Sustained Through Fear and Doubt by God's Grace

This week’s Missionary Monday is a guest post, an excerpt of some correspondence that my friend Jennifer McPhail, ministering in Cambodia, has had recently with her mother and sisters.  They enjoyed reading together One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. Each person read the assigned chapter and then sent an email to the others with their thoughts so that they could discuss its contents with one another as they have time.  Jennifer was supposed to send her contribution but instead chose to express her heart to them about what God had been speaking to her about going to Ta Lo.   

“I have read the chapter, but now I have the beginnings of one of my "Ta Lo headaches" (We often return from Ta Lo with a terrible headache), so I do not promise to do well on book discussion.  Let me add that I am very thankful to have been to Ta Lo today.  In fact, I wanted to share about my day as it relates to Allison's talk about dwelling on worst-case scenarios.

I too have the curse of an over-active imagination.  Yesterday evening when Forrest called Poh about going out there for services today, Forrest was planning to go alone.  We've just recently had all this flooding, and along with the water comes increased snake activity on the remaining dry land.  Peht just recently killed a cobra that was after one of his small children.  So I was glad I wasn't going.  But then Poh's wife asked if I was coming this time, and Forrest asked me if I would.  Both of us have been sick, and with his trip to Phnom Penh (this past week) and the Carlyles coming in tomorrow (returning from furlough), I asked if we could take the truck in, if he thought it would make it.  He did, and so I made plans to take the whole family to Ta Lo.  I know now I must have had some trepidation last night, because I woke up with fear this morning.

My fears were of a number of dangers, but mainly snakes.  And I had unreasonable fear about Sierra and the water or the snakes.  I tried to think how I could stay home or leave them here, but I knew they needed to be with mom and dad on this day and not home alone.  I wrestled and prayed desperately, "Lord, I know this fear is not from you.  I can't control it, and I am going to read my Bible now, but I don't know how it is going to help, since I am reading in Job, Ezekiel, and Revelation!"  I am in the middle of all of these books, so I kind of know the themes, and I couldn't think how God could speak to my need through this.  I started with Revelation 13, since I usually start in the NT.  Verse 10 says,

If anyone is to be taken captive, into captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

I was bowled over!  This passage is in reference to the saints that will be conquered and martyred by the Beast and the False Prophet, but it sounds like it is an encouragement of a sort that if God plans for one of them to be imprisoned or die a certain way, they shouldn't try to escape it.  Instead, endure and have faith! 

It is so obscure and bizarre, but God used this to help me today, and I wanted to share!  The day was not easy, but there were many answers to prayer.  I had to go to the market at 6:45, which is way earlier than a lot of things are usually available, but they had just the things I needed for a noodle stir-fry to take to Ta Lo.  The road was bad, but it was passable, and our 4-wheel drive worked great.  We had lots of family time in the car, and the kids were really into pointing out things to one another and being pleasant (for the most part). 

When we got to the part I was dreading, where we leave the car and walk in through the small lake, the water was lower than I was expecting, about three inches above my knee.  Forrest carried Sierra, and I carried our books and the food bag.  The other kids were troopers, and they just love that walk.  Sierra and I are always trailing way behind, but she loves to skip and stop to look at things.  I tried to look hard at the path but not fret about the tall grasses and rice beyond that.  We didn't meet any snakes, and all six of us got in and out without any leeches, either. 

I did, however, have a number of adventures.  First, it was great that I had brought food, since they didn't have any at home, and hadn't seen any of the itinerant sellers that go out to the "main" road where our car was.  They did kill a chicken, but it obviously wasn't truly ready for butchering and made for a scant soup made with green papaya.  So I used the skills I had learned over the weeks watching Teem and Panna cook for our in-between service meal.  I washed my spinach and made sure I poured the water from that washing into the dish pan.  I chopped my veggies and garlic and disposed of the scraps in the right place.  I used the right knife for the vegetable and the machete for the meat.  And then I went and washed the wok in the dishpan with my used veggie-wash water and a piece of mosquito net for a rag.  I set it on the three stones used for a fire pit, and Teem helped arrange the fire under it.  It was already started from the rice and then the soup cooking.  I got some oil from the "counter" made from the wood planks they are stockpiling to build a better house at some point.  And I cooked my part of the meal over the open fire, squatted down on my heels.  I got to talk to __ about her husband and his church discipline that started today.  He has been such a trial for her!  I told her about Granny (Jennifer’s grandmother was a godly woman who had suffered much from marital difficulties), and I also explained how church discipline helps a sinning believer and puts it all in God's hands and not ours, after we have fulfilled our part of trying to dissuade a brother from sinning. 

