I am SO proud of myself for updating twice in a week. But, as I don't want to revisit the IMB's medical process, I'm trying to be a little careful not to strain my shoulder patting myself on the back. :)
Field Update (Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers):
1. Please pray for Gabino, a Quechua believer in the Ayuma community. When our missionaries recently came to his area, he felt the call of God to go and preach the Gospel to others in his vicinity. This is awesome news! As you might imagine, having indigenous believers share the Gospel with those of the same culture and language is far more effective and efficient than an American missionary doing the same. Praise the Lord, and pray that Gabino would remain faithful to the call and that he would resist the devil, who is no doubt highly displeased with his decision.
2. Pray that God would begin a great church-planting movement among the Quechua in this area of Bolivia. (See below for the definition of a church-planting movement.)
3. Please pray for me, that I would remain encouraged during this orientation period. It is truly an incredible blessing to be here but, unsurprisingly, there have been moments of great spiritual warfare. Pray that I would learn every lesson God has for me here and that I would be thoroughly equipped for the task to which He has called me.
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
So I've been here at orientation for four weeks and haven't really told you what we're learning. I thought I'd start with explaining that this organization has more acronyms than the federal government! Well, that's probably an exaggeration, but it's gotta be close. :) Let me just start with a few:
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" (Matt. 28:18-20)
The Great Commission. Admittedly, that's not an acronym, though I guess we could call it GC if we really wanted. :) But it does underscore everything mentioned below and should be kept in mind as you read. It is the ultimate goal behind every acronym listed.
IMB = International Mission Board. I hope most of you recognize that as the sending organization who will be paying my salary. :) The home equivalent, which sends missionaries within the United States and Canada, is the North American Mission Board, or NAMB.
SBC = Southern Baptist Convention. The organization to which churches of the Southern Baptist denomination can voluntarily belong... and most choose to do so. The SBC governs both the IMB and the NAMB.
LMCO = Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This is a big one, so I want to explain it accurately. If you are a member of a Southern Baptist church, you typically have the opportunity to contribute to this offering every December. Named for a former Southern Baptist missionary to China, every cent goes to support missionaries on the foreign field. It funds different projects on the field, as well as provides food and housing support for the missionaries, education for their children, and medical care for the entire family. If you've ever given to the LMCO, I would like to say thank you! And, if you haven't, I hope you'll consider it. The mission board truly does an excellent job of being a good steward of the finances, and those funds enable the missionaries to focus on the Lord's work on the field rather than having to be concerned with meeting the basic needs of life. By the way, the home mission equivalent is the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, an equally worthy cause! (FYI, Lottie Moon gave her life in mission work. During a time of severe famine in China, she died of starvation giving her own food and money to feed the starving Chinese around her. A great heroine of the faith, I can assure you!)
SAM = South America region. In case you were unaware, that's where I'm going. :) But each area of the world has its own acronym. Among others, there's CESA (central, eastern, and southern Africa), CEE or CE2 (central and eastern Europe), and my personal favorite, NAME (north Africa and the Middle East). Does that make me a no-NAME? :)
FPO = Field Personnel Orientation. This is the eight-week training I am currently receiving. Performed at the IMB's training center, there are classes on language learning, on how to share the Gospel in various contexts (environments of persecution, tribal cultures, and many others), on the Biblical missionary model (better known to us as the book of Acts :)). We have house church in small groups every Sunday because that is what most of us will have on the field. In general, the goal is to prepare you as much as possible for what you will experience overseas.
MIR = Missionary-in-Residence. These are missionaries who have come from the field to live on campus with us during FPO. They are fantastic resources with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We have eight couples on campus now, and I am particularly close to one who spent many years in Argentina and Ecuador. I have picked their brains many times!
MK = Missionary Kid. The child of a missionary. They are now also called third-culture kids (TCKs), because they are often caught between their American home culture and their mission field culture. They don't fully belong to either one, although they can feel pretty comfortable in both. We have lots of them roaming around campus right now. Come to think of it, I'm technically an MK myself! :)
GCC = Great Commission Christian. Any evangelical believer looking to complete Christ's Great Commission mandate from Matt. 28:18-20, regardless of denomination. IMB missionaries work closely with other GCCs on the field to accomplish the task set before us. We should all be GCCs! Since your prayers are the most vital part of completing this work, that makes my prayer supporters GCC partners with me. Thank you!
CPM = church-planting movement. The primary missionary goal: To plant new churches and see them multiply. The concept of a CPM is based on 2 Tim. 2:2, where Paul instructs Timothy, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." The idea is that the missionary is used of God to lead a new believer to Christ and to disciple him or her. That new follower will then go and make disciples, who will go and make disciples, etc. This results in the rapid multiplication of churches and is referred to as a CPM. If we are all faithful to complete our Great Commission task, churches will multiply in such a way that every person in the world can hear the Gospel. And when that happens...
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14)
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
For those of you who don't get the title, go watch "The Sound of Music." It's a great movie. You'll love it. :)
I do apologize for how long it’s been since my last blog. Time has really gotten away from me, and I’m sorry! But I do plan to make up for it with some quick updates in the next few weeks. So let’s get right to the prayer requests:
Field Update (Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers):
1. Graham, Javier, and Jeff are the current members of the men’s Xtreme Team in Bolivia, and they have recently begun going into two communities of Chayanta Quechua people. The goal is to build relationships with the people and to begin to learn the language with the eventual intention of sharing Bible stories with them. Pray that the guys will learn the language quickly and that the people would have “ears to hear” (Lk. 14:35).
2. Don is the “man of peace” (see Lk. 10:1-12) in the Quchimi community. When he was told the parable of the lost sheep, he recognized that he felt like one of those lost sheep. He is excited about hearing more stories. Pray that God would reveal Himself to Don as “that great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20).
3. “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thess. 3:1). Please pray that the Gospel message would spread rapidly among the Quechua of southern Bolivia. So many of these people – a people who are every bit as precious in God’s sight as your children are to you – have died never having heard that there is a Savior Who lives to give them hope. I beg you to intercede on their behalf before the God of all hope.
