Coming Home

We have been back in Guatemala for a week.  It was such a whirlwind trip through the United States, filled with with great memories and many blessings.  But, it is good to be back.

While we were in the United States, the number one question we got was, "When are you coming back?"  This was normally followed by, "Where are you coming back to?," or, "What kind of job will you do?,"  etc.  Our normal response was, "We don't know. We'll make a decision in January, when Andrea has to decide whether or not to sign a contract for another year."

When we first came down we made a commitment of a minimum of two years.  This was a self-made commitment, since Andrea's school only does one year contracts and my internship was only for a year.  The two years was so we didn't quit too early.

After Andrea and I drove back over the border of Guatemala last week, though, we both knew - this is our home.  No matter home much we loved our home country, and even played with the idea of going back and resuming our old lives their, the Lord has placed our hearts in Guatemala.  This is the life we have chosen.

So, we have made our decision.

We will be staying until God says otherwise.  We don't know how long that will be. After all, three years ago we didn't even know about missions!  We are going to stop looking at end dates and trying to figure out our next steps.  This is where we are supposed to be until we are not supposed to be here anymore.

From now on, when we're asked, "When are you coming back?,"  I know our response will be, "We'll be here until God changes our hearts."

Highlights

Hoooray! We just got home from a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally long trip, during which we made countless memories that we will treasure forever. (That's writer talk for, "I'm going to spare you all the long, intricate details.") Instead of giving a blow-by-blow (which I kinda sorta already did in the last two posts), I thought I'd just take a few minutes and share some of the more, um, interesting highlights of our trip. SO - here goes:

• We spent 50 mights away from home. Exactly. Precisely. And, because of the kindness, patience, and generosity of friends and family (who opened their homes, guest rooms, sofa beds, campers, and fridges to us) only 8 of them were spent in hotels. Four hotel rooms were in Mexico. They ranged from what you'd consider a really poor 1 star American hotel to something much less than that. (There were bugs almost the size of a deck of cards, lizards who serenaded us as we slept, and one sleep-walking incident in which one of my children had the door almost open before I managed to convince her to get back into bed.) 
• We put 10,660 miles on our Jeep Liberty between June 9th and July 29th. We were in 16 different American states. (I don't know how many Mexican states we were in. Forgot to keep track of that.) Most of the time, it was just the five of us in the Jeep. At one point, though, there were 8 of us crammed in, along with all of our bags and purchases. We can put a LOT of stuff (and people, apparently) in that little space.
• I highly recommend being church tourists, like we were, when you're on vacation or away from home. We were gone for 7 Sundays, and attended 5 different churches during that time. It was great. I know a lot of people moan and worry over the state of the church in America. And, trust me, I get it! There are problems, to be sure. There are many churches (whole denominations of them, perhaps), who have walked away from the true purpose of gather together. But, there are also amazing, faithful, wonderful, joyful, honest, sincere, open, welcoming, Bible-reading, Jesus-loving, gospel-sharing congregations in every corner of the country. It was so good to get to worship with so many different people in so many different ways and places.
• Borders are always interesting and a bit unnerving. We think it's particularly important to teach our children how to fill out paperwork and complete border requirements. (It's a good skill for them to learn, and helps save us time.)  On this trip, Sarah (who is 8) filled out her own Visa form, complete with signature... with a heart at the end. :) Other border incidents of note - we may have inadvertently and completely accidentally sorta kinda bribed a border agent, and once got followed by a border patrol truck and instructed to turn around when we misunderstood a hand signal and drove off without having completed the required inspection. Oops. You live, you learn.
• The view out of our windows was awesome. We saw mountains, grassland, farms, ocean views, rolling hills, expansive skies, huge cities, little towns, remote villages, and so much more. Mexico is beautiful. The United States is beautiful. Life is beautiful if you're paying attention. 
• It's good to be careul what you wish for. During Day Two through Mexico we always end up skirting the coast for about half the day. I've always wished we could stop and play a little, since I dearly love the ocean, and the beaches were almost completely empty. This time, I got my wish. (Unfortunately.) One of our traveling companions kept hearing an unpleasant sound during big bumps (of which there are MANY on Mexican roads). He stopped once to try to get it fixed. The mechanic said it was the spring in the shock (forgive my automotive ignorance), but didn't have the parts necessary to fix it. Several hours down the road, it finally broke, causing us to have to pull off, find another mechanic, and have the spring welded back together. Can't say I would have wished that on anyone, but we did have fun for about an hour and a half on the beach while we waited. The fact that it broke 2 blocks from a mechanic and 3 blocks from the beach was pretty awesome, all things considered. 
• If you're planning on moving to Guatemala, don't bring a Toyota truck. I don't know why, but they are the single most popular vehicle here. The smaller ones, usually from the early-to-mid '90s are EVERYWHERE! (Like, one out of every three vehicles). Turns out, they're also the ones most likely to be pulled over by military and police checkpoints and at borders. Unfortunately, one of the members of our caravans, who were just moving to Guatemala for the first time, had a really nice Toyota truck, and they were hassled, stopped, inspected, and bothered WAY more often than we were. I'm not gonna lie - it feels good to not be such total newbies anymore. 
• Goodbyes don't get any easier the second time you leave the country. As much fun as it was to see everyone, in some ways it was also harder than before. Our bonds were deepened, but the pain of our separation was too. I wonder if that will ever change. 

