This past week we focused mainly on spiritual warfare and the battle that is around us. I know that is something that I forget, and need to be reminded of daily. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." (ESV)
At the end of the week, the emphasis was on sexual purity both for married couples and singles. In adjusting to a different culture, most people do not realize how difficult it is to stay focused and to not give in to our enemies attacks. It, I'm sure, was not by coincidence that we had both of these trainings this week. The President of our organization said in his talk earlier this week that in the time that he has been president (I think since 1993) he has sat through 96 board meetings and at each of those meetings they have had to let a worker go because of moral failure of some sort. At times, multiple workers. Please let that sink in.
The battle that we face as believers to stand firm in purity is a real one and it is one that must be won for the sake of the gospel of Christ. Our enemy takes no greater joy than to cause us to fall in this area because the gospel is displayed so dramatically in this area. Please pray for workers not just on foreign fields, but for pastors and leaders all over America to remain pure in their message and in their conduct. So that, the gospel of Christ will be honored and not dishonored among those who do not know Christ. This one issue alone should bring us to our knees and keep us there.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Training--Week #1
I arrived at my training on Tuesday of this week and will be here until the end of September. So far, so good. I'll have to admit having come to training before, I was not really excited about having to come again. However, it has been good to get to meet other folks going to the same city and country as me, as well as people going all over Africa and the world. This is the 4th largest training group sent out in the history of our organization--approximately 350 total including kids.
Yesterday, we had a spiritual retreat and then a time of sharing afterwards. There were many convicting and encouraging things that were said, but the most compelling thing shared was by a lady of Asian descent who talked about what had happened to her during the time she was waiting for her house to sell. She said that 3 times she fasted during the year of waiting. The 3rd time she fasted, the Lord asked her, "Are you willing to die for me?" Her answer was, "I love you Lord so yes." Yesterday, she said, "Now I don't know if I will have to die, but I think in that day, the Lord will take care of it."
Those statements put fully into perspective what all of us are facing. We do not know what is around the bend, but we trust, that in that day, the Lord will take care of it. We are given the grace to handle what is before us on the day that we need it.
I pray that this time here will be a time of surrender and preparation to all that is before and I'm glad to be here.
Yesterday, we had a spiritual retreat and then a time of sharing afterwards. There were many convicting and encouraging things that were said, but the most compelling thing shared was by a lady of Asian descent who talked about what had happened to her during the time she was waiting for her house to sell. She said that 3 times she fasted during the year of waiting. The 3rd time she fasted, the Lord asked her, "Are you willing to die for me?" Her answer was, "I love you Lord so yes." Yesterday, she said, "Now I don't know if I will have to die, but I think in that day, the Lord will take care of it."
Those statements put fully into perspective what all of us are facing. We do not know what is around the bend, but we trust, that in that day, the Lord will take care of it. We are given the grace to handle what is before us on the day that we need it.
I pray that this time here will be a time of surrender and preparation to all that is before and I'm glad to be here.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Visiting Friends
For the past 2 months one thing and one thing alone has consumed my mind...packing. You can probably tell that since every post except for the first one has included something about that. It's frustrating because during this time what I really want to be doing is not packing, but spending time with friends and family and making the most of the time that I have left nearby.
So, last Thursday, I took a break and traveled to Louisville to visit folks I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to make sure I saw before I left the country. It was a funfilled, jampacked 4 days and well worth it. I felt encouraged and refreshed as I returned home and hope the folks I got to visit felt encouraged by the visit to. Here is just a quick recap of what the Lord is doing in the lives of folks who are living and serving in Louisville.
Annie and Eli Brainard who are expecting a child within the next month, were gracious enough to let me stay with them. Eli even made breakfast for me 2 days--pancakes, eggs, muffins, and bacon. Let me just say, it was pretty good. They are wonderful friends and it was great to spend some time with them. Annie was in charge of graduation at the school that she works at and is 8 months pregnant right now. Talk about a trooper to have a visitor during that crazy time!
