Triplewarmth

What do you call all the best things in life crammed into one, forty-eight hour time period?

A weekend with family, of course.

Fall is my favorite season, and there's almost no better place to enjoy it than in the timber. This weekend we donned our coats, work gloves, and boots. After making the difficult decision of whether to hop onto the tailgate of my sister's pickup truck, or to ride in the back of my dad's homemade trailer, we headed off across the pasture to the woods.

We climbed over barbed wire fences. Competed to see who could throw black walnuts the farthest. Practiced our sword fighting with sticks and twigs. Looked at cool fungus. Admired the beautiful colors of fall. Caught a very cold toad.

Oh yeah - we also hauled wood. Did I mention that's what brought us to the timber?

There's an old expression - he who cuts his own wood is twice warmed. This weekend we got to snuggle together near the warmth of the fire in the wood stove, to feel the warmth from within and from the fall sunshine overhead while hauling logs out of the timber, AND to enjoy the warmth of being with a family that loves each other very much.

Triplewarmth - it's a very good thing.

These are the times I know my heart will long for once we're in Guatemala. However, I already find myself longing for Xela, too. It is amazing how God can make a place feel like home before you've ever even lived there.


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Visitors From Guatemala!!

This has been a really good month for the Farriers of Faith (that's us).

Some days it's hard to feel connected to this place, since we're so excited to get to Guatemala and do all the great things that God has planned for us.

More often, though, it's hard to feel connected to Guatemala, since it's so far away, and there is so much 'unknown' there.

One of the things that has really encouraged us and helped us feel plugged in with both places at the same time (a challenging feat, let me assure you!) is that we got to visit with three of the people with whom Mark will be working closely once we get there.

A few weeks ago, we got to have French Silk Pie (a blessing straight from heaven) with Dick and Sharon Mueller (ditto) at our house. These guys are incredible! They've been in Guatemala 30 years now, and started a Bible college that recently graduated almost 100 students from its degree program. They are as rock-solid as can be when it comes to walking by faith, and we are incredibly blessed to be able to intern with them. (Better than winning a big lottery any day. Seriously - we're that excited.)

Sharon and Dick Mueller with our Pastor, Michael Kalstrup

 Just yesterday, we had David Mann over for chili, homemade bread, cobbler, and some excellent conversation. (Doctrine, church history, parenting, American politics... all the good stuff.) He also works with Dick at the college, and we spent the most time with him when we were in Guatemala in February. It was so much fun to be around him for those 5 days, and we were relieved to find out that his easy-going manner and sense of humor weren't just part of his 'tour guide' persona. As far as we can tell, he's really, truly that cool all the time!  (I bet his wife and kids would even say the same thing.)

David Mann bringing the message at our church

Between those two visits, we feel like a lot of our practical questions have been answered (yes, you can flush the toilet paper [sometimes]), our fears allayed (we won't just disappear, never to be heard from again, once we drive into Mexico), and our excitement level has been boosted even higher (I honestly burst into spontaneous, exuberant song sometimes).

So, besides just raising the roof in singing the praises of our amazing God, we're also still looking to raise some support. (See what I did there?)

Seriously, though - God has put it on my hear to be bold and seek out 10 people/groups to commit to supporting us at $50 (or more) each month, beginning in January. 

We know our partners are out there. Are you one of them? Something to pray about...

If you want to know more, check out our website. If you'd like to donate, it's easy and safe to do online, or by mail. (Plus, it's tax deductible!) Just head over to our servicing agency's website for instructions.

If you have questions, fundraising ideas, would like to know more about how to host a missionary reception, want us to come speak to your group/church, or anything else, you can always email us at farriersoffaith@yahoo.com.

We truly would love to hear from you! Thanks for joining us on our journey thus far. We can't wait to see where we'll all end up together tomorrow!

akf

Here and There

I really love these types of things - that give a succinct, clear, visual representation of just how differently people live around the world.

They are a good way to get some perspective.

I recently came across this project by Peter Menzel- called 'A Week of Groceries in Different Countries.' It's pretty eye-opening. The 28 different families who participated were photographed with a week's worth of food. They range from expensive and varied diets (Norway, $731.71) to the pitifully insufficient (a refugee camp in Chad, $1.23).

