Changes in Raising Support

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"  Matthew 6:25-26

My first support raising experience was simple.  After I graduated from college, I decided to go work in an orphanage in Mexico.  Most of my daily costs would be covered by living at the orphanage.  I would need money for insurance, food costs on my days out of the orphanage, gas money to travel back and forth to the orphanage in Mexico and the office in Texas, and other miscellaneous expenses.  My home church promised me monthly support as well as several relatives and individuals.  Within a little more than a month, I was ready to go.  I don't think I even had health insurance.

After my two-year commitment there, I resigned and looked for another ministry where God could use me.  God opened the doors to Guatemala.  This time I was asked to raise $400 a month in support.  That sounded like an astounding amount to me after my first experience.  The mission agreed to let me go even though I didn't have that much promised yet, and they would help me find more support after I arrived.  In three months, I was in Guatemala.

When I left Guatemala for the Philippines, my support requirements increased as did my connections.  By the time I left there, though, I was working for a church that gave me a salary and no longer needed monthly support.

This experience is completely different.  Because of overseas travel, medical sharing expenses, and the cost of living, we are being asked to raise a phenomenal amount.  We are hoping to demonstrate that we can live well on a lot less than is recommended, but until we have enough to cover our daily expenses so that we can buy (or rent) a place to live again, we won't know.  We are frugal people.  We don't believe we should be living lavishly.  We want our supporters' money to be well spent in ministry.

My past experiences of raising support were simple.  Raise what you can, go, and expect God to meet the rest.  This time we can't do that.  Although we might end up living abroad, that is not currently the plan.  The current plan is to live in the US and travel to other locations to teach.

I sometimes wonder how in the world we will raise this kind of money.  We're talking more than twelve times what I was asked to raise thirty years ago.  But God is able.  He can either raise that kind of money for us or show us how we can reduce our expenses so that we can live on lots less.  Either way, it will be God who meets our needs.

We would appreciate your prayers for us.  We have had requests to go teach which we have had to turn down because our support isn't high enough yet.  We are currently at 7% of our stated requirements.  In order to accept more teaching engagements, that number needs to come up. 

Our Trip to Florida

The Maces, friends and members of our home church in Maine, invited us to visit them in Florida.  We decided to take them up on the offer and visit churches while we were there.  We drove down on Valentine’s Day and spent the rest of the week there.  On Sunday afternoon, we left the Maces and drove north a couple hours to my cousin’s church for the evening service.  We then spent two nights with an aunt and uncle before driving to Atlanta for the BJU friendship dinner.  We stayed there with my sister so that we could attend a church in Atlanta on Wednesday night, and finally returned home on Thursday.  Altogether, it was a great week that can be summed up in these phrases.

1.       Restful workplaces.  Although we had some work that had to be done, our hosts gave us a very relaxed atmosphere in which to do it.  They have a screened balcony that overlooks a golf course.  It was the best “office” we could have had.  From there we answered mail, made phone calls, and enjoyed the fresh breeze and beautiful scenery.  Then, at my aunt and uncle’s home, the dining room became my “office”.  From there I could see the sun shining on the water of the lake behind their house and watch alligator bask in the sun.

2.       Daily exercise.  Florida temperatures made neighborhood or beach walks possible every day.  Jogging was on the agenda several times.  One day we went to the weight room.  Swimming would have been possible, but after a walk on the beach, a pool seemed small and the bay felt cold.

3.       Good church contacts.  We visited a number of churches, one of which looks like it will schedule us for a meeting. 

4.       Delicious food.  I think I gained more than five pounds in that one week.  The food was great, and there was always more of it than I needed.  I discovered that I like sweet potato soup (yummy!), orange swirl ice cream, and watermelon chunks as an evening snack. 

5.       Reconnecting with missionaries.  Our church has supported Margaret Holmes-Gualtieri for years.  Now she is retired and living in Bradenton.  One afternoon we drove over to see her and meet her husband, Art.  They invited us in and showed us around the village where they live.  During that time, I got to see my childhood hero, Pat Filmore, for the first time in more than forty years.  Pat was a missionary nurse in a remote tribe in the highlands of Papua, Indonesia.  As a child, she was my hero, and I wanted to be a missionary nurse because of her.  (High school chemistry convinced me otherwise.)

6.       Christian relatives.  One of the joys of getting together with my family is the bond we share as Christians.  Charlie and my uncle spent hours discussing various issues.  It was also great to hear how the Lord is using their retirement years as they invest dozens of hours every week in helping others.

7.       Unexpected blessings.  A pastor offered to have us come back for a meeting.  One night we walked into a church, and found they were having a special guest:  Dr. Bob Jones III.   I met a woman who was a toddler the last time I saw her in Indonesia.  I had just put a hole in a pair of jeans, and my aunt gave me a new pair. 

Altogether it was a great week, and we're thankful for all the people who made it special for us.

