Be Who You Are

And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.                        - 1 Corinthians 12:28 NASB

This is a blog I have been wanting to write for a while - one that I think is very true, but may bother some people.

I have now been in ministry as a missionary for two years.  While I am just beginning, there are some things I feel I can speak on with some authority.

I ran into many people this summer when we were back who basically feel that ministry is only preaching and teaching.  If you are not preaching and teaching, you are not in ministry or not a "real missionary."  This was actually said to me by someone who was attending a Bible college. While talking to this person about visiting us in Guatemala, we discussed the things that could be done at our Bible school, and the final option was teaching. To this the person said, "...like a real missionary."

Under this limited definition of a missionary, I am not a missionary.

I am horrible at street evangelism.  I don't preach, and have no plans of starting a church.

I have taught a couple of times at the Bible Institute, and even though I enjoyed it, I would not say I am the best teacher there.

So, what do I do?  I am a minister of helps. I do whatever needs to be done.  I make up outlines to give out in classes. I do the recordings and make CDs of teachings for the students. I work with students when they are paying their tuition and with other needs.  I also do manual labor - mowing grass, doing security, painting, cleaning, helping with electrical work, gardening.  There are a lot of other things I do, but this is a small list.

My talents do not work toward teaching and preaching.  Does this make me less of a missionary? No. If I did not contribute my gifts, then our teachers would have to pick that work up, and that would be disastrous.

So, what do we need on the mission field? We need secretaries, accountants, lawyers, maintenance workers, day care providers, teachers, leaders, etc.

What am I trying to say is if you are feeling called to ministry, go.  Look for a place that needs your specific talents and plug in.

How many people don't come to the mission field because they see their gift as unimportant? 
How many don't use their gifts in their churches?
How many don't use their gifts at home or in their communities?

Think of a church family or ministry where every person's gifts were being used and appreciated as much as all the other gifts -  that could change the world!

Andrea's Turn - Two Years Later

Ok - now it's my (Andrea's) turn to look back at my predictions and chime in on whether or not they came true. This was a really fun exercise for me, especially because of the way God has maneuvered things within the past six months. This would have been a much different post had it been after a year or a year and a half instead of two years. He is soooooooooooo good to us! :) As with Mark's post, the original post is in regular type, and my current response is in parenthesis and italics.


1.) Family and friends (obviously) -I have been blessed beyond what anyone deserves when it comes to friends and family. It will be really, really, really, really hard to not be able to pick up the phone or hop in the car whenever I want to connect with my favorite people. (Yep. This is still number one. It's still hard. It never gets easier, though we are finding our groove little by little, and technology sure helps a lot.)

2.) Home schooling - I am thrilled that I'm going to get to work at a Christian school, and that my children will be able to attend there, as well. But, home schooling has a been a part of my identity personally, professionally, politically, socially, and academically for more than a dozen years now. In many ways, it has shaped who I am, who my children are, and how we are known by others. It will be VERY strange to not be involved with home schooling for this season of our lives. (I DID miss this. Like, a LOT!!! When things were really, really tough over Christmas break, and we were praying about what we should be doing with our lives, Mark asked me, "If you could do anything, what would you do?" All I wanted was to stay in Guatemala, but to be able to home school again. That looked like an impossibility at the time. Yet, here we are, starting our family's 10th year of home schooling, having even more opportunities to minister here, and loving every minute of it!)

3.) Sleeping in - I cringe to admit that I almost put this as number 2 (or 1), but it is kind of a big deal to me. I like sleep. A lot. I've never been a good early riser, and I'm going to have to be up, dressed, fed, and AT WORK by 7:30. In the morning!!! I know God will help me with this, but it is going to be a big adjustment. Prayers are appreciated. (This was not as hard for me as I was afraid it might be. Granted, I never got to the place of liking having to leave the house by 7:10, but it wasn't as much of a problem as I thought it would be. That being said, I am loving not having to be up so early these days!)

4.) Our church - It kind of makes me cry a little on the inside every time I think about having to leave our church. It's really wonderful. We've grown and learned so much there, and have been so welcomed and embraced by its members. Our children, especially, have loved their precious time here. I know we will find a new church, but I have a feeling that FFCC will always be home. (I miss our church a lot. That's true. But, we've also found a great groove here that we wouldn't otherwise have discovered. We go to a really wonderful, local church every other Sunday. On the other Sundays, we have our own service at home. Everyone has a part to play. We worship. We pray. We hear [or give] a message. It has been a really sweet time of growth for our family, and I'm glad we have it.)

