The Long Unending Line

In Latin America lines are everywhere.  You can avoid some lines with planning and timing, but there are some lines that you must join.  We learned years ago that when we would go to an office for one thing, and the person behind the counter would send us to get something else, that we should take out a piece of paper and write down everything they said that we needed.  This did not work all the time, but it cut down on several trips back and forth.  Costa Rica has one of the most bureaucratic societies in which we have lived.  This is not just a problem for foreigners, but it also affects the lives of Ticos.  Go here, go there, buy these stamps, deposit this amount of money in the bank and get this signature.  There are bank lines, bus lines, check out lines, hospital waiting lines and government paperwork lines just to name a few. We know that there must be other countries that are worse, but we have not lived there yet.

Sometimes the line is not the issue, but rather the bureaucracy of the office.  This will depend on the country you are in and what you are trying to do.  Recently upon arriving at an embassy to do some paperwork, I was informed by the worker at the gate that this type of "tramite" could only be done on certain days of the week and that this was not the right day!  The information was dispensed with an attitude that implied that, if I were halfway intelligent, I would know the days to do this type of paperwork.

 When we arrived on the field and went to get a national drivers license we presented our US drivers license and our International license that we had gotten for about twenty-bucks from AAA.  The International license just happened to be opened to the page that had Chinese characters on it, and when the traffic policeman looked at it, on would have thought that he was holding the shroud of Turin in his hands.  When one of the other policemen behind the counter asked about scheduling our driving test for the license, the first worker exclaimed, "NO, this is an INTERNATIONAL LICENSE!"  Within 20 minutes we had our national drivers license without taking any test at all.  The license itself was a little booklet with about 6 pages with all kinds of interesting information on the inside. This, of course, was a small town with little history of foreigners and International drivers licenses.  Unfortunately this is not a common experience in dealing with bureaucracies.

Another incident happened when we went to open a checking account.  When we explained that we wanted a checking account that both of us could use, it caused quite a stir!  First they tried to open an account with checks which required that we both sign every check.  We explained that what we wanted was a joint account where Annette could write her own checks in any amount any time she wished.  The young man behind the counter assumed that  I (Mike) did not understand what I was asking.  (my Spanish was still pretty basic)   The bank employee called me aside and began to earnestly explain to me that with this type of account my wife, Annette, could write checks, withdraw money from the account and that she would have full privileges over the account.  He went on to say she would know how much money was in the account and that I would not be able to control her spending! This was comical to us because Annette has always done our finances and has always done a great job.  The one thing that I still do not understand about the incident was when they explained that one of the negatives would be that she could EVEN deposit funds into my account.  I thought about that then, as I still do now, and wonder--do a lot of people just randomly deposit unwanted funds into other peoples' accounts?  If they did, would that bother me?  We got the account open, but only after 3 or 4 more trips to the bank.  I knew for months that I was the talk of the bank employees, because I was the poor gringo that did not know what I was getting myself into.

We must make up our minds not to let the lines or bureaucracy take away our joy.  Remember that we are not being singled out, but that this is just the "pan de cada día".  The sooner we accept this reality, the sooner we will assimilate into the culture where we live and work.  With acceptance of this reality, our stress levels will go down allowing us to see what God has to show us, or better yet allow Him to make us into what He wants us to become!

Remember the recent paperwork at the Embassy, Annette and I returned on the correct day, bright and early.  We felt proud of ourselves because we had arrived early enough to be the second ones in the long line that was forming outside of the gate. We were proudly given passage into the gated area of the Consulate to "finish" the paperwork.  A very nice lady waited on us, charged us the correct amount of money for the paperwork, and we thought we had conquered the job...when she politely told us that we could return on Friday morning to any of the three windows to receive the processed documents...OH WELL


Hang in there in these days of change. God is still in control.

Grace,
Mike and Annette

Irazú, Kennedy and What´s Left Behind

Annette and I took a recent day trip to the volcano Irazú.  It was a beautiful drive, the roads were good and the traffic was light.  All in all a perfect trip when you consider that to go anywhere in CR is usually a challenge.  As we arrived at the volcano we were greeted with very cool temperatures and lots of sun.  We walked the path to overlook the craters along with many tourists from different countries.  The craters are not that impressive as craters go, but it was an exhilarating walk and Annette and I had time to take pictures and talk.

