US CMI supporter Jonathan C. has coached Lego robotics teams in international competitions for middle and high school students for four years.

Two years ago one of his teams decided to name their team "Intelligent Design Robotics". When the master of ceremonies introduced the team at the competition, he said that this team was called Intelligent Design Robotics, but that he personally would prefer a name like "Evolutionary Robotics".

Jonathan says, "When he asked how we came up with the name, I told him we originally called ourselves 'Evolutionary Robotics', and that every week the students came together to place all the parts in the box and shake the box. Since after several weeks they did not get a working robot, we gave up, re-named the team as 'Intelligent Design', and set to work to design a functioning robot. We laughed at the story and parted ways.

Jonathan continues, "The following year, we showed up and found our friend was again Master of Ceremonie. When he introduced the team, he told the audience that we were called 'Intelligent Design Robotics' because you can't expect to get a robot by just shaking a box of Lego parts!"

After the contest, both engaged in discussion about origins and design vs evolution. As the contest was closing he asked to discuss this some more because he "Had to get this sorted out." Jonathan adds, "He is a professor of chemistry and physics at a local college and it has been great fun to make a new friend over coffee a couple of times, and to discuss the issues from an evidence-based perspective. I think it's fair to say we have both learned from the exchange and enjoyed the rich debate."

It goes to show that we should never be frightened to make a point here and there!

(Source: CMI Prayer News Jan-Mar 2010)

Dear friends,

During the past 2 days, I have been in email and phone communication with the Presbyterian Church in America (in the past, we have many points of contact with this church, and now with the present and immediate past-moderator, and the department which is in charge of responding to disaster situations).

The MNA (Mission to North America) Disaster Response Director is sending an assessing team to Port au Prince on 26th January for a week, to meet with the two pastors of the Presbyterian Church in America who are resident and ministering there, and will with these men on site determine the best ways to help. The two locals are Pastor Dony St. Germain, a Haitian national and MNA staff member who heads up the outreach to Haiti and Pastor Brian Kelso, another MNA staff member, who is assisting with this effort.