Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "God's Eyes!"

I wonder what God sees during these big events that Student Life puts on.  I wonder whose hearts are being challenged and touched.  I wonder who the students are that will really grow and mature and offer themselves to be used by God to reach their world.

My eyes, on the other hand, see that not as many showed up as last year, we bought too much food, we were trying to roast hotdogs on a BBQ using plastic forks to turn them (The prongs get pretty dull once they are melted and curled up.), I wore the wrong kind of shoes for the mud that the rain made...

I wish I had my Father's eyes.  How did Jesus not get discouraged when looking at His disciples...or when looking at me?  

My favorite thing about being God's child is the absolute security of His love and acceptance of me.  I guess that's the best thing I can offer other people...His love and offer of forgiveness and acceptance.

Hey - Good news.  We got the venue, so we had a place for our big opening Student Life party.  (Two other groups thought they had this place, too.)  The students planned and ran the whole thing.  (Only a few balls were dropped here and there, but nothing major.)  We've made a beginning in 2016.

I wonder what God will do.

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "That's Better!"

A special "thank you" to whoever is praying for us out there.  It makes a world of difference.

I woke up this morning with dread.  (OK, I'm not a morning person anyway.)  It's the day of our big Alpha Party where we introduce our Student Life Ministry to the new students on campus.  (Neither am I a big-event person...or even an adventurous girl.)

There's a lyric from a song I heard over 30 years ago that says, "It's so hard to see when my eyes are on me."  I keep realizing how powerless I am when circumstances seem out of control:  (People are sick, there's a chance that the venue is booked also by another party, a student leader found her mother on the floor this morning and took her to the hospital...) Days like today remind me that there really is a spiritual battle going on, but I just want to curl up in a ball and "sit this one out." 

I laid back down on my bed for a rest.  When I got up again, something had shifted in my mind.  This is God's ministry, not mine.  He's the One with power, not me.  He's the One with the plan and the ability to carry His children through and move them closer to Himself.  I remember now.  

Thank you for praying.  I think that's what I will do now, too...with joy and confidence.

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "A Voice-Picture!"

PNG provides us with many new experiences: 

Dan had two taxi's breakdown as he traveled yesterday. 

I spoke with a 14 year old girl who had a girl in her high school dorm practicing witchcraft and putting spells on people.  (Some girls were sick, or numb and couldn't move, and everyone was scared.  The trouble-maker was expelled.)

We recently spoke to a taxi driver who had 28 children. (!)  Of course there were several mothers involved.  This driver was about our age.  He said he recently married a widow and now has a 9 mo. old baby by her.


My favorite experience, though, is listening to the voice of a godly PNG man.  Some men here have unusually rich, deep voices.  George Puipui had a voice like that...a voice like James Earl Jones...or the "Un-cola nut" man from the American commercial of long ago.  When these men quietly pray, or sing, it does something to my spirit.  It's like hearing a lion purr...rich, powerful, sincere, deep.  It seems to echo right through me.  It makes my spirit feel like a frivolous butterfly, and I long for more depth.

These rich voices remind me of what God is like.  "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"  (Rom. 11:33) 

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "Toss It!"

We've been trying to organize, ready for removal, all CCC equipment and materials from under George's house (our old office.)  Evodia (George's daughter) is selling the house, and our rented storage place will soon disappear.

Dan and I have been sorting through everything, taking inventory, and trying to decide what can be crammed into our little new office.  The rest will have to be stored some place else.  My major role in all this is shouting the battle cry,  "Toss it!"  Technology has changed so much in recent years that a lot of things have become obsolete or unnecessary.  Other things are just plain damaged by water, mice, or time.

 When we return home, it's straight through to the shower.  I tell myself that some people pay good money for a sauna and a mud bath!

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "Ease or Deep Roots?"

Have you ever noticed how often we pray for "ease" for ourselves or our friends, when it seems that when everything is easy, our hearts are the hardest?  And have you ever noticed that when times are hard, we're driven to seek out God?

I was reading about the wise man and the foolish man today.  The goal is for my roots to grow down deep into Jesus, through walking with Him (obedience.) While I don't want to pray for hard times for myself or others, I can pray for the tenacity to keep walking with Him, no matter the circumstances.  That's where joy and peace are.

So, in light of all this, the fact that I'm out of my depth here is not necessarily a bad thing.  It's just that when students assume I know what food would be easy to prepare for 80 people (with no equipment or kitchen at my disposal, no knowledge of the closest store for the best price, no sink at the party site...and only the possibility of a table...), and how long meat will keep hot and not spoil in this climate, my knees begin to quake.  Instead of sinking in all this "deep water,"  I need to be like Dory in "Finding Nemo" and "just keep swimming."  Only I need to keep my eyes glued on the One who is not just swimming with me, but keeping me afloat.

P.S.  And have you ever noticed that answers seem to pop into your brain at 2 a.m.?  (What's wrong with 3 in the afternoon?) 

 

               

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "Back Again!"

When our PNG staff's airline tickets to Fiji got cancelled because of Cyclone Winston, the airline automatically changed the tickets to fly out of PNG today (which is the first flight out after the storm.)  However, after a discussion with our Fiji team, we learned that Nadi, the city in Fiji into which our staff are flying, is without power and water.  Also, the hotel in which we had reservations is closed. Therefore, today, we all arrived at the PNG airport bright and early (7 a.m.) to get new tickets for our three staff to fly out of PNG on Sunday. Didn't Bilbo Baggins write a story called, "There and Back Again"?  I feel like our staff are "back again" without ever having gone anywhere.  (The office looks a little like a refugee center.)  I told them I bet they just wanted ANOTHER going away party.

After getting the tickets straightened out, we had an impromptu staff meeting at the little cafe inside the airport.  Since you must order something for the privilege of sitting at their table and chairs, I told Dan I'd like a juice.  It turned out that the juice cost 2 and 1/2 times more that his banana bread.  (Oops!)  But my, was it good!  (Dan decided that since the juice was pricey, he'd order something unusual.)  I was handed a huge cup of orange/apple/carrot juice.  YUM!  Hey, my feeling is:  If you have to get up early, you might as well make it worth your while!

Our Two Weeks of February in PNG Adventure: "The Only Thing!"

As a missionary, I think there's a temptation to fly into any situation with a feeling that I will "fix" the problems surrounding me.  Not only is this a bit ridiculous considering I have issues myself which aren't "fixed," but there's that pride of thinking I have the power.  This only leads to discouragement and defeat.

I keep having to realize that God has put me here to help the best I can, and then let Him be the God He is.  After all, He is the ultimate Rescuer.  The best thing, and sometimes the only thing I can do in certain situations is pray.  This is a highly under-rated thing which is sometimes relegated to the last resort.  Now THAT'S ridiculous!  What an honour to come before our great and loving God on behalf of someone I care about...and what a joy to wait with anticipation to see  what He will do.