She Hath Done What She Could

There was a time recently when I was called on to serve in a way that was outside of my comfort zone.  Not only that, it was brought about because someone else decided that they did not want to fulfill their obligation.  When that happens, it usually falls on the shoulders of the missionary.  After all, they can do anything…

I was struggling with a swirl of emotions.  I was comparing myself to others who could have done a much better job.  I was also crying out to the Lord to help me in my weakness.  It was at that moment that the Holy Spirit whispered, “She hath done what she could…”  Those words stopped me in my tracks. 

I took some time later to look up those words in Mark 14:8.  Mary was being criticized for what she was doing to serve her Lord, but He came to her defense with, “She hath done what she could…”  

As I thought on this, my mind wandered to the widow and her two mites.  According to some notes in my study Bible, those two mites were equal to 1/4th of a penny!!  I would be prone to wonder, “Why bother??  What good can my measly 1/4th of a penny accomplish?”  But Jesus said that she gave more than all the others, because she gave all that she had.

Then the Lord gently rebuked me as He brought 2 Corinthians 10:12 to mind.  “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”  When I sat their stewing and comparing myself, I was not being wise.  

Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us to do whatever we are called on to do with all our might.  And so I stopped comparing myself and confessed my weakness to the Lord.  I proceeded to do what needed to be done.  I didn’t do it perfectly, but I did what I could.  I did it with all my might.  I gave it all I had.  And I heard those sweet words whispered once again, “She hath done what she could…”

*The photo is of a beautiful park in Japan.  

Floppy Cheese

Floppy Cheese

What exactly is Floppy Cheese? Well, I think it’s called American Cheese in America...but we never bought it when we lived there so I’m not exactly sure. 

Floppy Cheese is that cheese that comes individually wrapped, is super floppy, and taste great! 

We never bought it, but we always enjoyed eating it whenever we went to a friend’s house. 

I saw a YouTube video tutorial on how to make this cheese, so I tried the recipe out, and then changed it up a bit to match my families taste. (Does that make this my recipe now? 🤔) 

Here’s what you’ll need 

1 cup cream

1/2 cup water

1 cup shredded cheese

1 tablespoon agar agar powder 

Salt to taste 

In a medium saucepan whisk cream, water and agar agar powder together until smooth. Heat on medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly! 

Once the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, add the cheese and salt. 

Continue to stir until Cheese is completely melted. Remove cheese from heat. 

Now this is where you can get creative! 

You can make a cheese block for cooking, or cheese slices, or just add some salsa and jalapeños and enjoy with tortilla chips! 

If making cheese blocks to melt down or slice up later, pour the hot cheese into a ramekin. A bowl would work, even Tupperware! Cool completely, then remove cheese from the dish. Refrigerate until needed. I have no idea how long this stuff will last in your fridge. I had ours in the fridge for about 6 days, and it was still good. But I don’t know if it would last longer or not. 

To make cheese slices (aka Floppy Cheese) pour the hot liquid onto a slick surface. An electric nonstick skillet works. If you have a marble top counter, that would work, a silicone cutting board would work too. Just look around and see what you have that will work. 

Working quickly, pour the liquid and spread it out as evenly as possible. If you would like to sprinkle the cheese with pepper or garlic salt, or maybe diced jalapeños, now would be the time. 

Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy. 

To make a sauce, heat the cheese in a nonstick pan on low heat (low is very important!). 

Once the cheese is mostly melted, you may wish to add a few teaspoons of cream. This will help the cheese sauce to stay smooth. Season like you would a normal cheese sauce and enjoy!

You may want to get creative with your cheese. If you are going to be making grilled cheese sandwiches or a cheese sauce, you may want to use half mozzarella and half cheddar. If you are going to be making a dip that is going to have a sharp or strong flavor, maybe use a quarter Parmesan and three quarters mozzarella. Experiment and figure out what cheeses you like best for what you’re making. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I think this cheese is a lot of fun to make! I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do! 