Then I noticed that three of my children were in the watering hole out behind the house!  They were so muddy, and they were having a blast!  I had to get more water to clean them off enough for the meal, and I felt bad about that.  Panna was feeling sick, and her baby was ill too, so I asked her what to do, and she had me serve the kids first.  One Khmer platform bed is under the lean-to of their one-room house, and the other is under the thatched kitchen roof.  The adults eat "in the kitchen," and the kids eat and have Sunday school on the bed by the house.  There are not enough dishes for everyone, so we eat in shifts, kids and then adults.  There are usually three glasses to drink out of, but today there were just two, so I am afraid one must have broken.  There are piglets and chickens and dogs and a cat all running around too.  It is a beautiful chaos!

After we ate, I skipped out on clean-up to go teach Sunday school.  Forrest had already taught one session mainly to Poh before we ate, and they would start the worship service whenever clean-up was done, regardless of whether our class was done yet.  Poh had the book since before the flooding, but he expects me to teach when I come out.  That is a little difficult, since I can't prepare the lessons.  So he told me what he taught last time, and I was to go on with Cain and Abel.  I was thinking hard and fast, and so it took me a minute to register when the adorable little guy to my left looked at me with big eyes and said, "Teacher, that's a scorpion on your arm!"  I scrambled around so fast I lost track of the little critter for a minute, and then when I tried to swat it with the lesson book, it went in between two of the planks of the bed platform, and I couldn't get it out.  I was VERY AWARE of my surroundings after that.  Thankfully, I did not get bitten, nor did anyone else.  The six little children out there are so precious, and my four mixed very well with them today.  They played the rest of the time after the lesson, while I went and joined the adults.  There were a couple unsaved people there today, and so much opportunity on every side.”  

Earthquake Disaster

It seems everyone loves those moments when missionaries are totally transparent. Even other missionaries love unfettered honesty. Those "Uh oh. I'm human" blog posts get more view counts than any others. I guess it encourages us to know we aren't alone in our imperfection. There are others who struggle with not having all the answers or making wrong decisions.

And, alas... today's post is such a moment. I will declare it up front: Uh oh. I am human.

Giving Up Fun for Good Friday

Holidays remind the far-flung family member of home, tradition, and making memories with family. I still feel disappointment at the lack of Christmas "spirit" over here. But after having several years to adjust the lens of my worldview a bit, I am able to see parts of our own culture a little more objectively, though I’m sure I’m still biased.

I remember our first couple of years being asked by new believers whether we were having a Good Friday service (or a Christmas service, depending on the holiday). We almost laughed at them, replying, “No…” (“Or course not!” we thought. “Who goes to church on those days?”)

The next couple of years I felt a sense of frustration at the question. Perhaps I was fighting the Holy Spirit’s nudging to introspect about the matter. My attitude: “Humph. That’s old-fashioned. They only ask that because that’s what the state church did for years.” South Africa’s state church during apartheid was the Dutch Reformed church. Other denominations did not have as many rights as the attendees of the state church. The Dutch Reformed had a Christmas and Good Friday service. Naturally new believers in our ministry asked if we were having one.

And now we’ve completed the circle, having both a Christmas and Good Friday service in our little Baptist church. We often combine with the other two Baptist churches in our region for these special services and sometimes have a meal or snack afterwards.

A year or two ago, a blogger asked missionaries what negative aspects they noticed about America and American culture when they return to the States after living abroad. From my perspective, I have come to realize how saturated Americans are with fun. Fun, fun, fun. I catch myself telling my kids to “go have fun” when they play and judging a whole occasion’s worth by whether it was fun or not. Homeschool reviewers call this or that curriculum “fun.” It’s become a right—especially on the holidays!

Americans don’t go to church on the religious holidays, unless they happen to fall on a Sunday in which case we all feel gypped out of our full holiday anyways, because that would ruin our fun. I was frustrated to “give up” my already much-lessened holiday to a day of ministry, which is most definitely in the work category, not the day-off category.

