Kids in class with "Tía Cony" (Aunt Cony), learning the days of the week in Spanish via puzzle.

    So you’re the mother of 4 small children all still at home – your new home, that is: a foreign country where most things are new and strange and you are all spending most of your time learning how to talk to the people you want to minister to.
    The months go by and your hours studying the language begin to pile up; you can understand more Spanish and handle common situations, but you realize that your children are still looking blank and confused when people greet them and are struggling to have good attitudes about spending so much time with other people when they hardly understand anything. It begins to worry you a little when they burst into tears at the very thought of visiting someone. Oh, what’s a mother to do?

    How can I teach my children something I don’t know well myself?

    This is a question I found myself asking over and over since my arrival in Paraguay. Elijah and I prayed about it and it seemed as though the Lord took us back to square one. How were we learning the language? Wouldn’t it be best for the kids to learn the same way, right along with us?
    We began. We asked a sweet Christian Paraguayan lady to come be the kids’ “language helper” for two hours a week, and every day we reviewed words and photos in the language program with the kids. We learned our phrases and planned to practice them before we went out. Slowly we tried to talk in Spanish in the home, saying what we could back-to-back with English: first words, then sentences…
    We talked with them about cultural differences and about our purpose here in Paraguay, building them up as part of our team. We talked with our two oldest, who are believers, about the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit in each of our lives, and how we can practically learn to follow the Lord even though it can be uncomfortable and downright hard sometimes. Extra effort, extra time…
    Slowly and haltingly at first, I began to see the results: less apprehension, more involvement, more words spoken. As we now pass a year in Spanish study as a family, the children understand a lot of Spanish, sing songs in Spanish, and try to communicate with people even when they don’t know how to say something – smiling as they do so! Even more rewarding is to see my children growing in the Lord and in their faith!
    The Lord was faithful to give me the counsel of my husband, the tools to accomplish the task, and the perseverance to continue on to this point, just as He promised. Isn’t it wonderful that we can live confidently in Him?

     “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit…for the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 ESV

Elijah drinks tereré with our neighbor and brother in the Lord, Lucho

Homesickness: an almost daily reality in the life of every new missionary. Perhaps we will never be completely cured (perhaps we don’t even want to be) – but here are a few remedies we’ve found that help. The best is last!

1. THANKFULNESS

Taking every homesick thought (“Oh, I miss my family so much today!”) and turning it into a thankful thought somehow! Yes, at times this means doing some mental gymnastics, but it is possible (“I’m so glad I have a family that is lovable enough to miss! Besides, I know they miss me too, and it’s much better to be missed than not.”) We thank the Lord for our families and friends and enjoy remembering all the wonderful time spent with them. Of course, it always helps to recieve letters from home and we enjoy the wonderful blessing of Skype! 

         2. KEEPING THE VISION IN MIND

At this stage of our work when we are still working so hard just to communicate simple concepts, it’s tough at times to remember the bigger picture of why we’re here. Thinking of the Lord’s heart for the tribal groups of Paraguay and what a privilege it is to be here serving Him, and the goal of planting a vibrant church in an unreached people group, helps us remain motivated to learn.

          3. RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARAGUAYANS

Our friendships with Paraguayans – other believers, neighbors, etc. are a big help, and not just because we need to learn Spanish from them. For us, it helps put faces on language and culture study: I need to learn because I want to talk to Ricardo or understand why Graciela sees things the way she does. It also gives Paraguayans an avenue to bless and welcome us, and when we let them know we are missing home, they are amazingly creative at finding ways to comfort us!

             4. MAKING THE UNFAMILIAR FAMILIAR

Everything here was unknown – to us. But millions of people call this country “home”! What do they enjoy? What says “home” to them, or is a part of life they take for granted? For Paraguayans, tereré (made with cold water and yerba mate tea leaves) is not just a refreshing drink, but a social necessity almost. It took a while to get used to the taste, but now we carry our thermos of cold water and our guampa filled with yerba leaves, pass it around the circle and sip this drink with everyone else! (“Oh, you like our country!” We’ve heard this more than once as Paraguayans see our acceptance of them through our acceptance of the tereré custom). Exploring by ourselves – the river, different parks, historical sites, etc. as a family on our time off helps us feel as if we are not just here because we have to be, but because we want to be.  