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
“‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’” (Matt. 10:37-38)
This passage has taken on an especially poignant meaning to me of late. The end of July and the early part of August were filled with farewells for me, and it seemed that each one got progressively more difficult. Here’s a quick rundown (click here for pictures):
I quit work on July 25, which was also my seventh anniversary there. I will and already do miss the people that I worked with and the patients I got to know. God richly blessed me with that job and, in particular, with the people He allowed me to know there. I have such great friends that I am leaving behind there, and walking out the door for the last time that day was much harder than I had hoped. Thanks for the memories, CHKD crew!
From there, I flew home to visit family in Alabama, and I said goodbye to them on July 30. My parents moved overseas themselves in early June, so I’m thankful that the most traumatic of my farewells was already complete. But it still wasn’t easy to leave my only living grandmother, a variety of aunts and uncles, cousins with whom I’m very close. Getting on that plane was especially hard after saying goodbye to my precious baby cousin, Gabriel. Knowing that he won’t even know who I am the next time I see him is a little hard on the psyche. (Wess, I know you’ll show him my picture on a regular basis. Just don’t scare the little guy by doing too much of that! :))
Then, finally, I returned to Virginia Beach to say goodbye to my church in early August. This blog isn’t long enough to relate how much I will miss the body of believers at London Bridge Baptist. I have learned from them the real meaning of “brothers and sisters” and have seen in them a small snippet of what eternity in the presence of God and His followers will be like. They are truly my brothers and sisters, and I already miss them desperately.
There’s no denying that it’s difficult to say goodbye to family and friends knowing you won’t see them again for a year or even more. I’ve had to face the reality that I may not see some of these people again on this earth. Yes, the cost of being His disciple is high. Jesus never tried to sugar-coat this for us. He demands nothing less than that we surrender our very lives to Him. Through this process, I’ve had to ask myself many times whether I’m willing to do that.
But, despite appearances, this post is not meant to be a downer, and here’s why:
“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.’” (Luke 18:29-30)
Whoa. Sweet! Look at the rewards you get in exchange for what you have willingly surrendered. Following Christ will never – and let me reiterate: never, NEVER, NEVER! – disappoint.
My human mind tells me that I am giving up a lot, but the Word of God says I will be rewarded many times over in exchange for the sacrifice. Whether I believe my fallible human thoughts or the completely infallible Word of the Living God is up to me.
I choose to believe Him, even if that takes me to the ends of the earth.
Especially if it takes me to the ends of the earth.
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Ps. 113:3)
I do apologize for how long it’s been since my last blog. Time has really gotten away from me, and I’m sorry! But I do plan to make up for it with some quick updates in the next few weeks. So let’s get right to the prayer requests:
Field Update (Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers):
1. Graham, Javier, and Jeff are the current members of the men’s Xtreme Team in Bolivia, and they have recently begun going into two communities of Chayanta Quechua people. The goal is to build relationships with the people and to begin to learn the language with the eventual intention of sharing Bible stories with them. Pray that the guys will learn the language quickly and that the people would have “ears to hear” (Lk. 14:35).
2. Don is the “man of peace” (see Lk. 10:1-12) in the Quchimi community. When he was told the parable of the lost sheep, he recognized that he felt like one of those lost sheep. He is excited about hearing more stories. Pray that God would reveal Himself to Don as “that great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb. 13:20).
3. “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thess. 3:1). Please pray that the Gospel message would spread rapidly among the Quechua of southern Bolivia. So many of these people – a people who are every bit as precious in God’s sight as your children are to you – have died never having heard that there is a Savior Who lives to give them hope. I beg you to intercede on their behalf before the God of all hope.
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
“‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’” (Matt. 10:37-38)
This passage has taken on an especially poignant meaning to me of late. The end of July and the early part of August were filled with farewells for me, and it seemed that each one got progressively more difficult. Here’s a quick rundown (click here for pictures):
I quit work on July 25, which was also my seventh anniversary there. I will and already do miss the people that I worked with and the patients I got to know. God richly blessed me with that job and, in particular, with the people He allowed me to know there. I have such great friends that I am leaving behind there, and walking out the door for the last time that day was much harder than I had hoped. Thanks for the memories, CHKD crew!
From there, I flew home to visit family in Alabama, and I said goodbye to them on July 30. My parents moved overseas themselves in early June, so I’m thankful that the most traumatic of my farewells was already complete. But it still wasn’t easy to leave my only living grandmother, a variety of aunts and uncles, cousins with whom I’m very close. Getting on that plane was especially hard after saying goodbye to my precious baby cousin, Gabriel. Knowing that he won’t even know who I am the next time I see him is a little hard on the psyche. (Wess, I know you’ll show him my picture on a regular basis. Just don’t scare the little guy by doing too much of that! :))
Then, finally, I returned to Virginia Beach to say goodbye to my church in early August. This blog isn’t long enough to relate how much I will miss the body of believers at London Bridge Baptist. I have learned from them the real meaning of “brothers and sisters” and have seen in them a small snippet of what eternity in the presence of God and His followers will be like. They are truly my brothers and sisters, and I already miss them desperately.
There’s no denying that it’s difficult to say goodbye to family and friends knowing you won’t see them again for a year or even more. I’ve had to face the reality that I may not see some of these people again on this earth. Yes, the cost of being His disciple is high. Jesus never tried to sugar-coat this for us. He demands nothing less than that we surrender our very lives to Him. Through this process, I’ve had to ask myself many times whether I’m willing to do that.
But, despite appearances, this post is not meant to be a downer, and here’s why:
“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.’” (Luke 18:29-30)
Whoa. Sweet! Look at the rewards you get in exchange for what you have willingly surrendered. Following Christ will never – and let me reiterate: never, NEVER, NEVER! – disappoint.
My human mind tells me that I am giving up a lot, but the Word of God says I will be rewarded many times over in exchange for the sacrifice. Whether I believe my fallible human thoughts or the completely infallible Word of the Living God is up to me.
I choose to believe Him, even if that takes me to the ends of the earth.
Especially if it takes me to the ends of the earth.
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Ps. 113:3)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
It's official!
"Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession." (Ps. 2:8)
It's true: I am, at long last, a real, live missionary! And, for you doubting Thomases who thought the IMB would surely discover the real truth about me and promptly weed me out, check out the picture at the bottom of the page! :)
I realize I'm long-winded, so I've decided to try a new format with the prayer requests up front and more detail at the end for those who want it. (I must give credit to my friend Corey for the format, as I stole it from his blog. :)) Feel free to give feedback.
Field Update (necessities for the skimmers):
1. Please begin to pray for my people group, the Chayanta Quechua. There are approximately 90,000 Quechua Indians living in the Chayanta province of southern Bolivia. They have little or no access to the Gospel because they live high in the Andes Mountains, and it is enormously challenging to get to them. Pray that God would prepare their hearts and that He would strengthen the bodies of the men and women who are attempting to bring the "great light" to these "people walking in darkness" (Is. 9:2).
2. I'm in the middle of taking a theology course this summer and, while it is highly beneficial, it is also exceedingly time-consuming. Please pray that I would glean what is important from the class.
3. Please pray that I would be able to accomplish all that needs to be done before I leave for orientation in five weeks. This includes a variety of legal matters (will, life insurance, etc.), travel visa documentation, and matters associated with shipping possessions to the field. There is so much to do and so little time.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know (bonus for the readers):
I spent last week at a center used by the IMB as a headquarters for all things missionary-related. They conduct orientation sessions there as they wean new personnel from American culture and get them prepared for the foreign field. They give LOTS of immunizations (second only to the US military in the sheer number of immunizations given on this side of the country... should I be concerned that they seem very proud of that statistic? :)). And they hold a variety of informative conferences for people who are investigating God's call to missions.
The really cool part about being there this particular week was the interesting conglomerate of missionaries on campus simultaneously. There was a group of about 200 who were finishing up orientation this week. These new personnel were commissioned this past Thursday and will be leaving for their ministry sites over the course of the next month or so. There were a group of about 55 retiring missionaries who were being honored for anywhere from 15 - 35 years of service. And then there the 72 of us who were being appointed. It was a great representation of all phases of missionary life.
Aside from the appointment service itself (which I'll discuss in a minute), my favorite part of the week was the Sunday morning worship service. We got to worship together with the retiring missionaries, and what an encouragement that was! To see these heroes of the faith, people who have truly "fought the good fight... finished the race... kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7), was a tremendous blessing. To be prayed for by them, as the MasterCard commercial says, was priceless! The appointees were asked to stand up at the front so that the retiring missionaries could lay hands on us, pray for us, and bless us. The lady who prayed for me is retiring from 20 years of service... in Bolivia... to the Quechua people! Only the Lord could have orchestrated that passing of the baton so perfectly. It was truly a highlight event for me.
Many of you might also remember the three missionaries who were killed in the Middle East by Muslim terrorists in 2001. Marty Koehn, the wife of Bill Koehn, one of those murdered missionaries, was retiring, and she was honored for her faithfulness in service. What a testimony she has, that she remained faithful to the Lord's call, even in the face of such suffering and tragedy. She actually assumed the post of administrator at the hospital, a post previously held by one of the slain missionaries. What grace from our Lord that would enable her to continue in that position until He released her to return to the US.
The appointment service itself was held Wednesday night at a local church in Richmond. 38 of us were appointed there, and the other 34 were appointed on Friday night in Oklahoma City. Isn't it amazing that God has called these 72 people, from all walks of life, all parts of the country, all family backgrounds, and has sent them forth into all parts of the world to share with all peoples of the world? Only a God like ours could accomplish that!
My favorite part of the service was the testimony time (the second picture below is me giving my testimony). We each got the opportunity to share a little of how God has called us to go, and just hearing how He works in such diverse ways to call people to His service gets me choked up. Those of you who know me well know that's a big deal. I am so NOT a crier! :) But to be at a missionary appointment service is to hear God's heart for the nations, and to be a part of His work to proclaim His Truth before all mankind... there is nothing better!
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:2-3)
"I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth." (Ps. 108:3-5)
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'" (Rev. 7:9-10)
From the beginning of God's covenant relationship with Abram, through the psalmist's heartfelt praises, to the end of human history, God's love and desire for the redemption and reconciliation of the nations, followed by their subsequent worship, is the theme of His Word. And this theme was resounded loudly this week as He sent out 72 new ambassadors of His Truth. May "the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14)!
It's true: I am, at long last, a real, live missionary! And, for you doubting Thomases who thought the IMB would surely discover the real truth about me and promptly weed me out, check out the picture at the bottom of the page! :)
I realize I'm long-winded, so I've decided to try a new format with the prayer requests up front and more detail at the end for those who want it. (I must give credit to my friend Corey for the format, as I stole it from his blog. :)) Feel free to give feedback.
Field Update (necessities for the skimmers):
1. Please begin to pray for my people group, the Chayanta Quechua. There are approximately 90,000 Quechua Indians living in the Chayanta province of southern Bolivia. They have little or no access to the Gospel because they live high in the Andes Mountains, and it is enormously challenging to get to them. Pray that God would prepare their hearts and that He would strengthen the bodies of the men and women who are attempting to bring the "great light" to these "people walking in darkness" (Is. 9:2).
2. I'm in the middle of taking a theology course this summer and, while it is highly beneficial, it is also exceedingly time-consuming. Please pray that I would glean what is important from the class.
3. Please pray that I would be able to accomplish all that needs to be done before I leave for orientation in five weeks. This includes a variety of legal matters (will, life insurance, etc.), travel visa documentation, and matters associated with shipping possessions to the field. There is so much to do and so little time.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know (bonus for the readers):
I spent last week at a center used by the IMB as a headquarters for all things missionary-related. They conduct orientation sessions there as they wean new personnel from American culture and get them prepared for the foreign field. They give LOTS of immunizations (second only to the US military in the sheer number of immunizations given on this side of the country... should I be concerned that they seem very proud of that statistic? :)). And they hold a variety of informative conferences for people who are investigating God's call to missions.
The really cool part about being there this particular week was the interesting conglomerate of missionaries on campus simultaneously. There was a group of about 200 who were finishing up orientation this week. These new personnel were commissioned this past Thursday and will be leaving for their ministry sites over the course of the next month or so. There were a group of about 55 retiring missionaries who were being honored for anywhere from 15 - 35 years of service. And then there the 72 of us who were being appointed. It was a great representation of all phases of missionary life.
Aside from the appointment service itself (which I'll discuss in a minute), my favorite part of the week was the Sunday morning worship service. We got to worship together with the retiring missionaries, and what an encouragement that was! To see these heroes of the faith, people who have truly "fought the good fight... finished the race... kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7), was a tremendous blessing. To be prayed for by them, as the MasterCard commercial says, was priceless! The appointees were asked to stand up at the front so that the retiring missionaries could lay hands on us, pray for us, and bless us. The lady who prayed for me is retiring from 20 years of service... in Bolivia... to the Quechua people! Only the Lord could have orchestrated that passing of the baton so perfectly. It was truly a highlight event for me.
Many of you might also remember the three missionaries who were killed in the Middle East by Muslim terrorists in 2001. Marty Koehn, the wife of Bill Koehn, one of those murdered missionaries, was retiring, and she was honored for her faithfulness in service. What a testimony she has, that she remained faithful to the Lord's call, even in the face of such suffering and tragedy. She actually assumed the post of administrator at the hospital, a post previously held by one of the slain missionaries. What grace from our Lord that would enable her to continue in that position until He released her to return to the US.
The appointment service itself was held Wednesday night at a local church in Richmond. 38 of us were appointed there, and the other 34 were appointed on Friday night in Oklahoma City. Isn't it amazing that God has called these 72 people, from all walks of life, all parts of the country, all family backgrounds, and has sent them forth into all parts of the world to share with all peoples of the world? Only a God like ours could accomplish that!
My favorite part of the service was the testimony time (the second picture below is me giving my testimony). We each got the opportunity to share a little of how God has called us to go, and just hearing how He works in such diverse ways to call people to His service gets me choked up. Those of you who know me well know that's a big deal. I am so NOT a crier! :) But to be at a missionary appointment service is to hear God's heart for the nations, and to be a part of His work to proclaim His Truth before all mankind... there is nothing better!
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:2-3)
"I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth." (Ps. 108:3-5)
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'" (Rev. 7:9-10)
From the beginning of God's covenant relationship with Abram, through the psalmist's heartfelt praises, to the end of human history, God's love and desire for the redemption and reconciliation of the nations, followed by their subsequent worship, is the theme of His Word. And this theme was resounded loudly this week as He sent out 72 new ambassadors of His Truth. May "the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14)!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Surrounded by the "sent out ones"
Wow, has it really been almost two months since I last posted? It is truly amazing how life gets away from you! One truly must be diligent to "be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:15-16).
My time in the United States is drawing to a close. I am currently at the IMB's training center for my appointment week meetings. I will be appointed this coming Wednesday night at a church in Richmond. What an exciting time this is!
The great thing about appointment week is that you get to spend time with others who are also called to serve God overseas. You get to hear their stories, share in their struggles and triumphs, pray with and for them. And I am just reminded of what a great privilege it is to be part of the family of God, the body of Christ.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:11-13)
Whoa, how rich is that passage! The take-home message for me is that I cannot become mature and attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ without the body... and neither can any other believer. We NEED each other. We cannot know God fully without each other. And that can only be achieved by our unity in the faith and by our sharing the knowledge of God that we receive from Him with one another. What a great responsibility we have to each other. And what a great joy to know Him through knowing one another!
One other thing that strikes me about that passage is the word "apostles." The Greek word "apostolos" means "sent out one." I realize it's controversial whether there are still apostles in this day and age, and I won't get into that debate, I promise! :) Let's just take the word at its literal meaning of "one who is sent." I just know I am a "sent out one" and, this week, I am surrounded by others with the same calling.
"And now the LORD says - he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength - he says: 'It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.'" (Is. 49:5-6)
This passage really hit me hard this week, as I reflected on the promise God makes here... and realized it was a promise to me. He WILL make me a light for the Gentiles, that I may bring His salvation to the ends of the earth. There is no greater honor than to be used to glorify the God of the universe. He is truly the Only One worthy!
" O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:9)
Field Update
1. I am so thankful for the new prayer supporters who have now come on board. Thank you SO MUCH for your partnership in my ministry. You are vital to me!
2. My appointment service will be held at Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond this Wednesday evening, June 25. I am very excited... and a little nervous. Please pray that my testimony given at the service would be exactly what He would have me say and that He would be glorified. And pray that the hearts of those present would be stirred up to see the nations come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, whatever that may mean for them personally.
3. Following appointment, my time frame looks something like this:
July 25: Last day at my current job
Aug. 4: Begin field personnel orientation
Oct. 15: Begin language school in Guatemala
Please pray that I would be effective and efficient in learning Spanish. Only once I have achieved an advanced low level of proficiency in Spanish can I go to my ministry site. It is imperative that I learn the language quickly and well.
4. Pray for me as I leave behind my spiritual family at London Bridge to go to the foreign field. Though I am thrilled to be going, the fact remains that it is bittersweet, as I will desperately miss my brothers and sisters.
My time in the United States is drawing to a close. I am currently at the IMB's training center for my appointment week meetings. I will be appointed this coming Wednesday night at a church in Richmond. What an exciting time this is!
The great thing about appointment week is that you get to spend time with others who are also called to serve God overseas. You get to hear their stories, share in their struggles and triumphs, pray with and for them. And I am just reminded of what a great privilege it is to be part of the family of God, the body of Christ.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:11-13)
Whoa, how rich is that passage! The take-home message for me is that I cannot become mature and attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ without the body... and neither can any other believer. We NEED each other. We cannot know God fully without each other. And that can only be achieved by our unity in the faith and by our sharing the knowledge of God that we receive from Him with one another. What a great responsibility we have to each other. And what a great joy to know Him through knowing one another!
One other thing that strikes me about that passage is the word "apostles." The Greek word "apostolos" means "sent out one." I realize it's controversial whether there are still apostles in this day and age, and I won't get into that debate, I promise! :) Let's just take the word at its literal meaning of "one who is sent." I just know I am a "sent out one" and, this week, I am surrounded by others with the same calling.
