This is always a great opportunity to share a portion of our testimony. Back in October before we left Cape Town we had several meetings with John Thomas at Living Hope Community Centre. He listened to our passions and desires of our heart, but never tried to sway us in any decisions to come to South Africa. He did however, give us great pastoral counsel and advised us to be sure we had “4 lights” lined up like an airplane coming in for the perfect landing before we committed to any sort of service for the Kingdom.
Those 4 lights were Scripture, Circumstances, Counsel of the Brethren (wise counsel), and Peace.
Scripture is for WHEN things don’t go right and we face those trials and struggles. We will be able to go to those scriptures and remember how God revealed those to us before leaving. A few of those scriptures are Isaiah 58:10-11, Acts 1:8, Psalm 139: 9-10, Psalm 2:8.
Circumstances had already revealed to us that the light was on green.
Counsel of the Brethren was also set in place because we have a wonderful team that loves us and surrounds us with support and guidance. They advised us to make a decision about Cape Town before we left which forced us to really seek God’s will for us while we were there.
Peace was a flashing yellow light. We did not have peace in our hearts so we could not accept the opportunity. We had to come home without the decision made, but realized that was the best decision because it was easier to come home to family and friends without having to tell them we would be leaving again soon. It also forced us to be patient and wait on the Lord.
We had committed to apply for the IMB (International Mission Board) as another option before making a decision. As we began the application process, we realized we were a few days late for the deadline to apply for the January 2008 conference. Our missions minister said go ahead and I’ll call and try to use my contacts to get you in. Long story short that door was closed. We felt God wanted us to wait on Him and His timing so we did. Psalm 37:7
We knew John was coming to Brentwood on the 25th and 26th of November and wanted to meet with us again. We still didn’t have clarity but perhaps he would display some “flashing neon sign”. The night before we met I had a dream that involved John and I shared it with Mike the next morning. As we shared the scriptures God had revealed to us, John shared some issues about Cape Town that had been resolved. We began to have the peace that we needed. To further help us with the “peace” issue, John reminded us that God talks to different people in different ways, and he told us to read Job 33:14. It says, “God sometimes speaks to us through dreams.” I looked at Mike and said to John, “I had a dream last night and you were in it but I couldn’t understand what you were saying.” He said, “I have never used this verse before in my 27 years of counseling how much clearer can it get?” We were still not satisfied and still looking for that neon sign, so we attended a couple of more functions with him. John announced at the CEO fellowship meeting that they, as in Living Hope/ Living Way, had been praying that someone like Mike and Pam would come along side and work with them in South Africa. We knew then the call was clear.
One of the most difficult decisions we had to make was leaving our family with all of the different situations going on in their lives. Our parents are aging and not in the best health, and the children and grandchildren just don’t want us to go. Jesus reminded us in Matthew 19:29, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Mark 10:29, Luke 18:29, Matthew 10:37 have similar messages and we understood all this to say “you must go, I will take care of your family.” We love each one of them, but must obey the call.
This last year has been an incredible journey of faith and we have been so blessed to have you all to take part in it with us. We pray you will continue to join us for the next season of our life.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
God is My Provider
Today I would like to share a testimony with you about how I believe God is my Provider. I have not always believed this because I always thought I was my own provider. I have struggled with a stronghold issue of money all of my life and God is teaching me how to depend on Him instead of me depending on myself.
For most of my life I have been influenced by money. I grew up in a small town but one of the riches towns in America. I was influenced by my parents as well as my friends. We were a middle class family but the emphasis was on the need to have things. I was raised to be responsible for myself. To have a nice home, drive a nice car and rely only on self if I were going to make it in THIS world. My dad allowed me to work weekends with him at his store managing the cash register at age 10 and my mom taught me how to run a lemonade stand business to the golfers in my back yard at age 12. I would not change these experiences for anything because they were great lessons learned, however, I had no idea how they would impact me later on in life. Money became an idol for me very early in life.
