Children of Conani

Join me in praying for the missionaries in the Dominican Republic who work with the disabled children living at CONANI (the government run orphanage system).

An inside look into the lives of Lucumenos

Here is a video produced by James Neuendorf from LCMS World Mission Latin America.  It gives a look at the place where a new work was established 2 and 1/2 years ago.  There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about and pray for the people of Lucumo, Peru.

Nostalgia for “what was”

Heidi wrote our Christmas Newsletter last night and we realized that there is just so much that has happened this year—there isn’t near enough room to write it out and share with all of you in a Christmas card!  2009 has been an unbelievable year.  It is hard to rationalize in my thick head that 8 months ago I was living in Panama and working in a foreign mission field.  We see God’s blessings all around us, but at the same time our emotions can sometimes catch the best of us.  Heidi and I often find ourselves strategizing,“future-casting,” dreaming of the day that we will go back to the mission field, even to Panama.  The Lord tells us to be content with what we have and where we are at in life.  Is it a sin to long for what was, when “what was” is ministry and mission?  We are called to live out God-honoring and God-glorifying lives wherever we are.  If we long for what was or what could be, and don’t focus on the now…could we be missing out on a portion of infilling that God has for us?

I miss being in a position of full-time mission and ministry.  But I’ve also always known that I am a full-time missionary no matter where I am or what I am doing.  One thing that I’ve noticed about myself recently is that I have fallen into somewhat of a rut.  A place where I’m not sure I love what I am doing, not sure how I am affecting people, and not sure how I can get out of it.  Opportunities for career advancement use to be a huge thing for me—but now there are more important things to consider.  I will soon have a family with a child in it.  Life is starting to take a different shape. I know life will change dramatically.  What will my role be?  How will the next year be shaped by my worldview?  How will my family meld together?  And how will God move?  All questions that can’t be answered…now.  All questions that if not dealt with properly can cause a lot of unnecessary worry and migraine! 

Do not take the above paragraph as meaning I am unhappy or sad.  In actuality, I am very happy and excited about the fact that I am not sure about much.  It helps me to be focused on what I am sure about in Christ.  God’s grace holds us up.  A verse that has been inspiring to me over the last few months is from Deuteronomy 33:17,

"The everlasting God is your place of safety, and His arms will hold you up forever." 

His arms will hold you up forever…His arms will hold me up forever.  We no longer have to stand on our own merits and fail.  But on Christ alone.

So, maybe someday we will return to the mission field as full-time missionaries…maybe we won’t.   All I know is that we need prayer to focus on the now—what God is doing now.  God help us to know what role He wants us to play in His story at just the right time!