If you have to go to church on Christmas and Good Friday, well…all those rosy pictures you had in your mind of fuzzy-wuzzy family traditions? You can chuck those out. Cinnamon roll brunch after opening presents in our jammies in front of the Christmas tree (after reading the Christmas story, of course)—replace that with getting up early, dressing up the kids to go to church on a muddy, rainy day. And the fancy meal Mom was going to make while the kids all attempt to break their brand-new toys in record time this year? She can’t make it, since she’s at church. You’ll have to do that on Christmas Eve. Oh, but that’s not our tradition, comes the outcry!

On Good Friday if you go to church, you’ll have to replace “fun” with serious sitting still to meditate on Christ’s suffering. That nice long weekend off of work and school when the kids stay home in play clothes and decorate eggs together and then have an Easter egg hunt? That’s out. (at least on Good Friday) Even though of course eggs have nothing to do with Easter, as we all know. “New life!” we call it, trying to make Easter “fun” by mixing a celebration of spring in with Christ’s resurrection, all the while shaking our heads and wagging our fingers at those “syncretistic Africans.”

I have felt angry before at the Africans on Easter weekend: they take days that were made holidays in South Africa solely for worship and observing their religious importance, and use them for drunken parties with constant cacophonous music playing 24 hours all Easter weekend. But how much better are Americans when we say that Jesus is the Reason for the Season, yet feel frustrated at having to go to church to actually worship Him corporately with other believers?

I’m not trying to be too harsh on Americans. I’m not glorifying the natives and saying that African culture is better. Actually their going to church on Good Friday and Christmas isn’t even their own culture; it’s the Afrikaners’. I still think American Christianity is the best expression of Christianity in the modern world. And I like a hard-boiled egg as well as anybody, though did anyone ever think of what an oxymoron it is to eat “deviled” eggs on Easter?

I don’t have all the answers yet for how exactly to observe these holidays. But I am thankful for being put in this position that is forcing me to think more about our traditions. I think we’re one step closer to “rightness” in our feelings when we worship Christ with other believers those two extra days a year—on Christmas and Good Friday. It might not be fun; but that’s not what those days are about, right?

But I Liked That Pot!

Joanna Burdett and her husband are missionaries serving in Madagascar. Her last post on her blog really hit home with me, so I wanted to share it with you. (Please stop by her blog. The Burdetts are NEVER short on adventures!)

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This post is about a process, not a lesson learned and checked off the list.    The call of Jesus is to follow Him. Sure, sometimes that means  Sunday School and Sermons, village outreaches, health clinics that help hundreds of people or disaster relief during cyclone season.  Those are the more visible acts of following that look good in prayer letters.  Then there’s a normal day – choosing joy when the geckos nibbled most of the cinnamon rolls that were supposed to be for breakfast, smiling at the beggar who is not happy with the donation just given, praying for someone who takes advantage of you, dealing gracefully with people who steal from you, or speaking kindly to someone you’d rather pinch.  I don’t always follow that well. (yes, missionaries struggle too!)

There is a beggar in our town who is wheeled around by three different kids.  He has cerebral palsy, probably no education and has most likely begged his whole life.  He knows our truck and will wait by it until we come out from the market to give him money.  He also comes by the house for rice.   He has also asked for batteries and soccer cleats.   The other day he tracked me down in the road to ask for something more than rice.  His speech is slurred and I didn’t understand what he wanted.  Yesterday, Bobby called me to say the crippled guy wanted a pot because his was stolen.  That’s what he’d been trying to tell me!  Did I have a pot I could give him? Yes.  Did I want to give him that pot? No.  My first thought was “but I like all my pots!”  Then the Spirit rebuked me.  The guy didn’t have any pot and I was fretting over which one to release!  Even then, as I gave him the pot, the temptation was strong to mention how valuable a gift he was receiving. ( I can’t believe myself even as I write this!)

Sometimes we feel like we have given and given and can’t give any more.  If one more person asks us for something, we will scream.  Then Jesus asks us to give again.   Jesus said if any man would follow Him he was to deny himself, take up his cross and follow.  For me, yesterday, following meant giving up the luxury of four pots so that a crippled guy with cerebral palsy could have one.  Today, it means doing/being/saying whatever God asks of me today.  Tomorrow?  Well, let’s just say I’m so very grateful for new mercies every morning.  I have a feeling this will be a life-long lesson.  Hopefully, next time I will more quickly respond with a cheerful heart.