There was more. Of course, there was so much more. But, since there wasn't room for you to join us for the ride, I hope you at least enjoyed the highlights. Next time we'd love to have you come along, though I'm thinking we might need a bit bigger vehicle. :) 

Our Trip, Parts 2, 3, and Beyond

<sigh> It happened again. Life got busy, and this blog got neglected. (Sure glad I'm better at caring for my children, pets, and houseplants than I am the blog.)

Anyhoo - let's see... where all have we been? Where are we NOW, come to think of it?!?

After wonderful, relaxing, amazing, fun-filled times with family and friends at the Gulf Coast of Alabama (including wicked sunburns and our very first jelly fish stings), we headed north for more visits with family in St. Louis. This is always a highlight for us, since we spent part of our honeymoon there, and always love coming back.

Our time there was brief but beautiful, and then we went north again, this time to the town in Eastern Iowa where we lived for most of our married life. Since our mailing address is there, we had to catch up on correspondence, update drivers licenses, pay our taxes, and do other business stuff. But, it wasn't all business. We laughed. We ate. We visited friends. We ate. We shopped. We ate. We soaked up the sunsets and countryside. We ate. (Catching a trend? There's a reason there's a whole lot more Farrier heading back to Guatemala than left there.) I think we squeezed in more visits with people to this part of the trip than any other, and we sure are grateful for each one! It was so very hard to leave our friends again, but indescribably good to have gotten to spend that much time with them as well.

From Eastern Iowa we went west, and right into the warm embrace of more loved ones, including our church family. The days were long and lazy, just like we wanted them to be. We soaked up the love and hugs, ate all of our favorite foods (we won't mention just how much Chex mix was consumed), worshiped the Lord (in English!), played with farm animals, caught lightning bugs... all the good stuff! This goodbye was also very hard, but we were starting to be ready to be home by then, so off we went, headed south.

In Oklahoma and Texas we caught up with some family and friends we'd made in Guatemala (a missionary and a teacher at my school), and were very refreshed by our time with them. We sure hope they were serious in their offers to have us back again, because it's something we're already planning for our next trip to the States. It's all been a blur, but now we find ourselves near the Mexican border, ready to cross over tomorrow. Prayers are much appreciated, since three solid days of driving can be hard to do. Though we will miss each and every one of our beloved family and friends, we're also very excited to be getting back to the loved ones we left behind at home, in Xela.

Thanks for following our adventure. I wish I'd have taken the time to chronicle our trip better (for my sake, mostly, since it's so easy to forget things like that). But, I can promise you that we treasured each moment, even if we didn't have time to write about it all. And now, it's time to be on the road again.

Thanks for loving and treating us so well, America. See you next time!

Happy

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 
 - John 15:11 NKJV

Joy:
1a :  the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires :  delight
  b :  the expression or exhibition of such emotion :  gaiety
2:  a state of happiness or felicity :  bliss
3:  a source or cause of delight

I have been reading a lot of articles on Facebook and the news lately about "happy Christians." The persecutions in the Middle East, which have been going on for more then five years but were not filmed until now, are being talked about too.  In light of them, some very good men and women of God have decided to let us know why God does not care about your happiness or have a great plan for your life.  They seem to have a focus of telling people that being a Christian is to slog your way through your life.  To not have joy or a destiny in this world.  To just get through until you die - don't worry, it is only eighty years away.