                  5. AVOIDING DAMAGING COMPARISONS

Yes, things are not done the way we are used to – but then again, this isn’t the United States! Even joking in our home can add to an attitude of superiority that is damaging, both in us and our children. So we try to ask ourselves: will this comparison help me learn better how to model Christ in this culture, or will it build negative feelings toward those I am supposed to be serving? God sent us to Paraguay not to compare it with our home country, but to show His love to the people here.

              6. THE AWESOME GOD WE SERVE

When we think of the greatness of our God and His love in sending His Son for us, everything else pales in comparison. Our sacrifices are real to us, but they are small and they will pass. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus in His death for us is a reality that encompasses eternity! We earnestly pray that the Lord will use us for His glory and that by His grace, some who do not yet understand Christ’s great sacrifice on their behalf will receive the salvation He offers.

We had just arrived in the Miami airport and were checking in…Israel is under two, a lap infant, and we had no idea that internationally every infant must have a ticket. The airline workers couldn’t help us, so Elijah went to a pay phone to call the travel agency.

“You must buy a last-minute ticket for your baby…that will be one thousand dollars,” said the travel agent. “But the plane is already full, so we cannot sell you one anyway.”

We were praying, needless to say, as Elijah asked the agent to talk to the supervisor. Finally he came back. “I will erase your name out of the computer and put your baby’s name in and then give you a ticket for him. Your name will still be in the airline’s computer but they will let the baby on with this ticket. Oh,” added the agent, “that will be $150.00.”

Praise the Lord! Our trip went well from there until we were sitting in Sao Paulo, Brasil, waiting for our flight to Paraguay, and realized we had only one laptop. In the confusion of four children, two laptops, two backpacks and two carryons, Moira had left a laptop in the shuttle bus between the plane and the terminal…so Elijah rushed down to the security guard and asked him to check for it. He returned twenty minutes later and said, “I cannot find it! There are so many shuttles that serve so many terminals…you’ll never see that laptop again.”

“Well, I’ll be upstairs for three hours waiting for my connection,” said Elijah. “If it turns up, will you bring it to me?”

The guard said he would. The only thing we could do was pray, so that’s what we did – and we knew there were many other believers praying along with us. “Lord, you know where our laptop is. You can bring it back, and that’s what we are asking you to do.”

Fifteen minutes later, the security guard came up the stairs shaking his head and swinging our lost laptop toward Elijah. He left, still shaking his head, while we praised the Lord!

As we neared our landing in Asuncion, Paraguay, the whole planeful of people erupted into spontaneous applause. Most of them were coming home, and we clapped too, because this will be our other home. Praise the Lord!

(We have since been told by everyone who has heard the laptop story that they have never heard of such a thing as one being returned – in an airport, to the right terminal, to the one security guard who talked to Elijah! But God must have delighted to answer prayer even in something small. Thank you for praying!)

Moira, her Grammie and the kids

Last week we visited my (Moira’s) grandmother in the hospital. She was sleeping soundly when we entered, still wheezing a bit from her pneumonia; I leaned over the bed and gently shook her. “Grammie, it’s Moira!”

   Her eyes popped open. “Well!” she said delightedly. “I am glad you came! Look at all those little ones – aren’t they something!”

   Grandma is a farm wife who has had thirteen children of her own and to this day, nothing makes her happier than seeing little ones. We had planned to spend the weekend with her until she ended up going to the emergency room. This was her fifth day in the hospital.