I got to have breakfast with Matt, Megan and Simms McDougal and see their new church and hear about the work God is doing in their community. Simms is not a baby anymore, he is a little boy! It was a great joy to get to see them and spend time with them. They are sweet servants and I appreciate all they do.
Maryem Smith and I had supper together and got caught up on everything going on with one another. It was a joy to hear about God's plan for her and Nathan's life and how that vision is coming together for them.
Drew, Amanda, and baby Calvin Krutza had to spend lots of time with me. We ate several meals together and got to hang out one afternoon. I worshipped with them on Sunday morning and got to see Drew lead worship and Amanda be a mom. I got to see Calvin go to his first worship service, which he slept through by the way. I think we have become fast friends! It's always great to see the Lord use people in the areas that He has called them to and it was a great blessing to watch them as a family serving the Lord together.
I got to see Mary Ellen Moody who is one of my favorite all time people in the world and I've traveled a lot so I think that's saying a lot. It is always a great joy to talk with Mary Ellen, her passion for the Lord is evident in all that she does and her servant heart is a great challenge to me. I am so thankful for her!
I had breakfast with Whitney York who also shares a passion for the unreached of West Africa with me and has traveled twice to work with the Bambara the people group our church adopted. She is always a ball of energy and joy. I am excited about her upcoming marriage and can't wait to see how the Lord will use her and her husband to be, Tommy, here and on the mission field.
Ben, Amanda and baby Eleanor Brainard also stopped by for a visit one evening. I hadn't gotten to see Eleanor yet except in pictures...she is a true beauty. Ben and Amanda have been serving at a church in Louisville for the past several years and have been great servants to a community that is in need. I love to see people who are willing to move into a needy community to plant their lives there, not just visit once a week. I know that they are having an impact on their neighbors and their community with their presence.
The memories of this past weekend will be what I will take with me during difficult times in Africa. The support of family and friends is such a major part of ministry life overseas. Many of these people that I listed will be part of my prayer support network, along with their churches and their encouragement to me is priceless. I am thankful that I had the time and took the time to visit and I am thankful for their friendships and their example of faithfulness to me.
I hope to spend time with many more of you all in the next month before I leave. So, if you have some time...give me a call. I'd love to see you!
So, last Thursday, I took a break and traveled to Louisville to visit folks I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to make sure I saw before I left the country. It was a funfilled, jampacked 4 days and well worth it. I felt encouraged and refreshed as I returned home and hope the folks I got to visit felt encouraged by the visit to. Here is just a quick recap of what the Lord is doing in the lives of folks who are living and serving in Louisville.
Annie and Eli Brainard who are expecting a child within the next month, were gracious enough to let me stay with them. Eli even made breakfast for me 2 days--pancakes, eggs, muffins, and bacon. Let me just say, it was pretty good. They are wonderful friends and it was great to spend some time with them. Annie was in charge of graduation at the school that she works at and is 8 months pregnant right now. Talk about a trooper to have a visitor during that crazy time!
I got to have breakfast with Matt, Megan and Simms McDougal and see their new church and hear about the work God is doing in their community. Simms is not a baby anymore, he is a little boy! It was a great joy to get to see them and spend time with them. They are sweet servants and I appreciate all they do.
Maryem Smith and I had supper together and got caught up on everything going on with one another. It was a joy to hear about God's plan for her and Nathan's life and how that vision is coming together for them.
Drew, Amanda, and baby Calvin Krutza had to spend lots of time with me. We ate several meals together and got to hang out one afternoon. I worshipped with them on Sunday morning and got to see Drew lead worship and Amanda be a mom. I got to see Calvin go to his first worship service, which he slept through by the way. I think we have become fast friends! It's always great to see the Lord use people in the areas that He has called them to and it was a great blessing to watch them as a family serving the Lord together.
