It hit me the other day, while reading Hebrews 2:16, that the fallen angels have no hope. The verse in the NIV translation reads, "For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants." The "he" mentioned refers to Jesus, and the help is his atoning death for us, so that one day we can dance and sing and worship and laugh in the presence of our Father.
I pray for the angels. Sounds weird, but they've got a huge job fighting for us. Every day they have to look evil dead in the eye. We can pull the blinders over our eyes and go to our 'happy place' when the world gets too much to handle, but they can't. So I pray that God give them renewal and strength to handle the day's battles.
On that fateful day when Lucifer challenged God and God cast him out of heaven, I wonder if he had the sinking feeling that I often do after making a really big mistake. I wonder if he wanted to turn around, repent and ask for God's forgiveness. I'm sure Adam and Eve did, and God heard their request. Through Jesus, the Father made it possible for humankind to once again be with their creator..to "share a meal together as friends." (Rev 3:20)
But Hebrews makes it clear that the salvation offered by Jesus is not for the angels, but only for us. What must it be like to have no hope at all? ..to sink into despair and anger and utter desolation and darkness where even death is not an option? Angels are eternal beings. Lucifer and those that so foolishly followed him face an eternity in this pit of anguish. No wonder they are so evil, so filled with hate. They have absolutely no hope. No hope that things will ever get better. No hope for peace. No hope for love.
You know how sometimes you can read the same verse in Scripture over and over and then one time you read it and BAM! something new jumps out at you? (Thanks, Emeril, for letting me borrow your tag line!) That's what happened to me with this passage the other day. No matter how dark our days get, or how labored we feel, or how much money we've lost in our 401K's, we can always lay our head on the pillow at night and have hope that tomorrow will bring something better. The hope we feel isn't unjustified wishing. Hope comes from having seen God do it before in our own lives, or for the younger, not-so-world-wise folk having heard it told by those who've lived it. Hope comes from truly understanding what God gave up in order for us to have it. Hope comes from a baby in a manger cradle, who lived his life perfectly and humbly, and died shamefully.
This is the season we Christians celebrate hope. If you choose not to celebrate the birth of Christ at this time of year, I encourage you to look closely in what or whom you put your hope. Are they/ is it reliable? Steadfast? Never failing..under any circumstances? Christ is. His hope is available to all, and it's all you'll ever need.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving
THE HOT WATER BOTTLE - A True Story By Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa
One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "...and it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby'll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon."
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, " ...And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - - that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend.
As I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, "A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!" I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "That afternoon!"
"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24
One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "...and it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby'll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon."
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, " ...And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - - that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend.
As I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, "A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!" I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "That afternoon!"
"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Where does the time go?
Wow! Where does the time go?? I could have sworn I'd just updated this a few weeks ago, but when I got in to check the news (Yes, I go to the blog to get news on Kenya!) I see August 31st! Very sorry!
Well, let's see....Homeschooling is working into a routine of sorts. We're still bumping along. The COVA curriculum is pretty intense and our days are typically 6-7 hours of actual "classroom" time. Ashley seems to be increasing in knowledge. That is the point, right? And, we've had a wonderful chance to get to know each other better. She seems to be much more engaged and can actually tell Dad what she's done at the end of each day.
Unfortunately, that hasn't left a lot of extra time to do those things I need to do to get us to Africa faster. However, I have to give a huge THANK YOU to friends who have come over to help me organize, sort and clean. Invariably, they say, "Is that all? That wasn't much." But to me, it's enormous. My hardest part is getting started. So, I'll stare at a project for a week, but get overwhelmed by the enormity of it. Then someone comes over to help and the next thing you know, the project is either well under way or completed. In addition, I've had the chance to connect with and talk to friends I haven't seen in a while, or otherwise wouldn't have gotten to spend time with. We are so blessed! There's still much to do, though and I'm getting daunted by the office work piling up. So...if you are so inclined...call me! :) I'll even feed you!!
While Ashley and I are schooling, cleaning, cooking and moving, Jeff is working his tail off. He's lost 20 lbs already on his Schwan's job! That's the good part. The bad part is that he only sees Ashley for about 15 minutes each morning right when she wakes up. She's in bed by the time he gets back in the evening. Considering the close bond between those two, that is making it incredibly hard for him to stay motivated. Please keep him in your prayers.
Our house has been on the market for nearly 3 months. We've had about 6 showings. Now we're at the point of having to decide if we should keep it on the market or take it off and refinance in the event we need to rent it out instead of selling it. Please pray for us to make a decision based not on our desires, but on God's. And, if God's will is that we rent, please pray that we can refinance at a good rate in this market. We've got till the 23rd to decide.
So now, about Kenya: I've got to be honest. It's been really frustrating waiting on God's timing for our move. We saw an amazing outpouring of support at the end of July, but since then, it's been sort of trickling in. Granted, we haven't had much time to put into getting our story out. Our prayer warrior base has steadily grown. That's encouraging! I think my biggest fear is that those who have been contributing to our Kenya support will get frustrated and think we're never leaving and withdraw their support or maybe our field office will get tired of waiting for us. We got to talk to our SIM Kenya director a couple nights ago. He's in the States attending a conference. It was good to hear that he's comfortable with waiting on God's timing. Still, our hearts are yearning to be in Kenya. As he said, we've got a sort of cabin fever setting in. Please pray for God to open doors for us to share our calling with everyone He's got in mind to be on our team.
Ashley and I have been going through a devotional book called "His Princess" by Sheri Rose Shepherd. Today we read on Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Let me share that with you:
I know you have an idea in your head on how everything should unfold in your life. Even today you have an agenda. Because I love you, I need you to give Me back all your plans for today and for all your tomorrows. If you let Me have your day, I can then intervene with something special. My intervention will give you more joy in your journey than your good intentions. I know all that your heart longs for, and I want to do more for you than you could ever do for yourself. So give Me a chance to change your agenda from ordinary to extraordinary, because that's the kind of life I've destined you to live, My beloved.
Interesting how the Lord knows just what we need to hear, just when we need to hear it and finds a way to tell us! Oh Lord, let me always remember that you are both here and in Africa, in the preparation and the completion and everything in between. Strengthen me to wait on your time with a peaceful and joyful heart.