-- Joanna Burdett, Madagascar

INTERNATIONAL DINNER: Brazilian/Lebanese Fusion (Kibe)

Kibe (pronounced kee-bee)

I was first introduced to Kibe by Adele, a dear Brazilian lady in our church in New York City.  She is one of the best cooks I know, so we are always delighted to taste her creations.  Most recently I was reminded of Kibe when I posted a request for idea for a Brazilian snack to take to a church potluck.  Althea responded with this recipe.  She’s a veteran missionary to Brazil (a veteran missionary is one of those people who has been in her host country forever but still looks really young, at least on her prayer card).  Althea says you can’t have a party in Brazil without Kibe.  This notion was confirmed by Lilian, my cousin’s wife, who actually IS Brazilian.  She says it might be Lebanese, but it's also one of her favorite comfort foods.

Kibe is probably Brazilian like Pizza is American (or is it Italian?), but whether you call it Lebanese or Brazilian, it’s delicious, and will be hit—at your dinner table or your church’s International Potluck.  Here is Adele’s version of Kibe.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup bulgur wheat (see substitution below)

1 cup water (to cover)

2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup cilantro

3/4 tsp. salt (to taste)

½ tsp. cinnamon (optional)

½ tsp. pepper (to taste)

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Cover bulgur wheat with water and soak overnight (or use boiling water, cover wheat and let rest ½ hour)

2.  Finely chop/mince the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, green onion and cilantro.  Combine with meat in food processor and pulse for 1 minute.

3.  Drain the wheat and press excess water out.  Add wheat, salt and pepper to the food processor for an additional 2 minutes.

4.  Make “cigar” shaped meatballs by taking 1-2 tablespoons of meat and rolling between hands.  (“Football” shaped might be more authentic, but Adele likes hers more skinny and long like a cigar, and I think they are easier to cook evenly.)

5. Roll “meatball” (either cigar shaped or football shaped) in bread crumbs. 

6. Evenly coat bottom of frying pan with oil and fry in small batches over medium heat.  Every 2 minutes, roll another third of the way around, for a total of 6 minutes.  Remove extra drippings after each batch and keep oil fresh.

Substitutions:

Substituting hard-to-find ingredients has always been second nature for me.  Growing up in Mexico on a tight budget and long before free trade made for great training ground.  Today I live in one of the most international cities in the world, and I’m sure there is nothing I couldn’t find here if I tried.  I don’t know if I’m cheap or lazy, but most days I think it’s more fun to see what substitutions I can come up with from my own cupboard.  The first time I made Kibe, I tracked down the proper ingredients, the second time, I used these substitutions.  Both ways seemed pretty authentic!

If you can’t find bulgur wheat in your corner of the world, try this:  pulse wholegrain brown rice in the blender ¼ cup at a time to coarsely ground.  Soak and treat the same as bulgur wheat.  White rice would probably work, too.  It should be raw when you grind it.  

If you can’t find mint leaves try a package of peppermint tea!  It is dry, therefore more concentrated, so I just used the leaves from one tea bag plus a bit more parsley. 

Both substitutions ended up tasting quite similar to the “real deal”.  Enjoy!

Where Thieves Break Through and Steal

Lessons from a Thief

Since being robbed three weeks ago, I have been pondering the effects of a break-in on my spiritual and emotional state. Here are some missionary musings of mine:

The Danger of Danger

Besides the obvious physical danger that danger poses, it can also tempt your spirit to worry and fear, and secondly to discouragement, the latter being perhaps more dangerous than the first. After some of the adrenaline from the first rush of fear has subsided, discouragement creeps in to trap you in the Slough of Despond.

Maybe I should mention cynicism here as well, because when a missionary is discouraged, it is easy to be cynical about the people--all the people--around him. Whatever growth may exist in the handful of believers is easy to overlook, and the culture's faults all magnified. David said in his haste, "All men are liars." And a missionary in his discouragement may make similar negative universal statements.

"These people always... never..."
"This is impossible. A church will never happen here."
"No one is trustworthy."

Of course we know these statements aren't completely true or fair; and in our meeker moments we remember to close our mouths when angry, because a man who can control his spirit is better than he who conquers cities.