5.) A flexible schedule - I've never worked a full-time job. Ever. I mean, I've ended up working part time jobs that were really more than 40 hours a week, but I've always been able to set my own hours and be flexible, which I've loved. It's allowed me to help out, volunteer, tackle projects, etc... I am really going to miss that. (Yes. I missed this, too! I was at school for nine hours a day most weekdays, and then had two or more hours of work at home afterward. It felt like we never had time to do anything. Even scheduling eye appointments was tough, let alone having time to foster relationships! I much prefer the flexibility that home schooling affords us, both personally, and from a ministry standpoint.)

6.) HyVee - For real. I love my local grocery store. They're the best chain foodstore in the world, in my opinion. I love their reliability, their quality, their friendliness, and their prices. (Oh, and the coupons!) As a frugal home maker with a family who loves to eat, they're kind of like a second home to me. Rarely a week goes by that I don't visit at least once. I know I'll come to love the market place, but I will seriously miss my HyVee. (I still miss HyVee! We do have a grocery store we go to weekly to do our shopping, but it's not the same. Nothing will ever be the same as HyVee. That being said, since I've been able to be home, I've had the chance to walk to the huge outdoor market area to do my shopping as well, and it's really a sight to behold. I love the colors, sounds, smells [mostly] and overall richness of the market.)

7.) Solitude - What can I say? I like to be alone. I don't think I'll have a lot of alone time in Xela. For one thing, we will be so much busier, and there are so many more people in the town. But, I also won't be able to send my kids to the park alone, or leave them at home to go do a bit of shopping or take a walk. (This was hard the first two years, but is getting better now. I still can't send the girls outside to play by themselves [which all of us miss!], but at least I can leave them home alone briefly so I can run an errand or go to the store. Mostly, though, I'm learning to need less solitude, and that's probably a good thing in the long run.)

8.) Things being easy - I am anticipating that stuff (mostly everything) will be harder in Guatemala. You know, like having to wash fruits and veggies in bleach water and then rinse them in bottled water before you eat them. Or not being able to just run down to the local store and know for sure that you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Or driving with the expectation that people around you are going to follow the laws and stay in their own lanes and off your bumper. Stuff like that. (Nothing is easy here. You stand in line for an hour sometimes to pay your electric bill. Traffic is insane. They often shut all the main roads in town down for marathons. You can't go to one store to find everything, so you have to know about and shop at dozens of different stores. Our power goes out frequently. If we don't remember to fill our water filter at night, we won't have water to drink the next day. The list goes on and on and on. I do miss life being easier, but the challenges here have become normal, and don't really bother me much any more.)

9.) Government that works (mostly) - I can certainly understand why people are up in arms about our governments (local all the way up to federal) being bloated, top-heavy, out of touch, ineffective, wasteful, unconstitutional, etc... But, they're still waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than what they've got in Guatemala. I'm not looking forward to having police officers looking for bribes, and having to negotiate my way around a very corrupt system. (Yes. This is frustrating. We never know how much we'll have to pay in taxes on items we bring into the country. Or even IF we'll have to pay, for that matter. Registering a vehicle is a process that can take days of standing in lines at different offices. We know people who are involved in legal matters right now, and it feels like all you can do is pray, because you never know if things are going to work right. Worst of all, that mentality seeps into non-government interactions, too, so people just always act in a fair, just, upright way in their daily lives and business dealings, either. It's frustrating.)

10.) Fall and Spring - I do love the changing of the seasons. At least, these seasons. I'm still pretty sure I'm not going to miss winter. At all. Ever. (Nope. Don't miss winter. :) In fact, I don't really miss spring or fall that much either, come to think of it.)

11.) Being an expert at the local language - I take a lot of pride (more than I should, I know) in being able to use the English language correctly. It is really, really going to be hard to butcher the local language, and to have to be on the receiving end of correction about grammar, pronunciation, etc... <sigh> (This is still painful for me. Though my Spanish is now at a level that I feel comfortable with most daily interactions, I vacillate between wanting to put in the work it would take to truly become an expert, and being lazy and satisfied with the level I am currently at. I'll keep you posted about how that eventually shakes out...)

12.) Wide, open spaces - I love the mountains, but I think I will end up longing for the flat, expansive cornfields of Iowa, where the only thing bigger than the vista ahead of you is the blue sky above. (I loved every moment of being in Iowa this summer, but I really love the mountains here. I am surprised at how much they feel like home to me. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing the clouds falling over a forested mountainside. This terrain suits me a lot more than I expected it would.) 

13.) The familiar - You know, like intersections that remind me that I'm close to home. My favorite blanket when we're watching TV. My 'go-to' knife and cutting board in the kitchen. All those thousands of little things that make daily life so comfortable, even if you don't think about them... I know we'll eventually become familiar with our new surroundings, but the transition will be challenging. (I guess it doesn't take too long to regain that. We didn't feel like anything was familiar for the first year or so, but now we all have our favorite TV blankets, go-to knives and cutting boards, etc. once again. Sure, I still have things that I miss from before, but mostly we feel like life here is familiar now. Who knew that would be so easy to replicate!)