I believe Jesus has a very different view. Jesus has great plans for your life and he cares about your happiness.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  - Romans 15:13 NKJV

Did you know that happiness does not look the same everywhere?  In all countries people find happiness.  It may be harder, but they do find happiness.  So, saying that a Christian in another country who does not own a car or other western comforts is unhappy and suffering for Jesus is untrue.  They are happy in their own way, because they have Jesus.

Joy is a state of happiness and felicity.  Many people do not see the word happy in the New Testament so they say that God does not care about happiness (yes, this is an argument I have actually heard).  My New King James only has the word happy twice in the New Testament, but it has joy 62 times. This does not include other offshoots of the word, such as joyous.

When I rededicated my life to the Lord five years ago, I was a little nervous about what he had in store for me.  Then, we felt called to move to Guatemala.  A lot of people would think that this could make someone miserable.  We are constantly uncomfortable (mostly because of language) and in danger (the crime rate is very high here).  We are not living as good of lives as we were in America, at least by material and luxury standards.  Any plans of retirement or career advancement are put on hold.  But, I have never been more joyous or in a state of more happiness, because God has a plan for my life and He is with me and my family.

Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."  So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." - Genesis 30:22-24 NKJV

If the Lord did not care about Rachel's happiness, why did He open her womb?  I believe the Lord cared about her and her happiness, and happiness for her was the birth of a child.  There was no other reason to do this except it was the desire of Rachel and would bring her happiness, and he is a good God.  Rachel is not the only one God heard crying out for something and blessed them. Some other examples to look up:  Ishmael, Hannah, the woman with the issue of blood (she may not have cried out verbally, but she was specific about her healing).

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Did you know that God wants a relationship more than anything else?  If He wanted robots, He would have made robots.  If He wanted to limit our choices He would not have put the tree in the garden.

We were looking a few years ago at moving to the Raleigh, North Carolina.  This had been quite a process with many ups and downs.  One day during this time, I felt one the strongest feelings in the spirit I had ever felt.  It was "move" - no job, no plan, just "move".  I tried to shake off this feeling for a week, but it would not go away.  When I prayed over it, I felt very deeply at the same time "I will take care of your needs."

Finally, after a week, I stopped ignoring the Lord and talked with Him.  I spoke respectfully, and said I couldn't do it.  The main reasons were my children. I spoke to my Heavenly Father about being a father, and how my kids were the most important thing to me.  After discussing why I couldn't just move, the feeling went away.

One year later, almost to the day, we moved to Atlantic, Iowa, which set us on our current course.  I believe this is plan B.  But, I believe plan B is just as good as plan A would have been.  I was not punished for disagreeing. I was not left out.  Instead, the Lord saw my concerns and set my life on a path that worked for both of us. Why?

Because He cares for me.  He is not a bully, and when we are honest with Him, our plans and His Plan mix to make an awesome plan for all of us, as long as our plan is pure in desire.

Therefore we wanted to come to you-even I, Paul, time and again-but Satan hindered us. - 1 Thessalonians 2:18 NKJV

One final note: The persecution in the Middle East is not of God.  Jesus foretold persecution but he does not bring it.  All of these works come from satan.  If he could hinder Paul, he can do much.  It makes me sad to think that people believe God is using these deaths to glorify himself.  Only one glorifies himself in death, and that is Satan.  Many of those who have been killed have died singing because of the joy and glory they felt in Jesus. This was not God's plan for their lives, but He brought them joy even in suffering because they followed the One who brings joy and peace.

Our Trip - Part One

I’m a chronicler. It’s what I do. So, while you’re perfectly welcome to read about what we’ve been up to so far on this trip, don’t feel like you have to. This post is for our own records and my inner need to keep track of things. If you get a kick out of it too, all the better! 

We left Xela around 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, June 9^th, and took a different route north than we’d ever taken before (through Huehuetenango). The drive was much more rural and very beautiful. We crossed at a new border, which was a little bit quicker and easier, but you had to drive through a long, teeming, busy market in order to get to the immigration office. Definitely a crossing to remember for future. 

