Wycliffe called today, kendal and I have been accepted and are officially members of Wycliffe!
we're excited but peaceful. it's odd, like opening a present on christmas you have peaked at ahead of time.
We're excited but not surprised, God put us on this path. Thanks to all those praying for us and thanks to God who is having us be a part of His plan.
The question: What comes next?
Well stay tuned. We had a phone meeting today and really quite a few things happen now. This is the point at which the work to prepare to go into the field can begin.
We will update you as we progress but for now we're taking a moment to celebrate, to praise God and to thank you, for supporting us.
10/26/2005
Perspectives Week 5
speaker: Larry Walker from ACMC
I took about 3 pages of notes. That's a lot for me since I don't typically bother with notes.
As a speaker he was acceptable to good. But the material covered was great.
We talked about pioneers in missions. William Carey, Cameron Townsend, Dondal Mcgavren, Ralph Winter, Luis Bush.
Then the second half was "strategy" where we found that:
95% of American churches income is spent on themselves
4.5% is spent on existing missions efforts
.5% is spent on new missions enterprises
that more than 1/2 the world's population is still "unreached".
The difference between America and other countries is they are unchurched, not unreached.
(America has access to the Gospel, many people groups do not)
Many missiologists feel that the time of America being the largest country of missions origin is gone.
Christendom is moving south.
Interestingly though America has a unique position in the global economy where other countries want us to come with skills that help them be competitive in the new world of "globalism", and thus it is easier for Americans to get access as professionals than as missionaries.
All of that strategy is interesting.... it points to today.. now.. being an exciting era for missions growth, for reaching the unreached.
BUt the most important revelations came to me during the break when I was talking with Mr. Walker.
-I need to stop thinking of the country's borders as it's boundaries. Think people groups, not borders. If you reach a people group with the Gospel, they aren't going to spread that to another people group in the same country. They have language and culture borders. In India, if you win one caste the Gospel won't spread to the caste above or below... so suddenly your boundaries become more constricted and these days you really don't go out after a country, but focus on a people group.
-The Bible shows us that God has a movement, and He doesn't need to use America to get it done. Instead of thinking "how can God use me" perhaps I should think "God is doing something and I want to be involved instead of sitting on the sidelines."
Suddenly that thought, changed me. In my head I think things like
-maybe this isn't the right place to go
-maybe this isn't the right job to do
-God can't possibly use someone like me
-I am not worthy to be considered part of the family that these great pioneers began.
-what is the best possible use of my skills for God?
and these days I'm thinking more:
-it doesn't matter what I do, or where I go, God is doing something and I want to be involved.
that calms the spirit of all anxieties. I know God has put on my heart to go to PNG and to work in computers. I know it's not exactly a front-line job, it's not exactly a pioneering position, and I won't be called upon daily to share the Gospel or risk my life... but that doesn't matter.
I'll be a very very small part of what God is doing, and if that's where He wants me, that's where I should be.
The significance to be found is not in how well I perform, what stature the job is, what country I go to. The significance rests solely on who God is and what He is doing.
I took about 3 pages of notes. That's a lot for me since I don't typically bother with notes.
As a speaker he was acceptable to good. But the material covered was great.
We talked about pioneers in missions. William Carey, Cameron Townsend, Dondal Mcgavren, Ralph Winter, Luis Bush.
Then the second half was "strategy" where we found that:
95% of American churches income is spent on themselves
4.5% is spent on existing missions efforts
.5% is spent on new missions enterprises
that more than 1/2 the world's population is still "unreached".
The difference between America and other countries is they are unchurched, not unreached.
(America has access to the Gospel, many people groups do not)
Many missiologists feel that the time of America being the largest country of missions origin is gone.
Christendom is moving south.
Interestingly though America has a unique position in the global economy where other countries want us to come with skills that help them be competitive in the new world of "globalism", and thus it is easier for Americans to get access as professionals than as missionaries.
All of that strategy is interesting.... it points to today.. now.. being an exciting era for missions growth, for reaching the unreached.
BUt the most important revelations came to me during the break when I was talking with Mr. Walker.
-I need to stop thinking of the country's borders as it's boundaries. Think people groups, not borders. If you reach a people group with the Gospel, they aren't going to spread that to another people group in the same country. They have language and culture borders. In India, if you win one caste the Gospel won't spread to the caste above or below... so suddenly your boundaries become more constricted and these days you really don't go out after a country, but focus on a people group.
-The Bible shows us that God has a movement, and He doesn't need to use America to get it done. Instead of thinking "how can God use me" perhaps I should think "God is doing something and I want to be involved instead of sitting on the sidelines."
Suddenly that thought, changed me. In my head I think things like
-maybe this isn't the right place to go
-maybe this isn't the right job to do
-God can't possibly use someone like me
-I am not worthy to be considered part of the family that these great pioneers began.
-what is the best possible use of my skills for God?
and these days I'm thinking more:
-it doesn't matter what I do, or where I go, God is doing something and I want to be involved.
that calms the spirit of all anxieties. I know God has put on my heart to go to PNG and to work in computers. I know it's not exactly a front-line job, it's not exactly a pioneering position, and I won't be called upon daily to share the Gospel or risk my life... but that doesn't matter.
I'll be a very very small part of what God is doing, and if that's where He wants me, that's where I should be.
The significance to be found is not in how well I perform, what stature the job is, what country I go to. The significance rests solely on who God is and what He is doing.
10/19/2005
Status update
Stage: Status: Notes:
Preliminary Questionnaire arrives in Personnel; complete
Phone/email contact made complete
Send application packet complete
· Applicant directed to interview with Pastor complete helpful, establishes first contact with pastor
Application Papers returned complete
(PA) evaluates application materials complete
· PA makes phone contact with applicant complete first contact with PA over the phone is helpful as well.
· Technical evaluation by Domain Coordinator complete this actually happens right before the committee decides a good sign.
· General References returned complete remember to remind your referers to get these in.
Send:
· Policy Statements complete paperwork to read
· Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) complete a 562 question #2 pencil type test
· Bible Knowledge Assessment (BKA) complete harder than it looks need to know your Bible very well.
· MMPI-2 & BKA returned complete we scored lower than they'd have liked but higher than we expected
· Technical Evaluation finished complete phone interview with IT guy went great
· Policy Statements returned complete paperwork
Biographical Interview complete 2 hour phone conversation with PA.
PA calls Pastor complete
Membership Decision waiting
Personnel Actions Committee or Administrative Action
New Member
Packet sent
Wycliffe incomplete scheduled for Jan/Feb
Training Camp
Partnership Development focus
Possible further Training:
· SIL courses (could happen at any point)
· ICC
· Medical Clearance (Physical Exam)
· Assignment Match-up
· Technical Orientation
· Language Study
· Field Training Courses
Initial
Assignment
Service Review
after +/- 2 years
Preliminary Questionnaire arrives in Personnel; complete
Phone/email contact made complete
Send application packet complete
· Applicant directed to interview with Pastor complete helpful, establishes first contact with pastor
Application Papers returned complete
(PA) evaluates application materials complete
· PA makes phone contact with applicant complete first contact with PA over the phone is helpful as well.
· Technical evaluation by Domain Coordinator complete this actually happens right before the committee decides a good sign.
· General References returned complete remember to remind your referers to get these in.
Send:
· Policy Statements complete paperwork to read
· Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) complete a 562 question #2 pencil type test
· Bible Knowledge Assessment (BKA) complete harder than it looks need to know your Bible very well.
· MMPI-2 & BKA returned complete we scored lower than they'd have liked but higher than we expected
· Technical Evaluation finished complete phone interview with IT guy went great
· Policy Statements returned complete paperwork
Biographical Interview complete 2 hour phone conversation with PA.
PA calls Pastor complete
Membership Decision waiting
Personnel Actions Committee or Administrative Action
New Member
Packet sent
Wycliffe incomplete scheduled for Jan/Feb
Training Camp
Partnership Development focus
Possible further Training:
· SIL courses (could happen at any point)
· ICC
· Medical Clearance (Physical Exam)
· Assignment Match-up
· Technical Orientation
· Language Study
· Field Training Courses
Initial
Assignment
Service Review
after +/- 2 years
Perspectives week 4
speaker: Michael Boyland
WOW, what a fabulous speaker. We're into the beginning of the history of the spread of christianity across the world. The reading this week was tedious, I often find historical reading tedious, but I'm interested in history, I simply need to hear someone who understands it and can communicate it well.
Michael Boyland was the west coast national ACMC conference M.C. this year (he had a broken foot)
It was interesting because he spoke energetically and at a fast pace, he was brilliant with the material. He liked to go between two themes.
National contribution to the spread of christianity
Individual contribution.
I don't think other people felt the themes, to them it looked like he was jumping around from topic to topic, but I definitely sensed where he was going the whole night.
I felt very in sync with the speaker... so in sync in fact that before long I turned over to kendal and said "did you ever see the movie "the MISSION" " she said no..
not 10 minutes later he says "have any of you seen the movie the MISSION".
When he was talking about the vikings and their gods, I'm thinking about Thor from Douglass Adams "Dirk Gently" series and suddenly he says, "who here has read douglass adams" I raise my hand... I'm the only one who raises their hands.
