This Week in Baseball

I remember as a kid watching “This Week in Baseball.” They showed the greatest plays, the incredible catches, and the most embarrassing bloopers.

Sometimes I wish I could view “This Week in Ministry.” I’d love to see the greatest testimony, the incredible life-changing moments, but maybe not the most embarrassing bloopers. I admit, I’ve had a few where I felt like I’d messed up. I missed a chance. I said the wrong thing. (But I think I’d like to see the bloopers of my friend Laura…and I think she’d probably love sharing! She’s the one who offered the “massage” of Jesus once instead of the “message.”)

But to share about that one person whom you’ve prayed for and cried out to God about…and to see their life change. To see them leave behind the idolatry, the abuse, the vices. To see them choose life.

So far, I don’t have many victory stories to share about our work in Pine Hill. Sure, we have our small victories. But we’re still waiting for those big moments. We’ve had the drunk guy that finally showed up sober and he committed to serving the One True God. But a week later he was gone. He had left to find work in the city. When he did finally come back, he was right back in his old vices, with little hope of conquering the demon that kept pulling him back down.

And then there was the Sunday morning that two people prayed, proclaiming Jesus as Lord of their lives. When Clay went to look for them the following week, they were nowhere to be found.

Sometimes we talk about the “Big Screen” when we get to Heaven…you know, watching the Creation or maybe when Elijah was taken up in the chariot. I’m sure it’s just a dream, but wouldn’t it be great? And then to watch those moments when you shared the Gospel with a friend, or a stranger. And then to watch what happened next…how the verses you shared penetrated their heart and they knelt down and cried out the Lord when no one was watching.

It reminds me of the testimony of a friend. He arrived at a church in Texas one night. He was high, but the Word of God penetrated his heart so profoundly that he accepted Christ right then. The pastors at the church never heard or saw him again and never knew the sincerity of his prayer that night. But his life was never the same. He never once turned back to his vices. Instead, he ended up in Mexico as a missionary. Years later one of the pastors from that church in Texas also ended up in Mexico as a missionary. Imagine the surprise when those two met at a Christmas party…

I’m sure that’s what heaven will be like. We’ll meet up with people that we once knew, never having known the impact they had in our lives. And won’t it be beautiful!

And so we carry on, planting seeds and trusting the Lord.

Pray…Give…Go!

Yep, it’s that time of year again when we start talking about Lottie Moon and the Christmas offering associated with her name. Charlotte Moon, known to all as “Lottie” was a missionary to China around the turn of the 20^th Century. She gave her all to the people she served, including her life. She also gave her all to unite women “back home” in the cause of missions. Today, we remember her sacrifice as we give so that the Gospel can be shared around the world.

In December, SBC churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO). I want to ask you to consider giving more this year than you have in the past. Lottie literally gave everything, including her life. She served in China and she saw the poverty that surrounded her. She gave her food to the Chinese people she loved, to the point that she starved herself.  It was Christ, incarnate. Christ loved the people she served. And so did Lottie.

What are you willing to give? Often as North Americans, we indulge ourselves by buying that special chocolate bar or that gourmet coffee. Are you willing to “sacrifice” that special treat? Are you willing to step it up a notch and give until it hurts? Consider a “rice and beans” night once a month, or once a week to understand the hunger that others live. (Give the money you would have spent on dinner to missions! http://www.imb.org/giving/)

Are you willing to make some drastic changes to your lifestyle? Would you consider focusing on an unreached people group (UPG) for a month? Or longer? For more information on UPG and UUPG (unengaged, unreached people groups) see http://www.peoplegroups.org/ 

If you’re up to the challenge, here are a few things you could do:

·         Research the People Group. Where do they live? What language/s do they speak? What is their typical diet? What has impeded them from knowing the Gospel? Are there currently believers that work among them?

·         Have a Culture Night in your home. Set your table with typical decorations from the country. Serve a meal that would be typical. Learn how to say a greeting in their language.

·         Present your “cause.” Find a local AWANA group or Sunday School class who might be interested in knowing more. Present the information that you have gathered. Challenge them to get involved too!

·         Pray! Pray daily for the People Group. Pray that God will open doors for a missionary to contact the people. Pray that a man or woman of peace will welcome the missionary into the community. Pray that the Gospel will be made known in the community and that the people will accept the Truth. Consider fasting once a week.

Beyond praying and giving, what else is God calling you to do? Is He trying to convince you to “go” and tell others? Who do you know that doesn’t know Jesus as Lord? What are you doing about it?

A brief explanation...

A brief explanation...


We often write, asking you to pray for "Pine Hill" and "St. Paul." We give names like "F" and "B." Why don't we give you real names?