So that's the lesson I learned from danger--that we must remember to submit to God who allowed it, and not to "charge God foolishly." That we must not forget all of the blessings of growth and the work God is doing in some people's hearts, just because of personal attacks.

Evangelizing Thieves

Which brings me to my next point. Some have mentioned that maybe God will use this to bring the thief (our neighbor) to the Lord. That sounds great, doesn't it? I also long to see miraculous conversions--a well-known drunk turning sober, and the like. I know God can do that!

Unfortunately in this specific case, the above encouragement on seeing this boy enter the Kingdom was our consolation several years ago when he stole from us. We did attempt to evangelize him, and he came to church for a while, and we even baptized him! (Which if you know Seth, is saying something.)

He eventually quit church, however, and is no longer a church member. So while trying not to be complete wet blankets and unbelieving in God's ability to save, we're not getting our hopes up too high, lest we battle even more discouragement over this boy.

So the lesson learned here--well, one lesson that we've learned is to be even slower to baptize children and teens until we are sure that they have committed to following Christ.

Why Africa Is Poor

I have so much to say on this subject that I will try to do the opposite and keep it short. We lost money in the valuables the thief took and to install "burglar bars" afterwards. We lost a lot of time as well.

But we are not the only ones being robbed. Several church members and neighbors have been robbed, not once, but a number of times in their lifetimes. While it may not touch us as seriously because of our savings account, think what it means to a poor person who saved for a long time to buy a personal computer and cannot replace it easily.

One reason Africa is poor is high crime rates. Obviously there is so much more interconnected than that point alone, and certainly more reasons why there is poverty, but it is devastating to people already struggling with finances to have someone take the little they have--and then not have the money to either replace it or to buy the security to prevent the next occurrence.

Treasure on Earth

We love things too much. I was reminded of that when I read The Sermon on the Mount shortly after the break-in.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Missionaries may sometimes excuse their materialism by remembering what they left behind, and thinking that it's okay to hold tight to the things they brought over with them--their consolation. But it's not. Our heart cannot be in things! Does the extent of our frustration when we have to go without a luxury or convenience communicate how much we treasured that thing?

It's almost as if I can hear Jesus saying, "Don't you get it? Those things are temporary. It's obvious that that's why you shouldn't love them! They can be stolen. They can get old and break. They will pass, so why would you set your heart on them?"

We are pilgrims looking for a city. Let's travel light and not burden ourselves, or rather, our hearts, with extra lovely treasures. Tools? Those are nice. But each in its place...with its correct priority.

In heaven, our treasures will never fade or be stolen. That is a beautiful thought to someone who's been robbed. That means that those treasures must be leagues better than the treasures here below! My "wanter" must be broken, for me to value things so highly here below that are useless toys from the Dollar Tree in comparison to the treasures that can be stored up in heaven.

The Generosity of God's People

What makes me want to fall on my knees in humility and gratitude, though, is when American Christians sympathize and give to replace our things. This has been done already. Did we love our things too much? If so, no word of judgment from them.

In the middle of our discouragement over the depravity of some people, Christians reminded us of God's grace and gave us just a glimpse again of the love and beauty that will one day be constantly present in God's eternal Kingdom. Thank you. It eliminates much fear and discouragement to know that we have friends like you.

Gratitude

Having gone through these different stages of learning from our robbery, there are so many things to be thankful for.

Our children were safe.
We were safe.
They did not take more.
We have the money to secure our house better.
We were born as Americans.

What we love most cannot be touched, and what we love next most wasn't touched.

But best of all...well, I'll simply quote Matthew Henry after he was robbed:

“Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Sunday Scriptures

Road Rage

I was on the scooter, heading up the steep, bumpy hill I hate the most. The traffic was its usual nightmare of congestion. Motorcycles were bobbing all around, and the potential for collisions with cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and animals was a matter of inches. It is more like playing with bumper cars than driving, only you see how close you can pile up vehicles without actually hitting each other too hard.

(This is the kind of road I prefer. No traffic!

Although I don't prefer the 100 foot cliff just to the right of the picture!)

Wednesday's Wonderings...

How many of you ladies stay at a home base during deputation/furlough while your husband travels alone?  What do you do to help the time pass?  How do you help keep communication flowing? 