"Have you read his Dirk Gently books?"
Yes I have... I acknowledged.
It was pretty fun for me. I liked how he would go on tangents about the personality of the individuals like saint patrick, Boniface, Constantine, Francis of Assisi... etc.
By far the best class of the series thus far.
WOW, what a fabulous speaker. We're into the beginning of the history of the spread of christianity across the world. The reading this week was tedious, I often find historical reading tedious, but I'm interested in history, I simply need to hear someone who understands it and can communicate it well.
Michael Boyland was the west coast national ACMC conference M.C. this year (he had a broken foot)
It was interesting because he spoke energetically and at a fast pace, he was brilliant with the material. He liked to go between two themes.
National contribution to the spread of christianity
Individual contribution.
I don't think other people felt the themes, to them it looked like he was jumping around from topic to topic, but I definitely sensed where he was going the whole night.
I felt very in sync with the speaker... so in sync in fact that before long I turned over to kendal and said "did you ever see the movie "the MISSION" " she said no..
not 10 minutes later he says "have any of you seen the movie the MISSION".
When he was talking about the vikings and their gods, I'm thinking about Thor from Douglass Adams "Dirk Gently" series and suddenly he says, "who here has read douglass adams" I raise my hand... I'm the only one who raises their hands.
"Have you read his Dirk Gently books?"
Yes I have... I acknowledged.
It was pretty fun for me. I liked how he would go on tangents about the personality of the individuals like saint patrick, Boniface, Constantine, Francis of Assisi... etc.
By far the best class of the series thus far.
10/12/2005
Perspectives Week 3
well everything is in, and we're told we should expect to know on Oct. 26 whether or not we're accepted.
One of the interesting obstacles of this process has been communication. For each applicant (or couple) Wycliffe assigns a PA, someone who knows the processes well and can guide you through the application. In our instance, our PA is new, having come out of the field and taken this position after doing other work stateside. A good guy, but not the seasoned pro that knows all the ins and outs. As such, we've had a few bumps, but not horrible ones.
Perspectives last night was interesting, a gentleman named Nzash from the Congo spoke. He mostly went through an overview of the previous weeks and was a tad hard to follow, but his heart and his passion was well understood.
And that's where I finally understood Paul.
Paul valued spreading the Gospel, and glorifying God more than his own life.
I'm not afraid of losing my lifestyle, I'm not afraid of whatever suffering may come... family members dying, getting sick, growing up resentful.. I fear none of that.
The only thing I fear, is fear itself at this point. I pray that God would remove that from me, and allow me to serve Him unfettered by human weakness as best I can.
God couldn't have given me a better partner and children to go through this with, and I want to make sure I'm the man who can live up to this privilege of calling.
It is by Grace that I have received this call to serve, and not anything I know or can do that makes me special. God is working and He's invited me to show up and watch, and maybe pitch in a bit where I can.
I jsut pray I do not try to make it about me in any way.... make it solely about God's mission.
One of the interesting obstacles of this process has been communication. For each applicant (or couple) Wycliffe assigns a PA, someone who knows the processes well and can guide you through the application. In our instance, our PA is new, having come out of the field and taken this position after doing other work stateside. A good guy, but not the seasoned pro that knows all the ins and outs. As such, we've had a few bumps, but not horrible ones.
Perspectives last night was interesting, a gentleman named Nzash from the Congo spoke. He mostly went through an overview of the previous weeks and was a tad hard to follow, but his heart and his passion was well understood.
And that's where I finally understood Paul.
Paul valued spreading the Gospel, and glorifying God more than his own life.
I'm not afraid of losing my lifestyle, I'm not afraid of whatever suffering may come... family members dying, getting sick, growing up resentful.. I fear none of that.
The only thing I fear, is fear itself at this point. I pray that God would remove that from me, and allow me to serve Him unfettered by human weakness as best I can.
God couldn't have given me a better partner and children to go through this with, and I want to make sure I'm the man who can live up to this privilege of calling.
It is by Grace that I have received this call to serve, and not anything I know or can do that makes me special. God is working and He's invited me to show up and watch, and maybe pitch in a bit where I can.
I jsut pray I do not try to make it about me in any way.... make it solely about God's mission.
10/05/2005
Perspectives week 2
under the advisement of friends we are taking the Perspectives course.
The main gist of the course is to teach people that God has had a design from the beginning of time to reach out to people and win them back to himself.
we study this plan in several ways.
last night was excellent as Steve Hoke spoke, someone I've heard speak before at the ACMC.
he asks us to write down "YBI's" your big ideas.... the points we want to remember.. here are my 11.
1. God is less concerned about getting things DONE and more with developing our character. God is not in a rush like we are, to accomplish anything.
2. God is the star of the mission story
3. Theme of the course - God is at work around the world, completing His big picture.
4. Every decision we make will be faulty until we see the world as God sees it. (align our perspective with His) It is at this point, that we begin to Worship God and become very effective for Him
5. We are blessed so that we can bless others (abraham)
6. Evangelism is as basic as blessing someone else.
7. Melchizedek and Abraham - Abraham is blessed by God, and in turn 4 kings bless God.
.....
11. Would I waste my blessings for fear of losing them?
Sure I skipped a bit, but 11 was the one that hit me. See I'm going to the field, I'm not worried about losing what most Americans see as blessings. I feel that I will only understand my dependance on material wealth once I lose it, at the moment i'm looking forward to that. Although DSL will be a sad loss (-;.
But the blessings I hold most dear are the hardest to give to God. My children, my wife, my future security. These are the things that God has blessed me with, but I can't hold myself back from being a blessing to others simply because I'm afraid of what might happen to what I have. Abraham was going to kill his son.. his 16 year old son. They were infertile for something like 80 years... and then had a son, and then out of obedience for God, Abraham was going to lose him.
And then .... he worshipped God.
One quote was interesting "Missions exists because worship doesn't."
That quote doesn't mean that if we all were believers we wouldn't have missions.
It means if we were all filled in our hearts with the desire to uplift and bless God and did so exuberantly and effervescently, then God's Word would spread like wildfire... and there would be no need for missions.
The challenge I'm putting before myself after last night is this.
-to seek out God solely, so that my heart would be filled with Worship, and I would overflow with all things from God. From that one point, everything would work properly. I would not need ten step how-to manuals... I would not need to worry abotu how to share the Gospel, or how to serve my wife... because the spirit would fill me with a heart of Worship for God.
God is great.. He is amazing, and I'm only now realizing that it isn't out of duty, that you say these words, but out of something other than yourself that is poured into your heart through the conduit that is your relationship with God. My only duty is to keep that conduit wide and in repair so that His love may flow in ample quantities.
The main gist of the course is to teach people that God has had a design from the beginning of time to reach out to people and win them back to himself.
we study this plan in several ways.
last night was excellent as Steve Hoke spoke, someone I've heard speak before at the ACMC.
he asks us to write down "YBI's" your big ideas.... the points we want to remember.. here are my 11.
1. God is less concerned about getting things DONE and more with developing our character. God is not in a rush like we are, to accomplish anything.
2. God is the star of the mission story
3. Theme of the course - God is at work around the world, completing His big picture.
4. Every decision we make will be faulty until we see the world as God sees it. (align our perspective with His) It is at this point, that we begin to Worship God and become very effective for Him
5. We are blessed so that we can bless others (abraham)
6. Evangelism is as basic as blessing someone else.
7. Melchizedek and Abraham - Abraham is blessed by God, and in turn 4 kings bless God.
.....
11. Would I waste my blessings for fear of losing them?
Sure I skipped a bit, but 11 was the one that hit me. See I'm going to the field, I'm not worried about losing what most Americans see as blessings. I feel that I will only understand my dependance on material wealth once I lose it, at the moment i'm looking forward to that. Although DSL will be a sad loss (-;.
But the blessings I hold most dear are the hardest to give to God. My children, my wife, my future security. These are the things that God has blessed me with, but I can't hold myself back from being a blessing to others simply because I'm afraid of what might happen to what I have. Abraham was going to kill his son.. his 16 year old son. They were infertile for something like 80 years... and then had a son, and then out of obedience for God, Abraham was going to lose him.
And then .... he worshipped God.
One quote was interesting "Missions exists because worship doesn't."
That quote doesn't mean that if we all were believers we wouldn't have missions.
It means if we were all filled in our hearts with the desire to uplift and bless God and did so exuberantly and effervescently, then God's Word would spread like wildfire... and there would be no need for missions.
The challenge I'm putting before myself after last night is this.
-to seek out God solely, so that my heart would be filled with Worship, and I would overflow with all things from God. From that one point, everything would work properly. I would not need ten step how-to manuals... I would not need to worry abotu how to share the Gospel, or how to serve my wife... because the spirit would fill me with a heart of Worship for God.
God is great.. He is amazing, and I'm only now realizing that it isn't out of duty, that you say these words, but out of something other than yourself that is poured into your heart through the conduit that is your relationship with God. My only duty is to keep that conduit wide and in repair so that His love may flow in ample quantities.
9/28/2005
Technical interview
one of the finalizing steps of the application process (for I.T. anyway) is to meet and talk to a technical recruiter who can find your skill set and make suggestions as to where to place you.