With all of this, I realized early on, it played a large role in my need for security from anything but the Lord. I worked very long hours in the same dental practice for 17 years because I was afraid that I couldn’t do anything different or find anything better. I did not trust God for anything nor did I look to Him during this time. I was trying to get ahead! I ask myself now what or who was I trying to get ahead of? Mark 8:36 says, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
God began working in my life about 5 years ago. He began changing my heart for my work. (because I asked him to of course!) I didn’t love going anymore. I realized I wanted more in short term mission trips and I couldn’t work like I was and be a servant for Jesus. Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 says, “No servant can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and LOVE the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. For all those years I finally realized I was serving the wrong master, but I didn’t know how to get away from it.
One Sunday morning while reading our bulletin in Church, the Lord pointed out a Bible Study that I felt called to be in. I talked to Mike about it and we prayed and he agreed it would be good for both of us. Little did I know it would change my life. The name of it was Crown Financial Ministries. It taught Biblical principles about money and how to manage it. One thing that most of us don’t know is that there are over 2350 verses in the Bible about the use of money and or possessions. The only issue talked about more was love. Jesus knew that this topic would be a stronghold for many and that is why we have so much scripture for Guidance. LUCKY FOR YOU GUYS I’M ONLY GOING TO POINT OUT A FEW!
They gave us 1 verse a week to memorize and then the study to go along with it.
LUKE 16:11 “If you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” How we handle our money impacts our relationship with the Lord. If we don’t know how to use God’s money here on earth how can we be trusted to His true riches.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O’ Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and Honor come from you alone and you are the Ruler of all mankind. Your hand controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength. (TLB)
This scripture has spoken to me in so many ways, but the 2 most important things for me were Everything comes from God. Riches come from Him alone and He can give it and He can take it away.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Scripture teaches not that riches themselves are evil but the value we place on them can lead to our undoing.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-13 “ I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am, I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
These were powerful scriptures that really spoke to my heart during this time.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
As God slowly revealed these verses to me week by week, I began to understand the need to trust Him for my provisions. I prayed for contentment whatever the circumstances and not long after that I left my job of 17 yrs (my security blanket) and ventured out into the unknown to Trust the Lord with whatever He had in store for me and Mike.
He Provided another job with less hours and more money. I was amazed! However, had a known what would lye ahead I wouldn’t have left. Thank God he doesn’t reveal everything to us. This past September, after I had only been there a year I was fired! This was very humbling to me because there was not just cause. I was bitter and didn’t understand what God had planned but I trusted Him. There wasn’t a job to be had for 3mths and Mike’s Real Estate business was not doing well and God really forced us to reevaluate our lives. Mike and I had been praying for long term mission opportunities but at the time we didn’t see this unfolding. I was on my knees at this point asking God to provide because I couldn’t do it anymore. He asked me this question, “Will you trust me with this journey?” I said yes I will!
Weeks went by and the leader from my financial Bible study e-mailed me one day and said “ Hey just thought I would remind you of your long term prayer request from 2 years ago,” God please use us for your Kingdom building in long term missions.” I knew then God had a plan for us and we were to be obedient to His call. He had to take me to the bottom to get my attention that He will always be my PROVIDER.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 says, then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during his few days of life God has given him-for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. These verses give me hope! Isn’t it great to know that God isn’t against rich people. Here in these verses we see God actually makes some people rich and says it is proper for man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun. God tops it all off by enabling them to enjoy it! These people are so busy using God’s money for His Glory that they don’t worry about their provisions.
Matthew 7:11 If the heart is right and we seek it in the manner that he has chosen to give it, “How much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
This gave me a new perspective on working hard and giving from my heart.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, work diligently as unto the Lord whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men. It is the Lord Christ who you serve.
Acts 20:35 says remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
I wanted to close this with a revelation from Debra’s lecture yesterday. She shared about her grief and explained the loss of her expectations of her husband as the provider and that triggered my grief and loss of expectations of the men in my life as being the provider. I had always depended on my earthly father and yearned for my husband’s to be the provider but that was not what God intended for me. He has been trying to get my attention all of my adult life to look to Him for provision and so I turned it over to Him at the cross yesterday.