I got to see Mary Ellen Moody who is one of my favorite all time people in the world and I've traveled a lot so I think that's saying a lot. It is always a great joy to talk with Mary Ellen, her passion for the Lord is evident in all that she does and her servant heart is a great challenge to me. I am so thankful for her!
I had breakfast with Whitney York who also shares a passion for the unreached of West Africa with me and has traveled twice to work with the Bambara the people group our church adopted. She is always a ball of energy and joy. I am excited about her upcoming marriage and can't wait to see how the Lord will use her and her husband to be, Tommy, here and on the mission field.
Ben, Amanda and baby Eleanor Brainard also stopped by for a visit one evening. I hadn't gotten to see Eleanor yet except in pictures...she is a true beauty. Ben and Amanda have been serving at a church in Louisville for the past several years and have been great servants to a community that is in need. I love to see people who are willing to move into a needy community to plant their lives there, not just visit once a week. I know that they are having an impact on their neighbors and their community with their presence.
The memories of this past weekend will be what I will take with me during difficult times in Africa. The support of family and friends is such a major part of ministry life overseas. Many of these people that I listed will be part of my prayer support network, along with their churches and their encouragement to me is priceless. I am thankful that I had the time and took the time to visit and I am thankful for their friendships and their example of faithfulness to me.
I hope to spend time with many more of you all in the next month before I leave. So, if you have some time...give me a call. I'd love to see you!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Mama said there'd be days like this...
I'll spare you the pictures, but I will tell the story.
I can't tell you the number of times that I have moved things and worked with my dad lifting items over the years so we tend to do pretty well together, no injuries that I can think of, until today. Mom and Dad arrived and we went into the garage. Dad got out his dolley and we talked about a plan. The first item we wanted to move was the dresser, but instead of taking out all of the drawers which are packed with my pots and pans and other kitchen items, we decided we could move it packed with the help of the dolley. That was the first mistake.
The second mistake was that I had on flip flops. Again in all of my moves and years of doing things, in general, I like to wear sandals or flip flops. I learned a hearty lesson today...never move large heavy objects with flip flops on.
Dad was on one end and I was on the other, him with the dolley and me pulling back to lift, when all of the sudden it happened. The heavy dresser slipped, and off came the toe nail on my big toe. Surprisingly it really didn't hurt that bad. My mom ran from the garage (wish I had pictures of that) and my dad was horrified. I just stood there looking down saying something like, "It just popped right off. I never knew toenails would do that!" The truth of the matter is, it was still attached by one small corner so I put it back on my toe and began to apply pressure. With Dad at my side apologizing profusely and mom somewhere behind us, I went to the edge of the bathtub and began to run water over it half to numb it and half to remove the blood. It had pretty well stopped bleeding so we put on a bandaid and I wrapped it with gauze and said, "Ok. What's next?"
Dad and mom both said that I needed to go to the ER, but I refused and we went back to the garage to work. Sometime early afternoon, after lunch, my parents convinced me that it had to be pulled off the rest of the way and a doctor needed to give me a prescription so that it didn't develop an infection. So off we went to Urgent Care. I refused to go to the ER.
Mom insisted on going back with me for support, that's important. The doctor assessed the situation and got ready to give me a shot to numb the toe in preparation to remove the nail. I made it clear to the doctor that needle would go no where near my foot until he explained to me where he was putting it. After explaining the procedure, I allowed him to continue. The plan was to put 2 shots on either side of my toe, allow it to get numb and then take off the nail. Pretty simple plan. Mom is facing me sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As the doctor is giving me the shots, mom is sitting there making groaning noises and looking like she's about to pass out. I will admit the shots hurt and were actually the worst part of the whole thing.
Then, when he actually began to work on the foot, mom is grabbing her head and groaning and breathing hard. I'm just sitting there asking questions and talking with the doc. My foot at that point didn't feel like part of my body so I didn't care what he was doing to it. He decided that even though it was barely hanging on, he would try to reattach it by laying it back down and stitching it with 2 stitches on each side at the top. So, I got 2 stitches (again a groaning mom) and I got to keep my nail. I also got an excuse for 10 days off from work, the amount of time that I'll have to have the stitches. I won't be out that whole time, but I definitely plan on being out for some of it.
