This is what a coffee shop day looks like...
Wish you were here with me!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Dreaming of a New Place
You have an idea of what the new country looks like. Still, you are very much at home, although truly not at peace in the old country. You know the ways of the old country, its joys & pains, its happy & sad moments. You have spent most of your days there. Even though you know that you have not found there what your heart most desires, you remain quite attached to it. It has become part of your very bones.
Now you have come to realize that you must leave it and enter the new country, where your Beloved dwells. You know that what helped and guided you in the old country no longer works, but what else do you have to go by? You are being asked to trust that you will find what you need in the new country. That requires the death of what has become so precious to you: influence, yes, even affection and praise.
Trust is so hard, since you have nothing to fall back on. Still, truth is what is essential. The new country is where you are called to go, and the only way to go there is naked & vulnerable. It seems that you keep crossing & re-crossing the border. For a while you experience a real joy in the new country. But then you feel afraid and start longing again for all you left behind, so you go back to the old country. To your dismay, you discover that the old country has lost its charm. Risk a few more steps in the new country, trusting that each time you enter it, you will feel more comfortable and be able to stay longer.
Author Unknown
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Now you have come to realize that you must leave it and enter the new country, where your Beloved dwells. You know that what helped and guided you in the old country no longer works, but what else do you have to go by? You are being asked to trust that you will find what you need in the new country. That requires the death of what has become so precious to you: influence, yes, even affection and praise.
Trust is so hard, since you have nothing to fall back on. Still, truth is what is essential. The new country is where you are called to go, and the only way to go there is naked & vulnerable. It seems that you keep crossing & re-crossing the border. For a while you experience a real joy in the new country. But then you feel afraid and start longing again for all you left behind, so you go back to the old country. To your dismay, you discover that the old country has lost its charm. Risk a few more steps in the new country, trusting that each time you enter it, you will feel more comfortable and be able to stay longer.
Author Unknown
Update: 6 Weeks Down, 12 to Go
Dear Friends,
I am so excited to be able to write to you today! To share with you praises of what the Father is doing on the other side of the world! First of all, He has graciously continued to give me joy and contentment in living and serving here for 6 weeks so far! Every moment that I have joy and look at the people all around me with love is a gift and a moment of victory! It is a daily fight for joy, but it is so worth it - because HE is worth it! Living in a culture where I am ignorant, naive, weak and vulnerable I am forced to choose in every moment that I take a breath to continue hard and keep my eyes on the One who breathes life into me. In my way too frequent weak and vulnerable moments there is only one thing that I can fall back on and that is the One who brought me out of death and into life!
6 weeks...looking back, that has gone really fast! Looking forward, there is still so much work to be done! It already breaks my heart to think of leaving, but I am forever thankful for the season that I am able to spend here and am loving every minute of it! There will always be work here to labor in...at times the task seems insurmountable. In a country of 72 million people and less than 5,000 believers, the reality of the eternal destiny of the majority of the countless eyes that I look into every day is staggering. They are so buried in tradition, have no knowledge of Truth and statistically so little chance to hear of the Message that has changed my life and the Love of the Father that has driven me to this spiritually dark place. I love every chance I get to tell any little bit I can!
Each day we sink a little deeper into the culture that surrounds us. Much of it I love dearly. Some of it is frustrating. Many weeks I look back and feel as though I have been on an emotional roller coaster experiencing multiple high and low points in within the same day. Discouragement can be an easy retreat in those times - it is in those moments I must choose joy! You want to stay home and question what brought you to this place - or maybe what is keeping you here. The answer is the love of the Father. He has poured His love out on me and the only thing I can do with it is to give it away. So every chance we get that is what we do - we give love away. I demonstrate love in the way that treat my team mates and the way that I genuinely say "thank you" to the boy who is selling water all day long and the way that I learn to patiently wait in long lines. Most of the time it is the least that I can do when I don't speak their language. And I can share love in the way that I speak to my Turkish friends who want to practice their English with us!
