On the move

All stages of bloom, seen on my walk

We're tired but happy. We met wonderful folks at Northport church Sunday morning and at their potluck, and then spoke with a great group at Colville that evening. We didn't deliberately plan our conversational style as we invite partners for going to Indonesia. But we've been married 36 years so we know each other well; we also enjoy public speaking. It's comfortable for us to trade information and we've heard favorable comments about the duet style.

Pastors Erik Ramsey and Travis Lisenbee love their congregations - and it shows. Everyone made us feel at home, down to the cellist Susy (who made me homesick for our family string quartet, growing up.) Our weekend hosts, Mel and Connie, offered us a comfy bed and a warm welcome. And we met Aunt Eddie of Colville, famous world-over over for her decades of letters to NWMN missionaries.

Learning at LEAD in Lacey, WA

In the last two weeks, we've met hundreds of pastors and staff at four Northwest Ministry Training (LEAD) seminars. What excitement and joy these ministers have in preparing to serve. W led a session on the trustworthiness of scripture and a workshop on using technology for ministry. I shared my passion for writing: how can a blog or other writing further a church's reach? Mel Ming taught on team collaboration and empowerment, all enthusiastically received.

Monday turned out to be a profitable day, even after our morning drive from Spokane. We put up pantry shelves and took most of our food to the basement suite. Except for spices and the fridge, our edibles are in their new home. (Next: dishes and cooking utensils.)

The beautiful sky over Snoqualmie Pass

Downstairs, the kitchen sink and toilet are in (thanks, Rick!) and our friend Bud finished sanding the office drywall. The evening's work turned into a family affair: Timo painted a ceiling and hauled food, W was trimming and painting doors, and I reshelved groceries and washed empty cabinets. Kinsey cheerfully helped until I put her to sleep at 7:30.

On today's to-do list: write a 1500 word article for a magazine, sort out the donation receipting process between American and Canadian organizations, and pack up those spices. It's bit by bit, but at least we're on the move!

Our breakfast view, overlooking
NE Washington mountains

How has God set you in motion today? Or are you on your own trajectory? Remember to invest your time and energy in things that last - and you will have a reward for it.

Read more:
*God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. Genesis 1:31

*Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. Genesis 28:15 NEV

*Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:5 NEV

*By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 NEV

*To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17 NEV

Moravian Prayer: O Ancient of Days, we praise you for your creation of the world and all birds, fowl, animals, and humankind you placed here as well. Empower us to be caretakers and stewards of that which you have given us.

Lord our Rock, help us to be steadfast in faith and to trust that your plan for us is perfect and according to your will. Keep us always by your side. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

A dead bunny morning

I come in after a morning meeting to find a prone rabbit and a doll stroller in the narrowed hallway. I remember those days with our little kids: it's hard to keep track of them, never mind their wandering toys. I step over and go upstairs to my office = the privilege of being a grandma, not the mama.

Our kids have moved in so our (and their) boxes, cleaning supplies, picture frames, and furniture line up in unexpected places, waiting for landing spots. It's complicated when you're overlapping households.

W and I have had a great week of meeting people, mentoring and being mentored, writing and teaching.

So! grateful.

One of our most welcome accomplishments is resolving an administrative glitch. W finally located the email address that contains notifications of support and AG mission updates. W has repeatedly written from his address, "Help!" but the responses (and other communications) have gone to our official email ... in my name, not his. Administratively, I'm the "primary team member" and he's "the spouse." Funny, no?

Our apologies to those who have wondered what's the matter with us! Several mentioned, "We haven't heard from you. Did you get our contribution? We haven't received an acknowledgement!" Eeek.

We've know now where your acknowledgements and notes are reported. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We treasure your partnership and your encouragement. Those thank-yous will be in the mail tomorrow.

Read more:

**Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you. Zephaniah 3:14-15 NEV

*In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

*Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV

*Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 NEV

Moravian Prayer: Our Savior, you have cleared our names in God's court. Grant that we will always remember your sacrifice for us. May we always live to serve you and your righteousness here on earth. Amen.

Things they say you'll love

Here's a list of what we were told will be fun about this last year at home:

1. Dreaming the future. God will put new things in your hearts and fill your mind with ideas. 
2. Meeting people who will shape you. God will build new relationships that broaden your scope of possibilities, spiritually, intellectually, physically, and emotionally.
3. Resizing life. Shedding the past will open doors for now and what is yet to come.
4. Fundraising. It's meeting friends who support God's call and "go along with you" with prayer and resources.
5. Being inspired by others. In unexpected times and ways, people come alongside to encourage, support, and share their experiences.
6. Inspiring others. Who knows who, young and old, will engage in Kingdom service because of our own excitement about - get this - God's call on "old people" like us?

We've found it's all is true. We're excited, thrilled, and anticipating the move to Indonesia next June.

Yet it's not just fun. It's hard work, this alignment with the call of God within the shape of our personalities and backgrounds. There have been a lot of smiles, a few tears, some heated discussions, and many brainstorming sessions with friends and colleagues.