I met Ken, great guy. He mostly said after reading up on me, and hearing other interviews that he felt it would be a waste to talk about whether or not I was skilled, I was, he instead took the time to see what and where I would like to be, and then explain a bit about how I.T. in Wycliffe worked. At certain levels of technical ability, it's easy to see if people are skilled and the interview process is more of a chance to get to know personality.
It was a good conversation and he told me he'd make the recommendation of sending us to PNG. He also mentioned that a teacher/I.T. pair is like the Wycliffe power team. (-; That's always good to hear. Sort of reinforces the feeling that God intended for us to be together and do this since before we were born.
He also told me a lot about I.T. and how important it is, and how a lot of I.T. people are located in the U.S. offices but it's hard for them to discover support because to many people "missions" means "leaving the country". He used the analogy of soldiers. People see soldiers as carrying rifles and driving humvees, but what about the hundreds of soldiers back in Washington supporting them? An aircraft carrier is all about the aircraft, but there are more on the ship than in the plane.
So things are progressing along and it does look good.
I met Ken, great guy. He mostly said after reading up on me, and hearing other interviews that he felt it would be a waste to talk about whether or not I was skilled, I was, he instead took the time to see what and where I would like to be, and then explain a bit about how I.T. in Wycliffe worked. At certain levels of technical ability, it's easy to see if people are skilled and the interview process is more of a chance to get to know personality.
It was a good conversation and he told me he'd make the recommendation of sending us to PNG. He also mentioned that a teacher/I.T. pair is like the Wycliffe power team. (-; That's always good to hear. Sort of reinforces the feeling that God intended for us to be together and do this since before we were born.
He also told me a lot about I.T. and how important it is, and how a lot of I.T. people are located in the U.S. offices but it's hard for them to discover support because to many people "missions" means "leaving the country". He used the analogy of soldiers. People see soldiers as carrying rifles and driving humvees, but what about the hundreds of soldiers back in Washington supporting them? An aircraft carrier is all about the aircraft, but there are more on the ship than in the plane.
So things are progressing along and it does look good.
Perspectives
My wife and I have attended our first perspectives course. It is a biblical 12 week teaching series on missions. Our first night started a bit rocky, with the babysitter being a tad late and traffic and such, but we arrived on time, took a deep breath and sat down for 3 hours of teaching.
3 hours of teaching during a time when you're used to relaxing your brain is harder than it used to be when were in college. But it was sound teaching.
So I've done the pre-reading... it was GREAT! learned a lot.
then the speaker spoke, he was good, but mostly regurgitated the reading and I didn't necessarily get any new application or angle on the reading.. if anything he clarified it.. which I see a total need for because:
1 - not everyone does the reading
2 - not everyone can get the clear points in a theological essay.
3 - some people learn differently.
thus far it was a decent class... and I'm suspecting it's going to be VERY good. I enjoyed meeting the new people around me, etc.
3 hours of teaching during a time when you're used to relaxing your brain is harder than it used to be when were in college. But it was sound teaching.
So I've done the pre-reading... it was GREAT! learned a lot.
then the speaker spoke, he was good, but mostly regurgitated the reading and I didn't necessarily get any new application or angle on the reading.. if anything he clarified it.. which I see a total need for because:
1 - not everyone does the reading
2 - not everyone can get the clear points in a theological essay.
3 - some people learn differently.
thus far it was a decent class... and I'm suspecting it's going to be VERY good. I enjoyed meeting the new people around me, etc.
9/23/2005
this week completes our first round (and perhaps only) of phone interviews. They interviewed me separately from my wife for 2 hours or so. Our answers were so similiar (after talking about them) that I wonder if they think that I coached my wife (as there was a day in between answers). The truth is, my wife and I talk about stuff, and typically if it's something important that concerns us both, you'll get a similiar answer regardless of who you ask.
is that odd? I don't think it is.
apparently my personality test says I'm normal, so that's good news.
Now we wait again. We wait on Wycliffe to gather our final paperwork, and to talk to parties necessary. And then finally perhaps I have to take a phone interview for technical skills to prove I know something about computers.
so.... it is looking like end of October to hear if we've been accepted.
is that odd? I don't think it is.
apparently my personality test says I'm normal, so that's good news.
Now we wait again. We wait on Wycliffe to gather our final paperwork, and to talk to parties necessary. And then finally perhaps I have to take a phone interview for technical skills to prove I know something about computers.
so.... it is looking like end of October to hear if we've been accepted.
9/15/2005
September Status
well all of our tests are in, they have the results and we have some final application paperwork to send in.
Next week is our first 2 hour phone interview....
We're looking at a November time frame to know if we're accepted or not.
Next week is our first 2 hour phone interview....
We're looking at a November time frame to know if we're accepted or not.
8/28/2005
August status
well, we've finished the personality profile. a 565 question test with questions like "have you ever wanted to hurt someone?" and "I feel like I'm being watched." You have to answer with "this is very like me.... or not very like me."
so we did that for 565 questions and it was funny in some places....
The only part of the "application" that we have to solve still is the bible knowledge test. This is something that we've been waiting on until a time when we feel like we're awake enough to take it. Because honestly, with two kids and a really busy work schedule lately, weeknights are brain-free zones... you're lucky if you have enough mental capacity to have a good conversation with your wife after the kids are asleep.
So that leaves weekends.... which of course are busy. But tonight.... tonight we're resolved to at least begin. As with any part of the application, membership doesn't hinge on any 1 aspect of it, rather they're trying to get a well rounded idea of who we are.
The ACMC conference was fabulous. I don't think I've blogged it yet. I've been to conferences as we prepared for a weekend of boring seminars and empty rhetoric, instead what we both experienced was God leading us specifically to each elective we took, and really hearing the Spirit through these talkers. It was 3 days of concentrated time of hearing God speak to us through other people, and it was the first time we really felt like we were getting the full confirmation from God that not only was Wycliffe right, but PNG was right, and this life choice was right. All along we knew PNG was right, but we were not competely sold on Wycliffe until this conference.
so we did that for 565 questions and it was funny in some places....
The only part of the "application" that we have to solve still is the bible knowledge test. This is something that we've been waiting on until a time when we feel like we're awake enough to take it. Because honestly, with two kids and a really busy work schedule lately, weeknights are brain-free zones... you're lucky if you have enough mental capacity to have a good conversation with your wife after the kids are asleep.
So that leaves weekends.... which of course are busy. But tonight.... tonight we're resolved to at least begin. As with any part of the application, membership doesn't hinge on any 1 aspect of it, rather they're trying to get a well rounded idea of who we are.
The ACMC conference was fabulous. I don't think I've blogged it yet. I've been to conferences as we prepared for a weekend of boring seminars and empty rhetoric, instead what we both experienced was God leading us specifically to each elective we took, and really hearing the Spirit through these talkers. It was 3 days of concentrated time of hearing God speak to us through other people, and it was the first time we really felt like we were getting the full confirmation from God that not only was Wycliffe right, but PNG was right, and this life choice was right. All along we knew PNG was right, but we were not competely sold on Wycliffe until this conference.
7/27/2005
Process #2
We have nearly all our referalls in, our transcripts were faxed in 2 days ago. That will complete the application itself. Last night we took the MMPI2 (personality test). The bummer thing about this test is that I've taken such profilings multiple times and they always start by saying "you will not get feedback regarding this test." GREAT! People are always asking me if I have taken such tests and what I register as, and I say "I have, but I dunno what type of personality I am."
People in the past, (mostly psychologically educated people) have been interested in my personality. I do not know why, but several people have said to me "I would love to give you a _________ test." Personally I don't put a lot of value into these such tests. I really have a hard time being put into a box with a label on my personality. It could very well be that there is a personality type out there that shifts personality types, and depending on which month you test them, they register differently. I've taken a test one time that broke personalities into 4 types, and I wound up RIGHT SMACK DAB in the middle of the four squares. What does that mean?
I don't know, they don't tell me.
anyway, we are scheduling to take our 165 question bible knowledge test, and then we move onto the interview and acceptance stages.
oh yes I should mention that my wife finished the mmpi2 about 40 minutes ahead of me. She's smarter than me, and more focussed. It took 2 hours to finish on my part.
People in the past, (mostly psychologically educated people) have been interested in my personality. I do not know why, but several people have said to me "I would love to give you a _________ test." Personally I don't put a lot of value into these such tests. I really have a hard time being put into a box with a label on my personality. It could very well be that there is a personality type out there that shifts personality types, and depending on which month you test them, they register differently. I've taken a test one time that broke personalities into 4 types, and I wound up RIGHT SMACK DAB in the middle of the four squares. What does that mean?
I don't know, they don't tell me.
anyway, we are scheduling to take our 165 question bible knowledge test, and then we move onto the interview and acceptance stages.
oh yes I should mention that my wife finished the mmpi2 about 40 minutes ahead of me. She's smarter than me, and more focussed. It took 2 hours to finish on my part.
7/17/2005
Calling
This weekend my wife and I attended a national conference ACMC geared toward equipping churches with the information they need for missions.
I heard several ideas, some of the ideas involving motivation for going were:
Find a need and fill it (fill the gap).
Filling the gap is an old idea, find your specific passion.
Find your passion, then find a fit for your passion.
Find your skills and then find where you can fit.