"And now the LORD says - he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength - he says: 'It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.'" (Is. 49:5-6)
This passage really hit me hard this week, as I reflected on the promise God makes here... and realized it was a promise to me. He WILL make me a light for the Gentiles, that I may bring His salvation to the ends of the earth. There is no greater honor than to be used to glorify the God of the universe. He is truly the Only One worthy!
" O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:9)
Field Update
1. I am so thankful for the new prayer supporters who have now come on board. Thank you SO MUCH for your partnership in my ministry. You are vital to me!
2. My appointment service will be held at Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond this Wednesday evening, June 25. I am very excited... and a little nervous. Please pray that my testimony given at the service would be exactly what He would have me say and that He would be glorified. And pray that the hearts of those present would be stirred up to see the nations come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, whatever that may mean for them personally.
3. Following appointment, my time frame looks something like this:
July 25: Last day at my current job
Aug. 4: Begin field personnel orientation
Oct. 15: Begin language school in Guatemala
Please pray that I would be effective and efficient in learning Spanish. Only once I have achieved an advanced low level of proficiency in Spanish can I go to my ministry site. It is imperative that I learn the language quickly and well.
4. Pray for me as I leave behind my spiritual family at London Bridge to go to the foreign field. Though I am thrilled to be going, the fact remains that it is bittersweet, as I will desperately miss my brothers and sisters.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
90 Days...
A quarter of a year. Three months. The amount of time you spend in a probation period when you start a new job. And the amount of time it took me to read through the Bible last fall. (By the way, that's something I'd highly recommend if you're up to the challenge! It's amazing how you see the big picture of God's Word that way.)
But, most significant to me of late, 90 days is the amount of time until I leave my current job.
My last day at the hospital is also my seventh anniversary there. The number of perfection, which is also significant. I can only hope that my time there will come to perfect completion before I leave behind my career, my co-workers, my patients, such an enormous part of my life.
I have spent the last seven years - as well as the previous six - learning to treat children with cancer. It is tremendously rewarding at times, shockingly tragic at others, and mostly in between. But, though I will miss the people I have met on the job, I really don't think I will miss the work itself. And that seems to surprise everyone I tell.
After all, I am called to minister to the terminally ill. That has been my calling for years now.
But God has taught me something profound during my time in Virginia. He has finally gotten through to me that the things of this world don't matter. His Word tells us this:
"...Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
What is seen is temporary. Everything you see, everything physical. Our cars, our houses, our televisions, even our bodies. They're all just temporary, and they will waste away and, one day, disappear altogether. So, even if I could find the perfect chemotherapy drug that would give a kid 50 more years on this earth, it's still only temporary. And "temporary" is not our goal here. We are to fix our our eyes on what is unseen, on the eternal.
Don't get me wrong. God brought me into my job, and He guided me every step of the way. He took me to pharmacy school, through two years of postgraduate training, and finally to my first and only "real" job in pharmacy, my seven years at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. But, even here, His goal was to get me to fix my eyes on the eternal rather than the temporary.
So what is eternal? Only our relationship with Jesus Christ and our relationships with fellow believers. Those are the only things that will last. My job was only eternal to the extent that it allowed me to build relationships with others that would glorify my Lord or to the extent that it allowed people more time to be able to spend on this earth so that they could come to know Him. Jesus is the only medicine that can cure the terminal spiritual illness of this world, and His disciples are the only ones He has tasked with giving out that medicine.
And that's why He is taking me away from here in 90 days. His purpose for me has not changed. It never has and never will. It remains His purpose to use my life to glorify and exalt Himself before a lost and dying world who is desperate to hear about Him before it is too late.
I still have a calling to the terminally ill. As a matter of fact, so do you. Let's go give out some Medicine.
Field Update:
1. OK, so this post got put up a little later than anticipated, but... the trustees recommended me for appointment!!!! Yes, I'm a little excited. :-) Praise the Lord!
2. My appointment will be held on June 25... in Richmond. What a wonderful surprise that was! (In an unusual turn of events, the IMB will be holding dual appointment services in June, one in Oklahoma City and one in Richmond.) I am so very delighted that many of my brothers and sisters from my home church will be able to attend. Please pray that the Lord will provoke the hearts of many of those in attendance in the direction of missions (whether it's to go, or to give, or to pray). As you well know, the fields are white unto harvest, and we are to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers out into those fields. Please do so.
3. My parents, Garry and Denise Johnson, will be leaving for their own mission work in Germany in early June. Please pray that our Father would prepare the way before them and that they would bring Him great glory among the people. I'd also love it if you would pray that I get to spend a little additional time with them before they go. Their house needs to sell quickly in order for that to happen.
4. Please pray that I will be faithful in obedience to the Lord in these remaining few months in the States. It's so easy to develop "short-timer" syndrome, but the Bible tells us that "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Col. 3:23, NKJV). He is the One to please, and continuing to do my work heartily is a good witness for Him.
I am so thankful to have gained new prayer supporters during a recent visit home to Alabama. It is such a blessing to know that you and the rest of my "old" supporters (don't worry, that's not a comment on age - at least for most of you! Kidding! :-)) are praying for me. As I'm so often reminded recently, we are constantly engaged in battle with a powerful enemy. I'm well aware that I can't do this on my own, and I desperately need your prayers. Thank you for doing battle with me!
But, most significant to me of late, 90 days is the amount of time until I leave my current job.
My last day at the hospital is also my seventh anniversary there. The number of perfection, which is also significant. I can only hope that my time there will come to perfect completion before I leave behind my career, my co-workers, my patients, such an enormous part of my life.
I have spent the last seven years - as well as the previous six - learning to treat children with cancer. It is tremendously rewarding at times, shockingly tragic at others, and mostly in between. But, though I will miss the people I have met on the job, I really don't think I will miss the work itself. And that seems to surprise everyone I tell.
After all, I am called to minister to the terminally ill. That has been my calling for years now.
