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What a great Christmas we had! We were able to see a lot of friends and family and host a full house for several days in the midst of packing everything up.
You can't really ask for a better "last christmas in the States (for a while)".
Thanks to everyone here and more, we are currently at 101% of funding! What a great Christmas present.
Our PNG plane tickets arrived in the mail.
We are expecting the shipping company to arrive January 10th, to haul our belongings to Papua New Guinea.
We are moving out January 13.
We have tickets in hand for Waxhaw, North Carolina for 8 weeks of training and then we're leaving for PNG in March.
101% sounds like an exciting number, and it is! But there are numbers and then there are numbers.
I am cautioned when sharing the "inner workings of mission finances" and I'm not sure really why. I've heard the advice, and honestly if I get in trouble I'll probably get more cautious in what I share.
But again, my intention here is to demystify missions. I've been raised in the church and I've held many of the same misconceptions about missions as many people have. This entire process is a huge eye opener to me.
See even though we're told "you can go once you get 100% of support" the truth is, you really should be higher than 100% of "promised commitment". There is the promise, and then there is the actual. People are people and they sometimes forget, or their circumstances change and the funding you planned on doesn't come in.
A true miracle would be if we received 100% of the commitment. 100% equals the budget it takes for us to live in PNG and it's a very stripped down budget. The common question is "what happens to the extra?" 100% means that we've reached 100% of the comitted support required by our budget. In a perfect world any extra would go towards unexpected costs, towards immediate needs, or into savings for future needs (such as vehicles and gas, which we have not budgeted for since we do not own a vehicle over there yet). However in a realist's world, sometimes accounts dip under 100% support on a month by month basis. Sometimes the funds didn't come in, and sometimes emergencies required straying from the budget. Missionaries tend to play a lot of catchup, which is why working for an organization who can afford to allow you to play catchup. They have been burned in the past by this though, which is why they require 100% before being allowed to go to the field these days.
If one dips too low, to often, they are encouraged to return and do more partnership development (fund raising).
So we gleefully tell you, we're at 101%, and we wouldn't shy away from being at 110% before we depart, the extra money will go to cover the eventual loss we expect over time. We do expect to see a few drop offs as churches change and people age.
Glory to God, this is all in His hands. And miraculously, it's been chiefly through individuals. That's unheard of really. Most missionaries depend on churches. In our scenario, each and every person is a major player in getting and keeping us in PNG.
So Thank YOU! and Merry Christmas to your house!
Christ the Lord be glorified forever and ever!
For those that have been praying.
My son had tubes put in his ears, and his adenoids removed yesterday around 1pm. The procedure went smoothly. His adenoids were very large.
He's almost back to his normal self, except he's been unable to hold down solids but he's working through it. What a trooper, was calm the whole time.
-we needed him in quick, the doctor got him in 3 days later because he was sympathetic to our cause.
-the anesthesiologist (sp?) had done several volunteer global short term trips himself and even was able to compare notes with my wife on certain places. He was GREAT with kids, a very pleasing bedside manner.
-that time of day the recovery room was empty so we got focussed attention.
-after we got home, my wife, who wasn't feeling great, finally took a moment to realize she had strep. We were able to get the oncall doctor to write a scrip for drugs for her without a visit and she's feeling a TON better today. That almost NEVER happens.
God had his hand on this family through this entire process, I'm sure there is more but I'm pretty tired from taking care of sickies all night.
Yesterday was the first time I ever had to see my kid attached to an I.V., with breathing mask and everything. I admire the strength of so many of my friends who have had to do that for prolongued periods of time during their child's infancy. Ear tubes and adenoid surgery is a cake walk compared to some of that stuff. And through it all, somehow my little son, with his bravery and calmness, facing his own nerves, made me respect him and proud and thankful to God all at the same time.
It is amazing what God will help us get through.
Prior to the surgery I was talking and walking with him. We spoke about bravery.
"Son, bravery is when you do something you need to, even though it scares you to do it. Can you think of an example?"
"yeah, like I'm scared to go to Papua New Guinea, but I'm gonna go."