The rest of day one was pretty uneventful. We drove until almost midnight and stopped at Tuxtla Gutierrez for a bit of sleep. The stop would have been more restful had Rachel not sleep walked over to the door and opened it during the night!  I’m so glad the lock stopped her and I woke up. When I asked her what she was doing, she replied (with a great deal of attitude in her voice), “I’m going to bed, like you told me to!” She didn’t remember any of it the next morning. :)

 

We were on the road by seven on our second driving day in Mexico (Wednesday, June 10^th), and enjoyed another good (but long) day. It was amazing how much less terrifying and mystifying Mexico seemed to us this trip than the first time we drove down. Language issues, road conditions, culture and customs – everything seemed somehow much more familiar and much less strange. Our big excitement of the day was having to find parts and a shop to get our rear brakes replaced. They’d been making ominous noises for the better half of the day before, and we decided it would be best to just get them changed.

Since day two wasn’t mountain driving, we could go a lot faster and really ate up the miles. For most of the afternoon and evening we were skirting along the eastern coast of Mexico, and kept popping around corners and being treated to breathtaking views of blue water and beautiful beaches. It was so hard not to stop!!! However, we drove on until around 11:00 and stayed in a hotel in Tampico Alto where we saw the biggest beetle we’ve ever encountered. It was almost two inches long. We were fascinated, and very glad it was outside of our room, and not inside!

Day three (Thursday, June 11^th), started bright and early at 7:00 a.m. again. We were all very excited knowing we were only seven or so hours from the U.S. The scenery in northern Mexico was very beautiful. It’s a loooooooooooong country, and has so many different types of landscapes – from mountains, to deserts, to beaches, to rolling farmland. The flora and fauna are also fascinating, and kept us very well entertained. 

We crossed into Texas around 3:00 in the afternoon. Every border crossing is always interesting, and there were details and fees we had forgotten about since our last time through. Once we had things squared away on the Mexican side, there was much squealing and cheering when we crossed the bridge and found ourselves on U.S. soil. We said goodbye to our friends with whom we’d been traveling, and continued heading north.  Though we would have liked to have relaxed a bit, there was still a lot of driving to do in order to get Rachel to National History Day competition. It is as far from Xela to Brownsville as it is from Brownsville to Washington D.C., so we were only halfway to our destination, despite having already completed three very hard days of driving. We did give ourselves a bit of a break and stopped around 7:30 that evening and got a hotel just south of Houston, where we continued to process of rediscovering simple joys like carpet, free ice, and the ability to easily communicate with everywhere. 

On our fourth driving day (Friday, June 12^th), we got up early and hit it hard so we made it all the way to Memphis, Tennessee around 9:00 p.m. It was a pretty uneventful day, aside from the little excitements like lunch at a buffet, having our choice of dozens of radio stations in English, and getting to see the beautiful scenery of the south. Oh, and we made a quick stop at a Bass Pro Shop in Memphis! (We do so love to go to Bass Pro Shops!!) 

Our fifth day of driving (Saturday, June 13^th) was also Rebecca’s 11^th birthday. I can’t say that spending fifteen hours in the car is the most exciting way to celebrate, but we did our best to make it special by letting her choose which spot she got in the back, picking where we ate lunch, and allowing her to touch and bother her sisters as much as she wanted to. :)

 

We got into the suburbs of Washington DC around midnight Xela time, 2:00 a.m. local time, and were immediately greeted by gridlock traffic created by construction. We quickly discovered how much our driving experience in Guatemala would come in handy. Without even knowing it, we’d become experts in making difficult merges and dealing with bumper-to-bumper traffic, since they’re daily realities where we live. We were so grateful to be welcomed into the warm embrace of H.(a friend of mine from high school), C., and their dog, Panzer. They opened up their home to us, and we were SOOO grateful to have comfy beds, room to spread out, and wonderful company during our time in DC.  We were even greeted with three different types of freshly-baked goodies. Hospitality doesn’t get any better!