Amber Wells

Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬 

Lord, Help me help him

Psalm 121:1-3, "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills--from whence cometh my help?
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber."

My son does practically the same routine every morning: gets up, eats breakfast, gets dressed/picks up for the day, then starts his schoolwork.  He also follows practically the same schedule every day when doing his schoolwork: reading, Bible, history, science, math and grammar/creative writing (he saves the one he hates the most for last). One day, I knew we had to leave super early that afternoon for a church about 1.5-hours away.  So,  I had everything laid out for him to do his schoolwork--in a different order.  Well, that just started his day off on the wrong foot--like when I run out of coffee and didn't realize it until I go to make it.  (I know right??!!  How does that even happen??)  Well, all morning long was a struggle.  He was angry, aggravated, frustrated, and didn't want to do anything whatsoever.  He talked back to me all morning and acted like I had just ruined his perfectly spoiled little life.  At one point, while trying so hard to be patient during a math lesson, I had had enough.  But, something grabbed a hold of me as I was just getting ready to tell him so, and I just told him to go to his room and sit on his bed until I came and got him.  He walked off--stomping and mumbling--and I bowed my head and prayed: "Lord, help me help him." I just said it over and over again.  I couldn't pray anything else.  Nothing else would come into my head or out of my mouth.  Nothing.  And that's when the Lord reminded me--"hey, the reason he's upset right now is because his whole routine has changed.  Everything.  With no notice.  And he's struggling today.  Show grace, but also teach my Word." And we did that the rest of the day--because it lasted all.day.long.  We disciplined as needed (because regardless of the reason, you're not going to mouth off at me and disrespect authority), but we also poured the Word over him, lovingly and prayerfully.

It hit me, though, during that prayer that it was so much different than the ones I had prayed in the past.  Honestly, Ethan has always been a somewhat difficult child--he has always struggled with anger, bitterness (he can hold a grudge for years), and selfishness.  In preschool, he was diagnosed with ADHD.  In kindergarten, he was sent to the principal's office 28 times; 2nd grade, 25 times;  3rd grade, 4 times;  and in 4th grade, 6 times (whew! It got so much better!!)  At his kindergarten graduation, the administrator hugged him--the only one who crossed the stage that received a hug.  He told us afterward, he needed that little boy to know that they loved him mightily and he was going to do great things.  I just asked: so, he's allowed back next year, right??  But, during those days, of long, drawn-out battles of the wills (mine and his...mine is actually much stronger...), I remember praying almost in an exasperated, sarcastic way: "Lord, you made him and you gave him to me.  So, I need you to show me what to do!"  It was almost a desperate, immediate cry to fix it, even though my heart was truly pleading for wisdom.  This time, however, I just felt different.  

You see, even though Ethan has an innate desire to fight to the death to prove his point or get his way, he's needed that will to fight since the day he was born.  He fought to be born; fought to survive; and fought asthma for nine years following.  He's fought the inner struggles of being bullied and being the smallest kid in his classes (my little 11-year-old is all of 60 lbs. and still isn't tall enough to ride the biggest roller coasters at the amusement park with his friends.)  And, now he's fighting the inner spiritual battle of loving the Lord, desiring to do His will, but longing for life the way it was.  When he went to the same church every week; had the same friends; the same school; the same routine.  Now, he's lived in three different countries, been separated from old and new friends, never has two days of the week that are the same, and has no children where we live with whom he can speak English.  And, he's a pre-teen.....As I prayed this prayer, I truly prayed.  I truly cried out in a way that I felt my son's life depended on it.  Not the physical one, but the spiritual and emotional ones.  The ones only God can do something about.  I can--to an extent--protect and control his physical life.  But, only God, can do His work in my son's heart.  And, it was a prayer of surrender.