From a child's mouth, at any moment, without warning can come silliness, or poignancy.
He said that our son has fluid in his ears, and recommended implanting tubes. At age 5 when chronic fluid is prsent, they usually take a look at the adnoids and possibly remove them. A procedure akin to removing tonsils.
-it could resolve his hearing issue and not have permanent loss.
-his current hearing loss, should it be permanent, isn't enough to affect his speech or learning or functioning. (not strong enough to require a hearing aid), and isn't progressive if we treat it now.
Because of our timeline the doctor was able to fit us in this Friday. Which is another huge answer to prayer. Being fit into our insurance plan AND his schedule 2 days after seeing him?
It's not because it was an emergency but because the doctor would like to check up on him before we left for N. Carolina!
also throw in a side prayer that our visas come through soon.
thank you! PRAISE GOD, that's a load off our minds.
There is more going on than I can even blog but the energy is very high around here. We're very very excited. I tend to use that word a LOT these days.
Funding wise, we haven't technically reached 100% yet, we still need some more monthly committments and partners. However we have reached 100% if you look at it another way.
(it's funny how finances can be viewed in multiple ways) So we're cleared to leave the country! We're hopeful that by the time we actually leave we'll be at 100% EVERY way you look at it, but 1 way is good enough for us for now.
1 - you'll never be higher support wise, than you are when you first leave.
why? - because people won't feel your presence anymore, won't see your energy, won't experience your enthusiasm, and will forget your face over time.
why? - because people will stop sending for various reasons, or forget to start.
So, by no means are we intending to stop, for multiple reasons.
We're very excited to actually start creating experiences to write you all about.
Pictures! New stories! The good stuff! The exciting stuff... what God is doing over there stuff!
Well we've begun packing too. Giving away furniture, selling stuff on craig's list, donating to the neighbors, hauling away junk, putting stuff in boxes, and trying to find people who'll store a box or two for us here and there.
It is quite the logistical puzzle to craft moving, when to get rid of what furniture, when to sell/donate cars, when to quit work, and when to pack up... say.. your computer equipment, etc.
All signs are pointing to GO... but there are a few more obstacles God has to clear.
January 13 - we fly to Waxhaw, North Carolina to live in an apartment for 8 weeks.
During those 8 weeks we will undergo cultural sensitivity training and technical training while our kids attend a local school.
March 10, we return from NC to stay in the Bay area for 1 week, visiting, saying goodbye, and tieing up loose ends.
March 17, we begin to fly to PNG.
- packing. Logistics of getting it all done.
- holidays. We're hosting Christmas, and it'll be a very full house, with family from both sides attending. IT promises to be a mixture of the stress of moving, the emotional stress of leaving, the logistic stress of having visitors stay in our home, and the christmas commotion of all the goings on. It's a perfect storm, and everyone is going to feel the pressure. But, the reason for it all is love. Folks want to be around us during this time, even if part of them are upset at us for taking away the grandkids, they love us. Pray that all of us can be kind and sincere during this time.
-our son's hearing. This is a very personal issue and one that we share not to embarrass our son. He's 5yrs old, and the doctor's are telling us we might expect some percentage of permanent hearing loss. A few weeks ago, I noticed something odd about his hearing and didn't dismiss it as a young child being stubborn. We did an impromptu hearing test and he didn't do so well. So we went to his pediatrician. She said she suspected fluid, and because we were leaving the country in 3 months, put him on aggressive anti-biotics.
Aggressive anti-biotics is a bit scary of a thought because I had heard of children being deaf because of this type of treatment for ear infections. In fact memory serves that one year our son had 2 infections and the dr. said a third would require tubes instead of anti-biotics.
The treatment possibly cleared up the fluid but a tympanogram proved no movement of his tympanic membrane. So we went to an audiologist who said there might be "some" fluid but they suspect a percentage of permanent loss.
So on Tuesday we see a specialist. What are they going to tell us? We don't know yet. We have many questions.
We need more data on his situation first. As you would guess, there are a lot of questions, and a lot of prayer needed about this right now.
