NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

This past weekend, everyone at the center was able to take some time together as a center to enjoy fellowship, food, and spiritual refreshment by Bill Meerstra who has taught at the NTM training center in Canada. What a blessing to be able to take a break from the normal routine and spend time with those living on the same center!
The question that resonated through all six sessions was “Is it enough?” Is what God did for you at Calvary enough? Is it enough that He pulled you from a certain death, punishment, darkness, eternal separation? If God never answered another prayer request, never gave another blessing, never strengthened you in a time of need, would He have already done enough?
Bill brought to our minds a total focus on the fact that God’s finished work at Calvary is truly enough for each one of us. No one who has ever lived has been “good” enough to deserve anything other than judgment from a perfect God, yet He devised a way to allow us to come from darkness to light, from death to life, from punishment to love, and eternal separation to eternal paradise. Can we really ask for more? Is it enough…enough to keep me praising His name, enough to keep me serving just for the privilege of serving, enough to keep me full of joy no matter what? So often I find myself using my relationship with God as a lucky charm or a mantra when in need, troubled, or feeling care worn. Living as though that is not enough, whether conscious or accidental, the effect is the same. I’m telling my Creator, the God of the universe, that His finished work is not enough, that I need something more that Christ’s death on the cross to make me happy/satisfied. Bill presented a simple truth that I walk away from almost daily because somehow I think that God owes me more that He has already given. Can you imagine how much more alive I could be in Christ if I focused on what He has DONE and not what I want Him to do for me?
Two songs sung during worship summed up my experience at Conference. God used the words of one of his faithful servants to “tune my heart to sing his grace.”
“Change my heart, O God
Make it ever true
Change my heart, O God
May I be like you

You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray”

“If I lost it all would my hands stay lifted
To the God who give and takes away?
If you take it all, this life you’ve given
Will my heart still sing, I am yours.”

Dear friends and family,

Over a year and a half ago, I asked you to become a part of my journey as I followed the Lord’s leading to serve in Papua New Guinea. His love and faithfulness has been my sustaining force, as I pray it has been for you. Thank you so much for serving me with your prayers and your sacrificial giving. Your service to me has allowed me to serve those around me!

By the end of this semester, I will have revised the NCA high school secretary manual, written the NCA financial secretary manual, taught two yearbook classes, printed and mailed numerous transcripts, sent hundreds of emails, taken thousands of yearbook pictures, converted hundreds of pages of meeting minutes to electronic format, and made thousands of photocopies!

By the end of the year, I will have made and consumed hundreds (possibly thousands!) of cups of coffee, washed hundreds of dishes by hand, chopped hundreds of fresh vegetables from market, hosted and cooked for dozens of social events, shopped in Goroka town, worshipped in local churches in Tok Pisin, went on an excursion to Mount Wilhelm, visited a tribe, took a vacation by the ocean, saw dozens of friends come and go from my missionary community, and served one great God!

On May 31st, I will have seen a total of twenty-two seniors finish their studies at NCA, walk across the stage in blue or white graduation gowns, receive their high school diploma, and continue their walk with the Lord in taking a leap of faith into the world outside of PNG away from their familiar surroundings and friends.

On June 4th, I will take my own leap of faith and launch into wholly new chapter of life…but not on my own! A series of airplanes will take me away from my home of two years and to Northern Ireland, the home of my fiancé, Stuart Beattie. Thirty-two days later, we will be joined together for the rest of our lives.

Stuart Beattie, a British NTM associate, came to teach elementary and high school music and has taken on a religious education class, geography class, and serves with his musical talents in several community capacities. When we met, the Lord blessed us with a close friendship that continued to deepen as we interacted in our school ministries and with others outside of school. We have continually and prayerfully sought the Lord for His perfect direction for our future. He has given us peace about in serving Him together as a married couple and continuing our ministries in the coming school year. The Lord has provided us with the opportunity to spend three weeks with Stuart’s friends and family before going to Washington state to be married at my home church, Jovita Baptist. After what will be an all too brief stay in Washington, we will travel back to PNG for the 2012-2013 school year.

