Days of Thanks #11

Day 11- I'm thankful for missionaries who carry the good news to places I will never be able to go. Thank you for your service to God and your obedience to His calling.

What's the Risk?

I hate for it to end.

Missions Conference.

The week starts with our initial awkward dinner where we do our formal introductions and hope our kids behave long enough to make a decent impression and by the end of 8 days we are family. We've laughed, cried, prayed, served, shared and eaten together. We're brothers and sisters who share the same burden. We understand each other's language even if it's Korean or Spanish or Hillbilly.

I remember missions conferences at my church growing up. The Ferus', the Lassiters, the Florida Children's Home, the Arnold's...all mission projects I remember clearly as a child. We hosted our fair share of after church afterglows with missionaries and families from our church joining us for a meal at our home. Maybe that's where it started. I corresponded with missionaries from the time I was 12 or so. And now as time has passed and technology has grown, Facebook and twitter keep me informed and up to date on their activities...and I love feeling like they are right next door even if they are really halfway across the world.

The bittersweet goodbyes of today are just a flash of temporary sadness in light of the eternal life that we will spend with these heroes of faith. They are the current Hudson Taylor, Adonirum Judson, Jim Elliot and Bro. Andrew. They risk something to share the gospel...and it makes me wonder...have I ever risked anything to share Jesus?

I'm thankful for the last 8 days...and while I'm so very tired physically, I'm filled to the brim with an excitement of what's to come...what's on the horizon...what's there to risk for Jesus?

Holding the Rope

So tonight at about 10pm one of my sweet friends and her family will be on their way to Papua New Guinea to continue following God on their journey to assist in spreading the gospel of Jesus to people in their own heart language. This is their first term. There are lots...and lots of unknowns. But they have faith in a BIG God..that same God who has led them every step of the way...and He will not fail them.

Sunday night in church we were challenged to help hold the rope as our church held a commissioning service for the Brewers. It was beautiful to see the body of Christ praying over them, crying (a lot), rejoicing that this time was finally here, loving on their parents in the service, laughing, letting go, holding on, embracing, taking photos of tear stained faces with smiles and watching as we help send this family to the other side of the world to fulfill God's call on their lives. Again, it was beautiful. God's presence was all over the place.

So, here they are...

Jason and Jaime Brewer Family

From tonight at 10pm until Friday morning around 1am they will be flying to Australia, then to Papua New Guinea and once in the country they will be flying to the city of Madang where they will catch their breath for a couple of days and then head to 4 months of intense training before finally making it to the city of Ukarumpa where Jason will be a pilot for the JAARS/Wycliff associations. He will be assisting in getting translators, Bibles, missionaries and supplies into areas of that country that otherwise would be nearly impossible to reach.

You'll notice the three little munchkins in the picture...Mal, Dylan and Mo are gearing up for their own adventures....Schools, culture, food, language.

As Christians, we all have some level of sacrifice that God has called us to. What God has asked us to give or sacrifice doesn't even begin to touch what we have been given because of His own sacrifice. Like most missionaries I've met through the years, the Brewers are humbly sacrificing relationships, convenience and security to be sure that others know of the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made.

Will you pray with me, for them? Especially for these first few days of travel, time zone craziness (they will travel 16 time zones!), emotions running high and low....just whatever comes to your mind.

You can follow the Brewer's journey at Jaime's Blog HERE

..."We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first." — Oswald J. Smith

Shopping with a Missionary

So after seven heavenly days in the peach state, we headed to North Carolina to see one of my good friends and her family. They are currently living in Waxhaw, North Caroling at the JAARS training facility. Jaime's husband is doing his final training to be a missionary pilot in the country of Papua New Guinea. He will be helping take the Bible to areas of PNG that do not have a Bible in their language yet. They have an amazing story that has GOD written all over it. You can read more about it at her blog, My Head in the Clouds .

BUT, as spiritual as all that sounds, if you know Jaime, then you also know there are lots of fun moments when you are with her. And that being said, I feel a responsibility to give you an inside peek into what challenges a missionary woman faces in finding the appropriate clothing to take into a country like Papua New Guinea. I realize this is not a struggle all missionary wives have to deal with. But, in PNG it is highly offensive for women to wear anything that is fitted around the hips and waist, so with today's styles, this is a bit of a hunt.