14.) Pulling our own weight financially - Words can't express how grateful we are for our financial supporters. And, I know it's absolutely Biblical and appropriate to be supported by others while sharing the gospel, and that our supporters will be immeasurably blessed because of their giving. Still, it's a hard thing to accept sometimes. (This is still hard, but in a different way than I expected. I don't ever want one of our financial supporters to think that we don't appreciate what they provide for us, or that we're not using our resources well, so I get nervous even talking about anything that might have to do with money. Will people think we are eating too extravagantly if we share that we got pizza to celebrate a milestone? Will they be unhappy to know that we're thinking about moving to a house that's a slightly more expensive, but much safer and more comfortable? In some ways, it feels like we're responsible for answering to a whole lot of people for our every expenditure, even though I know that's probably self-imposed. On the other hand, having to depend on God for our everything has been really liberating. I think it has helped us have a MUCH more Biblical understanding of money and its place in our lives than we ever had before.)

15.) The life we might have had - I don't think I'll ever regret doing mission work, but the fact that we have opted out of so much - including the 'normal' American life - will forever alter our future. I don't grieve over who we'll never end up being, or what we'll never end up doing or achieving because we're moving to Guatemala. But, I do have to take a moment to acknowledge that our future is going to be different because of this choice.  It's at least worth pondering... (This still pops into my head periodically. If we wouldn't have moved to Guatemala, right now we'd be ______________. I think it's especially hard for my girls, because their lives here look very different from what they would in the States, and it's easier to see what you don't have than to really be able to appreciate the uniqueness of what you do have. This is challenging for our oldest, as she's starting to think about going to college. There are definitely things she doesn't have here, but what she does have more than makes up for it. It's just, well, different. I guess that's the only way to sum this up. It's not worse. Probably better. But, most definitely different.) 

Guess I was better at making some predictions than others, huh? All in all, though I miss things from the States and our old life, I really wouldn't trade this for anything right now. I guess that's one of the good things about following God - He not only makes you willing and able, but excited to do the things He puts before you. So grateful for His goodness in our lives!

Things I Will (Do) Miss Two Years Later

Two years ago I wrote a blog discussing the things I would miss most about the United States.  I promised myself I wouldn't read it for two years, and then see if I agreed with it after that.  Well, it has been two years, and I have reread the post I wrote. Below, I've kept my original thoughts and placed my current thoughts in italics.  It has been an interesting two years!

1. Talking to my Dad – I consider my Dad one of my best friends. It will be hard to not be able to pick up the phone and call whenever I want.  (I do miss my Dad a lot, but we have cell phones down here, and I use my limited minutes to call my Dad once a week.  This is not nearly enough, but it's something.)

2. Chinese buffets – I am guessing that there are no Chinese buffets in Guatemala. At least, not like we have here.  (There are no Chinese Buffets that I have found.  Though I miss them, my taste buds and the way I eat have changed.  Buffets are now a special treat we get when we are home, rather then a once a month feast, and I am good with that.)

3. English – I think our language it is very nice, I will miss hearing it every day.  More than missing the sound of English is speaking it.  (My Spanish has picked up, but sometimes I make mistakes or even completely misunderstand what someone says. Sometimes I don't understand something at all.  This has been my biggest challenge living down here.)

4. Seasons – I don’t think I’ll miss winter, but I will miss the rest that comes when we switch from summer to fall. I think I will miss that.  (I do miss it a little, especially when people put up fall pictures, but I don't miss it that much.)

5. Changing hours – In Guatemala there is pretty much a 12 hour day every day of the year. The long summers days turning to short fall days, and then getting longer again - I will miss that.    (This is one I thought would be difficult, but it has not been at all.  The regularity of the hours is quite nice.  When we go back to the states it is actually hard to get used to the different  times of sunset.)

6. My house – I love our current house. It is big enough. It is laid out almost perfectly. The neighbors are nice. The yard is wonderful, and I will miss our house.  (While I loved our house and community in Atlantic, the adventure of living somewhere else has more than made up for this lost feeling.  I still walk through my house here in Guatemala sometimes and  think, 'How did I get here?')

7. My job – I really like my job. And, though I will have a job down there, it will not have the same feel or regularity of my job here. It also won't be the same thing I have been doing for the last eleven years.  (This one is one I don't miss at all.  Even though I loved my job, it is fun to be doing something different.  My job here can be very difficult sometimes, but it is very rewarding and challenging in ways that are completely different, and I am enjoying the change.)

