While my mom and sister were visiting, we were able to take our first trip as a family to one of the tribes that we serve. It was my first experience to actually fly with Josh here on the field and it gave me so much more of an appreciation for what he does. All the attention to detail and to weather, the focus and precision with which decisions are made are so important as you navigate a little airplane through the mountains and jungle to reach your destination. My heart went up into my throat a little bit as we approached that teeny little grass runway and I thought to myself, “Thank you, Jesus, for the skills you have given my husband to do the job you’ve called us to do.”
The two missionary families that are working in this tribe are good friends of ours, so it was wonderful to be able to see them, where they are working, and meet some of the people they are working with. The Gospel has been presented and many people have responded in faith. The missionaries are currently training leaders and helping to get a local church established. They are also involved in teaching the ladies & children as well as provide basic medical care to the tribal people. Living in the tropics with no air conditioning, no stores, and very limited transportation are just a few of the struggles these couples face each day. We feel so blessed to be able to serve them using the airplane to get them supplies, mail, and fly them in and out when needed.
We spent most of the day with the missionaries, walking around the village and spent a little time at the beach! Mom and I tried our hand at rice harvesting- I was amazed at how fast the guys were doing it! The kids really enjoyed our day there and it was as though Little Josh suddenly became alive. He absolutely loved running through the jungle, the mud, and water- his shoes and shirt came off within a few minutes of being there. Anna was a little more contemplative, asking questions and observing. She wants to know things like, “Why doesn’t he have shoes?” or “Where is their potty?”. She’s our deep thinker.
Sometimes as a wife in ministry, our husbands often get the “front-lines” jobs while we feel we are left at home behind with kids, school, and the “dirty work” part of ministry. It is easy to lose focus and feel like that what you do doesn’t really make a difference. This trip helped to remind me that if the behind-the- scenes work doesn’t get done, than the the front-lines jobs don’t get done either. The Lord has given each of us a specific job, whether it’s sitting by the radio, being a stay-at-home mom, working a job or teaching a Bible study- they are all important. Without one, the others don’t work. If I didn’t sit by the radio and listen, Josh couldn’t fly, so the missionaries couldn’t get supplies, so they wouldn’t have food and couldn’t share the Gospel, so the tribal people would never hear about Christ! And we couldn’t be here in the first place if the Lord didn’t raise up our supporters and prayer partners at home! Be encouraged today that your job is important and the Lord is glorified when we serve Him joyfully and whole-heartedly!
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