Day 6: What's true compassion?

Dr. JoAnn Butrin leads International Ministries. Her teams emphasize compassion ministry, helping people get clean water (wells and filters), eat healthy foods (agriculture), and dealing with illnesses (medical teams). She gives us a case study and divides us into three groups. We're to evaluate how helpful various AG organizations (showcased at booths in the foyer) could be for the case study.

I'm appointed team leader so I assign team members to find out what the various ministries offer. The rest of us roam around evaluating our options. Meanwhile, Al - a pragmatic thinker - talks to a missionary already headed to the case study area to find out their plans. I whistle to assemble our team and we gather to listen to whether or not a ministry would be a good resource.

The group reaches an easy consensus about who might be the most helpful partners. Al acts as our spokesman; he does a good job of presenting our case to the general session.

When we resume, Dr. B emphasizes the importance of building relationships and asking what locals want and need - within or beyond their existing structures. Missionaries are connected to many resources in AGWM. However, we must build a vision locally and work together with nationals.

"Don't impose something from the outside that is not helpful or sustainable," she warns. "It's hard not to show up to FIX things. Most interventions are very temporary solutions."

"Times have changed," Dr. B continues, "and we can't come in to provide easy answers. We have to be careful with interventions. Restraint is vital. The local church has to be proud of saving the children, be in control of the well, solve their problems ... and get the credit. The church's presence must be given respect and influence in the community."

How? Butrin says that we show dignity and restraint. We do an assessment. Then we listen. Evaluate. We never create dependency, but plan for sustainability. "If you are partners with the local church, American giving can help. But we plan for one-time and limited financing. We engage with an exit strategy in place, so that locals own their ministry and helps."

During the lunch break, W and I zip to the seminary. It's about 10 minutes away and I want to say hello to my former professors. We catch up with a few and I slip my card under the doors of those who are away. Then we head back to the CBC campus for lunch.

After noon, we talk about spiritual warfare. "It's as real as this table," says one speaker. "You must be prepared and prayed up at all times. This is no game. This is war. We are not fighting people but spiritual battles."

The missionaries give us examples that raise the hair on my neck. "This is no picnic! Get prayer teams. You will need many intercessors, not just casual prayer partners."

Fabriano dot pages

My notebook has been filling up. I love the lime green cover on my A4 Fabriano dot-book. I can draw or write and the paper quality is good enough to fill both sides. W laughs when I pull out gel pens to color the diagrams and notes I'm making. But the little bursts of color highlighting the pages help me remember the info. This wee bit of art, especially in my sixth week of sitting in classes, cheers me up.

We're at Jason and Mary's place for supper. They're NU alums involved in Convoy of Hope. We're so proud of them! It's fun to catch up on their news and ours.

We get home to Taylors' place and tidy up, pack, and do laundry. I call my sweet Uncle E to wish him a late Father's Day. He's been a faithful "second dad" all my life. I'm blessed to have someone besides my folks who has loved me since I was a little girl.

Tomorrow we'll be on a flight home. We'll get in before midnight and leave the next day for Singapore. This is some summer! Used to be summer meant vacation. Now it's an adventure.

Read more:

*But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave." Psalm 49:15 NLT

*The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19 NLT

*Amos said, “I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’" Amos 7:14-15 NLT

*Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” Luke 5:10 NLT

Moravian Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, there’s a lot of risk involved in leaving our boats by the lakeshore. Help us to know your strength as we share your love with others. Amen.

Day 5: Commissioned to serve

The PFO classroom

Today we are commissioned for service.

We've finished the first week of Pre-Field Orientation. What a full day! And what a packed week.

W and I sat with some new and increasingly dear friends who are going to Tonga, David and Rhonda. Rhonda and I love the young woman sitting with us. Katie is going to Jakarta: both she and Lindsey (Philippines) are inspiring us with their heart for others.

We heard insights on keeping our family and marriage strong, practical advice on dealing with bugs and polluted water, and got a cookbook to help us make kitchen adjustments with local food substitutions.

We were inspired by a presentation on Apostolic Function. Were we called to maintain a structure? To make people feel good? No. We are sent out to tell the Story! NT-style apostles share the faith, disciple converts, and plant churches.

Commissioning with Russ Turney

At the end of the day, the Regional Director surprises us. W and I are called to the front. We'll miss next week's commissioning service: we leave Tuesday to fly from Seattle to Singapore on Wednesday.

The thing that bothered me most about leaving early was missing the chance to have our leaders pray for us. I also thought we'd miss our Asia Pacific team photoshoot.

The Asia Pacific PFO team 2013

Instead, the Regional and Area Directors and their wives gather around us today, lay hands on us, pray God's sending power and protection, and commission us to go. They give us our certificates and a few gifts, including prayer bookmarks in Bahasa Indonesia. We may be a year away from the field, but our mission work of raising prayer teams and financial support has officially begun.

We are truly grateful. Once in a while I wish I were more weepy. Today (as often happens) my heart is overflowing but my eyes stay dry.

The team leaders take an early photo of us all. So we're even in the pictures! Lindsey and I pause for a quick snap together, too.

Lindsey and I: 2 generations
called to serve

The call has not only been confirmed here. It's grown more specific and stronger. Thanks to all who have prayed for us this week.

Read more:
*Here's our team verse: "If you SPEND YOURSELF in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10 NIV

Lord, make it so.