We serve a great God who is more than capable of providing for our every need. As Stuart and I seek His provision, would you join us by praying for our ministries, our future life together, and our spiritual growth, individually and as a couple? We would also prayerfully ask you to consider continuing (or beginning) partnering with us by giving financially.

To give, visit www.ntm.org, search for Stephanie Spohnheimer, and complete the online transaction form. If you would like to give monthly, fill in the EFT (electronic funds transfer) form and your monthly give will be sent automatically.

Alternatively you may write a check, made payable to New Tribes Mission, with a note stating the funds are for the “ministry of Stephanie Spohnheimer” and mail to: Finance Office New Tribes Mission 1000 E. First Street Sanford, Florida 32771-1487

After our marriage, all funds will be forwarded to Stuart Beattie’s account and then to us both in Papua New Guinea. Thank you again for your faithfulness in standing with me through the last two years and for considering continuing your support. God is good all the time; and all the time, God is good!

Love from Papua New Guinea, Stephanie Spohnheimer

November 2011
Dear friends and family,
It has been way too long since my last update, and now I have so much to tell you! Hang on to your seats because I’m going to give you a whirlwind trip through the last few months of life here in PNG. To make it a little bit easier, I have alliterated what I am including in this update.
Therefore…*drum roll please!
This update is brought to you by the letter “W.”

• W elcoming the new school year – 2011-2012

The 2011-2012 school year is off to a great start! After what seems only like a few days, I find myself already well into the second term for the year. The Lord has blessed NCA with many new staff members fro m all over the USA as well as Northern Ireland, Germany, Australia, and Canada. We were also blessed by the talents of a profession photographer and web designer who came for several weeks to build our school a new website. If you would like to see the results of his talents, check out his work on here: www.ncapng.org

• W ilhelm – W hat an adventure!

During the term break, I had the amazing opportunity to go with a group of people to climb Mt. Wilhelm, the highest point in PNG. To give you some perspective, this mountain is a little bit taller than Mt. Rainier. I’m definitely not fit enough to attempt the go all the way to the peak, but I did climb with the group up to base camp. The hike was a steep and steady climb from 2700m to 3500m! In between trying to catching my breath in the thin air, I marveled at God’s majesty shown so clearly through Creation. Several times, I stopped, looked around me, and was struck speechless…which doesn’t happen very often!

• W aiting on the Lord

One of the verses that has come home to my heart again in the past few weeks is Psalm 27:14 ~ “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” My mind is already trying to see into the future. I have considered the possibility of continuing to serve at Numonohi Christian Academy for a third year. I have also considered the possibility of becoming a career member with NTM, requiring mission training. My default reaction is to jump into making a decision and start figuring out the details—would I have enough support for another year? Where would I do the training? When would I be able to go home again? Who will take my place if I leave? Every now and then I need to be reminded that I need wait on the LORD. Oh, how I need a daily reminder to take hear in the knowledge that God has His perfect plans for me and not seek my own answers to the future before His timing.

• W eighty matters – SE W-Spiritual Emphasis W eekend

Two weeks ago, the high school students participated in our NCA version of a high school retreat, SEW. An NCA graduate led a team of his friends to run teaching sessions, action/response sessions and worship from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon. His biggest challenge to our youth was to take their faith in God into their own hands, not relying on the faith of their parents or grandparents to carry them through. He pushed all of us to put into practice our head knowledge of God, to look for ways that our beliefs about God can affect our actions, and to go beyond being able to simply give the right answers when questioned. What a blessing to see those whose hearts were ready to receive a godly challenge and what a challenge to pray for those teens who are not yet to that point!

• W hat an awesome God W e serve

The Lord continues to provide for my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs while I serve here in Papua New Guinea. Monthly, I am reminded of how He is using your financial support to sustain me. Continually, I am reminded that there are dear friends praying for me back home. Thank you so much for being a part of the Lord’s work. I truly would not be able to remain here without your involvement.

