One Day a Year

Our family has done Operation Christmas Child every year for the last few years.

If you do not know what that is, it is a program to hand out shoe boxes of stuff to children in third world countries.  You fill up the shoe box with stuff, and then send it off. The group, Samaritan's Purse, sends it with a small book about the love of Jesus.

Every year we buy plastic containers with lids that are the size of shoe boxes. We get 10 of them - 2 for each of us.  We then go to Dollar Tree and load up on anything that is on the list (from the website) and anything extra that looks fun.

When we put the boxes together, we dump out all the stuff in the middle of the floor and get our boxes, and start filling.  The kids love it. As they are putting the stuff in they are saying, "my little girl is going to love this" and, "I like this - I bet they will too."  They also draw pictures to put in so that maybe they will make the box a little more personal.

What do we put in the boxes? Well I made a boy's box and a girl's box this year, both ages 5 to 9.  I had a toothbrush, toothpaste, gloves, stocking cap, pencils, pens, crayons, pencil sharpener, notebook, wash rag, toy cars, a ball, hair ties, various little toys, and hard candy on the top.

At some point in the process, the starkness always hits me. You'd think I would expect it after a while.  When you put a toothbrush in a box and realize this could be the only toothbrush this child will have in their childhood.  The little toys might be the toys they play with for the next couple of years.  And suddenly the cares you had that day don’t seem so bad.  The house with its little problems that you need to get work done on suddenly seems like a mansion.

Never in my life have I had to go to sleep without some kind of heater around, except when I have camped. (Nothing like recreational suffering.)  So maybe this stocking cap will help keep a child a little warmer this winter as they sleep.

This year I noticed an even bigger difference.  We forgot to get pencil sharpeners.  So in this mood of already feeling spoiled, I ran to Walmart.  Do you realize what Walmart seems like when you have the poverty of third world countries on your mind?  It was huge, so much stuff, all shiny and clean.  It ends up making you feel a little dirty that you have access to so much while so many have so little.

So this year I am going to try to hold on to these feeling a little longer.  To remember how lucky I am to live in this country and how doing small things can help people in big ways.

- Mark

Blah

I wanted this blog to be a memoir of our journey to Guatemala - both literally, and metaphorically. You know - the physical stuff we had to do in order to pack up our Jeep and head south, but also the emotional, spiritual, relational, etc... stuff. 

Well, it turns out that stuff happens. Real stuff. So, I figured we might as well share that, too. Here goes:

Right now we're feeling discouraged. Not, like, "that's it, we quit!" discouraged. But, we're definitely feeling a little bummed, weary, and generally 'blah'. We stalled at commitments for 27% of our monthly need for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks... We've had one missionary reception cancelled, and another one that no one showed up to. (Ouch.)

We've sent letters to everyone we can think of, put out the word on Facebook, and have even been handing out flyers to strangers we meet, as the opportunity presents itself.

This is the reality of support raising for mission work.

It doesn't mean that we're not supposed to go, or that we won't be able to go.

It doesn't mean that God isn't wiling and able to supply our every need.

It doesn't mean that the floodgates aren't going to open for His provision.

It just means that we need to stand in faith right now, not in fear.
                              To walk the walk of trusting God, and not just talk the talk.
                                                    To be still and know that He is God, and to wait on the Lord.

(FYI - those things aren't always  ever easy.) 

I wanted to share this because we know that there are prayer warriors out there, interceding for us. Please pray that we would stand firm, and not be discouraged or lose faith in God's mighty provision in His perfect timing. 

I wanted to share this because someday (maybe now?) this blog might be an encouragement to someone else just starting out on the path to becoming a missionary. If that's you, and you're reading this - don't give up, or feel like you don't have the faith that it takes to share the gospel just because you also still sometimes feel down, or discouraged, or disheartened.

I wanted to share this because sometimes people (myself included) put ministries (even missionaries) up on a pedestal, and think that they are somehow different than everyone else. We're all called to be part of the royal priesthood of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). Yes, the specifics of our calling might be a little different from yours, but we're all in this together, doing the best we can with the human emotions and circumstances that wehave to deal with. If you're feeling less than faith-filled, you're not alone. Everyone feels that way once in a while.

So, we're discouraged. We're having a hard time staying focused on the promises. We're feeling 'blah'. 

BUT...

                         We have Jesus...         
                                                                  We have Jesus...
                                                                                                            We have Jesus...

...and He is always more than enough. 

So, here's what we're going to do -
We're going to set our eyes back on Him (Hebrews 12:2)
We're not going to lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:16)
We're going to let Him carry our burdens (Psalm 22:55)
We're not going to be troubled or afraid (John 14:27)
We're going to encourage ourselves in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6)
And, we're not going to forget that He is faithful (Psalm 33:4)

I invite you join us in doing the same for the troubles and cares in your life right now, and to pray for our preparation to minister to the people of Xela, Guatemala.

Is there something you'd like us to pray for? We'd love to hear from you!

Like what you've read? Want to learn more? Check out our website, or go here to make a tax-deductible contribution to our ministry. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

Things Just Got Real...

These are the moments when things feel really, really real.

That's right - we are a family of five, and we now have five passports!

(Granted - our passport photos bear enough of a resemblance to mugshots that we are unlikely to actually show them off unless it is absolutely necessary, but still...)

Guatemala, here we come - and we'll even be legal when we get there!