As always, Pray that God would envelop us in a pocket of God's presence. That we would defer all decisions to Him, that we would submit gladly to His will and recognize it.
Yesterday we sold the kid’s swingset. AT noon I posted on craigslist, by 1pm I had cash in hand and someone was tearing down the big wooden structure. By 4pm the structure was gone. That was nice.
I love our kids. Another example of God preparing them for this ministry. They take change so well. My son is anxiously awaiting today when we give the neighbor his train table.
That was a funny moment for me. I had forgotten my daughter knows her apple types well.
Today I said goodbye to my vhs movie collection. I started it in 1991, in college I used to lend movies to people. As a young kid my mom used to say “you have a gift for remembering movie trivia.” And I did, and I do.
When people ask my hobbies I often say “film”. But I don’t say it with pride, I say it with shame.
When we’re sitting around talking and someone says “you know that guy.. in that one film… who did that thing?” and I quickly reply with all the relevant data. I don’t take joy in that.
It was easy on some of the lame ones, and harder when I got to some of my favorite classics.
I was struck by a sobering thought. I looked at the futility of collecting these movies now on a nearly defunct medium, unloved for years, and finally put into the trash.
I felt sad, as if I had wasted a lot of time and energy.
I wonder if this is a small fraction of what it would feel like to stand before God on judgement day and realize your entire life was spent chasing the wrong thing.
Lord, I don’t want to chase the wrong things. I know movies aren’t sinful, but I also know they're trifles, not things to be largely concerned with. God help me not to continue the habit of spending too much time on trifles. God give me a consuming fire for your Word. God I know myself and I know I have these moments of clarity that are later overridden by unbroken habits. God help me to break that habit.
When we first started this adventure we had a list of prayer requests before God.
"God, these are the concerns on our heart, we will follow you and obey you regardless of whether or not these are answered, but we put them before you."
In the past year, that list has been systematically answered.
We still have petitions before Him, but He has graciously answered the chief concerns on our heart, and now we stand before the threshold ready to serve Him with an unburdened and unworried heart. It is such a wonderful confirmation that God would alleviate those concerns of ours.
We have all but 2 pieces of papers in to submit our visa application. We've been working hard on this. There are many doctor's visits and revisits to get all the papers we need. I'm anxiously awaiting one email so we can submit our visas.
We're starting to investigate air fare to Papua New Guinea! 95% is when you begin the final preparations!
--we still need free long term storage for our stuff.
--we still need around $160 more p/month to meet our criteria.
-God is working, he's comforting our last minute worries, He's providing for us in so many ways, He's even making work exodus go smoothly.
I had a dream last night that shook me a bit. I rarely pay attention to dreams, but you know sometimes they can affect you emotionally as you wake up and start your day. I woke up with questions and fears. Instinctively I turned to the Word. I grabbed my "Message" and walked outside after 6am and read it. Sometimes the Message is best for morning light reading. I prefer NKJ for the more mental exercises.
--God what if I'm making a huge mistake? Should I keep my job?
--God what about the spiritual attack I'll be putting my family under?
they're a joke with no punch line.
--God what if I make a huge mistake and mess up my family's future?
his path blazed by God, he's happy.
God has a grip on his hand.
--Okay I get it, but God how do I make sure I don't falter and mess things up? I'm only human.
his feet are as sure as a cat's.
insolent souls are on a dead-end street.
God speaks to His people. I am very uplifted. I've been listening to John Piper and one thing he mentions is that there are two parts of the Christian faith.
the other is desiring God.
I tell you my passion is that God's Word would pump through my life like blood through my veins. WOW. I can't help but get excited about that. God is so good, so praiseworthy! Get excited about His stuff!
I recently got an email.
We've been praying that God would see fit to increase the bandwidth in PNG before we got onsight in January.
the email today was exciting news. they are deploying new internet service technology (I'm being vague on purpose) which will allow them more reliability and bandwidth!
There are a lot of technical questions at the moment, but, it is a definite and direct answer to prayer.