But God has taught me something profound during my time in Virginia. He has finally gotten through to me that the things of this world don't matter. His Word tells us this:
"...Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
What is seen is temporary. Everything you see, everything physical. Our cars, our houses, our televisions, even our bodies. They're all just temporary, and they will waste away and, one day, disappear altogether. So, even if I could find the perfect chemotherapy drug that would give a kid 50 more years on this earth, it's still only temporary. And "temporary" is not our goal here. We are to fix our our eyes on what is unseen, on the eternal.
Don't get me wrong. God brought me into my job, and He guided me every step of the way. He took me to pharmacy school, through two years of postgraduate training, and finally to my first and only "real" job in pharmacy, my seven years at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. But, even here, His goal was to get me to fix my eyes on the eternal rather than the temporary.
So what is eternal? Only our relationship with Jesus Christ and our relationships with fellow believers. Those are the only things that will last. My job was only eternal to the extent that it allowed me to build relationships with others that would glorify my Lord or to the extent that it allowed people more time to be able to spend on this earth so that they could come to know Him. Jesus is the only medicine that can cure the terminal spiritual illness of this world, and His disciples are the only ones He has tasked with giving out that medicine.
And that's why He is taking me away from here in 90 days. His purpose for me has not changed. It never has and never will. It remains His purpose to use my life to glorify and exalt Himself before a lost and dying world who is desperate to hear about Him before it is too late.
I still have a calling to the terminally ill. As a matter of fact, so do you. Let's go give out some Medicine.
Field Update:
1. OK, so this post got put up a little later than anticipated, but... the trustees recommended me for appointment!!!! Yes, I'm a little excited. :-) Praise the Lord!
2. My appointment will be held on June 25... in Richmond. What a wonderful surprise that was! (In an unusual turn of events, the IMB will be holding dual appointment services in June, one in Oklahoma City and one in Richmond.) I am so very delighted that many of my brothers and sisters from my home church will be able to attend. Please pray that the Lord will provoke the hearts of many of those in attendance in the direction of missions (whether it's to go, or to give, or to pray). As you well know, the fields are white unto harvest, and we are to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers out into those fields. Please do so.
3. My parents, Garry and Denise Johnson, will be leaving for their own mission work in Germany in early June. Please pray that our Father would prepare the way before them and that they would bring Him great glory among the people. I'd also love it if you would pray that I get to spend a little additional time with them before they go. Their house needs to sell quickly in order for that to happen.
4. Please pray that I will be faithful in obedience to the Lord in these remaining few months in the States. It's so easy to develop "short-timer" syndrome, but the Bible tells us that "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Col. 3:23, NKJV). He is the One to please, and continuing to do my work heartily is a good witness for Him.
I am so thankful to have gained new prayer supporters during a recent visit home to Alabama. It is such a blessing to know that you and the rest of my "old" supporters (don't worry, that's not a comment on age - at least for most of you! Kidding! :-)) are praying for me. As I'm so often reminded recently, we are constantly engaged in battle with a powerful enemy. I'm well aware that I can't do this on my own, and I desperately need your prayers. Thank you for doing battle with me!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
South of the border
Wow, has it really been two months? (No comments from the peanut gallery, Eric Kuykendall! :)) It really is amazing how time gets away from you. So much has happened since I last posted.
In early March, I had the privilege of going to Paraguay on a mission trip with ten brothers and sisters from London Bridge Baptist Church (my outstanding church!). What a joy it was to be able to go. By the time we returned to the States, we had seen nearly 80 people come to know Jesus! An enormous privilege, indeed. How incredible is it that the God Who has all power and all knowledge and all ability and all sufficiency, the God Who can do anyTHING He wants anyWHERE He wants, would choose to use us to accomplish His work? There is surely nothing more incomprehensible than that.
A few details on the trip: I've already mentioned my ten brothers and sisters from the States. Well, we joined a wonderful missionary couple and their son (the wife is Brazilian, the husband American), along with three Uruguayan believers and one Christian translator from Paraguay. To sum it all up, that's four countries, three heart languages, two genders, eleven occupations, and 18 personalities.
But here's the most important number: One. That's what we were, what we ARE in Christ. Of course, His Word says it best.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28)
Our differences do not matter. The only thing that does matter is our relationship with Christ and the unity that such a relationship brings with each other through Him, Who is our peace.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 15:5-6)
The truth of this passage really struck me early in our trip, when I went out to share Christ alongside Emilia, one of the Uruguayan believers who ministered with us. She spoke no English, and I speak REALLY poor Spanish. But it didn't matter because we were sisters. We laughed and enjoyed each others' company the entire day, despite the fact that we could barely communicate. And, as God bonded us together that day, we saw 15 people come to Christ. Do you think He used that unity to glorify Himself? Absolutely!
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (Jn. 17:23)
Unity is our mandate. Jesus prayed this for us in His high priestly prayer just before His crucifixion. His desire for us is unity, God is glorified in our unity, we are taught to diligently guard that unity (Eph. 4:3), and unity is said to be "good and pleasant... like precious oil poured on the head" (Ps. 133:1-2). Jesus Himself has made us one (Eph. 2:14). Only in that unity can we accomplish all that our Father has for us to do. Let's be diligent to guard it!
Field Update
Well, this is it. Tuesday, April 8, is the day of my trustee approval. My candidate consultant will be presenting my application to the trustees between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm that day. It's pretty much the last major hurdle. Please be praying that the Lord's will be accomplished.
Also, please be praying for my final medical clearance. I was slightly anemic on my labs that were done in February, and that has now resolved with iron supplements. I've sent in all of the most recent lab data and am just waiting for the IMB's doctors to clear me. Everything should be fine, but you never know how things will go with the medical process. So please pray that things will work out there.
And, finally, please be praying for the Xtreme Team. I've been in contact with several of the missionaries there, and I'm so excited at the prospect of joining them. They are just finishing up a three-month training session, and the new members of the team will soon be going into the jungles and mountains to engage the unreached Indian tribes. Pray that God will use them in whatever capacity He chooses, and that they would be one. Our enemy, who is NEVER creative, constantly seeks to attack their unity by using their differences against them but, as I mentioned above, they, like all of us, are only effective when they are united as one. Please pray that they would be diligent to guard the unity of the body.