Well, let's see....Homeschooling is working into a routine of sorts. We're still bumping along. The COVA curriculum is pretty intense and our days are typically 6-7 hours of actual "classroom" time. Ashley seems to be increasing in knowledge. That is the point, right? And, we've had a wonderful chance to get to know each other better. She seems to be much more engaged and can actually tell Dad what she's done at the end of each day.
Unfortunately, that hasn't left a lot of extra time to do those things I need to do to get us to Africa faster. However, I have to give a huge THANK YOU to friends who have come over to help me organize, sort and clean. Invariably, they say, "Is that all? That wasn't much." But to me, it's enormous. My hardest part is getting started. So, I'll stare at a project for a week, but get overwhelmed by the enormity of it. Then someone comes over to help and the next thing you know, the project is either well under way or completed. In addition, I've had the chance to connect with and talk to friends I haven't seen in a while, or otherwise wouldn't have gotten to spend time with. We are so blessed! There's still much to do, though and I'm getting daunted by the office work piling up. So...if you are so inclined...call me! :) I'll even feed you!!
While Ashley and I are schooling, cleaning, cooking and moving, Jeff is working his tail off. He's lost 20 lbs already on his Schwan's job! That's the good part. The bad part is that he only sees Ashley for about 15 minutes each morning right when she wakes up. She's in bed by the time he gets back in the evening. Considering the close bond between those two, that is making it incredibly hard for him to stay motivated. Please keep him in your prayers.
Our house has been on the market for nearly 3 months. We've had about 6 showings. Now we're at the point of having to decide if we should keep it on the market or take it off and refinance in the event we need to rent it out instead of selling it. Please pray for us to make a decision based not on our desires, but on God's. And, if God's will is that we rent, please pray that we can refinance at a good rate in this market. We've got till the 23rd to decide.
So now, about Kenya: I've got to be honest. It's been really frustrating waiting on God's timing for our move. We saw an amazing outpouring of support at the end of July, but since then, it's been sort of trickling in. Granted, we haven't had much time to put into getting our story out. Our prayer warrior base has steadily grown. That's encouraging! I think my biggest fear is that those who have been contributing to our Kenya support will get frustrated and think we're never leaving and withdraw their support or maybe our field office will get tired of waiting for us. We got to talk to our SIM Kenya director a couple nights ago. He's in the States attending a conference. It was good to hear that he's comfortable with waiting on God's timing. Still, our hearts are yearning to be in Kenya. As he said, we've got a sort of cabin fever setting in. Please pray for God to open doors for us to share our calling with everyone He's got in mind to be on our team.
Ashley and I have been going through a devotional book called "His Princess" by Sheri Rose Shepherd. Today we read on Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Let me share that with you:
I know you have an idea in your head on how everything should unfold in your life. Even today you have an agenda. Because I love you, I need you to give Me back all your plans for today and for all your tomorrows. If you let Me have your day, I can then intervene with something special. My intervention will give you more joy in your journey than your good intentions. I know all that your heart longs for, and I want to do more for you than you could ever do for yourself. So give Me a chance to change your agenda from ordinary to extraordinary, because that's the kind of life I've destined you to live, My beloved.
Interesting how the Lord knows just what we need to hear, just when we need to hear it and finds a way to tell us! Oh Lord, let me always remember that you are both here and in Africa, in the preparation and the completion and everything in between. Strengthen me to wait on your time with a peaceful and joyful heart.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Homeschooling is not for wussies!
August has been a whirlwind of activity. Unfortunately, nearly none of which has been related to our actual Kenya departure. From getting the house ready for the virtual tour pictures on August 1st and getting last minute repairs, painting and detail cleaning done before the sign went up in the front lawn on August 8th, to helping out with VeBS at church that same first week, August was already well underway before we caught a breath!
Then came a vacation, the likes of which we really haven't had as a family since Ashley was born. Having your own business, as some of you know, necessitates being available for your clients when they need you. As the only employee of NetResults, that meant not being too far away should a major computer catastrophe occur! So, most of our "vacations" were long weekend get-aways with the typical flurry of trying to make sure everything was in order before leaving, calls from the road as we're heading out of town, and never really being able to "shut down" because in a day or two we were back at work. This trip, although we did have a flurry of activity before leaving, had us making no calls from the road and no anticipated problems or piled up work upon return. What a huge blessing!!! It was also Jeff's last week at UPS, although kind of an absent week! :)
About halfway through the week, Jeff called Schwans and made sure he still was expected on the 18th, then called UPS to tell them that the resignation he had put in two weeks earlier was really in effect and he wouldn't be in on Monday. We ended up shortening that vacation due to a rained out camping trip, but came home and vegetated for a while in the drizzle here! All-in-all it was a great time for us to come together as a family. Ashley was a real trooper in the car and we all had a great time.
Jeff started at Schwans on the 18th. After cramming in a couple of Dr. appointments (since the awesome UPS insurance only holds out till the end of the month), Ashley and I went to Montana on the 20th to visit with family and a friend of my Mom and Dad's, and to take some family heirlooms back to the Hitch homestead, fondly referred to as "The Ranch." Ashley had a great time as she got to play with two greyhounds, a schnauzer, two cats, and a herd of bum lambs. Other than a fat lip from the lambs (indirectly), puncture wounds on her leg from the ranch cat (directly), and a piece of raw barley stuck in her throat sideways, she faired very well! :) I enjoyed catching up with family and spending some time at The Ranch which holds some great memories from my childhood.
We'd tried to touch base several times with COVA (Colorado Online Virtual Academy) to get Ashley's enrollment finalized. She'd taken the requisite placement tests before we'd left on our first jaunt, but we hadn't been able to connect with the placement liason. So, when we returned from Montana, we made another effort and actually connected! The online portion was set up and the curriculum loaded by Wednesday, so Ashley and I spent the rest of the week trying to navigate the maze of COVA and get the hang of managing school, snacks, lunches, dinners and everything else that comes with trying to keep a house ready for "show."
Which finally brings me to the title of this blog. To all of you who homeschool your child, especially if you have more than one that you homeschool, my hat is off and waiving accolades for you in the air. I have always had a high regard for you, but having walked in your shoes for 2½ days now, I'm in stunned awe! COVA has a lot of helpful information, but you have to take the time to drill through and read it all. Trying to fit that into an already overpacked day has been challenging to say the least. I know it will all fit into some sort of order/ routine at some point. My prayer is that it happens sooner rather than later! God, in His grace and with His humor, spoke to Ashley and I in a devotion on Friday morning from Isaiah 41:10, which says in part, "Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Whew! Isn't it nice to know He's going to carry us through the tough times?