God is awesome. He chooses to bless us through continued answer to prayer and He is worthy of praise. When we see answers to prayer like this we get excited! God thank you! We do not deserve these mercies!
Well, summer is over and the kids are back in school. Calvin started Kindergarten this year and Sydney is in second grade. We had a very busy summer, but were blessed to have a chance to spend lots of time with some of our extended family. Those times become much more precious when you realize that by next summer we will be living halfway across the globe.
We’d like to take a minute to say thanks to all of you who are partnering with us in this journey. Your prayers and financial support are invaluable. We are definitely looking forward to getting to Papua New Guinea, but this time we spend in preparation has given us a chance to get to know some amazing people who are a part of our team. In fact, this summer Kendal had the privilege of meeting some of our prayer partners. The residents of the retirement community where Kendal’s mom works have been faithfully praying for us for the past year. While in Oregon this summer, Kendal had a chance to meet this amazing group of people and share with them a little more about what we will be doing and where we are going. What a blessing to meet and share with these faithful members of our team!
We are at 84.8% with $600 p/month left to discover.
We don’t use the word “raise” because really we aren’t earning or raising any money, but you as our partners are supporting us because you care.
We are constantly reminded that we are on God’s clock, not our own. Personally, I (Chad) would like to see 100% before September ends. That would mean we could buy plane tickets to North Carolina at the best value, and make all our training on time, as well as finalize the details of moving. It is an interesting limbo state that we are currently in. If we do not reach 100% in time to purchase plane tickets and leave in January, then we will have to wait until the following August to go. God is sovereign, His timing is perfect. He has answered so many prayers that indicate that this January is the right time that we are acting in faith He will provide. All signs point to January as being when He wants us to depart, which is why we strongly believe we will reach 100% in time.
Please pray. Currently we have reached out to everyone we know, and friends of people we know. Historically missions finances primarily come from churches, but that does not seem to be the method God had in mind for us as over 95% of our current funds come from individuals.
If you attend a church that has an active missions department please contact us.
If you are interested in partnering with us through prayer or finances please contact us.
Please pray that God provide the 100% in time.
Again, thank you to everyone for your prayer and support. It takes a team to accomplish this work, and we are very thankful to God for you.
wow, a lot of stuff has happened.
In the interest of getting the information out, we sort of hacked up the original format to squeeze in the info.
2 - God would bring folks who have committed to joining us, to telling us what level they are comfortable with.... .still in progress but some folks are saying "remember when we committed months ago.. .well this is how much we'd like to give.."
God really worked out a major issue for us. POC is a 14 week in country camp/training based on teaching you how to live in the country. My future manager needs me at the job at soon as possible to train me before he leaves in country. If I were to attend the 14 week training it would drastically lower my ability to do my job right out of the gates (I like to hit the ground running).
So now the story is... in January we'll be attending 5 weeks of training, move to PNG, live there for 6 months, and then go to the 14 week training, which will allow us not only to have more time acclimating, but create a better appreciation for the 14 week training as well as more preparation.
All in all, God moved a mighty mountain for us recently!
and we're waiting for the final 24% of people to let us know what they are comfortable with committing to!
We're excited... the rubber is meeting the road and we're ready to go!!!
-that our funding hits 100% by September.
-that our visas and work permits go through smoothly.
This is very exciting stuff! We're seeing God answer prayers in His incredible style!
People are asking us if we're excited. The answer is yes!
Today we moved passed the 70% support line into 75% support!
That is exciting. 80% is our next milestone. We'd like to be there by the end of July. And we'd like to be at 100% by the end of August.
That's our timing, God's timing seems to be keeping in line with that, and we definitely will wait on Him.
We are going to take some family time this July, and hope to fit in some time to visit churches and friends.
We have submitted the application for the kids enrolment to school, and we have finalized the Visa application (it takes a while to get all the documentation in) and are sending it in today.
Pray that all paperwork gets to it's proper destination and is processed in a timely fashion and that things go smoothly.
