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b-d, I would agree with you if this was a hundreds years ago. All those great men of faith that you've mentioned had one goal in mind and that was to bring people to Christ. But I'm not quite sure I understand the goals of going to Rwanda in a nation that already claims to be 95% Catholic.

Is Pastor Warren objective to use the Catholic Church to promote his PDL to have people come closer to God? Is he going to set up another church to counteract a lethargic Catholic Church? Is he going there to help the sick and for each one he'll present a copy of the PDL? What precisely is the mission?

Some people seem to be misconstruing that I'm attacking Pastor Warren. I am not. I simply think that the Rwanda President sees an opportunity to tell Pastor Warren what a wonderful book he has written and would he please bring it over and share (along with his Visa credit card).

You bring up a legitimate argument that perhaps we shouldn't worry about it and let God worry about it. But nowadays there are many places to place our faith and our money for there are many needs. Is this the right way to go about this? Keep in mind that some thought Heritage USA was a great idea at one time.

Somehow I'm just a little suspicious of this President's conversion. What is he doing for the country? Aren't we suppose to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves? Seems someone once said that.

Is he going there to help the sick and for each one he'll present a copy of the PDL? What precisely is the mission?

That's really pathetic Harley. You seem to have no limit to your cynicism of Rick Warren. What has he done to you to deserve that?

Frankly I don't think he knows what his mission is exactly, but I think he feels a real yearning in his heart to do "something". I suspect he will do whatever God leads him to do.

Did it ever occur to you that Pastor Warren was simply called of God to do something in that area?

I suppose not.

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Mat 25:35-40)

I think this is where a gift of the Holy Spirit comes in (He is God don't you know - an old joke). He gives the gift of giving as He wills. I have friends who are saved engineers, if you can believe that, and they will only give to missions connected with colleges and universities. You could not convince them to give to African missions unless it was connected to a Bible School or Seminary. But to those missions they are generous to a fault. I think it is just as wrong to give out of guilt, mob excitement, emotional pitches or elitism as it is not to give when called by God to do so. Paul says let a man put aside the gift as he has been lead.

However I think we are to be available and in an attitude of willingness to give sacrificially when called to do so by the Lord and not sitting back saying "convince me."

Alamo-Girl had a great quote from Oswald Chambers in todays devotions, "Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers [August 29, 2005]", " Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him?" A lot of times this is where we are in giving or trusting someone else's ministry when we are called to give. The early church had it figured out. They would rather have been taken advantage of than miss an opportunity to give a cup of water in Jesus' name.

"A 2001 study conducted by a foreign university reported that 49.6 percent of the population were Catholic, 43.9 percent Protestant19.9 percent increase in the number of Protestants, a 7.6 percent drop in the number of Catholics, and a 3.5 percent increase in the number of Muslims from the U.N. Population Fund survey in 1996." Rwanda will be a protestant majority nation by 2015 if not 2010.