So, until we get the hang of school, I'm going to need a lot of help if moving in October is to be a reality. There is no way I'm going to be able to pare down this house, and homeschool, and be Mrs. Vigil the Homemaker, and still be ready to go to Kenya by the end of September. Be watching for a "mobilizer" newsletter or drop me a line and let me know when you can help out. I've got a list for you to pick from! If you've got the time, we've got the need!
Which reminds me: we've only had about 50 people actually take the survey online that tells us if you want to get our newsletters (we have 3 -- a regular newsletter, a prayer letter, and a mobilizer letter) and which one(s) you want to get. Some of you have told us you want to be on the receiving end, but many haven't. We truly don't want to send out newsletters to people who are averse to receiving them. So, if you haven't taken the survey, please do. Here's the link: Vigil Kenya Survey . If you don't want to take the survey, then just email me and let me know which newletter(s) you want to receive. Some of the information overlaps, but not all.
Thanks for praying for us and thanks for loving us. We feel very surrounded by both!
Then came a vacation, the likes of which we really haven't had as a family since Ashley was born. Having your own business, as some of you know, necessitates being available for your clients when they need you. As the only employee of NetResults, that meant not being too far away should a major computer catastrophe occur! So, most of our "vacations" were long weekend get-aways with the typical flurry of trying to make sure everything was in order before leaving, calls from the road as we're heading out of town, and never really being able to "shut down" because in a day or two we were back at work. This trip, although we did have a flurry of activity before leaving, had us making no calls from the road and no anticipated problems or piled up work upon return. What a huge blessing!!! It was also Jeff's last week at UPS, although kind of an absent week! :)
About halfway through the week, Jeff called Schwans and made sure he still was expected on the 18th, then called UPS to tell them that the resignation he had put in two weeks earlier was really in effect and he wouldn't be in on Monday. We ended up shortening that vacation due to a rained out camping trip, but came home and vegetated for a while in the drizzle here! All-in-all it was a great time for us to come together as a family. Ashley was a real trooper in the car and we all had a great time.
Jeff started at Schwans on the 18th. After cramming in a couple of Dr. appointments (since the awesome UPS insurance only holds out till the end of the month), Ashley and I went to Montana on the 20th to visit with family and a friend of my Mom and Dad's, and to take some family heirlooms back to the Hitch homestead, fondly referred to as "The Ranch." Ashley had a great time as she got to play with two greyhounds, a schnauzer, two cats, and a herd of bum lambs. Other than a fat lip from the lambs (indirectly), puncture wounds on her leg from the ranch cat (directly), and a piece of raw barley stuck in her throat sideways, she faired very well! :) I enjoyed catching up with family and spending some time at The Ranch which holds some great memories from my childhood.
We'd tried to touch base several times with COVA (Colorado Online Virtual Academy) to get Ashley's enrollment finalized. She'd taken the requisite placement tests before we'd left on our first jaunt, but we hadn't been able to connect with the placement liason. So, when we returned from Montana, we made another effort and actually connected! The online portion was set up and the curriculum loaded by Wednesday, so Ashley and I spent the rest of the week trying to navigate the maze of COVA and get the hang of managing school, snacks, lunches, dinners and everything else that comes with trying to keep a house ready for "show."
Which finally brings me to the title of this blog. To all of you who homeschool your child, especially if you have more than one that you homeschool, my hat is off and waiving accolades for you in the air. I have always had a high regard for you, but having walked in your shoes for 2½ days now, I'm in stunned awe! COVA has a lot of helpful information, but you have to take the time to drill through and read it all. Trying to fit that into an already overpacked day has been challenging to say the least. I know it will all fit into some sort of order/ routine at some point. My prayer is that it happens sooner rather than later! God, in His grace and with His humor, spoke to Ashley and I in a devotion on Friday morning from Isaiah 41:10, which says in part, "Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Whew! Isn't it nice to know He's going to carry us through the tough times?
So, until we get the hang of school, I'm going to need a lot of help if moving in October is to be a reality. There is no way I'm going to be able to pare down this house, and homeschool, and be Mrs. Vigil the Homemaker, and still be ready to go to Kenya by the end of September. Be watching for a "mobilizer" newsletter or drop me a line and let me know when you can help out. I've got a list for you to pick from! If you've got the time, we've got the need!
Which reminds me: we've only had about 50 people actually take the survey online that tells us if you want to get our newsletters (we have 3 -- a regular newsletter, a prayer letter, and a mobilizer letter) and which one(s) you want to get. Some of you have told us you want to be on the receiving end, but many haven't. We truly don't want to send out newsletters to people who are averse to receiving them. So, if you haven't taken the survey, please do. Here's the link: Vigil Kenya Survey . If you don't want to take the survey, then just email me and let me know which newletter(s) you want to receive. Some of the information overlaps, but not all.
Thanks for praying for us and thanks for loving us. We feel very surrounded by both!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
We're still here!
Nope, we haven't left yet. And I, for one, am actually glad that God knows best!! Some things have gone exceedingly well...
- God has brought in all of our one-time needs and 33% of our monthly needs. AND He did it in -- get this -- the last 2 weeks of July! THANK YOU GOD!
- My business closed and I got most everything done before leaving (can you ever get everything done?)
- Jeff took the full-time job with Schwan's (thank you for your prayers on this decision) to compensate somewhat for my lack of income.
- We decided upon COVA (Colorado Online Virtual Academy) as a homeschool alternative for Ashley while we remain here in the States.
- We got our house cleaned and listed to sell. (The cleaning part was the hardest. Everything got moved/shoved into the garage, so now we're at the "Where's the...?" stage.)
I'm not really sure how I thought I'd be able to finish up work, get the house listed, clean/sell/move everything out, help with our church's VeBS (very exciting Bible school), and allow time for all of us to say goodbye to friends and family all before August 15th. Call it blind optimism...or just chalk it up to my ever-present over achiever mentality. Whatever it is, I ended up overcommitting and we're still here.
Did you read the blog about how God brings what you need when you need it? He has been so awesome to provide us the encouragement we needed to move forward and bring in the huge amount of support, but He knew way before I did that August 15th was a pretty aggressive deadline. So, now, the big question is, "What's your next departure date?" Hmmm. Dare I set another? :) Duh! OF COURSE I dare!