 We then left and drove up to the highest point of the volcano and had an even better view of the craters.  While staring down I remembered something...you know, that little piece of useless trivia that returns from somewhere in the recesses of your mind.  I remembered that the last time Irazú erupted was March 19, 1963.  Now that is not significant in itself except for it was the same day that President Kennedy visited Costa Rica!  It is etched in the minds of all Ticos old enough to remember this event.

Fast forward about twenty years.  In 1984, while a language student in Costa Rica, I am helping out on a church work day at our small church in Desamparados.  We are taking down some old partitions in the old house where our church met in order to gain a little more worship space.  As we begin to take down the ceiling in one area, dust and sand and something we could not explain was covering us.  Matter of fact our eyes began to burn and we had to move away to regroup.  The Ticos then began  talking, in animated fashion, and somehow they helped me to understand that the sand was really ash from the volcano that had erupted in 1963.  Ash that had been hidden in the attic of that little house for over 20 years.

Looking  down on the crater I began to think about myself as a Christian.  Am I transparent with others and with God or do I have a lot of "ash" hidden in the attic?  I thought of the late President Kennedy, and how certainly much of his personal life was hidden from the public view.  Many times we want to portray an image of what we think we should be or who we want to be, not who we really are.  Pastors, evangelists, church members and even missionaries are caught in immorality so often now that it is commonplace and considered par for the course!

Paul said, that each of us will give a personal account to God (Romans 14:12). Christians live many times faking out the crowds, forgetting that the Father sees all!  Let us all get rid of the ash hidden in the attic and live transparently before God and the world. Like the volcano our lives affect many people, some near others far away.  Let´s pray that the influence will be positive.

Grace,

Mike & Annette

The Only Constant Is Change...

...Several years ago one of my supervisors made the above statement.  I did not like his statement nor did I want to agree with this sentiment.  As it turns out, he was right!
Of course this was in the context of our organization.  It is not true when we deal in the spiritual realm or with the changeless Christ (I am not talking about the local church). I have often wondered why we, who serve this changeless One, live in such turmoil and change.

There is also the issue of "change stress".  This occurs when changes constantly occur and we never feel at home or comfortable.  Some can´t deal with this constant change mode and end up resigning or succumbing to stress related illnesses.  The trite response is, "Pray about it and trust in the Lord".  While it is a truth that we need to pray and trust, it is also true that we must deal personally with our feelings about change.  What is it about change that bothers us so?  Is it the feeling of having no control over our lives? Maybe we feel as if something promised is being taken away. Some may feel they have no say in decisions being made that directly affect their lives.

What one person said about the statement "change is good" expressed that seldom is this true.  Often the ones who say it are the ones making the changes not the ones who must live with the consequences.  It reminds me a little of a definition I heard many years ago concerning the difference between major surgery and minor surgery. The definition I heard states, "major surgery is something that happens to me and mine and minor surgery is what happens to you and yours".

We must be honest with ourselves and with God.  Sometimes we must admit that we are angry about change. We must recognize that while we do not have control over certain areas of our lives we still have a responsibility to maintain our devotion to the Father. So yes, pray-pray-pray

Change may not always be positive from our point of view, but it is a reality that we must live with. We certainly must change with the times in certain areas of our lives.  When dealing with computer woes, I have said on occasion that it would be better to get a legal pad and a number 2 pencil.  The truth is that doing that would work no better than buying all of our personnel horses instead of automobiles.  The times have changed and we must adapt in many areas of our lives.

Jonah liked change no better than we.  When the people Jonah had preached to, repented and got right with God and then God relented on his threat to destroy them, Jonah was incensed!  Attitudes can place us in conflict with our Lord, our brothers and sisters in Christ and even our Call.

Our prayer is that with all the changes you are facing,  you place your total trust and confidence in the Changeless Sovereign Lord.  He is not surprised, nor will His work be thwarted by man. He will continue to perfect the work He started in you, until that glorious day when change will be no more and we rest in His arms.

Grace,

Mike and Annette

Ladies Meet in Los Yoses

Living in Los Yoses has given us an opportunity to reach out to our neighbors.  Annette has baked sweets for special occasions, and we have distributed them to those living close to us.  We have worked with language school missionaries in reaching out to our community by prayerwalking, knocking on doors and even showing a Christian movie.  Some have said that we would not be able to reach the people of our area because of their traditions, wealth and heritage.  Even the security measures work against us because most people drive into their garage through an electric gate and are almost never "in the street".        