"Lord, help me help him.  You created him.  You created all of those qualities that have made it hard to parent at times.  But, you also created some amazing qualities that make me stand in awe of him: a strong will (yes, that's actually a great quality!), a protective instinct, wit, humor, intelligence;  he's loyal and has a tender heart.  And, Lord, I truly need your wisdom; your perspective; your encouragement; to keep on keeping on.  Knowing when to show grace and when to administer discipline. Understanding that this isn't a battle of me against him, but a spiritual battle that Satan wants to win.  So, Lord, help me help him.  Help me help him to see you.  To see your character, your desire to give him the very best, your plan for him here in this ministry in Mexico, and your fierce love for him.  Help me help him see your purpose that following it is a much better path to take than anything we could ever imagine. Help me help him, in everything.  Lord, we need you."

When Ethan was born and taken by ambulance the next day to hospital over an hour away and I had to stay put at the hospital where he was born, I remember praying then: "God, he is Yours.  Please, take care of him." I knew then that my boy was God's and God's alone.  He is on loan to me for however long God sees fit.  And, as I struggle as a mom so often as to whether or not I'm doing this thing right, he reminds me: "your help comes from me, the God who made heaven and earth.  I will not sleep.  I will not slumber.  And, you will not be moved." He is our help.

Missionary Quotes - Jaffray

Fishy Salt

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men," said Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:13)

"Ye are the salt of the earth"

What does salt do? 

Salt can do a lot of things. It flavors food. I can't even imagine potato chips without it. Salt burns if it gets into a sore in a person's skin, yet it can also heal that same sore. It preserves food like dried meats. In some cultures is was used as currency, money. It melts frozen things. Salt cleans and disinfects. It keeps our eyes wet with tears. If you have ever tried putting in contact lenses with water instead of saline solution, salt water, you will know how important that is.

William helps dig us out as the city tractor spreads salt.

How are Christians like salt?

We should be adding flavor to life, making it better for people. The Christian life should be more palatable to non-believers because of our lifestyle. Sometimes we irritate people, like salt burns the skin, but this should never be our intention. Those same people who have been irritated by us should also be ministered to by us.  We should attempt to use our saltiness to help heal spiritual wounds instead of leaving people hurting.  We should help preserve good things like traditions and laws that help people. We should cry with the hurting shedding our tears with them. 

What is fishy salt? 

I made that term up.  Here in Iceland we have a lot of snow and ice in the winter.  Sometimes it melts on its own, but most often salt needs to be spread around to help cars drive more safely and to help people like me not fall as we walk. After two decades here, I am still the country's most clutzy person on ice. Often sand, the black kind found in volcanic places, is added to the salt. That way when the ice melts and refreezes at night, there is still some grip.

There are places here owned by the local governments that have giant piles of salt and sand.  The city trucks come in, fill their reservoirs, and spread the salt and sand around.  These giant piles are usually open to the public, too.  We can go in, fill up a bucket or two, and take it back to toss on our stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. This is very helpful to the ultra clutzy like myself.

This is what I call fishy salt. Why? Because it smells like fish.  I don't know why it has that pungent smell.  Maybe it's because it lies outside next to the fishing boats.  Maybe some of it was used to preserve salt fish or fish jerky.  I have asked people but have never gotten a really definitive answer.  The why doesn't really matter, though.  It smells fishy.

Patrick, William, and Rosa behind a snow pile after digging.

What about other salt?

Growing up, we used plain old white salt that we purchased in the grocery store for our food.  Now there are all kinds of fancy salts to buy including rock salt, sea salt, and even some kind of pink salt.  They say that those fancy ones are healthier than the old white powder.  I hope so because they sure cost more.  That said, I can guarantee one thing, I will never put that fishy salt on my food. Yuck.  It is worth nothing except to be tossed out and walked on. 

Jesus said that Christians are the salt of the earth.  We don't have to try to be, we just are.  The question is what kind of salt we choose to be. I want to be that healthy kind.  I don't want to be fishy salt with sand mixed in.  May our lives be filled with flavor, with healing though perhaps a little irritating, with a sense of preservation, with tears for the wounded, with value to add to those around us, with cleansing. May we not be fishy salt.