Read Lindsay's blog here.

Day 4: Eating it up

We start the day at breakfast with Joy. She's a prof who served as the outside reader for my dissertation. She's brilliant, loves research, and is full of interesting ideas. She's always fun to talk to.

The day's training focuses on field relationships and cultural orientation. First, we are asked to sit with all those planning to go to the same area. Two couples and a single gal belong to our Indo group.

Then it's on to culture training.

 "You'll have many disconnects with your surroundings," warn the missionaries. "You WILL experience culture shock. You can't change the people you're going to work with. They are born and live with their worldview, just like you do. And theirs is no better or worse than yours. You can only try to understand and grow yourself." The information - some of it from books by Geert Hofstede and Duane Elmer - is a good review for me, but it's new to W. The presenters are excellent and keep us engaged.

We have lunch with Bill and Kim, our area directors. It's their 42nd anniversary: cool that they're willing to spend it with us! Bill and I were classmates. He's finishing his PhD. Kim made it through at another school 2 years ago. They encourage us, give us good information, and help us make connections we hadn't thought through.

The afternoon is full - we have one brief break and then it's full steam ahead until 4:45.

We eat supper with a couple who ask why and how we're headed overseas. We spend a few hours laughing and talking together about what we love, why we serve God, and what that might look like in the future. Really, none of us has a clue what lies ahead. We're moving through open doors with the security that God is in this.

"We're open," we tell them. So are they. At this stage of our lives, who has time to fool around, gather possessions, or waste time?

We're tired when we get home. It's almost 10, and I can't believe we're still awake. Thanks for every prayer, every note of encouragement!

Read more:
*O Lord, you are our God; let no mortal prevail against you. 2 Chronicles 14:11 NLT

*You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 NKJV

*We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:19-21 NLT

Moravian Prayer: Abba, Father, your nurturing love surrounds us as we face an often unwelcoming world. We wrap ourselves in your grace and mercy, your boundless love. Amen.

Day 1: The sled perched on the hilltop

I see our missionary journey as a sled, perched on the hilltop, ready to tilt into motion. (I must have been born in Winnipeg to feel that metaphor.)

We begin the day, sitting in front of young people who are wondering aloud: "Don't you sometimes think, 'Am I enough for this? Will everything I try fail?'" One gal admits, "I had nightmares last night about crashing when we go to ..." Hundreds of us sitting at the chapel during the first lectures of pre-field orientation can relate.

The director of AG World Missions, Greg Mundis, shares principles for missionaries. These include keeping healthy spirits, bodies, minds, and emotions; planting indigenous churches with teams and local partnerships; proclaiming Good News holistically, within the cultures and world views of the people to whom we're sent ... all of it EMPOWERED by the Spirit.

W's life and missions timeline

Then the Communications Director, Randy Hurst, speaks about AGWM's mission of Reaching, Planting, Training, and Touching the world. "You're not a missionary if you're not sharing the gospel. It may only take 2-3 people to make a church... Call it what you will, a group, a gathering. You should be disciplining or mentoring someone. We do not evangelize in a vacuum. Remember, even the stoniest ground has been prepared by the Spirit of God."

He reminds us that the Spirit has gone before us, will go with us, and will be there after we leave. We pray together for the Spirit's power to rest on this large group of missionaries and associates. It's a moving moment for W and me. We trust that God's power and direction will continue to be clear to us.

My life and missions timeline

The Missionary Associates meet together to cover some logistics before lunch. Jennifer Pulley is a hoot. I don't know how she can make the overview interesting, but she does.

Over lunch, we meet others going to our region. One couple has planted churches and pastored: they're our age and are excited about going to Tonga. During a breakout session, we hear stories from young people going to SE Asia. Everyone takes colored markers, a blank sheet of paper, and draws a timeline of their calling. Then we talk about why we're sitting together, using our sketches as media.

Finally, we sit in on a session about MKs (missionary kids). The presentation is funny and engaging. The realization hits me like a blow again. Our grandkids will meet us online rather than in person. They will grow up far away unless their parents come into missions near us.

Verlon and Melodee Fosner; Troy Jones; Jeffery
Portmann; Chris Corbett (@NCU, formerly
children's prof at NU); W and I, Dave
Cole, and Craig Gorc

God gives us a special supper treat at Bambu, a Vietnamese restaurant: we meet with the NWMN cohort who is finishing their coursework at the seminary this week. We love these men and women and trust them as ministry partners and coworkers. Dave Cole pauses when most have left to offer a prophetic encouragement, a word from God dispelling our fears and questions. "You've been prepared for this time by everything you've done. God is in it so don't be afraid."

"Just what we needed," W and I say to each other on the way home. Dave's words match the confirmation of the whole day. This is the right time and we have a sure calling to do this.

Our homework tonight is designing a 3-minute presentation calling others into partnership. (Giving is a delightful and godly privilege: we'll serve on behalf of those who support God's mission through us.)

Lucky us to have supported others in the past! Lucky us to be going! Lucky you to be sending us! What joy we have in working together as servants of the King.

Read more:

*But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.  1 Chronicles 29:14 (NKJV)

*Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday sun. Psalm 37:4-6 NKJV

*Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT

Moravian Prayer: Lord of all wisdom, you have given us many gifts; gifts we should offer to others in service and in love. Help us to be your good stewards always. Amen.