Of particular interest to me were the differences between the American family ($341.98):



and the Guatemalan family ($75.70):



And, while our week's worth of groceries here looks a lot different than the one pictured up top (and we don't spend anywhere near $341.98 per week on food), I can't say that our diet is as veggie-rich as the one in the picture from Guatemala. Something to look forward to!

Just another difference between Here and There...

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Going Out With a Bang

 

We had a blast this past weekend... literally. But, I'll get to that part in a minute.

Mark was able to take a day off on Friday, so we all packed into the Jeep Thursday night (good practice for when we make the long drive to Guatemala) and drove the 4 or so hours to his childhood home.

These things are becoming increasingly bittersweet.

We ate. We talked. We ate. We played cards. We ate some more. You know the drill - just a regular weekend together with family. We did our best to soak it all up - the beautiful autumn colors, the smiles, the playful teasing. (They won one hand of canasta, and we won the other, for those of you who are curious.)

We know that God will put new friends into our lives once we get to Xela, but nothing can replace the deep and wonderful relationships we have with our families.

In this case, we're not the only ones feeling the impending changes that are just around the corner. Not only are we moving, but the senior Farriers (hah!) are also planning on moving next year - all the way to the Gulf Coast of Alabama.  I hate to get maudlin and sentimental, but these really are some of the last 'lasts' we'll ever have at the only home that Mark ever lived in as a child.

You know how they say that you can never really go home again? For him, that is especially true.

So, we reflected and celebrated all of the changes our extended family will soon face in the only way that we know how - by blowing stuff up.

My father-in-law has been a certified pyrotechnician for the last 20 years or so. We have also (at various times) been certified and helped out with fireworks shows. That, too, is something he and the rest of us are giving up. After the sale of the bunker, he still had a few odds and ends left over, which we used to truly 'have a blast' for the last time together. (At least, in that particular way. Don't worry - there are plenty more good times, meals, and card games ahead of us!) I must admit - it was a lot of fun getting gunpowder on my fingers and dropping shells into mortars again. I even got to use a fire extinguisher!

Seriously, people - if you're not cherishing your family time together, you really should be. Just some free advice, from someone who's come to realize just how true it is.

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Called

You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. But you won’t always have me here with you.                         --Mark 14:7

When I went to Guatemala last February, I was not at all 'mission-minded.'  I went mostly out of curiosity, because the Holy Spirit was leading me to go, and because I wanted to make my wife happy. (I knew she was starting to feel a leading toward missions, but I had no idea how strong it was.)

When I got down there I was overwhelmed at the need. But, honestly, it was something else that really grabbed me.  Even with all the poverty, and all the futility - people seemed happy.

This was quite a mind trip for a person who grew up believing in the American Dream.  It really struck me while I was standing on the roof of a church, in the dark, watching kids playing and families talking on their roof across from us.  The idea that these people are different - different culture, language, economy, opportunities - it all faded away. What was left was just people. And, though they were different, they really were people, just like me.

And that was the start.  After that it became easy to see one very important thing: I am not called to change these people’s lives by Americanizing them. I am called to give them the promise of Christ.  While it is true there is mass poverty, trash everywhere, unsafe conditions - all of that is good to work on - what they most need is Christ.

You may be reading this and saying “duh, of course it is about Christ. If that's you, then I challenge you to go on a mission trip, to open up to the Holy Spirit when you are there, and see how it changes your perspective.  If you are honest, I bet you will find out that a lot of what you believe to be your Christian values are really American values.

Christ is what is needed to change lives, communities, towns, cities, and countries. What purpose would it serve to comfort someone here on earth, but let them suffer after they leave this earth?

That is not to say helping people is wrong. One of the overwhelming things that hit me was how much we could do for the people in Guatemala to help their physical needs. Because of the prosperity of this country, we have money and opportunities. We are much less afraid of failure. Think about it - we get experience building things, because a lot of time if we fail we can go buy the stuff to try it again.  That is a very different reality from a person who has one chance to build something. If they fail they have nothing else to try it with. There is no second chance. (And, that's assuming they had the resources to build it to begin with.)

So, yes - we are going down to bring an amount of comfort to the people we can reach, in whatever form we can.  But, that can never overwhelm the fact that we are there to bring Christ to people. After all - He's the one thing that is universally and eternally important.