For most of my life I have been influenced by money. I grew up in a small town but one of the riches towns in America. I was influenced by my parents as well as my friends. We were a middle class family but the emphasis was on the need to have things. I was raised to be responsible for myself. To have a nice home, drive a nice car and rely only on self if I were going to make it in THIS world. My dad allowed me to work weekends with him at his store managing the cash register at age 10 and my mom taught me how to run a lemonade stand business to the golfers in my back yard at age 12. I would not change these experiences for anything because they were great lessons learned, however, I had no idea how they would impact me later on in life. Money became an idol for me very early in life.
With all of this, I realized early on, it played a large role in my need for security from anything but the Lord. I worked very long hours in the same dental practice for 17 years because I was afraid that I couldn’t do anything different or find anything better. I did not trust God for anything nor did I look to Him during this time. I was trying to get ahead! I ask myself now what or who was I trying to get ahead of? Mark 8:36 says, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
God began working in my life about 5 years ago. He began changing my heart for my work. (because I asked him to of course!) I didn’t love going anymore. I realized I wanted more in short term mission trips and I couldn’t work like I was and be a servant for Jesus. Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 says, “No servant can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and LOVE the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. For all those years I finally realized I was serving the wrong master, but I didn’t know how to get away from it.
One Sunday morning while reading our bulletin in Church, the Lord pointed out a Bible Study that I felt called to be in. I talked to Mike about it and we prayed and he agreed it would be good for both of us. Little did I know it would change my life. The name of it was Crown Financial Ministries. It taught Biblical principles about money and how to manage it. One thing that most of us don’t know is that there are over 2350 verses in the Bible about the use of money and or possessions. The only issue talked about more was love. Jesus knew that this topic would be a stronghold for many and that is why we have so much scripture for Guidance. LUCKY FOR YOU GUYS I’M ONLY GOING TO POINT OUT A FEW!
They gave us 1 verse a week to memorize and then the study to go along with it.
LUKE 16:11 “If you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” How we handle our money impacts our relationship with the Lord. If we don’t know how to use God’s money here on earth how can we be trusted to His true riches.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O’ Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and Honor come from you alone and you are the Ruler of all mankind. Your hand controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength. (TLB)
This scripture has spoken to me in so many ways, but the 2 most important things for me were Everything comes from God. Riches come from Him alone and He can give it and He can take it away.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Scripture teaches not that riches themselves are evil but the value we place on them can lead to our undoing.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-13 “ I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am, I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
These were powerful scriptures that really spoke to my heart during this time.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
As God slowly revealed these verses to me week by week, I began to understand the need to trust Him for my provisions. I prayed for contentment whatever the circumstances and not long after that I left my job of 17 yrs (my security blanket) and ventured out into the unknown to Trust the Lord with whatever He had in store for me and Mike.
He Provided another job with less hours and more money. I was amazed! However, had a known what would lye ahead I wouldn’t have left. Thank God he doesn’t reveal everything to us. This past September, after I had only been there a year I was fired! This was very humbling to me because there was not just cause. I was bitter and didn’t understand what God had planned but I trusted Him. There wasn’t a job to be had for 3mths and Mike’s Real Estate business was not doing well and God really forced us to reevaluate our lives. Mike and I had been praying for long term mission opportunities but at the time we didn’t see this unfolding. I was on my knees at this point asking God to provide because I couldn’t do it anymore. He asked me this question, “Will you trust me with this journey?” I said yes I will!
Weeks went by and the leader from my financial Bible study e-mailed me one day and said “ Hey just thought I would remind you of your long term prayer request from 2 years ago,” God please use us for your Kingdom building in long term missions.” I knew then God had a plan for us and we were to be obedient to His call. He had to take me to the bottom to get my attention that He will always be my PROVIDER.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 says, then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during his few days of life God has given him-for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. These verses give me hope! Isn’t it great to know that God isn’t against rich people. Here in these verses we see God actually makes some people rich and says it is proper for man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun. God tops it all off by enabling them to enjoy it! These people are so busy using God’s money for His Glory that they don’t worry about their provisions.
Matthew 7:11 If the heart is right and we seek it in the manner that he has chosen to give it, “How much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
This gave me a new perspective on working hard and giving from my heart.
Colossians 3:23-24 says, work diligently as unto the Lord whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men. It is the Lord Christ who you serve.
