FPO- Weeks 3 & 4

Wow, I had no idea that I hadn't posted in so long. Where has the time gone? I promised myself I wouldn't get so busy that I neglected to write down what's happening here, but here I am posting once every week and a half. I must try to be more diligent!

Week 3 wound up Friday. Of course, we had our first round of shots, followed by a second round yesterday. My wife, daughter and me got 3 shots each, while my 4 year old boy got 4. Here is an amusing story about his experience. We pumped him up so much about getting his shots, he walked in and told the nurses, "I want 5 shots!" The first look at the needle, and he then said "I don't want any shots now," as he tried to scoot off the stool! The nurses were ready and quickly gave him his shots, to which he shed not one tear! What a brave little guy! He emerged to applause outside the office, and the nurses told him that he got the award for best kid of the day! WooHoo! Way to go K!

During our class time, we learned about doctrine. (Yawn) O.K., it sounds like a yawner, but actually the presenter was very thorough and kept me interested in what I really needed to learn. He spoke, with scriptural backing about baptism, what the church is, the Lord's supper and who should partake, and much more. It was very enlightening and I learned a lot. We finished the week with learning cultural anthropology. Again, I had taken anthropology in college, but didn't learn enough to remember anything other than it was the study of people. We were taught by a professor of anthropology form Mid America Seminary, who also is a former M with the IMB. He taught us that we are to adapt as much as possible to the culture we are going to be in. He also said to learn the language, not out of a sense that we have to, but to honor the people we will be reaching, and to gain influence with them that we took time to learn their language and share the great message of Jesus. He really put things in perspective. We have been blessed to hear some people speak and teach us with passionate hearts to help us bring the Gospel to those who have never heard it.

Week 4 began with learning more about Hinduism, which we will be encountering in South Asia. I have seen and read much on Hinduism, and we learned a couple of new things and also were able to share more about what I have witnessed of it through my visits there this past year. We were also able to hear about some real church plants from field personnel here with us for now. God is doing some incredible things among the lost people of the earth. But then again, He is a big God!

We have also been looking at Church Planting Movements in the book of Acts. It has been such great learning to know that CPM's are not just something that was thought up by someone one day. The book of acts models this for us. CPM's are scriptural. We have been blessed to learn about them from the perspective of God's word this past week. It's amazing the more you get into the Word, the more God reveals to you about His purpose and plan. I have heard from so many that getting into the word is a necessity, but how many times can we neglect that simple bit of advice and not get into the Word? It is one of the things that we will need to lean on while on the field more than ever, and the more we practice it now and learn to draw out of God's word what He has to tell us, the more effective we can be as "sent out ones" for Him.

We have been sponges trying to take in everything we can, learn everything the speakers are teaching us. Please pray that we retain this knowledge so that when we get to the field, our foundations will be on Jesus and not ourselves or our own power.

Next week, we go through three days of security contingency training. Though I do not know exactly what is planned for us, I have heard (from other FPO attendees) that it is very intense, but some of the best training we may get while here. Pray that we survive!(Just kidding)

FPO Week 2- Complete

Well, we've finished week 2 here at FPO. Mentally, it has been tiring. We feel as if we're in school again. We listened to Jerry Rankin for 3 days abouth spiritual warfare, which was really enlightening. We also learned about how churches in the SBC are defined and what the scriptural background is for that, and along the same lines the guidelines for how the IMB defines churches, also with scriptural backing. This was very needed for me, since I felt very uneducated to this subject. Very good information for us this first week. We were also introduced to some TCK's (Third Culture Kids) who are going back into the field as Journeymen or ISC couples like us. It was very interesting to hear and again very educational to us, as we are carrying 2 kids to the field with us. So far, everything we have been exposed to here has been of valued learning to us. We are processing all the information, and I guess that is what is making it mentally tiring to us.

We had our first meeting with our South Asia Regional office personnel this past Thursday. This is where we turned in all of our paperwork, if it was finished. Most of ours was, except for a couple things we will turn in next Tuesday at the next meeting. On top of all the exercise, meetings, small group times, meals, and sessions, oh and finding time to sleep and have quiet time, we have been given a list of books to read that is specific to the religion of the people group we will work with. Our people group practices Hindu, which has over 3 million different gods and idols, everything from actual human form gods, like Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesha, but also they worship rocks, plants, cows, a fork, anything that they think will bring them good luck. One of the books we have on our list is called "Death of a Guru", by Rabindranath Maharaj. I have heard of this book from many people, but I am not much of a book reader, unless I have time and am somewhat forced to read. I have to say that I have found this book to be very fascinating. It gives much insight into the Hindu religion and all the superstitions that they practice. I'm still reading, so please don't give away the end!

I volunteered to lead the Prayerwalking team while here at FPO. This team of 20 is responsible for prayerwaliking the campus every day for the next 8 weeks. The only thing I do is lead the meetings, make sure everyone is doing their part and that's about all. I do have a helper, I asked one of the team members if she wouldn't mind co-leading with me, since I am not much of an organizer. I can step into a leadership position, but organization in our family is left to my wife. I am happy to deligate that job! So,besides act like the team leader, I prayer walk with one of the men in my Quad M-W-F mornings. It is very uplifting to lift others up in prayer through prayer walking.

We are having a quiet, catch-up weekend so far, cleaning, doing laundry, catching up on our reading. Our Quad mates/small group have been a blessing to us. There are 2 other families, both with kids our age going to South Asia, and 2 Journeygirls who are going to South Asia. We have all had a good time and have bonded together as families already.

As I said, we have been loaded with a lot of stuff. Pray that we continue to seek God in the midst of our busy-ness and retain all the knowledge we get and take it to the field.

Week 2- Spiritual Warfare

We are full into orientation and settling into our schedule. This week, the president of IMB Jerry Rankin is speaking to us about spiritual warfare. We've heard some on this, and I believe in it, but being exposed to how we actually are attacked by the enemy has opened my eyes to why Satan does what he does, and how he does it. Satan attacks us in very subtle ways, ways that we think are our own sinful nature. He does it not to rob us of our salvation, because he cannot do that. We cannot be snatched out of the hand of our Heavenly Father, ever. But I learned that he also does not do the things he does because he wants us to suffer. Satan attacks us because he does not want us to glorify God. He wants to glorify himself and rob God of His due glory. So when we as believers choose to sin, or not do quiet time, do things that ruin our witness as Christ Followers, this robs God of His glory, and the enemy delights in this.

We are to understand that Satan is merely a fallen angel, and an angel is a messenger. He is not on par with the Holy Spirit. He speaks to our minds and lies to us. The lie that tells us to stay in bed another 30 minutes rather than get up and talk to God and have quiet time on a regular basis. The enemy tells us that it's OK to laugh at the jokes of our co-workers, or tell a little lie, or just take little supplies from the office. We need to be alert and conscious of Satan's schemes, and realize that he is a defeated foe! Jesus has won the victory already!

Now on the other hand, we can be completely obsessed with Satan and how he is working to try to defeat God through us, and that is unhealthy. God's word does tell us to be vigilant and alert:

Ephesians 6:10-12 says be strong and put on the full armor of God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 says be firm against the prowling lion.
Ephesians 6:16 says take up the shield of faith against the flaming arrows of the evil one.
James 4:7 says resist the devil and submit to God.
(the above are not direct quotes but my quick interpretations)

It seems pretty obvious that we are to pay attention and be alert to what the evil one is doing, and he does it in quiet ways to destroy our witness and keep us from bringing God glory. Satan cannot take us away if we are already saved, but he surely can ruin our witness and keep us from bringing more lost souls into the kingdom through his lies and deceit.

In a few months, I will be taking my family into a dark and lost land. The devil has made South Asia one of his many homes on earth where Jesus is not known, and Satan has control of over a billion people. Please pray for us that we stay strong in the Lord, and rely on His word to bring glory to Him where we are going. Pray for protection from the evil one, for hearts to turn to the Father and away from the evil that has been lying to generations of families for thousands of years.

Connecting with the Father

What an incredible time I had today. So far, we have been just getting to know things around the campus and adhering to a schedule (we tried hard to not have a schedule during vacation!) here at ILC since Tuesday.


Today we were directed to have 3 hours of personal quiet time however we wanted, wherever we wanted. I decided to take mine near the small lake/large pond off to the side of the campus, accessible by anyone on campus by a short walk. I took a spot on the rocks at one end. On the walk there, I was reflecting on my quiet time these last few weeks, months, and realized that my quiet time stunk! I was giving God snippets of my time here and there when I could, but never enough to satisfy my thirst or God's expectations. I asked Jesus to meet me where I was going, and as I sat down I was just still for a few moments and basked among God's glorious creation: the trees, the water, the rocks, the butterflies, the dragonflies, and just praised Him for all that I was seeing. I saw how the butterfly showed God's glory exactly how God created him to show it- with his beautiful wings. I felt very convicted that I was not showing God's glory the way that I should be. I did not feel any breeze and it has been extremely hot and humid here. Just as I thought about a breeze, a nice cool one embraced me, and I realized that God was there with me, embracing me with the breeze, and I gave thanks and praise to my heavenly Father.

