That's what my wife thought when I felt something about going on my first mission trip half way around the world to South Asia. I had never been on a mission trip and for some reason God wanted me to go on my first one ever so far away and to a culture completely opposite of mine. I was asked to get out of my comfort zone, no matter how scared or afraid or unqualified I felt. I had a choice to make- stay in my comfort zone and ignore God's call or submit and go. Little did I know, that trip would change my life forever. I felt that God was calling me to greater things- to move my family overseas and be completely submitted, for the first time, to God's will, not mine.
It made no sense whatsoever to move my family from our comfortable home, schools, friends, jobs into the very heart of darkness and lostness of the world. It made no sense because of thinking from a worldly point of view.
God's word is full of things that make no sense from our point of view. It made no sense for Noah to build a boat for a flood when no rain had fallen on the earth yet. It made no sense for Abraham to pick up and move to a land that he had not seen yet. It was crazy for Gideon, the least of his tribe who was the least of all tribes to take just 300 men to deliver Israel from the oppression of Midian- who had over 100,000 men in their army. How could God choose David, the smallest of all his brothers to be king of Israel? God used Paul, someone who murdered Christians to be one of the models for church planting today. There are so many other examples of
The reason for all this? Did the people get glory for this? No, but for their faith in what God was going to do through them, they receive honor, and we can learn from their example. But God did it so that they could not boast in themselves, but give the glory for the outcome to Him.
So, what about us? We should be open to what God has in store for us, and trust that He will bring us through, no matter how scared or unqualified we think we are. Since 2005, when I heard the call to come to this place, I have had my hands open to God has for us- I can't possibly close them now.
So we keep our hands open to what God has for us. In the mean time, we continue on here with one more year of ministry to go.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Decisions
We have been in the middle of major elections during the last half of April and the first couple weeks of May, which has limited our travel for field time with our 14. Elections here is a very tense time. At some polling places, violence can break out. Most places, on the day of election, people of 3 or more who gather together on the street are dispersed by the authorities for fear that they may be starting a rally and planning to steal ballots or force people to vote for a particular party. In some other places, vehicles are commandeered for election purposes- and this is legal. Most times, if you get the vehicle back, it is stripped of all valuable parts. So, we have been staying safely in homes for the past 4 weeks. Now the elections are over, though the counting of the ballots is going on now.
We are in the middle of transition for us. 2 months left until we head to Thailand for our visa run/vacation/seminary class. We will be gone for almost 4 weeks, and when we come back our team members who have been here with us since we arrived will be going state-side, which will leave us here for the last year of our term by ourselves. Our team members have been such a huge help while we have been here, and have provided so much valuable experience for us here in our first term. The upcoming year will be difficult, but we know God's grace if sufficient for us. Our supervisor has mentored and modeled for me how to do things for an upcoming final year of ministry. I will take on another group of church planters from another ministry and do the same thing with them as we have done the past year. I am excited and nervous for this, but again, God will give me wisdom, as he has during this past year of ministry. I will also continue to take courses through Southern Seminary to gain enough education for career service with the IMB, and also for any other ministry that comes up that the Lord calls us for.
We are open to what God has in store for us, wherever that may be. So this upcoming year is a decision making year also. In August of 2010, we will go state-side and we will have successfully completed a 3 year ISC term with the IMB. We will have the opportunity to apply for career service, given that I have enough seminary hours to to be considered. With the economy, however, we have heard that the IMB may be cutting down on hiring for now. It has not been officially stated, but it makes sense, so we must weigh that into our decisions for the future. We know that God has called us and prepared us for this time, and He wants nothing but our best to finish what He started here. God has all things worked out, so we should not worry or be anxious. It is a great thing to be surrendered to His will, but He gave us a mind to prepare and work within His will, not be robots.
So I say this to just ask you who still read this to pray for our upcoming year of ministry. For us to stay within God's will for our lives- not our will but His be done. Pray for peace for the decisions we will be thinking of in even the next 6 months while still finishing our work strong. I promise to keep you posted.
We are in the middle of transition for us. 2 months left until we head to Thailand for our visa run/vacation/seminary class. We will be gone for almost 4 weeks, and when we come back our team members who have been here with us since we arrived will be going state-side, which will leave us here for the last year of our term by ourselves. Our team members have been such a huge help while we have been here, and have provided so much valuable experience for us here in our first term. The upcoming year will be difficult, but we know God's grace if sufficient for us. Our supervisor has mentored and modeled for me how to do things for an upcoming final year of ministry. I will take on another group of church planters from another ministry and do the same thing with them as we have done the past year. I am excited and nervous for this, but again, God will give me wisdom, as he has during this past year of ministry. I will also continue to take courses through Southern Seminary to gain enough education for career service with the IMB, and also for any other ministry that comes up that the Lord calls us for.
We are open to what God has in store for us, wherever that may be. So this upcoming year is a decision making year also. In August of 2010, we will go state-side and we will have successfully completed a 3 year ISC term with the IMB. We will have the opportunity to apply for career service, given that I have enough seminary hours to to be considered. With the economy, however, we have heard that the IMB may be cutting down on hiring for now. It has not been officially stated, but it makes sense, so we must weigh that into our decisions for the future. We know that God has called us and prepared us for this time, and He wants nothing but our best to finish what He started here. God has all things worked out, so we should not worry or be anxious. It is a great thing to be surrendered to His will, but He gave us a mind to prepare and work within His will, not be robots.
So I say this to just ask you who still read this to pray for our upcoming year of ministry. For us to stay within God's will for our lives- not our will but His be done. Pray for peace for the decisions we will be thinking of in even the next 6 months while still finishing our work strong. I promise to keep you posted.
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