Dear Family and Friends,
I'm returning to a "theme" from the week before our trip to Nicaragua - God's ability to transform lives, using my own story as a testimony of this. Dan and I had been married a few years before he identified a problem I had. He would somewhat jokingly call me "explanation woman" because I had a "good" explanation for everything I did. He also noticed that I did not take criticism well and protected the areas of my life that I did not want to change by making excuses that usually involved blaming others or blaming circumstances which were, of course, out of my control. God began breaking down those walls of pride and I slowly started to receive His insight and open myself up to His conviction. I remember one morning when Dan and I had a conflict before he went to work. He left hurt and angry and I huffed and puffed my way to the table to have some time with God in His Word. The first verse I read was all about pride. I felt instant conviction and later called Dan and asked for forgiveness recognizing that I had refused to take responsibility for hurting him. God also sent many female mentors into my life who taught me what it means to be teachable and open to hearing from God. Eventually, I learned to enjoy when God would convict me of something because when I would respond to His conviction by making adjustments in my life, I would notice how my relationships with people and with God grew richer and deeper.
The book "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" is a book that I read at least once a year because the author spells out so simply, yet profoundly, about how to develop and maintain a close relationship with Christ. Weaver, the author, follows Martha and Mary's life pointing out how their intimate relationship with Christ transformed each of them. Martha's response changed from a demanding response when Mary was at Jesus's feet, to a surrendered response after Lazarus's' death. The author remarks about Martha's interactions with Jesus at the time of Lazarus's death . . "there was a tender vulnerability that wasn't there before. A new faith. A new kind of intimacy with Jesus that only comes when we receive and apply correction from God."
Receiving and applying correction leads to intimacy. I do believe this is true. Since learning how important it has been in my own life to name sin specifically and own up to it, I work hard at instilling this truth into the hearts of our children. Yesterday, Rebekah and Will had a fight. I had them each tell their stories and then talk through how each was hurt by the other while the other one listened without interrupting (not an easy thing for them to do). When they got to a place where they understood how each hurt the other, I asked them to specifically name their offense in a respectful voice and ask the other person to forgive them while also making eye contact. Today, one of them said to the other, "Will you forgive me for "talking loud" to you." This child actually yelled at their sibling. Weaver points out, "Most of us are quick to admit we're not perfect - as long as we don't have to talk specifics." Kids are not the only ones who minimize sin. The thing that is so fascinating to me is how time and time again, as we have gone through this process, I see how relieved they both are after they have gone though the hard work of humbling themselves, letting the other person teach them, and genuinely asking for forgiveness. Often, after these tearful and intense interchanges, they will hug and go off laughing and playing with each other. I feel that same relief after Dan and I have been in conflict and he points something out to me that I didn't want to see, but make the choice to allow him to teach me. Receiving and applying correction leads to intimacy in both our relationships with God and with other people. The question is, "Are we willing to be teachable?"
The below attachment is a "Teachability Inventory" which helps me to determine my level of teachablity. I share it with you as a resource. (From the book I mentioned earlier)
Praise:
1) Last Sunday, after a family reunion in Kesley, my Mom, Aunt, and I drove to Parkersburg to visit my Great Grandma's grave. My Mom told me tonight that we left town 15 minutes before the tornado hit (previously we thought it was a ½ hour). Quite often we will drive East out of Parkersburg to my parents house which is 15 miles away. However, Mom decided to go the opposite way this day because she thought of another cemetery she wanted to visit. Had she gone the other way, we would have run directly into the path of the tornado. We are praising God for His protection of our family.
2) We will present to a K - Jr. High group of kids at First United Methodist in Marion on Sunday morning - this opportunity came through a conversation with another soccer Mom. Our Kid's presentation at 1st CRC in Wellsburg last Sunday went well. We are so thankful for the opportunity to talk with kids and for the interest people have in our sharing.
Petition:
1) The people of Parkersburg are very heavy on our hearts. My aunt lost her best friend in the Tornado and we are connected to many other relatives and friends who are hurting. Thank you for your prayers and support for these hurting families.
2) Please pray for our small group dinners this month - that people would be available to host and attend the dinners. And that we would trust God with His time table for our support goal to be reached.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers for us. We appreciate you!
Attachment:
Are You Teachable?
Consider the following statements to give you an idea of your teachability quotient. Answer “U” for Usually; “S” for Sometimes; and “R” for Rarely.
I feel comfortable asking for advice.
I easily admit when I am wrong.
I enjoy reading for information rather than escape.
I’m able to receive criticism without being hurt.
I enjoy listening to other peoples’ thoughts and opinions without feeling the need to express my own.
When I read something in the Bible, I automatically think of ways to apply it.
I enjoy church and Bible classes and usually take notes.
I’m able to disagree with someone without feeling like I have to debate the issue.
I’m willing to look at all sides of a situation before I form an opinion.
I’d rather be righteous than always have to be “right”.
Give yourself 3 points for each U answer, 2 points for each S, and 0 points for every R. Than add the numbers. If you scored 24 – 30 points, you are well on your way to a teachable heart. If you scored 15 – 23, keep at it! You are definitely trainable. If you scored 0 – 14, you may need to make your teachability quotient a matter of prayer, because you’ll find a teachable heart is one of life’s greatest treasures.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life. Proverbs 4:13
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Quick Info and Exciting God Stories
Dear Family and Friends,
I will start tonight with some quick, important information and will then continue with sharing some exciting ways that God has been at work this past week.
Quick Important Info:
Dan updated our website and blog to include directions on how to contribute financial support to our account.
Our account with CRC World Missions is now open and ready to receive funds.
Our monthly goal amount is $4,000 a month which includes living expenses (housing, groceries, utilities, travel expenses) and medical insurance.
Our annual goal is $48,000
Our contract with Nicaragua Christian begins in late August. This is our target arrival date.
We currently have 7% of our monthly goal pledged.
We have committed to a 3 year term with Nicaragua Christian Academy
Praising God for His goodness:
Our garage sale turned out to be an amazing God story. I asked God to help me discern how to pray for His financial provision through the garage sale. He led me as I was praying to pray for $600.00 in profit. I initially thought that was too much, but began praying for that amount. We had a few items that sold for ten, twenty dollars, and a mower for fifty, but during the sale I thought, "We are not going to make it to $600 because many of the items we are selling are a quarter to $1.00. Saturday night Dan counted the money and found that our total was $595. Dan's faith-filled response was, "Now we need to find out what happened to the last $5.00. We prayed as a family thanking God for the success of the sale. After we said "Amen", Dan said. I know where the 5 dollars is - I forgot to add in the fifty dollar check for the mower! I then found $10 from the bake sale. God spoke to me later about how what appeared to be impossible to me is not impossible with Him. We now go into this task of raising $48,000 in three months with this truth to stand on.
Our meeting with the Mission Board at New Covenant went well. We were very encouraged by their questions, comments, and prayers for our family. A decision about financial support has not yet been made.
A Pastor called today to offer our family generous financial support. This pastor is from my parent's church and the congregation he serves knows us through my parents and our occasional visits there. We have not met with this church or asked them for financial support, but he said that the Council met and wanted to offer us support. This too was an unexpected gift and another confirmation of God's provision.
We have found temporary housing!!!!! I don't think I've even mentioned this concern before, but this has been weighing heavy on my mind. We plan to put our house up for sale next week. So, another amazing act of God is the gift of being able to stay in Cedar Rapids through the summer while Dan continues working at Aegon. We will be staying in a basement kind of apartment complete with kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, rec. area, and walk out basement. A couple from our church has offered this to us at no cost - it is one of their ministries to missionaries.
My dad went to a new doctor last week and he is treating Dad's high blood pressure more aggressively. We have been concerned about my Dad because there is nothing that has been effective in lowering his blood pressure which sometimes reaches 200/100. His new doctor is concerned and is making decisions that my parents are pleased with.
The caring community of friends we have here in Cedar Rapids. It would be so easy for our friends to distance themselves from us, knowing that we will soon be leaving. But, we have felt very much the opposite. And they have been an incredible help and support to us in practical ways - cleaning our house and landscaping, helping with the garage sale, feeding our kids supper during the sale, having our kids over to play while Dan and I work on things, the list goes on. Last night a friend also offered to pay for and design a Creative Memories book that would tell the story of our calling and mission to Nicaragua. She is a consultant and said that she would like to use her business to support those who are serving cross-culturally. At times it is very humbling to receive so much - we are so thankful.
Our kids are adjusting in their own way. Often, people will ask about our kids. We keep checking in with them to see how they are doing. A prayer request Rebekah wrote in her journal the other night was, "Help us to have enough money to go to Nicaragua in the fall". This troubled me a little thinking that this was becoming a burden that an 8 year old should not carry. I asked her about it after we prayed. She said, "No, I'm not worried. I just want to be there." She has also been fasting from sugar for periods of time and tonight we found a verse she had written out - "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard. No heart of man can tell the store of joys God has prepared for those who love Him." I've watched her grow in trust and expectation throughout these past months. Will embraces this adventure with some tentativeness. He's been saying, "We'll be there for three years and then we will move back into this same house - right?" We've been talking about holding things with an open hand and letting God choose. Ironically, many of the missionaries have said that missionary kids enjoy Nicaragua Christian Academy so much that many of them have a hard time leaving to go back to the States. Prayers for Will are appreciated as adjustment to change is more difficult for him. He and I both grow attached quickly and deeply which makes letting go difficult.
Rebekah's friend will be adopting her Guinea pig "Precious". This was another unexpected gift that developed through a conversation Rebekah had with her friend Sophie. It was one of those concerns that was always in the back of my mind knowing that finding a good home for Precious was important to Rebekah. Thank you for being a part of God's care for our family in this way Stutts Family!
Petition:
· Please pray for time, wisdom, and energy as we work on presentations this week. We will present at Rebekah's school on Friday and at a church on Sunday to the Sunday School. We will also be revising our small group dinner/adult presentation to include pictures from Nicaragua.
· Would you begin to pray for a buyer for our house? For anyone who may be interested, our home comes complete with the best neighbors you will find!
· Please pray for sleep. The adrenaline rush is beginning to wear off and I'm finding myself to be quite tired. I sleep fine when I get to bed, but am not doing well with getting to bed on time as those hours after kids are in bed seem to be my most productive hours of the day and the list is long.
· Dan is doing a great job of juggling everything. Prayers for continued health and focus for him are appreciated!
· Our kids do feel a shift in the amount of "family time" we have together right now. Our prayer is that Dan and I will be in tune with their need for life to be "normal" sometimes, if only for an afternoon or evening.
Thank you so much for reading this (I am always honored when people say they read these updates, as I know it is a time commitment) and for praying for us. We continue to feel peace in the midst of chaos and are confident that we are regularly lifted up in prayer. You are such a vital part of this journey as you cover our family in prayer. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
I will start tonight with some quick, important information and will then continue with sharing some exciting ways that God has been at work this past week.
Quick Important Info:
Dan updated our website and blog to include directions on how to contribute financial support to our account.
Our account with CRC World Missions is now open and ready to receive funds.
Our monthly goal amount is $4,000 a month which includes living expenses (housing, groceries, utilities, travel expenses) and medical insurance.
Our annual goal is $48,000
Our contract with Nicaragua Christian begins in late August. This is our target arrival date.
We currently have 7% of our monthly goal pledged.
We have committed to a 3 year term with Nicaragua Christian Academy
Praising God for His goodness:
Our garage sale turned out to be an amazing God story. I asked God to help me discern how to pray for His financial provision through the garage sale. He led me as I was praying to pray for $600.00 in profit. I initially thought that was too much, but began praying for that amount. We had a few items that sold for ten, twenty dollars, and a mower for fifty, but during the sale I thought, "We are not going to make it to $600 because many of the items we are selling are a quarter to $1.00. Saturday night Dan counted the money and found that our total was $595. Dan's faith-filled response was, "Now we need to find out what happened to the last $5.00. We prayed as a family thanking God for the success of the sale. After we said "Amen", Dan said. I know where the 5 dollars is - I forgot to add in the fifty dollar check for the mower! I then found $10 from the bake sale. God spoke to me later about how what appeared to be impossible to me is not impossible with Him. We now go into this task of raising $48,000 in three months with this truth to stand on.
Our meeting with the Mission Board at New Covenant went well. We were very encouraged by their questions, comments, and prayers for our family. A decision about financial support has not yet been made.
A Pastor called today to offer our family generous financial support. This pastor is from my parent's church and the congregation he serves knows us through my parents and our occasional visits there. We have not met with this church or asked them for financial support, but he said that the Council met and wanted to offer us support. This too was an unexpected gift and another confirmation of God's provision.
We have found temporary housing!!!!! I don't think I've even mentioned this concern before, but this has been weighing heavy on my mind. We plan to put our house up for sale next week. So, another amazing act of God is the gift of being able to stay in Cedar Rapids through the summer while Dan continues working at Aegon. We will be staying in a basement kind of apartment complete with kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, rec. area, and walk out basement. A couple from our church has offered this to us at no cost - it is one of their ministries to missionaries.
My dad went to a new doctor last week and he is treating Dad's high blood pressure more aggressively. We have been concerned about my Dad because there is nothing that has been effective in lowering his blood pressure which sometimes reaches 200/100. His new doctor is concerned and is making decisions that my parents are pleased with.
The caring community of friends we have here in Cedar Rapids. It would be so easy for our friends to distance themselves from us, knowing that we will soon be leaving. But, we have felt very much the opposite. And they have been an incredible help and support to us in practical ways - cleaning our house and landscaping, helping with the garage sale, feeding our kids supper during the sale, having our kids over to play while Dan and I work on things, the list goes on. Last night a friend also offered to pay for and design a Creative Memories book that would tell the story of our calling and mission to Nicaragua. She is a consultant and said that she would like to use her business to support those who are serving cross-culturally. At times it is very humbling to receive so much - we are so thankful.
Our kids are adjusting in their own way. Often, people will ask about our kids. We keep checking in with them to see how they are doing. A prayer request Rebekah wrote in her journal the other night was, "Help us to have enough money to go to Nicaragua in the fall". This troubled me a little thinking that this was becoming a burden that an 8 year old should not carry. I asked her about it after we prayed. She said, "No, I'm not worried. I just want to be there." She has also been fasting from sugar for periods of time and tonight we found a verse she had written out - "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard. No heart of man can tell the store of joys God has prepared for those who love Him." I've watched her grow in trust and expectation throughout these past months. Will embraces this adventure with some tentativeness. He's been saying, "We'll be there for three years and then we will move back into this same house - right?" We've been talking about holding things with an open hand and letting God choose. Ironically, many of the missionaries have said that missionary kids enjoy Nicaragua Christian Academy so much that many of them have a hard time leaving to go back to the States. Prayers for Will are appreciated as adjustment to change is more difficult for him. He and I both grow attached quickly and deeply which makes letting go difficult.
Rebekah's friend will be adopting her Guinea pig "Precious". This was another unexpected gift that developed through a conversation Rebekah had with her friend Sophie. It was one of those concerns that was always in the back of my mind knowing that finding a good home for Precious was important to Rebekah. Thank you for being a part of God's care for our family in this way Stutts Family!
Petition:
· Please pray for time, wisdom, and energy as we work on presentations this week. We will present at Rebekah's school on Friday and at a church on Sunday to the Sunday School. We will also be revising our small group dinner/adult presentation to include pictures from Nicaragua.
· Would you begin to pray for a buyer for our house? For anyone who may be interested, our home comes complete with the best neighbors you will find!
· Please pray for sleep. The adrenaline rush is beginning to wear off and I'm finding myself to be quite tired. I sleep fine when I get to bed, but am not doing well with getting to bed on time as those hours after kids are in bed seem to be my most productive hours of the day and the list is long.
· Dan is doing a great job of juggling everything. Prayers for continued health and focus for him are appreciated!
· Our kids do feel a shift in the amount of "family time" we have together right now. Our prayer is that Dan and I will be in tune with their need for life to be "normal" sometimes, if only for an afternoon or evening.
Thank you so much for reading this (I am always honored when people say they read these updates, as I know it is a time commitment) and for praying for us. We continue to feel peace in the midst of chaos and are confident that we are regularly lifted up in prayer. You are such a vital part of this journey as you cover our family in prayer. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Nica Musings in a Nutshell
Dear Family and Friends,
We are back from Nicaragua and most recently from Minneapolis tonight! We received a wonderful gift this weekend - my sister flew from Dallas to Minneapolis for the weekend!!!!! It was a total surprise for my parents and us - only my aunt and her family knew she was coming. Brenda, my sister, was sensitive to the fact that this Mother's Day is the first that my Mom has spent without her Mom and will most likely be the last that she has one of her daughters around to celebrate with for awhile. We also celebrated my cousin Sarah's Home School graduation and had an opportunity to share some Nicaragua pictures with everyone. We had an awesome time - we always laugh a lot when we are all together! I've attached a document highlighting some of Dan and my impressions of our time in Nicaragua. I tried to summarize some of our conversations and things that made an impression on us on one page. You will find this attached to this email.
Thought I would share some quick praise and prayer requests and then should get to bed!
Praise:
1) The safety of each member of our family this week and for health for all of us.
2) Confirmation of God's call to Nicaragua - we grew in passion and in confidence of this calling through the course of the week.
3) God's consistent communication of His presence and love through the twists and turns of this journey.
4) A great time with family this weekend. These times are so precious and valued.
5) Friends and neighbors who continue to make us feel special and supported and loved!
Petition:
1) Dan and I meet with New Covenant Bible Church's Mission Board tomorrow night (Monday, May 12) at 7:00 pm. Please pray for Dan and I as we present our calling, mission, and need for support and for the Mission Board to discern God's will in regard to their involvement with us.
2) I'm having a garage sale/bake sale this coming Thursday and Friday (May 15 &16). I have friends and neighbors and my Mom who are planning to help with preparing for and doing the sale which I am very thankful for. My request is that I will be able to sort through the rest of our stuff to put on the garage sale by Wednesday afternoon.
3) Please pray for Dan and I as we work on our presentation for support raising. We have lots of awesome pictures and will be revising our former presentation. We have 6 families in Iowa and one in Indiana who have committed to doing a dinner or two for us. We will be calling to set up the dinners after we have completed the presentation - within the next week or two.
Attachment:
1) Daily life will take effort. Our trip was a good “reality check” for us in terms of giving us a better idea of what our lives may look like on a day to day basis. The heat was an adjustment as it zapped our energy and made it difficult to sleep at night. The power and water “went out” one evening which can happen unexpectedly any time and is also periodically scheduled by the government from 5 to 9 pm to conserve energy. Driving in Managua is something that scares me the most as there are no street signs in this city of 1.3 million and the rules of the road are quite subjective. It is very dirty, especially during the dry season and missionary wives told me that surfaces of counters and tables and floors collect dirt (as windows always are open for ventilation) within minutes after cleaning them. (Hence, it is recommended that we hire a Nicaraguan woman to help us clean in order to give her a job and to help us maintain a home that will need constant attention). The final adjustment I will mention is the emotional impact of daily being confronted with extreme poverty and the overwhelming needs of the people. It was the children that at times brought tears to our eyes as we felt a sense of helplessness in regard to our ability to make a difference in every child’s life. Our focus quite obviously needs to be on the children we can reach and to trust God with the destiny of all the other children.
2) Living in Nicaragua is more expensive than we had anticipated. Dan and I walked around a grocery store one afternoon checking out the prices of food and later we both shared the same thought – “how will this work for our family financially?” It doesn’t seem fair that in such a poor country it costs $4.00 for a gallon of gas, $3.00 for a small bottle of syrup, $8.00 for a bottle of liquid soap, and $5.00 for a package of coffee. Furniture is also just as expensive as in the U.S. So, this was a significant adjustment in our thinking and a very good thing for us to anticipate. God, however, did bring us back to the time when we decided that I would leave a career to stay home full time with our kids. We remember doing all the math on paper and found that there was no logical way that we could make it on one income. But, we took the step anyway believing that God was leading us in that direction and have found that He has provided exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we can ask or imagine. As we look back on that experience, we have faith in God’s future provision for our family.
3) God’s call to Nicaragua grew stronger throughout the course of the week. There were several times throughout the week that we heard from several different people that Dan’s presence at the school is critical to the growth and administration of both the English speaking and Spanish speaking campuses of Nicaragua Christian Academy. Dan and the director, Liam, seem to blend well in personality and in the way that they approach things. Dan also learned that much has already been done in the area of Development which will be one of his primary responsibilities. This was good for him to hear as this is something that is very new for him. It sounds like he will be working with a committee and have lots of support. It was good for me to talk with many missionaries during the course of the week about opportunities for ministry. It is by design that I have not committed to anything ministry-wise yet. My first priority is to discern Will’s comfort level with attending NCA in the fall. He has lately been saying that he thinks he would like to attend the school, but knows that I am also available to home school him for second grade if he would like me to. There are several things that interest me such as working with the school psychologist to teach classes to NCA parents on parenting and also to work with kids at the school; working with an orphanage that we visited; and working as a therapist (my former career) with women who are coming out of prostitution to follow Christ and learn skills to support themselves financially. This ministry “The House of Hope” also serves to house girls age 10 – 18 to prevent them from using prostitution as a means to survive financially.
We are back from Nicaragua and most recently from Minneapolis tonight! We received a wonderful gift this weekend - my sister flew from Dallas to Minneapolis for the weekend!!!!! It was a total surprise for my parents and us - only my aunt and her family knew she was coming. Brenda, my sister, was sensitive to the fact that this Mother's Day is the first that my Mom has spent without her Mom and will most likely be the last that she has one of her daughters around to celebrate with for awhile. We also celebrated my cousin Sarah's Home School graduation and had an opportunity to share some Nicaragua pictures with everyone. We had an awesome time - we always laugh a lot when we are all together! I've attached a document highlighting some of Dan and my impressions of our time in Nicaragua. I tried to summarize some of our conversations and things that made an impression on us on one page. You will find this attached to this email.
Thought I would share some quick praise and prayer requests and then should get to bed!
Praise:
1) The safety of each member of our family this week and for health for all of us.
2) Confirmation of God's call to Nicaragua - we grew in passion and in confidence of this calling through the course of the week.
3) God's consistent communication of His presence and love through the twists and turns of this journey.
4) A great time with family this weekend. These times are so precious and valued.
5) Friends and neighbors who continue to make us feel special and supported and loved!
Petition:
1) Dan and I meet with New Covenant Bible Church's Mission Board tomorrow night (Monday, May 12) at 7:00 pm. Please pray for Dan and I as we present our calling, mission, and need for support and for the Mission Board to discern God's will in regard to their involvement with us.
2) I'm having a garage sale/bake sale this coming Thursday and Friday (May 15 &16). I have friends and neighbors and my Mom who are planning to help with preparing for and doing the sale which I am very thankful for. My request is that I will be able to sort through the rest of our stuff to put on the garage sale by Wednesday afternoon.
3) Please pray for Dan and I as we work on our presentation for support raising. We have lots of awesome pictures and will be revising our former presentation. We have 6 families in Iowa and one in Indiana who have committed to doing a dinner or two for us. We will be calling to set up the dinners after we have completed the presentation - within the next week or two.
Attachment:
1) Daily life will take effort. Our trip was a good “reality check” for us in terms of giving us a better idea of what our lives may look like on a day to day basis. The heat was an adjustment as it zapped our energy and made it difficult to sleep at night. The power and water “went out” one evening which can happen unexpectedly any time and is also periodically scheduled by the government from 5 to 9 pm to conserve energy. Driving in Managua is something that scares me the most as there are no street signs in this city of 1.3 million and the rules of the road are quite subjective. It is very dirty, especially during the dry season and missionary wives told me that surfaces of counters and tables and floors collect dirt (as windows always are open for ventilation) within minutes after cleaning them. (Hence, it is recommended that we hire a Nicaraguan woman to help us clean in order to give her a job and to help us maintain a home that will need constant attention). The final adjustment I will mention is the emotional impact of daily being confronted with extreme poverty and the overwhelming needs of the people. It was the children that at times brought tears to our eyes as we felt a sense of helplessness in regard to our ability to make a difference in every child’s life. Our focus quite obviously needs to be on the children we can reach and to trust God with the destiny of all the other children.
2) Living in Nicaragua is more expensive than we had anticipated. Dan and I walked around a grocery store one afternoon checking out the prices of food and later we both shared the same thought – “how will this work for our family financially?” It doesn’t seem fair that in such a poor country it costs $4.00 for a gallon of gas, $3.00 for a small bottle of syrup, $8.00 for a bottle of liquid soap, and $5.00 for a package of coffee. Furniture is also just as expensive as in the U.S. So, this was a significant adjustment in our thinking and a very good thing for us to anticipate. God, however, did bring us back to the time when we decided that I would leave a career to stay home full time with our kids. We remember doing all the math on paper and found that there was no logical way that we could make it on one income. But, we took the step anyway believing that God was leading us in that direction and have found that He has provided exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we can ask or imagine. As we look back on that experience, we have faith in God’s future provision for our family.
3) God’s call to Nicaragua grew stronger throughout the course of the week. There were several times throughout the week that we heard from several different people that Dan’s presence at the school is critical to the growth and administration of both the English speaking and Spanish speaking campuses of Nicaragua Christian Academy. Dan and the director, Liam, seem to blend well in personality and in the way that they approach things. Dan also learned that much has already been done in the area of Development which will be one of his primary responsibilities. This was good for him to hear as this is something that is very new for him. It sounds like he will be working with a committee and have lots of support. It was good for me to talk with many missionaries during the course of the week about opportunities for ministry. It is by design that I have not committed to anything ministry-wise yet. My first priority is to discern Will’s comfort level with attending NCA in the fall. He has lately been saying that he thinks he would like to attend the school, but knows that I am also available to home school him for second grade if he would like me to. There are several things that interest me such as working with the school psychologist to teach classes to NCA parents on parenting and also to work with kids at the school; working with an orphanage that we visited; and working as a therapist (my former career) with women who are coming out of prostitution to follow Christ and learn skills to support themselves financially. This ministry “The House of Hope” also serves to house girls age 10 – 18 to prevent them from using prostitution as a means to survive financially.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Hello from Nicaragua 2!
Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers for us this weekend! God is continuing to confirm our call to Nicaragua and showing us more about what this may look like.
Dan has spent the past few days with Nicaragua Christian Academy’s director, Liam and his 18 month old son, Caleb. They have spent some time touring around Managua and drove to Granada yesterday and did a boat tour and visited an island. They have had a lot of time to talk and they actually seem very similar in personality to me. One of the Nicaraguans asked Dan if he was Liam’s brother which does make sense given that they are both tall, blond, Dutch boys. It has been good to talk with Liam about expectations for Dan’s position, etc. Dan will assist Liam with many of his responsibilities at the English speaking school which will free him up to be able to spend more time at the Spanish speaking campus which is what he desires to do. The Spanish school is growing very fast – from 166 students last year to around 250 this year- and growth is expected to continue. This school is only four years old.
I had a wonderful weekend at the retreat which was at a small resort on the beach. The speaker was from Precept ministries and helped us to learn how to study the Bible inductively. We had lots of fun too – watched movies, walked the beach, sat in the pool, had lots of great conversations, ate wonderful food, and I tried keeping up with the 20 somethings by playing beach volleyball and am quite sore and bruised today, but had a blast. I’ve been telling everyone that if this is what missionary life is like – sign me up! I’ve learned that there is a very strong community of missionaries here in Managua which is such an answer to prayer. I’ve met women who are directors of orphanages, those who are involved with Food for the Hungry, others who direct other schools, medical missionaries, church planters, and many teachers.
There are so many needs in Nicaragua as the poverty is so great. Theft is a problem and begging is a way that many people support themselves. Children will approach cars at stop lights, actually any time a car stops, to ask for food and money. Women and girls as young as 10 use prostitution as a means to survive (I learned today that close to 5,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 18 are prostitutes in Managua. This number obviously does not include adult women.) There are many nominal Christians – Roman Catholic and Protestant – however, among those who identify themselves with the Christian Church, it is estimated that around 15% are committed believers.
In spite of the problems, the people of Nicaragua are very warm and open and kind hearted. The missionary Moms were talking about a Pediatrician that they all use who gives them his home number and asks them to call him to give him updates on how their child is doing if they are sick. He is also a very capable doctor. Health care is said to be very good here in Managua. People have given me many examples of surgeries, C-sections, etc. that they have had and found the care to be very good. We visited a hospital tonight and it was very clean and professional. We were reminded too that many doctors and nurses are here from the states on medical missions – many associated with the school and so they too are a great resource for health care.
One thing that is developing as a burden for Dan and I is a need to learn the language. We feel very handicapped in this area as we so want to talk with the people but cannot. A Nicaraguan woman who was cleaning at the guest house we are at tried to strike up a conversation with me the other morning and I tried my best to talk with her. But then, finally, I said – or at least thought I said – that my Spanish was not that good. What I realized later is that I got my “tus” and my “yos” mixed up and actually told her that her Spanish was not that good. This explains why she laughed. J But someone reminded me today that Dan and I have had a couple of years of Spanish in college and I’ve had a past experience of living a Latin American country which will make language learning easier – they tell me it will “all come back”. I hope so!
My Mom has emailed us, as has Will, and it sounds like things are going well at the home front. Thanks so much for praying for their health and safety too. The kids are in great hands and we are so thankful for Grandma’s desire to spend the week with them and take them to their practices and games and schools. She is even doing some home schooling with Will this week!
Thank you again for your prayers for us. I heard one missionary comment today about how incredibly important prayer support is and is not taken for granted. Thank you so much. We appreciate you!
Love,
Dan and Lisa
Thank you so much for your prayers for us this weekend! God is continuing to confirm our call to Nicaragua and showing us more about what this may look like.
Dan has spent the past few days with Nicaragua Christian Academy’s director, Liam and his 18 month old son, Caleb. They have spent some time touring around Managua and drove to Granada yesterday and did a boat tour and visited an island. They have had a lot of time to talk and they actually seem very similar in personality to me. One of the Nicaraguans asked Dan if he was Liam’s brother which does make sense given that they are both tall, blond, Dutch boys. It has been good to talk with Liam about expectations for Dan’s position, etc. Dan will assist Liam with many of his responsibilities at the English speaking school which will free him up to be able to spend more time at the Spanish speaking campus which is what he desires to do. The Spanish school is growing very fast – from 166 students last year to around 250 this year- and growth is expected to continue. This school is only four years old.
I had a wonderful weekend at the retreat which was at a small resort on the beach. The speaker was from Precept ministries and helped us to learn how to study the Bible inductively. We had lots of fun too – watched movies, walked the beach, sat in the pool, had lots of great conversations, ate wonderful food, and I tried keeping up with the 20 somethings by playing beach volleyball and am quite sore and bruised today, but had a blast. I’ve been telling everyone that if this is what missionary life is like – sign me up! I’ve learned that there is a very strong community of missionaries here in Managua which is such an answer to prayer. I’ve met women who are directors of orphanages, those who are involved with Food for the Hungry, others who direct other schools, medical missionaries, church planters, and many teachers.
There are so many needs in Nicaragua as the poverty is so great. Theft is a problem and begging is a way that many people support themselves. Children will approach cars at stop lights, actually any time a car stops, to ask for food and money. Women and girls as young as 10 use prostitution as a means to survive (I learned today that close to 5,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 18 are prostitutes in Managua. This number obviously does not include adult women.) There are many nominal Christians – Roman Catholic and Protestant – however, among those who identify themselves with the Christian Church, it is estimated that around 15% are committed believers.
In spite of the problems, the people of Nicaragua are very warm and open and kind hearted. The missionary Moms were talking about a Pediatrician that they all use who gives them his home number and asks them to call him to give him updates on how their child is doing if they are sick. He is also a very capable doctor. Health care is said to be very good here in Managua. People have given me many examples of surgeries, C-sections, etc. that they have had and found the care to be very good. We visited a hospital tonight and it was very clean and professional. We were reminded too that many doctors and nurses are here from the states on medical missions – many associated with the school and so they too are a great resource for health care.
One thing that is developing as a burden for Dan and I is a need to learn the language. We feel very handicapped in this area as we so want to talk with the people but cannot. A Nicaraguan woman who was cleaning at the guest house we are at tried to strike up a conversation with me the other morning and I tried my best to talk with her. But then, finally, I said – or at least thought I said – that my Spanish was not that good. What I realized later is that I got my “tus” and my “yos” mixed up and actually told her that her Spanish was not that good. This explains why she laughed. J But someone reminded me today that Dan and I have had a couple of years of Spanish in college and I’ve had a past experience of living a Latin American country which will make language learning easier – they tell me it will “all come back”. I hope so!
My Mom has emailed us, as has Will, and it sounds like things are going well at the home front. Thanks so much for praying for their health and safety too. The kids are in great hands and we are so thankful for Grandma’s desire to spend the week with them and take them to their practices and games and schools. She is even doing some home schooling with Will this week!
Thank you again for your prayers for us. I heard one missionary comment today about how incredibly important prayer support is and is not taken for granted. Thank you so much. We appreciate you!
Love,
Dan and Lisa
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Hello from Nicaragua!
May 1, 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
I want to start tonight by sharing a way that God spoke so lovingly to our family this week and how He moved to help us all to feel at peace about our being apart from one another this week.
Each week at school, Rebekah is assigned a Bible verse to memorize. This week her verse just “happened” to be Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!” We talked through the week about how tender God’s heart is toward us that He would give us this verse to memorize this particular week.
This morning before we left, we gave the kids a card and in it was a necklace that each member of our family received months ago during a family celebration (We celebrated that we had read through the Bible my Grandma gave us which took us close to a year. She had read this same Bible to my Mom and Uncles and Aunt when they were children.) The charm on the necklace is in the shape of a shield and on the back are the words of Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!” We talked on the way to the airport about how God is always with us no matter what happens this week with them, with us, with the world. We don’t put our faith in what happens or doesn’t happen. We put our faith in the One who is with us through whatever happens. Before saying good-bye, we put our shields of faith together, said the verse together, and then put on our necklaces. Our prayer for them and for us is that we would trust this promise this week. It is a teachable moment for all of us.
I am writing this at 9:30 pm here in Managua, Nicaragua. We are at the guest apartment (bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room) where we will be staying this week. It is located on the school property and there is 24 hour security, a tall wall around the campus, we’ve gone through two locked gates to get here, and it seems we have our own personal guard. We just went out to get water from the water dispenser which is located outside of our apartment and the Nicaraguan man who let us in through the gate came out to check on us. I think we are quite secure.
We have already experienced a few things on our trip. One of our prayers was for divine appointments on airplanes. Dan wore a shirt today with Village Christian on it which is the school his sister teaches at in CA. A man on our flight to Chicago said to us that this was the school he graduated from in 1984. After the flight, we talked more with him and found out that he is a Dordt College grad (went to Calvin one year); his father pastored a Spainsh church in LA which is affiliated with Dan’s sister’s church; he is the Vice President of the Bible League: Latin American Ministries; and he was traveling to a missions conference with a man who had just been doing mission work in Nicaragua and a Nicaraguan man, Gary, who is a professor of cross-cultural studies at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our history, Dan and I graduated from Calvin College and lived in Grand Rapids for 12 years, so all of these connections were quite remarkable. John Wagenveld is his name and he also is good friends with Joel Huyser who is the director of CRC World Missions in Nicaragua. We were all kind of blown away by all of these connections. He gave us his card as did the Nicaraguan man from Kuyper college, so we will see what God does with this connection. We also talked with a woman on our last flight who’s boyfriend lives in Nicaragua and she was very pleasant and helpful to us when it came to what to expect at the airport and in Managua.
Liam and Jessica, the director of NCA and his wife, met us at the airport and drove us through Managua to get to the school. The woman on the airplane warned us that driving in Managua is a little wild and she was right. Liam pointed out a motorcade and said that Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua was in the middle car. We also passed the US Embassy, the grocery store where they shop, and the road leading to the Spanish campus. We stopped for gas and a little boy came to the car to beg for food and money. Dan and I talked later about how this will be one of the things that will be very difficult for us, as Liam and Jessica told us that children are often used by their parents to beg for money and then the money is used for alcohol or drugs. It is very hot – 95 degrees with no air conditioning. (I know, you feel sorry for us in Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan where we struggle to hit 60 degrees lately!)
Well, I should get to bed as I leave early tomorrow for the Women’s conference. Do not expect any more updates until maybe Sunday or Monday. We do not have internet at the apartment, but Dan will bring our laptop to the school at some point this weekend to send this message. Some of you also will not receive our prayer list until today either because my computer shut down in the middle of sending those emails out last night at midnight – at which point I didn’t have the energy to restart everything. I had hoped to send it from the airport, but could not get that to work either.
Thank you so much for your prayers today for safe travel! We did have one flight where the plane seemed to shut off as we were backing out and the pilot said that the auxiliary engine was having difficulty. I’m thinking, “OK, so let’s get on another plane!” And then a few minutes later we take off for the runway! So, thank you for your prayers! It is a comfort to know that we are supported in this way!
Love,
Dan and Lisa
Dear Family and Friends,
I want to start tonight by sharing a way that God spoke so lovingly to our family this week and how He moved to help us all to feel at peace about our being apart from one another this week.
Each week at school, Rebekah is assigned a Bible verse to memorize. This week her verse just “happened” to be Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!” We talked through the week about how tender God’s heart is toward us that He would give us this verse to memorize this particular week.
This morning before we left, we gave the kids a card and in it was a necklace that each member of our family received months ago during a family celebration (We celebrated that we had read through the Bible my Grandma gave us which took us close to a year. She had read this same Bible to my Mom and Uncles and Aunt when they were children.) The charm on the necklace is in the shape of a shield and on the back are the words of Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!” We talked on the way to the airport about how God is always with us no matter what happens this week with them, with us, with the world. We don’t put our faith in what happens or doesn’t happen. We put our faith in the One who is with us through whatever happens. Before saying good-bye, we put our shields of faith together, said the verse together, and then put on our necklaces. Our prayer for them and for us is that we would trust this promise this week. It is a teachable moment for all of us.
I am writing this at 9:30 pm here in Managua, Nicaragua. We are at the guest apartment (bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room) where we will be staying this week. It is located on the school property and there is 24 hour security, a tall wall around the campus, we’ve gone through two locked gates to get here, and it seems we have our own personal guard. We just went out to get water from the water dispenser which is located outside of our apartment and the Nicaraguan man who let us in through the gate came out to check on us. I think we are quite secure.
We have already experienced a few things on our trip. One of our prayers was for divine appointments on airplanes. Dan wore a shirt today with Village Christian on it which is the school his sister teaches at in CA. A man on our flight to Chicago said to us that this was the school he graduated from in 1984. After the flight, we talked more with him and found out that he is a Dordt College grad (went to Calvin one year); his father pastored a Spainsh church in LA which is affiliated with Dan’s sister’s church; he is the Vice President of the Bible League: Latin American Ministries; and he was traveling to a missions conference with a man who had just been doing mission work in Nicaragua and a Nicaraguan man, Gary, who is a professor of cross-cultural studies at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our history, Dan and I graduated from Calvin College and lived in Grand Rapids for 12 years, so all of these connections were quite remarkable. John Wagenveld is his name and he also is good friends with Joel Huyser who is the director of CRC World Missions in Nicaragua. We were all kind of blown away by all of these connections. He gave us his card as did the Nicaraguan man from Kuyper college, so we will see what God does with this connection. We also talked with a woman on our last flight who’s boyfriend lives in Nicaragua and she was very pleasant and helpful to us when it came to what to expect at the airport and in Managua.
Liam and Jessica, the director of NCA and his wife, met us at the airport and drove us through Managua to get to the school. The woman on the airplane warned us that driving in Managua is a little wild and she was right. Liam pointed out a motorcade and said that Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua was in the middle car. We also passed the US Embassy, the grocery store where they shop, and the road leading to the Spanish campus. We stopped for gas and a little boy came to the car to beg for food and money. Dan and I talked later about how this will be one of the things that will be very difficult for us, as Liam and Jessica told us that children are often used by their parents to beg for money and then the money is used for alcohol or drugs. It is very hot – 95 degrees with no air conditioning. (I know, you feel sorry for us in Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan where we struggle to hit 60 degrees lately!)
Well, I should get to bed as I leave early tomorrow for the Women’s conference. Do not expect any more updates until maybe Sunday or Monday. We do not have internet at the apartment, but Dan will bring our laptop to the school at some point this weekend to send this message. Some of you also will not receive our prayer list until today either because my computer shut down in the middle of sending those emails out last night at midnight – at which point I didn’t have the energy to restart everything. I had hoped to send it from the airport, but could not get that to work either.
Thank you so much for your prayers today for safe travel! We did have one flight where the plane seemed to shut off as we were backing out and the pilot said that the auxiliary engine was having difficulty. I’m thinking, “OK, so let’s get on another plane!” And then a few minutes later we take off for the runway! So, thank you for your prayers! It is a comfort to know that we are supported in this way!
Love,
Dan and Lisa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)