So, when Jason and Bruce offered to watch all five kids for a few hours on Saturday evening, we did what girls do...SHOP...at Kmart...where they were playing some of the best jazz tunes of the 1980's! Here are a few of the outtakes from our evening:

We decided this might be just a wee bit much for the natives of PNG

We texted Jason about these...his exact words "that's not appropriate for anywhere". Darn.

"Booty" inflatable boot supports made us giggle....
and we decided these probably wouldn't be
 the best use of this missionary's money

BUT....here it is...the fashionable long cotton skirt...
in not just this color...but also blue and black! And they were on sale!
 It was a very profitable night for Jaime's wardrobe!

Pray for the Brewer's as they finish raising their support.
When we left they were at 68%. The goal is to have it all raised by the end of May.
I've never been happier to say goodbye to a good friend.
God has special...wonderful...amazing plans for them!

The Take-Away - Review #7

I've had some time to really think about the things I will take away from this trip to Peru. Certainly all the obvious things like...

- I am more thankful than ever for hot water, toilet seats, toilet paper, ice, diet coke, air conditioning, grocery stores, American food

- I am more aware of the abundance I have ....in material possessions, in my family relationships, in America

- Lost people are everywhere...sin levels the playing field and the grace story hits the homerun

But there were a few less obvious things that I am taking away. These things have just hit me this week as I've had time to really think about the reasons God allowed me this trip.

- God allowed us to witness some of the most amazing scenes while we were passing out tracts and Bibles....things like women kissing the Bible they held in their hands, sailors stopping to read the tracts handed to them, a construction foreman hoping that we had enough Bible's for the entire construction crew. There was such a hunger....why? And I've been wondering about myself in all that...is my hunger that great? Is there an eagerness to share? Is there an aggressiveness to be sure those around me have God's Word? Is there a passion to be sure everyone gets a chance to hear? What does this look like for me? Am I willing to send, pray and go?

This was a little disheartening to see...A study of 1200 towns in America....but no fundamental church to attend...For argument's sake...let say that in reality there is at least one church in 1/2 these towns, since it's not clear when the study was done....still...look at the results:

Bob Jones University Study: 

Smaller Cities and Towns — Church Planting

We have identified almost 1200 smaller U.S. cities and towns with no known Fundamental churches within a 30-mile radius, to the best of our knowledge. Additional on-site investigation would be needed to fully verify the need. Here are the cities and towns of 5000 and more with no known Fundamental church.

CLICK HERE

Does this concern me like it concerned me about the people in Pichanaki or Lima? Because it can't just be an emotional thing....I want to know the burden across the board....a realization that world wide there are people who don't know about this amazing love the Father has for us....about His willing Son who was sacrificed and about the amazing miracle of a risen Savior. I'm committing to pray for these towns...that God would send laborers into the harvest and I'm wondering how else can I be a part of doing something to help reach these people and the people in my own town who have not heard. 

I guess I just don't want to be let off the hook. I don't want God to leave me alone just because I am not moving to Peru. I want to be bothered by the faces of lost people where I am at this moment. I want to be burdened by poverty, prostitution, slavery of any kind and sin. I want to feel those same emotions and longings toward the people in Sulphur Springs and the rest of the USA that I felt in Peru. Those feelings of hope, longing, desire for them to know the one who gives eternal life. I want to be as free to love someone living next door to me as I did Rita, a Peruvian woman who ran a store down from the church we were working at in Pichanaki. But, for some reason, it's hard to picture Texas, or the USA for that matter, needing the same thing Pichanakiairconditioning with a toilet seat and toilet paper matters nada if we don't know Jesus and His grace....Location is nothing....relationship is everything.

Reproduction - Review #5

"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:8).

Oliver and Gloria Williams have been missionaries for 40 years in Peru. Can you say WOW???!!!! Not only is this a testimony to their own faithfulness to what God has called them to, it is also a glorious testimony to the never-ending faithfulness of our God. When we realize that He is forever faithful it is comforting, encouraging and reassuring....and energizes our efforts.