Acts 20:35 says remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
I wanted to close this with a revelation from Debra’s lecture yesterday. She shared about her grief and explained the loss of her expectations of her husband as the provider and that triggered my grief and loss of expectations of the men in my life as being the provider. I had always depended on my earthly father and yearned for my husband’s to be the provider but that was not what God intended for me. He has been trying to get my attention all of my adult life to look to Him for provision and so I turned it over to Him at the cross yesterday.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
DAILY ROUTINE
This will be the first installment of a series of articles I am offering to share with you what life is like here. Before we left, and at all the support meetings, we speculated as to what our life would be like here in Fiji. Now, I want to follow-up on that theme and share with you the reality, and you can put together the pieces of how much we guessed correctly and how much we were off the mark. Also, you might find it interesting what we do each day, what are the specifics of our daily routine, etc, so this little series will help with all of that.
First of all, our speculation that we would quickly pick-up the Aussie/Kiwi accent has come to pass. Pam and I even think now with the sort-of British accent and have admitted to each other that when we pray silently, out self-talk is with the accent. It’s really quite natural with the large majority of our friends here from one of those 3 places. We even have an instructor this week that has been to Nashville and has had fun with our Southern drawl and we have laughed, as well.
I will start with our daily routine. We have a very full schedule, it seems, which leaves only scarce free time. We have class from 8:30 to 12:30 each day with a 30 minute tea break at 10:30. Breakfast is from 7:00 to 7:30 and quiet time from 7:30 to 8:30. We usually get up around 6 and try to go for a walk along the waterfront, which is usually about 2 ½ miles and we make this trek about 3-4 times each week. After lunch every day is different. Mondays we have small group, which is 2 groups of men and one group of women. In my small group, we have 3 men students and 2 leaders. We spend the 1 ½ hours different ways, but it includes praying for each other and talking about what’s going on with us from the classwork and/or personally. It will prove to be a great bonding time for us men and will be part of our journey most treasured. Sometimes we walk to a nearby hotel and get a milkshake, and that’s a great treat.
The funny thing is that we don’t have the normal house duties we have at home, but we have less free time. I haven’t quite understood where the time goes, but it gets to around 9 or 10 pm and we’re ready for bed and have not gotten all our personal stuff done, almost every day. Maybe, because of the communal type living accommodation, it’s easy to visit for 5 to 15 minutes here and there, and then at other times it’s tough to find time alone to write and think. Anyway, time is hard to control.
Everybody has work duties every day, and we have 3 rotations of 4 weeks each. My first rotation was on maintenance, which made my work a breeze. Pam’s first job has been as the cook’s helper, and I must admit, is one of the hardest on the base. She works harder and for more hours than anyone else here. Our second rotation starts May 21 and Pam has lunch clean-up plus hospitality for our guest speaker each week. Hospitality duties include making our guests feel welcome with a card, clean sheets, cold drinks in their private “fridge”, snacks, etc. plus photocopies or whatever help he/she might need during the week. We expect this duty will require 3-4 hours per week. My second rotation is dinner (“tea”) clean-up, which takes about an hour per evening. Tough work, but this will not be as long as the 2 hrs/day on maintenance. Our new schedules will allow us some time together in the afternoons between 3 and 5:30 that we did not have for the first four weeks, and we plan to have fun checking out the local town much more during this time.
Every afternoon is different, but I will attempt to share a brief overview. After lunch at 12:30 (this takes about 30 minutes) we have a time slot from 1:30 to 3:00 each day that varies. Monday is small group, Tuesday is intercession (usually for Fiji), Wednesday is free time, Thursday is local community outreach, and Friday is a time for feedback and review with the week’s speaker.
In addition to the above schedule, we have a weekly meeting with our “one-on-one” which takes about an hour. Our one-on-one is one of the staff that meets with us weekly, plus any other time we need it to make sure we are understanding the intended teaching. We also do a weekly journal which has a specific guideline that is an overview of the week’s lectures and how they have affected our spiritual journey. We turn these in to our one-on-one each Monday morning for review and correction, if needed. We also have to read 4 books while we are here, and the first 3 of them require a written book report. We usually write a 2-3 page review of the main points of the book, why it was written, and how its information will affect our ministry. Pam and I are now almost finished with our second book and should complete our second book reports by the end of this week, which is a little ahead of schedule. We just can’t imagine getting behind with so little free time, so we try to stay ahead to avoid that.