Sunflower Seed Butter

Until we arrived in Brazil, we had no idea the value of a jar of peanut butter.  Each jar sent from the States is a hoarded treasure.  Occasionally, a small jar or two makes it's way to our Super Muffato for the bargain price of $8-10 American dollars each.  When researching online for baking alternatives, I came across sunflower seed butter.  Because of the rise of peanut allergies, sunflower seeds have become a healthy option for replacement, especially in the States.  Our local health food store in Londrina sells bags containing 1 cup of hulled seeds for less than $1 each.  The recipe I used filled an 18 oz. jar, and half of another jar the same size.  My children liked the sunflower seed butter for their sandwiches, though we have not tried baking with it, as of yet.  If you have blanched almonds or skinned peanuts readily available where you are, feel free to substitute for the sunflower seeds.  If you're making it at home, you have better control of the quality of ingredients that are used!

Sunflower Seed Butter

4 c. hulled sunflower seeds

4 tbsp. Coconut oil (or sunflower seed oil)

2 tbsp. Honey

1/4 c. Brown sugar (because we like it sweeter)

1/2 tsp. salt

Roast the seeds for 20 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring often to avoid scorching. While it isn't completely necessary to roast the seeds, it will greatly enhance the flavor.  Using a 14 cup processor,  process the seeds until they start clumping together.  Add in the oil 1 tablespoon at a time, processing until smooth.  Each batch may require more or less oil depending upon humidity and the natural seeds oils.  Add the honey, salt, and extra sugar after tasting.  To get the same texture we are used to, I moved it to my Vitamix, but it's not necessary.  Process until desired texture.  I believe it took about 10 minutes in the food processor, so don't be afraid to let it work for a while.  Lasts longer in the refrigerator.

A Thief in the Night

Two weeks ago Sunday evening, exhausted from a busy weekend and a late night, Seth and I dropped into bed and slept heavily until morning. When Seth arose, he noticed the front door ajar, with the key on the outside. We always kept it on the inside and locked the door at night.

Footsteps led straight from the front door to our study. Frightened, Seth followed them and noticed his iPhone missing from the desk, as well as my cheap cell phone. He ran in to ask if I had certain other valuables. I noticed that the laptop was also gone.

We kept finding more clues of what had happened--an open window that hadn't been opened before; footprints; the outdoor light had been dismantled. How could we have slept through a break-in?

It's a lot scarier than the cute cartoons show.

And our next immediate thought--how glad we were that the children did sleep through it!

We tried to think who it could have been. Residents of Joburg or South African cities know how common and frightening the more sophisticated hold-ups there can be, but we have never been burglarized while home here in the village. Every time we've been away on furlough, there have been attempted or successful break-ins, as well as on occasion while we were at church, but never while we were in the home.

Our first suspect was our neighbor, the culprit of several past break-ins. He was nine years old his first time to steal from us when we moved to the village in 2006. Now he's older and bolder, stronger and more sophisticated. He did it this time as well, as we discovered. (I'll call him T to aid the story.)

Seth went next door, but T was gone. His blind sister allowed Seth to search T's room. Seth found several other items of ours from past break-ins that we hadn't missed yet; or if we had, had no concept that it could have been stolen--things like a heart pen and rose-printed valance aren't usually on a teen boy's next-time-I-get-a-chance list.

We heard that sometimes stolen items got stashed by T "in the bush." Seth then searched much of the overgrown areas around our house and found other evidences of past break-ins, but not our special items from this specific break-in.

Then we involved the police. We filled out forms. They said an investigator would arrive to dust for fingerprints. He arrived hours later at dinnertime (right when we were hosting a team dinner). It was a trick to keep our kids away from the middle of our house all day!

By then, Seth had located T (about mid-afternoon) and delivered him to the police himself. "Here's the suspect," Seth emphasized. On the way to the station, Seth had tried to talk tough and scare him, but he denied stealing from us.

The police said to the boy, "Why are you stealing from the white man?" He denied it. "Aw, be quiet," they responded, "we know you did it. It'll go easier for you if you talk." They put him in a cell.

Meanwhile we also got quotations for welding "burglar bars" on our windows. We had the back half of the house done several years ago, but the front of our house was usually too high or visible for thieves to break into; so now our entire house is "burglar-proof." Those were installed Wednesday and Thursday. It seemed that our whole week was taken up with the burglary.

Makes you feel like you're living in a prison.

 

T confessed on Tuesday and named two other helpers for his crime. One, a son of a tribal authority member, stood in court with his parents and was let free with no penalties because of his age.