8. Tap water – Everywhere in the United States you can turn on the tap, take a big drink, and trust you will not get sick. You can’t even trust the water in the international airport in Guatemala.  (No doubt, I miss turning on the tap and getting a big drink of water.)

9. Snow – Fine I admit it, there is nothing more beautiful than newly fallen snow. Let’s never talk about it again.  (Nope, not at all.  Snow is cold. I like not worrying about the cold.)

10. Church – I have been completely blessed to have been in awesome churches my entire life.  From what I saw, the churches there are not as dynamic as the ones here. I suppose that is part of why we are going, to share what we know about church.  (Definitely miss our church.  Even though I can keep up on podcasts, there is nothing like worshiping with other like-minded believers.  Though a move back to Iowa would involve snow [see above], our church would be one thing that could draw us back.)

11. Baseball – I love going to night games, I have found almost every one of them to be a magical experience the last 10 years. (I miss them, but not as much as I thought.)

12. NASCAR – This is new - going to races is something I just started doing five years ago, and I will miss the sound of NASCAR.  (See above about baseball.)

13. Iowa farm fields – This shows my Iowa roots. I love driving by endless miles of corn fields, especially when they are still green.  (Luckily, the scenery here in Guatemala is beautiful.  Though not the same as Iowa, it has its own allure.)

14. Debit Cards Use – I know there are credit cards down there, but much of the business is cash, and I don’t normally carry cash on me. That will be a change.  (I have actually enjoyed going back to a more cash-based system.  If fact, when we were back in the states this summer I still tried to pay for most things in cash.)

15. Ease – Everything is easy in the United States. I believe life will be much more difficult down there.  (There is no doubt about it - I miss this one.  Life is easier in the United States. A friend of mine says the U.S. is Disney World compared to everywhere else in the world.  There is nothing like the ease, convenience, and abundance of the U.S.)

I guess I do miss many things about the United States. The good part, though, is that what we are doing here makes up for the things I miss.  I don't think about a lot of these that much because I am to busy doing the other things we are involved in.  Maybe someday I will return to the U.S., and at that point I will be writing a blog about the things I miss from Guatemala.  Only time will tell.

Looking Ahead

Hey there, reader! Guess it's been, like, a looooooooong time since either of us has written anything here. Sorry about that. To be honest, we went through some really tough stuff, so we kind of circled the wagons as a family until we had clarity about our next steps. Turns out - they're very similar to our previous steps, or at least will happen in the same place. God still wants us here in Guatemala! Hoooray!!  He still wants us to share the gospel and teach and disciple people, and prepare them to share the gospel and teach and disciple others as well. We couldn't be more pleased. He's just oh-so good to us!

When we originally came down, we committed to a minimum of two years here. The end of last school year brought us to the end of that commitment. God made it very clear that He was leading us to make some changes in the way we ministered here. Some of those changes were more challenging than others to walk out, but we trusted that God would open new doors even as He closed old ones. He is faithful, indeed, and we are excited to be starting our third year of full-time ministry here in Guatemala.

So, what's going to be the same? Well, Mark will still be working at the Bible school. He continues to be there five days a week to do, well, whatever needs to be done. Grading home work. Answering questions. Fixing toilets. Doing clerical work. Mowing the lawn.  Teaching the occasional class. He is really getting to know the teachers and students, and being able to more and more involved with helping with the important work that goes on at the Bible school with each passing day.

Also, Rachel will still be taking classes (in Spanish) at the Bible school for four hours each Monday, and helping out in the office with administrative work, answering questions, making photocopies, etc. Her (volunteer) work schedule will slow down, however, to two or three days a week. She will also continue to home school, which she's done since January of 2016, and is looking forward to a loaded and rigorous school schedule as she starts her junior year.

What's going to be different? Andrea and the younger girls are also helping at the Bible school now! We will join Mark and Rachel three days per week, and love that this has become a ministry we can do together as a family. Everyone helps out in one way or another. We are also so grateful to all be home schooling again this year. This will be the start of our 10th year doing so, and it feels great to be teaching, learning, and growing together once again.

We've got some new friendships, which we're excited about - including a new secretary at the Bible school and some other home schooling families in the area we're getting to know. There are also many friends of ours who've returned to the States, and we miss them dearly. Xela is not the same without them. However, we are coming to understand that this is the transient nature of life on the mission field. It (along with our once-per-year furlough) makes us enjoy and appreciate every moment we get with loved ones all the more.

So, that's what life will look like for us in the days, weeks, and months ahead. We have no idea how long we'll be called to Guatemala, or what other opportunities God will open up for us, but we know we are His sheep, and we hear His voice. He is so good to lead us carefully, and we feel so blessed to be right at the center of His will here in Guatemala. We're looking forward to what's ahead, and are glad you are sharing this journey with us.