Divine Appointments

As we continue in our deputation ministry I am amazed at the many times it is obvious, to me at least,  the Lord has scheduled an appointment for me.  I only need to be faithful in fulfilling the appointment. The other day Joan and I went out to try to catch some pastors in their studies and talk with them. On our first visit we found the pastor in, willing to speak to us, knowledgeable about IPM and open to the possibility of our presenting our ministry at the church. We found a man we knew from Maine standing in the office.  He is a part of the ministry of the church. We did not know what we would find, but God had set up a divine appointment.

“ Ah,” you say, “what of your other visits that day?” They did not go as well.  One flat turn down, one offer to give our prayer card to the Missions Committee and one conversation with a pastor who did not seem overly interested. “It was only the luck of the draw, pure chance!,” you say.  I believe it was a divine appointment, and so were the others. I cannot see the results of any of the visits yet.  I can only be faithful to take the opportunities the Lord gives me and use them to minister to the churches and people He places in my life, divine appointments, for His glory!

Fears Over a Secret Mission

My secret mission does not include daggers, lies, and spies.  Hopefully, the dark side of secret missions will be forever lost on me.  Instead, my secret mission will bring surprise, joy, and encouragement to my sisters in Christ.

It began more than a month ago when I was talking with a deaconness from our church.  They were planning a ladies' retreat, one which I had planned myself for many years previously.  The new pastor's wife could not be there because their house had not sold.  All of a sudden, with the exhuberant joy that comes flying out of my mouth without thinking, I said, "Maybe I could come."  In that brief, exciting moment without the concerns of the husband left behind, the cost of getting there, the long hours, or adding to my sisters' busy schedules by asking them to pick me up, I almost jumped in with both feet.  I caught myself on the rim of the decision and said, "I really need to talk to Charlie before I decide, so please keep it under wraps until I've had a chance to do that."

And so the idea of a Secret Mission was born.

I talked with Charlie about it.  With the cost of gas and overnights on the way and our negative cash flow, driving up and back was out of the question.  "What about the bus?" I mused.

I checked the bus fares and schedules.  "Do-able," he said.

So I bought the 45-hour bus fare to Maine.

That night I had super-sized regrets and couldn't sleep.  What was I thinking?  Why did I not listen more closely to Charlie's concerns over finances?  Why did he not talk to me more seriously about our negative cash flow?  Where was my respect for him if I let my own excitement squash his careful reasoning?  Much of the night I poured out my concerns to the Lord and confessed my lack of love for my husband.

In the morning, I told him of my regret.  Buyer's remorse, I called it, even though it was more than that.

"Why?" he asked me gently.

"That's a lot of money with our current cash flow situation," I replied regretfully.

"I know," he said.  "But isn't it worth it to go back to our sending church and give them an update?  Isn't is worth it to go and encourage our family of supporters?"

I smiled tentatively and gave thanks to God for this husband of mine.  He knew the "empty nest syndrome" for this pastor's wife was in full swing.  He knew it would do me good to go back and see my "kids" and "grandkids".  Out of love for me, he agreed, and I am so thankful.

So here I sit - on a bus miles from home and somewhere between Georgia and Maine.  (In order to keep the secret, this will not be posted until after I get there.)

No, there are no daggers or lies, but there is the Sword of Truth:  "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." 

This time I'm going a long way to "assemble together" and "exhort" my sisters, but I'm so glad I can do it.

Instilling a Love for Missions in the Heart of Your Child, Part 1

Missions and children.  When a child catches a glimpse of the needs of the world, it is exciting to see.  But for some busy moms, the very idea of trying to find ways to include missions in family life can be overwhelming.  So here are some practical ideas that won't take much more time.

Host a missionary family.  When a visiting missionary comes through your church, get to know them on a personal basis.  Invite them over for a meal, a play date, coffee, or overnight, depending on what your schedule can handle.  Don't worry about private bathrooms or even bedrooms for them.  They are used to sleeping anywhere and will be delighted with the opportunity to be in your home.

Pray for missionaries as a family.  You know those prayer cards that missionaries give out like candy?  Keep them near the kitchen table.  Grab one at supper and include them in your mealtime prayers.  Or let your children keep some in their room and pray for them at bedtime.

Ethnic meal times.  Three times a day and 365 days a year, meals are made.  So every once in a while focus on a country for one night.  Go online and find ideas for decorating and let the children help with decorating.  Set the table (or the coffee table or floor) according to the traditions of the country.  Many missionaries would be delighted to cook an ethnic meal for you in your home and provide eating instructions. 

Learn geography together.  When her children were small, my sister picked up some geography placemats.  While she was preparing dinner and the children were hanging around the kitchen, she played geography games with them.  "Who can be the first to find . . . ?"  And the children raced each other to see who could find it first.

More ideas next time.  If I put all my ideas into one blog, it would be overwhelming.  If just one of these ideas work, you will be on the way to leaving an international mark on the heart of your child.