We appreciate every prayer and every contribution - words, hugs, construction help, those who've rehomed our stuff, money toward the mission, and commitments to come alongside when we go. God's goodness shines through you - and we are SOOOO grateful to Him ... and to you.

Read more:
* I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 NEV

*A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. Psalm 33:16 NEV

*Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant. Mark 10:43 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Creator God, it is only in service to you that we can truly be great. Help us to serve those in need and be the arm of your salvation. Act through our service in mighty ways just as you did when you created this world. Amen.

*From CS Lewis in The Great Divorce: I believe, to be sure, that any man who reaches Heaven will find that what he abandoned (even in plucking out his right eye) has not been lost: that the kernel of what he was really seeking even in his most depraved wishes will be there, beyond expectation, waiting for him in ‘the High Countries’. In that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is every- thing and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision. If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven.

But what, you ask, of earth? Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone to be in the end a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.

What next?

In progress!

"It's a bit of a whirlwind, isn't it?" T surveys the basement with a smile. His team has framed and roughed in plumbing. He's pulled wires to power up the new space.

"Sure is." W looks around and shakes his head. "This would have taken me ages." Perhaps months.

We've found that Craigslist is an excellent resource for buyers and sellers. Someone's here now, picking up our DR rug, a pale green 10X12 wool expanse. We tossed in a few tables, a slipper chair, and the sturdy loveseat W built for our first apartment (along with the cushions and covers I made.) Hurrah!

Our little slipper rocking chair. Gone!

It's been good fun seeing the happiness of people who like our stuff :-) God has blessed us with mutual satisfaction, for which we are grateful. There will be plenty to toss before we go.

The kitchen cabinets, closet fixtures, and furniture wait for installation. We'll need a wall-mount sink, a toilet, and a stacking washer/dryer. We're shedding dishes, tables, dressers, a queen 4-poster, chairs, and other "stuff" accumulated over 36 years of marriage and raising 4 kids.

We head to Montana for a family reunion in the morning. What's next? W has finishing touches to do at the cabin (flooring and lighting). We'll put mattresses on the bunks about the time the tribe arrives.

We got two notes from Indonesia coworkers this morning. One wrote: "Please come as soon as you can! We need you already." And from another team member, "We've been praying for this for 15 years!"

We're grateful for the friends staying in the house while we're away. Their schedule and ours synched so that when they're away, we're back. When we leave, they're home here.

After MT, W's teaching year and ITINERATION fills our calendar ... until we leave for Indonesia.

If you've considered supporting us, please pledge or donate here. (The site is under my name for administrative reasons; AG only permits one spouse to be listed.) Here's the link for faith pledges.

It's easy to give by clicking here.

Our cash budget of $30,000 and monthly support of $4000 will go toward transportation to various universities and colleges in SE Asia and the branch we're planting in Bandung. (It's almost half of a regular budget, because we expect partnerships there. Our initial term is 2 years, but we plan to renew.)

We're excited! You with us? We can't go without you. If you'd like to contact us about coming to your church or small group, please let us know! (All comments are vetted: I won't share your info.)

Read more:
*I wait for your salvation, O Lord. Genesis 49:18 NLT

*Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 NLT

Moravian Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for our salvation and happiness. Your arising has brought us hope and peace. We thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Day 2: looking in the sled

Today, our sessions are about recruiting a support team. We look over forms for budgets, financial commitments, and reporting. You may know my vast interest (not) in money and accounts. Good thing W is beside me!

"It's better to give than to receive. God so loved that He gave... We're no more like God when we're giving as He does," our speaker reminds us. "When friends pray for us, they pray for missions and God gives them a Missional hear. It's not begging, selling stuff no one wants, or using friends.

"Have you been assailed by neighborhood children and given them money to get them off our porch? That's not like what God has called us to do. Instead, our friends may invest in God's mission. They - along with those who go - are privileged and blessed in doing God's work. Their blessing and work is equal to ours."

We're reminded of biblical models of blessings, that some receive by participating with those in ministry.

"The widow, on her last meal, never lacked again after supplying God's servant Elijah with provisions. Jesus was supported on his itinerant ministry by women. Paul was only occasionally a tent-maker. He boldly raised support and teams of coworkers."

"Donors want a good return for investing in you," says the missionary, explaining the ethics of funds. "They want to know you are trustworthy, that you are investing your life for something worthwhile - something they believe in. This IS your missionary beginning, not when you go."

After a dreadful supper at a local cafe, W and I decide that we'll stick to campus meals. The beef is so cheap and tasteless that it's hard to finish.

Crash! I take a hard fall. One minute I'm on my way to grab tea at the dining hall, the next my rubber-soled flip-flops catch on a 2" change in the pavement (a careless repair). I'm down on the middle of a broad walk. I'm glad for quality trousers. They don't rip, so my skinned knees, elbows, and palms are my only injuries. Later I wash the blood off my trousers.

In the evening, Rick Johnson (head of Member Care) talks to us about handling conflict and negotiation and mediation. Rick tells us stories that help us understand how important it is to be people of peace and respectful of others.

We fall into bed after catching up with a few things and writing our presentation for tomorrow. What a nice birthday present that will be for W: letting others know what we're doing.