Pray That They Can Stay

It has been the talk of the year. The economy. It is hard to hear of so many who have fallen on hard times. Loss of hours or job all together. Houses not selling. Foreclosure. Bankruptcy. 

Unfortunately, the missionary is not immune to this season either but is instead greatly effected. When finances get crunched in America, budgets get rearranged and the extra stuff gets pushed out. Giving is seen as extra. But that "giving" could be some one's actual pay when it is a missionary. 

A new friend here in Thailand just heard that her missions agency back in the states has just had to give notice to 30 missionaries that they no longer have funding to stay out on the field. While she was relieved that she wasn't one of them, she was also heartbroken for her cut off colleagues. It's an awkward place to be in. One of these no longer funded families had only been on the foreign field 9 months!!! That hit home to me. I was imagining how I would feel after the whole year of preparation and travel to finally arrive and get settled, start learning the language and culture, make ministry connections and then.......the carpet gets pulled from underneath! wow. sobering. With great compassion, I can pray for these people and these scenarios that are happening too often in this hard season.

Just the other day I received a newsletter from a missionary friend in Africa who had a some desperate requests. Inflation in that country has caused her rent to change from $150 to $600. She has built and is now running a women's center that disciples new believers and gives them occupational training. She is now is wondering if she can continue to remain there. In the midst of all of this, her mother died and she unexpected had to return home to the states. Not the cheapest flight out there. My heart was so moved for her especially since I had just days before learned of the aforementioned situation.

"I say all that to say this..." (that is a little inside joke) missionaries too are feeling the financial strain and it is while they are in a foreign land trying to minister to others with sometimes little encouragement. Please pray that these missionaries would stay encouraged and stand in faith. Pray that God would send faithful supporters to replace those who have had to discontinue for one reason or another. Pray that their ministry that they have labored so diligently for would continue and better yet grow. 

Wisdom and Guidance

Now that we are here, there are many decisions that need to be made to get settled. Where to live? How to get around? Public transportation? Buy motos, buy a vehicle? Continue to homeschool Brayden? Consider the bilingual school?

I am sure we could make these decisions on our own and maybe even make fairly good decisions but I guess that is not good enough for me. I really want God's perfect will even if it looks unconventional or even unpractical. Knowing that each of these decisions will put us around different groups of people makes me take this very seriously. The question is, "What people do you want us to be around, God?". I guess the rest is just details. We are needing wisdom and guidance. So please focus your time of prayer for us on that.

We are loving Thailand. God's grace has been on us and the transition has been smooth. Strangely smooth. I am trying to receive that it could just be that easy but part of me thinks that eventually it will become harder. Why is it so challenging to receive answers to prayers? What is it about us that thinks everything has to be hard? Really, coming here is one of the most natural things I have ever done. I feel more and more like the true Jacqueline every day! Keep praying! It is working!

Traveling Mercies

So...we leave Monday for Thailand permanently. Half way around the world and 12 hours ahead, it's pretty much the furthest place you can go. The travel there is long. From start to finish for us it is about 36 hours. This time we will have 4 legs of the trip, 2 domestic and 2 international. With 2 children, a car seat, a stroller, and carry on bags, our hands are always full. We will also be checking in about 10 trunks. Pray that they successfully make it to each of our destinations with no harm. Pray that the children are peaceful, comfortable, healthy and rested. Pray for the other passengers, that they are gracious and accommodating. With all the things that potentially could go wrong, pray for grace, peace and mercy. I love traveling, except for that traveling part. But it is just a part of missionary life that we will have to accept until God makes teleporting a common occurrence.

Thank you so much for praying. It brings us great peace to know that God hears our name often.

Waves of Discouragement

There are a million and one reasons for a missionary to experience discouragement. Many of out control circumstances. Disappointed hopes. Other people's responses. We shouldn't be ignorant of the enemy's devices -to rob, kill, destroy. So...kicking someone when then are down isn't against the rules. I find that once I am feeling discouragement if I don't QUICKLY get myself back up, the next wave comes and then the next. I easily go from being down, to being down with water up my nose, salt burning my eyes, and sand in my suit. Not really the picture of victory. Being in a church and surrounded by believing friends gives many opportunities to be encouraged again. But what about for those who are far away with little to no fellowship, in a dark and idolatrous place? I imagine how they could feel buried with the size of those pounding waves. I believe that this verse must be a core value of a success missionary's life, "I will encourage myself in the Lord my God." It's not "I might" or " I could" or "If or when I feel like it". It is a choice. A willingness. You exercise your will by using it and stretching it. Like any other unused part of you it might not feel good or comfortable but it's good for you. In the world of low self esteem and negative self talk, people should know that encouraging themself is a good thing. It's not prideful to tell yourself all the things you are in God, to God, for God. Worshiping God also encourages me, when my eyes are on His greatness my situations don't just appear small, they are revealed as small. It just takes getting my eyes back on God to know the difference.

Pray for missionaries, especially those in lonely and dark places that they will strengthen their will and faith in God to quickly encourage themselves in Him before they feel buried. Having a good prayer team is also a great way to stay encouraged. When we are down, knowing that people are praying for us can make all the difference. This is my biggest need and request, that people will remember in us in prayer and hold our hands up when we get weary.

Divine Orchestration

Timing can be everything. As we set appointments and trust God for new supporters, we are depending on God to orchestrate everything beautifully. We are expecting God to make room in people's schedules, we expect preparation in their hearts to hear and connect with our vision. A musician should be diligent to practice and perfect their skill but it is the orchestration of the conductor that initiates the blending of all the sounds together to be a masterpiece.

Pray for us during these last few weeks that we will make the most of our time, that everything needed will come together at the right time -some divine orchestration! I would love for this time to sound more like a professional symphony than a 4th grade band practice. Grace. Grace.

Worn Out!

I am sure I am not the only one!

The life of a missionary can be exhausting (and I am not on the field yet!). Changes everyday, managing them for yourself and your children, circumstances beyond your control, stinky attitudes from other people, feeling physically drained, the whole family lives out of trunks, you never know where anything is, always staying at other peoples home again and again, worried the children will break or ruin anything belonging to your hosts, children get bored and lonely at times, your ability to change it for them is limited, missing friends, schedules and routines, never knowing what comes next...it gets draining! Oh, and I love the adventure of all the traveling. I love the excitement of seeing new people and places. But I just get worn out sometimes. Knowing I have people praying for me and holding my hands up (so to speak) is very comforting! So keep it up! Keep me up!

Good Grief!

Miss Deborah Turner said quite a few times during our training that missionaries are grieving people. I figured if it was mentioned so frequently it should be something I remember. But being a missionary is an awesome and blessed life, why would one be mourning? Grief is a process that people go through after the have lost something. Although, the things we have "lost" have been voluntarily and willingly surrendered, we may still mourn them. Things like our home, our bed, our routine, our family, friends, church, foods, maybe a hobby...who knows maybe it is a simple as not being able to find your preferred hand creme. Missionaries lives have been turned up side down and change is constant. I think it is quite helpful to understand that grieving any loss, big or small, is a very normal process. And just because I am sad about a loss in my life does not mean I have made the wrong choice or am out of the will of God. To know about grieving and to expect it is preparation. Being aware and prepared allows you to strengthen up for it. I found this article on Missionaries and grieving, take a look here.

PRAYER POINT: Pray for missionaries (especially the Lambert family) as they grieve, that they would grieve and do it well and get through it.