Karl and Debbie....changing together
Dear friends who have traveled far,
Did you notice the leaves fell off the trees? The weather is cooler? Seasons change around us. The last you heard from us, summer was still on the way. Now Christmas is on the way.
It happened to us as well. In September we both turned 70. Social security began. So you might think that all the rest of our lives have moved down the familiar path that happens to most people in our season. We have been blessed with many who have remained faithful in supporting us for years in prayer and finances. Over the past few years some of our supporters, both individuals and churches, have become too old to continue the journey with us. We are thankful for the years we were able to walk together, and thankful for the days that yet lie ahead even though we cannot number our days.
The short version, if you want it, is that we are trying to slow down but not stopping. Mission to the World has a one-sentence retirement policy that isn’t much help at our point of life, so we have negotiated with them the idea of a “slow down”. For us that puts us at about a 30+ hour week. We have had a salary reduction in place for the last five years since our support account has teetered on the red-line edge. So financially we hope to continue with some income from MTW that might help recover what we haven’t had for the past years and make it through to the end.
Now the long version.
Karl’s job description is looking like this from Sept 2019
Goal:
A network of international theological schools that collaborate on research and educational programs in peace studies on a theological base that creates a growing resource of church leaders who provide the understanding and skills helpful for churches to positively contribute toward bringing God’s shalom in a troubled world.
Objectives:
Identify theological training institutions who might desire to work toward at least an MA level of a peace studies program.
Encourage the development of those programs, starting with the provision of core courses offered either virtually or through a recommended teacher.
Guide by consultation with appropriate school leadership in the formation of curriculum and policies helpful for the establishment of a program.
Oversee research and dissertation writing of a few doctoral candidates.
Teach one course a year at the doctoral level.
Assist in the monitoring of practicum of doctoral students to establish high-quality practitioners of conflict mitigation.
Activities:
5 hrs/week in correspondence (by email and phone) with theological institutions and educational leaders.
10 hrs/week monitoring dissertations, research and practicium
2 hrs/week in reporting and planning with Sychar Well Group (a 501c3 established for creating a platform of sharing and connection for peace studies curriculum and activities.
Two annual visits for teaching, networking, and consultation. (Three weeks/yr total)
5 hrs/week writing projects.
5 hrs/week coaching and assisting a new director of the peace studies program at the International Graduate School of Leadership.
Here with Karl is the newly approved director and Dr Lua who has been the long standing enabler of the program as original dean. Also pictured is our newest cohort.
Debbie’s Job description is looking like this:
Goal: to create and maintain a movement of country networks focused on enabling families to function in a healthy and God-honoring manner utilizing the “Families for Life” curriculum.
Objectives:
Create the necessary financial grants through World Relief to make the programs viable.
Identify the needed manual components through writing workshops
Develop the manuals.
Complete the training of core trainers in each country where the program is established
Activities:
Grant writing
Writing workshops
Manual writing
Training and follow up
Report and synthesis
Karl and Debbie’s “extra curricular” ministry job description looks like this:
Goal: to nurture and maintain a Christian community in the International House Baltimore so that as international scholars come to stay they are nurtured and built up in Christ and ready to return to the country of God’s calling to be a winsome and effective part of the Church in that place, utilizing their skills and training to glorify God.
Objectives:
Identify and engage residents as well as Reformed University Fellowship-International (also resident in the basement).
Assist in any community needs, personal needs and extended needs as they arise.
Engage in personal discipleship and life coaching.
Ensure that the building is comfortable and operates flawlessly for ministry.
Our house is next to the International House and we rejoice that the world now comes to our table.
We have been making progress toward a changing season. The days are shorter now. Karl has stepped back but IGSL has not fully drawn into his place a new Peace Studies director. However, they have approved a new director who will have to raise her (!) support—a monumental task since she is an evangelical Arab Israeli. Any way you put those descriptors in a sentence changes the focus of her identity, but they all indicate she is a minority of minorities. She lives in Nazareth, so as you read the Biblical texts this Christmas, do pray for this process that peace on earth may be promoted from Nazareth! We have a new cohort of nine that began in July and 14 more in application process. The program is not diminishing! We should have at least 5 more graduates in the next two years.
Debbie is well on the way with a Families for Life in five countries. She is in the manual writing stage in some places and in the follow up in others. This week she is in Burundi for a significant Pastor’s summit and more training. She hopes to have most of her work done by mid-year, 2020. Health issues are making it harder for her to stay as active. She regularly has about 20 specialists that oversee her and now once a month she has an IV treatment for five days (at home). But so far she has been able to keep going.
The International House Baltimore is now in its fourth year of operation. We have a great committee of governance that is moving toward formation as a board with a 501c3 to expand the ministry foundation. Thus far it has been tethered to our pockets.
In June we had the joy to return to Kenya and revisit our early days with five of our grandchildren. Son Joshua sat again in the same primary school seat where he was once rapped on the hands for missing his math facts. It must have been what made him an engineer :)
Joshua's four sons roamed the streets and engaged with the children of a church
So if you are not too old to still journey with us, we invite you to continue to receive the blessings of God as you see His hand at work bringing life and peace in places of darkness and unbelief. If you think you are ready to retire from the journey with us, we understand, and simply want to say a huge thank you for your accompaniment. If you want to journey on the pathway but go beyond where we can go, then we would love to connect you to those who will carry our vision and labors. Our letters have already come less frequently. If the leaves from our book have become crinkled and brown, feel free to take your name from our list and gather the leaves into a bag. They might mulch something new!
We hope to have some months perhaps in the spring or summer of 2020 to travel the US and revisit many of you who have walked with us. For some of you it has been long since you saw our grey hair.
May the God of every season bless you and keep you.
--We have a salary reduction plan that will continue to move to the level that donations support. Give thanks in prayer with us that God does supply all our needs.
https://www.mtw.org/missionaries/details/karl-and-debbie-dortzbach