• W rite to me

The last W of the newsletter is for writing to me. I would love to know how I can be praying for each of you more specifically and what parts of my life here you would like to know more about. Receiving an email, Facebook message, or letter is such an encouragement to me! Feel free to ask me questions, share something the Lord has been doing in your life, or just an amusing anecdote from daily life. Even though we are half a world apart, I want to stay in contact with each of you as best as I can!

Love and prayers until the next update!

Stephanie Spohnheimer

Beautiful view from the base camp while climbing Mt. Wilhelm

Taking a little jump during the PNG Independence Day celebrations!

PNG Lady – the colorful threads you see are from a bilum, a string bag, that she is wearing by hanging the strap on her head.

Hello dear friends and family,

All praise to our great God for His faithfulness in all that HE has done!

A little less than half way through the last term of the 2010-2011 school year:

Families preparing for home assignment—bring on the yard sales! Bring on the cleaning! Purchasing ticket to home countries!

Seniors graduating in June—Senior pictures and Cap and Gown pictures taken, graduation announcements sent, decorations planned, college applications!

Faculty and students alike looking to quickly approaching end of the year, gathering the ‘umph’ to gather one last burst of energy to finish strong.

How amazing it is to take a moment and look back on what God has accomplished through fragile vessels this year!

Little by little changes are happening all around me-high school kids are getting even taller, elementary kids more articulate, toddlers running faster, babies talking and not teething (horray!),  the girl with a defeatist attitude no longer says “I can’t,” the guy who shuffled around avoiding eye contact now can look into your eyes with a smile, the new associate unsure of his calling decides to return for training to become a career member. Change is normal; our constant being the One orchestrating lives for His eternal purpose. We hold the privilege of being a part of this body of Christ, witnessing the goodness of the Lord.

Families going home suddenly and unexpectedly, unresolved health issues flaring up, paperwork denied, natural disasters, interpersonal conflicts, conflicts with rival religious groups in tribal locations—these are also common changes in our body of Christ and are equally within His eternal purpose.

I Peter 1: 6-9

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold that perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy for you have received the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Do I readily accept the negative changes along with the positive? Do I view difficulties as persecution from the devil to be resisted or as an opportunity for the Lord to be glorified in a different way, smoothing out my rough edges at the same time? Rather than, “God, why did You allow this to happen? Don’t You know we need that person to complete the work we are doing for You here in PNG?”  is my response “God, I don’t understand why this is happening, but I am looking forward to Your providing the grace to persevere and help me to trust in You no matter the circumstances.”

Psalm 34: 19

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;”

Psalm 27: 14

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

I am still being challenged to follow my God and to wholly trust in who HE is and not look around at my circumstances. I can easily place portions of my life in His hands; but I confess there are still a few areas that I prefer to hang onto, foolishly thinking I am better equipped to deal with them. In His mercy, the Lord continues to change and mold me into His image. When was the last time you allowed the Lord to make a change in you?

Pray with me that I continue to seek the LORD and am soft enough for Him to mold.

Pray for new Akolet believers—they are now sons and daughters of the living Lord, but have much growing and learning ahead.

Pray for wisdom in working within the Akolet culture and both physical and spiritual strength for the Martins and Warners as they teach in the Akolet.

Thank you for supporting me through love, prayers and finances. Every day in Papua New Guinea is a blessing because of you!

Stephanie Spohnheimer, your favorite Korean/German American Missionary in Papua New Guinea

What would you do if someone came to you and began teaching something that is totally opposite what you, your father and mother, and grandparents and even their grandparents have believed?

Hut in PNG

About forty Akolet people in Papua New Guinea are hearing for the first time in their own language the truth of the Gospel. The NTM missionaries began the Chronological teaching early this year by introducing characteristics of God— eternal, a Spirit, omnipresent, omnipotent, triune, and holder of all authority. These lessons were followed by teaching through the Bible’s record of Creation, Adam and Eve, the fall of Satan, the fall of man. Last week, the Akolet learned about Moses and the Ten Commandments as well as purpose of the Law.

