Rose-Colored Glasses

Probably the most important item to pack when you go to the mission field—besides your Bible—is a pair of rose-tinted glasses. You’ll need them!

In my years of being a missionary, I’ve been able to see lots of things. Some are very nice, and some are just awful. On any field, you can see a lot of sin. When we gaze at it with regular, clear glasses on, we see its ugliness. We see the sinners, too. We’ll begin to realize that sin is rampant in our country, and that all the people indulge in it. We’ll start to see everything as black—or at best, charcoal gray.

So, we need to put on our rosy glasses. Voilà! All of a sudden, we can see people as the lovely human beings they are. We have compassion on those trapped in sins and we have hope. We see the possibilities. We quit looking at specific sins and start to see souls. We want to share Christ. We become joyful.

On the mission field, because we come from home countries of comfort and Christianity, we have a real problem when we use clear glasses. We need to don our pair of rose-tinted ones—the same color as the heart. We need to see our field and our people as God sees them.

Of course, you understand I’m using glasses metaphorically. They are the lenses through which we perceive the world. It is so important to train ourselves to look for the good on our mission field. Why? Simply because the Lord wants us to think that way. Consider Philippians 4:8. (You’ve probably got it memorized.) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. I think most of us have forgotten this verse from time to time. We start thinking about criticisms (of good report???) and moral deficiencies (pure?? virtue??). We dwell on unfairness (honest?? just??) and on lies people tell (true??). Are we going around looking for the lovely and good? (Hint: become a photographer.) Are we actively seeking something for which to praise God?

Oops! We have those clear glasses on!

In every culture, there are prevalent sins. In Spain, common sins would include: lying, cheating, gluttony, jealousy, drunkenness, rampant porn use, revenge, an unforgiving spirit, holding grudges, arguing, amorality, and disinterest in God. But, that doesn’t mean we throw up our hands and give up. That doesn’t mean there’s no good here. That doesn’t mean the people aren’t lovely and loveable. They are! Some of the real positives in this culture include: friendliness, warmth, loyalty to friends, families that stick together, delicious food, a sense of time and purpose, valuing history, the preservation of architecture, art, and culture. I could go on and on.

Putting on rose-colored glasses helps me look for the good. My glasses help me to dwell on the positives. I begin to direct my thoughts in a more godly way.

When Jesus looked at the multitudes—and at individuals—what did He see? He saw souls. No one, not even lepers, were disgusting to Him. He touched them. He cared. He healed. When he met up with sinners, He offered to meet their needs. Some refused Him. Even His own half-brothers put Him off. But, many believed. I think Jesus looked at people in a very different way than we do. I think we all have a long way to go in learning Christ-like compassion.

Can you imagine the Creator of the universe walking around on the earth he’d made—by speaking it into being? Can you imagine what Jesus thought when He looked up into the stars at night? What went through His mind? He remembered the Great Flood. He was there, orchestrating the whole thing. He remembered Sodom and Gomorrah. He was there, too. He knew everything about every thing. He actually made rocks, hills, animals, and seashells. He planted the plants.

Jesus could read hearts and minds. We only have to read a little part of the Gospels to witness quite a few “How did you know that?” moments—beginning when Jesus was twelve. Indeed—and this is impossible to comprehend—while Jesus was walking on earth and getting His feet dusty and interacting with men, He was also inhabiting every part of the universe.

There’s an interesting verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. What a concept! We need to get rid of anything in our heads that’s against knowing God. Throw it in the trashcan. We also bring into captivity every single thought so that we’re obeying Christ. When I think of capture, I think of corralling, tying it up, and making it do what I want it to do. That’s what we’re supposed to do with our thoughts! A negative thought or attitude shows up in our mind. What do we do? Tie it up and throw it away. That’s biblical! How do we think right thoughts? We forcibly bring them into conformity with godliness. We make them obey Christ. This is powerful.

What really bugs you on your field? What do you hate? What characteristics of the natives really burn you up? Take those thoughts and throw them away. Ask the Lord to help you bring your thoughts into obedience. Cultivate a Philippians 4:8 mentality. Look for the good and beautiful, and …

 don’t forget to wear your rosy glasses!

God bless you!

Oh, the Negatives!

Photo courtesy of: marin, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you look around on your field, do you see everything and everyone as bad? Let me explain what I mean by using our field (northern Spain) as an example.

• “Everyone” smokes.
• “Everyone” drinks.
• “Everyone” is amoral.
• “Everyone” is pleasure seeking.
• “Everyone” is a bad influence on my children.
• “Everyone” lies.
• “All” the holidays are about false religion.
• There’s pornography in plain view almost everywhere.
• “All” the people use filthy language.
• Most people are atheists or agnostics. 

. . . We could go on and on.

What did we expect? I mean, we came to the mission field precisely because the people need Jesus! Did we expect to find Judeo-Christian values? Did we expect those who don’t know the Lord to act as if they did?

I’ve actually met missionaries who see only the bad around them. They’ve written off the natives as bad, bad, bad. And, even worse, they tell their kids not to make friends with "those bad people.” What??!