God's already shown us that he will take care of the funding side, and that He can do that pretty much overnight. Since He's doing that, I'm betting that the house sale and vehicle sale won't slow Him up too much either. So I'm pretty much thinking that the time frame will be based on how fast I move. I've had some offers for help, so adding in that factor and allowing for homeschool time, let's pray for a departure by ..... mid October! Will you pray with us?
Monday, July 21, 2008
I know God can...
...the question is "Will He?"
Can you hear the drum roll in the background? We can. We are sitting on the edge of our seat, and can't wait to see what God will do next! Most of you are quite aware that God brings what you need when you need it, usually not before you need it (much to my Type A planner personality chagrin). So, we pray for what we need, cross our fingers that God will also think it's a "need," then hold our breath while we wait for "God's perfect time" a.k.a. "the last minute" to arrive. Show of hands now...do you find yourself doing this prayer dance, too? Mmm Hmm.
Well, God's been teaching me a little about prayer these days, and since it's our blog, I'm going to share it with you. :)
In John 16:24, Jesus told his disciples that "Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Matthew 7:7 tells us to "ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you".
So..that's it? Just ask, in Jesus' name, and you will receive it? Wahoo! Well, not quite. There are some constraints. John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you." 1 John 5:14-15 says, "...if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us". 1 John 3:21-22 says, "...if our hearts do not condem us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."
Summary: To get our prayers answered we must stay connected to Jesus (through prayer and worship), keep His words (the Bible) in our heart and mind, ask according to His will (that's the tricky one for me), have a repentant heart for the sin we commit, obey His commands, and do what pleases him.
Oh, is that all you ask? Nope. There's more. There is a big road block to answered prayer as well. James 4:3 says "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." Slam! Been there, done that.
You know what, though? It's really not that hard. You know Jesus. He's not so much about the do's and don'ts as he is about the condition of the heart. How do we obey his commands and do what pleases him? Simple really -- Love God. Love others. What if we slip? (We all must deal with the occasional slip of loving those in the car in front of us or -- get-off-my-bumper! -- too close in back.) Catch it. Acknowledge it. Give it to God and repent. That means be truly sorry, ask for forgiveness, and do everything you can to not let it happen again. How do we know what his will is? Read the Bible and you'll see that it's written everywhere in it. His will is for us to Love God and Love others. His will is for us to draw together as a body of believers and not divide over petty squabbles. His will is for us to acknowledge He is God and we are not.
So, why are we so sure that God will answer our prayer that we get to the field by August?
1. God called us to Kenya -- very directly and very distinctly. It is His will.
2. We are going because we love Him and would do anything for Him because He has done so much for us. Love God.
3. He has given us a deep love for the Kenyan people and a great desire to see them grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Love others.
4. We have obeyed his commands as He's lead us down this path, acknowledged our failures and are constantly asking for His forgiveness and strength to avoid those pitfalls again. Obey his commands.
5. We are moving to a third-world country. Not really high on the "worldly pleasures" scale.
I think there's one more. God wants everyone to know that He is dependable and capable. That He hears and responds. And, God wants people to know that it's HIM and not coincidence, fate, "karma" or whatever.
It was God, through a prompting of HIS faithful servants -- people who don't even know us very well -- who brought in $30,000 to fund our ministry. In one day our ministry fund went from .03% to 97% full. (Did you hear the cymbal crash?) It will be God who gets us to Kenya in August!
(If there's anything that will hold us back, it's my inability to organize!)
Believe!
Can you hear the drum roll in the background? We can. We are sitting on the edge of our seat, and can't wait to see what God will do next! Most of you are quite aware that God brings what you need when you need it, usually not before you need it (much to my Type A planner personality chagrin). So, we pray for what we need, cross our fingers that God will also think it's a "need," then hold our breath while we wait for "God's perfect time" a.k.a. "the last minute" to arrive. Show of hands now...do you find yourself doing this prayer dance, too? Mmm Hmm.
Well, God's been teaching me a little about prayer these days, and since it's our blog, I'm going to share it with you. :)
In John 16:24, Jesus told his disciples that "Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." Matthew 7:7 tells us to "ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you".
So..that's it? Just ask, in Jesus' name, and you will receive it? Wahoo! Well, not quite. There are some constraints. John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you." 1 John 5:14-15 says, "...if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us". 1 John 3:21-22 says, "...if our hearts do not condem us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."
Summary: To get our prayers answered we must stay connected to Jesus (through prayer and worship), keep His words (the Bible) in our heart and mind, ask according to His will (that's the tricky one for me), have a repentant heart for the sin we commit, obey His commands, and do what pleases him.
Oh, is that all you ask? Nope. There's more. There is a big road block to answered prayer as well. James 4:3 says "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." Slam! Been there, done that.
You know what, though? It's really not that hard. You know Jesus. He's not so much about the do's and don'ts as he is about the condition of the heart. How do we obey his commands and do what pleases him? Simple really -- Love God. Love others. What if we slip? (We all must deal with the occasional slip of loving those in the car in front of us or -- get-off-my-bumper! -- too close in back.) Catch it. Acknowledge it. Give it to God and repent. That means be truly sorry, ask for forgiveness, and do everything you can to not let it happen again. How do we know what his will is? Read the Bible and you'll see that it's written everywhere in it. His will is for us to Love God and Love others. His will is for us to draw together as a body of believers and not divide over petty squabbles. His will is for us to acknowledge He is God and we are not.
So, why are we so sure that God will answer our prayer that we get to the field by August?
1. God called us to Kenya -- very directly and very distinctly. It is His will.
2. We are going because we love Him and would do anything for Him because He has done so much for us. Love God.
3. He has given us a deep love for the Kenyan people and a great desire to see them grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Love others.
4. We have obeyed his commands as He's lead us down this path, acknowledged our failures and are constantly asking for His forgiveness and strength to avoid those pitfalls again. Obey his commands.
5. We are moving to a third-world country. Not really high on the "worldly pleasures" scale.
I think there's one more. God wants everyone to know that He is dependable and capable. That He hears and responds. And, God wants people to know that it's HIM and not coincidence, fate, "karma" or whatever.