We will try to add more later on our weekend journeys and adventures, and also cultural differences.
First of all, our speculation that we would quickly pick-up the Aussie/Kiwi accent has come to pass. Pam and I even think now with the sort-of British accent and have admitted to each other that when we pray silently, out self-talk is with the accent. It’s really quite natural with the large majority of our friends here from one of those 3 places. We even have an instructor this week that has been to Nashville and has had fun with our Southern drawl and we have laughed, as well.
I will start with our daily routine. We have a very full schedule, it seems, which leaves only scarce free time. We have class from 8:30 to 12:30 each day with a 30 minute tea break at 10:30. Breakfast is from 7:00 to 7:30 and quiet time from 7:30 to 8:30. We usually get up around 6 and try to go for a walk along the waterfront, which is usually about 2 ½ miles and we make this trek about 3-4 times each week. After lunch every day is different. Mondays we have small group, which is 2 groups of men and one group of women. In my small group, we have 3 men students and 2 leaders. We spend the 1 ½ hours different ways, but it includes praying for each other and talking about what’s going on with us from the classwork and/or personally. It will prove to be a great bonding time for us men and will be part of our journey most treasured. Sometimes we walk to a nearby hotel and get a milkshake, and that’s a great treat.
The funny thing is that we don’t have the normal house duties we have at home, but we have less free time. I haven’t quite understood where the time goes, but it gets to around 9 or 10 pm and we’re ready for bed and have not gotten all our personal stuff done, almost every day. Maybe, because of the communal type living accommodation, it’s easy to visit for 5 to 15 minutes here and there, and then at other times it’s tough to find time alone to write and think. Anyway, time is hard to control.
Everybody has work duties every day, and we have 3 rotations of 4 weeks each. My first rotation was on maintenance, which made my work a breeze. Pam’s first job has been as the cook’s helper, and I must admit, is one of the hardest on the base. She works harder and for more hours than anyone else here. Our second rotation starts May 21 and Pam has lunch clean-up plus hospitality for our guest speaker each week. Hospitality duties include making our guests feel welcome with a card, clean sheets, cold drinks in their private “fridge”, snacks, etc. plus photocopies or whatever help he/she might need during the week. We expect this duty will require 3-4 hours per week. My second rotation is dinner (“tea”) clean-up, which takes about an hour per evening. Tough work, but this will not be as long as the 2 hrs/day on maintenance. Our new schedules will allow us some time together in the afternoons between 3 and 5:30 that we did not have for the first four weeks, and we plan to have fun checking out the local town much more during this time.
Every afternoon is different, but I will attempt to share a brief overview. After lunch at 12:30 (this takes about 30 minutes) we have a time slot from 1:30 to 3:00 each day that varies. Monday is small group, Tuesday is intercession (usually for Fiji), Wednesday is free time, Thursday is local community outreach, and Friday is a time for feedback and review with the week’s speaker.
In addition to the above schedule, we have a weekly meeting with our “one-on-one” which takes about an hour. Our one-on-one is one of the staff that meets with us weekly, plus any other time we need it to make sure we are understanding the intended teaching. We also do a weekly journal which has a specific guideline that is an overview of the week’s lectures and how they have affected our spiritual journey. We turn these in to our one-on-one each Monday morning for review and correction, if needed. We also have to read 4 books while we are here, and the first 3 of them require a written book report. We usually write a 2-3 page review of the main points of the book, why it was written, and how its information will affect our ministry. Pam and I are now almost finished with our second book and should complete our second book reports by the end of this week, which is a little ahead of schedule. We just can’t imagine getting behind with so little free time, so we try to stay ahead to avoid that.