   Elisha, Jerusha and Jed told her of the new kid goats and the puppy they had been playing with, and Israel smiled and waved at Grammie. We all sang her favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace”, and toward the end I could see that she was crying. I slipped over to sit next to her and gave her a hug.

   “I’m never going to see you fellers again!” she said. “I’ll be gone by the time you come back in four years.” Perhaps she was right – only God knows – but Grandma wasn’t the only one to cry that day.

   A lot is said about the sacrifices made by missionaries leaving their families and homes to reach others for Christ, but there are very real sacrifices made by their families and others who remain behind as well. As we have said our goodbyes – to two home assemblies, friends, and family – it has been a sweet time of fellowship we will feel privileged to remember.  We want to thank all of you again who love us and stand behind us in this work! May we all be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice Christ made on our behalf and be willing to do what little we can to share His saving grace with all peoples of the earth.  May God be glorified in His church, and we pray that many more will be brought to Him.

   Almost 500 pounds of items are packed and sitting in the corner of our bedroom. About half that weight is taken up in books – schoolbooks for the kids, reference and church planting books, parenting books – Elijah is careful to remind his bookworm wife that we probably have enough books already! He’s right, of course, but there’s always that one last book, and he always agrees. (Does that make him a bookworm too?)

   The kids each have their own little backpack to put their personal items. Jed’s “treasures” include: an acorn, some change, a key, and a button in a little red tin…

   Please pray that our health will hold up on the trip and our adjustment to a new life in Paraguay!

Elijah (second from L) and Kanuka friends, 1992

Loud wailing greeted the boy as he neared the village – screaming sobs that announced the death of a Kanuka man. Elijah had hiked for hours with his father, who was a missionary to the this tribe in the dense interior of Papua New Guinea, to observe the funeral. They were hoping to see deeper into the minds of the Kanuka* people in order to better communicate the Gospel with them.  

The ceremonial wailing continued long into the night. Part of the weeping was genuine sorrow for the dead; part of it was driven by fear, because the Kanuka believed that the spirit of the dead man was still lingering in the village. They were hoping to to appease the spirit so it would leave.  Elijah wondered what else they believed… many of the rituals performed by the tribal people were motivated by the fear of spirits…but he was only thirteen years old, and fatigue was beginning to overtake him…

He lay down on a stick bed in one of the houses, but it was hard to sleep. The nubby sticks poked into him, smoke from the open fire stung his eyes, and the wailing was loudest here. It was in this hut that the family of the deceased kept watch over his body. Such a long night, the boy thought.

CRASH! Elijah jumped up out of the stick bed as he realized it was morning and he was all alone in the hut with the corpse. CRASH! He saw what was happening as the whooping and screaming began – the people were hurling rocks at the house he was in. They were stoning it to drive the dead man’s spirit out of the village, and anxiety struck him because the hut was none too sturdy. Elijah knew he didn’t want to stay there any longer! He dashed out the door.

The people were just as surprised as he was; they had forgotten about the white boy, whose face was even whiter now than it had been the day before. “Moso-moso (Little Bush Rat),” they asked him, “did you see the dead man’s spirit leave?”

 “No,” Elijah answered. The strangeness of all that had happened left him a little dazed.

That afternoon he and his father hiked back home with their notes and a sober feeling inside, wishing they could communicate better with the Kanuka people. 

*tribal name has been changed to protect the privacy of this people

Jedidiah was first. He turned two last weekend and is still learning to talk, but obviously was enjoying himself as he lay there. “Ahhh.” I rubbed a little and he giggled, then put his other foot up for a massage. As I finished, he said “Kiss, mama,” and kissed my cheek. “Tanoo, mama,” he thanked me.

Jerusha was next – wiggling and talking the whole time, bursting into song occasionally, her usual extroverted self. “When I get to be a mom, then I can rub my kids’ feet, and when I’m a little girl, I can rub your feet!”

Elisha sighed when I put the cool nut butter on his feet. “What’s wrong, Elisha?” asked Jerusha.

“Oh nothing. I’m just enjoying this time,” he replied. 

When I finished, Jerusha jumped up to rub my feet. Her three year old hands were surprisingly strong. I laid there and thought of the blessing of little ones…what a nice evening it turned out to be!

   Finishing school. Back home for two months. On the road with our three children for two months, back home busily getting ready for the baby to arrive the next month. Looking on to the summer, mountains of paperwork, preparation, construction jobs, ministry opportunities… then field preparation as we hope to be leaving before the end of 2009 – does this sound something like your busy life as well? So much to do and seemingly so little time?

   We are constantly reminded by our Father not to worry about tomorrow (Matt. chapter 6). Resting in Who God is and Who He will be when tomorrow does come is important when we are wanting to do everything for His glory!

   Practically, it may mean…going to bed early instead of fretting over the messy desk, exploring an old building with the children, or simply enjoying the newly sprung plants in the garden with quiet thankfulness.

   Our cares won’t be less as we go on with life – they’ll be greater as we move into an unfamiliar culture and begin ministering in Paraguay to a tribal group. So how will we find rest then?

   The same way we should be finding it now – in Christ. Not just mentally assenting to it, but acting on it!

   Sledding on the icy hills as winter breeze whips by; snowball “tosses” with the kids, hauling firewood and enjoying hot spiced apple cider with family.

   Elijah and Elisha even camped out in the snow cave for a night! They hauled out a mattress, subzero sleeping bags, fur hats, snow clothes, candles, and a thermos full of tea for the exciting trip (fortunately, the cave is only about 100 feet from our front door). It remains doubtful whether either of them actually slept, but at least they felt adventurous together! Check out the photo album “Halls back in Maine” on our Photos page for pics. 

   We head off in March for a trip on the East Coast, visiting relatives and other believers while sharing about the need for people to be involved in tribal mission work. Someone recently told us that seeing Elijah’s family and hearing them speak on that very same subject had been instrumental in her decision to be a missionary! We hope the Lord will use us to encourage His people to continue to fulfill the Great Commission wherever they are!

   What to do when jungle camp is canceled?

   Substitute another camping experience!

   Traditionally New Tribes Mission students have spent six weeks at a “jungle camp” where they build their own pole frame homes, cook from scratch, and other activities associated with simple living. Since there was no jungle camp for us this year we decided on the next best thing: forest camp!

   A couple of the other students had built a rough cedar cabin with an outhouse on the other side of the lake, and we got permission to move in during the Practical Skills class. So we took over piles of winter clothing, blankets and food and made the “cabin” our home for a while.

   Over nights we all snuggled right close for the chilly nights and awoke to start a fire in the stove (made from half a metal barrel). Breakfast was a rush because we had to make the canoe ride back across the lake in the semi-dark to make it to class on time!

   The kids enjoyed grubbing around playing with sticks and rocks and “hunting raccoons”. Needless to say, they didn’t catch any, but one smart raccoon almost caught us! The little back door was not latched properly and after scratching several places, the smart little thing began to pull the door open! I guess Elijah is scarier than a raccoon though, because he growled and it ran.

   Being pregnant, attending classes, taking care of three children ages three and under (and trying to keep them clean enough to be presentable) made it a tiring experience for Moira, but she consoled herself with the large jar of green olives as comfort food.

   Highlights included long conversations while sitting close to the campfire, singing and playing guitar with some friends, and seeing the delight in the faces of our children as they did such exciting things as make toast or roast marshmallows.

   After a week of cabin dwelling we joined the class for a wilderness camping trip. We hiked into our location packing kids and all our gear; Elijah set up a tepee-style shelter out of black plastic and twine that was voted “most creative” by all the other campers. That was a fun weekend but had some ramifications: we stopped counting ticks after pulling 80 off Elisha and over 100 off Jerusha. Elijah and Jerusha were also attacked by chiggers and are still itching constantly two weeks later.

   Necessary? Maybe not…

   Fun? Absolutely!