A Good Story

Ever have one of those times when you have a lot of thoughts but they don’t seem to necessarily coordinate? Call it a “senior moment” or a “creative mind” but I am having one of those moments as I try to write this post. So I will forget trying to coordinate things and simply share them as a list of three.

1 – Liberia. As you know from my last post, we are seriously considering transferring our service with Evangelical Church Missions from the Bolivian field to the new field in Liberia. At this point everything seems to be falling into place with one of the last pieces about to happen. This next week (April 10-19) Mark, Niki and I will be taking a trip, along with some others, to Liberia. This will be Niki and Mark’s opportunity to experience first hand just a little bit of what may lie ahead for us. It will give me an opportunity to validate what I felt on my previous visit. Will you please pray with us that as we come to the point of making a final decision that our decision will be in tune with God’s direction for us?

Liberia's beaches and people are calling again!

2 – Deputation. Our deputation travels are continuing for about three more months. While the support that we need to raise has not been exactly coming in so fast that we are unable to keep up with it, it has been coming in slowly and surely. But nonetheless we have had some really good interaction with people along the way and I believe that I have been learning some new things. God continues to show himself faithful to us and to the work to which he has and is calling us. And I am amazed with the people who have been willing to partner with us through the years. Many of them have been with us from the very beginning and it is humbling to think that they have put confidence in us. We hope, by God’s grace, to be deserving of that confidence. Will you please pray with us that the needed rest of our support will come in during these three months?

Feeding squirrels (and people) has been a favorite activity this year. 

3 – Good story. Sometimes we all need to be encouraged. I find that in ministry results can seem few and far between. But once in a while something happens that brings encouragement our way. Not too long ago my cell phone rang. When I answered it there was the voice of Bryan Canny, my really good friend and co-worker in Santa Cruz. He said that there was someone there at his house that wanted to speak with me. It was an hermana (sister) from the church. She said that her husband wanted to speak with me.

This couple has three children. I had the opportunity to dedicate two of them. When I dedicated the second child several years ago I had a pretty heart to heart talk with the dad who was not living for the Lord. I reminded him that dedicating a child was really promising before God to raise that child in the faith and to be an example. I asked the dad when he was going to change and begin living as an example for his kids.

On the phone the dad reminded me of that conversation and told me that recently he had developed an aneurism in his head. (At least that is what I understood him to mean.) He had to have “open head” surgery and was faced with the thought that he might die. Remembering our conversation he received the Lord into his life and has begun to walk with him. Was I ever encouraged! I had prayed for him and his brother but had not seen any results. But now, the seed planted quite some time ago has taken root. Will you please pray for this couple and especially for the dad that he will keep walking with God and letting him make the needed changes along the way?

A representative child. I couldn't find one of the actual kid.

So there you have my senior ramblings but I guess there is a common theme after all. God is faithful to us and never leaves us on our own. It’s good to have one that we can call Father knowing that we are never out of his hands or care.

The Cat's Out of the Bag

Last November, when I joined a team of mission leaders on a visit to Liberia, West Africa, I knew that I was not just going along for a vacation. For awhile now, something has been tugging at my heart about a possible change in ministry location for our family. In the past, as we reached the end of each of our terms of service, I have always had a firm conviction that we were to return to Bolivia. But as we neared the end of our last term, I began to question whether we should return to Bolivia. Not that I had (or have) a sense that our missionaries’ work in Bolivia is completed, or that the need no longer exists for ministry in Bolivia, or, for that matter, that I was to leave the service of Evangelical Church Missions. But two of the main foci of my ministry were approaching a time of transition. I was no longer going to be the field superintendent (that responsibility now rests in the very capable hands of James Wolheter), and the Bible Institute would soon be placed under the care and leadership of the Santa Cruz church district. It seemed like a good time for change for my family. But I wondered whether it was God nudging me toward a different field of service, or if it was merely my own “mid-life crisis” and awareness that I am not getting any younger that fueled my discontentment.

Me on the beach in Liberia.

As I prayed and considered what was going on inside my head, I became aware of the newly established work in Liberia and the possible need to place a missionary there. The idea quickly took hold and grew in my thinking, but I didn’t even know if the mission would consider me. More importantly, I wasn’t sure if it was really God tugging at my heart and not my own thinking. I shared these thoughts with a well-respected friend in ministry, and he counseled me to try gently pushing the door open to see what would happen. So I wrote a letter asking the mission director if he would consider the idea of assigning us to Liberia. To my surprise the answer was not an outright no but a response that encouraged me to keep pursuing this idea.

This little girl at church was a scute as can be.

When I heard about an upcoming Liberia trip, I decided to ask if I could be included. Given the go-ahead, I was then able to have some good conversations with the leadership of the church and mission about the possibility of serving in Africa. During the trip itself I also had more good discussion with the mission leadership as well as a visit with the Liberian leaders about the expectations that they would have for a missionary from the States.

Up until now, we felt it best to consider this change quietly. But now it’s time to let the cat out of the bag! I am still praying for God’s guidance in this whole affair and ask if you would join me in seeking God’s direction for our family and ministry. There is not yet any final decision. I am returning to Liberia in April along with Niki and Mark to allow them to see a bit of what it might mean should we make the change. I expect that following the trip we will be able to give a clear yes or no.

If the answer is yes, then we will need to prepare for a brand new adventure as God leads us along! If the answer is no, then we will joyfully return to Bolivia to continue ministering alongside our fellow missionaries and Bolivian brothers.

(Disclaimer: Although I have written this post from my own perspective, Niki has been aware all along of what has been going on inside my mind and has been a very active participant in this whole process. She will be sharing her point of view in an upcoming post. Mark is also involved in the discussion that is taking place.)

My handsome grandson who has nothing to do with this post but I just wanted to show him off!