the purpose of this blog is ultimately to glorify God. We praise God tonight as we type this and do so to inform you of what He's doing.
Tonight God did an incredible thing! He answered prayers so specifically that it was as if we were having a conversation.
I'll skip the content of the course tonight and go straight to what happened between me and God. (I may put more about the content in later postings)
Last week, the speaker opened a lot of questions in my heart and as I did my Bible study and read my homework those questions begat more questions, and so I started to write them down. Then I shared them with my wife, and then we began to pray over them, and tonight, God spoke through the speaker and gave us direct answers.
You can not imagine the energy coursing through my body right now. I understand now how man can not stare into God's face... I believe I would explode. Simply hearing from God, that He would answer my prayers so magnificently... He is so awesome and worthy! This isn't the first time, but boy it was a needed time. I'm not so worthy as to continually beg God to talk to me, give me direction and then have Him do so again. You'd think He'd be fed up "enough already Chad.. GO DO IT!" but I'm so stubborn I keep asking Him to narrow it down more and more for us.
I will share the prayer requests here for you, our close circle of supporters and friends and family. You are our core, those who pray for us.
I will also share the answers. I'm rather sure it won't be as exciting for you to hear them as it was for me, but I wanted you to know that your prayers are being heard by God and He is in fact working daily in our lives.
-What is our vision? What is our exact vision for our ministry as a family?
-If it is to support missionaries, then doesn't the example of fixfree.org prove we can support them remotely?
-Do we need to go to Papua New Guinea or are we called somewhere else? (say a muslim nation)
-Do we want to support PNG missionaries or simply missionaries anywhere?
-Where can we do the greatest good?
-We're not very educated or pure, or special in anyway, I'm jsut a big dumb guy... does God really want me to do anything?
These are all questions of focus. We know God has given us a calling to obey and I ask these questions in the light of what I'm learning to try and focus what it is God wants us to do. My wife enjoys watching me struggle but feels peace that our goals is what we're intended to do. She is a wise and good helper because she's already arrived at what God told me tonight.
Here is the answers paraphrased and in no direct order:
-Jonah wasn't pure, he was rebellious and yet he obeyed, he wasn't the most passionate speaker to the Ninevites and yet they believed God.... evidence that a perfect heart is not required to serve God, and that skill has little to do with it.
-Simon, was a good fisherman, but Christ asked him to cast his net in the deep water, a place Simon knew there'd be no fish "we've been trying all night"... and yet he obeyed, and the harvest nearly sunk ships. Evidence that you can be skilled and still, obedience is important. The two examples, (and there are many more) have one thread, obedience.
Obedience to what you know God is saying, faith for what you don't understand yet.
-We don't need to reach huge groups, a couple was mentioned that went to PNG.. amazing for us since no other couples were mentioned... why mention PNG? it was no coincidence. This couple had a heart for a people group with only 200 people in it. Was it a waste? No it was wonderful that God would call people to what seems like such a small mission. God spoke to my heart here... I need to stop looking at where I can be BEST used for the GREATEST affect, and go where I know we're being called, and that is PNG. The calling of God outweighs the strategy of reaching out. (that was our reading this week)
-Our vision.... this is the best part.
Our vision is to support the missionaries in Papua New Guinea who do reach the nationals. Not EVERY Wycliffe missionary, but the ones in PNG. When I heard this couple's name I loved them instantly, I wanted to hug them, and give them a warm place to rest their heads, I wanted to gaurantee they'd have no computer problems, and I wanted to create a safe haven for them to return to, knowing that my wife was teaching their children, and that they would be safe with us. Missionaries need support at home, prayer, funds, and encouragement, but they also need support in the field. They need people to offload distraction from what God has called them to. They need us. The fact that we can partake in the larger picture by serving such a small role enthralls us, excites us, and encourages us. God is doing work in PNG, Wycliffe is doing His work there, translators are doing the work, and supporting staff are helping them do it. Can you imagine being the man who built the desk that Paul would use to write the letters to the churches?
It all makes sense, it was like a huge "CLICK" tonight in my heart. Why I've felt a call to minister to couples, to disciple men, to encourage believers. Why I've felt a strong desire to go to Papua New Guinea, why I married a woman who loves people and is outgoing. Why I love the Russells over there like family and enjoy doing little things to encourage them. It all makes total sense.
I'm a big dumb guy who is in no way perfect. ( by the way the speaker tonight said those actual words... talk about a God who answers prayer) But I know that God has called us to Papua New Guinea, and tonight I learned it was so that we can support and encourage people who God has called to reach the unreached, translate the Gospel, and spread the Word. I praise God that we won't be the ones getting glory for doing the work, that we have the awesome and humbling opportunity to be behind the scenes, ensuring God's work gets done.
I'll tell you a lesson I learned by watching people whom I admire.
I would rather live a life serving God in confidence of obedience and to never receive a single moment of glory, thanks, appreciation or stature, than to live any other way. I have too long cared about what man thinks of me, and not long enough thought about what man thinks of God.
That is our heart, that is our mission, our vision. And now.... the task is before us to put feet to it.
Prayer requests:
in January we have training and there are costs.
Before us is a lot of training.
We need patience and stamina to retain this vision and the passion.
WE need wisdom in how to best build a circle of supporters and partners to get us there and keep us there.
My attitude on partnership is very simple.
God has already put it on the hearts of people to be excited about what He wants to get done. We need to put the footwork into discovering those people and communicating to them clearly what it is God will have us do.
Pray that we can communicate this well. I was unclear how to communicate our vision before tonight, how to put it into words. Now my only challenge is to harness this energy into a more easily digestible format.
Thanks for your support and your patience in reading this rather wordy entry.
We love you.