                  We think that it is true... WE can´t reach our neighbors

                               in our own power, but Christ can!

One thing that has always amazed us in Latin America is the ease at which women will gather together and talk, drink coffee or do projects of some type.  Their nationality does not seem to matter, nor does the socioeconomic class from which they come.  The truth is women like to get together!  The frustrating thing is that men are not always willing to get together with people they don´t already know.  Men enjoy getting together with friends or compadres, but are rather slow to warm up to the idea of meeting new people.  We could go into many reasons for this and maybe analyze the inner workings of the male species, but suffice it to say; men are different.

Our experience has borne this out over the years.  In new church plants women are usually easier to reach than the men.  Our traditional church experience is just about the same.  If you look at the average crowd in a worship service, you will generally see more women than men.  Most of the traditional churches we have worked with started with work among women and children.  This is not necesarily true in every situation, but we can only speak from our own experience.

Annette has been organizing and getting some of the ladies in the community together with some of our language missionaries.  The idea is for the missionaries to practice their Spanish, make contacts with nationals and be able to share their faith.  It is also an attempt for us to get to know the community and get into the lives of people.  Recently six ladies from the community met at our house where they were able to get to know each other better, learn a recipe that Rebecca taught and even hear the language missionaries share a part of their journey.  Is the work easy?  No, but as we have said on numerous occasions:  
                                                                        Church Planting is Messy!

Our prayer is that one day we can see the hand of the Lord touch the lives of all that live in this small community of Los Yoses.

Don´t give up,

Mike and Annette

Cell Church Training

This weekend we had a good meeting with Tommy and Beth Larner concerning their insights into church planting from a cell church perspective.  They are warm, caring and passionate about reaching out to those who do not know Jesus.  The Larners speak from a wealth of experience and have been on the field doing the work, not just telling others, what they should do.

We have heard many good comments about the meeting and look forward to hearing more input concerning this method of church planting. We understand that your supervisors on the field will give you their take on the strategies that have been effective in their ministry areas.  It is good to hear from different perspectives what God is using in specific areas of the Americas.  Even if you are an experienced practitioner of cell ministry from the states, we can state plainly, "you haven't done it in Latin America" ... things will be different. 

We are placing some new materials concerning Cell Church under the downloads section.  Please feel free to download, study and utilize these materials as God leads.

Once again, we believe that it will take many differing ways to preach the gospel to all peoples of the Americas, and maybe using cells is one that will be in your future.

After the conference some said, "Well this is one more tool to put in my toolbox".  We would encourage you to choose a tool and put it to use.  Tools in the toolbox stay shiny and new looking, but never get the job done.  Church planting, however you choose to do it, is messy ... Get dirty!


Grace,
Mike and Annette

Got Mate?

Different cultures are fascinating.  One of the things I enjoy about the Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina and Uruguay) is the Mate culture.  After arriving in Chile I quickly discovered that Mate was one custom I could quickly appreciate.  Coffee and tea are offered automatically, but when the Mate is brought out the whole dynamic changes.  It is almost as if you now belong to the "club"... you are an insider, you understand, you now are fully welcomed into the circle.  Mate is more obvious in Argentina and Uruguay, but nowhere is it more a sign of friendship than in Chile.  After living in Chile and "perfecting" my Mate making and starting my Mate collection, I encountered many new friends to share with.  Let me back up and explain that the tea or herb is called yerba mate or just mate and the cup that it is served in is also called a mate.  This can be somewhat confusing to the mate novice.   The tea itself is grown mostly in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil and  basically comes in two forms "con palo" (with little pieces of the branches mixed with the tea) or "sin palo" (without the little sticks). In Uruguay and Brazil they favor the "sin palo" and in Argentina and Chile the "con palo".  I cannot speak of the other countries that drink Mate such as Paraguay or Bolivia.  In the hotter regions they enjoy drinking their Mate cold or as they call it Tereré. In some Mate cultures such as the Mapuches of Chile and Argentina, they consume  Mate with inordinate amounts of sugar. Other peoples consider Mate with sugar as only for women!

The custom of drinking Mate seems to date to before the arrival of the Spaniards; there are accounts of indigenous tribes in Paraguay and northern Argentina chewing or drinking Mate.  The Spanish picked up the custom and the Jesuits then began to cultivate the Mate in earnest.