If you'd like more information on the Xtreme Team, check out www.thextremeteam.org. You might even find someone you know if you click on "About Us," and then "Womens Team 2." :) For those of you on Facebook, feel free to join the "xtreme families" group for updated news on the team.
Thank you so much for all your prayers! I will update later this week when I find out the results of my trustee approval. I love each of you!
In early March, I had the privilege of going to Paraguay on a mission trip with ten brothers and sisters from London Bridge Baptist Church (my outstanding church!). What a joy it was to be able to go. By the time we returned to the States, we had seen nearly 80 people come to know Jesus! An enormous privilege, indeed. How incredible is it that the God Who has all power and all knowledge and all ability and all sufficiency, the God Who can do anyTHING He wants anyWHERE He wants, would choose to use us to accomplish His work? There is surely nothing more incomprehensible than that.
A few details on the trip: I've already mentioned my ten brothers and sisters from the States. Well, we joined a wonderful missionary couple and their son (the wife is Brazilian, the husband American), along with three Uruguayan believers and one Christian translator from Paraguay. To sum it all up, that's four countries, three heart languages, two genders, eleven occupations, and 18 personalities.
But here's the most important number: One. That's what we were, what we ARE in Christ. Of course, His Word says it best.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28)
Our differences do not matter. The only thing that does matter is our relationship with Christ and the unity that such a relationship brings with each other through Him, Who is our peace.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 15:5-6)
The truth of this passage really struck me early in our trip, when I went out to share Christ alongside Emilia, one of the Uruguayan believers who ministered with us. She spoke no English, and I speak REALLY poor Spanish. But it didn't matter because we were sisters. We laughed and enjoyed each others' company the entire day, despite the fact that we could barely communicate. And, as God bonded us together that day, we saw 15 people come to Christ. Do you think He used that unity to glorify Himself? Absolutely!
"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (Jn. 17:23)
Unity is our mandate. Jesus prayed this for us in His high priestly prayer just before His crucifixion. His desire for us is unity, God is glorified in our unity, we are taught to diligently guard that unity (Eph. 4:3), and unity is said to be "good and pleasant... like precious oil poured on the head" (Ps. 133:1-2). Jesus Himself has made us one (Eph. 2:14). Only in that unity can we accomplish all that our Father has for us to do. Let's be diligent to guard it!
Field Update
Well, this is it. Tuesday, April 8, is the day of my trustee approval. My candidate consultant will be presenting my application to the trustees between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm that day. It's pretty much the last major hurdle. Please be praying that the Lord's will be accomplished.
Also, please be praying for my final medical clearance. I was slightly anemic on my labs that were done in February, and that has now resolved with iron supplements. I've sent in all of the most recent lab data and am just waiting for the IMB's doctors to clear me. Everything should be fine, but you never know how things will go with the medical process. So please pray that things will work out there.
And, finally, please be praying for the Xtreme Team. I've been in contact with several of the missionaries there, and I'm so excited at the prospect of joining them. They are just finishing up a three-month training session, and the new members of the team will soon be going into the jungles and mountains to engage the unreached Indian tribes. Pray that God will use them in whatever capacity He chooses, and that they would be one. Our enemy, who is NEVER creative, constantly seeks to attack their unity by using their differences against them but, as I mentioned above, they, like all of us, are only effective when they are united as one. Please pray that they would be diligent to guard the unity of the body.
If you'd like more information on the Xtreme Team, check out www.thextremeteam.org. You might even find someone you know if you click on "About Us," and then "Womens Team 2." :) For those of you on Facebook, feel free to join the "xtreme families" group for updated news on the team.
Thank you so much for all your prayers! I will update later this week when I find out the results of my trustee approval. I love each of you!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Musings on a stomach virus...
Yeah, yeah, gross, I know. But just hear me out.
So this past Wednesday, I got a visit from a very unwelcome guest: The dreaded stomach virus. Isn't it amazing how an organism so small it can't be seen with the human eye can fell a perfectly healthy woman with the body of a supermodel? Yeah, and it took me out, too! :)
OK, OK, so now that you've all had a good belly laugh at my expense, let's move on. :) Anyway, as I was lying in bed Wednesday night wishing more than ever that I could just go home and be with Jesus, I glanced up at my mirror and saw a Christmas card from the IMB that I had stuck there. On the cover, there are pictures of people of different races. And I was reminded of my calling to join the Xtreme Team in South America.
I began to think about the great likelihood of my getting sick while I'm there. The water is not always clean, tropical diseases are plentiful, altitude sickness is probable. As a matter of fact, I just saw an update from the team, and it mentioned how they have been plagued with sickness. And I began to ask myself if I could deal with frequent GI bugs in order to tell people about Christ. Was it really worth it to me?
I realize that's completely ridiculous. I mean, seriously, that shouldn't even warrant a comparison! A few hours or days of minor discomfort versus an eternity in hell? But I'm just being honest with you here: I hate stomach viruses. Hate them with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns. So, I'm ashamed to admit, it was kind of a struggle for me.
But then it hit me: When did I start thinking I'm supposed to have it easy? Why is it that I expect my life to be some comfy, cozy bed of roses? I've never been promised anything of the sort. As a matter of fact:
"In this world, you will have trouble." (Jn. 16:33, emphasis mine)
The Lord Jesus says this after telling His disciples they will all scatter and leave Him prior to His crucifixion. He has also just explained that they will grieve while the world rejoices but that their grief will turn to joy. Finally, in verse 33, He explains that He has told them all of this "so that in me you may have peace" and He reminds them that He has "overcome the world." What good news!
But, in thinking along this same vein, I was reminded of how good it will be, what a privilege it is to suffer for the name of Jesus. Think I'm crazy? Check this out:
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Peter wrote this letter to a group of believers who were dying for their faith, and yet he told them they were blessed if they were able to participate in Christ's sufferings. Why? Because God's Spirit rests on and is manifested through those who suffer. That's how His glory is revealed!
Now that might sound pretty hollow coming from... say... me. But, see, Peter had actually lived that out in his own life. Remember what happened when he and John had a little run-in with the Sanhedrin over healing a bunch of people in Jerusalem? They were thrown in jail and flogged for it. And how did they respond?