Speaking of our Turkish friends, thank you for lifting them up! Last time I wrote, we were looking forward to meeting with a couple of national friends. I am filled with joy to write to you today to share that we have spent much time with two good friends of ours on separate occasions. They are extreme opposites from each other. One, "B", is very modern in her thinking and holds loosely, if at all, to the traditions that shape this culture. The other, "S", is incredibly devout - her family history is thoroughly steeped in M tradition and culture. Right now these two girls who have opposite backgrounds and lifestyles have three things in common: they are not believers, they are in need of a relationship with the King of Kings, and they have been placed in our life through divine appointments that we certainly could have never orchestrated ourselves. Sarah and I have been greatly encouraged in our time spent with "B" and "S" and that the Father has given us the opportunity to speak Truth into their lives. "The Word of the Father will not return void!" We have been humbled and amazed at the conversations we have had with them thus far and have been able to share with both of them that we are believers. We even got to share the message of the Good News with "B" the first night we met with her through talking about holidays that we celebrate in America - we were the very first people to tell her about Easter and then what it meant as well. They are looking forward to hanging out with us much more this fall! Would you ask that the Father would be praised in our friendships and that His name would be made great! These girls are precious and I would have no greater joy that to see them worshiping around the Throne one day!
Would you please join me in asking the Father to continue what He is doing here in Central Asia?
Ask that...
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I am so excited to be able to write to you today! To share with you praises of what the Father is doing on the other side of the world! First of all, He has graciously continued to give me joy and contentment in living and serving here for 6 weeks so far! Every moment that I have joy and look at the people all around me with love is a gift and a moment of victory! It is a daily fight for joy, but it is so worth it - because HE is worth it! Living in a culture where I am ignorant, naive, weak and vulnerable I am forced to choose in every moment that I take a breath to continue hard and keep my eyes on the One who breathes life into me. In my way too frequent weak and vulnerable moments there is only one thing that I can fall back on and that is the One who brought me out of death and into life!
6 weeks...looking back, that has gone really fast! Looking forward, there is still so much work to be done! It already breaks my heart to think of leaving, but I am forever thankful for the season that I am able to spend here and am loving every minute of it! There will always be work here to labor in...at times the task seems insurmountable. In a country of 72 million people and less than 5,000 believers, the reality of the eternal destiny of the majority of the countless eyes that I look into every day is staggering. They are so buried in tradition, have no knowledge of Truth and statistically so little chance to hear of the Message that has changed my life and the Love of the Father that has driven me to this spiritually dark place. I love every chance I get to tell any little bit I can!
Each day we sink a little deeper into the culture that surrounds us. Much of it I love dearly. Some of it is frustrating. Many weeks I look back and feel as though I have been on an emotional roller coaster experiencing multiple high and low points in within the same day. Discouragement can be an easy retreat in those times - it is in those moments I must choose joy! You want to stay home and question what brought you to this place - or maybe what is keeping you here. The answer is the love of the Father. He has poured His love out on me and the only thing I can do with it is to give it away. So every chance we get that is what we do - we give love away. I demonstrate love in the way that treat my team mates and the way that I genuinely say "thank you" to the boy who is selling water all day long and the way that I learn to patiently wait in long lines. Most of the time it is the least that I can do when I don't speak their language. And I can share love in the way that I speak to my Turkish friends who want to practice their English with us!