Patrick and Vicki Weimer in Iceland since 1999

fbkiceland.com

4 Walls + 2 Toddlers

Four walls + two toddlers = crazy wildness.

You can understand.

For those of you who are in the winter months right now, this is the time when sometimes we feel like pulling our hair out. Children, (mine are boys) with endless energy and no outlet, start bickering, cracking their head open from bouncing on -and falling off- the couch to the stone floor, and being overly "creative" in their usage of toys (which usually results in trouble of some kind).

So, this winter, I decided I would spend some sort of creative time with the boys each day. Sometimes separately, due to naps and school times, and sometimes both are together. To give you some ideas, here are some of the things we do. Some of these may work in a hotel room or prophet's chamber too.

• Put a little tempera-type paint in a quart-ish size zip top bag and seal the top with tape to make a paint "wipe-off" board. They can draw with their finger or a q-tip, and squeeze and squish to erase. Great fun, and clean.

• When we did do finger painting, I laid a disposable tablecloth on the floor, tore holes in shopping bags, put them over the boy's heads, and put their arms through the handle holes. They stayed clean; and the whole mess went into the trash when they were done!

• Use blocks to learn about music, letters, simple math, and anything else, like snowflakes.

• Make roll out cookies. -I found a fabulous gingerbread cookie that doesn't use molasses and is a very healthy treat here.  

• "Clean house." They love to sweep, vacuum, and scrub with a rag. It makes a great activity for them, even if they don't actually get something clean.

• Pull out your cooking supplies and let them "cook". An overturned box makes a great stove top!

• Write simple words, or just letters, on a card. Lay the card/s on a metal pan. Then, let them find the correct alphabet magnet to match the card. Sound them out together. (You can do this in the car!)

• Make a puzzle together. Find a picture of something they love, print it out, cut it in the appropriate amount of pieces for your child, and do it together. If it has numbers, shapes or letters, they're learning too!

• We made shakers with toilet paper and rice, decorated them, and then shook them to the rhythm of our "learning apple" songs. (If you play piano or other instrument, that would work great too!)  

The younger one loved being the "DJ".

• They love to push each other around in the stroller, so if I can monitor, they love this "game" and it gets out their energy. I have a little "race track" in my house, so that definitely helps traffic.

• Use a bucket and a spoon to pick up blocks, or shake it up with a bulldozer and dump truck. -Suddenly "picking up toys" becomes a game. If they have to get certain colors or shapes, they can learn at the same time!

• Go on a toy hunt. -If your house is like mine, you don't even have to hide the toys first. We look for race cars, blocks, or other little toys. They think it's great fun when we are searching under and around furniture together. "Is there one under here?" "Is there one over there?" (This is a great life skill. Now when I ask them to LOOK for something, they know how to do it!)

• Shred paper. We have a fireplace, so this activity is not a waste; but you could use scrap paper you would throw away anyway. Let them use that destructive energy to gain some fine motor skills. Then, wrap tape around your hands to use a "sticky glove" to pick them up and throw the pieces away.

• Write numbers 1-10 on paper. Lay them on the floor (in whatever order you want). Go on an adventure together looking for 3 train cars, 6 bubbles, 2 bugs, etc. Every time you say a number, have them stand on the corresponding card. If you have a big room, they can really expend energy looking for and running to the right number!

• Borrow stairs. Sing solfege as you go up and down. (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) You can expand the activity by having them go up two stairs or down three, etc, as you skip some of the notes.

• Get ahead on English grammar: you can play a sort of leap frog by doing prepositions "over, around, down, up, before, behind..." etc. This is good for my boys as they are learning two languages, hearing three, and easily get confused which words are English and what they mean.

• Sing Bible action songs, or silly songs, together. Here's one I posted before.

• Make up actions and learn a Bible verse. Try to make the actions as big as possible.

• Go on a "bear hunt." Pretend, using giant motions, to put on a heavy backpack, climb a wall, cross a river, run through grassy fields, crawl through a tunnel, etc. This works really great for telling Bible stories too!