We will try to add more later on our weekend journeys and adventures, and also cultural differences.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Just A Piece Of Wood
On the first day we arrived we were given a tour of the facilities just like all the other students. Well, if you know me, I cannot ignore the little things that need repair. I catch many of them at first glance and immediately try to figure out how to fix them. On the roof of our building are two clothes washers which are covered by a wobbly shed type cover, made of plywood and 2X4’s. The doors were held closed by a bent nail because the structure was not study enough to hold the doors square so the locks would hold. Within 60 seconds I shared with our tour guide (who is in charge of maintenance during the school) how we could just put some ¾” plywood corners of about 8” on each side, cut into a triangle, at each of the front corners and then the doors would close properly and we cold eliminate the nails. I was excited about my idea for repair, but was slightly discouraged in learning, much like every other missions environment, that we didn’t have any wood and if we did, we would have to purchase a whole sheet of plywood, and we also did not have any sawhorses or a square.Very limited!
On the way to town yesterday, I stopped in at the plumbing supply store across the street and purchased a small bolt lock for our bedroom (my second repair project). While I was there I inquired about a square and also about other ideas related to the washer shed repair: what about some 8” corner braces or now much wood would I have to buy and how much would it cost? There was an Indian man in the back listening to my queries to the clerk and he asked, “What about if I give you a piece of lumber?” I told him the details that I needed approx. an 8” piece cut into triangles. He wanted me to go with him across town with him and he would have the wood cut for me. What do you think I was thinking? Who is this man? What does he want? Will my family ever see me again? Will they be able to find my body? And on and on! I told him I had to be back for supper in 30 minutes and he said we’d better hurry and get in the car if we were to be back in time for me. I gave myself and my protection to God and jumped in the car. Right now you are trying to remind me that my protection was already in God’s hands and I know that, but sometimes you just need to try to recommit God to His job. Within 30 seconds of driving off the man told me he was the owner of the plumbing supply business and he had a lumber yard across town. He has 5 branches and he supplies plumbing material to the government of Fiji. He is a very successful self-made entrepreneur and just wanted to be a good neighbor and offer help to me. He knows the director here very well, and our base has purchased much from him and his company. How big is our God? The man hurried me across Lautoka to his lumber yard and promptly directed one of his men to find me a one inch piece of lumber (it was a little over 7” wide and I thought that would be plenty wide enough) which he asked for my approval. He then had the man plane it and then cut me two 7 ¼” triangles and we hurried off to get me back home in time for supper. The man showed me every part of his operation at the lumber yard and also at the supply house when we returned. I now have the wooden braces for our washer shed, but more importantly, I have a friend named Sarwan across the street with a lot of connections in Fiji. In time, I will be able to discuss eternal topics with him. Thank you, God for your providence
On the way to town yesterday, I stopped in at the plumbing supply store across the street and purchased a small bolt lock for our bedroom (my second repair project). While I was there I inquired about a square and also about other ideas related to the washer shed repair: what about some 8” corner braces or now much wood would I have to buy and how much would it cost? There was an Indian man in the back listening to my queries to the clerk and he asked, “What about if I give you a piece of lumber?” I told him the details that I needed approx. an 8” piece cut into triangles. He wanted me to go with him across town with him and he would have the wood cut for me. What do you think I was thinking? Who is this man? What does he want? Will my family ever see me again? Will they be able to find my body? And on and on! I told him I had to be back for supper in 30 minutes and he said we’d better hurry and get in the car if we were to be back in time for me. I gave myself and my protection to God and jumped in the car. Right now you are trying to remind me that my protection was already in God’s hands and I know that, but sometimes you just need to try to recommit God to His job. Within 30 seconds of driving off the man told me he was the owner of the plumbing supply business and he had a lumber yard across town. He has 5 branches and he supplies plumbing material to the government of Fiji. He is a very successful self-made entrepreneur and just wanted to be a good neighbor and offer help to me. He knows the director here very well, and our base has purchased much from him and his company. How big is our God? The man hurried me across Lautoka to his lumber yard and promptly directed one of his men to find me a one inch piece of lumber (it was a little over 7” wide and I thought that would be plenty wide enough) which he asked for my approval. He then had the man plane it and then cut me two 7 ¼” triangles and we hurried off to get me back home in time for supper. The man showed me every part of his operation at the lumber yard and also at the supply house when we returned. I now have the wooden braces for our washer shed, but more importantly, I have a friend named Sarwan across the street with a lot of connections in Fiji. In time, I will be able to discuss eternal topics with him. Thank you, God for your providence
Who's Got The Book?