We are all told to serve, are you willing to answer.
You need two character traits to do well - Self Discipline and Self Esteem.
We need to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Christ.
Now, I knew that I was being called to Papua New Guinea specifically before all of these ideas, so I'm testing them currently against what I know. The true help of this ACMC was in equipping me and my wife to go, showing us what we need to work on, and prepare for.
Deliberate path for discipline our kids.
Home base of encouragement and accountability for family, finances, prayer.
Deep spiritual formation and character.
Preparation for suffering.
A Heart of love for the lost.
Those are the key areas we need to develop. There are skills we need to develop as well.
Another benefit of the ACMC was that we were exposed to many different organizations. We got excited about several, but Wycliffe really reached us. Before this conference, I didn't know as much as I do now about the various passions people have and methods for reaching and discipling the lost.
SO...
My family is in the process of applying to Wycliffe for full time service in Papua New Guinea, lifetime.
and the question I get asked is "tell me about your call".
But people ask that question so cavalierly, as if I can get it all out in a soundbyte. It takes me 2 hours to discuss on any level of thoroughness. God is so thorough. (http://gng2png.blogspot.com)
so last night I was working on my soundbyte to tell people about my calling, but I think it does God a disservice... here it is (my wife is working on hers):
I've always wanted my life to be a way to glorify God and not be about myself. I married with the intention of becoming a dynamic team for ministry. When we had kids, we devoted them to ministry. We got involved in all kinds of ministries, but I never felt that I had found the specific place God intended for me. And then we heard a man talk about PNG and I went. When I got there, I was so absolutely convinced through a myriad of seemingly unrelated events in my life, parts of my character, and personal interests, suddenly connecting, that this was the exact place engineered for my family to be. So I prayed and studied and sought out God and listened, and He put a burning on my heart for PNG, that I belonged there. I am homesick now for a place I've been to for only 16 days. I no longer live in this world, I belong in that one.
I heard several ideas, some of the ideas involving motivation for going were:
Find a need and fill it (fill the gap).
Filling the gap is an old idea, find your specific passion.
Find your passion, then find a fit for your passion.
Find your skills and then find where you can fit.
We are all told to serve, are you willing to answer.
You need two character traits to do well - Self Discipline and Self Esteem.
We need to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Christ.
Now, I knew that I was being called to Papua New Guinea specifically before all of these ideas, so I'm testing them currently against what I know. The true help of this ACMC was in equipping me and my wife to go, showing us what we need to work on, and prepare for.
Deliberate path for discipline our kids.
Home base of encouragement and accountability for family, finances, prayer.
Deep spiritual formation and character.
Preparation for suffering.
A Heart of love for the lost.
Those are the key areas we need to develop. There are skills we need to develop as well.
Another benefit of the ACMC was that we were exposed to many different organizations. We got excited about several, but Wycliffe really reached us. Before this conference, I didn't know as much as I do now about the various passions people have and methods for reaching and discipling the lost.
SO...
My family is in the process of applying to Wycliffe for full time service in Papua New Guinea, lifetime.
and the question I get asked is "tell me about your call".
But people ask that question so cavalierly, as if I can get it all out in a soundbyte. It takes me 2 hours to discuss on any level of thoroughness. God is so thorough. (http://gng2png.blogspot.com)
so last night I was working on my soundbyte to tell people about my calling, but I think it does God a disservice... here it is (my wife is working on hers):
I've always wanted my life to be a way to glorify God and not be about myself. I married with the intention of becoming a dynamic team for ministry. When we had kids, we devoted them to ministry. We got involved in all kinds of ministries, but I never felt that I had found the specific place God intended for me. And then we heard a man talk about PNG and I went. When I got there, I was so absolutely convinced through a myriad of seemingly unrelated events in my life, parts of my character, and personal interests, suddenly connecting, that this was the exact place engineered for my family to be. So I prayed and studied and sought out God and listened, and He put a burning on my heart for PNG, that I belonged there. I am homesick now for a place I've been to for only 16 days. I no longer live in this world, I belong in that one.
7/10/2005
Why Wycliffe
We have sent our application in, require an interview and our transcripts to be completed. Next step, the testing. We will be required to take an mmpi2 (personality profile) and a bible knowledge test.
We're not very nervous about the testing, but it has challenged us, how much Bible knowledge do we really have? It'll be exciting to see if the test is truly about issues or about references or about tiny trivia.
Since we couldn't wait to see, we picked up a bible trivia game and have been asking each other these insane questions of the most minute detail. Some of them are so horrendously trivial it's funny. I suppose you buy trivia, expect trivial.
In my scripture reading I find that the names of people, are really hard to remember. I can remember the geography if I see a map, like I know where Susa was (king xerxes palace of esther (aka hadasseh) fame). But I can't remember the bit player's names.
In one sitting, I read about Amnon and Absalom, Sheba, Achish, Tamar, Hagar, Adonijah, Abimalech, and Abiathar. Ask me which one had their head thrown over a city wall, I won't remember. Ask me what Sheba did, and I might remember. All I know for sure is what David did, what Joshua did.
That is what fascinates me about the Bible. No matter how many times you read it, there is always something you forgot that stuns you. Something like "WOAH! .. oh yeah why did i forget that?" God's Word is so rich and full on so many levels that you can spend your life digging into it like an onion.
We were asked a question on the application, and here is a tidbit of my answer:
Write a statement explaining why you feel motivated to be involved in missions, and why you particularly desire to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Out of all the questions in this application this one is the best, because it’s the one I have had to struggle with the most. I was expecting the question “how do you know you are called to serve God?” I have my answer for that one. But missions, I believe everyone is called to missions, in the respect that we are to spread God’s Word to all people. When you ask most people what missions is to them, they think it means leaving their home and going to another country, but to me missions is everywhere I am. It is talking to my neighbors, it is volunteering to pass out turkeys in downtown San Jose, it is spreading the Gospel on the street corner, it is walking through October fest sharing the Gospel to people with time on their hands. When I say I’ve never felt called to missions what I truly mean is that I’ve never particularly felt the desire to go to another geographical place, solely for the sake of going. I believe we are all called to missions as believers, but we’re not all called to go to a new culture and geographical area. For that reason I don’t differentiate the call on my heart to go to Papua New Guinea from the call to go downtown and feed the homeless. I’m specifically being guided to do I.T. work in PNG. The second part of the question is where God has been working in my heart the most. Why Wycliffe? I watched the video of a Bible dedication ceremony on the island of TubeTube. This was a ceremony we were supposed to attend but a scheduling conflict made us miss it by one month. As I watched it, my heart was grabbed, and squeezed, and I felt a rush of eternal significance in what was happening. I had never taken the time to really value what it meant to have the Bible in your own language. I had taken for granted my own Bible. Tears streamed down my cheeks, which is a very rare occasion, and I saw a people praising God with all their might for this wonderful Bible they’d been working to finish. I saw the tears on the missionaries we support as they realized the fruition of their efforts. Wycliffe is the logical choice of organization because we respect your goals, your theology and your structure, and you are key to getting into Papua New Guinea. I wanted to answer this question honestly and say that there wasn’t so much a call to Wycliffe as there was simply making a logical choice. But I thought about this question for the past week, and I remembered that moment nearly a year ago when I saw the TubeTube people singing, and giving speeches, and I can’t forget that, ever. I can not fathom not serving God in this way now. I go into work today, and I feel like my efforts, all the stress and the politics and the difficulty I struggle to overcome, but for what? No eternal purpose. If I could work towards a goal, as precious as putting God’s Word into the hands of someone who has never read John 3:16 in their heart language, who had never read Psalm 84 in their heart language, who has never fully grasped the wonder of God speaking right to your heart through pages in your own words, the reality of combining our ministry with Wycliffe is starting to be overwhelming for me, as I am not sure I am deserving of such an honor. I see Wycliffe as being something huge, of eternal importance, that affect large people groups if not nations, and I see myself as a little helper in that process to fill a need somewhere. A need that God could put anyone in, but for some reason He chose me, and I’m willing to go, and I’m excited about the chance to spend my life doing something worthy.
We're not very nervous about the testing, but it has challenged us, how much Bible knowledge do we really have? It'll be exciting to see if the test is truly about issues or about references or about tiny trivia.
Since we couldn't wait to see, we picked up a bible trivia game and have been asking each other these insane questions of the most minute detail. Some of them are so horrendously trivial it's funny. I suppose you buy trivia, expect trivial.
In my scripture reading I find that the names of people, are really hard to remember. I can remember the geography if I see a map, like I know where Susa was (king xerxes palace of esther (aka hadasseh) fame). But I can't remember the bit player's names.
In one sitting, I read about Amnon and Absalom, Sheba, Achish, Tamar, Hagar, Adonijah, Abimalech, and Abiathar. Ask me which one had their head thrown over a city wall, I won't remember. Ask me what Sheba did, and I might remember. All I know for sure is what David did, what Joshua did.
That is what fascinates me about the Bible. No matter how many times you read it, there is always something you forgot that stuns you. Something like "WOAH! .. oh yeah why did i forget that?" God's Word is so rich and full on so many levels that you can spend your life digging into it like an onion.