I then opened God's word and began to experience it like I hadn't in a long time. The words of the Lord came to life and practically jumped off the page to me!

Isaiah 6:8-9a says: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' He said, 'Go..'" We have been given the green light to go and make disciples now, not when things are just perfect. I have been waiting, maybe saving my witnessing for when I get to the field, waiting for my "GO" signal, when it has already been given.

Matthew 28:19-20 says: "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." Jesus is telling us that we need not be afraid to GO and make disciples, because He is with us for all time!

Acts 1:8 says: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Jesus doesn't say we may be His witnesses, we WILL be His witnesses.

The word missionary was described to me yesterday as "sent out one". Jesus has sent us out, called us to be His vessel to spread His good news. We are not taking God to South Asia with us. He is already there, preparing work for us, work that He has prepared long before we were born.

I expect to be challenged more as we are here, and the rewards for meeting those challenges will be overwhelming to me. I was also deeply moved as a Japanese lady who is going to be a missionary to China sang a praise song for the whole group of over 300 people in Japanese. It moved me to sobbing, as well as a lot of others. It just makes my heart leap with joy to hear praise songs to Jesus in other languages. I did not know the words she was singing, but it was beautiful, and I know that Jesus was being glorified right in front of us.

This is just the first week. Whatever else is in store, I can't wait, and I can't wait to tell!

Farewell to a Childhood Vacation Home

Our vacation has come to an end. We have had a blast as a family. Most of our goodbyes are done, except for the final ones before we go to South Asia for our assignment. God truly blessed us with this time, as well as a loving and supportive family.

I would like to share about a summer home that has been in my family long before I was born. 15 years ago, just a few days after my wife and I were married, my grandfather on my mom's side died suddenly from a lung embolism on the airplane home from our wedding. This was a sudden loss of a dearly loved and respected father, grandfather, husband and businessman of his community. Last September 3, my grandmother, his wife passed away at the age of 81. We were able to come together as a family from all parts of the U.S. to say our goodbyes in the hospital before she passed. After a simple and tearful family memorial at the lake, we all agreed to come together at the lake home we all grew up loving to visit and play at this time for a family reunion. This house was bought as a summer cottage by my grandparents in the 1950's and my mom and each of her siblings grew up as part of the lake, boating and waterskiing until all grew and left, still visiting and vacationing there, however. I was the first grandchild of the family, and I have nothing but great memories of the lake as do my cousins and aunts and uncles. This is a family heirloom of sorts. Unfortunately, since the passing of my Grama P., and all the siblings and cousins living on the other side of the country, it was decided this past week during the reunion that the house would be put on the market. It was a tough decision, but a decision by my mom and her sisters and brother to move on with their lives.

So I left yesterday saying goodbye not only to my family, whom I dearly love and respect; not only to the grandparents who God blessed me with and I will always remember the love and fun times I spent with; but also to a dearly cherished family vacation home, that always brought out the BEST times together as family, including the last two times there which were filled with fun memories and tears, lots of tears. So I left with no regrets, only great memories and maybe... a few more tears.

Goodbye to the lake, where I learned to fish, waterski, drive a floatboat on my grampa's lap, dive off the dock, swim to the point, canoe over to the canal to see "THE CANAL PEOPLE" (inside joke for my family), and learn to have fun and love those people called aunts and uncles, though I never considered you that, but more like older siblings because you treated me like a little brother. I enjoyed seeing my own children swim in the same lake off the same area of dock where I, my mom and grandparents swam. Such great memories, not one of them sad. However, when I think of it now, I tend to "fold" a little. (Another family joke)

Thank you God for my family, and all the great times we have had together at the lake. Thank you for this time we spent together to say goodbye to the lake and to grama and grampa one last time. Thank you for the blessings in my life and memories that I will never forget.

Vacation

Sorry its been so long since posting. Not much going on except for family vacation before going to FPO. We leave for Richmond on August 7 and that's where I'll pick up posting again as the start of our adventure begins. We are all having a great time with family and saying our final goodbyes. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers still and I look forward to sharing our orientation experience with you starting next week.

In Christ,

SAM