Over the 40 years they have served in Peru, they've started numerous churches, led young men and women through the Baptist Seminary in Lima, helped meet the physical needs of the poor and needy, mentored many and now, with the help from others are helping build a youth camp. While we were in Peru, our group had the blessing of spending our time with three of the most beautiful women who are a direct result of the work God has done through the Williams.

Kathy, Nilda and Yeraldine (although I am pretty sure I didn't spell that correctly) are three women who have been led to Jesus in Peru. All of them are less than 7 degrees removed from the Williams' ministry. During the week, these gals helped get our meals prepared, worked with the children's and youth ministry, led music, ran errands, taught the gringos a little Spanish, cleaned and pretty much anything else they were asked to do. Such sweet, giving servants who wanted to be a part of our trip to Peru.

These ladies were a huge blessing to everyone...but I couldn't help think about how rewarding it must be for the Williams to see fruit of their labor so willing and happy to be serving the Lord. I know this is a missionary's dream....to see fruit reproducing in the lives of the people who come to know Jesus. This is the dream of every worker in the field....that their seed would be harvested and be a crop that was hearty and healthy and viable. And as a I picture the ultimate Farmer surveying the field, I know when He looks at these ladies He's smiling....so pleased at the crop that is harvesting as the result of faithful missionaries, willing servants, grateful women...who are living their life to serve their Savior.

That's what reproducing is all about!!! In my own life I need to carefully look around and see what kind of fruit is being produced. When people are near me are they drawn to Christ, His Word, His love? Is the harvest I'm producing one that would spur others to a life of dedicated service and ministry to our Lord? That's some thought provoking questioning going on right there! In a non-panic mode....I say to myself,

"Don't waste time...words....actions....get busy planting and watering the crops for the Lord...and He will get the increase...the praise...the honor...the glory...the credit! Draw men and women to Jesus."

I pray I never forget the beautiful masterpiece I saw when the church from Texas met the church from Peru. Different languages, different skin tone, different hair color, different customs....but ONE God.....one harvester....one ultimate farmer who desires to see fruit in each of His children.

Who's Louder? - Review #4

“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

Luke 19:40

On day four of our trip to Peru we headed through the Andes Mountains to a town of 55,000. Pichanaki is the last town before you enter the thick of the Jungle in Peru. The ride there was exciting, naseating (think roads that wind and wind and wind somemore!), beautiful and long. It took us 10 hours on a double decker bus. With my camera in my hand nearly the entire ride, I couldn't help but think about the verse that says, "the whole earth is filled with Your glory". Truly, Peru is filled with some of the most creative landscape that God created!

From the Andes Mountains filled with waterfalls, gardens, jungles and even dessert places, the earth was crying out the majesty of the creator...and as I witnessed creation calling out praises, I joined in. There was no way I couldn't. Throughout the bus ride you could hear our team calling attention to the beauty around us....camera's clicking to try to capture those rare, beautiful, tropical scenes, eyes glued to the cliffs and the mountain peaks. The rocks weren't going to show us up. 


Check out the pictures HERE


But....sometimes...in everyday life, away from the mountains and the waterfalls and faced with the long lines at Walmart and bills to pay and dinner to cook, I've lost track of the beauty around me that calls attention to the glory and the worship worthiness of my Lord. I get distracted by the busy-ness of life and in between vacuuming and blogging and ice cream with friends I forget the glory and the majesty and the price He paid and the truth that even if this world was brown and dusty and cloudy and ugly...He would still be worthy....even if the sun didn't shine, my house was destroyed and my kids were sick....He would still be worthy....even if I lost my job, my friends disowned me, my money ran out...HE IS STILL WORTHY....and what a shame....a horrible shame it would be if I let the rocks outsing my praise in the everyday, if the mountains cried out His worth louder and more sincere than I.


Thank you Lord for the beauty of this world....but even without it....You are worthy of every morsel of praise I can give!

Different Yet the Same- Review #3

(Acts 10:34) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"

Arriving in Lima, Peru, there is no question to the differences between here and there. From the language, economy, cleanliness, food, traffic, homes, weather....it can almost overwhelm you. We arrived in Lima around midnight and even with the cloud of darkness settled on the city it didn't take long to realize we weren't in Texas anymore! Take a look at these pictures and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about!