The next several days are a bit of a blur. On Sunday, June 14^th, we met up with M and P (family who came to see us), and wen to registration and attend the opening ceremony for National History Day. Monday, June 15^th, was our big tour day. We saw the National Archives (including the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and a 13^th century copy of the Magna Carta on the documents 800^th birthday), took a special tour of the Capitol given by a member of the Capitol Police (complete with insider-access to some pretty cool places in the building), visited the National Botanical Center and Air and Space Museum, and did our own walking tour of the National Mall, Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial. All told, one person’s pedometer estimated that we walked almost 14 miles during the ten hours we were out, some of them in the driving rain. Definitely a day to remember! 

On Tuesday, June 16^th Rachel and her team faced the judges for NHD, and then we were able to meet up with some old friends we hadn’t seen in years before having a relaxing supper with H and C where the kids chased fireflies and played with the dog while the grownups laughed and swapped stories until it was way later than we should have been up. Wednesday, June 17^th was another tour day, and we split up and covered the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, and enjoyed an NHD-sponsored evening at the American History Museum. 

Thursday morning, June 18^th, we had the NHD closing ceremonies, which were pretty impressive. There were almost 3000 young scholars and their teachers and families present at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland campus. None of the teams from our school received any awards, but it was such an honor and a thrill to be part of representing the nation of Guatemala for their first time ever at the competition. We’re really hoping to be back next year, too! Afterward, we went to the National Cathedral, which is an impressive building. Its main chapel is a tenth of a mile long, and is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world. It was an interesting visit, and made for another long, interesting day.

On Friday, June 19^th, we slept in late (SO AWESOME!) and enjoyed a great breakfast before going  to Gettysburg. It was everything we expected it to be – hallowed, historical, memorable, interesting, difficult, emotional - and so much more. What a privilege to be able to have seen and experienced this wonderful place, and to be citizens of the Union that this battle (and the entire Civil War) helped to preserve. 

And, that brings us to today. (Is it really June 20^th already!? How did that happen?) We headed out early and our morning started with Dunkin Donuts, which is immensely satisfying in and of itself. Add to that that we got to see the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon from the road, and this day is off to a great start! It’s a travel day today. We’re headed south, with the Gulf Coast of Alabama as our final destination.  Can’t wait to see what adventures lie ahead! 

Capitol Tour Highlights –

Walking on the steps where the President walks to the inauguration.

Getting to stand on the floor of the Senate, and seeing signatures inside the desk drawers from Kennedy, Obama, etc. Also, seeing our Senators’ desks, and “the candy desk.”

Seeing Jefferson Davis’s senate desk, which was battered by the bayonets of his colleagues after he announced he was leaving to be preside of the Confederate States.

Seeing Walt Disney’s graffiti signature behind a window shutter.

Seeing the place in the Capitol that the designer had made as a vault for Washington’s body. (He didn’t want that, choosing to be buried in Mt. Vernon instead.)

Getting to stand on the Speaker of the House’s private balcony behind his office, and seeing the Bob Dole patio (so named because he used to spend so much time there, even having a desk and computer taken out so he could be there all day).

Alien Surroundings

Okay, so I know we've only been away for 11 months, and we only moved two countries south. Living in Guatemala means we're even still on the same continent and hemisphere, for goodness sake! But, even though we've only been back in the United States for about five hours, we're kind of sort of shocked over every little difference. (And there are a LOT of them.)

I'm sure it sounds strange, but after going 11 months without flushing toilet paper, seeing a drinking fountain (let alone being able to use one), or stepping on carpet (think about THAT one!), this sort of seems like a whole new world.

Here are a few more of the many revelations and surprises we're rediscovering in our first 24 hours back in the states:

• Radio stations we can understand and music we know
• Remembering to say, "excuse me" instead of "disculpe" when you bump into someone
• Smooth and reliable roads with rest stops. (We'd honestly forgotten about rest stops.)
• U.S. Netflix selections - there are so many more options!
• Things written in miles and feet instead of kilometers and meters
• The fact that we can understand road signs, advertisements, people... 
• Road kill other than dogs
• Cheetos! A & W Rootbeer! Beef jerky! Starbucks! Etc, etc, a million times etc.
• Air conditioning in buildings
• Our favorite television shows in English
• American money - looks and feels totally different
• Hotel staff that acts like they actually want you to stay at their establishment
• Vertical light switches
• Being able to rinse our toothbrushes and fill up water bottles from the sink
• Putting our passports away and not needing them for six weeks

Honestly, the waves of differences just keep coming. Each new moment is filled with startling finds in our home land, which somehow has become a strange, alien surrounding in its own way. It certainly makes for some interesting moments, but we're so excited about rediscovering the land we love! 