The Last Ten Days

So, we're taking a change in direction with our ministry. Instead of teaching full time next year, I'll be home schooling the kids and we'll all be helping out at the Bible school where Mark has been working. I thought I’d be LESS busy than ever once school was over and I was no longer teaching full time every day. Boy, was I wrong! If you’ve ever wondered what life is like on the mission field, here’s a peek at what our last ten days have been like. 

Wednesday – Last day of school!!! Finals in the morning, then finishing up grading finals, cleaning out my classroom, etc. Finished up at 12:30, and headed over to the Bible school for a couple of hours of helping out in the office with students making payments, etc. We celebrated by eating a late lunch at McDonalds, where Sarah and I (apparently) got nasty food poisoning from the ketchup. We helped a friend who was moving to the States with a few last minute cleaning things. Sarah and I spent the early part of the evening feeling sick, and the rest of the night throwing up. 

Thursday – Mark went to Guatemala City to pick up Michelle, a friend of ours who was coming to stay for 6 weeks. I spent the day in bed, trying to recover. Mark and Michelle arrived around 6:00. I came out  long enough to shower and say, “Hi,” then went back to bed. 

Friday – Bible school day. All six of us piled into the Jeep and headed down to the Bible school. Since it was a class day, we were busy helping make copies, getting outlines for students, handling payments, helping with the snack, etc. We headed home around 3:00 in the afternoon. I left from home at 4:00 to go to graduation. Everyone else went back to the Bible school at 5:30 for Friday night classes. It was a big night – final exams – and there was a lot to do. When graduation finished, I hitched a ride with a friend back to the Bible school and spent the rest of the evening (until around 10:00) there.

Saturday – Left around 8:00 to drop Michelle off at the Bible school, then drove to Mexico for required, once-per-90-days Visa run. Got hassled at the border in new and different ways than in the past, but we didn’t have to wait as long as usual. Arrived at our hotel to find the price had increased, and the AC was broken. The kids headed to the pool to cool down, then we spent the evening doing some shopping, since many things are half price there compared to here. Came back to the hotel to get ready for bed. Thankfully, the AC kicked in around 9:30, so we were able to sleep well.  

Sunday – Left the hotel around 9:00 to head home. Uneventful border crossing and drive home. Arrived about 35 minutes before Michelle got back from visiting a local church with a friend of ours. Just enough time to unload the Jeep and turn around and take Michelle back to the school where I used to work and where she was planning on helping out with a summer camp. Dropped her off, headed to the grocery store, where I ran into a Canadian couple bicycling through Central America who had just arrived in Xela. Did my best to help them get acclimated and offer some advice and a bit of information about the city. Picked up Michelle, headed home, and spent the rest of the evening planning for a class I was teaching the next day, and receiving visits from two sets of very dear friends who were heading back to the States. 

Monday – Got up early. Said our final goodbye to one good friend, and Mark took her to the bus station. When he returned (around 7:40) we all piled into the Jeep again to head to the Bible school. It was a very happy day, because the couple who founded the Bible school (and who had been gone for a couple of months) was back. Reunions are always so joyful, especially after so many precious people leaving! At 9:30 I started teaching a class about teaching to the extension school teachers and leaders, and finished around 1230. Mark and the girls got done helping with students, and then we headed home around 1:30. Went and said our final goodbye to our dear friends, who are moving back to the states. The rest of the evening was spent at home. <sigh of relief> 

Tuesday – I got up and walked Michelle to a friend’s house at 7:15 so she could catch a ride to summer camp. Mark headed to the Bible school around 7:15 again. (It’s enrollment time, and someone has to be there during business hours, even though there’s not a lot of traffic. He also has to make all the photocopies that they’ll need for the six weeks that we’ll be gone this summer.) I hung around home and did some much-needed cleaning and laundry until 1:00, when it was time to pick up Michelle. Found out she had made a connection with a visiting missionary team, and had been invited to go preach at a Baptist church in a town one department over. Headed home, cleaned a bit more, and then she and I left around 6:45 so I could drive us to this new church. We got home just after 11:00.

Wednesday – Another Bible school day. We all piled in the Jeep again and left at 7:40. Stayed at the Bible school helping out and planning for another upcoming class I’m going to teach. We left around 2:00. Mark dropped the girls off, took us to the money changers, then we dropped him off, and Michelle and I headed downtown so she could so some souvenir shopping. We got home around 4:00, and Mark arrived home about 5:00. To be honest, I don’t remember what we did that night. It’s kind of a blur, but I don’t think we went anywhere else. 