• Sit on cardboard or a pillow and slide around the house. 

• Make a blanket fort/house/castle. Grab a flashlight and books and read together inside their space.

• Line up chairs and make a train. Take turns being the conductor, engineer, etc.

• Grab your brooms and mops and "magically" turn them into dragons, horses, race cars, etc. Ride them around the house.

• If you have a floor to ceiling mirror, jump together and see how high you can get. Mark your jumps with a whiteboard marker. Or, put shapes on the wall and jump to touch them. (Remember, most toddlers don't jump high.)

• Blow up a balloon and throw it in the air. Play a kind of fetch. You toss it in the air; they retrieve it. Lasts a long time with my boys!

I hope this gives you some ideas or stirs your creative juices with your littles this winter! Don't let the toddler years get wasted just trying to survive the exhaustion. That is easy, as I well know. Instead, remember, Samuel was sent to the temple as a toddler or preschooler; Moses moved to the palace at a very young age. Train your toddler today to be a mighty leader tomorrow!

Now, even as I write this, I hear some craziness going on. Time to go tame the jungle!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

Sometimes people think that Christians never laugh or have a good time. On the contrary, we love to laugh and have a good time. In fact, some of the funniest, craziest things my kids have said, actually revolve around the ministry and things that can only be understood by other Christians.

Since it is Monday, and we all know that Mondays can feel weighty after a day of ministry. I thought that I would share a few funny moments in our family's history that have to do with things that may not be appreciated fully by someone outside of the faith. Though all of the stories happened in our family, I will keep the actual child's name anonymous. I hope you enjoy them.

One time, while having a conversation surrounding Bible versions with some other adults, my 6 year old daughter heard NIV and said, "Mom, I had one of those in my arm." After receiving a questioning look from me, she reminded me that during her recent surgery she had a NIV(an IV) in her arm. Yep, well, I can see how she got that one confused.

Then, we always tried to teach Bible principles during the many teachable moments in life. One principle that always came up was the Golden Rule. When the children were young, I always explained it in the following way: do not do anything to someone else that you would not want them to do to you. So on one occasion, when my child was caught hitting someone else, I told her that was not acceptable and that she was in trouble. She told me, "Well, Mom, you always said that whatever someone does to you, you should do it to them." I guess I learned from that experience to explain things a little clearer and in a more kid-friendly fashion.

When the next story happened, I had been telling my daughter Bible stories late at night as she lay in her bed. Since she was always in Sunday school and heard all the popular Bible stories, I would try to tell her something that she had not heard before. On one of the evenings, I told her about the conversion of Saul and how he had the new name of Paul. I explained that he was not the same as King Saul of the Old Testament, and she was fascinated by the fact that his name changed from Saul to Paul. A few nights later, I was telling her the story of Namaan. In an effort to make the story more exciting, I said, "He went down one time and came up, and he still had leoprosy. He went down a second time, and he came up and still had it." I continued that all the way through; and on the last time, she stopped me and said, "I know, I know, now he was John the Baptist." You have to love how a child's mind works.

Although I have a few more stories, I will close with this last one and save the others for a later post.
On one occasion, I told my daughter that we were going to make an anniversary card for a close pastor friend and his wife. Often we bought cards with verses, and she decided that she would like to put a verse on their card. When I asked her what verse she wanted to put on the card, she replied with her recently memorized, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I told her that we should probably think of another verse, as this is an anniversary card and that might send the wrong message. It was and still is good for a laugh though.

If you have any stories about the funny things your kids have said or done that only other Christians would understand, please feel free to share in the comments. I love a good laugh, and kids say the funniest things.