We were asked a question on the application, and here is a tidbit of my answer:
Write a statement explaining why you feel motivated to be involved in missions, and why you particularly desire to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Out of all the questions in this application this one is the best, because it’s the one I have had to struggle with the most. I was expecting the question “how do you know you are called to serve God?” I have my answer for that one. But missions, I believe everyone is called to missions, in the respect that we are to spread God’s Word to all people. When you ask most people what missions is to them, they think it means leaving their home and going to another country, but to me missions is everywhere I am. It is talking to my neighbors, it is volunteering to pass out turkeys in downtown San Jose, it is spreading the Gospel on the street corner, it is walking through October fest sharing the Gospel to people with time on their hands. When I say I’ve never felt called to missions what I truly mean is that I’ve never particularly felt the desire to go to another geographical place, solely for the sake of going. I believe we are all called to missions as believers, but we’re not all called to go to a new culture and geographical area. For that reason I don’t differentiate the call on my heart to go to Papua New Guinea from the call to go downtown and feed the homeless. I’m specifically being guided to do I.T. work in PNG. The second part of the question is where God has been working in my heart the most. Why Wycliffe? I watched the video of a Bible dedication ceremony on the island of TubeTube. This was a ceremony we were supposed to attend but a scheduling conflict made us miss it by one month. As I watched it, my heart was grabbed, and squeezed, and I felt a rush of eternal significance in what was happening. I had never taken the time to really value what it meant to have the Bible in your own language. I had taken for granted my own Bible. Tears streamed down my cheeks, which is a very rare occasion, and I saw a people praising God with all their might for this wonderful Bible they’d been working to finish. I saw the tears on the missionaries we support as they realized the fruition of their efforts. Wycliffe is the logical choice of organization because we respect your goals, your theology and your structure, and you are key to getting into Papua New Guinea. I wanted to answer this question honestly and say that there wasn’t so much a call to Wycliffe as there was simply making a logical choice. But I thought about this question for the past week, and I remembered that moment nearly a year ago when I saw the TubeTube people singing, and giving speeches, and I can’t forget that, ever. I can not fathom not serving God in this way now. I go into work today, and I feel like my efforts, all the stress and the politics and the difficulty I struggle to overcome, but for what? No eternal purpose. If I could work towards a goal, as precious as putting God’s Word into the hands of someone who has never read John 3:16 in their heart language, who had never read Psalm 84 in their heart language, who has never fully grasped the wonder of God speaking right to your heart through pages in your own words, the reality of combining our ministry with Wycliffe is starting to be overwhelming for me, as I am not sure I am deserving of such an honor. I see Wycliffe as being something huge, of eternal importance, that affect large people groups if not nations, and I see myself as a little helper in that process to fill a need somewhere. A need that God could put anyone in, but for some reason He chose me, and I’m willing to go, and I’m excited about the chance to spend my life doing something worthy.
7/04/2005
Kendal's words
So a lot of this blog is my talking, but I've asked my wife to chime in on the question "how do you know God is calling you to missions, and particularly to Wycliffe?"
---------------
Ever since my first experience with missions in high school, I’ve felt God leading me in the direction of missions. I feel passionate about doing my part to bring others to Christ and to help them learn more about him. He has given me a great interest and passion for experiencing other cultures. Learning about other cultures has given me such an appreciation for God’s creativity, His complexity, and His vastness. During college, I wondered if God was calling me to be a teacher in the mission field, however, that was not his calling, at least not at that point in my life. I fell in love and married a wonderful man. Went on to finish earning my teaching credential and began teaching in San Jose, CA. At that time, I believe God was calling me to minister to children in the public schools. Many of the children I taught came from very difficult situation at home and I believe that God placed me in that school to make a difference with those children. I hope and pray that I was able to accomplish that. After three years of teaching I became a mother and my life started down a new path.
Almost as soon as I started down this new path, I was looking for a way to minister to others. I soon became involved with a MOPS group and God allowed me to minister through that ministry. It’s interesting that my youngest child will enter Kindergarten in another year and I now feel God calling me to start down this new path in missions. Looking back over my life, I see a constant desire to serve God and make a difference in the lives of people. I had sort-of given up hope of ever being in missions full-time since that was not a calling my husband shared with me. About 2 years ago, a family from our church who serves with Wycliff in PNG came home on furlough. While they were home, we had the chance to hear them share on a Sunday morning. It was exciting to hear them tell how God was using them. Not only did I leave that day excited about the ministry, my husband did too! Several months later, we heard that our church was sending a go-team to PNG. My husband expressed his interest in going to the informational meeting to find out more. I said, “great, let’s go.” So, we went. I was so excited about the opportunity to be part of another go team (I had done a couple of go-teams during my college years). As the trip approached, my husband felt really strongly that God was calling just him to go on this trip. I struggled a lot with this decision.
I so badly wanted to be a part of this team, but in the end I knew I had to submit to God and to my husband. He ended up going alone on this trip. From that first email he sent while on the trip I knew it was right that he went without me. You see, I had been a part of short term missions teams before. This was his first experience and practically his first time out of the country. He was so excited about his experiences and God was teaching him so much. I was convinced that he needed to experience this on his own. I remember as he shared things with me while on his trip, my first thought was, “well, of course, that’s what happens on trips like that.” I realized this was all new and exciting for him and my being there could have interfered with that. My husband came home from that trip with a new outlook on missions. We both began to pray about what the next step should be. Was this just a great experience for my husband and now we were supposed to go on with life as before or did God have something else in mind for our family? My husband and I have always felt like, there’s got to be something more for our lives. What does God have planned for us? But we didn’t know what it was. I resolved to sit back, pray, and wait to see where God was leading my husband and me. About six months after that PNG trip, one of my husband teammates told him he was returning to PNG for another go-team. Little by little PNG was creeping into our everyday lives. Little things kept reminding my husband about PNG and he bean to talk more and more about it. I still waited and prayed for what would happen next. My husband and I began to talk about what direction God was taking our family. We decided to look into going on another trip to PNG. Again was struggled with who should go. Should our whole family go, should it be just my husband and I, or should I go alone?
Our reason for this second trip was to get confirmation from God, get to know the Wycliffe process a little better, and give me a chance to experience PNG and see how I adapted to that environment, since we feel like PNG is where God is calling us at this point As we began filling out paperwork and talking about this second go team, however, all the reasons for a second go-team seemed to go away. Three weeks in PNG wouldn’t really give me a good idea of how I would adapt, the Wycliff process for a go-team is completely different from applying for full-time ministry, and most importantly we already feel like we have confirmation from God. We also considered the cost of the second go-team and realized that did not seem like the best use of finances, if full-time was our ultimate goal. So many small seemingly insignificant things have been happening over the past few months that keep pointing us to missions. For me, it feels like God has always had missions in mind for me and now all the pieces are falling into place.
As I look back over this explanation it seems like the bulk of this process has happened in the heart of my husband, yet I believe God knew from the beginning my heart for missions. I believe he put my husband I together knowing that we would eventually have like minds and would desire to serve together.
Why do we particularly desire to serve with Wycliffe? It’s interesting that my very first experience with missions was with Wycliffe. As a child, I attended a small baptist chuch in Southern California. Our church had one couple we had sent to the mission field. They were translators with Wycliffe. I’ve always had a great deal of respect of the Wycliff organization. I also, believe that the organization is vital to our success on the field. I have confidence that Wycliffe will give us the support we need.
---------------
Ever since my first experience with missions in high school, I’ve felt God leading me in the direction of missions. I feel passionate about doing my part to bring others to Christ and to help them learn more about him. He has given me a great interest and passion for experiencing other cultures. Learning about other cultures has given me such an appreciation for God’s creativity, His complexity, and His vastness. During college, I wondered if God was calling me to be a teacher in the mission field, however, that was not his calling, at least not at that point in my life. I fell in love and married a wonderful man. Went on to finish earning my teaching credential and began teaching in San Jose, CA. At that time, I believe God was calling me to minister to children in the public schools. Many of the children I taught came from very difficult situation at home and I believe that God placed me in that school to make a difference with those children. I hope and pray that I was able to accomplish that. After three years of teaching I became a mother and my life started down a new path.
Almost as soon as I started down this new path, I was looking for a way to minister to others. I soon became involved with a MOPS group and God allowed me to minister through that ministry. It’s interesting that my youngest child will enter Kindergarten in another year and I now feel God calling me to start down this new path in missions. Looking back over my life, I see a constant desire to serve God and make a difference in the lives of people. I had sort-of given up hope of ever being in missions full-time since that was not a calling my husband shared with me. About 2 years ago, a family from our church who serves with Wycliff in PNG came home on furlough. While they were home, we had the chance to hear them share on a Sunday morning. It was exciting to hear them tell how God was using them. Not only did I leave that day excited about the ministry, my husband did too! Several months later, we heard that our church was sending a go-team to PNG. My husband expressed his interest in going to the informational meeting to find out more. I said, “great, let’s go.” So, we went. I was so excited about the opportunity to be part of another go team (I had done a couple of go-teams during my college years). As the trip approached, my husband felt really strongly that God was calling just him to go on this trip. I struggled a lot with this decision.
