can do to help us achieve our goals. Of course, it’s in the church that we also meet and develop long-term friendships with pastors and lay members. Many of these friends end up generously supporting our efforts, so they become our literal life-line from Heaven! So, most of the time that I’m not in Washington, I’m in the church, but that’s not all I do on the road–there’s more.

When I’m “out and about”, I like to visit individuals and couples who invest in our work in extraordinary ways. It may be with their time, talent or treasure. Just as it is with pastors and congregations, I get a lot of valuable information, advice and support from these folks. Many of these people own or run businesses, they serve on boards of national and international organizations and they have access to valuable resources. Talking and praying with our major supporters is also a source of wisdom needed to do what God has called us to do. This kind of wisdom is, as Scripture reminds us, “more valuable than silver and gold.” (See Proverbs 16:16) I also plain enjoy people. I’m always interested in their lives, their families, their work and the way they see what’s happening in the world. It enriches my life and helps me gain perspective on what we’re doing.

Finally, when I’m outside the beltway, in “real America,” I learn what really concerns people, about our government, about our culture and about our world. This helps me regain focus and to stay “on mission.” I have no desire to live isolated from average Americans. “Official Washington” can be a place as strange as Alice’s Wonderland. I’m a pretty practical Christian and I like to have at least one foot planted firmly on the ground–in the real world. Spending too much time in the “rare air” of Washington leaves you me with altitude sickness!

These days, I have more time outside Washington than ever. You may have heard that for the next 36 months, Cheryl and I are living part of each year in Seattle, Washington, where she’s finishing a graduate program in Christian counseling. It’s been a long-delayed dream for her. Cheryl has always done a lot of personal ministry work–and helped a lot of needy kids through her professional practice as an occupational therapist–but nothing has been as fulfilling for her than ministering to women victims of abuse. As I write this we’re together at our “western home,” a humble studio apartment on Seattle’s waterfront, just a few blocks from her school. Being here always gives me a new perspective which clarifies even more what our work in Washington is all about.

Oh, and I shouldn’t leave off without saying that when I’m on the road, I’m never bored! Filling in the open calendar spaces is all that “other stuff” I do: Making our daily prayer videos (I like giving you a different backdrop from time to time, like the current one, the Wasatch Mountain Range of Utah!), fulfilling my “extra-curricular duties,” like chairing two recent interview committees for candidates for ordination to the Christian ministry (I’ll do one tomorrow at my alma mater, Faith Evangelical Seminary in nearby Tacoma), conducting endless conference calls with our ministry team, sitting on boards of various organizations (as I’ll do next week near Chicago) and, of course, writing this blog and many other pieces for our website and publications. (This year we’ll communicate in the mail with more than 3 million people!)

Now you have an idea of how I spend my time–and it’s not on the golf course! Thanks for making it all possible through your prayers, your friendship and your financial support. I’m eternally grateful!

Rob +

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