The missionaries demonstrated the purpose of the Law using a mirror, illustrating how the Law reflects our sinfulness. The missionaries summed up the lesson with this:

“The mirror shows me my face is dirty, but its purpose is not to make it clean again.  That’s just like the law.  It shows us that we are sinners, thus separated from God and headed to hell.  But we can’t hope that we will follow it perfectly and thus get God to be happy with us.  It doesn’t work like that.  There is nothing we can do.”

What would you be thinking if you were hearing this for the first time?

Here are some of the comments made after the lesson:

“We’ve all broken all of these!  We’re completely messed up, and headed to hell.  But we know God made a way.  WE just have to keep listening and finding out what that way is!”  -Lonsi and Samam

“We all worship all kinds of spirits.  We don’t think about God.  Well, we do on Sundays, but then the rest of the week we think about all these other spirits and everything else.  We’re sinners.  We need this Rescuer!”  - Gari and Amgalme

As the missionaries spend time talking with the people to evaluate their thinking about the lessons, the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of these people becomes more and more evident.

“What Adam (Martin) said about Adam dying and his body returning to dust, that really made me think.  We go to the graveyard and we leave gifts on our loved ones’ graves, then we go hunting or fishing and hope that they’ll be inclined to help us.  But now I know that what’s in the ground is just a body returning to dust.  And their spirits still exist, but we haven’t learned about where those are yet.”  -Lonsi

“This was such a big lesson!  We know God’s going to send a Rescuer now, we just have to keep coming and hearing more!” -Kotme and Dina

My prayer is that the Gospel remains as impactful to us as when we first heard it. Recently, I have been challenged to not just accept my Christian life but to actively pursue the LORD. These people are now learning for the first time that some of their traditions are not only ineffective, but in active opposition to the LORD. As I read the updates from the missionaries, I am challenged to examine my life for anything in need of being changed in light of the Gospel. For the Akolet and for us, hearing and understanding the Gospel is not the end of the story; God has so much more in store for us!

Please pray for the NTM missionaries with the Akolet, Adam and Julie Martin as they work through each lesson with the Akolet people, and rely on insight from the Holy Spirit as they answer the people’s questions  and for the people to continue coming to each lesson faithfully.

Pray for me that I seek hard after the LORD and refine my ways to be pleasing to Him, not what I think will be pleasing to HIM.

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers; I can truly say that God continues to answer in His perfect way. I thought it might be time to give you all a better glimpse into my life here.

As you know, my primary ministry is in the high school office. My duties there are keeping track of attendance records, printing and mailing grades, helping with the financial records and billing from the high school office, collecting homework for absent students, printing and sending transcripts for college applications, answering emails, and generally maintaining a functioning office. Oh, yes, I am also responsible for making coffee in the morning. It is good to know that my Starbucks skills are appreciated here

From 1:05-1:54pm, I teach a Yearbook class. I have ten students, a mix of juniors and seniors. During the beginning of Term 1, we went through basic principles in photography, usage of color, perspective, and several aspects of picture composition. We also spent some time watching an instructional video for Photoshop Elements, the program through which our yearbook pages are created. We also dedicated several hours of time to organizing and taking individual pictures of the students in both the Elementary and High School. Through this next term, the students will have a lot of time to continue working with Photoshop Elements and perfect the look of their pages.

Usually our church services meet in the gym. However, this past Sunday, our center had several home groups instead. I hosted ten other missionaries all of whom minister in different areas–field office administration, high school, computer department, NTM Aviation, finance department, and stay-at-home-mom. All of us shared a few departmental prayer requests as well as a personal lesson that God has been teaching us. What a blessing to hear how our Lord grows and keeps us hidden in Him, by teaching us what we need at just the right time!