When preparing Mate there are culturally specific and prescribed ways to properly "cebar" (prepare) Mate, and this changes from place to place. When in a group, generally speaking, there is usually one person that is in charge of the Mate.  He or she is usually recognized as an expert in this art and has proved his or her prowess in the field.  This person is in charge of preparing the Mate, heating the water in the "pava" or teapot to the correct temp (not boiling), keeping the Mate moving around the group and also  freshening the Mate when the herb gets too washed out (lavado).  Sometimes specific herbs such as mint may be mixed with the Mate for health or digestive reasons.  Some do not like the strong flavor, but others take to it immediately. Annette likes Mate after it has made the rounds several times and is weaker.  She once compared the smell to fresh cut hay.

Some things to remember when drinking Mate:

• Don't move the straw (la bombilla). This is only the prerogative of the one preparing the Mate and can be seen as an insult.
•  Keep it moving.  Don't linger too long with the Mate in your hands.  I once heard in Argentina one man say to another, "Oye Che, no es un micrófono".  Loosely translated, hey brother that's not a microphone.  
• When you drink the Mate, it is considered polite and even desirable to make a little slurping sound as you finish the last little sip.  
•  When you don't want to drink more Mate, as you return the cup simply say "gracias" and the one preparing the Mate will not include you in the next round. (this explains why after the first Mate someone wanting to be polite says gracias and then wonders what they did wrong to be passed over with the Mate.)   
•  If you are ever offered Mate by someone you are just getting to know...drink some.  You may not like it, but better to eat and drink what is placed before you than offend your host.  Some are a little queasy about drinking after others and sharing the same straw. My advice is "get over it". 

I heard of a missionary once that did not like drinking from the same straw as the rest of the pastors in their weekly meetings.  He bought his own bombilla and took it to the meeting in his inside jacket pocket.  When it came time for him to drink he pulled out the straw and quickly placed it in the Mate.  He thought that he had pulled off a smooth move when he heard one of the pastors exclaim, "look the missionary has brought a new straw for us to break in".  They then proceeded to pass the Mate to each pastor so he could try out the new straw.

Tradition states that when a young lady would prepare Mate for a young man, she could send messages by the way the Mate was prepared.  Sweet Mate... friendship or welcome, Mate with lemon...I would prefer not to see you, Mate with burnt sugar...I am thinking about you, Mate with milk...friendship or respect, Mate with coffee...I was angry but now I forgive you, Mate with a stopped up straw...Don't come back,  find somewhere else to drink Mate, Mate with honey...marriage.

(from, Mate Simbolo de Amistad p.58 Carlos Pedro Vairo)

There are many other facets to the Mate culture that are truly fascinating.  In all seriousness, I learned a lot about my brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing many hours around the table with a Mate in my hand.

If you would like to see a brief video on Argentine Mate preparation (in English) go to the following link.  Or just come by, and Annette and I will prepare Mate for you. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2otYqpcn00&feature=related  

Pass the Mate,
Mike & Annette

My Brain Is About To Explode!

My Brain Is About To Explode!

Recently we heard a missionary express this sentiment after a particularly long and difficult week.  We have heard on occasion people say that they "hit the wall".  Hearing this second expression, we have to admit that we were not sure at first what it meant, but it did not sound good.

We all go through times that are trying and difficult.  For missionaries learning language and culture, dealing with families and trying to live in new surroundings, the task can be particularly daunting.  Annette and I remember well going to church for 3 hours trying to pick out even the most basic words. We wondered for a while why during the church service they kept saying "thank you and goodbye" (gracias a Dios) The frustration we felt was at times overpowering. On some Sundays after leaving worship, riding our two buses back home we would eat lunch and just want to close our door and get away from it all... Our brains were about to explode!  As time went on we began to pick up on more and more vocabulary and we were actually able to understand the basic idea of the sermon. We remember how we longed to make a contribution to the Bible study in Sunday school.  We would sit there and plan out a response, a question or some other comment only to find that the topic had changed and we would have to start all over again.  Ticos are loving and supportive and they continually complemented our Spanish whenever we would attempt conversation.  This is especially funny when you consider that in the 1st trimester we were communicating everything in present tense. We made many mistakes and more than once a blank smile would gaze back at us as we tried to explain something.