The funny thing is that it doesn't look like anything happened to it at all since he stitched it back down, but I definitely know it's gonna hurt tomorrow. So, if you see me in a boot, that's what happened.
I can't tell you the number of times that I have moved things and worked with my dad lifting items over the years so we tend to do pretty well together, no injuries that I can think of, until today. Mom and Dad arrived and we went into the garage. Dad got out his dolley and we talked about a plan. The first item we wanted to move was the dresser, but instead of taking out all of the drawers which are packed with my pots and pans and other kitchen items, we decided we could move it packed with the help of the dolley. That was the first mistake.
The second mistake was that I had on flip flops. Again in all of my moves and years of doing things, in general, I like to wear sandals or flip flops. I learned a hearty lesson today...never move large heavy objects with flip flops on.
Dad was on one end and I was on the other, him with the dolley and me pulling back to lift, when all of the sudden it happened. The heavy dresser slipped, and off came the toe nail on my big toe. Surprisingly it really didn't hurt that bad. My mom ran from the garage (wish I had pictures of that) and my dad was horrified. I just stood there looking down saying something like, "It just popped right off. I never knew toenails would do that!" The truth of the matter is, it was still attached by one small corner so I put it back on my toe and began to apply pressure. With Dad at my side apologizing profusely and mom somewhere behind us, I went to the edge of the bathtub and began to run water over it half to numb it and half to remove the blood. It had pretty well stopped bleeding so we put on a bandaid and I wrapped it with gauze and said, "Ok. What's next?"
Dad and mom both said that I needed to go to the ER, but I refused and we went back to the garage to work. Sometime early afternoon, after lunch, my parents convinced me that it had to be pulled off the rest of the way and a doctor needed to give me a prescription so that it didn't develop an infection. So off we went to Urgent Care. I refused to go to the ER.
Mom insisted on going back with me for support, that's important. The doctor assessed the situation and got ready to give me a shot to numb the toe in preparation to remove the nail. I made it clear to the doctor that needle would go no where near my foot until he explained to me where he was putting it. After explaining the procedure, I allowed him to continue. The plan was to put 2 shots on either side of my toe, allow it to get numb and then take off the nail. Pretty simple plan. Mom is facing me sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As the doctor is giving me the shots, mom is sitting there making groaning noises and looking like she's about to pass out. I will admit the shots hurt and were actually the worst part of the whole thing.
Then, when he actually began to work on the foot, mom is grabbing her head and groaning and breathing hard. I'm just sitting there asking questions and talking with the doc. My foot at that point didn't feel like part of my body so I didn't care what he was doing to it. He decided that even though it was barely hanging on, he would try to reattach it by laying it back down and stitching it with 2 stitches on each side at the top. So, I got 2 stitches (again a groaning mom) and I got to keep my nail. I also got an excuse for 10 days off from work, the amount of time that I'll have to have the stitches. I won't be out that whole time, but I definitely plan on being out for some of it.
The funny thing is that it doesn't look like anything happened to it at all since he stitched it back down, but I definitely know it's gonna hurt tomorrow. So, if you see me in a boot, that's what happened.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Crating
When I moved into the mission house at the end of April, I honestly thought 2 months to crate would be plenty of time. I would have time to relax and take it easy for the time I was here, spending time with friends and making final preparations. It just hasn't quite worked out that way. From the never ceasing rain, to traveling home to be with my family, to working full time still at the church, I have fallen way behind on my schedule.
The IMB has given me 300 cubic feet to pack in. I have no idea what that means. Let me put it another way. I have approximately 7 ft by 7 ft by almost 4 ft. Someone told me to compare it to packing in a walk-in closet. I think that's a pretty appropriate comparison. I also asked several missionaries what to pack and for tips on packing. One that I appreciated the most was, "Pack like you're a drug dealer." I have. It's amazing what you can get to fit inside something if you have to.