Thursday – Mark headed off to the Bible school and dropped Michelle off at camp along the way. I spent the morning meeting with a friend, who told me that she and her husband are ALSO moving in December. (These partings are getting hard to handle!) They’re going to do mission work in the Middle East, and I’m very excited for them. Later, I got more laundry and cleaning done, including a long-overdue tidy up of the roof, which included moving all the houseplants and cleaning up spilled dirt. (Despite our best efforts, housecleaning gets neglected far too often, and the need for attention is especially dire right now because of all the things that people who were leaving had been bringing us.) In the afternoon, Mark dropped Michelle off, then went back to work. When he got home around 4:30, the power went off. Michelle and I used that as a good chance to head to the grocery store. While there, I got a phone call from my friend (who was leading the missionary team mentioned earlier) who said that pastor of the church in San Cristobal specifically requested that we come back. 

We headed home from the store, lit some candles (the power was still out), and had 30 minutes to get ready in the dark. We left at 6:05 to walk down to meet the bus (this time we didn’t have to drive), and rode off into the darkness once again. A very dear friend of mine shared a beautiful but difficult testimony, and needed someone to translate from Spanish to English, so I got to do my first translating gig. Must have gone ok, because the pastor also had me translate for him later in the service. We had a very sweet time of prayer for my friends, and did a craft with the congregants. Michelle and I got home just before midnight. 

Friday – As usual – Mark was up and at ‘em at the Bible school bright and early. (God bless that man for his faithfulness!) Mercifully, I got to sleep in a little, and then chatted with a friend. (This is one of the hard parts about being here – we have technology that makes communication possible, but you can’t just pick up the phone and chat while you clean or run errands.) Keeping in touch with people is so very important, and it’s hard to find time to do it.  I tidied up a bit, then we all headed out at 12:30 to go buy paint and go to the Bible school. There is a visiting team of high school students who worked on putting in a new cement driveway, creating a paving stone walkway, mowing the grass, and painting a bathroom and a classroom’s back wall. Rachel and Michelle painted. The little girls were on floor cleanup duty. I supervised, helped, and assisted anyone who needed it. Mark and David worked on getting the Bible school’s front gate fixed. (The motherboard went bad.) We tidied up and I took the girls home at 4:40. Mark stayed to finish up. I changed clothes, got some new clothes for Mark, made us both a sandwich, and was back at the Bible school by 5:40. Mark and I helped out at the Bible school for Friday night classes, which was especially busy because of the end of the semester and new enrollees for next semester. We closed up the Bible school and left around 10J0. After parking the car and walking home, we got in just after 10:15, very ready for bed. 

And that, my friends, is what missionary life is like. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Full Cabinets, Empty Hearts

So many of our friends are leaving right now. Correction, so many of our friends have already left. Really, we only have a couple more hard goodbye before they're all said and done, but they're not getting any easier. Some of these separations have been planned, and we knew for a long time that these precious people would be leaving our homes, hearts, and country. That still doesn't make it easier. A couple others decided very recently that they'd head back to the States instead of doing another year here. It's hard to hurry up and get your emotions ready for people you've grown to love to leave you.

The hard reality is that, despite the fact that we've shared countless Friday night Bible studies, meals, late-night chats, professional conferences, and oh-so much more, we might never see some of these folks again. They're in your life every day, and then they're gone. That's really tough. It makes the mission field seem lonely all over again, like when we first arrived. I am sure (knowing the kind of Father that we have), that more friends will come into our lives and living room (at least for Bible studies and chats), but they will never the be the same as the ones we've come to love already. <sniff>

I really don't have any reason to feel sorry for myself. Our dear friends are all moving on to bigger, better things, and I wouldn't wish them anything but the bright futures they have ahead. And, it's not like we're without friends down here anymore, either. Even though there are far fewer than there were before, the ones we have left really are precious to us as well. We really have nothing to complain about, except maybe full cabinets and empty hearts.

It's a strange thing when you're the one the staying and everyone else is going. When we left to move to Guatemala, we had to dispossess ourselves of just about everything we owned. So, strangely, that process is familiar. Last weekend we even went over to help a friend do that very thing. After all, we'd done it before, and could be of assistance. Only, this time, WE were the ones doing the taking, not the getting rid of. What do you do when you're leaving the country with only the suitcases you can afford to convince the airline to let you take with you? You leave a lot. Where do you leave it? With the ones who are staying behind.

So, over the past week, a strange assortment of things has been arriving. Some things have blessed our daily lives tremendously. More olive oil (very expensive here - and we were almsot out). New clothes for our girls (one of the benefits of having kids who are the size of adults).  Office supplies (very needed, especially since we'll be home schooling next year). Other things, though, were unexpected luxuries. Better sheets (they  make even a cheap bed seem nicer). A machete (seriously - this made Mark giggle with glee). A giant bag of craisins (there simply are no words for what a blessing this is since you can't find them here).