- Mark

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Reward

I've been a born-again Christian since June 8th of 1988. That's when I knelt down and accepted Jesus into my heart.

I did so because that's when I became aware of His great love.
His great love for ME!

That's when I became aware of the gift that is salvation.
A gift He he had created for ME!

That's when I realized that He had a plan for my life.

That's right - the creator of the universe had a plan for ME!

Those are all the reasons I became a Christian. But, it's only been recently that I realized that there's much more to the equation than just that. Yes, He had all those things for me. And He gave them freely.
But, He also wanted more from ME.

More accurately (lest anyone think that our works are what get us into heaven, or that God wants to engage us in the drudgery of spiritual slavery in exchange for our salvation), Jesus wanted ME to want more for HIS sake.

I believe it is profoundly healing and healthy to accept the realization that if I would have been the only one who needed it, Christ would have climbed up onto that cross anyway. Just.For.Me.

That's how much He loves me. I am what He did it for. I am what He was thinking about that day. I am what He longs for. In fact, I am the reward for his suffering.

Think about that - there was no other prize at the end of the cross, resurrection, and ascension except for me. (Well, ok... there was eternity with the Father in heaven, but He already had that.) No brass ring. No pot of gold. No winning lottery ticket. Just me. Just you. Just humanity.

I am entirely and completely and utterly undeserving of the gift of salvation. I pray that it never ceases to bring me to tears when I consider what Jesus did for me.

But, He is deserving. Entirely, completely, and utterly deserving of my love. Of my adoration. Of me. And of you. And of all of humanity, which is all that He longs for.

When I feel shy or uncomfortable, and would rather pass on sharing the gospel with a stranger...
            When I start feeling content with my accomplishments and resentful of having to do more...
                         When I feel discouraged or tired, and am ready to give up on this whole 'missionary' thing...
                       

That's when I remember my Jesus - peering down to Earth - loving each and every person I come into contact with just as much as He loves me.

Desiring to give them the free gift of salvation, just as He desired to give it me.


Longing for each person to be a part of His eternal reward, just as He longed for me to be a part of His eternal reward.

How can I not share the gospel with strangers? How can I not go the extra mile for His sake? How can I not go to Guatemala to tell the people there about Jesus?

It is not about me, and what I have gained. It is about HIM, and the fullness of His reward that He will lose if I choose to give less than everything for His cause.

He deserves the full reward for His suffering.
He deserves an eternity with every person He died for.
He deserves them all...

And it must become my highest goal and privilege to see that He gets everything He suffered for... everything He died for... everything He deserves.

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.)

A Missionary Whozawhatsa?

Raise your hand if you've ever hosted a Tupperware / Mary Kay / 31 Bags -style party before.

              Or if you've ever been to one.

                          Or if you've ever heard of one.

(Since I can't actually see whether or not you raised your hand, I'm going to assume that you did.) 

Congratulations! You are fully equipped to host a Missionary Reception!

A Missionary Reception is an awesome support-raising idea for the missionaries in your life. (hint hint) We do our best to be bold and send letters to all of our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people we meet at the grocery store, and everyone else we can think of. The problem is, we can't think of everyone. But, you can! (At least, you can connect us with some new people, which is close enough.)

Think of it this way - a Missionary Reception is like a Tupperware party, only instead of giving your friends a chance to buy plasticware that will save their sandwiches, you're giving them a chance to support a missionary who will help save souls for Jesus. Kind of cool, huh?

The best part is that it's super easy to do.

1.) Come up with a list of people who you think are interested in mission work. Or who want to make more of a difference in the world. Or who are looking for a place to donate money in order to get a tax deduction. Or who you know will show up to your house if you promise them snacks. Any of these criteria are fine.

2.) Invite those people to your house on a night when your favorite missionaries are also going to come over.

3.) Serve snacks. (Nothing fancy required. Pretzels and soda will do nicely. Or, for a south-of-the-border theme, serve chips and salsa. Whatever suits your fancy.)

4.) Let your favorite missionaries give a 20 to 30 minute presentation to your friends. Allow mingling to happen afterwards. (It's amazing how many friendships can be made over pretzels.)

5.) (This is the really important part!) Let God do the rest.

