16 months old. Finally fits into his 12 month clothes.
He has stolen my heart.
He really is obsessed with balls. All day long, he hits them, throws them, and kicks them, and he’s happy.
I really think it fulfills a lifetime dream of mine to dress my little boy in OshKosh overalls. I mean, really. Is there anything cuter?
He’s often pretty solemn, but many times during the day, he’ll look over at me. I’ll smile at him, and this is what I get in return.
My other little sweetie.
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
Too many things swirling around my mind.
Grace’s U.S. immigrant visa interview this morning…did I ever realize what a complicated procedure this is? Just because she’s adopted by Americans doesn’t automatically make her American.
Josiah’s homestudy appointment this afternoon. Josiah’s court hearing on April 17th.
Moving out on Saturday. Yep, moving out. It’s happening. The landlord is bound and determined to knock down all our internal walls and build them again. Can’t be disuaded. So, we’re moving. To short-term housing that is way too expensive but we don’t really have a choice.
He says 1-2 months…we’re doubling that and hoping it’s not even longer.
Moving…moving…what to take? What to store? Can’t take apart the house yet because the homestudy is this afternoon. Can’t take the dogs with us…can’t leave them here…
Too many deadlines…too many details…and a daughter who is going through a disobedient stage…
And then there’s all the bad news. Aren’t you getting it too? Too many people losing jobs…too many people I love who are struggling. What’s next? And I’m guessing the worst is yet to come…and afraid to open my news page every day.
These are uncertain times. But is anything ever certain?
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
He is good, and He is in control.
You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Every other year, our mission organization holds a All-Africa conference. Usually it has been held in Kenya, but this year it was in Tanzania–just about a mile away from our house! Even though it was so close, last week we still packed up and drove down to stay at the hotel with everyone else. It was a wonderful five days.
There were about 100 people there: half either missionaries or national leaders from Africa, and half from the States, including a large team from a church in Tenessee, who ministered to us in music, prayer, and child care.
I was blessed by the African national pastors…godly, strong men, all from countries recently devastated by war–yet planting dozens of churches a year. And for the first time in about 18 years, I got to hear real Liberian English…what a joy to my heart!
I was blessed by the missionaries from the other African countries. The vast majority of missionaries there used to serve in Zaire–now known as Congo–and have now been dispersed to other countries because of the war. But the movement of churches in Congo is the second largest in the entire world for our denomiation, second only to the U.S. This group has been serving God in Africa for decades…they all speak multiple languages…they are such an example of faithfulness and sacrifice.
One day, out of curiousity, I counted the career missionaries in the room: 27.
Number of those who are in their 50’s or 60’s: 20
Number of those who are under 40 years old: 7, counting Gil and I. And all of us are in our 30’s.
Where is the next generation? Who will replace them? “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
The best part of the conference was getting to spend time with friends that I rarely get to see. Emily and her husband live a couple hours away from us, but they have two adopted kids that are the same age as our kids, so we have a lot in common.
Grace’s two best friends: McKayla and Caleb.
Caleb says to his Mommy: “Isn’t Grace beautiful?”
Grace says to her Mommy: “I’m going to marry my friend Caleb.”
We think it’s a great match!
Josiah is a little fish, just like his sister. Whenever he is in the pool, all he wants to do is repeatedly throw himself in, face first. Guess he trusts us to pick him up every time!
Grace and McKayla entertained each other by coming up with as many ways as possible to go down the water slides.
Gil got up for the sunrise a couple mornings and this was his reward.
This morning I went into Grace’s room and she was sitting on her bed “reading” this:
It’s a fabulous little catechism that is recommended by John Piper. Grace has been memorizing it and she loves it. So this morning when I walked in, she started asking me the questions. “Mommy, Who is God? Who wrote the Bible? Why did God make you?” And then, “Good girl, Mommy!” when I answered correctly.
Then she asked, “Where is God?”
“God is everywhere,” I said.
She looked up at me. “Why is God everywhere?” (This is not a question from her book. And she’s really not that philosophical. She’s just three and likes to ask ‘why.’)
“Well,” I said. “Because He is God. He can do anything. He has all the power.”
She gave me a knowing look. “No, Mommy. Tanesco has all the power.”
Ah. Tanesco. That would be the power company. Obviously a common topic of conversation in our house.
You want to get me on a soapbox? Ask me this question.
Maybe some of you didn’t even know that Christians are asking this question. Depends on the church you attend, probably. But there are some churches who aren’t even supporting long-term missionaries any more. They have consciously decided to only support national workers and short-term missionaries.
These are the reasons:
1. National missionaries already know the language.
2. National missionaries already know the culture.
3. National missionaries are significantly cheaper than western missionaries.
Agreed. No problem agreeing there.
But these arguments leave out other important factors:
1. There are many, many people groups in the world who have yet to have one believer in their midst. Who will reach them?
2. There are many, many people groups in the world who do have an established church, but they have no missionary mindset to try to reach other groups.
3. There are many, many national believers who would love to share the gospel but have no training, often not even a high school diploma, let alone Bible training. Often they don’t even own a Bible. In Africa, often a pastor of a church won’t even own an entire Bible. Or maybe one for the entire congregation. And it probably won’t be translated into their heart language.
Missions in general is undergoing a huge shift in priorities. This is a very, very good thing. I totally agree that missions in the past was often very influenced by imperialism and ethnocentrism. Not good; not biblical–even though they did accomplish much good.
The attitude used to be: We come in; we do the work; we build it up; you depend on us.
Now, the attitude is increasingly more: We come in; we teach you to do the work; you build it up; you depend on God.
Much better.
However, short-term teams, with all of their advantages, cannot do this. Not even in a year. Or two years, depending on the country, especially if language learning is a part. Maybe more like 10 years…or longer.
And yes, the idea is for the nationals to do it. We agree that often they can do the work much better than us. One of the reasons we love teaching at HOPAC is because 40% of the kids are Tanzanian. From upper-class families. These are the kids who will go on to be the politicians, the lawyers, the movers-and-shakers. They really do have a chance to make a difference in their country and for the Kingdom. And this is the reason that one day Gil would love to be involved with training African pastors.
I love that our mission organization is not interested in just planting churches. They are interested in church planting movements. Planting churches that then plant more churches that then plant more.
Another thing to remember is that Jesus said, “Go.” Even to the ends of the earth. All believers fall into this category. All churches should be sending missionaries, not just money. I love to see this at work here in Dar es Salaam. The missionaries here are definitely not all American! We know Danish families who publish and distribute Christian literature throughout Tanzania. We know Australian families who are working on Bible translation. We know a Spanish family who is working with drug addicts. And we know Korean, Finnish, and British families who are planting churches. All of these families send their kids to HOPAC.
Did you know some of these countries are even sending missionaries to the U.S.? That’s how it should be. All churches should be senders. All nationals (including American nationals) should be missionaries.
I could go on, but I will stop after one more thought.
Missions is popular these days. Almost every Christian under the age of 30 (and many above 30) have been on at least one short-term missions trip. And there are many who are commiting to serve for a few months, even a year. This is great.
But do you know what is not popular? Career missions. The number of people who want to give their lives to career overseas missons has stagnated. It shouldn’t be this way. John Piper says that every year he takes some time to evaluate his life and ask God if He wants him overseas. What would happen if every Christian did that?
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