Where do we Belong?

As our possessions are somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean and we make our final preparations for moving to another country, I find myself reflecting on our new lack of an identity. Where do we belong? We have resigned from our jobs and much of the interaction we have with those in our community is tempered by the knowledge that we are leaving soon. We have loved our home and life here, but our hearts and focus are being directed to our upcoming life and ministry in Odessa.

          I can recall from prior experience however, that this lack of belonging will not go away when we arrive in Ukraine. Every day it will be reinforced as we deal with a language and culture that is much different from ours. Our level of proficiency in these areas will increase but there will always be some differences, no matter how long we live there. We will never completely fit in.
       I am learning to appreciate that this journey of missions can make me aware of truths I had not previously noticed. Certainly our proficiency must increase in living with and loving people where God has called us to live, but as sinners redeemed by Christ we should deal with this lack of belonging every day we are on this earth. Paul says in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven, reminding us that our true identity is tied not to a location or culture but to Christ Himself. As wonderful as this world can be, we were created for something much more fulfilling.  This journey helps me remember that ultimately the question of where we belong must be asked of us not as missionaries, but of all of us as followers of Jesus Christ.

Longing for Heaven

We recently finished a missions conference at Berean Baptist Church where we and 4 other missionary couples got to present our ministries and become part of their church body for a week. We weren’t sure what to expect heading into the week, but we were blessed in more ways than we could’ve imagined. I haven’t been around a church before that makes such an intentional and concentrated effort to promote missions and minister to missionaries. We were overwhelmed with the encouragement and love that was showered on us!

        The end of the week brought a mixture of fulfillment and longing, but that longing reminds us we aren’t created for this world. The unity of fellowship & joy we experienced as we worshiped together gave us just a glimpse of what heaven will be like. As excited as we are to arrive in Odessa, we long even more for the day when we will not have to say goodbye to our brothers & sisters because we’ll be worshiping together in the Presence of our Savior!

That which costs me nothing

I was reading 2 Samuel 24 and I came across a very profound statement by David regarding the nature of worship.  David is offering a sacrifice to atone for his sin in taking a census of Israel.  He had clearly elevated himself above the Lord and his pride had brought judgment on his kingdom.  David is instructed to offer his sacrifice on the property of a man named Arunah.  Since David is king, Arunah tries to give David the material and animals for the sacrifice.  However, David insists on paying and replies, "I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing."
      This statement reminded me of how often I try to give to the Lord that which costs me nothing.  Salvation is a free gift, but following Christ costs.  This leads me to ask, "What is my faith costing me?"  Am I willing to sacrifice my pride, anger, time, money, the desire to be right and well-liked?  Even in preparing to move to Ukraine I find myself with subtle expectations.... I'll move overseas but I still expect a fairly comfortable standard of living, I expect to be healthy, safe, etc.  In our daily lives it is easy to approach our faith with a consumer mentality that only makes demands on God.  David reminds us that a crucial aspect of worship is sacrifice, and that self-centeredness and worship are incompatible.  After all, as Martin Luther once said, "A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing."

Expanding Vision

Over the course of my life I have observed that God doesn’t seem to be in the same hurry that I am often in. I am learning however, that with our God no time is wasted time, & I realize now how God has been using this time to bring about some subtle yet important changes in our philosophy of ministry and missions.
         When I first moved to Ukraine back in 2004 my heart was broken for a select group of orphans. I loved the transitional & orphanage ministries I was involved in & we were able to involve a few Ukrainian Christians in our ministry, but for the most part we worked on our own, which ultimately limited our effectiveness.
      As we have been in America and these kids have grown up, our heart is still for orphans but our vision has expanded to include the local church in a much more prominent way. SEND’s philosophy of missions is to Mobilize God’s People to Engage the unreached and Establish reproducing churches. I used to be unsure how orphan ministry fit into that, but in order for long-term growth and change to be accomplished in these children’s lives they have to be incorporated into a healthy church body.
            As we contemplate how to do this, the passage of Scripture I keep returning to is Ephesians 4:11-16.  In this passage Paul lists important traits of any church.... edifying & equipping the saints, seeking unity of faith & the fullness of Christ, & speaking the truth in love.  We want to invest in the church and live out these traits together with Ukrainian believers.  Our hope and prayer is that in this process we can impart a passion for orphans to these believers, so that reaching out to the fatherless will become an essential part of what the Ukrainian church is.  It will be a joy to see these kids loved and discipled not just by us but by the Body of Christ!  Then, by God's grace, a ministry will have begun that far outlasts us.

Ukraine slideshow

Check out our Ukraine video!

Why we have to go

Today was one of the first days where Esther was really giggling at me. I was doing a silly dance and would then come closer and closer and end up tickling her. Her giggle would just grow the closer I got. She was really supposed to be going down for a nap but how can you not play for awhile when she is laughing so much! We had lots of fun. It was during this time though that God brought to mind all the orphans who don’t have anyone who will play with them and make them giggle. My heart broke and the realization was enforced why we have to go….to show these kids Christ’s love and be His hands and feet.

Our Miracle

  In 2005, I started having health problems. It was nothing life threatening but definitely debilitating. Along with this came hormonal problems where the doctor said I was menopausal at 26. To help regulate my hormones they said I needed to be on birth control or fertility meds. Seeing that we had been desiring a baby for awhile, we opted for the latter. We were on fertility meds for 10 months but nothing was working. The doctor didn't know why we weren't getting pregnant. It was a heartbreaking process as we contemplated adoption and wondered if God would grant our desire for a child. We decided that we needed to take a break from fertility meds and trust in the Author of life. I remember praying and coming to the realization that my love for God cannot be contingent on whether or not He gives us a child. Little did I know that 2 weeks later, the month we went off of fertility meds, we would find out that we were pregnant! After waiting years, our little miracle, Esther Susan was born on February 11th 2010.