Seriously. It's that easy. Missionaries aren't trying to talk anyone into giving money. They're just trying to connect with the people that God has already planned to support their work. For all you know, that could be your next door neighbor, the lady in the office down the hall, or your best friend. You'll never know unless you host a Mission Reception. Neither will your favorite missionaries. Neither will your neighbor/co-worker/friend.

See why these things are such a win-win-win-win situation?

Yes, that's four wins. You win. Your favorite missionaries win. The people who support the missionaries win. And, best of all, Jesus wins. I don't know how it could get much better than that!

So - how 'bout it? Are you interested in hosting a Missionary Reception for the Farriers? Let us know! Shoot an email to farriersoffaith@yahoo.com and we can chat about details or answer any questions you might have.

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.)

What Am I Sacrificing?

Eleven years ago I was working as a custodian at the University of Iowa. It was a good job, especially for someone without a college degree. Many of the  people I worked with were good people - family people, even some married couples who worked together.  But, I am old fashioned, and wanted more. I wanted a job where I had more responsibility, and I wanted to make enough that my wife wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to

In 2003 I took a job with the City of Wellman.  The main reason was to get more experience in other fields, and to find a career and be able to support my family.  I found, as soon as I started, that I liked the water and wastewater industries.  I worked hard and started pursuing professional licenses.  I got a new job with the City of North Liberty, and then with the City of Atlantic.

Through hard work, and many blessings and opportunities, I progressed rapidly.  In ten years I went from someone who had never even heard of wastewater as a career (I grew up in the country with a septic tank) to running a grade 3 plant with five employees.  I am on a state sub-committee of a national organization (IAWEA) that helps operators get training and work with state and federal government in writing rules for wastewater issues.

In less than a year I will be eligible to take the grade 4 wastewater exam. This is the highest license you can get in most of the country.  Only 7% of operators in the state  of Iowa are grade 4s.   With the higher age of grade 4 operators, and most of them getting ready to retire, the job market is going to open up for people who have supervisor experience and a grade 4 license. That means I could be running a major wastewater facility in just a few short years, and working my way up through IAWEA.  I have come to the place where I am established as a professional in my field.

More than that, I am making really good money doing something I enjoy, and my wife does not have to work outside the home. I am completely supporting my family - something I once thought would be impossible.

I am giving that all up, though, because I am called to get God's word to the people of Guatemala.  I am going, at the minimum, to have to put my career on hold for 2 years.  I have already told the subcommittee I am on that I will be resigning next spring.   I am going to be losing out on getting more managerial experience, which may be handy if I were to pursue another job in this career.  I have only been at this job for two years,  which also doesn't look great on a resume when you apply for a job.

The hardest for me is that Andrea will no longer be home with the girls. She is going to be teaching at a Christian school in Guatemala. And, even though she is excited about the opportunity to serve, I think her first choice would be to get to continue staying home.

I have also been able to support myself my whole adult life. Now we are going to have to  rely on friends and family to support us - something that is very uncomfortable for me.  I know mentally that it is not begging,or a free handout. We will be working harder than we ever have before.  But, it is still difficult to keep in my mind that these are people who are supporting us because they want to, and they share our vision.


So, what am I sacrificing to follow God's call on my life?

• a great job (doing something I love)
• being able to fully support my wife and children
• a career path that puts me on the fast track to making more money
• getting respect from peers
• setting up a great retirement 
• living in the United States (which, even with all its problems, is still the best place in the world
• being a long way from everybody I love and care about except my wife and kids

With all these negatives why I am I still going to follow through and move to Guatemala?  Because I went and saw. I got called. I know I could never be happy here knowing I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing for Jesus.  To me I do not really have a choice. Why? Here's why:

Mark 8:34-38 NKJV
[34] When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. [35] For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. [36] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? [37] Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [38] For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

- Mark


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Double Lives

Photo Credit:
 http://knicknacker.com/
alter-ego-superhero-posters
-danny-haas/

Sometimes it feels like we're living double lives right now.

By day, we're the happy, successful, all-American family next door - going to work, doing our schooling, and keeping up on our favorite shows on TV. By night, we're missionaries trying hard to raise enough funds to get our boots on the ground in a poverty-stricken, dirty, second-world country.

It can be a challenge. Especially since we don't have the option of being only one or the other at a time.

