By Daniel S. Blevins*
October 2009 – It was June 2003. I knew an ACMC (Advancing Churches’ Mission Commitment) conference was to be held mid-month in downtown Atlanta. From looking at the Finishers Web site (www.finishers.org) I knew there would be a full three days of programming with a Finishers track. I had recently become aware of Finishers and was wondering if I might find a place to plug myself into some type of mission ministry through them.
I had been debating over whether to attend this conference. Somehow I felt I should go. Finally, just a few days before the conference, I put in for two days of vacation from my job, signed up online and paid the $260 registration fee with my credit card. Maybe my church would reimburse me, maybe not. Either way I was going.
The conference began on a Thursday. It consisted of seven or eight concurrent sessions, three times daily and a continuous “ministry fair” which included exhibits from about 70 ministries. I began attending the Finishers programming track and visiting the ministry fair during breaks.
I had never seen anything so extensive as the ministry fair. I began talking to exhibitors and picking up literature. I figured I would never make it to all of the booths.
I ran into a guy I knew from Asian Access and, in discussing which sessions I was attending, he pointed out to me the booth for Finishers. “That’s Norman Malwitz in the booth,” my friend told me. “He started Finishers.” We went over to the booth and I made Norman’s acquaintance.
For the next two days I continued to attend the Finishers track and visit the ministry fair.
On Saturday afternoon, I was attending the last session of the Finishers track which was a session titled “Finding Your Place in Ministry – Your Skills are Needed.” There were about 20 people in the room and I was sitting near the front. The instructor began his presentation stating that regardless of what your skills were there was a ministry somewhere that could use you.
He said, “In fact, I’m going to go around the room and have you tell me what you do or want to do and I will suggest to you a ministry that would fit your situation.” He started around the room to my left and the examples began to flow. Teacher, electrician, nurse, and with each person he began to reel off ministries and places in the world where they could be involved. My turn was coming. I began to wonder what I would say. My degree is in chemistry but for the past 25 years I had specialized in the technology of making paper.
The instructor motioned toward me. “And what do you do, sir?”
“I’m a paper chemist,” I answered. The instructor’s jaw dropped and the room erupted in laughter.
“Well, you stumped me with that one,” he admitted. “I don’t know of a place for a paper chemist.”
Suddenly, from the back of the room a voice called out, “I met a ministry at the fair that needs a paper chemist.” We all spun around to see who had said that. It was Norman Malwitz, sitting at the back of the room. The instructor broke the stunned silence by reiterating that there surely was a place for everyone and that Norman and I should get together after the session.
The rest of the session was interesting but now I was pre-occupied with what ministry could possibly need me and my specific skills. Later I caught up with Norman at the ministry fair.
“Which ministry is it?” I asked.
“Come with me,” Norman said. He led the way to a booth for Action International where I met Marvin and Sarah Graves, mission mobilizers based in Seattle. They were displaying some wrapping papers, and guestbooks made from handmade paper. The paper, in turn was made from Manila hemp, a non-wood material. By an amazing coincidence, I happen to have a specialization in making paper from non-wood materials such as cotton, flax, straw and, oh yes, hemp too. As I looked at pictures from the paper mill, I was stunned to see they were doing exactly the type of processing that corresponds with my expertise.
I learned from Marvin that the ministry is Village Handcrafters, located outside Manila in the Philippines, and is an off-shoot of Action International. Village Handcrafters does livelihood development among the poor squatter people around Manila, then uses the profits from the business to fund pastors who plant churches among the squatters. Village Handcrafters was started in 1995 by Action International missionary Ed Landry, who had the vision to create useful products out of local materials. He struck upon the idea of handmade paper from hemp and began learning how to make the paper and turn it into commercial products. The Village now employs about 40 people and funds three church plants.
