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.

 

 

 

 

“What is church like for you?”

Recently I had the opportunity to Skype with different Sunday School classes at my home church in Idaho. It was so fun to see how much the children had grown since we left almost three years ago! And to see the faces of loved ones…it was priceless! I long for the day that we can visit face to face.

While I visited via Skype, each class had different questions, things they were curious about. One question was, “What is church like for you?”

This was a difficult question to answer. It changes so much from week to week. And therein lays the blessing! Last summer, church was our immediate family. (For a time, that included Rosa, our beloved sister in Christ who was “visiting” from Idaho.) For months it was the 6 of us. Then it was our family, plus RM and Berta.

We would sing praises, pray and share a Bible story. After the Bible story, we would discuss the characteristics of God found in the story. Then we would sing and pray some more. And finally, we would drink coffee and eat cookies or coffee cake while we visited.

Sometimes this is what church still looks like. We just don’t always fit in our living room anymore! Now, we sometimes meet in the big back room of our house. Our friend Miguel comes with his two sons. And his wife came once too!

 Twice a month our family drives an hour to the village of St. Paul where we do the same. The difference is that we meet in a small church building. And I have the privilege of teaching “Sunday School” to the kids. (Last week there were 24 people at St. Paul! And 14 were kids!)

 

Pray that God will move hearts and that we will see evangelical churches planted amongst the ZK people!

 

 

Thank you Lottie!

If you have spent much time in a Southern Baptist Church (SBC), you should know the name Lottie Moon. This lady literally gave her life to the Chinese people so that they would know the love of Jesus Christ. As a result, missions agencies began to form in the US and Canada which encouraged people to “be involved” in missions through tithes and offerings.

 Every December, SBC churches take up a special Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the International Mission Board. Because of these offerings, our family was able to purchase a generator last year.

This week, we are grateful to Lottie Moon! We have been working on translating Bible stories in the Z language. We had invited a young lady to spend the week in our home to work on translating and then recording Bible stories. When the electricity went out, she was able to keep working for a time…until the battery on the computer died.

And then we began to think about the food that we store in our fridge…

Clay fired up the generator for a couple of hours while we charged the computers and cooled off the fridge.

It may not seem like much, but it allowed us to keep working. (“Translation weeks” start just after breakfast and go late into the night, when our translator is exhausted. The only breaks tend to be for a meal, and possibly a nap. Day after day, for about 4 days. If the computer is dead, the work stops. And our translator lives 3+ hours away.)

Begin praying now about how you can give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering!