A man was in the attic because he'd come to repair a few places in our roof that were leaking. Eli was out of town and I was across the compound at the time of the incident. I came home to find my son sobbing on the porch, our missionary friend trying in vain to comfort him. And then I walked in to see this:
Stories in Mission
Sunday, November 17, 2024
A House Repair Five Years in the Making
A man was in the attic because he'd come to repair a few places in our roof that were leaking. Eli was out of town and I was across the compound at the time of the incident. I came home to find my son sobbing on the porch, our missionary friend trying in vain to comfort him. And then I walked in to see this:
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Big Questions from Little Hearts
"Mama, will I go to heaven?"
It was bedtime, the light had been turned off, and I was saying a final goodnight to his brothers. My youngest beckoned me over and whispered this question in my ear. I was surprised, not only because it seemingly came out of nowhere but also because I knew that my son already knew the answer to his own question. Yet clearly something had prompted Asa to wonder anew about his salvation.
"Do you believe in Jesus?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation.
"Then, yes, you'll go to heaven." I reminded him what the Bible teaches us: that all we have to do is believe in Jesus and we'll be with Him in heaven. Referencing John 1:12, which we had just read earlier that day, I said, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
The truth is that we don't have to do anything special to be saved. We don't have to do anything at all. Jesus alone did what needed to be done, and beyond that we don't need to do anything to be in God's good graces.
The comforting assurance I meant to impart to my son did not come. Asa was restless, agitated even.
"But what if I'm not committed?" he asked. "Like Paul. What if I'm not committed like he is?"
"Do you mean, what if you're not as great a Christian as Paul was?"
"Yeah."
Oh, precious son of mine! How the human heart so easily betrays us and questions the truths of God! Yet what follower of Jesus hasn't asked this question in some form? The variations are many, but the essence is the same: Have I done enough? Am I enough?
Often these moments of self-doubt come on the heels of comparison. Have I done enough, like that person? Am I enough, like that person?
Asa was thinking about the apostle Paul and felt that he couldn't compare with such a man, couldn't live up to someone of such commitment.
It's an idea that we are familiar with - the notion that missionaries and other people in ministry are on a pedestal - and an idea that we soundly denounce. But the human heart has a way of convincing us that we are not enough, even if we've been taught and nurtured to know and believe otherwise.
I am a missionary, like Paul. Will I ever have the same kind of impact that Paul had? No, certainly not. I am confident of that. But I am no less worthy of God's love and salvation, no less worthy of His attention, than the apostle Paul. I believe in Jesus, just like Paul did. And I am secure in Christ because of my belief.
So is my son. I reminded him that when Jesus died on the cross, there were two other people crucified at the same time, right next to Him. They were both criminals and one of them, while dying on his own cross, realized who Jesus was and believed in Him then and there. And Jesus said to him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." I told Asa, "That man was a thief and had made some bad decisions in his life, but none of that mattered in the end. The only thing that mattered was that he believed in Jesus. Remember the verse we were just talking about? All we have to do is believe. That's it."
When we do believe, hopefully we'll want to live in a way that glorifies God and pleases His heart. "We'll keep making mistakes our whole life," I said, "because we'll still be sinners our whole life, but hopefully our love for God will impact the way we live and impact the choices we make."
Which brought us back to Paul. Paul loved the Lord and his life was never the same after he made a decision to believe in Jesus. His complete devotion to the Lord was rather awe-inspiring. As my son noted, Paul was truly committed to Jesus.
But the good news is that we don't have to follow in Paul's footsteps in order to love God and glorify Him. We don't have to be a missionary or a pastor or a preacher or do any other kind of intentional ministry. We can love God and bring Him glory in a myriad of ways as we pursue the gifts He has given us.
"Did you know your grandma has been a singer her whole life?" I asked Asa. His head perked up - that kid is a singing machine and was clearly invested in where this conversation was going. "She's been singing ever since she was a kid. And she has been glorifying God by singing her whole life. God gave her the gift of singing, and she loves it and is passionate about it, and she glorifies God and pleases His heart just by singing."
I gave him another example. "What did your grandpa do for a job?"
"He was a doctor."
"Right. Was he a missionary doctor like your dad?"
"No."
"Right. He was a regular doctor in Michigan for decades. And he glorified God by being a doctor. We can all glorify God and please His heart by being regular people doing regular things. Isn't that good news?"
"Mmm hmm."
I asked if he knew what God said is the greatest commandment? Asa shook his head. "To love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. That's it: love God." I assured him there are many ways we can love God. We can do it by singing, or praying, or working hard, or by doing nothing and resting!
"Did you know that one of the Ten Commandments is to observe the Sabbath and just rest?" Asa did not know that, and judging by the look on his face he was either confounded or amazed or both. (But aren't we all a bit confounded and amazed by that truth?) "We can love God by doing nothing! Isn't that great?" Asa nodded and smiled.
I have said many times that the only true calling any of us have is to love God back. How we do that will look as different as each set of fingerprints on the planet. But at the end of the day (and the end of our time here on earth), the only thing that will matter is if we've responded to the invitation to love God back.
My prayer for our children is that they'll know how loved and cherished they are, and that they'll choose to love God in return. If they do, nothing else matters. The details of how they spend their days and what they do with their lives will be of little consequence because, ultimately, they'll be spending their days and their whole lives loving God.
And, hopefully, their love for Him will impact the way they live. That is true for all of us: our love for God helps us to glorify Him.
"Is Dad glorifying God by not coming home?" Asa asked.
Context: Earlier we'd learned that Eli would not be coming home in time to see the boys before bed like we'd thought. He was flying back from Minnesota and was currently stuck in Chicago with no clear answer as to when he'd make it home. Asa had been rather upset at the news, and now he asked an insightfully good question.
Here's what I said:
"I think Dad can glorify God whether he stays in Chicago or whether he comes home. You know why? Because I think glorifying God is less about whether our plans succeed or not and more about how we respond to our plans succeeding or not. If Dad lets his disappointment and frustration make him speak with anger to other people, then he's not glorifying God. But if he chooses to be patient and content, if he speaks to the airline employees with kindness and gratefulness, then he's glorifying God."
To make a final point, I asked him, "Do you remember the fruits of the Spirit?" (On a side note, when I recited them for Asa he corrected me that I'd forgotten about goodness. That precious child of mine knows his Scripture!) "If Dad is loving and kind and patient and so forth, then he is glorifying God whether he comes home tonight or not."
Asa nodded, no longer restless or agitated. This little believer in Jesus has a heart trying to understand Him more, and I praise the Lord for these opportunities to think through these important questions together and remember the truths He's given us.
Heaven is waiting for all who believe in Jesus. And as I've said before and will keep on saying, the only true calling any of us have is to love God back. But let me add an addendum: The only true calling any of us have is to love God back and to allow that love for Him to help us glorify Him forever.
Sunday, June 2, 2024
The Ministry of Discipleship
Anyone who's heard us talk about our life and ministry in Kenya knows how passionate we are about training the next generation of African doctors. This is why:
The reality is stark. Simply put, Africa needs more doctors. It also needs healthcare systems with an infrastructure that can support doctors and the supplies and equipment necessary for treating patients.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Life and Death: Nature Speaks
A couple months ago I took extra notice of the vibrant colors around Chogoria. We had seen photos of the fall colors in the Midwest where our families are - a time of year we always miss - and in an effort to appreciate the beauty in front of me I simply looked up as I walked around our compound. No leaves change color here on the equator, but there are colors aplenty because flowers are perpetually in bloom.
To be sure, the flowers here follow cycles of life and death like flowers do everywhere, but there is no one season where everything dies all at once. We never find ourselves surrounded by barrenness. When one plant loses its flowers, there are plenty more still in full bloom.
Life and death coexist year-round, and there is beauty and purpose in both. It reminds me of the words of Paul in Philippians 1:20b-21: "Now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Our Bible Study has been reading Acts, and so much of the early church's story is about living in the tension between their new life in Christ and the increasing threat to their physical lives. But what Paul said is true: whether by life or death, Christ will be exalted.
Nature speaks into this truth. Whether the jacaranda tree is in full bloom, or whether the flowers have long since fallen and turned to dust, the tree gives glory to God.
As I was missing autumn a couple months ago, my 6th graders were memorizing a poem for school called Come, Little Leaves by George Cooper. It's about leaves falling, and it's about contentment. The leaves are not portrayed as dying, but as playing, dancing, and flying. They are doing what they must, but they are doing it with acceptance and even joy. My favorite line of the poem is this: "Dancing and whirling, the little leaves went; Winter had called them, and they were content."
Even in death, they were content. Because nature knows what we are still trying to understand and accept: that whether by life or by death, Christ will be exalted.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Jesus, Immanuel
In our predominantly
Christian corner of East Africa, the prosperity gospel is often preached in
churches and curses are often pronounced by witch doctors in villages. We have less encounters with other religions
than with skewed interpretations and applications of our own religion. As with anywhere in the world, there is still
more room for the Gospel to go forth, to take root, and to grow deep. In our particular context, the message of
Christ has gone forth and taken root in many hearts, but the soil is shallow
and the roots are thin. As Jesus himself
said, faith is easily uprooted in those conditions (Matthew 13:20-21).
Our main ministry is discipleship. With the intention of deepening and strengthening roots, we work to impart the truth of who God really is and how he interacts with us and our world. This deeply matters because who God is – and isn't – shapes not only how we live our lives but how we relate to our Savior. It also impacts the meaning of this time of year and how we celebrate the distinctly Christian holiday of Christmas.
Earlier this year I sat outside
a Buddhist temple with my nine-year-old son and talked about what God requires
of us. Our family had traveled to Thailand
for a missions conference and had the privilege of visiting two temples during
our time there. The first temple we
visited was particularly memorable because of its design. We had never been to a place like that before
and our fantasy-loving boys were instantly enamored with the dragons carved into
the temple architecture. Truth be told, I
was enamored too. But it wasn’t just the
dragons that intrigued me. The entire building
was magnificent, clearly constructed with care and tended to with honor and respect. The red walls complimented the gold columns
and statues and perfectly matched the red, white, and gold patterned tiles on
the floor.
We admired the devotion of
the Buddhists who had originally built the structure as well as the worshippers
visiting the temple that day. We
ourselves had walked through the temple, first taking off our shoes like
everyone else, and marveled at the architectural masterpiece we found ourselves
in. Incense filled our noses with unfamiliar
scents and filled our minds with questions.
The numerous Buddhas sprinkled throughout the temple drew our attention again
and again. The entire experience proved
a powerful conversation tool for talking with our boys about religion. We talked about why people were lighting
incense, why they knelt before the Buddha, why they walked laps around the
temple. The experience ignited their
minds.
Sometime later, back in Kenya, I read The Iliad with our boys as a part of our homeschool history unit on ancient civilizations. What stood out to us was how often the Greek gods meddled with the minds of men and women for their own selfish ends, or, perhaps worse, for their own entertainment. It was shocking, really, to read about gods who came to earth to dwell among men but who did so to take advantage of them or to prove their own power and authority. Those gods deceived their worshippers, tearing them down in order to build themselves up.
After Ancient Greece we studied Ancient Rome, and then had the privilege of visiting Rome during travels to Europe for a leadership conference where we walked the same ancient streets as emperors who attained godhood upon their deaths (and sometimes were worshipped as a god during their lifetime). God didn’t have to come down; God was already here, an inherent deity running through the veins of a man in power over an empire. This “emperor god” had his own interests at heart – that of expanding the empire and ensuring his supreme authority by enforcing submissive “peace” throughout the empire, the same “peace” that destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70 and used the spoils of war to fund the building of the Colosseum back in Rome.
Our God is love, and our God is near. He is Love Come Down, not to have his own needs met but to meet our needs instead.
Our God makes no demands. He is graciously present – gracious because His very presence is an unmerited gift which expects nothing in return. He chooses to dwell with us not to exact punishment or mischief or deception, but to demonstrate His choice of us.
Our God is hope personified. We have eternal hope in Him because salvation comes to us, not because of us and our good deeds.
Friday, September 15, 2023
Reflections on Paul's First Missionary Journey
This summer I studied the life of Saul/Paul with our boys. Although I've read his staggering story many times, several things jumped out at me this time around, particularly about his first missionary journey in Acts 13-14. While countless books have been written about Paul as a missionary, I will humbly submit my own reflections here.
Paul's first missionary journey is packed with action, but it begins with the simple act of prayer.
Actually, even before that, it begins with worshiping and fasting. "While they [prophets and teachers in the church in Syrian Antioch] were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them'" (13:2). A group of leaders in the church intentionally spent time worshiping and fasting together, and in that environment the Holy Spirit chose to speak to them. I find this as a powerful challenge to the Church. Communal worship and fasting not only unites us, but invites the Holy Spirit to fill us and speak to us. In this specific situation, He spoke about sending some of the Syrian Antioch church leaders on mission.
Paul already knew that God had called him to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, and also that he would suffer along the way. Jesus made that clear during Paul's radical conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:15-16). So this instance of the Holy Spirit speaking was not Paul's initial call to missions. Rather, I believe it served three other important purposes: 1) to inform the other church leaders that the Lord was indeed calling Paul to be a missionary; 2) to include Barnabas in the call; 3) to confirm to Paul that this was still what God wanted him to do. Confirmation is a marvelous thing, and the Lord graciously provided it here. So, after confirming the call, Paul officially embarked on his first missionary journey. This is where the simple act of prayer begins Paul's life as a missionary. "So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off" (13:3).
A couple things are important to note here. First, Paul obeyed. He heard God's call on his life and he agreed to it. Not everyone is willing to obey what God says, but Paul does and thereby sets an example for the rest of us (not least of which because he said yes to something incredibly arduous). Secondly, Paul and Barnabas were sent off with the support and blessing of the Church. What the Church's support looks like will vary, but having its support and blessing is vital to a missionary.
The first stop on this journey was Cyprus (13:4-12). There, as they were sharing the Gospel with the proconsul, they met direct opposition from a sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus. To counter this hostility, God allowed Paul to oppose the sorcerer right back and even blind him. (Perhaps Paul was remembering his own experience with blindness and how terrifying it was, but also how it helped to turn him to the Lord.) The phenomenon of instantaneously blinding a man not only captured the attention of the proconsul but led him to believe in the power of Jesus. We often think of miracles as some marvelous act turning a bad situation into something good - and often that is the case - but if we understand a miracle as being something only God can do, then the blinding of this sorcerer was in fact a miracle. And it did, indeed, lead to something good: the salvation of the proconsul of Cyprus.
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, He moves on our behalf and it looks and feels like God is fighting for us.
Leaving Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas ventured on toward Pisidian Antioch (13:13-52). Upon entering the synagogue and being invited to speak, they boldly preached the Gospel. They were so convincing, "the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath" (13:42). When they returned the next week, however, some Jews were jealous and spiteful of their popularity and made it clear they were no longer welcome. They "talked abusively against what Paul was saying.... They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region" (13:45, 50b).
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, there are mixed results and it looks and feels like God hasn't made up His mind about what's happening.
They moved on to Iconium where they also received a divided response (14:1-7). Although "a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed" Paul and Barnabas ultimately had to flee because of "a plot afoot among the [unbelieving] Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them." This was the second time in a row a visit had ended poorly.
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, we experience the joy of fruitful ministry only to be rewarded by an attack from the enemy, and it looks and feels like God is playing a joke on us.
They fled to Lystra and, persevering, continued preaching the Gospel (14:6-20). One day Paul encountered a crippled man who'd been lame since birth. By the power of God, Paul healed the man. The crowd that witnessed the miracle could only understand it in light of their own Greek worldview and thus interpreted the act as the gods appearing among them. They're not far from the truth - "the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them" (14:15b) was truly there and had truly worked a miracle in this man's life - but they're in need of further explanation about this one true God they are confusing with their false gods. They ascribe godhood to both Paul and Barnabas which, understandably, upsets them greatly and thus ensues a back-and-forth about what really happened. The public spectacle consumes enough time that the apostles' enemies from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium have time to catch up with them and convince the crowd to stone Paul. He'd successfully escaped being stoned by them earlier, but now he is caught and stoned in the end - stoned so badly that he was presumed dead and his persecutors disposed of his body by dragging it outside the city (14:19).
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, it ends in shambles because God doesn't protect us and instead allows us to suffer great persecution. (Notice that Paul wasn't given the ability to blind any of his enemies in Lystra like he had on Cyprus).
Remarkably, Paul soldiers on and together with Barnabas he goes to Derbe and preaches the Gospel yet again (14:20-21a). Seemingly, all goes according to plan in Derbe and they "won a large number of disciples without any disruption to their ministry (14:21).
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, he gives us a break and lets us not only experience success but lets us bask peacefully in it too.
Paul and Barnabas then decide it's time to return to Syrian Antioch, where they'd began this journey, and they choose to go back the way they'd come, passing through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. What fortitude! To go back to the places where they'd been stoned, run out of town, and persecuted! They are either complete fools with a glutton for punishment, or they are so convicted of their call and filled with the Holy Spirit that they can't help but take the risk. I believe the latter is true.
As it happens, their return trip continues without a hitch. Paul and Barnabas strengthen and encourage the believers in these places, specifically reminding them "we must go through hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (14:22). Paul is surely saying these words to himself as well, remembering that part of his initial call included the injunction from Jesus, "I will show [Paul] how much he must suffer for my name" (9:16), but Paul wants other believers to know they are also included in this reality by virtue of being a follower of Jesus. Paul's sufferings are unique in their prevalence and difficulty (see 2 Corinthians 11:23b-27), but all followers of Jesus should expect to face trials and sufferings. Paul wants them to know this so they can be encouraged that their hardships are not in vain.
Along with encouraging them, Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in the local churches. They ran into nary a problem on the way back to their home base. Why? Perhaps they kept quiet as they visited those cities again. Perhaps their influential enemies were all out of town. Perhaps God placed His hand of protection over them. Who knows? Regardless, they were successful and the churches were strengthened and encouraged.
Sometimes, when we do what God asks, His favor is abundantly clear and His kindness and generosity knows no bounds.
Paul's first missionary journey is a study of contrasts. So much success and so much struggle. As a missionary, the struggles have a way of catching my attention in particular. I can't help but wonder how I would manage if faced with the same animosities and despairs. I can easily imagine that I wouldn't have the same fortitude or commitment that Paul did.
As we studied Acts 13 and 14, one glaring question presented itself: "In the face of so much opposition and persecution on his first missionary journey, why didn't Paul give up?"
I've been tempted to think that Paul just had an overwhelmingly intense personality - the kind that never runs out of energy or passion or vision, the kind that truly runs their race. (And to be honest, missions definitely attracts an uncanny number of those personalities.) Maybe that's part of it. There's certainly enough evidence in Scripture to attest to Paul's fiery and zealous persona.
But there's more to Paul's steadfastness than a strong personality.
We must remember that he had a blessedly clear call from the Lord. And what a gift! To know without doubt what the Lord has invited you to do? Such a thing should never be taken for granted. Paul had this, and he took it seriously. The Lord informed Paul at the very beginning, on the road to Damascus, that he would be preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (and also suffering along the way), and then the call was confirmed at Syrian Antioch. So whether the mission was going well or not, Paul could always remind himself of that clear call from the Lord Jesus Christ and could therefore stay the course with confidence.
The other incredibly important thing to remember was Paul's motivation to share the love of Christ. He did not give up despite opposition and persecution because his desire for others to also know the transforming power of Christ was so great that he could do nothing else but press on. Paul well knew what it was like to live in darkness, to be separated from God, to live for self and self alone. He knew what bitterness and anger taste like. He knew that hatred and vengeance lead to destruction. He knew the agony of living with a complete lack of hope and peace.
He also knew life, light, joy, and shalom when he surrendered his life to Christ. Because of that, he couldn't stop sharing the Good News with anyone who would listen. Paul wanted others to have the same experience he had of learning to trust and love the Savior.
Not everyone can claim a clear call from the Lord, but every follower of Jesus can be motivated by His love and grace and forgiveness. Like Paul, that motivation should compel us to not give up being a witness, by word and deed, to the love of Jesus. Wherever we find ourselves in the world, we can pursue being a source of light in this dark world.
As for me, I'm encouraged by this part of Paul's story. The Lord helped him throughout his entire first missionary journey. God strengthened him, empowered him, granted him courage, brought other believers alongside to help and assist him, and brought him back "home" to testify to what God had done and to receive a time of rest and refreshment (14:26-28).
I'm encouraged to not give up, and to believe that the Lord will watch over me and provide for me as He sees fit, like He did for Paul, and to trust that what He sees fit is truly for my good and for His glory.
Monday, May 15, 2023
Faithfully
This year marks seven years since we moved to Kenya. Africa had been on our hearts and minds for more than a decade before we moved here, and now we've spent the past seven years pouring our hearts and minds into living and loving here. This place, this life, is home.
Although a myriad of reflections come to mind, the one at the forefront has to do with a song. Since my memory is terrible, I can't remember when it became pivotal to us. I can't remember when Eli made the connection between this song and our life, or when he started singing it to our boys at night. But many years ago the song became an anthem of sorts, and ever since it's been a way of putting into words what we sometimes can't voice ourselves but resonate with completely when we hear the familiar opening strain and subsequent lyrics.
"Faithfully" by Journey has reminded us of the call we pursue and the commitment we make every day, to the ministry and to each other.
I would not have felt a particular connection to this song on my own, but when Eli first told me what the song meant to him and why, I recognized how meaningful it was.
The song is about a musician touring on the road and spending long days away from his love, away from his family. But if you replace the musician in the song with a medical missionary, it hits home for us. (And, I would wager, it would hit home for any number of staff working at a mission hospital. We have dear friends/colleagues who similarly struggle to balance life and ministry and who would definitely resonate with all of these thoughts.)
"They say the road ain't no place to start a family."
Medical missions ain't no way to start a family either. Although Eli isn't literally travelling away from home most of the time, he gives a significant amount of time to the hospital and is gone from home because of it. I vividly recall the lonely days and nights of taking care of our three little kids single-handedly while Eli took care of everyone else at the hospital. Even now, our kids are familiar with the routine of calling Dad to say goodnight because he won't make it home before bedtime. I don't feel the weight of it as much as I did when we had babies and toddlers, but it's never easy for the boys to say goodbye to Eli in the morning and then not see him again that day.
"And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be."
The work of a medical missionary can often sound exciting and exotic - working in a remote, resource-deprived context and saving lives. While that is true, it's also true that living the life of a medical missionary takes a huge toll on these healthcare workers who see more death than anyone should have to in a lifetime, and who feel completely inadequate on a regular basis to meet the insurmountable needs of too many people with too few personnel to bear the load. And this life also takes a toll on the family members of the medical missionary. When Eli comes home depleted after a long day at the hospital, it impacts us. When he has to take phone calls at all times of day or night, it impacts us. When he has to attend another meeting after the meeting he just finished, it impacts us. "Lovin' a medical missionary ain't always what it's supposed to be." It's not always glamorous.
"Through space and time, always another show."
We really resonate with this. There's always something else to be done, always someone else who needs his attention, always one more phone call before coming home. There's never an end to the work, just pausing until it demands to be picked up again. And often the work follows you home. One of the themes of medical missions is that there's never enough people to do all the work. It's a reality that doesn't change, and a reality every medical missionary has to come to terms with and learn how to cope with.
I made a promise to Eli the day we married to pursue this calling of medical missions together for as long as the Lord directed us down this path. That promise remains.
"Faithfully."
Yes, yes, and yes again.