We are protecting our people and the work that's being done. Although the ZK people have welcomed us in to their communities, there are sometimes others who want to "protect" indigenous groups from any changes in their way of living. They will do internet searches just to see if there are missionaries working in specific areas. Then they will contact a friend from that area and incite them to complain. We have heard of missionaries who were kicked out of areas for this reason.


Names that are common, like "Berta" or "Juan" we share. But names that are more unique we only use an initial. Again, it's for their protection. If someone accepts Christ, they face possibly being ostracized, or worse, from family or neighbors. Some people have faced forms of persecution just because they come to our house.


So, please continue to pray for "RW" and "F" and "B." God knows exactly who you're praying for!

Sometimes...

Sometimes, living in the fishbowl is overwhelming. You know what I mean. Think about the life of a fish living in an aquarium. People come and stare at the fish. No part of their routine is sacred. All is watched, observed, and even judged. That's our life in the village. The moment we step out of our front door, people are watching, staring. In my North America culture, I'm taught it's not polite to stare. If I'm caught staring at someone, I quickly avert my eyes and pretend I was looking at something else. I feel embarrassed. In our village, the people aren't taught not to stare. They don't have that feeling of embarrassment.


Sometimes we stare back, just to see how long they'll continue staring. It's like the “staring contests” we used to do as kids, but I still lose every time!

Sometimes I feel frustrated and maybe even a little angry because I'm surrounded by children who are malnourished. It's not because the government isn't trying to help. There are many organizations that bring in basic food needs to help the people. Milk is given away at the schools for the kids to take home. But most don't drink it. The family sells it for a fraction of what it's worth. Parents say, “My kids don't like milk. They won't drink it.” I am frustrated because as a Mom, I have had to teach one of my kids to drink milk just because it's good for you. I'm frustrated because when they sell that milk, they buy Totis, the cheap, local equivalent to Cheetos. (Or worse, sometimes that money goes to buy alcohol.) I'm frustrated because so many children, by the age of 3 or 4, have had their rotten teeth pulled. And I'm not talking about 1 or 2 teeth. I'm talking about all of their teeth.




Sometimes I am frustrated when I hear how a 3 week old baby was taken to the witch doctor because he was sick. The parents had already tried everything they knew to do—like crushing a pill of some kind and putting it in the milk for the baby to take. A pill, designed for an adult, given to a newborn baby! When that didn't work, the witch doctor said the baby was sick because he “has a craving.” This is the witch doctor's common cure-all. According to this lady, the mom had a craving while she was still pregnant—for beef or seafood, maybe? But the mom didn't get a chance to eat it before the baby was born. The baby still has that craving, so mom needs to eat whatever that craving was and then the baby will feel better after nursing.

Sometimes, I just have to get out of that environment. It overwhelms me!

But always, I know the Lord is with me. And I can cast my cares on Him.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Pray for our Health

Recently I was talking with a friend about just what the request for our health means.

Living in the States, it was common for our family to eat red meat at least 5 times in a week, if not more. We had a freezer packed with venison and beef. And, we had ample access to fresh vegetables and fruits.

When we moved to Mexico and were living in the city of San Cristobal, our red meat consumption dropped to 3-4 times a week. But, we also had access to the market, where fresh fruits and vegetables are pretty inexpensive.

Then we moved to the village. Our read meat consumption dropped considerably to a couple times a month. And our fruit and vegetable options dropped to bananas, apples (which are pretty expensive by local standards), and some local seasonal options. Currently, we have guavas dropping to the ground in our front “garden.” (Rex loves it, by the way!) Soon we'll have some oranges, but they're not a sweet orange. (Good for making orangeade...tastes a lot like lemonade.)

Now, some may say that limiting red meat consumption is good. But, the change in our diet has caused things like iron deficiency. (Levi has had a few bloody noses recently. I have experienced fatigue.)

When we make our shopping trip to the city, we try to stock up on vegetables that we can't always get, like spinach and celery. My kids devoured the celery in 2 days! (It was the huge pack from Sam's that I thought would last at least 4 days...and I had to fight to get my share!)

The other issue to our health is unsanitary food preparation, or contaminated water.

When we visit people, they are always hospitable, even if they don't have much to give. But hand washing isn't as common as it should be. And the water from the tap...well, we really don't know what all might be in there! The problem isn't that we are given tap water to drink. The problem is we are given dishes that have just been washed and are still wet with contaminated water.

These issues can cause things like giardia, salmonella, typhoid, parasites, etc. Many people in the village are carriers of these illnesses and don't even know it. Which means they are transmitting them to others...like us.