The Good Ol' U.S. of A.

Well, we're headed home! That is to say, um, back, anyway. <sigh> It all gets so confusing when you live out of the country. I mean, really, here IS home now, but not in the roots-planted-deep, shared-memories, this-is-where-my-people-are-from sort of sense. So, I guess it's fair to say that we're leaving home to head home, and then we'll come back home again.

Think that's complicated? You should check out our itinerary! I will spare you the details, but it's going to be a 7,000 mile six weeks. I know that would strike terror into the hearts of most people, but we are super excited about every mile and moment of the five of us being crammed into our faithful Jeep Liberty. We like being together.

I must admit - I've got mixed feelings about the trip. I've talked to many missionaries who say that it's hard to be back. Most people assume furloughs or returns to your home country are some grand vacation. And, in a way, they are. I mean, we're going to be visiting friends and family, taking in the sights, eating at restaurants, staying in hotels - your average vacation activities. But, it's also kind of not a vacation. We have a lot of official business we've really got to get done in the few short weeks we'll be in the U.S.A. (where things like telephones, internet, and the postal service work reliably), not to mention a year's worth of birthday parties, small talk, card games, meals, get-togethers, hugs, etc. with our loved ones, who we probably won't see for at least another year once we drive off into the sunset.

So, um, vacation? Required business trip? Special brand of torture? I guess it's all in how you look at it. Not many people would sign up for the type of trip that we're planning on having. Then again, not many people would sign up to live in Guatemala, either, so I guess that makes us double strange. Yes, it will be hard. And will use up a lot of our resources. And will try our patience. And will have a lot of challenges. And will probably make our friends and families happy, but also sad all over again. But, despite all that, I'm going to have a great time this summer.

I'm planning on eating like a pig, staying up late most nights, sleeping in as often as I can, watching fireworks to celebrate America's birthday, catching fireflies, sitting on a porch swing, eating potato salad, laughing until fluids come out (I'm not saying where), and hugging everyone I can for as long as I can while we're home. And then, I'm going to get back in the Jeep and come home again. Because, let's face it - any place we call home this side of Heaven is going to have its blessings and its downfalls, so I guess we're doing just fine.

*********************************************

Just to keep it real, I thought I'd include a list of what foods everyone in our family is most looking forward to this summer. I hate to say it, but aside from friends and family, familiar food is probably what we miss most. Here is our top 15. 

1.) Chinese Buffets (especially with sushi)

2.) Softshell Crabs in Alabama

3.) Digiorno Chicken and Spinich Frozen Pizza (there aren't frozen pizzas here)

4.) Sour Cream

5.) Casey's Takeout Pizza (an Iowa favorite)

6.) Tex Mex Food

7.) Crab Legs

8.) Subway Sandwiches With Generous Toppings (they skimp on the veggies here)

9.) Meatloaf

10.) Cream Cheese and Bagels

11.) Dollar Menu Sandwiches at McDonalds

12.) Sterzing's Potato Chips (another Iowa favorite)

13.) Really Good barbecue (good quality meat in general, for that matter)

14.) Good Quality Chocolate

15.) Bacon - Lots and Lots of Bacon

Purchased, Not Sold

I've spent a lot of time pondering and written many a blog post in the past about how I kept waiting to feel like a "real" grownup. A "real" teacher. A "real" professional. A "real" mature Christian. Now, I sometimes find myself waiting to feel like a "real" missionary. Hmmm... amazing how that works.

Here's the problem with that - there's no such thing as An Idiot's Guide to Becoming a Missionary or  How to Be a Missionary for Dummies. Trust me - we looked! Though there are several books that have been written about becoming a missionary, there is no one, single, definitive guide except for the Bible. (Then again, what more could you need than that!?) What's conflicting, though, is that many of the human resources that have been written don't necessarily line up with the original mandates and instructions given in Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 9:30, Acts 13, etc.

