Missionary Blogs The latest Christian mission news from around the world Saying Goodbye, Looking Ahead
“Mom?” Cali asked for the hundredth time. “Is it spring?”
We had told Cali that we would stay in Oregon until spring. So she knew, as the days grew warmer, that it was time to say goodbye to the Louks, and Meadowbrook, and the Molalla River, the temperate rainforests and waterfalls of Western Oregon, and the sparkling face of Mount Hood on the horizon.
The last Sunday evening before we left, we took a whirlwind trip to the Oregon Coast, so Danica could say goodbye to one of favorite her favorite places in the world. (Call me crazy, but sometimes I have to give visual and kinesthetic expression to unseen and spiritual choices. So I drew an altar in the sand at the edge of the waves that day. And on it, I drew not only the ocean and mountains, but also my “FOO”, (as I fondly call my Family Of Origin) because I had said goodbye to them earlier that same day. And I watched the waves wash that picture off the surface of the sand with a few salty sweeps.)
Of course it is hard to say goodbye. But goodbyes for us are not merely goodbyes. Because we are also looking ahead, with eager expectation, to what God has for us.
So, also in the same week before we left Oregon, we took a whirlwind trip to the PDX (Portland airport), and parked our van in a gravel spot beside the runways. Our little Cali tends to worry about everything unknown. Her latest concern about going to Brazil was the airplanes. So we thought that sitting and watching the big planes take off and land, while talking about the people getting on and off, and playing a “where do you think they are going?” game, would be good for her. Turns out, it was good for all of us. Because looking ahead in expectation is a faith-thing. (Thank you, Matt, Rachel, and little John, for joining us on that field trip! We miss you three.)
God does not merely call us away FROM something; He also calls us TO something.
Well after that, we packed up the van and started out towards Wisconsin. By way of the Southern Route. You know, down through California, all the way down to the San Diego area, and then East to Snowflake, AZ…and actually it was sort of the Southern circular route, because we went to Leupp, and back to Pheonix, and back again to Window Rock (anyone who knows Arizona very well is snickering right now), then to Albequerque, NM, Wichita, KS, and finally Eau Claire, WI. We did not have any appointments with churches during this time, but we had lots of individuals and families to connect with. Through our travels, we saw God raise our promised support level another good chunk.
We are at 60% recommended support, now.
Our route looked something like this. (Thank you, God, for GPS and Google Maps!)
And back in Wisconsin, we are still looking ahead to Brazil. Sometimes we ask Jevon to read to us all in Brazilian Portuguese. I think it is helping Cali and Karina understand that these words have meaning, just like English words have meaning! (Daddy is not just “talking funny”!!!!!) It is also warming up our ears a little bit, to a different sound system.
Thank you, Laree, for the Brazilian children’s books!!!!
Our target date is still August but it is going to take some serious work on our part and God’s mighty intervention to make that happen. We are at peace if it takes a little longer, just as long as it is not because we didn’t do our part. And why not keep asking God to help us reach that goal? Please pray with us, that God will speed us on our way. We don’t want to dilly-dally!
Jevon is gone today, on his way down to the Brazilian consulate in Chicago to get his Brazilian passport renewed. Please pray that this will go smoothly without a glitch!
Looking forward to the next post – when we can tell you what God does next!
We love you all. Thank you to each and every one of you who have welcomed us along the way in our travels. What a privilege to know you and to be co-workers with you in the Father’s work!
from the Rich family,
Jevon, Danica, Cali, and Karina
PDF Hanging with the Brazilians
One of our families favorite things to do, is getting together with the Brazilian MKs from PQQ, the boarding school where Kim grew up. It is a blast every time, and we are very thankful for the privilege of knowing them and getting to have them as friends!
Take a look at our photos page to see our fun time at the park last weekend!
Outreach Update
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Hello all, Thank you so much to all of you who wrote and said that you are praying. It is so encouraging to know that you all are going to continue to pray for what God is doing here. The picture above represents what I believe God wants to continue to do with this outreach. A month or so ago, a number of us from NTM, along with the sending church of the missionary and another local pastor worked together to put up a house for the missionary family. They officially moved in on Monday. But, in the same way that we all worked together to put that house up, God wants to continue to make it so we all have to work together to build His house in this community.
Well, Sunday night we were supposed to have the opening “awareness” meeting. The men came down and we met in the afternoon to go over some things. But, when it came time to go down to the meeting “tent” it started raining. It rained pretty steddy for the next 2-3 hours. As a result of the rain, the men felt there would not be much of a turn out, so they decided to cancel the meeting. Monday rolled around and it was a beautiful day until around 4 PM. The clouds starting building up again and it was threatening to rain again. So, again, the men felt it would be better not to meet.