As overwhelming as the differences were, as the sun rose on Lima just a few hours later, the similarities began to appear. For instance, it was interesting to me to see McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC and Starbucks. There was a Purina manufacturing plant and a Toyota dealership. Nestle chocolate, Nike shoes, Gold's Gym, Payless Shoes and Top Model....and in Lima the list could go on and on.

Love is the universal language and as different as gringos are from Peruvians, it didn't take long before we were communicating in that language. Visiting with children at a private school where English was taught, working on the mountain building houses or passing our church literature, our teams loved on people. A smile went a long way and very soon we realized that languages might be different but people are people and want to be loved, respected, appreciated and valued.

This trip to Peru reminded me that God isn't too concerned with my "status". His eyes of grace look beyond my possessions and into my heart. What's there? Am I developing to be the kind of woman He desires me to be. Does He see similarities of Himself in me? Or do the differences distract people from seeing Him? He's no respecter....He loves the Peruvian as much as me. He doesn't see their differences, only what they and we can be when He is the common denominator in our lives.

Catch up on the review of the Peru Trip HERE and HERE.

Obedience - Review #2

"If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king" – Jordan Grooms

I attended a college where the primary purpose was to train students to be leaders in Christian ministry. Because of this, I was blessed to meet some of the most amazing servants of God, who now, are serving God all over the world. Through email and facebook many of us have reconnected and it's amazing to see how God has worked in our lives over the last twenty years. 

Years ago, when Bruce first started pastoring, we had the opportunity to have our college friends Brent and Miriam in our small church to share their heart for the field of Cuba. Our church took them on for support and thus began our ministry relationship with them. After a field change to Peru and many years, 2 summers ago God allowed our families to land at the same church. We were new to the staff and they were taking a year furlough and making our church their home church. Our families had expanded, and life had dealt us many experiences and blessings to share and we spent a year catching up, watching each others kids, shopping, sharing Starbucks, serving together at church and dreading the next time we'd say goodbye.

But the time came, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Pizza Inn, a hot summer day, and needing tissues. Goodbyes...ugh. Mir and I hugged and I sobbed....a little too much probably. This sister friend had become even more special as we had shared ups and downs and prayers and concerns. And as they pulled away from the parking lot, and I sat in my mini-van I tried to remember that God calls us to obedience. And while I secretly wished I could climb into a carry on piece of luggage and travel the 3,000 miles to Peru, I knew God hadn't called us to that obedience. He called us to Sulphur Springs obedience. Doesn't sound as exciting does it?

You see, Obedience to God in the things He calls you to is not always glamorous. As a mom of two, God's called me to be obedient to Him by raising my kids in the love and instruction of the Lord. He's also called me to love their daddy, keep a meek and quiet spirit, love others, control my tongue and to serve Him in my local church...somedays those things don't seem important...but they are a step of obedience. Just like Miriam traveling all those miles from the USA, my obedience to the things God calls me to do is just as important. People are counting on the Williams to show them the way, the gospel. If they are detoured by disobedience then people suffer. The same is true by those of us who haven't been called to live our lives on foreign soil. Miriam will tell you she feels her life is far from glamorous....and like most of us moms she spends her days taking care of her family. The difference is the soil she's on. And it would be just as wrong for her to be in America right now as it would be for me to be in Peru....if God hasn't called me to that obedience. 

While I understand all that, I can't help but think about the heroes that our missionaries are. Their obedience requires sacrifice, selflessness, sweat, tears, frustrations...on a scale much larger than the ones I face. I've never met a missionary who wanted to be applauded. They will tell you they are just doing what God has called them to do. Humble servants of God. This is a lesson I think I could use on most days....you know....those days when I want someone to notice what I've done, to applaud me for doing something good, to appreciate my hard work. But...that's not humility. That's pride. And most of the time obedient actions are between you and God and no one notices and no one sees and no one appreciates. And it tears a little at our flesh. 

But sometimes...people do notice. Like when 29 of your friends come to see you in Peru and they see the work, the struggles, the plan, the city, the heart you have, your good deeds, your spirit, your obedience...and they applaud you...honor you...rejoice with you...cry with you and in an earthly way say.."Well Done". It's like a pre-party to what will happen in heaven. And it encourages you and edifies Christ and helps you push a little more and harder and deeper.