Her Story Silhouettes {#21 Margaret Paton / Sighing}

Go to www.sharihouse.com to read more "Her Story Silhouettes"

Silhouette:     

Margaret “Maggie” Whitecross was born in 1841 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She grew up in the home of a preacher and was an accomplished writer, musician, and artist. At the age of 22 she met a man 17 years her senior named John Paton who had been serving the Lord as a missionary to the cannibals on the island of Tanna in the New Hebrides (Vanuatu). He was home on furlough after losing his first wife and infant son to malaria and being chased off the island, narrowly escaping with his life. John and Margaret were married in 1864, and they went back to the New Hebrides in 1866 along with their two young sons. They were determined to set up a mission station on the small 7-mile by 2-mile wide island of Aniwa that was situated close to the island of Tanna. The islanders were astounded that missionaries would return to the islands after such treatment, and one native confessed, “If your God makes you do that, we may yet worship Him, too.”

As on the other islands, the natives of Aniwa practiced ancestral and idol worship along with infanticide and widow sacrifice. They served many gods and lived barbaric lives that left them in great depravity. They had no knowledge of the One True God that could bring them mercy, grace, and peace. The natives were intrigued by the foreigners and since they had never seen a white woman before, Margaret had to endure much poking and prodding when she arrived as the local women checked her out to see how much she was alike or different from them. John and Margaret lived in a hut while three buildings were erected – one for them to live in and two others to house the many orphans on the island. They began to learn the language by using hand gestures until they were able to reduce the language to written form.

John and Margaret began translating, printing, and teaching the Bible.  They dispensed medicines daily and ministered to the sick and dying. They also taught the people about industry and tools. Sunday services were held each week and Margaret’s class of women and girls, which often had up to 50, became experts at reading, singing, sewing, and plaiting hats. They eventually had trained enough native teachers to send them to preach the Gospel to the other small villages across the island. The chiefs of the villages around the island did not like how the Patons were gaining the ear of the people and feared they as chiefs would no longer be listened to. There were many times John and Margaret were threatened and feared for their lives and the lives of their children, but they stood strong; sometimes even rebuking the chiefs to their faces for their poor treatment towards them.

Although they seemed to be making headway, they had long periods of sickness and felt the acute loneliness that is often felt by missionaries even when surrounded by a sea of people. A real breakthrough came when the island was in need of good drinking water, and John told the villagers that he had prayed and knew God would help them find a spring. He taught the men how to dig a well, something they laughed at him for since they had only ever seen water come from the sky. When water was finally discovered and they saw it was good for drinking, the chief said, “No god of Aniwa has ever answered prayers as the Missi’s (teacher) God has done . . . the gods of Aniwa cannot hear, cannot help us like the God of Missi.” They decided that since what the missionaries had said about the “invisible” water below the ground was true, what they said about the “invisible” God above in heaven must be true as well. There was a great burning of idols at that time and many hearts converted and turned towards God.

Within 15 years of stepping foot on Aniwa, John and Margaret had seen every last person on the island come to know Christ as their Saviour. Later on it was recorded that “. . . more than 12,000 cannibals have been brought to sit at the feet of Christ, and 133 of the natives have been trained and sent forth as teachers and preachers of the Gospel.” The hearts of those who once lived barbaric lives now lived in peace, and there was not a home on the island where the family did not come together for morning and evening worship.

Margaret and John stayed on the island until 1881 when they began to make trips to Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States telling the stories of how God had changed the lives of the natives and seeking to find others that would surrender to go to the islands not yet reached. By 1899 they saw the establishment of missionaries on 25 of the 30 islands that made up the New Hebrides. Included in that number were two of their own sons and one of their daughters. In total they had 10 children, 4 of whom died in infancy or early childhood. Margaret herself died on May 16, 1905 at the age of 64 having “put her hand to the plough and never looking back.” She is a lady of whom it can be said, “She hath done what she could”!