After prayer group Wednesday night, Seth visited them. The tribal council member was ashamed of his son's actions. Although not strictly apologetic, he and his son went that night to track down the third boy, the one who had been small enough to get through the window and let T in. #3 supposedly had our things but got away.

"I don't understand why he does this!" Mr. Tribal Authority mentioned regarding his son. "He has everything he needs!" Seth noticed that the big-screen TV in the living room was chained down to the furniture... "I lost two days of work for this!" While we are glad to see someone who cares about work, Seth wasn't very sympathetic. "I lost three days of work and R10,000 of valuables because of this," Seth rejoined. "Oh, yeah," he mumbled, chagrined, "Eish."

So anyway, what happened to "T"? He got out after a few days in prison. He is of age now to be "punished," but after confessing in court and bail being posted (of a minimal amount), he was let free because...aw, he's a poor person! Poor person! (Say that with a kind of sympathetic, aw-what-a-cute-baby voice.) He can't pay that amount! Okay, you can go.

So that's what happened. We didn't get our stuff back. He didn't get his back-end stuffed. :)

Seth took some of his clothes and told him if he wants it back, he can work until the amount that he stole is paid back; then he can have his stuff. I'm afraid he's not used to working... I'm also afraid that will give him another reason to break in.

But anyway to cut out more details, we've kind of imposed our own ineffective form of community service on him. He worked patching dirt roads around here one day of his week off of school last week. Well, "one day" is overspeak. Make that three hours. It was a hot day.

Today was the story. Next week are some thoughts that have been marinating about this situation over the last few weeks. Thank you to our friends for prayers and well wishes.

If you're a missionary, share your break-in stories here! I know we're not the only ones!

Sunday Scriptures

"Welcome!" How to Write a Visitor Questionnaire

It’s almost summertime, and you’ll be receiving guests in your home. All kinds of people will visit you on the field. There’s family; they want to see you. There are teens wanting to travel overseas and ministry groups. You’ll get musicians, builders, painters, and tourists.

Many years ago now, a missionary friend shared some surprises they experienced when a youth group came to help. The teens had not been prepared for ministry, and the missionaries were at a loss about how to correct important issues, once the team arrived.

We’ve had our own “interesting” experiences, due to poor communication and preparation—our fault, mostly. (You learn as you go!)

After one especially crazy visit, I thought: what if our family could come up with a standard questionnaire that everyone (even relatives staying for a while) has to read and sign before coming? I wanted it to be informative for them as well as for us.

Let me share our basic outline to give you an example. (Of course, you’ll adapt it for your specific field and needs.) This is what we did:

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THOSE VISITING THE K FAMILY IN SPAIN

Greeting—We’re thrilled you are interested in visiting us in Spain, etc.

About our family—Introduce parents, kids, and pets. (NOTE: I always include that we speak English at home and Spanish outside the home. This helps weed out those who think they’ll get full Spanish immersion. Not so! They need to understand that ahead of time.)

About our field

    Spain

    Basque Country

    Where we live

    Our church

    Unique aspects of our ministry

For guest to fill out (leave spaces for them to do this):

Name

Age

Marital status:  Married      Divorced     Single     If single, do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

Can you tell us about your salvation experience? (Include when, where, and the circumstances.)

Have you been baptized by immersion after your salvation? If so, when?

What are you presently doing in your home church?

List any interests or hobbies you may have.

Do you play any musical instrument, or do you sing solos? If so, please let us know about it.

Do you know any Spanish? How did you learn it?

Why do you wish to come to Spain? (NOTE: This helps you know if the person is there to help in ministry, to sightsee, to learn something in particular, to travel, to be immersed in the language, etc. It helps you understand what he expects from his trip.)

Do you want to come to Spain? (NOTE: This helps you know if a wayward teen is being sent to your “family reform school” against his will.)

In your own words, what do you expect to get out of your trip to Spain? What is your purpose in coming?

Do you have any food allergies or any other allergies?

Are you diabetic?

Do you have any other dietary limitations we should know about?

What foods do you hate?

Are there any health issues we should be aware of (such as: asthma, medications, physical limitations, etc.)?

If you are a minor, is there anything your parents will not let you do here (for example: ride a moped, bicycle, run, play racquetball or handball, etc.)? Is there any physical activity you should not do? If so, please list.