I so badly wanted to be a part of this team, but in the end I knew I had to submit to God and to my husband. He ended up going alone on this trip. From that first email he sent while on the trip I knew it was right that he went without me. You see, I had been a part of short term missions teams before. This was his first experience and practically his first time out of the country. He was so excited about his experiences and God was teaching him so much. I was convinced that he needed to experience this on his own. I remember as he shared things with me while on his trip, my first thought was, “well, of course, that’s what happens on trips like that.” I realized this was all new and exciting for him and my being there could have interfered with that. My husband came home from that trip with a new outlook on missions. We both began to pray about what the next step should be. Was this just a great experience for my husband and now we were supposed to go on with life as before or did God have something else in mind for our family? My husband and I have always felt like, there’s got to be something more for our lives. What does God have planned for us? But we didn’t know what it was. I resolved to sit back, pray, and wait to see where God was leading my husband and me. About six months after that PNG trip, one of my husband teammates told him he was returning to PNG for another go-team. Little by little PNG was creeping into our everyday lives. Little things kept reminding my husband about PNG and he bean to talk more and more about it. I still waited and prayed for what would happen next. My husband and I began to talk about what direction God was taking our family. We decided to look into going on another trip to PNG. Again was struggled with who should go. Should our whole family go, should it be just my husband and I, or should I go alone?
Our reason for this second trip was to get confirmation from God, get to know the Wycliffe process a little better, and give me a chance to experience PNG and see how I adapted to that environment, since we feel like PNG is where God is calling us at this point As we began filling out paperwork and talking about this second go team, however, all the reasons for a second go-team seemed to go away. Three weeks in PNG wouldn’t really give me a good idea of how I would adapt, the Wycliff process for a go-team is completely different from applying for full-time ministry, and most importantly we already feel like we have confirmation from God. We also considered the cost of the second go-team and realized that did not seem like the best use of finances, if full-time was our ultimate goal. So many small seemingly insignificant things have been happening over the past few months that keep pointing us to missions. For me, it feels like God has always had missions in mind for me and now all the pieces are falling into place.
As I look back over this explanation it seems like the bulk of this process has happened in the heart of my husband, yet I believe God knew from the beginning my heart for missions. I believe he put my husband I together knowing that we would eventually have like minds and would desire to serve together.
Why do we particularly desire to serve with Wycliffe? It’s interesting that my very first experience with missions was with Wycliffe. As a child, I attended a small baptist chuch in Southern California. Our church had one couple we had sent to the mission field. They were translators with Wycliffe. I’ve always had a great deal of respect of the Wycliff organization. I also, believe that the organization is vital to our success on the field. I have confidence that Wycliffe will give us the support we need.
6/29/2005
The Process #1
after initially talking to Wycliffe, getting to know the organization a little, meeting different people, we decided to apply for membership.
Our Current and Personal Goals are:
-Apply to Wycliffe
-Attend ACMC (conference at Calvary)
-Attend Perspectives (a class I'm told is very beneficial)
Applying to Wycliffe and Jaars
-First you fill out about 5 documents. Luckily they're all in online formats. You fill out a basic information document, then a skills questionnaire, and you write a personal testimony and a health questionnaire. Send all that in, and it goes through the process. About a week later you get a call.
-This call is an interview going over your documents, looking for red-alarms, answering questions about the next steps, etc. We had that call on Monday of this week an it went very well. We were worried about our only debt, our student loans, which we refinanced 2 years ago to drop the monthly payments way down as well as get the interest rate dropped. Both being Biola graduates we had 17k left in loans. Now, we figured Wycliffe had to have some sort of support for this because Biola is twice as expensive now, and I'm sure that Biola U. is a good stamp to have on your application... so we asked God to make that part work out. As it turns out, it worked out very well. Wycliffe allows up to 36k in student loans and 1200 in credit card debt (we shouldn't have any credit card debt to worry about).
-Now we are waiting 10 days to receive the APPLICATION.
The application requires more paper filling, a personality profile (MMPI2), a bible knowledge test, and request for referrals from several people. Depending on how long the referrals take to get in, the application process takes approx. 2 months.
That's where we are now.
Our Current and Personal Goals are:
-Apply to Wycliffe
-Attend ACMC (conference at Calvary)
-Attend Perspectives (a class I'm told is very beneficial)
Applying to Wycliffe and Jaars
-First you fill out about 5 documents. Luckily they're all in online formats. You fill out a basic information document, then a skills questionnaire, and you write a personal testimony and a health questionnaire. Send all that in, and it goes through the process. About a week later you get a call.
-This call is an interview going over your documents, looking for red-alarms, answering questions about the next steps, etc. We had that call on Monday of this week an it went very well. We were worried about our only debt, our student loans, which we refinanced 2 years ago to drop the monthly payments way down as well as get the interest rate dropped. Both being Biola graduates we had 17k left in loans. Now, we figured Wycliffe had to have some sort of support for this because Biola is twice as expensive now, and I'm sure that Biola U. is a good stamp to have on your application... so we asked God to make that part work out. As it turns out, it worked out very well. Wycliffe allows up to 36k in student loans and 1200 in credit card debt (we shouldn't have any credit card debt to worry about).
-Now we are waiting 10 days to receive the APPLICATION.
The application requires more paper filling, a personality profile (MMPI2), a bible knowledge test, and request for referrals from several people. Depending on how long the referrals take to get in, the application process takes approx. 2 months.
That's where we are now.
How do we Know?
so the first question on most people’s minds is “how did you come to this decision?”
Which to me is a derivation of “how do you know God is calling you?”
I don’t see how I can possibly answer this question in a complete way because as I look around I see more and more confirmations that this is the right decision, and the story keeps growing. So I’ll have to keep in some generalities, the specifics of this process seems to be something that really only make sense to us, but I’ll try to share some of the more fun stories.
You know in Samuel how David inquired of God, “should I go to Hebron, will you deliver the Philistines to me?” and God said, “Go, I will surely deliver them to you.” ?
It was nothing like that for us. (-; I have definitely wished it was, I would love to hear God’s voice so clearly!
I believe the process of seeking out God’s will is a bit more complicated for us these days because we have so many distractions and prioritize our time so poorly. Being convicted of this some years ago, I’ve sort of put off removing distractions for a little bit, and then finally we began to shed all the unimportant things and I really spent quality time in the Word and not only in prayer, but in silent listening, in being still, and learning to wait on God. This is a process I’m still very much learning, but I find that it is a consuming interest as my specific prayer has been to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to cry out for God’s Word.
So there I am. Wow how far back should I go? Okay quick version, I was inspired to go to Papua New Guinea because I heard Geoff Russell speak months before about it and he was so energetic and my wife and I both felt a twinge that said “you should go.” Before that another guy came and spoke who used to work for HP and was going to Kierkeztan (sp?). I thought, “woah, there’s missions work for computer guys?”. Years later I’m in Papua New Guinea having the time of my life. To get there I had to condition my spirit to be a servant, and that is still my concentration. Spending time in the Word daily, and praying more than daily, almost minute by minute, setting my sights on God’s kingdom and not this world. I come back from Papua New Guinea refreshed, excited, feeling at home with the place, and I said ‘this is so good, it can’t be true, there has to be some huge problem with this, I’m going to put it out of my head for at least one year.”
So I began to ignore Papua New Guinea. I figured it was just adrenaline and I was responding to it. I figured most people who went on go teams got jazzed up, and I wasn’t about to make any life decisions in this state of mind. So for nearly 1 year after the initial meet and greets to talk about the go trip, I didn’t even think about PNG. I did remember Bob Hooker’s retirement party and how people said of him, he never said “no” to ministry, and that became my motto. But I was scared to tell people, because I didn’t want to be worked to death (-;. That year I was working in Awana, and getting odd requests to do little one off things. I started to see that as you open your heart and willingness to God, He starts to use you in ways you don’t expect. Ways that later, it turns out, would create relationships that would help guide me to PNG. God is so perfect in His planning it’s amazing.
I didn’t make it a whole year. Around May, 7-8 months later, someone nudged me and said “I’m going to PNG again” I let it go, and didn’t think about it. 1 Month later, he nudged me again, “I’m going to PNG again.” It is from that time, that I could not escape my desire to go to Papua New Guinea.
When I say can’t escape, I mean, this thought completely obsessed my mind, and when I tried to clear my mind, something would fill it again. Now here is where the line between supernatural and coincidence becomes blurred. We all know as science teaches us that if we are obsessed with something, everything will remind you of it. So I’m trying to keep that in mind, because everywhere I’m looking PNG is popping up. This is the trend God has always used to guide my family. He starts to work slowly in my head, putting a thought. Then I think on it for a while, try to put it out of my head, it won’t leave, I put it to God in prayer, and it still won’t leave, then it grows and grows, and finally when I think I’m totally nuts, I consult my wife who balances me, and usually confirms God’s direction in some way.