That was many years ago, but with the Lord's help we made it through language study, and in spite of all our deficiencies still to this day, we look back and see how God has been able to use us to fulfill a small bit of His plan in Costa Rica, Chile and beyond.

What we want to get across to you is that when God calls He prepares you for the ministry that He has placed before you.  He does not expect you to learn language without His help anymore than He expects you minister without His power. God created us and He knows us better than we know ourselves.  Pray and ask the Father to guide you during these trying days and then rest in the comfort of knowing that He is in charge.  He can even use subjunctive correctly!

Grace,
Mike & Annette

At The Beach

WANTED

FOR ROBBERY

This subject is wanted for stealing a bag of potato chips on the beach at Manuel Antonio.  This chip stealer or the Chip Bandit as he is known, is part of an organized gang know as the Monkey Business Bunch.  It is further believed that this gang works in tandem with the notorious Raccoon bandits, who have been accused of opening knapsacks and stealing ham and cheese sandwiches leaving the beachgoers without their lunch. These unrepentant creatures are living a life of unbridled crime and if not stopped may die of high cholesterol.

Which Model Is Best?

There is and has always been a great deal of talk about Models on the mission field.  Evangelism models, Church planting models, Leadership training models etc.  I can't tell you how many meetings I have attended where a speaker or speakers were brought in to give us the latest model for Church planting.  It is always the newest, the latest and the greatest! (tongue in cheek :-)  It works in China, it works in California, it works in... You get the point.  From those conferences missionaries went back to their fields armed with new strategies, plans and models.  Many tried to implement these models only to be discouraged by the results and then waited to get something "new" at the next conference.

I am asked by new missionaries on occasion; What is the best model? First let me say that rarely are Models
transferable.  The Model gurus that write the books don't want you to hear that, but it is true.  Almost all Models have some basic principals that are transferable, but that does not mean that simply plugging in these principles guarantees a successful Church Plant or Evangelistic Outreach etc.  Usually Models work in a specific context after the leader stumbles on to it through trail and error.  Herein dwells the difficulty, most people just want to  be given something for their situation that they can plug in.  You know change the title and maybe the language and Voila! CPM.  The inventor Edison after  many failed experiments on the electric light was quoted as saying, I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.  How many of us would have stopped after 5 or 10 failed attempts?  You see planting churches is hard work and ultimately it is God's work.  I am  not making excuses or saying God has to do it and thereby justify my inaction, but it is true the Spirit convicts, convinces, and the power of God saves sinners.

Well then what are we to do?  I suggest that when looking at any Model, look at the eternal Biblical concepts that can be transferred, tailor them to your cultural context, pray as never before and work to see what God will do.

One Pastor of a famous Mega-Church movement that has "franchises" all over the USA and the world was quoted in a rare moment of transparency. When asked about the phenomenal numerical growth of their churches was quoted as saying, Our Church is a mile wide and one inch deep.  There are many that see the numbers game is all that matters.  How sad if we have lots of numbers but few true disciples of Christ. The saddest of all is when we give assurance to people that look like Christians but have had no true conversion in their lives.

God will give you a way to reach the people to whom you are sent.  He loves them more than you and He has many sheep that have not come into the fold.  Be faithful, be true and realize that He will work in you and through you to reach the Nations.

Grace for the days ahead,
Mike

Just For Fun

A friend sent this to me .  Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Grace,
Mike and Annette

Encouragement In Times of Discouragement

As you read this, chances are you or someone you love needs encouragement. Encouragement is not just a flourish of words to make someone feel better, but a Biblical injunction to all who claim the Name of Christ.

The Scripture says in Ephesians 4:29,
 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,  but only such as is good for building up,  as fits the occasion,  that it may give grace to those who hear.

This passage teaches us that our words are very important and that we must be sensitive to the situation our brothers and sisters are in.  As we live out our busy days, many times we do not use words to build up and give grace to those who hear.  Parents know the importance of encourageing their children in many differing situations.  It is not "one phrase fits all"; we must evaluate our words and what the child is going through.  Insincere encouragement like insincere flattery is usually seen for what it really is.  Encouragement should not tell us that we have "arrived" or that we are as good as everyone else in our  
                          endeavors.