To all those serving where God's called you....as a missionary, a homemaker, a bank teller, a coach, a construction worker..... Do your work of obedience. Do what God's called you to do where you're at. Do the best you can with what you have been given. Because it's the spirit of obedience than makes you different from the world...through your attitude of obedience to Christ others will see us as different....unique...set apart....and that will draw men and women....boys and girls to Christ.

Read Post #1 about the Road to Peru HERE

See pictures of our Peru trip HERE

More about Peru tomorrow!

The Road to Peru - Review #1

Over six months ago, when I found out we were going to Peru this summer, I began thinking of all the things I would need to do in advance to be sure this trip would go as smoothly as I hoped it would be. The GA grandparents agreed to take care of the kids, we applied for our passports, began taking a probiotic a month ago, bought a few things, packed the bags, said goodbyes and hopped on the bus that would take us to the plane that would take us to Peru. And that was the easy part.

What I didn't expect was the spiritual warfare I would encounter in preparation for this trip. About 2 months ago I woke up from a dream in a sort of cold sweat. The scene I had dreamed about was of Bruce and me on the plane but me hyperventilating over some sort of claustrophobic  incident I had experienced. And that is what planted the seed that I might have trouble on the plane.

I also had been dealing with a personal issue that was taking up way too much of my time and energy and was causing me to doubt myself, my abilities, gifting and worth. It's amazing how things can grow in the mind of doubt.

And then there was the small problem of the horrible cough and fever I had the week before the trip. Yep....someone wasn't happy.

But like He always does when we take our cares and worries to Him, God spoke through His words and gave me this verse to claim....

Ephesians 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

And in a moment of complete doubt and worthlessness, God said....let me do the work in you. It will be more, it will be better, it will be powerful, it will be greater than anything you can do in yourself. Let me use all your insecurities....your sickness, your doubts, your pains...let Me do more than you can imagine.


In God-like fashion He stepped in and began working...even before we left the states. 


Here are a few things He did:

1. Supplied our needs...financially, physically and emotionally.
2. The plane ride there was as smooth as it could possibly be....and no incidents with claustrophobia at all!
3. God didn't allow me to feel 100% at any point in the trip. In fact, there were 2 days that I felt close to terrible....but God had a purpose....10,000 tracts were folded, over 100 wordless bracelets were made and a special time of prayer with our missionary wife in an empty church building happened because I wasn't able to GO and DO like I wanted...sometimes God has other plans....and sometimes they are beautiful....and different from the beautiful plans He has for others.
4. There was a moment in the trip that I felt like a light bulb went off for me. The thoughts I had been letting control me, the people who I felt had been hateful towards me, the feelings of inadequacies I have been letting overwhelm me all seemed very small in relation to the bigness of so many things I saw...things like poverty, filth, sin, need, sorrow, hunger, even love.
5. He showed me so many things that are universal...love, hugs, smiles, eye contact, encouragement.

It's not so much that God revealed Himself in huge ways (isn't the fact that He is God huge enough?) or called me to Peru or even asked me to do anything more. It's that He refocused my attention on the things that really NEED my attention. It's so easy to get caught up in all the things that go on around us, but at the end of the day, whether I am sitting at home in America, teaching at school, visiting Peru or working in my church, LOVE is all that matters.  Sharing the greatest love ever offered to mankind. Sharing it, showing it, receiving it, giving it, living it. It's all that matters. The other things that have grappled for my attention these past months were just tools the enemy used to distract my attention from the beauty of His plan, His love, His story. 


Spiritual warfare is all around us. Don't underestimate its power. But know that our God is greater.


There will be more on the Peru trip all this week. Want to view some pics from the trip? Click Here

Update on Peru

We're home. Feeling the best kind of tired in the whole wide world. Peru was an incredibly humbling experience and I feel extremely blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to go. My heart is full of things to share and after careful thought about just how I was going to do that I've decided to take a week, beginning tomorrow to focus on the trip, what God has taught me thus far, the pictures, food, culture and faces of the Peruvian people who have stolen a little piece of my heart. Hope you'll join me for the ride!