It's always interesting to see what people get rid of, or even what they had to begin with. A grown woman with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles travel facial tissue packets? Awesome. A young couple with a zebra foot pillow that provides massage and heat to tired tootsies? Awesome. A no-nonsense veteran missionary teacher with the most beautiul umbrella I've ever seen? Awesome. It's no wonder we love these people.

They ate differently than we do, so the food they brought will bring adventure to our meals for the next few weeks. They dressed differently, so our girls will be more colorful than they were in the past. They bought better quality kitchen items than we did, so we will be blessed with things that will last us for years to come. Which is good, becuase I want to remember them for years to come, too.

Here's to full cabinets and empty hearts, a hard reality on the mission field, but one that speaks volumes about the wonderful people God has put into our lives. They will be missed.

Third Culture Milestones

TCK - Third Culture Kids. It's a term for children who grow up on the mission field, and who aren't really a part of their first culture, or even their second, and therefore sort of have a unique (third) culture all their own. We heard and read about this a lot before we moved, but are only now starting to really realize what it truly means. Case in point:

When a girl in Guatemalan culture turns 15, it's a BIG deal! Here, it's considered a milestone that marks the difference between childhood and womanhood. The family often throws an elaborate party (much like a wedding) where everyone dresses up, there are ceremonial elements to denote the girl's new status, and the celebrant usually starts dating after her quincienera.

When our oldest daughter turned 15 last year we had to drive three hours to Mexico (a whole other country) so she could see the movie she'd been wanting to see for over a year in English. She wore jeans and ate popcorn. While she might have thought about how cute the superhero was in the film, she was most definitely NOT going to begin dating any time soon. 

When a girl in American culture turns 16, it's a BIG deal! There, it's considered a milestone that marks the difference between childhood and early adulthood. The family often throws a party (usually involving lots of fingernail polish and giggling) where the girl's friends spend the night or hang out together, and the much-longed-for driver's license finally becomes a reality after a sweet sixteen party.

Our oldest daughter turns 16 this week. We have elected to skip church (which we rarely do) and go out to eat at a small, local restaurant that she really likes. And, while she'd love to get her driver's license, since we aren't ever in the States long enough for her to take driver's education classes, that's probably not going to be an option for her until she turns 18. 

That's a third culture kid.

Here's the thing, though - sometimes I feel sad that my girls are missing out on both American and Guatemalan cultural milestones, but I think what they're getting may ultimately be better in the end. Both of these big birthdays are ostensibly about growing up, but their respective celebrations are also pretty self-focused. This past year my baby girl may not have had much of the latter, but she certainly has experienced the former. Allow me to explain.

It's been a tough year for Rachel. I won't elaborate, but things at school didn't go well, to the point that we chose to pull her near the end of last semester. The day-to-day challenges were really rough, and she could easily have fallen into bitterness, blame, and a loss of faith. Instead (as she so often does), she decided to grow in maturity spiritually, emotionally, and academically. This past semester she has been home schooling (i.e. being entirely responsible for educating herself) and embracing the chance to gain true fluency in Spanish.

More than that, though, she's been pressed into service the last few weeks because of an emergency staffing shortage at the Bible school where her dad works. Overnight she become student, secretary, and staff. She's there helping (in a second language, no less) every weekday, Friday nights from 5:30 to 8:30, and Saturdays from 8:00 to 1:30. All while preparing to take three AP exams. All while doing the rest of her school work. All while being responsible for keeping the house clean and doing laundry for our family. All with a smile on her face.

My daughter didn't get a big quience anos party. She's won't get her license for her sweet sixteen. We didn't do anything official to shout from the mountaintops that she's now well on her way to becoming a grownup, but she's more than confirmed that in the quiet way she has daily grown and walked in maturity with the Lord. I guess you could say she chose a third option, and one which seems so very right and appropriate for this awesome third culture kid.

Just so we're clear - she's still not allowed to date, though! :)

Science, the Bible, and Truth

I would like to first start out and say that I am a complete Bible believer.  I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, and is perfect.

I also would like to say I am a full believer in science.  It was my major in college, even though I didn't graduate.  In my last career I had to use a lot of chemistry and biology to do my job.  I also try to stay on top of science news by reading articles. The ones that interest me most are about evolution.

 
 I believe the Bible.  Many people, friends mostly, will argue and say the Bible has been proven to be wrong or science now explains everything.  And that is the problem.  Science has not explained everything.

Science is not all knowing.  There are many things being discovered today that go against or change even recent scientific ideas. 

My example of this would be the reef that was just discovered in Brazil.  It is 600 miles long.  600 MILES!  And it was only discovered this year.  Europeans came to Brazil in the 1500's, and there were indigenous people before that, and no one had found it. 

If scientist are only discovering a 600 mile long reef now, why would I trust them to know exactly how the world was made, or how long we have left on this earth?