The emotional realities of these two lives are very different. Here, we are allowed (even encouraged) by society to take advantage of the luxuries that are available to us as a reward for our hard work. Even with a very modest lifestyle and budget, we have access to all the food, clothing, entertainment, and comforts that anyone could ever wish for. But, we're also missionaries, preparing to live with less, and on less. We have seen the other side of the coin, and will soon have to stop catering to our mere 'wants' and be grateful to simply be able to meet our true 'needs.' We often find ourselves wondering, 'should we be starting that now?'

I also have a hard time not letting the emotions I feel from one life spill into the way I think about the other.

When I've had a frustrating or discouraging day as American homeschooling wife and mom, it's hard not to also feel frustrated or discouraged about our progress and preparation for our mission work.

Literally, I've had times when I've been bummed about burning dinner, and let that make me doubt (just for a second) the calling to missions God put on our lives.

It's silly, I know, but that's how the fiery darts of the enemy work. And, while our situation is different from most, I bet you can relate. We're all, in one way or another, leading double lives.

Father and breadwinner.
Wife and daughter.
In the world, but not of it.

That's why I'm so glad I have Jesus. He knows what I'm going through. He was both beloved, and despised. He was needed, but rejected. He was God, but He was man.

He gets it.

He knows my struggles and challenges. He rejoices with me and because of me. He will never leave me, nor forsake me... neither the happy, successful, all-American me, nor the missionary me raising funds and preparing to move to Guatemala.

And if that's not enough to make a person double happy, then nothing is.

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

Poverty

This is a really hard subject for me to talk about - poverty. Which is too bad, 'cause it's kind of a big part of telling people about what we're planning on doing in Guatemala.

In one way, it's hard to talk about it to friends, family, churches, small groups, etc..., since the American understanding of poverty is a little bit, well, skewed. It's one of those things that everyone thinks they know when they see it, but can't really describe. In the U.S. we have a 'poverty line,' 'poverty guidelines,' and 'poverty thresholds' - all used in different ways, by different agencies, with different purposes. Even after reading extensively on the Health and Human Services webpage, I'm not 100% sure what any of these things really mean. In our prosperous nation, they're really just a statistical measurement of who has the least as compared to everyone else, and not necessarily a way of determining if someone truly has enough - enough to put food on the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads.

Yes. There are desperately poor people in our country who literally struggle each day to find the resources it takes to sustain their very lives. But, very few. Especially in comparison to the rest of the world. I can't find any actual figures on this subject, to be honest. When I try to find data on those living in poverty in the U.S., I come up with articles like this, which use Census Data figures to give a picture of what poverty in our country looks like.

80.9% of those living in 'poverty' here have both a land line phone, and a cell phone

96.1% have a t.v.

83% have some sort of DVR

(Seriously!? What the heck!? I just got a DVR for the first time last year!!)

It's no wonder people's eyes glaze over a little when I start telling them about the poverty in Guatemala. It's hard to understand what that means, in light of our own examples in the United States.

Maybe this will help. The World Bank uses the term 'Extreme Poverty' to describe people living on less than the equivalent of $1.25 per day. I'm going to venture a guess and say that there is something like .1% of the U.S. population that lives in such extreme poverty. Maybe.

In Guatemala, it's 13.5%.
In the Congo, it's over 87%.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 1.2 billion people in extreme poverty.
That's 20%.
Of the people in the world.
Who live on less than $1.25 per day.

Wow.

But, here's the kicker - it's not about the poverty. At least, not the money part. We aren't going to evangelize in Guatemala because they're living in poverty there. We're going because they need Jesus. The fact that they also need food, clothes, and shelter (which we can help give them) provides an open door to give the most needed, the most important, and the most lasting thing at the same time - salvation.

Remember - the only way we're going to be able to help with those living in the poverty-stricken nation of Guatemala, is because of the generosity of those living in the prosperity-driven nation of the United States.

Please pray about contributing to our mission. (Select 'Farrier' from the pulldown menu.)

Please take a moment to thank God for your own financial wealth, especially in light of the fact that so many in the world have so much less.

Please work in your own neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, communities, homes, and churches to end the most dangerous type of poverty of all - spiritual poverty, and the absence of salvation through Jesus Christ.

That's a poverty that no one can afford to have.

Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.

- Proverbs 22:2