It was God, through a prompting of HIS faithful servants -- people who don't even know us very well -- who brought in $30,000 to fund our ministry. In one day our ministry fund went from .03% to 97% full. (Did you hear the cymbal crash?) It will be God who gets us to Kenya in August!
(If there's anything that will hold us back, it's my inability to organize!)
Believe!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Making Progress
We're making progress. Feels a bit slow, but we're steadily moving forward. I had a friend who was heading for the mission field give me some great advice about two years ago. She said, "Julie, get rid of half of your stuff every six months. Then it will be manageable." Great advice. I wish we would have taken it! But life kind of gets in the way. I got rid of a roomful of Ashley's things last March and about 1/4 of the garage cleared out in May with the hopes of having a monthly garage sale to get rid of the rest. June's garage sale never materialized..too many other things going on.
It took the two of us 1/2 day to clear out two bookcases....yes, that's right -- 2 people, 1/2 day, 2 bookcases. The conversation went something like this:
And so it goes...
So, you can see progress is slow, but like I said, we are moving forward. This past week, we've had someone come in to fix our drywall issues. Today we'll start painting. We finally got new window coverings (which we've been wanting to do since we moved in!) Our realtor will come in to take pictures next week and then list our house on the market. A friend took the bookcases we finally got cleared out along with Jeff's desk. Jeff is feeling a bit out of place, though. The morning after we moved his desk out I found him in the office, sitting in his chair and staring at the wall where his desk used to be. Julie -- "Honey, your desk isn't there any more." Jeff with a sad sigh, "I know."
Letting go isn't easy. Every time we sold something in the garage sale or watched our bookcases being loaded up, we felt a twinge of loss. It's sort of like pulling a Band-aid slowly off. Personally, I'm in favor of the ripping-it-off-fast method. It really hurts, but only for a minute. This slow release is for the birds! If we weren't connected to five other units, a small fire might be an option! :) JUST KIDDING!
Our support is still low, but we're walking by faith that the Lord will get us to Kenya by August 15th. God can do anything and the Bible shows us that He likes to make it known that it's Him and not us making it happen. So, please pray with me that God will use our circumstances, especially in the area of support, to show everyone just how miraculous He is!
It took the two of us 1/2 day to clear out two bookcases....yes, that's right -- 2 people, 1/2 day, 2 bookcases. The conversation went something like this:
Julie to Jeff - "OK honey, make three piles: Pile 1 for things we keep and store. Pile 2 for things we keep and send to Kenya. Pile 3 for things we give away."
Jeff finds Julie awhile later to show her a photo album. They both nostalgically look through it with smiles, sighs and stories. Ashley chimes in. An hour later Jeff is back at the bookcase.
Julie comes in and sees the couch and chairs loaded up with books. "What are these?" she asks.
Jeff -- "The ones on the couch are the religious books and the ones on the chairs are the non-religious books."
Julie -- "What happened to the three piles you were supposed to make?"
Jeff -- "I can't decide. You go through them."
Julie starts digging through and finds another photo album. Sitting on the floor (because there's no other uncovered place to sit) she spends another hour or so going through the photo album, and calls Ashley over to look.
Ashley -- "Tell me a story about what it was like when you were my age."
Another hour later Julie goes back to sorting the books.
And so it goes...
So, you can see progress is slow, but like I said, we are moving forward. This past week, we've had someone come in to fix our drywall issues. Today we'll start painting. We finally got new window coverings (which we've been wanting to do since we moved in!) Our realtor will come in to take pictures next week and then list our house on the market. A friend took the bookcases we finally got cleared out along with Jeff's desk. Jeff is feeling a bit out of place, though. The morning after we moved his desk out I found him in the office, sitting in his chair and staring at the wall where his desk used to be. Julie -- "Honey, your desk isn't there any more." Jeff with a sad sigh, "I know."
Letting go isn't easy. Every time we sold something in the garage sale or watched our bookcases being loaded up, we felt a twinge of loss. It's sort of like pulling a Band-aid slowly off. Personally, I'm in favor of the ripping-it-off-fast method. It really hurts, but only for a minute. This slow release is for the birds! If we weren't connected to five other units, a small fire might be an option! :) JUST KIDDING!
Our support is still low, but we're walking by faith that the Lord will get us to Kenya by August 15th. God can do anything and the Bible shows us that He likes to make it known that it's Him and not us making it happen. So, please pray with me that God will use our circumstances, especially in the area of support, to show everyone just how miraculous He is!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Praise God! Ashley's excited!
For any of you who have had the chance to ask Ashley, "Are you excited about moving to Africa?", you've heard her response. "No." Well, we've been praying and I know you've been praying too, that this transition is a good one for her as well.
Last Friday, a friend from Kenya come through Denver on her way back to Africa after visiting family. We had first met this friend last summer at our SIM candidate orientation (SIMCO). She and her husband were changing agencies and so were also attending SIMCO. We hit it off right away. Two of their children are around Ashley's age, so the Lord introduced Ashley to her first friends in Kenya while she was still here in the States. He's so good, isn't he?
Anyway...we had all of about 1/2 hour to catch up with our friend as she waited for her plane at DIA and she took the time to talk to Ashley and encourage her. She mentioned there was another little girl on the compound where we'll be living that is just under Ashley's age and loves to play pretend (one of Ashley's favorite pastimes!) After that very brief conversation, Ashley tells us that she's now excited! Thank you, God for putting the exact words on our friend's lips that Ashley needed to hear.
Last night, Ashley and I perused the website of her new school in Kenya, West Nairobi School. We looked at all the pictures and saw class pictures from last year, so she now knows some of the faces of her future classmates and she wants to share this information with her friends here. So, if you see her, ask her about her new school! And, if you want to look at it as well, the link is http://www.westnairobischool.org/.
Thank you for your prayers for Ashley! They've been answered!
Last Friday, a friend from Kenya come through Denver on her way back to Africa after visiting family. We had first met this friend last summer at our SIM candidate orientation (SIMCO). She and her husband were changing agencies and so were also attending SIMCO. We hit it off right away. Two of their children are around Ashley's age, so the Lord introduced Ashley to her first friends in Kenya while she was still here in the States. He's so good, isn't he?