Her Story/My Story:  

Margaret faced the same difficulties as many other missionary women face, especially in primitive circumstances . . . the difficulty of trying to set up a home that is as comfortable as possible for your family with whatever limited resources are available to you . . . the difficulty of raising a family in a godless society that doesn’t hold to the same moral code, and in her case, thirsted for blood . . . the difficulty of trying to learn a hard language in order to be able to communicate the love of God to those you are living amongst instead of just saying a passing, “Hi, how are you?”. . . the difficulty of living a life that no one else can understand. Life on the island of Aniwa was difficult. But even in difficult times that caused her to sigh, Margaret persevered and drew strength from the fact that she knew Jesus’ watchful eye was ever on her. She once wrote home in a letter, “If you came to be missionaries, you would find it uphill work indeed, to be sacrificing your whole life merely for the sake of those who could not understand your motives, and who know not what it cost you to give up home and friends. But Jesus regards every sigh, and whatever is done for Him will meet with a sweet reward even in this life; for He who has promised can never disappoint.”

I’ll let you in on a truth. Even the best, most dedicated missionaries sigh . . . sometimes a lot. They sigh at their own failings. They sigh at the slow rate the nationals seem to grow spiritually. They sigh when there are disagreements or miscommunications with fellow missionaries. They sigh when the electricity turns off for the umpteenth time in a day or when brown water comes out of the faucet or no water comes out. They sigh when their kids pine away for friends they’ve left behind. They sigh when the government changes the visa laws yet again, causing them to pack their family up quickly and do a “border run”. They sigh when they can’t find that one final ingredient they need to make a simple dish for their family. They sigh whether warranted or not when they feel quite all alone.  

Let’s face it. We all sigh for many different reasons. I have sighed many a time. I even sighed while trying to write this silhouette frustrated with myself trying to write it in such a way that gives a truthful account of Margaret’s life and encourages the reader in their spiritual walk and service to the Lord. I don’t know about you, but I often sigh when I’m at that point where I’m tired or frustrated or irritated with someone or something. For me a sigh usually signals that I’m about done with the matter and have not the wisdom nor the patience to deal with it any more.  Then comes the frustration I feel for sighing in the first place, feeling like I’m not “strong” enough or capable enough to get the job done or cope with the situation. I mean, surely anyone serving the Lord . . .  in the center of His will . . . in the power of the Holy Spirit, should have no cause to give in to sighing in any situation, right? I’m encouraged to know that sighing is not a sin because we know Jesus never sinned and yet He sighed.

Bible Study:  Sighing

I love studying about the life of Christ. Probably 80% of the Bible studies I’ve done center around His time on earth . . . His miracles . . . His life’s work . . . His relationship with His Heavenly Father, but the one thing I love studying the most is His humanity.  I can’t relate to what it must have felt like to perform the great miracle of the feeding of the 5,000¹, nor can I relate to the power it took to still the raging sea². The depths of forgiveness Christ showed to His accusers on the cross³ is beyond my comprehension.  But His humanity . . . His humanity I can relate to. I can relate to crying with a dear friend because a loved one has passed away⁴. I can relate to seeing the multitudes in dire need of spiritual help and being overcome with compassion for them⁵. I can understand anger at stubborn hearts who refuse Biblical teaching⁶, and I can relate to sighing when after many long days of serving others someone asks something more of you⁷.

A number of years ago I wrote in my journal about this matter of Jesus sighing. I was studying Mark 5-7 and the stories of how He healed the Maniac of Gadera⁸ and a man who was deaf and dumb⁹. He had healed the Syrophencian’s daughter¹⁰ and a lame man brought to Him by his friends¹¹. In the midst of these great miracles, I read that Jesus sighed.

“He sighed.” It seems like such a strange bit of information for Mark to share with us when telling the story of Jesus opening the ears of a man and loosening his tongue. Why did He sigh? Was He tired? Did He sigh because He knew those who would witness the miracle would not heed His admonishments to not publish it? Was it because everywhere He turned there was someone who needed His help? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but a few short verses later we find Him sighing again. This time it was because His enemies were questioning Him yet again¹² . . . questioning His deity . . . questioning His authority . . . questioning His actions and His motives.

What I realized is that although there were moments in Jesus’ ministry that caused Him to sigh, He didn’t decide it was time to give up. Instead, He continued in the work He came to do. It is a great example we should follow. We must know there will be times in ministry and life that cause us to sigh, but like Jesus, we must not give up and rest assured that He hears every sigh and is standing near to help us keep on going.

