The journey begins!

The first snow has fallen on the Hottentots Holland mountains behind our home in Somerset West - it is wet in Cape Town. But, I'm off to much warmer weather! By 3pm SA time tomorrow I would have reached my semi final destination Sibu in Malaysia.

I am missing my family already. However, I am filled with anticipation for what lies ahead over the next two weeks! Scroll down a few posts or do a search for 'Malaysia' on this blog for full details of this trip.

I'd appreciate your prayers for me, my family and our team.

Join us at the Unashamedly Ethical conferences in Malaysia

On Wednesday I'll be boarding a flight from Cape Town to Malaysia where Graham Power and I will first be heading via Kuala Lumpur to Sibu to speak at the Methodist Prayer gathering (with some engagements in Kuching along the way). I had the immeasurable privilage of speaking at the 2007 prayer gathering (it was during this time that I first fell in love with Malaysia and her wonderful people!)  

Malaysia has a very special place in my heart - I have been back a number of times since then, and will be there twice this year.

Then, on the 29th we head back to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with Steve Johnstone (the international coordinator for Unashamedly Ethical) to speak at an Unashamedlly Ethical conference (see the brochure and video below).  Please find the full details of the conference here.  I would love to see there if you're in the area!

On the 5th and 6th of May we go on Penang for another Unashamedly Ethical Conference. Please find full details of that conference here.

The Unashamedly Ethical movement challenges individuals and organisations to make a stand for values and ethics.  We are convinced that we will never be able to deal with systemic poverty until we address systemic corruption. Please consider joining us by committing yourself to values, ethics and clean living here - Unashamedly Ethical online.

I will also be doing some seminars and workshops with pastors and business people on the topics of 'ministry in the marketplace' and 'practical social transformation' (based in part on the book that Graham Power and I wrote together called 'Transform your work life')  If you live in Malaysia and would like to order a copy of the book please visit Canaanland here. If you live elsewhere in the world please get your copy here.

Prayer requests

Please could you support us in prayer.  Here are some prayer pointers.

• Please pray for our hosting committee in the Methodist Church in Malaysia who will host us for the first part of our visit (particularly Bishop Hwa Yung and his leadership team)
• Please pray for our hosting committee from the NECF - close friends who are doing incredible work in the Church and the marketplace.
• Please pray for Graham, Steve and I while we're away.  Also please pray for our families.
• Please pray that the Lord will use us and that He will create wonderful opportunities for us to bless, encourage and partner with our Malaysian friends in bringing about renewal and transformation in the Church and world of work.

Thanks so much!  I'll be posting updates as regularly as I can to my twitter feed and will post here as well as often as I can.

One of the stupidest philosophies in the world

Yesterday morning I began my talk to the Unashamedly Ethical community [MP3, 29MB] with a confession.  I confessed that I am an addict.  I am addicted to a way of life that is killing me, killing others, killing the world - it is even killing generations to come.  I live for tomorrow and don't value today sufficiently.  I want bigger things, better things and more things.  Who I am and what I have just doesn't seem good enough

I am dangerous.

But, I am a recovering addict.  Since being encountered by the Prince of Peace I have embarked on a daily journey that seeks peace.  I live my life in the cause of true peace - peace with God, peace with people, and in fact peace with all creation.  It is not an easy journey when you're as addicted to yourself as I am.  Perhaps it is easier for you?

Just to mention that my confession was motivated by this incredible video made by my friend Alan Storey - thanks Al, you continue to inspire and challenge me along my journey.

You can listen to my talk by downloading it here.

This quote made sense in the context of my confession.

Here is one of the stupidest philosophies of life I have ever heard, and yet it is the one that drives our whole civilization: it’s the idea that the purpose of life is to get good things in the future that you don’t yet have, rather than enjoying the good things in the present that you do have. A thought voices from every corner of our culture whisper that lie. Fight the voices. Command your own thoughts (they’re yours to command!) to look at the present and its beauty. If you have to force yourself to stop and smell the roses, well, then, force yourself.

— Peter Kreeft, Before I Go: Letters to our children about what really matters, n.18, pp.30-31 (United Kingdom: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007) (via @firstbreath90)

I'll be in the USA - drop me a line if you'd like to connect

Tomorrow I'm starting a LONG journey that will take me from my home in Cape Town for 10 days.

Here's the summary of my trip:

• 18 March Cape Town
• to Johannesburg (stop for some meetings)
• to Dakar (refuel)
• to Washington
• to Jacksonville (arrive 20 March.  Do planning for the Global Day of Prayer international conference and broadcast in June. Do some speaking on Unashamedly Ethical and Transform your work life.  Graham to speak at the Governor's Prayer Breakfast).
• to San Francisco (arrive 23 March, meet Brett Johnsonn, speak at an evening event with Christian business people
• to San Jose (spend time with Brett and Ed Silvoso)
• to Los Angeles (arrive 24 March (late) speak at a two day conference (25-26 March) on Unashamedly Ethical and Transform your work life)
• to Washington (27 March)
• to Dakar
• to Johannesburg
• to Cape Town (late 28 March)
• to bed  ;-)
• to work (29 March!)

It is going to be an excinting time!  I count it as an immeasurable privelage to be able to do such trips! We do a great deal of practical and spiritual preparation to do the most possible good with each visit.

Please pray for the relationships we'll form, the speaking we'll do and the opportunities to encourage and bless the people we visit with. 

If you'd like to connect with us while we're in the US please drop me an email or DM me @digitaldion on twitter.

Please also pray for our families while we're away!

A quick video greeting from Malaysia

I have two great benefits on this trip:

1.  I have free wifi access in the hotel!

2.  I am struggling to sleep!

So, I went to the gym early this morning and then recorded this little greeting when I returned.

Greetings from Malaysia! from Dion Forster on Vimeo.

Have a truly blessed day! I would appreciate your prayers for myself and my family back home.

PS.  If you think that there is something wrong with YOUR video don't worry! For some reason when I encoded the video it has only captured every few frames (so the video doesn't quite line up with the audio... No matter, it's only a talking head!)