This is what I would say to science - prove things completely.  Don't do one experiment and say, "See, this shows God doesn't exist," and then the experiment is not re-testable or refutable by other scientists.

It is often brought up that people like me don't believe in some science because of the Bible.  But here's the thing, no one believes the world is flat anymore. Everyone knows that sickness is caused by germs, and the sun does not revolve around the sun. Even Christians believe in scientific things that have been absolutely proven.

So before you call me stupid, ignorant, or dumb for believing the Bible over science, maybe you should make sure you have at least turly discovered everything about this world before telling me there is no world after this one.

Read the Bible Straight Through

Most Christians I know want to read the Bible straight through. Most I have talked to usually only make it to Deuteronomy.  I have now read through the Bible twice, so I believe I can give a little advice.

Now there are many apps, websites, and even Bibles that you can buy that will give you a disciplined way to read through the Bible.  If you are one of those people that can do this, like my wife, this blog is not for you.  This blog is for people like me - people who love the Bible, want to read the whole thing, but are not disciplined enough to do reading programs.

So, here is my list of reading tips:

Pick out a reader's Bible. For most of us we have a favorite Bible. Mine is a Zondervan study bible.  It is bulky, hard to carry around, and the notes get me off topic quite often. So, I bought a small reader's Bible and used only that one for reading.  It fits in my pocket and I don't have to worry about losing my place.

Read a translation you want to read. My favorite translation is the New American Standard, so the first time I read through I used that one.  The next time I did the New Living Translation. This time I am reading the New King James.  I trust the NAS the most, but reading other translations is fun and will let you see the scriptures differently.
 
Recognize that reading straight through is hard. The first time I read the bible straight through I did it the classic way - start in Genesis and end in Revelation.  This is very hard, as the Old Testament can weigh you down. Also, for me, Psalms seemed to last forever when I read the Bible straight through.  This last time was much better.  I started in Genesis, then read four Psalms, then Matthew, and back to the Old Testament.  I found this way didn't keep me mired down in the Old Testament, and I had the hope of Jesus to keep me going.

Don't get condemned and don't stop reading. The first time reading the Bible straight through took me seven years.  If you get stopped for a while, don't get condemned, just pick up where you left off.  This is where having a separate bible is nice because if you lay it down and don't use it, the marker will be in the same place as you left off.

Enjoy. This is not the last time you will read the Bible. It is complex and beautiful, but this isn't the only time you will read it.  Most people take reading the Bible straight through as a very serious thing.  If you were reading a normal book, you would not worry if you missed a small part.  I have read certain sections of the Bible a hundred times or more and I still find new things in those passages.  Plus, the next time you  read it straight through you'll catch whatever you might have missed then.

Hopefully these hints will help.  Remember, it doesn't matter what other people think - it is your relationship with Christ, not theirs, so happy reading.

Please Help

Gyan distributing audio Bibles in Nepal.

As many of you know,  I had a chance to go to Nepal last fall.  It was an amazing experience.  With every mission trip there are things that you see that get put on your heart.  This happened with me in Nepal.

Christians are the minority religion in Nepal.  Hinduism is the largest religion, followed by Buddhism, then Islam, and finally Christianity.  Christians make up only 1 percent of the total population.  While it is not illegal to be a Christian, it is certainly not easy.  Christians face social persecution including being kicked out of their community, losing jobs, losing their families, etc.

Because of the lack of a Christian population in Nepal, it can be tough to get a Bible. With the high illiteracy rate, if a person does get one he or she may have a hard time reading and understanding it.

The Children Rescue Mission out of Redding, California, has seen this need and is doing what it can to meet it.  Gyan Pantha, who was our team leader in Nepal, has set up an account to be used only for getting Bibles to Nepal.  Gyan is a great man of God who has personally told me all money raised for Bibles will be going only to buying Bibles.

The Bibles he is giving out are audio Bibles that our solar powered. These Bibles are also being used in communities, with people setting the audio Bible in the middle of a room so people can listen in  groups to the word of God.

The Bible is the single most important thing for a person to have in order to grow in their relationship with Christ.  That is why this project is so important to me. Please consider giving. Any amount will make a difference.

Click this link to contribute: https://www.givedirectcharity.org/donate/?cid=1153. To make sure your donation goes to the Bible Fund, type "Bible Fund" in the comment area.

You may also send your donations through our servicing agency online at https://www.worldoutreach.org/donate. (Simply click on the pull-down menu and select 'Farrier, Mark and Andrea - Guatemala'.) We will pass all funds we receive onto the Children Rescue Mission Bible Fund. Just make sure to let us know you want it to go there when you send it.

Think of how much your Bible means to you. Don't you want to be a part of bringing God's precious Word into someone else's life and community?