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1. Mark 6:30-44

2. Mark 4:35-41

3. Luke 23:34

4. John 11:32-35

5. Mark 6:34

6. Mark 3:5

7. Mark 7:31-37

8. Mark 5:1-20

9. Mark 7:31-37

10. Mark 7:24-30

11. Mark 2:1-12

12. Mark 8:11-12

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Copyright 2019 www.sharihouse.com

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*Disclaimer:

I have chosen to highlight the life of these ladies because of what they have accomplished for the Lord not because I agree with their doctrinal beliefs.  As with all study of man, our focus should be on the character traits they bestowed in their lives that allowed the Lord to use them, how the Lord used them, the methods of ministry they incorporated that allowed them to be effective, etc.  We do not study man to get our doctrine.  Our doctrinal beliefs should only come from the Bible.  To that end you may find you don’t agree with the doctrine of a particular person that I write about, but I believe there is still much wisdom we can gain from studying their lives.

Missionary Quotes - James Gilmour

The Rope

Rope-holders: the folks back home in supporting churches; those who faithfully pray and give, enabling missionaries to do God's work 

Ideally, missionaries leave behind a whole troop of rope-holders who read prayer letters, pray, and support their missionaries faithfully. But, those of us who have been on the field a long time know that sometimes:

• even the pastor forgets about you.
• a new pastor takes over and drops "old" missionaries.
• people forget to pray or give.

When you notice these things happening, you might feel "poor me." But, I have been so encouraged by all those who don't forget us. Many times, people in our churches tell us:

• I pray for you on a regular basis. (Some say "every day." How humbling!)
• We just love our missionaries.
• Thank you for sacrificing and going.

Those are the statements that help us know we've not been alone. Our rope-holders have been behind us. They've been praying. And, though we might not see how, God has answered their prayers.

Those at the end of the rope—or even at the end of their ropes: the missionaries themselves.

They're usually trying very hard to do what the Lord has asked of them. Many times, they are lonely, frustrated, and sometimes, they're seriously wondering how long they can hang on. Life on the mission field is far from romantic. The missionary woman has had to learn to cook with the ingredients available; clean house in a dusty place; ration water, electricity, and Internet time; love difficult people; communicate the gospel using terminology the natives will understand; and rely completely on the Lord for fellowship. She has had to study her Bible for answers to questions she never thought to ask. She's learned to protect her children from unspeakable dangers. Sometimes, she feels alone against the world.

So, what's the solution? Enlist others to hang onto the rope along with you.

How? 

Here are five ideas. (You might think of more.)  

1. Find a prayer partner back home. Ask one of your girlfriends if she will be willing to pray specifically for you every day—and you will do the same for her. Share your prayer requests back and forth. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:19).
2. If possible, cultivate a friendship on the field. This probably would be another missionary woman, someone you can trust, and someone you can share a cup of tea or coffee with from time to time. Pray together and share. You'd be surprised how refreshing one friend can be. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself (Acts 27:3b).
3. Enlist a ladies' group. Several of our supporting churches have wonderful ladies' groups who pray faithfully for their missionaries. Involve one of yours. You can even suggest projects that might help your people on your mission field. Ask them to pray specifically for women and children in your church. Give them more background than you supply in prayer letters. And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel … whose names are in the book of life (from Philippians 4:3).
4. Think "team." Even if you work alone, be aware of your "team." Keep your supporting churches in the loop—especially your home church. Don't allow yourself feel alone. People do pray for you. People do support you. Praise God for them. Keep a praise mentality instead of a pity party attitude. Show your gratefulness and appreciation when you write your prayer letters. Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed (Romans 15:30-32).
5. Depend on the Lord. We actually have the most powerful Person in the world on our side. He's the One who can do everything. No limits. The closer we get to Him, the more confidence we have. Get on board with His work, and He will direct our work. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).

God bless you.

(Lou Ann Keiser, in Basque Spain more than 30 years)