What's our mission?

I shared this with a class at NU in 2006, while I was alumni director. Seems apt for what we're going to do in the future. It also might encourage those still considering their own place in this world.

My Russian samovar is for sale.
There's Indonesia tea in our future

Our mission is to participate in God's kingdom. NU Alumni serve around the world. We're role models as companions, friends, spouses, parents, teachers, lawyers, doctors and nurses, ministers and social workers, or other employees. This is what I learned from watching and listening to our alumni:

1. When the gate creaks open, follow and see where it leads. God's work is here AND there. We have to begin where we are. We nurture our spiritual life to become Christlike. Genuine expressions traits of goodness, kindness, patience, love, joy, and peace may win us friends and influence. Being egotistical and self-focused will close doors against us. Wherever we go, we must be prepared to become part of the culture.
• Jeremy and Carissa (2000s) live in SE Asia. Jeremy grew up there and knew what to expect. However, Carissa has made adjustments to the frenetic pace where they live, raising young children and working long hours.
• Gary and Priscilla worked as teachers in a sensitive country. They became NU scholarship donors to pass along the legacy of their family (P's Dad was an alum). In this way, they invested in students here as well as abroad.
2. Don't wait for some grand mission. Start here and now. Get training and find a job: we become useful and experienced by engaging life. Though W and I felt called as children to spend ourselves overseas, working hard in Seattle has given us access and relationships across the globe.



Every culture is full of beauty
and lovely traditions

• "Bones" ('70s) does relief work in S Asia. He was on the spot for efforts after the great tsunami. He loves sports so he trains young people, giving him a heart for their parents as well. 
• Nancy ('80s) has been an AIDs worker in Africa and eastern Europe. She's had challenges like typhoid and malaria, and was flown to Paris for appendix removal and other surgery. She continues to teach, train, and develop material to educate against this horrible plague. She's relocated recently and is learning a difficult language to make the transition possible.
3. Look at jobs, experiences, and hardships as opportunities to understand the world and interact with people. Everyone wants to be loved and welcomed - and most people want to be served.
• Rick and Audrey founded a foundation that rescues Kenyan kids from street life. They support national efforts by raising funds from the USA. They've demonstrated their real love for those they serve by adopting two children after their own were grown and gone.
• Greg and Kim ('90s) run homes in India and other countries. They have planted churches and taken care of many children.
4. Don't be afraid of hard work! Working builds character. I read a study that an embassy had 4000 applicants for 4 positions. In the end, they chose people with integrity and work skills to fill those posts. Would they choose us?
• Mark ('90s) took his family from a comfortable life in Seattle to India and Sri Lanka. They teach in schools and work with organizations against human trafficking.
5. Don't be afraid to be yourself. Each person is uniquely designed; there are places on the planet -- "Kingdom work" -- for which we were wonderfully created.



A river flowing in MT: whether
here or there, life is beautiful

• Debbie ('80s) is an interpreter. Her home base is Seattle and she works around the USA, but she lives in Europe, funding a spiritual community by her work here.
6. Don't be afraid of people! They are not our boss, just our manager. (God is our boss and we are accountable to Him first of all.) It may take courage to do something different.
• Everett and Evelyn ('63) have no home. "We're homeless by choice," they told me. They live out of suitcases, traveling widely because they are unencumbered. In 2005-6, they taught at schools and conferences and mentored young people in Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Siberia, Africa, and Romania. Now past retirement age, their efforts continue unabated.
7. And finally, don't be afraid of God! Life will be an adventure, custom-fitted to our bent. God won't give us more challenges than abilities or resources, provided we depend on Him. He promises never to abandon us no matter how difficult the journey or complicated the process of sharing Good News.
• Where does your name belong on this list? Have you been places you'd never dreamed of? Or stayed closer to home? How have you lived an extraordinary life, whether your surroundings were ordinary or exceptional?
• If we're following where God calls our heart, we join Him on the mission! He's taking care of us day by day.

You in your small corner ... and I in mine

The sun's out! Again! How I love the light-filled days, the warmth (70os is hardly "hot"), and the breeze-less air hanging in the forest behind the house.

"How do people keep up, working a full-time job?" My friend and I had tea together, mulling that puzzle this morning. Both of us have left previous 8-5 office obligations to do good work from home. Now we toss laundry in during the day, pause to finish chores as we walk by, and run errands when we feel like it.

And we get to visit! Social life was hard to prioritize when we were exhausted after a long day of working for others. I've had three "meetings" this week with colleagues and friends ... with three more scheduled this week and next. I'm no social butterfly, but catching up and maintaining friendships and networks is easier when I don't have to wedge lunches into an hour of "maybe Tuesday before I go to another meeting."

I'm so grateful for seasons in life. It seemed like good fun when the kids were young and homeschooling. The days flew by and we spent many of them in creative endeavors. Now I watch the young moms and feel worn out just watching them pack a diaper bag.

I loved working for Northwest University as Alumni Director, connecting students and former students, informing alumni and administrators, looking for artists for art shows, planning events, and writing e-news. Happily, someone else has the privilege now; like I did, he loves his job, while I'm happy to have moved on.

The bluejay outside my window is dropping pine cones from the gutter onto the deck. He's flitting about, busy at his work, designed by God for gutter-clearing and cheerful talk.

Each of us has a job to do, whether I'm a disabled vet praying for friends, a grandma nurturing the young ones, a professional giving a presentation, a track-hoe operator digging a hole, or a mom soaping stains off an infant's bib. God is pleased to applaud our work as we serve with all our hearts.

How can we do good work? Here are some ideas:

1. Do the task at hand. Serve at a big or small job as though God himself were your boss. (Um, actually he is.)
2. Look for ways to serve with excellence. Go beyond what you MUST do to what you MAY do.
3. Be grateful for work. Others wish they could do what you are called to do today.
4. Look for ways to make others look good. Lend a hand, point out a short-cut, or take someone new under your wing. 
5. Don't promote yourself beyond necessity. You don't have to brag about your accomplishments. Others will do that for you if you are an exceptional employee!
6. Pray for those around you. Be sensitive to the needs of coworkers and willing to be a friend. Someone may need to hear about Jesus' love or see your concern for them. Many people (especially in cities) have no one nearby whom they can trust to help or listen during stressful or difficult times.

 "Have fun at work," my husband says as he goes through the check-out at the store. He loves his job. I like mine. And we hope you enjoy yours today!

Read more:

*Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God. Psalm 95:2-3

*Jesus said, “Give to God what is God’s.” Mark 12:17 (NIV)

*All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT

Moravian Prayer: You alone are good, O God. We give you all thanksgiving and praise! You alone are great, O Christ. We bow before you in humble adoration! May the joyous sound of grateful hearts never end as the strains of truth and trust resound in you, our Savior. Amen.