There are so many things that happen in our everyday lives that we attribute to circumstance that if we were spiritually aware, we would easily see how God is at work in the minute details of our lives. Here is one such story.
In preparation for this school I have been reading a book by Loren Cunningham, Is That Really You, God? I was and am very impressed by the book because of the reality that we can really clearly understand God’s will for our lives, not only in minute details but in the major decisions we make that guide our ministry and future. The other overwhelming feature of the book was that it was difficult to put down. I wanted to read it all the way through. I knew it would be a great book to share with my children so they could gain a little more insight into YWAM, and also to stimulate their desire to know Him in a more intimate way.
When I talked to Libby (my oldest) on last Saturday morning (which was Friday for her) I mentioned the book to her and suggested she find it and read it. She accepted my suggestion and the very next day while she and several other of her brothers and sister were having a yard sale she spotted the very book I asked her to find on her sister’s table of goods for sale! Nilesen’s husband Sidney had the book (don’t know where he got it) for sale and Libby bought it for fifty cents! I know God placed that book in Libby’s hands.
In preparation for this school I have been reading a book by Loren Cunningham, Is That Really You, God? I was and am very impressed by the book because of the reality that we can really clearly understand God’s will for our lives, not only in minute details but in the major decisions we make that guide our ministry and future. The other overwhelming feature of the book was that it was difficult to put down. I wanted to read it all the way through. I knew it would be a great book to share with my children so they could gain a little more insight into YWAM, and also to stimulate their desire to know Him in a more intimate way.
When I talked to Libby (my oldest) on last Saturday morning (which was Friday for her) I mentioned the book to her and suggested she find it and read it. She accepted my suggestion and the very next day while she and several other of her brothers and sister were having a yard sale she spotted the very book I asked her to find on her sister’s table of goods for sale! Nilesen’s husband Sidney had the book (don’t know where he got it) for sale and Libby bought it for fifty cents! I know God placed that book in Libby’s hands.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
WOW! We're Here!
Here's where the blogging really starts. We're here in Lautoka at the Marine Reach base and it's hot. Did I mention the temperature? It's HOT! I'm sweating over this keyboard and praying for grace. Not really, but it's funny. It is hot, though. Pam laughing as I write this. We're tickled to death about our accomodations here at the base. We have a great little room, with plenty of space for our stuff, and we can see the harbor and WATER from just outside our room. Grey water, but WATER! Typical of this climate, the sinks are outside and so each morning I will get to shave outside. What a treat, I think! Our group is great. There are 10 adults and I believe 4 children. The children go to school at the same time as the adults, but are being taught at their level, but the same material the adults are studying.
Here's the funny story and probably the funniest story of our entire trip. Last night we were out to eat and we shared a seafood platter. On the platter were a half dozen raw oysters, but no crackers or cocktail sauce. So, as you would expect, I asked our server for some crackers and cocktail sauce. She returned a few moments later with a small bowl of cocktail sauce and two metal claw crackers for crab claws! Pam said, "Why did she bring those?". I said, "She brought us crackers and cocktail sauce!"
Today we walked through the small town of Lautoka and had a great time, getting soaked in the rain on the way home. Good clean fun! More later.
Mike
Here's the funny story and probably the funniest story of our entire trip. Last night we were out to eat and we shared a seafood platter. On the platter were a half dozen raw oysters, but no crackers or cocktail sauce. So, as you would expect, I asked our server for some crackers and cocktail sauce. She returned a few moments later with a small bowl of cocktail sauce and two metal claw crackers for crab claws! Pam said, "Why did she bring those?". I said, "She brought us crackers and cocktail sauce!"
Today we walked through the small town of Lautoka and had a great time, getting soaked in the rain on the way home. Good clean fun! More later.
Mike
Saturday, January 13, 2007
All The Stuff To Do
All the stuff to do for this mission journey is sometimes overwhelming. I'm learning how to publish a blog and am also supposed to learn how to publish an electronic newsletter. That will be a task bigger than the blog. That word should be "blob" in this case. Anyway, I've learned something and I like that. I wish Pam could be here every step of the way. She like to learn, too. The other items on the to-do list, numbers 2 through 189 are still left out there to conquer, so away I go. Later, gator!
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