To be honest, much of what we read about becoming missionaries (aside from the Bible) before we moved down here had to do with fundraising. With quantifying what your work is worth. With selling yourself and what you do. <sigh> Seriously, people!? This is what's available out there? This is what people are going to come across in their search for answers? This is the advice you have to give people going into the mission field? If that view of mission work is true, and success is only about what's the most exciting or interesting in people's minds, then we will never, ever measure up.We will never be "real" missionaries.

If they're right, how can we possibly say to anyone that our work here is as important as the work of another friend, who was gifted by God through a series of dreams, with an invention that makes dirty water safe to drink, works in even the most remote location, and lasts longer and costs only a fraction of what most water purification systems cost? How can we say that what we're doing is as important or more important than what he does, when he has literally saved hundreds of eternities and lives (mostly the lives of children and babies) who didn't have to face the threat of water-borne illness because of his faithful dedication?

If they're right, how can we possibly say to anyone that our work here is as important as the work of our friend, a single woman living in the middle east? One of only a handful of Americans still in her war-torn, dangerous nation? A woman who bought back three children whose mother had sold them for their organs (yes - you just read that correctly), and now struggles to keep them fed? Struggles to keep them educated? Struggles to keep them safe? Struggles to stay safe herself because she refuses to leave the country (no matter the danger) if it means leaving them behind?

If they're right, how can we possibly say to anyone that our work here is as important as the work of yet another friend who lives in Northern Iraq with his wife and six children, and helps refugees who have lost everything (often, including loved ones) in the ever-advancing onslaught of radical Islam? Whose very life is in danger each day because of his insistence on sharing more than just food or supplies, but in sharing the gospel of Jesus along with them? Who helps support, equip, train, and pray with military forces who have bravely volunteered to try to stop the advance of ISIS and take back cities which had been strongholds of Christianity for almost 2,000 years and have now been emptied of every living soul?

According to the books (well-intentioned though they were), our family must now consider itself somehow in competition with these other missionaries - our brothers and sisters in Christ - so that we can win the precious and limited prize of financial support that (let's face it...) we all need in order to complete our ministry. The message is that we have to sell ourselves well if we want to do our work well.

Here's the problem with that: 

We were already purchased by Jesus Christ, so we don't need to sell ourselves any more to anyone, and neither do our friends (Gal. 3:13).

It's not our job to convince people that they should believe in what we're doing and support our work. That's God's job. He's the one who sent us (Rom. 10:14-15). He's the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10). The whole Earth is His, and all that it contains (1 Cor. 10:26). When He (through his son Jesus) told the first missionaries to not even worry about taking an extra bag, or shirt, or pair of shoes because the worker is worth his keep (Mt. 10:10), I believe He meant it for now, just as much as He meant it then.

I guess since the Bible is always right (hallelujah!), and all those books are wrong, it's really not our job to convince other people that we're "real" missionaries. That means I don't have to try to convince myself of it anymore, either. Hmmm... amazing how that works. :)

I sincerely appreciate the intentions of the people who wrote those books about how to enter the mission field. But, dear friend, take some advice from a REAL missionary (yes, that's me!) - you will never have to compete with anyone for what the Lord wants to give you for His work (resources, love, approval, etc.), because in Him there is ALWAYS more than enough (2 Cor. 9:8).

First Impressions

So, in early April, I had the privilege of going back to the United States.  When I landed in the Atlanta airport I thought it would be fun to write down the first five things that were different to me after nine months in another country.

This list is for fun.  I love my country, and though I do see issues all of us could work on together to fix, that is not what this list is.  This list is just observations. On top of that, these are merely observations from the Atlanta airport (my favorite airport) and not necessarily the rest of my trip.

Noise:  This may be odd due to the fact that mufflers seem like mere suggestions down here in Guatemala, but things are done quieter here.  People talk a lot, but they speak quieter, not feeling the need to shout to get their point across.  People do not talk loudly on their phones.  They step quietly. Even in louder shoes, you may not hear them walk up on you.  It also considered rude to close doors loudly, and this attitude seems to permeate into other actions.  One things I noticed is that as Americans we speak loudly on our cell phones. I could not help overhearing a woman on her cell phone and almost thinking of going over to help her with the issue, since I knew everything about it after sitting near her for five minutes.