Speaking of our Turkish friends, thank you for lifting them up! Last time I wrote, we were looking forward to meeting with a couple of national friends. I am filled with joy to write to you today to share that we have spent much time with two good friends of ours on separate occasions. They are extreme opposites from each other. One, "B", is very modern in her thinking and holds loosely, if at all, to the traditions that shape this culture. The other, "S", is incredibly devout - her family history is thoroughly steeped in M tradition and culture. Right now these two girls who have opposite backgrounds and lifestyles have three things in common: they are not believers, they are in need of a relationship with the King of Kings, and they have been placed in our life through divine appointments that we certainly could have never orchestrated ourselves. Sarah and I have been greatly encouraged in our time spent with "B" and "S" and that the Father has given us the opportunity to speak Truth into their lives. "The Word of the Father will not return void!" We have been humbled and amazed at the conversations we have had with them thus far and have been able to share with both of them that we are believers. We even got to share the message of the Good News with "B" the first night we met with her through talking about holidays that we celebrate in America - we were the very first people to tell her about Easter and then what it meant as well. They are looking forward to hanging out with us much more this fall! Would you ask that the Father would be praised in our friendships and that His name would be made great! These girls are precious and I would have no greater joy that to see them worshiping around the Throne one day!
Would you please join me in asking the Father to continue what He is doing here in Central Asia?
Ask that...
- Our relationships with "B" and "S" will continue to grow and that we would have many more opportunities to share Truth.
- The Father will continue to place relationships in our lives that will strengthen us in becoming bolder in what we believe.
- That the region of Central Asia will be drawn to worshiping my King.
- That the barriers of what they believe will be stripped down and they will see the freedom that is offered to them through a relationship with the Father.
Thank you again and again for all of your love and support! I am thankful for each of you!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
He is Risen!
I saw this cross on a rock in Ephesus and the first thought that came to my mind was that HE IS RISEN!
Hallelujah!
Our King is the King of Kings and reigns eternally on high...He alone is God and there is no one like Him (read about it more in the book of Isaiah).
Have you shared that Truth with someone you know today?
Please ask that the thousands of people that come through places like this would notice symbols like this and be drawn to the Father and that they would become seekers and understand the life that is represented in the cross!
What I See Everyday
Ask that the Father would break down the barriers that hinder an understanding of the Truth that we find life in.
Update
Dear Friends!
Tomorrow (Sunday) I will have been here for one month! I cannot believe it! I have learned so much in that short time...transportation, some language, and many, many valuable lessons from the Father!
Thank you so much for lifting up Sarah and I as we have been stumbling our way around this big city! I cannot tell you what a blessing that has been! I know that it may have seemed like an insignificant request, but to a girl who had never taken public transportation before arriving here, it was a big deal! We know how to get so many places (and even have our favorite places in the city) now and that encourages us to have confidence to step out and learn even more! We are also able to stumble our way through ordering at a restaurant in Turkish which is a huge encouragement!
This past week, Sarah and I spent in another city several hours away providing child care for a team while they met together in the mornings and evenings. While we had to learn to be creative with having only a playground and coloring books, we had a great time playing with the eleven children we were responsible for. During the afternoons we had some free time and got the explore the area near where we were staying. We got to eat at a beach-front restaurant, climbed around an ancient Byzantine castle, visited Ephesus and some other historical landmarks. While it was fun to see some history and parts of this beautiful country, it was even more of a blessing to provide the workers we were with an opportunity to have a break from their kids so that they could seek the Father in direction for strategies for the work that is being done here. While it was great to be away, we are very glad to be back in our city where things look familiar once again - yes, there are parts of living in a city of millions of people that does begin to look familiar.
My highlight of the week, and probably my time here so far, was by far Friday when my roommate and visited Ephesus. Yes, Ephesus was great (even the second time around was still incredible), but the best part was when we were in one of the shops at the end. We were shopping for souvenirs and gifts when we met one of the store owners. He had some plaques in his shop that he had made himself and we took the opportunity to begin asking questions about the Christian symbols he had placed on them. We just started asking curious questions to see if he knew what they meant and my roommate and I were able to have a lengthy conversation with our new friend sharing a small part of the hope that we have. It was our first time to verbally share a small part of that with anyone here! We have been asking the Father to provide opportunities for us to find ways to engage in conversation and He has faithfully shown us so many ways this week and even provided an opportunity for us to share openly about the Truth. We are asking that the Father would continue to water the seeds that are planted because He is the One who causes the growth!
