Strength in Weakness
This month has been significantly busier than the summer months. Other workers have returned to start programs up again, meanwhile I’m still in the full swing of language learning. In my language responsibilities, the Lord has been providing new perspective and energy. A couple weeks ago I was sitting at church listening to the service. The pastor spoke about purpose in the city and shared, “Everyone has a job they have been called to do here, a job they must be faithful to through the power of Christ.” This was about 2 weeks after I had returned from Athens and just felt really doubtful... Read moreActive Resilience
As I enter my fifth week of support raising, I find myself struggling to stay motivated. This is a long and tough process so I must be consistently reminding myself to be patient and wait upon the Lord’s timing. On Sunday, my pastor was preaching on patience. His sermon hit me right between the eyes. He described patience as “active resilience.” Our patience and waiting upon the Lord is not sitting by and doing nothing. My pastor talked through a cycle that helps us learn patience. Memory leads us into reflection and our reflection leads us into this active resilience. Meaning, that by... Read more
Faith as a Dual Identity Worker
I came to this country with the intent to work doing something that I am passionate about and trained in--establishing righteousness and justice in the agriculture/agribusiness field and working to see humankind's task of stewarding over God’s creation is fulfilled in a God glorifying way--while also striving to share my personal hope and spread the Good News to those around me. In overseas contexts this is often called working as a “dual identity person”. I think it can also simply be referred to as the daily life of a working believer, but in the realm of overseas kingdom work this “dual... Read more
Fill Your Cup: Self-care on and off the field
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21 NIV That’s a verse that’ll slap awake. You can always count on the Apostle Paul to give you the honest truth. In fact, the uncomfortable directness of this verse may be why I’ve heard many sermons asking “How are you filling your cup?” It seems like a simple question, but the meaning is deeper than any cup I know. On the field, ministry workers are encouraged to partake in self-care frequently. If your “cup” runs empty you will... Read moreMy Letter to Future Goers
To future Goers: The life that you've chosen is hard. There's nothing fancy about traveling across the world and living with the poor and broken for two years. It's not vacation, it's not a Europe tour, and it's definitely not something to take lightly. You will cry, question your purpose, second-guess your decision, and want to give up. And then you'll board a plane and do it all over again, but in a new city with a foreign language and people you don't know. You'll get hurt, you'll be broken, and you'll be knocked down and propped back up so many times you won't bother to count... Read more
Living Here is Hard
Living here is hard. My initial hopefulness has faded. Gone is that girl who saw beauty in every little thing. I feel like Naomi, who said to her friends, “Instead call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.” (Ruth 1:20) I am carrying a sorrow from being here, that doesn’t come from one specific thing. It’s not just that I’m missing family and familiar things, or that here community is hard and values are different. All those things are happening at once, and I feel weary. Like I’m constantly at the end of my rope. Facing each day is a challenge because it requires... Read more
Go Beyond Your Own Ordinary
I am learning more and more that life with God is a rollercoaster for sure. There is so much excitement and energy walking in the will of the Lord and it is a true privilege and joy to let Him take you on the greatest adventures. However, I don’t remember seeing some of these twists and turns when I got in line for this ride. This past season of support raising and vision casting has been both an honor and a challenge. I have loved getting to meet with my community to share what God is up to and to share my burden and compassion for where God was leading me next. However, I have also... Read moreCan you fix this?
This is a phrase I use more often than you’d think. This country has an abundance of skilled craftsmen and women whose businesses are all about fixing or altering what you already have. I have a ring I've worn since I was 13, and recently I’ve noticed it seemed too big, and I really wanted it to fit properly. There is a gold market in the north part of town where they not only sell gold jewelry, but silver, gems, and some antiques. The market is in the lowest level of a mall, and is a large open area filled with rows of glass display cases. Further back is a row of small, individual stores... Read more
Bridges of Trust That Bear the Weight of Truth
Over the last few months I have developed close friendships with a group of girls from the Middle East, as well as one girl from Europe. We all arrived here around the same time and have supported each other through the ups and downs of culture shock… Up until a few weeks ago we just hung out to eat together or to study Arabic, but recently things have changed. We’ve started to talk about Jesus. The seven of us gather once a week in my house--reading the Holy Books and spending up to five hours in conversation. My next blog posts are a four-part series capturing what God is doing among this... Read more