Photo from: http://www.nabasque.org

Let’s use our field (northern Spain) as an example again, this time looking for the positives:

• The Spanish are some of the best cooks in the world.
• The countryside is gorgeous, and people appreciate and take care of nature.
• Every village and city center is historic and beautiful.
• The art and architecture are amazing.
• The people are open and friendly. If you make a friend, you’ll have a loyal friend for life.
• Spanish people have a great capacity for having fun without spending money—walking around the city, hiking, playing at the beach, etc.
• Spanish housekeepers are some of the cleanest people anywhere.
• The culture has been preserved over the centuries. (Some of the holidays have been celebrated every year for over 700 years.) Folk dancing is modest and beautiful. Their songs are really pretty. The poetry and prose are timeless. People honor the old ways. The government helps preserve ancient buildings.
• Spanish people take good care of their elderly and those with disabilities.
• Most Spaniards are family-oriented and have close immediate and extended families.
• Spanish people have a great sense of fashion and style. 

. . . We could go on and on.

Photo: anar

As a missionary, I would like to propose two focuses. I believe they have completely revolutionized the way I view my field and those around me. They’ve also helped me understand my priorities at any given time. I trust they will help you, too.

1. Remember your purpose. “I am in this country to share the gospel with lost people and to disciple Christians.” Anything I do should further this goal.
2. Remember what God wants for your thought life. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). “I will train my brain to think on the positives. I will meditate on the Lord Himself and on His Word. I will sing hymns of praise to God in my head throughout the day."

So, get out of the house and make friends. Enjoy the culture. Enjoy the people. Take part in community functions when you can. Let people see God’s love through you. Compliment the native people on their positives. Encourage them. Take every opportunity to share Christ.

No one enjoys being with a negative person. No one will listen to a judgmental person. Many times, people are drawn to Christ through a smile, friendliness, and your sweetness in personal relationships. They'll see you have something special.

Don’t let your negativity be a secret place or a bushel. Let your light shine from the candlestick! No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light (Luke 11:33).

If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, 

think on these things.

  

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.”  

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.”

Learning from Kissing . . . and the Bible

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/proimos/6883580230/

Different cultures. Different customs.

Our daughter, about nine years old at the time, was visiting in a friend’s home in a neighboring country. A large group was seated around the table for a meal when a visitor stopped by. The visiting man started greeting with kisses to the cheeks everyone around the table, male and female. When he got to our daughter, she . . . disappeared under the table! The poor man was left standing there with a bewildered expression on his face.

A preacher was preaching a series of meetings in Eastern Europe. He was greeted by so many unshaven men that he felt like his cheeks were bleeding!

A missionary friend confesses he used to try to sneak away from any man coming his way. He now proclaims, “I kiss everyone!”

How I remember those first invasions of personal space! We came to Spain as young adults. (I’m from a hugging family, but this . . . .) One of my Spanish friends—a young woman—hooked her arm into mine and pressed her whole side into me as we walked down the street. I couldn’t get away! In Spain, people greet with kisses on both cheeks. (The farther south you go, the more kisses you get.) Where we live, basically it’s between women or when a young person greets an older woman. It depends, and we basically go with the flow.

The Bible says, Greet one another with an holy kiss. (It looks like the Apostle Paul was a kisser, too! Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26)

Whether or not kissing is the way you greet people in your country is beside the point. But I’d be willing to bet—not with money, mind you—you’ve sometimes felt “invaded.”

Maybe it’s:

• lack of privacy
• being on call every hour of every day
• unannounced visitors—especially at mealtimes
• reptile, insect, and other uninvited animal visitors in your home
• filth (dirt and germs, customs, immorality)
• safety concerns
• open idolatry, demonic activity, pagan customs
• total unbelief in God, the Bible, even Christian traditions—a total disrespect for religion in any form
• persecution

Just as kissed greetings are an invasion of our “personal space,” so some native customs are an invasion into what we know is right. Many are just plain opposite God’s norms.

It’s so easy to view all the culture as sinful. We can see all the people’s habits as wrong. We may look around us and find no good, no positive, no redeemable anything. This missionary philosophy will lead us to this conclusion: the people are without hope.

So, what can we do?

Get a biblical mindset. Philippians 4:8 can be transformational on the mission field. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. We’re to think about and look for the good things!

What’s positive about your adopted culture? Can you find something nice about their clothing, food, frugality, music, cleanliness, agricultural methods, friendliness, architecture, livestock . . . anything? Surely, there’s something positive!

When you think about the good things—whatever they may be—your whole attitude improves. Your heart begins to praise God for the true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, and virtuous things in your adopted culture. Even if it’s a totally pagan culture—the reason you went in the first place—there is something to be praised in it. You don’t have to compromise your beliefs in Bible Christianity to compliment your neighbors on a fruit tree or beautiful flowers! You’re not looking down your nose at people when they’re teaching you how to milk goats, plant maize, or make their special stew. (You actually get closer to your people when you ask them how they do something.)

You have the Words of Life—the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

And they have their own culture.

Oh yes, almost any culture has its bad points. (If you’re honest, America’s culture isn’t 100% pristine either.) Where customs disagree with the Bible, they need to be changed. This happens as Christians begin living more like Christ.

You can actually see that change. Places that didn’t have the gospel fifty years ago have been transformed by the influence of the Bible. People who used to go around naked now wear clothes. Permissive lifestyles have given way to solid marriages. Churches are ordaining native pastors. Second generation Christians live clean, exemplary lives.

If you don’t look for the good in your adopted home, you may become prideful. You might be teaching your kids that your family is “good” and everyone around them is sinful. Neither you nor your children make friends, and you deaden your ministry. You become haughty. And you end up useless to God.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

The mind of Jesus. The servant’s heart.

Let this mind be in you . . . .

Share the Good News. Jesus saves!

Greet the brethren with a holy kiss.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/proimos/6883580230/">Alex E. Proimos</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>