Along with that, people in our village don't believe that sicknesses are contagious. A friend told me one day that her son woke up early in the morning vomiting, but he was feeling better, so he went to school. Or, when they have fevers, they still go to school. They believe you get sick because the weather changed, or because the mist that rises from the cemetery blows over the town causing sicknesses. Another belief (according to one of the local witch doctors) is that you have a craving and if you eat what you crave, you will get better. (She has given this advice to a pregnant woman who was having contractions at 5 months and should have been on bed rest! Instead, the witch doctor told her she needed to travel an hour and a half to the city and eat seafood!)

So, when we ask for prayer for our health, pray that God protects us from all the yuck that surrounds us. Pray that God will strengthen our immune systems so we can fight off the common colds. Pray that we can maintain a healthy diet. But above all, pray that our lives will glorify our Savior!

How Being a Missionary Has Changed My Life

How has my life changed since I became a missionary?

Some changes are obvious…like I live in a foreign country and speak a different language. I’m the only natural blonde woman for a hundred miles. And I’m considered tall for the first time in my life!

Other subtle changes:

1. I’m a hoarder. Yep, that’s right. When I see something at the store that I want, I never trust it’ll be there tomorrow. And that’s why I have over 10 jars of Miracle Whip and 4 cans of cranberry sauce in my pantry.
2. I stare at people’s mouths when they speak. Don’t let this intimidate you! But as I learn a third language, I’m always trying to decipher where the sounds are coming from…and so, I observe teeth, tongue and lip movements! You’d be amazed how many different sounds can come out of a mouth when the lips don’t even move!
3. I always have a flashlight or candle and lighter within reach. Where we live, the electricity could go out at any minute, day or night. It’s not fun to be stranded, barefoot, and surrounded by Legos.
4. I never go barefoot. In the States, I always walked around barefoot—in doors and out! I even ran to the mailbox in the snow without shoes. But not here! The risk of stepping on bugs (tarantulas, millipedes, etc) is just not worth it. And then of course, the old wives’ tales teach that if you go barefoot you’ll catch a cold…and it’s just not worth the argument.
5. I relate a little too well to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Dr. Quinn. I’ve learned to bake bread, including hot dog buns, out of necessity. I use my ever-improving sewing skills to make curtains and little girl dresses or repair holey pants. And we often have to rely on our own medical know-how to diagnose the latest illness.

Women in Ministry

Sometimes I ponder the lives of my friends and loved ones…the impact they are making for Christ, furthering His kingdom. Most recently, I’ve been reminded of the impact of women in ministry.

 I think of my dear friend and former roommate Laura. I met her on the mission field in Mexico City 15 years ago! Today she is teaching English in a Muslim country in Northern Africa. She ministers to women as only another woman can.

Or a young lady named Rose who has a heart for missions. She travels to different locations to tell people about Jesus. And then she uses her photography and videography skills to tell the story to those back home…stories of missionaries, stories of Christians in other countries, and stories of the lost.

My sweet friend Aubrey gave two years of her life in South America. Although she had her heart set on Brazil, when that didn’t prove possible, she humbly agreed to go elsewhere and fill a need. A servant’s heart, a quick smile…not her will, but the Lord’s.

My friend Theresa devotes her days (and many nights, I’m sure) to bringing up a gaggle of boys and one little princess, to walk justly and love the Lord with all their hearts.

My sister-in-Christ, Rosa, just graduated as a nurse. Last summer, she stayed with us in our village so she could tell people about Jesus. With her bi-lingual language skills, nursing skills, and a heart for Jesus, she spent time on the front lines!

In our American society, we place few limitations on women who are obedient to God’s call to serve. And consequently, many women serve with their whole hearts. It doesn’t matter if they are married or single. It doesn’t matter how they style their hair, or if they have more than one ear-piercing per ear.

Unfortunately, where we live, we see many women who quickly become discouraged because they are struggling to find the balance between Biblical obedience and legalism imposed by the local church.

Please pray for Petri, a young single lady who desires to know the Lord and follow hard after Him.  Her desire is to finish her seminary studies and then allow God to use her wherever He leads. Currently, she lives in a small village and participates in her local Christian church. Unfortunately, because she wears pants instead of a skirt and has cut her hair, she has been asked to step down from any leadership role. She was told that she can’t reach the youth of community if she wears pants. Pray that Petri will find her identity as a Daughter of the Most High King and that she will not be discouraged by the words of man who try to limit her service.

Pray also for Blanca, a young mother who struggles to raise her son in the knowledge of the One True God. She lives in a village where she is the only believer.  Blanca’s husband, Daniel, works away from home and is not a believer. Praise the Lord that Blanca actively seeks the Lord and has a passion to tell others. Pray for Daniel and their son, Joshua, that they too will know the One True God. Pray that Blanca will continue to grow and that she will be encouraged to stand strong in the Truth.