Would you join with us in asking for the Father to place strategic relationships in our lives?
There are so many stories that I could share with you and trust that I will have an opportunity to one day when I come home.
Here are some requests to lift up:
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Tomorrow (Sunday) I will have been here for one month! I cannot believe it! I have learned so much in that short time...transportation, some language, and many, many valuable lessons from the Father!
Thank you so much for lifting up Sarah and I as we have been stumbling our way around this big city! I cannot tell you what a blessing that has been! I know that it may have seemed like an insignificant request, but to a girl who had never taken public transportation before arriving here, it was a big deal! We know how to get so many places (and even have our favorite places in the city) now and that encourages us to have confidence to step out and learn even more! We are also able to stumble our way through ordering at a restaurant in Turkish which is a huge encouragement!
This past week, Sarah and I spent in another city several hours away providing child care for a team while they met together in the mornings and evenings. While we had to learn to be creative with having only a playground and coloring books, we had a great time playing with the eleven children we were responsible for. During the afternoons we had some free time and got the explore the area near where we were staying. We got to eat at a beach-front restaurant, climbed around an ancient Byzantine castle, visited Ephesus and some other historical landmarks. While it was fun to see some history and parts of this beautiful country, it was even more of a blessing to provide the workers we were with an opportunity to have a break from their kids so that they could seek the Father in direction for strategies for the work that is being done here. While it was great to be away, we are very glad to be back in our city where things look familiar once again - yes, there are parts of living in a city of millions of people that does begin to look familiar.
My highlight of the week, and probably my time here so far, was by far Friday when my roommate and visited Ephesus. Yes, Ephesus was great (even the second time around was still incredible), but the best part was when we were in one of the shops at the end. We were shopping for souvenirs and gifts when we met one of the store owners. He had some plaques in his shop that he had made himself and we took the opportunity to begin asking questions about the Christian symbols he had placed on them. We just started asking curious questions to see if he knew what they meant and my roommate and I were able to have a lengthy conversation with our new friend sharing a small part of the hope that we have. It was our first time to verbally share a small part of that with anyone here! We have been asking the Father to provide opportunities for us to find ways to engage in conversation and He has faithfully shown us so many ways this week and even provided an opportunity for us to share openly about the Truth. We are asking that the Father would continue to water the seeds that are planted because He is the One who causes the growth!
Would you join with us in asking for the Father to place strategic relationships in our lives?
There are so many stories that I could share with you and trust that I will have an opportunity to one day when I come home.
Here are some requests to lift up:
- Sarah and I have one friend that we met in our first week here. We have been in contact with her but unable to get together yet. The way that the Father allowed for us to meet her was a divine appointment and unlike any other and we would love to continue that relationship if that is what the Father wills. Please ask that we would find joy in waiting and that the Father would prepare us for how to build a friendship with her.
- That the Father would continue to open our eyes to see opportunities to share Truth and that He would give us the words and boldness to make known the mystery of the Good News!
- That the Father would provide many more opportunities like He did with our new friend at Ephesus.
- That I would continue to cling to the Father and savor the sweet time that I get to spend in His Word and in fellowship with Him! It is a daily fight to see and savor Him as my highest Treasure, but it is so worth it! I am so thankful for the lazy mornings I get to have sitting and reading the Word!
I am thankful for each one of you!! I could not be here without you! Have a blessed day! I would love to hear from you and hear what the Father is teaching you!
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Best Thing
I LOVE telling people about the best thing in my life.
I don't have any hesitations in sharing it...
Now, I don't understand everything, I certainly have plenty of questions,
but I am confident He knows all and He has all the answers.
Until we meet and all is revealed,
I will keep running the race & keep pressing on toward the goal,
relying fully on His strength,
which powerfully works in me,
and being confident that He will be faithful to complete the work that He has begun in me.
David McDonnall, a worker who gave his life in an attack while serving in the Middle East in 2004