Marvin encouraged me to contact Ed Landry directly. After a few discussions about their paper process, Ed told me, “We are self-taught amateurs. We really need you to come to the Philippines and help us.” That was enough for me. It was clear that God had hooked me up with a ministry that needed my special knowledge. Wow!
I made my first trip to the Philippines in October 2003. I could tell a long story about that first trip but I’ll just say I fit right in with Ed and the folks at Village Handcrafters. They put me to work applying my knowledge to their process. During my 10-day visit, we were able to cut their processing time for a batch of hemp pulp from nine hours to three and to cut their chemical costs for a batch by about 90%. I returned to the U.S. knowing that God had put me right where I was needed.
In March 2004, I returned to the Philippines. It turns out another major need at the Village Handcrafters paper mill is to develop and implement a wastewater treatment process. Surprisingly, I also have some experience in wastewater treatment! During my second trip I was able to run a set of experiments to determine how to best process the mill’s effluent (discharged waste material) so it can be released without harm to the environment.
I plan to return to the Philippines as soon as the timing is right for the installation of the wastewater process. The project has been delayed until the Village has the capital to conduct the project. In the meantime I stay in touch with Ed and the Village by e-mail. Often I am asked to give advice on technical questions. I am part of the Village team and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Ed is expanding the ministry to include developing simple techniques that can be adopted by poor people to improve their lives and provide income. These include fish farming, solar-cooking, waste recycling, potable water treatment, etc. He has asked me to be a part of the technical team on that part of the ministry and to continue as a technical assistant to the paper mill.
Despite finding this specific fit for me in ministry, so far it appears unnecessary for me to relocate to the Philippines. I will travel there as needed but see no advantage presently of being there full time. I took early retirement in 2004 at the age of 51. Consequently, I am available to travel at any time.
What’s my message to other baby boomers? Whoever you are, whatever you do, God has a place for you to serve in ministry. If you take the first step you will be amazed at the journey on which God will take you.
I would never have found my place with Village Handcrafters if the Holy Spirit had not stirred me to attend the Finishers program at that ACMC conference. My faith has been strengthened by this experience. I am certain that I am on God’s agenda in working with Village Handcrafters. What blessings have rained down because of the connection that was made there! 
*Editor’s note: Baby boomers Dan Blevins and his wife Susan found significance for this season of their lives after Dan discovered Finishers Project at a missions conference. Finishers helped him connect with ministries that could benefit from his professional background as a paper chemist. Members of Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in Norcross, Georgia, they have been on seven international mission trips together. In the near future, Dan hopes to assist with water purification installations in Nepal and Beirut, Lebanon.
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Finishers Project
The Finishers Project (FP) is helping thousands of North American adults – specifically baby boomers – have a global impact for Christ. Founded in 2006 by Nelson Malwitz, the non-profit group provides information, challenge and pathways for people to find a fit in world missions.
“Right now, there are about 78 million boomers in the U.S.,” said Don Parrott, president of FP. “About 12 million of those are Christ followers.” That is the demographic he hopes to reach with FP, trying to paint a compelling picture that will help people see how their skills, knowledge and expertise can be used for the good of others and the glory of Christ.
Malwitz tells the story of a friend who retired from his secular career, then spent three years searching for something significant to do in missions. Malwitz saw that as such a waste of time – something should be in place to help seniors transition from life-long careers to new missions careers in a timely and efficient fashion. That became the vision which gave birth to FP.
The FP process allows an interested person to complete a profile online at www.finishers.org, Then, FP matches that person’s interests and skills with ministries that need those very skills. FP also offers seminars and conferences tailored to the needs of a particular church or group of churches to accomplish the same purposes for seniors.
“Everybody that Jesus called, He called by eye contact,” Malwitz observed, “so the conferences end up being a lot more powerful than just the Web site.”
For more information:
Finishers Project
3303 S. Lindsay Rd., Ste. 108
Gilbert, AZ 85297-1504
Phone: 480-854-4444
Web: www.finishers.org
E-mail: [email protected]