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:41)
Wow. They considered it a privilege to suffer for Jesus, and they were whooping it up because they had been allowed to suffer for Him! It was an honor for them! Why is it that I complain because I have to stop for three red lights on the way to work, and these guys were whipped and are pumped up about it?
As I count down the time to moving to Bolivia, I realize just how much my perspective needs to change. I want to count it a privilege to suffer for His Name. He is the Only One Worthy!
Field Update
I'll be heading to Richmond this Tuesday afternoon, February 5, for a three-day candidate conference at the IMB. I'm really excited about the conference, as I will have the opportunity to research my people group, the Quechua Indians of southern Bolivia. I will also be able to spend time with other missionary candidates who are going through the process as well, and I will have a variety of physical exams. Other than that last part, it should be a lot of fun! :)
Once this conference is complete, my references will be released to the IMB. No, I haven't forgotten about the references I requested from some of you! :) You will be getting a form to complete within the next few weeks, assuming I don't make a complete idiot of myself at this conference (always a possibility!).
The final HUGE hurdle to pass will be trustee approval in April. If I am approved by the trustees, everything from that point on is kind of a formality.
Prayer requests
1. That I would be able to prioritize my time in getting everything done. I have begun taking a online seminary course, and it is quite challenging to add on to an already busy schedule. My missionary position requires 30 hours of seminary training, so this is a necessity, rather than a luxury.
2. That I would be able to effectively and efficiently learn Spanish. I have a computer language program, but immersion training is invaluable. I would prefer to be fluent before going to the field, and there might be the possibility of attending language school in Costa Rica before I go. Pray that the Lord's will would be done in this area.
3. Please begin to pray for the trustee approval process. This is truly a significant hurdle, but I know God has called me to this work and that He will pave the way in His timing. Pray that I will develop Christlike character through the process.
I love you each very much, and I pray that God will pour out His Spirit upon you today!
So this past Wednesday, I got a visit from a very unwelcome guest: The dreaded stomach virus. Isn't it amazing how an organism so small it can't be seen with the human eye can fell a perfectly healthy woman with the body of a supermodel? Yeah, and it took me out, too! :)
OK, OK, so now that you've all had a good belly laugh at my expense, let's move on. :) Anyway, as I was lying in bed Wednesday night wishing more than ever that I could just go home and be with Jesus, I glanced up at my mirror and saw a Christmas card from the IMB that I had stuck there. On the cover, there are pictures of people of different races. And I was reminded of my calling to join the Xtreme Team in South America.
I began to think about the great likelihood of my getting sick while I'm there. The water is not always clean, tropical diseases are plentiful, altitude sickness is probable. As a matter of fact, I just saw an update from the team, and it mentioned how they have been plagued with sickness. And I began to ask myself if I could deal with frequent GI bugs in order to tell people about Christ. Was it really worth it to me?
I realize that's completely ridiculous. I mean, seriously, that shouldn't even warrant a comparison! A few hours or days of minor discomfort versus an eternity in hell? But I'm just being honest with you here: I hate stomach viruses. Hate them with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns. So, I'm ashamed to admit, it was kind of a struggle for me.
But then it hit me: When did I start thinking I'm supposed to have it easy? Why is it that I expect my life to be some comfy, cozy bed of roses? I've never been promised anything of the sort. As a matter of fact:
"In this world, you will have trouble." (Jn. 16:33, emphasis mine)
The Lord Jesus says this after telling His disciples they will all scatter and leave Him prior to His crucifixion. He has also just explained that they will grieve while the world rejoices but that their grief will turn to joy. Finally, in verse 33, He explains that He has told them all of this "so that in me you may have peace" and He reminds them that He has "overcome the world." What good news!
But, in thinking along this same vein, I was reminded of how good it will be, what a privilege it is to suffer for the name of Jesus. Think I'm crazy? Check this out:
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Peter wrote this letter to a group of believers who were dying for their faith, and yet he told them they were blessed if they were able to participate in Christ's sufferings. Why? Because God's Spirit rests on and is manifested through those who suffer. That's how His glory is revealed!
Now that might sound pretty hollow coming from... say... me. But, see, Peter had actually lived that out in his own life. Remember what happened when he and John had a little run-in with the Sanhedrin over healing a bunch of people in Jerusalem? They were thrown in jail and flogged for it. And how did they respond?
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:41)
Wow. They considered it a privilege to suffer for Jesus, and they were whooping it up because they had been allowed to suffer for Him! It was an honor for them! Why is it that I complain because I have to stop for three red lights on the way to work, and these guys were whipped and are pumped up about it?
As I count down the time to moving to Bolivia, I realize just how much my perspective needs to change. I want to count it a privilege to suffer for His Name. He is the Only One Worthy!
Field Update
I'll be heading to Richmond this Tuesday afternoon, February 5, for a three-day candidate conference at the IMB. I'm really excited about the conference, as I will have the opportunity to research my people group, the Quechua Indians of southern Bolivia. I will also be able to spend time with other missionary candidates who are going through the process as well, and I will have a variety of physical exams. Other than that last part, it should be a lot of fun! :)
Once this conference is complete, my references will be released to the IMB. No, I haven't forgotten about the references I requested from some of you! :) You will be getting a form to complete within the next few weeks, assuming I don't make a complete idiot of myself at this conference (always a possibility!).
The final HUGE hurdle to pass will be trustee approval in April. If I am approved by the trustees, everything from that point on is kind of a formality.
Prayer requests
1. That I would be able to prioritize my time in getting everything done. I have begun taking a online seminary course, and it is quite challenging to add on to an already busy schedule. My missionary position requires 30 hours of seminary training, so this is a necessity, rather than a luxury.
2. That I would be able to effectively and efficiently learn Spanish. I have a computer language program, but immersion training is invaluable. I would prefer to be fluent before going to the field, and there might be the possibility of attending language school in Costa Rica before I go. Pray that the Lord's will would be done in this area.
3. Please begin to pray for the trustee approval process. This is truly a significant hurdle, but I know God has called me to this work and that He will pave the way in His timing. Pray that I will develop Christlike character through the process.
I love you each very much, and I pray that God will pour out His Spirit upon you today!
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