Being a new person to the field, one of the priorities is to dive into language learning. Tok Pisin is the trade language of PNG, and it is very beneficial for me or any missionary to be able to communicate well with the people who live all around. Typically, one would go into a nearby village and establish a relationship with a national individual or family. The nationals serve as language helpers, teaching Pigin and culture. Having to work in the school means I am not able to have a regular language helper. However, I am friends with several families in full time language study. They have been a blessing my allowing me to come along during their regular trips. With one set of language helpers, we discussed how American Thanksgiving got started, a visit to the haus sik (local hospital) and the language helper’s visit to the Philippines…all in pigin! Another time, I was able to go across the street to a revival. A church from a nearby area put together a series of meetings to gather interest in future Bible teaching. Everyone met in an open field across the street under the stars. Of course, everything took place in Tok Pisin. God is truly the Author of all languages!

The speaker referred to Jesus’ humbling Himself and coming as a servant. The Tok Pisin phrase is ‘wokboi nating’ (a work boy who is paid nothing). Hearing biblical truth in a different language can give a fresh perspective on that truth. It was never so true as that evening! What a crisp reminder of what it really meant for Jesus, the King of Kings, the Son of God to humble Himself and come to and die on the Cross for you and for me! What an amazing experience to sit on the grass underneath the stars and have the Holy Spirit working on me through a PNG believer in the Tok Pisin language.

This is why God has called myself and my fellow missionaries to PNG–to assist in the establishment of indigenous New Testament churches by utilizing the gifts God has given us to steward. I do not know if I will see my national brothers again during my two years here, but I know without a doubt I will be meeting them in heaven. What a wonderful day that will be!

Prayer Requests:
Pray for the believers working toward establishing biblical teachings.
Pray for the people living nearby, that they would listen to God’s urging to attend teaching.
Pray for more staffing needs in the school, as many of our teachers have a home assignment year coming up.
Would you prayerfully consider how you can use your God given talents to help the work in PNG?

Praise:
That God has already met the need for personal in several areas of ministry.
That school is going well, and I’m learning to function in the office quickly.
That God is continuing to work in my life and make His presence known.

Below is a passage of Scripture with both English and Tok Pisin.

Philippians 2:6-11 (NIV)
Filipai 2:6-11

6-Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
6-Em i stap God tru, tasol em i no ting long holimpas dispela pasin bilong i stap wankain olsem God. Nogat.

7-but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (wok boi nating), being make in human likeness.
7-Em i lusim dispela pasin, na em i kamap olsem wokboi nating. Em i kamap olsem man

8-And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
8-na ol man i lukim em i stap man tru. Na em i daunim em yet na i bihainim tok bilong God, i go inap long em i dai, yes, inap long em i dai long diwai kros.

9-Therefore God exhalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
9-Long dispela as tasol God i litimapim Jisas na mekim em i stap antap tru. Na God i givim em wanpela nem i gudpela tru na i winim olgeta arapela nem.

10-that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
10-Em i givim dispela nem long Jisas, bai olgeta ensel na olgeta man na ol arapela samting i stap long heven na long graun na aninit long graun ol i ken brukim skru long ai bilong Jesas na i stap aninit long em.

11-and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.
11-Na olgeta bilong ol i ken tokaut olsem, “Jisas Krais em i Bikpela.” Na long dispela pasin ol bai i givim biknem long God Papa.

Hello Dear Friends!
It is less than two weeks before school starts, before empty houses buzz with activity, before hallways and classrooms fill with participants eager to dispel and acquire knowledge, and less than two weeks before sleeping in is no longer a possibility. Daily are the preparations for incoming students, teachers, and parents. Soon I will be able to meet all the student’s whose schedules I have printed, lockers I have assigned, and faces I have imagined. Life on center here moves and breathes with the school, and my little office will cease to be quiet and become part of that life. What a privilege to be involved with so many serving the unified purpose of following the Lord’s will in doing our part to establish indigenous New Testament Churches in unevangelized tribal areas of Papua New Guinea!