Anyway...we had all of about 1/2 hour to catch up with our friend as she waited for her plane at DIA and she took the time to talk to Ashley and encourage her. She mentioned there was another little girl on the compound where we'll be living that is just under Ashley's age and loves to play pretend (one of Ashley's favorite pastimes!) After that very brief conversation, Ashley tells us that she's now excited! Thank you, God for putting the exact words on our friend's lips that Ashley needed to hear.
Last night, Ashley and I perused the website of her new school in Kenya, West Nairobi School. We looked at all the pictures and saw class pictures from last year, so she now knows some of the faces of her future classmates and she wants to share this information with her friends here. So, if you see her, ask her about her new school! And, if you want to look at it as well, the link is http://www.westnairobischool.org/.
Thank you for your prayers for Ashley! They've been answered!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Thank you
I typically have one of two reactions when watching TV documentaries on the plight of people in Africa. I'm either moved to tears or I feel manipulated. In preparing for our first trip to Africa I knew I would come face to face with poverty and sickness such as I had never known here. I had also been told that it was common for some to play on the tender hearts of Americans. Not wanting to spend my entire trip either crying my eyes out or hardened to the plight of truly struggling people, I prayed that God would break my heart for what breaks His.
The first day out we visited a ministry in the heart of one of Nairobi's slums. It was a day school and a TB clinic, which mostly ministered to those with AIDS. There were people lined up outside the clinic waiting to be seen. One of them was a young man, dressed neatly in a suit and tie with a small son, maybe four years old sitting next to him. This man had the gaunt appearance customary of those with AIDS. It was likely that his son would end up on the street within the next year. I felt compassion for the young man's plight and the future that lay ahead of his son and prayed for them, but I didn't cry.
As we walked through the narrow passage of the school and peered into each dark room greeted by smiling faces and waving hands, the person who started the school told us that each of these children was an orphan. She had no room to house them, so at the end of the school day, each of these precious little ones went back out on the street and she would pray that they would return to school the next day, unharmed. I was saddened, but I didn't cry.
Several days later we visited another slum in Nairobi and went to a sewing center set up for AIDS infected women to learn a trade. I listened as the women told us of the segregation they'd felt as many of them had been ostracized from their own family when it became known they were infected. Many of their husbands (the very same ones who had infected them) had left them and their children and they'd been cast out from their communities. I mourned for their losses, but I rejoiced that my friend had found these women and gotten them on antiretroviral drugs and into the education program. I still didn't cry.
Another week went past where we daily saw young people on the street with paint cans stuffed up their shirt sleeve sniffing the fumes; where a young mother, strung out on drugs, was waving a wailing infant asking for money to feed it; where we saw young girls, dressed in black, indicating they'd just gone through female "circumcision". I was shocked, appalled and sickened, but I didn't cry.
And then we took a bus ride, dressed in our finest, to meet with a member of the Kenyan President's cabinet. The organization I was serving did HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Typhoid and TB training in rural areas. They relied on invitations of the various tribes to come into an area and one of Kenya's government officials was of a tribe our organization had yet to be invited into. A good meeting with him could mean an endorsement that would allow our organization an audience with another group of people needing to hear the truth about how these diseases spread and how to keep themselves safe. So we prayed in earnest as a group for a good meeting.
After the meeting, on the bus going home, I asked our host if she thought the meeting went well. "Yes," she said. "I think it went very well!" I sat for a moment thinking of how hard we'd prayed for God's favor before the meeting and how we'd just blithely accepted it and moved on after. And I started crying. Uncontrollably. My heart had been broken. In the midst of poverty and sickness, abuse and addiction, my heart had been broken by what breaks His..the lack of His own children to offer up praises of thanksgiving to our defender, protector, and Savior.
I had to go all the way to Africa to learn that lesson, but I will never forget it. So I urge you, if you've made it this far in the blog to give thanks .. right now and at every opportunity for everything God has given you and for the destructive things he's taken from you. It's really important to Him.
All praise and honor and glory to the only One who is worthy of it all..our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend..Jesus!
The first day out we visited a ministry in the heart of one of Nairobi's slums. It was a day school and a TB clinic, which mostly ministered to those with AIDS. There were people lined up outside the clinic waiting to be seen. One of them was a young man, dressed neatly in a suit and tie with a small son, maybe four years old sitting next to him. This man had the gaunt appearance customary of those with AIDS. It was likely that his son would end up on the street within the next year. I felt compassion for the young man's plight and the future that lay ahead of his son and prayed for them, but I didn't cry.
As we walked through the narrow passage of the school and peered into each dark room greeted by smiling faces and waving hands, the person who started the school told us that each of these children was an orphan. She had no room to house them, so at the end of the school day, each of these precious little ones went back out on the street and she would pray that they would return to school the next day, unharmed. I was saddened, but I didn't cry.
Several days later we visited another slum in Nairobi and went to a sewing center set up for AIDS infected women to learn a trade. I listened as the women told us of the segregation they'd felt as many of them had been ostracized from their own family when it became known they were infected. Many of their husbands (the very same ones who had infected them) had left them and their children and they'd been cast out from their communities. I mourned for their losses, but I rejoiced that my friend had found these women and gotten them on antiretroviral drugs and into the education program. I still didn't cry.
Another week went past where we daily saw young people on the street with paint cans stuffed up their shirt sleeve sniffing the fumes; where a young mother, strung out on drugs, was waving a wailing infant asking for money to feed it; where we saw young girls, dressed in black, indicating they'd just gone through female "circumcision". I was shocked, appalled and sickened, but I didn't cry.
And then we took a bus ride, dressed in our finest, to meet with a member of the Kenyan President's cabinet. The organization I was serving did HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Typhoid and TB training in rural areas. They relied on invitations of the various tribes to come into an area and one of Kenya's government officials was of a tribe our organization had yet to be invited into. A good meeting with him could mean an endorsement that would allow our organization an audience with another group of people needing to hear the truth about how these diseases spread and how to keep themselves safe. So we prayed in earnest as a group for a good meeting.
After the meeting, on the bus going home, I asked our host if she thought the meeting went well. "Yes," she said. "I think it went very well!" I sat for a moment thinking of how hard we'd prayed for God's favor before the meeting and how we'd just blithely accepted it and moved on after. And I started crying. Uncontrollably. My heart had been broken. In the midst of poverty and sickness, abuse and addiction, my heart had been broken by what breaks His..the lack of His own children to offer up praises of thanksgiving to our defender, protector, and Savior.