Since Monday, the missionary has been meeting with a couple of the local pastors to try and decide what to do. It has been so encouraging to see how God has used even the weather to bring about His will. The pastors told the missionary, “It shouldn’t be your responsibility to promote this teaching anyway. This should be our job!” So, here is what the 3 pastors and the missionary have decided. Over the next week or so, they are going to individually go to each little “house line” (family hamlet / village) and personally find out who is interested in hearing this “talk.” They will come up with a list of names. Then, once they have gotten to each of the “house lines” they will set a time for a “planning” meeting, at which time everyone who has expressed interest will be invited to come so they can discuss together what days / times would be best to meet. Once they have worked out the schedule, they will start the teaching.
God is so good. Inspite of all the road blocks, delays, and now the weather, God is at work. This outreach will be so much better with the community pastors taking more ownership of it. Keep praying for these men this next week as they go around to the different house lines. Pray there will be interest and that people will be receptive to what they have to say. Then as we make plans to get started, pray the Lord will continue to open the doors in this community, and that we as NTM will know best how we can help and support them!
Thanks again for your prayers. David Watters
Klinim Gras!
Yesterday, a large group of guys from a three-hours-hike-away village came to help us clear the land where our house is going to be. Yesterday we chatted with them and marked out the area we wanted cleared and then this morning they got to work. It was amazing how much they could accomplish in such little time. I tried my hand at hacking bush with a bush-knife and I managed to cut a few blades of grass without cutting my own leg, but I did come out with a blister on my right hand. We spent most of the morning at work clearing the jungle and then took a break for lunch. After lunch, many of the guys went back to work to finish up, but a few other guys told me to sit with them and learn some “tok ples” (their language). So I sat with them and had them give me 10 different command utterances in the Pal language (You sit down. You stand up. You go outside. You go get the bush knife. Etc.). After I got them written down so I could study later I had one man start giving me the commands and I would obey, if I could remember what I was being commanded to do. After a little while I had mastered those 10 utterances and I asked for 10 more. After mastering the next 10 I went back through the 20 statements and rewrote them as “I” statements (I’m sitting down. I’m standing up. I’m going outside. Etc.). By mid-afternoon the work was done and the group was ready to head home as they had a long walk to make before dark. All in all it was a good day. It was exciting to get started on house building preparation, it was a good time of getting to know some more guys and loosening up with them, and I was able to move just a little bit further along in my knowledge and command of the Pal language. The first picture is the ‘before’ picture of the ground where (Lord willing) our future house will be, and the next two are the ‘during’ and ‘after’ pictures.
Now In Print
Each of these books contains Luke, 2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews and Jude
"What Luke wrote about Jesus' life"
We arrived safely in South America. Our flights all went well and our baggage arrived with no problems. We have had a full few days since being here and are thoroughly enjoying it! We are having a great time with our friends and have been able to meet a lot of other missionaries here on the field. It is so amazing to see God building His church, and to see all the ways people are involved in that.
The past couple of days we have been working in a print shop. We are so grateful for the chance to help with this and we were thrilled when we saw what we would be working on! These books are a compilation of six completed books of the New Testament in the tribal language of the group our friends have been working with for years. As of now we are just putting the bindings on and then they are done and ready to be sent in to the village. I can hardly imagine what it would be like not to have the Bible in my own language and so it overjoys me to think of what it will be like for them to receive this. It has taken hours and days and weeks and months and years of hard work to make this translation complete. They are currently in the final stages of completing the last books of the New Testament and then the whole thing will be done.
From “Wait” to “Yes”: A new answer to an old prayer
After more than a year of praying and looking for a job, God answered with a “Yes!” I’m planning to spend two months this Summer working at a nearby Christian camp.
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What I’ll be doing: most of my shifts will be spent in the kitchen – washing dishes, preparing veggies, refilling coffee stations, waiting on tables, etc. - but occasionally I might be helping out with housekeeping/cleaning
How long I’ll be there: early June – early August
What I’m looking forward to most: making new friends, working on a team, and learning more tips on cooking/serving for large groups
What I’m apprehensive about: sharing a room (I’ve had my own for almost as long as I can remember), dealing with allergies while I’m working, and the possibility of encountering snakes
Essential camp skill I don’t have: swimming (perhaps now would be the time to learn?)
Emergency plan for dealing with big, hairy spiders: spray, squash, wipe up (repeat as needed)
What I hope I have time for: writing letters, reading a book or two, taking walks, and blogging
Why I considered being involved in Camp Ministry for the Summer: Gaining both work AND ministry experience at the same time was quite appealing to me. Applying to a Christian camp was an idea that the Lord laid on my heart after I’d prayed that He would help me think outside the box when it came to job hunting. It wasn’t the kind of job I would have imagined getting, but I’m really excited to see what the Lord has in store through it!
How I see this preparing me for my future ministry: It will give me opportunities to depend on the Lord – and see Him at work – in new ways. It will give me more experience being part of a team and help me learn to appreciate (and work with) the differences God has given each of us. Also, because my job is more “behind-the-scenes” instead of directly with the campers, I’ll need to be intentional about building relationships with them.
I have a feeling discipleship is another area the Lord will be teaching me in, as I watch the staff and learn how they balance work/ministry, family, etc. And who knows who God will put in my path to encourage and help along the way?
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So there you have it!
Old Shoes
Francisco, a believer in Paraguay, recently shared his testimony of God’s wonderful supply of his needs. And his story focused on shoes.
“I was born into a family of ten children. We were not believers and we were very poor. I walked six kilometers (about 3.5 miles) to school. To save money, I would cut my paper into four pieces and copy everything the teacher wrote on the blackboard in letters as small as an ant might write. I used each pencil until it was so small that I could not hold it anymore. I would study by firelight at night,” Francisco began.
He shared that then he became a believer. He left the family farm to continue his studies. He wanted to be a teacher.
“I was also growing in the Lord and the brothers would help me,” Francisco continues. Local believers would allow him to sleep in the chapel. He would sleep on a pew and wrap himself in curtains to stay warm, carefully putting the curtains back in their proper place in the morning.
One day, these believers asked him to share a message with them from God’s Word. Francisco wanted very much to do this. But he felt there was one big obstacle: his shoes.
“I wanted so badly to share from the Word of God, but then I looked down at my shoes and I felt I could not. I only had one pair and I had sewed and glued them many times … my toes were poking way out of the front of the shoes.”
Francisco knew of only one thing to do. He prayed. “Lord, You know how I want to preach for You,” he cried. “But how could I dishonor You by wearing these shoes?”
All night Francisco prayed and asked God to give him shoes. He reminded God that he hardly had money for food and that he truly had none for shoes.
That very week God answered dramatically. “A friend I had lent money to a long time before sent me a pair of shoes from halfway across the country!” And, Francisco says, God went beyond what he had asked. He also gave him two additional pairs from other sources.
“When I stood up in front of everyone that Sunday, I said, ‘Brothers and sisters, we have a good God Who gives good things to His people. Make sure you are asking for what you need, and asking in faith!’”
Since that time, God has continued to bless and use Francisco. He is now a teacher in a Christian school, teaching science and the Gospel to a student body that is made up of mostly unbelievers. Missionary Elijah Hall shares, “Francisco is active in the local church, and he and his sweet wife are expecting their first child. We are blessed to call them family in the Lord.”
Pray for Francisco and his wife as they long to shine brightly for Christ. Pray that God will continue to bless them and provide for them and that the power of their testimony will touch many hearts
only one life
Jerry & Joyce, 1980
Can you believe that the year is nearing its half-way point? Reminds us of a song that meant so much to us when we were just teens and preparing to go to the mission field for the first time:
“Only one life, so soon it will pass;
Only what’s done for Christ will last!
Only one chance to do His will
So give to Jesus all your days,
It’s the only life that pays
When you recall, you have but one life…”
Anyways, (forgive my little trip down memory lane…) isn’t it amazing that God has brought us all together as we each live our one life for His glory! It is an honor and privilege to serve alongside you!
An Unexpected Mother’s Day!
We praise God for His provision for the Agta VBS team. One portion of the team went in by boat (three hours by land and then nine hours on the open ocean) while the rest of the team were able to fly in (a much shorter trip by air). The original plan was for our family to join the team but God however had other plans.
Shay with a visit from some of her MK friends.
This past Mother’s Day we found ourselves unexpectedly in the hospital. Sheila had been complaining since the Thursday previous of stomach problems and so on Friday she was taken to a local pediatrician. After initial examination and lab work she was treated for UTI. The pediatrician did say however if problems persisted we should take her to the hospital. The next morning she showed no signs of improvement while in fact she seemed to be getting worse and so off to the local hospital we went. Within the hour she was diagnosed with appendicitis and she was operated on later that same day.
Mother's Day Card Sheila made for Cirena.
We praise God despite the unexpected Mother’s Day. Had we waited one more day (Mother’s Day) the appendix likely would have ruptured. In fact, this will be one Mother’s Day we can always be grateful for knowing that things could have turned out far worse. Furthermore, had we been located in this remote village when she began showing signs of her illness, it would have made for a much more difficult situation.
Inside view of Mother's Day card
We praise God for providing such great doctors and medical facilities in northern Luzon. Not too many years ago a case like this would have meant a trip to Manila. So while we are disappointed about not making the trip with the team, we are grateful for God’s sovereignty and perfect timing.
Sheila Marie is home now and continues her recovery. Please pray that she will stave off infection as her body continues to heal. Please continue to be in prayer also for the work of the Agta VBS team. What a tremendous opportunity to water the seeds that others have planted. We are confident that this is just one more process in one day seeing an abundant harvest among the Agta people and their Illocano neighbors.