An explanation of this concept is the false encouragement organized athletics gives to our children in the USA.  Every child must receive the same award or trophy, no outstanding individuals are singled out for fear that the others will be discouraged.  The problems with this system are too extensive to deal with in this post, suffice it to say that we are doing our children more harm than good by not telling the truth in love. 

Our goal should not be to make someone feel that through their own effort they are self-suffienct, but that they can walk in the confidence that the Lord is doing a work in their lives. They can place the results in the hands of our Holy and Sovereign God.


Researchers have said that we speak on average about 25,000 words a day.  Are we careful about how we speak?  Do we choose our words wisely?

Another part of encouragement is Exhortation. Hebrews 3:12-13,

Take care,  brothers,  lest there be in any of you an evil,  unbelieving heart,  leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day,  as long as it is called  "today,"  that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Sometimes we must encourage through exhortation in a loving and gentle manner.  As mentors we sometimes must do this type of encouragement.  It is not always easy, but many times it is necessary.  In history we can read the disastrous consequences wreaked on people by Kings, Presidents, and dare I say, Pastors that have chosen to surround themselves with counselors that "encourage" by saying what the leader wants to hear.

C.J. Mahaney in his book Humility: True Greatness says, " We're all in need of grace. There's no one you know who doesn't need more of it.  And God has so composed His church that when we're together in a larger corporate gathering or in a small group or even in casual conversation, we can both receive grace and communicate grace through the exchange of edifying and appropriate words." p118.

Our prayer for you is that you would receive the encouragement you need in your journey and that you would in turn be an encourager to others.

Grace,
Mike & Annette

You Think You Have It Bad!

Sometimes we complain about our circumstances, our inconveniences, our sacrifices.  When we are reminded about the true sacrifice of missionaries that have gone before and opened the doors to fields all over the world we can put our own experience in true perspective.  The next time your internet goes down or your cellular phone doesn't have a signal think about this story.

You Will Be Eaten By Cannibals!  Lessons from the life of John G. Paton  by John Piper (an excerpt)

What Kinds of Circumstances Called for Courage in Paton's Life?

He had courage to overcome the criticism he received from respected elders for going to the New Hebrides.
A Mr. Dickson exploded, "The cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals!" The memory of Williams and Harris on Erromanga was only 19 years old (They had been killed and eaten the same day they arrived in the New Hebrides islands). But to this Paton responded:

Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer. (p. 56)

This is the kind of in-your-face spiritual moxie that would mark Paton's whole life. It's a big part of what makes reading his story so invigorating.

He had courage to risk losing his loved ones and to press on when he did in fact lose them.
 
He and his wife arrived on the island of Tanna November 5, 1858, and Mary was pregnant. The baby was born February 12, 1859. "Our island-exile thrilled with joy! But the greatest of sorrows was treading hard upon the heels of that great joy!" (p. 79). Mary had reaped attacks of ague and fever and pneumonia and diarrhea with delirium for two weeks.

Then in a moment, altogether unexpectedly, she died on March third. To crown my sorrows, and complete my loneliness, the dear baby-boy, whom we had named after her father, Peter Robert Robson, was taken from me after one week's sickness, on the 20th of March. Let those who have ever passed through any similar darkness as of midnight feel for me; as for all others, it would be more than vain to try to paint my sorrows! (p. 79)

He dug the two graves with his own hands and buried them by the house he had built.

He had courage to risk his own sickness in a foreign land with no doctors and no escape.
 
"Fever and ague had attacked me fourteen times severely" (p. 105). In view of his wife's death he never knew when any one of these attacks would mean his own death. Imagine struggling with a life-and-death sickness over and over with only one Christian native friend named Abraham who had come with him to the island to help him.

The most common demand for courage was the almost constant threat to his life from the hostilities of the natives.
 

This is what makes his Autobiography read like a thriller. In his first four years on Tanna when he was all alone, he moved from one savage crisis to the next. One wonders how his mind kept from snapping, as he never knew when his house would be surrounded with angry natives or his party would be ambushed along the way. How do you survive when there is no kickback time? No unwinding. No sure refuge on earth. "Our continuous danger caused me now oftentimes to sleep with my clothes on, that I might start at a moment's warning. May faithful dog Clutha would give a sharp bark and awake me. . . . God made them fear this precious creature, and often used her in saving our lives" (p. 178).