__________________________

Helpful Information (Anything that would help a guest know what it’s like in your home. I’m using ours as an example.): 

• We have wireless Internet at home.
• Details about phone cards or use of phone.
• Our meal times vary from the States because of the “siesta” time in the middle of the day. We have a light breakfast (coffee, tea, cereal, toast, or whatever) around 9:00 a.m., the big meal of the day at 1:30 or 2:00 p.m., and supper anytime after 8:00 p.m. You will get your own breakfast.
• Driving will be done by us. This is because of insurance regulations. We will take you where you need to go.
• We do not have Wal-Marts or other big shopping stores. If you want souvenirs, we can take you. (Let us know the souvenir needs you have, so we can plan.) We also have very few malls and none on a scale like in normal cities in the States. Here, most people go from little store to little store and enjoy the experience.
• I will do your laundry. Bear in mind that we have a small, apartment-sized washer (like everyone else in Europe), and it takes 1½ hours for a load. Then, we dry outside. So, don’t expect immediate service like you might have at home! Be patient, and plan ahead. Use your towel and pajamas at least twice, please. You may use our iron. For groups, please label clothing.
• We expect you to make your bed each day and pick up your room.
• We ask that you not bring an Ipod or any other music listening device. We feel it is important that we be responsible for the music and entertainment (TV, videos, DVDs, Play Station, etc.) that are seen and heard in our home. Please understand that we strive to have entertainment that is age-appropriate and that pleases the Lord.
• We expect you to help us with daily tasks when asked to help.

______________________________

Dress Guidelines: (NOTE: I do a section for church and camp, for both men and women, and a section for dressing in our home, doing ministry, etc. I try to be clear on what we consider modest for women and exactly what fits in this culture for men.) You might also address climate and appropriate dress for the season.

           

Things you will need: 

1. Valid passport (and visa, if necessary)
2. Plane ticket(s). We recommend flying to (airport closest to you).
3. Upon arrival, move on through the doors, and we will be there. If your luggage never shows up, talk to one of the attendants in English. If they can’t help you, someone will. You will need our home address and phone number.  Here they are: Phone: Address: 
4. If for any reason (traffic or whatever) you don’t see us right away, we’ll be there soon. We promise! Just wait either outside or inside. Stay in one place. Our cell phone is (number). Call that if you have waited a half hour after getting your luggage without seeing us.
5. Money. Bring a Visa or MasterCard charge card. Bring some Euros in cash—50-100. You can get them at your bank, but you will probably have to order them, so allow a week to get your dollars changed to Euros. The exchange rate right now is about $1.38 per Euro. If you want, we can give you cash for your dollars. (We do NOT recommend American Express checks! Contrary to their ads, they are a huge hassle to cash, and they cost money to buy and then more to cash. You will do better using a charge card or cash.)
6. Camera. We can recharge your batteries. Also, if you have a digital camera, bring a memory stick. We can download it for you.
7. Your Bible, notebook, pen, etc.
8. A smiling face and happy disposition. Everything you see, taste, and do here will be new to you. Come ready for an adventure!

_______________________________

I have read the questionnaire and general information and promise to comply with house and dress rules.

Your signature ________________________________________________

If minor, signatures of parents _______________________________________ (father)

                                              

                                                _______________________________________ (mother)

After each person who plans to visit you for any length of time* has returned his questionnaire, you’ll have a good idea: 

• if he is saved
• if he’s active in his church
• why he wants to visit you
• if he has any special needs
• how you should plan food and activities

You can start praying specifically for his visit.

Your visitor will know ahead of time your expectations. That way, there are no surprises, and he will know how to pack.

If you are having a group, make sure you communicate frequently well ahead of their trip. Help them know how to prepare. Make sure they have an idea what they will be doing. Get questionnaires from every member of the group, including the leaders.

Be up front with what they will need financially. You simply cannot feed twenty extra people for a week without some help. If you need to rent a van or will incur another added expense, let them know, and let them come prepared. Do your homework ahead of time, and everyone will be happy.

______________________________

We learned a lot from our visitors, and we pray they learned something from us. I know yours will be blessed from sharing your home and ministry.

Use hospitality one to another (from 1 Peter 4:9).

*We send these questionnaires to people coming for a week or more. I ask the diet questions of everyone who’s coming for a meal.    

- Lou Ann Keiser