Skin:  I understand it was around eighty degrees in Atlanta when we landed, so it was warm.  There were a lot of shorts and tank tops on both men and women.  We live very high in the mountains, so people do not dress that way, because it is cooler.  Where we live it is also more formal, so women normally wear slacks or dresses and men at least wear dress shirts, if not slacks.  The only people I normally see in shorts in Xela are tourists or people exercising.  Not bad, just different.

Invisibility:  I stick out in Guatemala.  I am probably taller than 95 percent of the country, and I have a lot lighter skin tone.  Kids point at me in the markets. Homeless people come up asking for money, knowing as a foreigner I probably have some.  There is never a time when I do not know everybody knows I am different.  But, in the Atlanta airport, I was completely average.  I am the size of an average male in the U.S. I am an average weight.  In the states, I completely turned invisible. It was kind of nice, to be honest.

Food:  Specifically, the heaviness of food.  Butter, cheese, and meat are very expensive in Guatemala, so you cook with less of them because they are costly to use.  Restaurants use less of them for the same reason.  I got some chicken strips at Popeye's and couldn't even finish them because they were so heavy and greasy. It took me about four days to get used to the food again, and even then I could not eat more than one helping.

Trash Cans:  There are no trash cans in the toilet stalls in the men's restroom in the Atlanta airport.  In Guatemala you throw your toilet paper in the trash can, so you get used them being there.  I never did make this mistake in the States. But, before my mind caught up, I did find it weird that the airport didn't have trash cans.

These were the first five things I noticed.  They were many things after this, but I was amazed how I have gotten used to life in Guatemala, and how different it is from life in the U.S.

Theory Vs. Practice

My husband, right now, is 2,387 miles away, give or take. He's sitting in the warm embrace of friends and loved ones back in our home state, eating foods we haven't been able to get in almost a year, and watching TV in English!

I, on the other hand, am, um -- well, to be honest, I'm in my PJs at 9:00 a.m., sipping Guatemalan coffee and sitting in bed, so I guess I can't really make it seem like I'm suffering by comparison, or anything. But still... we're apart, and that's no fun.

But, his trip does signal another victory in the daily battle between Theory and Practice.

See, I think this is one of the challenges Christians (or, even anyone with strong principles or convictions) face in life. My husband feels like there's a chance he's being called to travel and preach in the future, which kind of interferes with the bone-deep, knee-knocking fear of flying he's had in the past. What's a guy to do? Should he let the theory of *someday* stepping out in faith to explore that calling God whispered into his heart be enough, or should he put it into practice?

(I'm so awfully proud of him for choosing the latter.)

Right now he's on the other side of Mexico (and on the other side of fears and trepidation) preparing to go to a church conference, attend meetings to speak to people about our ministry, and take classes to keep up his professional licenses back in the States. But, more than that, he's also kickin' heiney and takin' names when it comes to proving he's willing to follow through with the ways God is leading Him, and not just let his life be a series of theories.

We almost did that.

We almost let the idea of missions be something we supported in theory, but didn't put into practice because we didn't want to inconvenience ourselves or our loved ones too much. We almost decided the mere theory of trusting God with our time, our finances, our family, and everything else was good enough for us. We almost decided it was impractical to put into practice the theory we said we believed about God really and truly being Lord over every part of our lives.

But, it's more than that.

Every day we have this choice to make. Will we walk out the admonition to love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal. 5:14)? To discipline our thought life and take every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)? To guard our mouths and speak only what is helpful for building others up (Eph. 4:29)? To pray without ceasing  (1 Thes. 5:17), and stand in faith when we pray in the name of Jesus (Mark 11:24)? To love the Lord our God with all of heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mt. 22:37)?  To heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons (Mt. 10:8), and make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19)?

Will we choose to deceive ourselves into thinking that merely being hearers of God's Word and understanding it in theory are enough (James 1:22), or will we put into practice what we know to be true, and thereby choose the blessed (albeit more challenging) route instead (John 13:17)?

Yes, this challenge comes into play in big things (like moving your family thousands of miles to serve as missionaries or facing down deeply-held fears), but it also comes into play each and every moment of each and every day, when we must decide whether Christian theory is good enough, or if we're going to be the ones to put God's Word and Christ's example into practice.

The decision is easy to make, but not always easy to follow through with. Are you going to live out the reality and practice of a living and powerful God who's so much more than just theory? The choice is up to you...