So I began to journal the list of “circumstances” or “providence” depending on your slant. The list began to grow. I was starting to have intense dreams about visiting Papua New Guinea. I was waking up in the morning wishing I was in Papua New Guinea and tired from tossing and turning. I was writing mental pros and cons in my head, I was searching the Word, finally I said “AAAH I can’t get this out of my head, I need a distraction.” I prayed that night for a distraction. The next morning for lunch a co-worker/friend said “I need to drop by the bookstore.” !!! GREAT I figured I’d pick up a distraction. I did. I’m a Michael Crichton fan and so I picked up his latest, simply asked the clerk if they had it, after ten minutes of going to the back room they delivered it. Having caused so much of a stir I bought the book without even reading the jacket cover. It was his latest, I hadn’t read it, that was good enough. That night I settled down in bed to read, a process which typically clears my mind so I can sleep. The first few chapters placed the story in…. drum roll please… Papua New Guinea. Is that a coincidence? I prayed to God, if not cried out, “Okay I get the point, you want me to go to Papua New Guinea! But how can I do it?” I decided then that I should start considering this, and that to confirm I was in the right, God would have to tell my wife the same message without my influence.
That was a bad idea. I had heard stories where both people knew they needed to go instantly. The only story I have like that was when Geoff Russell spoke at Shekinah years before and my wife and I in the car both said something to the effect of “something special happened in there, didn’t it.” We both felt God’s touch back then, but weren’t sure what it meant, other than we were going to go on a go-team in the future.
Okay so here I am waiting on God to tell my wife she needs to go to PNG with me. Keeping my thoughts to myself, which is VERY VERY hard for me (you know me, you know I’m a loudmouth). My heart starts to change, I start to dig even deeper into the Word and I’m hoping any day now my wife will say “you know I’ve been thinking…” But she doesn’t. This was a completely silly thing for me to expect because my wife is not like that, never has been. If I’ve ever met a I Corinthians woman it’s her, and she has never forced her will on me, has never pushed me to do what is right. Always gentle encouragements so as to make me think it’s my idea. Always kindly helping me to be a better man, but never being pushy. What I was hoping for now was a push, I wanted God to confirm it and tell me forcefully, but in doing so I started to realize I was really avoiding being responsible for a leadership decision. I consulted with friends who told me that not every calling works the way I was expecting. My eyes were open to how really naïve about missions (aka Global Outreach) I really was.
That night I told my wife, I had been thinking about Papua New Guinea. Not fully stressing how intensely or that I was thinking permanently. So she thought a go-team would be good. We began to look into that process and become familiar with Wycliffe.
This is where all the confirmation began to flood in. Once we had become unified with “yes we’re going in January for 3 weeks” Everything that came across our path started to confirm it was the right choice, except for the actual going. Wycliffe was a delight to work with, our spirits felt right, the Russells in PNG were excited, everything was going right except something still was happening in our hearts. We started to think about things in terms of as if we were already living there. The Wycliffe representative asked me about our go team and said to me “you experienced no culture-shock? You’re the first person I’ve ever heard that from.” He kept saying little things that were confirming to me God wanted me over there. As we talked more and more about it, we decided this go team was going to be an interview for whether or not we’d go there full time.
Interviewing Wycliffe, getting Kendal familiar with the place, was our two main goals. God was confirming for me by watching my wife process this. She was so, I can’t explain it. My wife has always wanted to become a missionary, but marrying me she gave up any global influence and decided to keep it local. To see her start to get pumped up about this was exciting. We talked and talked, created a list of things we wanted to accomplish by going to Papua New Guinea on this January go-team.
In my heart, looking around, I started to see my life without me in it. I looked around at people and felt sadness as I was already missing them. And yet we hadn’t committed in our hearts to go full time yet. I was missing seeing my little nieces and nephews grow up, I was missing my pals, I was missing seeing movies in large screen theatres… I was going through the emotional process of separation, and yet none of it deterred me from wanting to go. Then one night, Kendal and I discussed the list again. She started to say things like “well we really have already accomplished this one, and this one doesn’t make as much sense as it used to.”
We sat there, together, and I said, “we just eliminated the list of reasons to go in January. Did we just decide to go full time?” and my wife responded, “I think we did.”
We sat there silent, like the first time she told me we were expecting a baby. It was that much joy and trembling, and anxiety and surprise, all at the same time.
Of course up to this point there were several consulting sessions with Wycliffe and knowledgeable friends, a lot of conversations and prayers and still are. This is the quick version (this is quick?). We made two calls. One to schedule time with a couple to confirm whether or not we were crazy, and one to schedule a family get together to tell them the news should it turn out we weren’t crazy.
Well we met with the couple and they said “what do you need from us?”
“We need to know that going to PNG full time without a second go-team isn’t a crazy idea?” they responded “after talking to you, any benefit you would have gotten from a go-team, you’ve already received. It isn’t necessary, you aren’t crazy.”
That’s the best confirmation I think I’ve ever heard, “you aren’t crazy.” So we told our family the next day. THAT WAS THE TOUGHEST THING I’VE EVER DONE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
You know how God says He will not give you more than you can bear? I thought on those words as I wept alone, in my room, begging for strength from God. I felt as if I had single handedly watched the death of all of my family members. They reacted wonderfully by my heart was heavy. God started to bring me encouragement and prove faithful to me. He started to show me how He had been preparing this for a very long time.
I need to end this at this point. So here are my final thoughts.
It is indeed a privilege to be able to look back on your life and see God’s hand guiding you. Your steps, and every person who came into your life and how they helped God’s plan, were set already by Him. To catch just a glimpse of that, to see a small portion of the jigsaw puzzle that is my life, and while looking at it, with one decision, one moment of pure obedience to God see all the pieces snap into place, and form a picture.
Wow, just thinking about it again fills me with great emotion.
It is, as if, every moment of my life, has led me to this place I am at now. And I am committed to taking every step God shows me to take. Now that I am not wrestling against His will, the process is much more smooth.
(I would like for my wife to lend her perspective on how she knows as well....but we both know God's been calling her to this for her whole life, it's jsut been me and my thick skull that He's had to work the most on recently).
Which to me is a derivation of “how do you know God is calling you?”
I don’t see how I can possibly answer this question in a complete way because as I look around I see more and more confirmations that this is the right decision, and the story keeps growing. So I’ll have to keep in some generalities, the specifics of this process seems to be something that really only make sense to us, but I’ll try to share some of the more fun stories.
You know in Samuel how David inquired of God, “should I go to Hebron, will you deliver the Philistines to me?” and God said, “Go, I will surely deliver them to you.” ?
It was nothing like that for us. (-; I have definitely wished it was, I would love to hear God’s voice so clearly!
I believe the process of seeking out God’s will is a bit more complicated for us these days because we have so many distractions and prioritize our time so poorly. Being convicted of this some years ago, I’ve sort of put off removing distractions for a little bit, and then finally we began to shed all the unimportant things and I really spent quality time in the Word and not only in prayer, but in silent listening, in being still, and learning to wait on God. This is a process I’m still very much learning, but I find that it is a consuming interest as my specific prayer has been to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to cry out for God’s Word.
So there I am. Wow how far back should I go? Okay quick version, I was inspired to go to Papua New Guinea because I heard Geoff Russell speak months before about it and he was so energetic and my wife and I both felt a twinge that said “you should go.” Before that another guy came and spoke who used to work for HP and was going to Kierkeztan (sp?). I thought, “woah, there’s missions work for computer guys?”. Years later I’m in Papua New Guinea having the time of my life. To get there I had to condition my spirit to be a servant, and that is still my concentration. Spending time in the Word daily, and praying more than daily, almost minute by minute, setting my sights on God’s kingdom and not this world. I come back from Papua New Guinea refreshed, excited, feeling at home with the place, and I said ‘this is so good, it can’t be true, there has to be some huge problem with this, I’m going to put it out of my head for at least one year.”
So I began to ignore Papua New Guinea. I figured it was just adrenaline and I was responding to it. I figured most people who went on go teams got jazzed up, and I wasn’t about to make any life decisions in this state of mind. So for nearly 1 year after the initial meet and greets to talk about the go trip, I didn’t even think about PNG. I did remember Bob Hooker’s retirement party and how people said of him, he never said “no” to ministry, and that became my motto. But I was scared to tell people, because I didn’t want to be worked to death (-;. That year I was working in Awana, and getting odd requests to do little one off things. I started to see that as you open your heart and willingness to God, He starts to use you in ways you don’t expect. Ways that later, it turns out, would create relationships that would help guide me to PNG. God is so perfect in His planning it’s amazing.
I didn’t make it a whole year. Around May, 7-8 months later, someone nudged me and said “I’m going to PNG again” I let it go, and didn’t think about it. 1 Month later, he nudged me again, “I’m going to PNG again.” It is from that time, that I could not escape my desire to go to Papua New Guinea.
When I say can’t escape, I mean, this thought completely obsessed my mind, and when I tried to clear my mind, something would fill it again. Now here is where the line between supernatural and coincidence becomes blurred. We all know as science teaches us that if we are obsessed with something, everything will remind you of it. So I’m trying to keep that in mind, because everywhere I’m looking PNG is popping up. This is the trend God has always used to guide my family. He starts to work slowly in my head, putting a thought. Then I think on it for a while, try to put it out of my head, it won’t leave, I put it to God in prayer, and it still won’t leave, then it grows and grows, and finally when I think I’m totally nuts, I consult my wife who balances me, and usually confirms God’s direction in some way.
