I'm writing from Rock Hill SC, our son & daughter-in-law's house. We are here watching our granddaughter & Lucy the familiy dog, while Chad & Tanisha are in Malawi on a ministry trip.
I find that to be very cool.
Here is our ministry report, including some thoughts on the flow of life:
Dear Partners,
Mark Twain is reported to have said, “This life is just one thing after another.” (expletive deleted) Those who go far from home to reach and disciple people who need to hear the Good News, don’t get a pass on those “things.” In fact, you could add difficult, complex, unknown, or other adjectives to make clear that in missionaries’ lives many things aren’t fun, and sometimes the thing that comes next is no walk in the park, either.
Young missionaries have to learn to speak a new language and live in a different culture. Buying a car can be a huge deal. Decisions about a youngster’s education can be like playing chess with a blindfold on. Watching kids go off to college is often traumatic in the best of circumstances. When the school is on another continent it’s more so. Caring for aging parents is complex. When they live thousands of miles away it’s complex squared.
Trust me on this. I’m going to turn onto a side street, Pseudo Theology Boulevard. It’s not a dead end. I will get us back on the main track in a moment
Though you won’t find it listed with Pneumatology, Bibliology, and the other “ologies” that fill standard Theology texts, I am a firm believer in the thoroughly Biblical and quite practical doctrine of minding your own business (perhaps “Akolouthology” from John 21:22). Most of us find it pretty easy to look at others and know exactly what they should do. We aren’t nearly as good at doing what we ourselves should do.
OK, I’m back on the main road again.
Yes, missionaries are doing God’s work. It is a high-calling. The Apostle Paul says they even have beautiful feet (Romans 10:15), and what missionaries do is a privilege, a “gift of grace” Ephesians 3:7-8. So, if you’re a missionary, don’t whine. Buck up. Keep a stiff upper lip. Press on. Spend a week doing your devotions from Hebrews 12, and Philippians 412-13. It’s your business. Mind it.
The rest of us, though, have our own business to mind:
- Speaking of Epaphroditus, a short-term missionary who nearly died while helping Paul, the Apostle says, “hold men like him in high regard” (Philippians 2:29). And Paul said of those who supported his work, “you have done well to share with me” (Philippians 4:14).
- John says, whenever we can we should support those “who went out for the sake of the Name” (3 John 7-8).
- The writer of Hebrews says that those who suffer for the faith are people of whom “this world is not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38).
It’s Kathy’s and my privilege to be your hands, feet, and
voice to encourage the missionaries who serve with Liebenzell Mission USA (LMUSA). They gladly
give of themselves so that others can hear the Good News, trust the Lord, and
then grow in Christ, so they can reach others. We try to encourage them, in
various ways, as they do this important work. Later this week I’ll travel to
another state to be with a missionary who came back to the states to bury his mom.
Lord willing, in a little over two months, Kathy and I will travel to Guam to
be with the LMUSA team there. When “our” missionaries are in the states, our
home is open to them. Several have taken us up on the invitation. We use other
means to maintain contact. Basically, we seek to be pastor and pastor’s wife,
to a far-flung congregation. Thank you for enabling us to do this.
Here are some notes of praise and prayer requests:
·
Our Second Monday Missionary Meetings (SMMM)
have been especially precious over the past few months. These meetings are a
monthly opportunity for our missionary family. It seems that those who have
taken advantage of the open door, have been encouraged and helped. Our next
SMMM will be March 9. Pray for us.
·
I mentioned a trip to Guam. I have some possible
schedule conflicts. Pray that we can resolve them.
·
Pray for the missionary who will be burying his mom
later this week.
·
Some of us in LMUSA are putting together a local
church presentation, emphasizing productive short-term mission trips, and
raising Great Commission awareness in general. We hope to have our first
conference this fall.
·
One of the missionary couples we work with is
need of a car. If you are interested in helping, I can give you more
information.
·
Pray
for some new members of our missionary family. Some are getting some training.
Some are raising funds. The Lord told us to pray for laborers in the harvest (Matthew
9:37-38).
·
A couple of personal notes: Kathy is doing
marvelously well. She’s growing hair again. Her recent checkups were good. Kathy
and I recently had an opportunity to speak at a leadership symposium at our
alma mater. It was a lot of work, but it seemed our sessions were received
well. Our son and daughter-in-law will be in Africa for a little over a week.
While they are there working on a project with SIM (another evangelical mission)
and a group of Bible Colleges, we’ll be looking after our youngest grandchild.
Pray that we can keep up with this thirteen-year-old she-dynamo.
·
We
have several personnel in Mexico. You’ve probably heard of the troubles there.
Please pray for these missionaries and those with whom they work.
·
Kathy and I are thankful for you.
Thanks for your prayers, partnership, gifts and support,