Another great thing about crating is that you have to list every item that goes into your crate and not just every item, but specifically what box each item is in. So by the end of my crating experience, I will have an itemized list by box of everything that I have packed. Then my crate will be shipped off to stay in a port here until released, then off to a foreign port and finally to wherever I end up. Round trip approximately a year and a half or longer. In all of this, I have to think about what I need immediately to take with me and what I can live without for a year and a half.
The picture that I've attached is of the garage at the mission house where I am living. Not all of the stuff in the picture is mine there are some missionaries storing things at the mission house, but most of it in the middle actually is my stuff. Yes, 7 x7 x4 are the crating dimensions.
Oh, my. I have lots of work to do and little time to do it. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Moving
I moved last week from my home of 5 1/2 years into Living Hope's Mission home. What a blessing it is to have this home to move into. I feel so honored to be able to live here and well taken care of by a church that isn't even my own. What an amazing blessing that I cannot say enough about!
I anticipated the move being emotional. Yeah, I know, I'm not usually an emotional person, but I have loved my home and treasured it as a gift from the Lord. I also see this as the first real major step in actually leaving. So, Sunday night before the move last Monday, I thought a lot about it being the last night in my house and what Monday would be like. I thought that seeing the house empty would be sad and somewhat painful. Instead, I got up early to enjoy some coffee (as usual) and sat on my couch with the windows open listening to the birds singing and enjoyed the quiet and my time alone. Then, as the people who had volunteered to help arrived, there was joy and peace and good fellowship. I was thankful for the help that made the move go smoothly and quickly. We were done in 2 hours! As we arrived at the mission house, I felt excitement and more peace. I can't explain what a gift from the Lord this is. I will go through lots of transitions over the next several years so having this one go smoothly has been such a blessing.
Now, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I thought that moving out of my house and pairing everything down to just what I am taking with me would give me these next two months to rest, spend time with people and prepare more. Instead, I have realized I have to get rid of more of my things and the packing process will probably take most of the next two months to do. I am thankful for the 2 months and looking forward to what is ahead.
I anticipated the move being emotional. Yeah, I know, I'm not usually an emotional person, but I have loved my home and treasured it as a gift from the Lord. I also see this as the first real major step in actually leaving. So, Sunday night before the move last Monday, I thought a lot about it being the last night in my house and what Monday would be like. I thought that seeing the house empty would be sad and somewhat painful. Instead, I got up early to enjoy some coffee (as usual) and sat on my couch with the windows open listening to the birds singing and enjoyed the quiet and my time alone. Then, as the people who had volunteered to help arrived, there was joy and peace and good fellowship. I was thankful for the help that made the move go smoothly and quickly. We were done in 2 hours! As we arrived at the mission house, I felt excitement and more peace. I can't explain what a gift from the Lord this is. I will go through lots of transitions over the next several years so having this one go smoothly has been such a blessing.
Now, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I thought that moving out of my house and pairing everything down to just what I am taking with me would give me these next two months to rest, spend time with people and prepare more. Instead, I have realized I have to get rid of more of my things and the packing process will probably take most of the next two months to do. I am thankful for the 2 months and looking forward to what is ahead.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Packing and preparing
I'm sure that not very many people realize how much preparation takes place when someone decides to go overseas as a career m. I definitely knew it was a lot of work, but it's even more than I thought it would be.
For the past month I have been starting the packing process so I thought I'd share it with you. I've meant to get a lot more done than I have, honestly. I am moving out on April 27 from my house and by this point wanted to have most of my stuff packed up. I have had a pretty crazy month with lots of extra things to do so I got behind. Going into today, I have to admit I felt a little overwhelmed. But I made a lot of progress today and I'm feeling good about the space that I have to work with in my crate. I'm actually thinking that I might be ready to move by next weekend.
Here are some pics from my house and the packing that I'm doing. Enjoy!
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