So I began to journal the list of “circumstances” or “providence” depending on your slant. The list began to grow. I was starting to have intense dreams about visiting Papua New Guinea. I was waking up in the morning wishing I was in Papua New Guinea and tired from tossing and turning. I was writing mental pros and cons in my head, I was searching the Word, finally I said “AAAH I can’t get this out of my head, I need a distraction.” I prayed that night for a distraction. The next morning for lunch a co-worker/friend said “I need to drop by the bookstore.” !!! GREAT I figured I’d pick up a distraction. I did. I’m a Michael Crichton fan and so I picked up his latest, simply asked the clerk if they had it, after ten minutes of going to the back room they delivered it. Having caused so much of a stir I bought the book without even reading the jacket cover. It was his latest, I hadn’t read it, that was good enough. That night I settled down in bed to read, a process which typically clears my mind so I can sleep. The first few chapters placed the story in…. drum roll please… Papua New Guinea. Is that a coincidence? I prayed to God, if not cried out, “Okay I get the point, you want me to go to Papua New Guinea! But how can I do it?” I decided then that I should start considering this, and that to confirm I was in the right, God would have to tell my wife the same message without my influence.
That was a bad idea. I had heard stories where both people knew they needed to go instantly. The only story I have like that was when Geoff Russell spoke at Shekinah years before and my wife and I in the car both said something to the effect of “something special happened in there, didn’t it.” We both felt God’s touch back then, but weren’t sure what it meant, other than we were going to go on a go-team in the future.
Okay so here I am waiting on God to tell my wife she needs to go to PNG with me. Keeping my thoughts to myself, which is VERY VERY hard for me (you know me, you know I’m a loudmouth). My heart starts to change, I start to dig even deeper into the Word and I’m hoping any day now my wife will say “you know I’ve been thinking…” But she doesn’t. This was a completely silly thing for me to expect because my wife is not like that, never has been. If I’ve ever met a I Corinthians woman it’s her, and she has never forced her will on me, has never pushed me to do what is right. Always gentle encouragements so as to make me think it’s my idea. Always kindly helping me to be a better man, but never being pushy. What I was hoping for now was a push, I wanted God to confirm it and tell me forcefully, but in doing so I started to realize I was really avoiding being responsible for a leadership decision. I consulted with friends who told me that not every calling works the way I was expecting. My eyes were open to how really naïve about missions (aka Global Outreach) I really was.
That night I told my wife, I had been thinking about Papua New Guinea. Not fully stressing how intensely or that I was thinking permanently. So she thought a go-team would be good. We began to look into that process and become familiar with Wycliffe.
This is where all the confirmation began to flood in. Once we had become unified with “yes we’re going in January for 3 weeks” Everything that came across our path started to confirm it was the right choice, except for the actual going. Wycliffe was a delight to work with, our spirits felt right, the Russells in PNG were excited, everything was going right except something still was happening in our hearts. We started to think about things in terms of as if we were already living there. The Wycliffe representative asked me about our go team and said to me “you experienced no culture-shock? You’re the first person I’ve ever heard that from.” He kept saying little things that were confirming to me God wanted me over there. As we talked more and more about it, we decided this go team was going to be an interview for whether or not we’d go there full time.
Interviewing Wycliffe, getting Kendal familiar with the place, was our two main goals. God was confirming for me by watching my wife process this. She was so, I can’t explain it. My wife has always wanted to become a missionary, but marrying me she gave up any global influence and decided to keep it local. To see her start to get pumped up about this was exciting. We talked and talked, created a list of things we wanted to accomplish by going to Papua New Guinea on this January go-team.
In my heart, looking around, I started to see my life without me in it. I looked around at people and felt sadness as I was already missing them. And yet we hadn’t committed in our hearts to go full time yet. I was missing seeing my little nieces and nephews grow up, I was missing my pals, I was missing seeing movies in large screen theatres… I was going through the emotional process of separation, and yet none of it deterred me from wanting to go. Then one night, Kendal and I discussed the list again. She started to say things like “well we really have already accomplished this one, and this one doesn’t make as much sense as it used to.”
We sat there, together, and I said, “we just eliminated the list of reasons to go in January. Did we just decide to go full time?” and my wife responded, “I think we did.”
We sat there silent, like the first time she told me we were expecting a baby. It was that much joy and trembling, and anxiety and surprise, all at the same time.
Of course up to this point there were several consulting sessions with Wycliffe and knowledgeable friends, a lot of conversations and prayers and still are. This is the quick version (this is quick?). We made two calls. One to schedule time with a couple to confirm whether or not we were crazy, and one to schedule a family get together to tell them the news should it turn out we weren’t crazy.
Well we met with the couple and they said “what do you need from us?”
“We need to know that going to PNG full time without a second go-team isn’t a crazy idea?” they responded “after talking to you, any benefit you would have gotten from a go-team, you’ve already received. It isn’t necessary, you aren’t crazy.”
That’s the best confirmation I think I’ve ever heard, “you aren’t crazy.” So we told our family the next day. THAT WAS THE TOUGHEST THING I’VE EVER DONE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
You know how God says He will not give you more than you can bear? I thought on those words as I wept alone, in my room, begging for strength from God. I felt as if I had single handedly watched the death of all of my family members. They reacted wonderfully by my heart was heavy. God started to bring me encouragement and prove faithful to me. He started to show me how He had been preparing this for a very long time.
I need to end this at this point. So here are my final thoughts.
It is indeed a privilege to be able to look back on your life and see God’s hand guiding you. Your steps, and every person who came into your life and how they helped God’s plan, were set already by Him. To catch just a glimpse of that, to see a small portion of the jigsaw puzzle that is my life, and while looking at it, with one decision, one moment of pure obedience to God see all the pieces snap into place, and form a picture.
Wow, just thinking about it again fills me with great emotion.
It is, as if, every moment of my life, has led me to this place I am at now. And I am committed to taking every step God shows me to take. Now that I am not wrestling against His will, the process is much more smooth.
(I would like for my wife to lend her perspective on how she knows as well....but we both know God's been calling her to this for her whole life, it's jsut been me and my thick skull that He's had to work the most on recently).
6/28/2005
Post #1
This is a private blog for now. Created with the intent of combining ministries between the sent, and the senders. Wycliffe calls the process of getting prayer support and financial support "partner discovery". I'm not sure why they call it that specifically, but I know why I like that term! Partners.... we're partners. If you're reading this then you're probably praying for our family already, and we need that. The partner part makes sense. We are teaming up to do something great for God! I'm jealous of your end of the deal. Lately God has really put it on my heart to pray and support others who go because it's like I get to attach myself to what God is doing and I'm blessed by it. It's purely a selfish endeavor on my part, because honestly I don't think God needs me. I think need is the wrong term, it is more like God chooses to use me. He created diamonds and rubies and the precious minerals of this earth that money is derived from, He really doesn't need me to cough up money or prayers, He is almighty, He is able to make this happen alone if He so chooses. But He gives me this chance for joy that I can attach my heart to what He is doing and sacrifice part of myself to it. That is why I'm putting so much emphasis on communication. I myself am always dying to know what's going on with the people we support, personally I think everyone should blog! (-;
The Discovery is the exciting part, because we don't know how God is going to make this happen. How is God going to supply what it takes to get us to Papua New Guinea? We don't know. What hearts is God already working in to join us in this endeavor? We don't know. We wait in anticipation to see how God is going to make this come together, because we know we've been called to do it. We know God said "here's what you need to do."
Now we get to watch the fun happen. We get to see God pull this off, and discovering how He'll do it is going to be incredible! Typically those being sent are the one who reap the blessings but this blog is intended to help you, those who care the most, get blessed as well by hearing of God's work.
This Blog is private because at this time, there are people who can't know these plans, and there are people who wouldn't understand or be ready for the things this blog will contain. In fact I'm not even sure if by keeping this blog I'm alienating myself from some secret pact of the "missionary." Until I'm convicted otherwise, this blog exists because we've asked you to pray for us, and we want you to know how to pray, and you are our inner circle of support.
As holders of this blog I ask that you not publicize what is inside this blog. What you read is for your eyes only, until such a time as we can make it completely public.
With all of that said, thanks for being here, thanks for reading, please keep us in prayer.
This blog will be wordy, but that is because we're excited.
The Discovery is the exciting part, because we don't know how God is going to make this happen. How is God going to supply what it takes to get us to Papua New Guinea? We don't know. What hearts is God already working in to join us in this endeavor? We don't know. We wait in anticipation to see how God is going to make this come together, because we know we've been called to do it. We know God said "here's what you need to do."
Now we get to watch the fun happen. We get to see God pull this off, and discovering how He'll do it is going to be incredible! Typically those being sent are the one who reap the blessings but this blog is intended to help you, those who care the most, get blessed as well by hearing of God's work.
This Blog is private because at this time, there are people who can't know these plans, and there are people who wouldn't understand or be ready for the things this blog will contain. In fact I'm not even sure if by keeping this blog I'm alienating myself from some secret pact of the "missionary." Until I'm convicted otherwise, this blog exists because we've asked you to pray for us, and we want you to know how to pray, and you are our inner circle of support.
As holders of this blog I ask that you not publicize what is inside this blog. What you read is for your eyes only, until such a time as we can make it completely public.
With all of that said, thanks for being here, thanks for reading, please keep us in prayer.
This blog will be wordy, but that is because we're excited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)