I had to go all the way to Africa to learn that lesson, but I will never forget it. So I urge you, if you've made it this far in the blog to give thanks .. right now and at every opportunity for everything God has given you and for the destructive things he's taken from you. It's really important to Him.
All praise and honor and glory to the only One who is worthy of it all..our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend..Jesus!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thy Will Be Done
"I may wonder what kind of mission God has for me, when I should ask what kind of me God wants for his mission. We invite God’s blessing on our human-centered mission strategies, but the only concept of mission into which God fits is the one of which he is the beginning, the centre, and the end." -- Christopher J H Wright, “Learning, unlearning, and relearning to be effective in God’s mission"
Every child raised in a Christian home, and even some who aren't, learn the Lord's Prayer at an early age. "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." But how often do we stop there and contemplate what that really means, or whether we really mean it?
Seriously. What if the only thing you wanted from the time you were a teenager was to have a big family, but God's will was that you remain childless? What if you are married to the love of your life, but God's will was that he, or she, leave you and join Him in heaven? What if you love your job, love where you live, and are surrounded by supportive, loving friends and family, but God's will is that you move to another city or another country? If that were you, and that were God's will, would you still mean it when you pray "thy will be done"? OK, now add the kicker.."as it is in heaven." No excuses, no "right after this, God", no "but I'm not qualified!" Just stop, drop and obey.
I was born a stubborn, strong-willed, hard-headed girl. Obedience and submission don't come naturally. Learning to live for God's will and not mine has been a long and sometimes painful process. But I have to tell you, every single time I've bent my knee to God's will, He's blessed me beyond measure. Oh, it's not an easy thing to do, I'll admit. God has rarely asked me to do something within my comfort zone, but that's part of the blessing -- to be stretched, to grow and to see and experience things that I never would have had the chance to had I not obeyed.
Four years ago, we said, "Yes, God, we will obey" when He said He wanted to use us in Kenya. That was the easy part. The hardest part has been being patient and waiting on God's timing to fulfill that call. "When, God? When will your will be done?" For the umpteenth time, we've changed our departure date. Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing when people ask, "When are you leaving?" We just don't know. We can tell you what we are hoping for, but it's a human date. Only God knows when He will bring all the logistics together and our feet will leave America and walk on Kenyan soil.
So, our human date has moved from June to August 15. Why August 15th? First and foremost, Ashley's new school starts on the 15th. Second, there is a treasurer conference in South Carolina in September. The conference comes around only every three years and SIM would like me to attend, but I'll need at least an introduction to the field Treasurer job before I can actually get anything out of the conference or know what to bring back. Third, having turned my business over to Envision as of January 1, I'm running out of work and we'll shortly run out of funds to live on while here. (Talk about a motivating factor!)
We're at 15% support right now, we still have several on-line classes to complete, our house isn't even listed (actually we're still trying to figure out if we should sell or not) and August 15th is a little over two months away. But we're praying..a lot..that this human date will be God's will. Will you join us? Just say it with me now..."Vigils in Kenya by August 15th. Vigils in Kenya by August 15. Vigils in Kenya by August 15th." Keep going! Don't stop! God's been known to respond to fervent, constant petitions!
Every child raised in a Christian home, and even some who aren't, learn the Lord's Prayer at an early age. "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." But how often do we stop there and contemplate what that really means, or whether we really mean it?
Seriously. What if the only thing you wanted from the time you were a teenager was to have a big family, but God's will was that you remain childless? What if you are married to the love of your life, but God's will was that he, or she, leave you and join Him in heaven? What if you love your job, love where you live, and are surrounded by supportive, loving friends and family, but God's will is that you move to another city or another country? If that were you, and that were God's will, would you still mean it when you pray "thy will be done"? OK, now add the kicker.."as it is in heaven." No excuses, no "right after this, God", no "but I'm not qualified!" Just stop, drop and obey.
I was born a stubborn, strong-willed, hard-headed girl. Obedience and submission don't come naturally. Learning to live for God's will and not mine has been a long and sometimes painful process. But I have to tell you, every single time I've bent my knee to God's will, He's blessed me beyond measure. Oh, it's not an easy thing to do, I'll admit. God has rarely asked me to do something within my comfort zone, but that's part of the blessing -- to be stretched, to grow and to see and experience things that I never would have had the chance to had I not obeyed.
Four years ago, we said, "Yes, God, we will obey" when He said He wanted to use us in Kenya. That was the easy part. The hardest part has been being patient and waiting on God's timing to fulfill that call. "When, God? When will your will be done?" For the umpteenth time, we've changed our departure date. Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing when people ask, "When are you leaving?" We just don't know. We can tell you what we are hoping for, but it's a human date. Only God knows when He will bring all the logistics together and our feet will leave America and walk on Kenyan soil.
So, our human date has moved from June to August 15. Why August 15th? First and foremost, Ashley's new school starts on the 15th. Second, there is a treasurer conference in South Carolina in September. The conference comes around only every three years and SIM would like me to attend, but I'll need at least an introduction to the field Treasurer job before I can actually get anything out of the conference or know what to bring back. Third, having turned my business over to Envision as of January 1, I'm running out of work and we'll shortly run out of funds to live on while here. (Talk about a motivating factor!)
We're at 15% support right now, we still have several on-line classes to complete, our house isn't even listed (actually we're still trying to figure out if we should sell or not) and August 15th is a little over two months away. But we're praying..a lot..that this human date will be God's will. Will you join us? Just say it with me now..."Vigils in Kenya by August 15th. Vigils in Kenya by August 15. Vigils in Kenya by August 15th." Keep going! Don't stop! God's been known to respond to fervent, constant petitions!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Let me tell you a story...
by Melissa Berg, SIMPact Kenya
Did you know the Nile River actually starts from Lake Victoria? I went to it, a place called “The Source of the Nile.” I dipped my foot in the Nile!
That was Jinja, Uganda. I was there on holiday with my two coworkers, a Kenyan and an American. We were staying with a lovely missionary couple that had a real shower and pasta waiting for us upon arrival. We had planned to leave beautiful Jinja on the 31st of December, but due to the political unrest the border was closed. So we stayed another day. But only one extra. We had tickets for travel back to Nairobi the next night.