My enemies seldom slackened their hateful designs against my life, however calmed or baffled for the moment. . . . A wild chief followed me around for four hours with his loaded musket, and, though often directed towards me, God restrained his hand. I spoke kindly to him, and attended to my work as if he had not been there, fully persuaded that my God had placed me there, and would protect me till my allotted task was finished. Looking up in unceasing prayer to our dear Lord Jesus, I left all in his hands, and felt immortal till my work was done. Trials and hairbreadth escapes strengthened my faith, and seemed only to nerve me for more to follow; and they did tread swiftly upon each other's heels. (p. 117)

What Did His Courage Achieve?

We have already seen one main answer to this question, namely,
The entire island of Aniwa turned to Christ.

Four years of seemingly fruitless and costly labor on Tanna could have meant the end of Paton's missionary life. He could have remembered that in Glasgow for ten years he had had unprecedented success as an urban missionary. Now for four years he seemed to have accomplished nothing and he lost his wife and child in the process. But instead of going home, he turned his missionary heart to Aniwa. And this time the story was different. "I claimed Aniwa for Jesus, and by the grace of God, Aniwa now worships at the Savior's feet" (p. 312).
The courageous endurance on Tanna resulted in a story that awakened thousands to the call of missions and strengthened the home church.

If you would like to read this John Piper article in its entirety go to:


http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1482_You_Will_Be_Eaten_by_Cannibals_Lessons_from_the_Life_of_John_G_Paton/ 

Grace,
Mike & Annette

For The Ladies "Girl Talk"

We try to provide you with some good solid resources as we run across them.  This one is for the "hermanas" and we hope it is helpful.  The Blog is well designed and has some interesting content.  Look it over and see what you think.                                              The link is www.girltalkhome.com

Grace,

Mike and Annette

Just For Fun, Signs of the Times

Cultural Adaptation...It's Not Easy

I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf-coast. Biloxi to be exact. We (Biloxians) were definitely of the southern persuasion although our culture was very different from the rest of Mississippi. We would be more prone to eat shrimp creole, oysters or mullet (and wash it down with a Barq's Root Beer) than black eyed peas and cornbread.  Instead of a drawn out southern drawl our accent had a definite New Orleans flavor with strange sounding words that were borrowed from many different cultures.  Biloxi was founded in 1699 and has Spanish, French and many other influences. The name is taken from a tribe of Choctaw Indians that inhabited the area.

In 1969  when I was 14 I went to live with my father in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  He was stationed at a nearby Air force base and my mother and I wanted to be near him. He had just returned from a year long stint in Vietnam and we missed him.  I was enrolled in summer school and I was not culturally prepared for what was coming!  I could not believe the differences in dress, music, accent, moral standards and last but not least violence.  I truthfully think that I could have moved to Italy and fit in about as well.  How did I adapt?  I retreated even further into my introverted shell and kept to myself.  I did not make a single friend that entire summer at school, church or in our neighborhood.  I have not one good memory of that time except for watching the Apollo 11 moon landing.  I failed cultural adaptation 101. No one prepared me for the changes and the differences. I foundered and almost went under!

Most of you are in transition at the moment.  You are living in one country studying language and soon you will be moving to a new field of service.  You have received much information and training and you, more than most are prepared to face what comes.  You have been on mission trips and many of you have even visited your future field.  All of this preparation and knowledge is good, but you must not think that adaptation will be without it's challenges.  Many of you already feel frustration about language and or cultural issues. Many have expressed after arriving on their field of service that it was harder than they thought. Some thought it would be like an eternal mission trip, but it wasn't. Adding to these issues is the issue of stress on the family.  Some have expressed that they can't wait to get to the field where there will be less stress and more time.  The reality is that stress seems to increase for the first few years on the field, and time...well let's just say you will probably be more busy than you have ever been in your life.

What are some things that we can do to mitigate these issues that have been presented?

• Make sure your devotional time (prayer and Bible study) is strong and productive.
• Work on communication with your spouse and children (if married of course).
• On the field, take some time make your house a home (comfort as well as security).
• Begin immediately to meet people and try to make friends.
• Find an accountability partner.
  
• Take control of you calendar. If you don't someone else will!
• Set aside family time and time for you and your spouse.
• Learn as much as possible about your community and participate in events if possible.
• Remember that you are not alone. 

Matthew 28:19-20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,  baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold,  I am with you always,  to the end of the age."  ESV

Have a great week.
Grace,
Mike