The last month and a half have gone by almost without my noticing. I have been welcomed, connected, and settled in such a short amount of time that the grace of God and your fervent prayers can be the only explanation. Just this evening I had the opportunity to have five other ladies over for dinner. We had a great time of fellowship, sharing stories and experiences. There are to be many more times spent in unhurried fellowship. Earlier this week I spent some time in full view of the beautiful PNG blue mountains and considered their beauty. Whether I am with other believers or alone, God is making Himself and His “awe”-someness known to me day after day. He is truly God, and He is truly good!

Here is a small example of the variety of life I am able to witness here. I was given the opportunity to go with another family to a local Bena church. The entire service was in Melanesian Pigin, the common language used in this country. The congregation sits on the floor and the service lasts for about two hours. Men were seated on the right side, women on the left. Hymns were sung in Pigin and in the tok ples (tribal language) accompanied by a couple guitars and tambourines. Pastor Joel preached a message from Romans. He focused on teaching that our salvation is through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross and not through our own works. In America, the sermon would have sounded like this-“It does not matter how much money you make at your corporate job, how many Droid’s you possess, or how fast your car is. If you do not trust in Jesus death on the cross and resurrection from that death, you will not be able to go into heaven.” Here in Papua New Guinea, Pastor Joel preached with these illustrations- “It does not matter how well you work in your garden growing food or growing coffee, or how hard you work to raise pigs, or how many good things you do. If you do not trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection, you will not be able to go to heaven.” Hearing these statements in a different language sitting on the floor in a culturally different church fully reminded me that God’s truth crosses all cultural boundaries!

Prayer requests:
That I be able to function well in the school as thing continue to pick up.
That the new teachers would acclimate to the culture and work here quickly.
That the Lord who knows our needs will provide for staffing next year.
That I can be a Godly testimony to the national non-believers with whom I interact.

Greetings from the Land of the Unexpected, PNG!

Thank you all so much for your prayers! Your prayers for safe travel
were evidenced by my easy transition from LAX-Sydney-Port
Morsby-Goroka. All of my luggage arrived safely as well. I was
relieved nothing was broken; however, the main zipper on my duffle bag
was a little bit the worse for wear after getting checked by TSA in
LAX. Luckily, I will not need it for a while!

My heart was overflowing with blessings you had placed on me as I
prepared to leave life in the States. You will be pleased to know
that I have come ‘home’ to PNG and found just as many blessings
waiting for me. I arrived to a clean, beautiful house with essentials
stocked in the kitchen, towels in the bathroom, and clean sheets! They
even started me off with some delicious PNG coffee in the cupboard.
How could I even think to ask for anything more?

So far I have transitioned well into the new time zone. I do wake up
earlier than I did while in the States, but I believe it is mostly due
to the noise here. Birds chirping, the occasional rooster crow, and

even a cow moo—these provide the early morning sound track here in the Highlands.

Windows are kept open nearly all the time to keep the houses
cool, so one hears just about everything to be heard.

I am arriving at a relatively quiet time here. This is the
summer break between school years. Most activity surrounds those
preparing to leave for either furlough or vacation. Within the next
several months people will be arriving for the upcoming school year,
teachers, students and staff; and I will wish for a quieter time. The
blessing is I will be able to fully settle in before the busyness of
the school term begins.

My full orientation will begin sometime next week. I am looking
forward to learning how life here works day to day and preparing to
become a part of it. After church yesterday, I met a few of the high
school staff with whom I will be working. They are a very lively group
of people, and I have already been warned against friendly
distractions. I am excited to begin!
My first cultural encounter came when Jon, the national pig
farmer came and sat on my porch trying to sell me things his father
made. I had been forewarned about his boldness and persistence
particularly with new comers. I bought a piece of bamboo carved into a
key chain-my first purchase in PNG for only two Kina (about 70 cents)!