Despite the peace and beauty of Uganda, and warnings of Kenya, we left the next day. It seems crazy, but see, my God is a big God. He had provided us a two day window to travel back to Nairobi safely, nestled in between riots and a large protest. We saw that this was the opportunity God provided, the one we prayed for, to return to our home. Assuring our hosts that we would travel no matter what rumors they heard of borders closing and buses not moving, we insisted on acting on the chance God gave us.
We left the morning of the 1st, starting back the bumpy two hour journey to the Kenyan border, fully trusting in God. As we were waiting for the matatu to fill up, we were already discussing how we would tell of our story. “Let me tell you a story about my big God,” we said. We had peace about it, and were excited to see how God would work.
As we were on our way to the border, bumping around the road, we got an SMS from Dwight saying the same thing, the border was closed and no buses were running. But, let me tell you a story. I would not hold back my faith in God. He gave us only two days where the protesters would be settled, waiting for the big Uhuru Park rally. And we were determined to use it.
Let me tell you a story. The border everyone said was closed was actually wide open. In fact, Adam, the American, didn’t even have to pay his $50USD for a visa to get back into the country. Let me tell you a story about my God who provided above and beyond.
We strode to the Easy Coach bus office with unequalled confidence that God would provide a way home that night, and that we would arrive safely the next morning at Rose Ave and we would tell them the story of how our God is bigger than borders and bigger than buses. “My God is bigger than a bus,” we said.
Imagine our surprise, our shock, when we found the office padlocked, not a worker in sight to tell us what to do. But instantly excitement filled us as we wondered how God will move next to bring us home on the 2nd. We believed. And let me tell you a story. We heard about a friend of Arthur, our other companion, who was going to Nairobi that very night. As he sought out his friend, Adam and I prayed to God, thanking Him for how He provided. We again said, “Let me tell you a story of how our big God wouldn’t let inactive buses stop Him from getting us home!”
Imagine our defeat when we got an SMS from Dwight: DO NOT TRAVEL BY ROAD. And just as we got up at the break of dawn the following day, so it dawned on us that we would not get back to Nairobi before the scheduled rally. It seemed that the story of my mighty God had ended.
We had to return to Uganda to fly to Nairobi. When we arrived two days after the “promised day,” I felt bitter toward God. I wanted to tell of His greatness, of His provision. But there was no story!
A wise woman had revealed to me the question I was really asking: Is God good? I was hurting because I trusted that God would move; I put my faith in Him; and that’s always scary because you could be let down. And that’s exactly how I felt. I felt that the One I could trust in most let me down. “Is God good?”
Let me tell you a story. Before I even knew God’s name, He died for me. While I was young and cursed Him, He pursued me. And while I was stuck upcountry crying, hopeless and frustrated, hurt and wanting to go home, He stayed with me. I questioned God’s goodness, His care for me, and He answered. He said, “I am love.” (1 Jn 4:16) Let me tell you a story about how my God is good.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Packing list
We learned sooooooo much at our SIM Cultural Orientation (SIMCO) last July! We had been warned by those who had gone through it to keep things organized because the amount would be overwhelming. They were right. We're trying to sort through the things that, at the time, seemed so straightforward. Now we're caught in the "I know they said something about that....now where is it????" stage.
One of the great blessings that I, personally, retained was the Women of the Harvest online magazine. It's written by and for women serving cross-culturally. What a wealth of knowledge and resources it has! (http://www.womenoftheharvest.com/)
We're currently trying to figure out what to sell, what to store and what to take when we move. It's slightly whelming to say the least! :)
Reading an article in January's WOH brought us back to the fundamentals of keeping first things first. The packing list they recommend helps us to remember what to pack each day. Perhaps if we start packing today, we'll be "experienced" packers by the time we leave!
Thank you for your prayers for Kenya, Jeff's health and Julie's sleep. All are improving!
PS -- Check out our Links to Friends -- just added. The SIMKenya site has pictures of the compound where we will be living.
One of the great blessings that I, personally, retained was the Women of the Harvest online magazine. It's written by and for women serving cross-culturally. What a wealth of knowledge and resources it has! (http://www.womenoftheharvest.com/)
We're currently trying to figure out what to sell, what to store and what to take when we move. It's slightly whelming to say the least! :)
Reading an article in January's WOH brought us back to the fundamentals of keeping first things first. The packing list they recommend helps us to remember what to pack each day. Perhaps if we start packing today, we'll be "experienced" packers by the time we leave!
Thank you for your prayers for Kenya, Jeff's health and Julie's sleep. All are improving!
PS -- Check out our Links to Friends -- just added. The SIMKenya site has pictures of the compound where we will be living.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Is it safe there?
That has to be the most asked question of us when we tell people we're moving to Kenya. Until a few days ago, we responded with, "Sure it is. Kenya's one of the most stable nations in Africa." And it was. Until the elections. With the Presidential win being questioned by many, politics has turned tribal.
You see, this is not just matter of hanging chads here folks. The political party division is not really even an issue anymore. Now, it's escalated to a tribal division.
It's so hard for us Americans to understand the depth of passion and kinsmanship that Africans have for members of their tribe. It surpasses that of being "Kenyan." We come from such a melting pot that our identity is mostly wrapped around being "American." Even the ethnic divergences we have here pale in comparison to the tribal divisions there.
And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (italics mine, the text from Revelation 5:9)
God isn't blind to race or color or tribe and he doesn't want us to be either. God delights in all the complexity and variety and magnificence of His creation! And so should we. Differences are there because God created them that way. But He also wants us to know that those differences only serve to make us complete. Jesus doesn't just love one African tribe or another. He loves us all -- every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
That's why we're going to Africa - safe or not.
You see, this is not just matter of hanging chads here folks. The political party division is not really even an issue anymore. Now, it's escalated to a tribal division.
It's so hard for us Americans to understand the depth of passion and kinsmanship that Africans have for members of their tribe. It surpasses that of being "Kenyan." We come from such a melting pot that our identity is mostly wrapped around being "American." Even the ethnic divergences we have here pale in comparison to the tribal divisions there.
And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (italics mine, the text from Revelation 5:9)
God isn't blind to race or color or tribe and he doesn't want us to be either. God delights in all the complexity and variety and magnificence of His creation! And so should we. Differences are there because God created them that way. But He also wants us to know that those differences only serve to make us complete. Jesus doesn't just love one African tribe or another. He loves us all -- every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
That's why we're going to Africa - safe or not.
When God paints