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!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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."
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."
Friday, September 17, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Why we have to go
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
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.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Closing In
It has been quite a journey of faith as we near our long-time goal of ministering to orphans in Ukraine. At times we wonder if the support-raising process will ever end, but we are reminded that the journey is often just as important as the destination. When we started this journey 18 months ago the task seemed daunting and the finish line very far away. Our faith was stretched in new ways as the wisdom of trying to raise support during a major economic recession was questioned, both by us and by others. In the end we kept coming back to who God is and the calling we knew He has given us. Now, although we still have over 20% of our support to raise our attitude has changed from doubt to expectation as we rest confidently in the faithfulness of God.
One of my favorite statements in all of Scripture was said by the father of a demon-possessed son in Mark 9:24, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief!" The more I pursue Christ the more this desperate cry for faith resonates with me. There was a time when I wished we could skip this whole process and arrive on the mission field right away. Looking back now however, we would not trade this time for anything. It is humbling to be so dependent on so many other people for the fulfillment of our dream. At the same time it is richly rewarding to see God lead others to join our team. We have benefited greatly from the interaction and encouragement we have received from many of you. This time has been a wonderful testimony to us of how the body of Christ works, and we are blessed to have experienced it.
One of my favorite statements in all of Scripture was said by the father of a demon-possessed son in Mark 9:24, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief!" The more I pursue Christ the more this desperate cry for faith resonates with me. There was a time when I wished we could skip this whole process and arrive on the mission field right away. Looking back now however, we would not trade this time for anything. It is humbling to be so dependent on so many other people for the fulfillment of our dream. At the same time it is richly rewarding to see God lead others to join our team. We have benefited greatly from the interaction and encouragement we have received from many of you. This time has been a wonderful testimony to us of how the body of Christ works, and we are blessed to have experienced it.
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