Even as I look out my windows into the beautiful blue mountains of the
Highlands, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that this is my new
home. Unbelievable, but gloriously true! Just like the truth of the
Gospel—that the God of the universe could love us so much to send His
only Son to die for our sin—it seems impossible but completely true!
Praise the Lord!
Prayer Requests:
That I transition quickly into the pattern of life here
That I will be effective at whatever job is placed in front of me
That I will build close relationships and friendships
That I will soon be able to repay to others the blessings shown to me

This is my last week in the United States; in fact, there are only a few days left now. Who would have thought I would be headed out of my comfortable life in Seattle to go into a totally foreign culture all the way across the world to be a school secretary! What part of graduating with a degree in pre-medicine and a three year career in Starbucks has prepared me for this move?! God has a way of moving us to where HE wants us to be to do what HE wants to accomplish.

I feel an odd sense of responsibility, as though I ought to have some deep and memorable spiritual insight to share with you. Unfortunately, I cannot think of one, but I can share what has struck me the most about leaving. Saying goodbye to those who have been a great blessing and example of servant leadership has made me realized how often I take the awesome people around me for granted. To become comfortable with those around you is natural, but to allow that to diminish the impact of their service is a sad consequence.

The world attempts to emphasize those worthy of yearly thanks. American’s celebrate ‘Hallmark Holidays’ such as Mother’s and Father’s Day, Boss’s day, Administrative Professional’s Day, and don’t forget Earth Day! What about the important people who do not get a specific day on the calendar? Last time I checked, there is no Sunday School Teacher Day, no Church Janitor Day, no Customer Who Can Always Make Me Smile Day, no Prayer Partner Day.

One solution to this lack of gratitude toward those most deserving would be to create a committee (or two) and make a list of all who deserve a special day. Next, the committee would decide which twenty-four hour period to assign to them without interfering with established major holidays (June 27th, September 2nd, for example). Third, another committee would determine whether or not these newly created “Days” would qualify as federal holidays. Finally, yet another committee would alert the calendar companies to print new calendars with all of the special days. Should greeting card companies be included?

Too much work…It would be much easier to make like an owl and “who?” Who has influenced you? Who is someone who has consistently prayed for you? Who has been an example of Christ in your life? Who is that friend who will eagerly listen to all of your sorrows and joys? Saying goodbye to my loved ones has given me a wider view of the numerous “who’s” God has placed around me. I am overwhelmed.

My heart is swollen by all of the well wishes, prayers, and gifts. I am so thankful for each one of you. I pray that in return for your generous gift of time, prayers, and financial support, God will return the blessings written in Luke 6:23-”Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Thank you for everything you have given me. You cannot begin to imagine how much you have blessed me!

My next post will be from the Land of the Unexpected–Papua New Guinea!

Our God has created this world to function in such a way that time keeps on passing and moving forward even if one is not ready for it to do so. At least that is how I feel, as I get ready to leave the US and head to the place God has prepared for me in Papua New Guinea.

Several people have asked me: “Are you ready?” or “Are you prepared?”  I usually make a light-hearted comment about being “As ready as I’ll ever be!” True statement, but here is my deeper answer to the question.

Physically, I am on track to leave for a new life. I’ve gotten most of my supplies together and gotten my flights figured out. I even bought a new toothbrush! I’m ready!

Emotionally, I only beginning to scratch the surface of knowing how moving away from everything familiar will affect me. As I say goodbye to my regular customers, friends, and family, I realize how important those relationships have been to forming who I am. My family, church family, and Starbucks family have all been incredibly supportive. I know that I will be in their thoughts and prayers. What an encouragement!

Spiritually, I cannot take any credit for any sort of readiness. GOD has been preparing me my whole life for this next step. He prepared me by placing me in a Christian home, giving me listening ears to a visiting missionary at vacation Bible school, bringing a passion for missions to my heart in high school and college, challenging me with a choice between a career in Starbucks or partnership with NTM, teaching me valuable skills when I thought I was not being useful, showing me just how effective prayer is, and providing me with the faith to step out into the unknown.

Knowing how God has prepared me and used those around me, how can I NOT feel ready or prepared?

HE is the potter; I am the clay. If there is any beauty or skill in me, it is not of my own doing, but of my great Creator and His molding, loving hands.