It is definitely a discipline to do your paperwork thoroughly and on time, and completely. A discipline that is part of the job and that we are learning.
On a personal note, I find it ironic because I have always disliked paperwork, and now I am at a time in my life when paperwork is a huge portion of my day.
Doesn't God always work like that? Always trying to strengthen us in our weak areas (-;. As my folks used to say... "it builds character".
Today marks 67% of our financial goal!
We have begun our Visa application process and require prayer that it goes smoothly.
There is a lot of paperwork to fill out and rules and regulations to adhere to, official copies of this and that to get and such.
We do our best to make sure this all goes through smoothly, and then trust God to guide it all to the right people to get it through. As we start sending off document after document, pray for it's smooth sailing.
We are now at 60% financial partnership! Only 40% more to go! If you know of any interested parties we have yet to contact please let us know.
the financial data is out of date because in 2 weeks time we have had such a response that we were unable to keep up with it.
we've finished newsletter2, a few weeks ago.
now we're compiling everyone's email addresses.
With each email we send out, we save approximately one dollar. (printing costs and mailing costs).
So in the interest of stewardship, we've taken the extra week to compile email addresses.
51% financial partnership!!!! (as of 5/13/06) We jumped right passed 50 and went straight to 51% !!! YAH....YIPPEEE!!! (didn't want to give a search engine free advertising).
Also, for those of you who desire a more personal touch, the newsletters aren't it. The newsletters go to a wide range of people, and as such, are typically more informative and general... as is the news.
For the personal touch, look first to the blog, which while public, is more personal. And secondly we do try to keep in touch with everyone on a personal level as well.
If you have any questions, or simply want to talk, we would love to have a chat with you.
God answers prayer in incredible ways.
I (chad) have learned throughout my life to pray for everything. I don't believe in coincidence, and I don't believe anything is too small to pray about. God is all powerful, to Him it is as hard to raise full support for missions as it is to find a good parking space. His power can handle both with relative ease. In our eyes, things are harder, and so we tend to gravitate towards only releasing the harder things to God. BUT, in my daily life I pray continually, and while I sometimes do feel silly praying for the small stuff, I definitely have seen God take those opportunities to be glorified and encourage me.
Well I was taking my time, not being rude at all, and I paused at an intersection to let people go, but jsut as I did, a large group of people decided to cross the street and block the river of traffic coming at me, so I took the opportunity and pulled behind a big convertable with one man driving.
His bumper stickers read: "hedonist" "apes evolved from creationists" and "boycott A.A."
I thought "God, this man apparently lives his life in mockery of you."
Well, the man was looking to his left, I don't know why, because I was looking to my right, and right in front of him, a car was pulling out.
This man missed it completely, and I got a prime parking spot.
I laughed and thanked God.
Not only, did God part the waters to allow me to drive smoothly, but He gave me a perfect parking spot in a very encouraging way as if to say "there will be those that mock me, but I reward my faithful."
It seems like a small thing, but I believe when you have eyes to see, you can see God working everywhere.
I do not know how many of these thoughts I should share. They are personal and not completely matured. Yet we desire to remain sincere and open to those who support us, because the end goal is to glorify God. Sincerely voicing the thoughts and struggles are part of the missionary process. People can never truly know unless you share, and unfortunately for the reader, when I am passionate I am also verbose (well on paper anyway). Keep in mind as you read, the context, we haven't been in the field for many years and thus we consult those who have been and are encouraged. We're aware we probably represent the youthful vitality one expects from "newbies".
I see friends in professional ministry being absorbed by the frustrations of the professional side of their work. I see movies about priests that have lost their faith. Always these movies show men who once had a lively relationship with God and now are consumed with selfish desires and have lost that connection with God. I hear of missionaries who burn out and return home from the field.
I desire to serve God with my life. God can search my heart and know that I am a wickedly selfish man. I know that I am no good on my own. I know that I seek out selfish pursuits, but also, if I possess any wisdom at all, I know that these pursuits will not end in happiness, and the only true contentment can be found in God’s presence. On top of that I know that all of these things are temporary. My life is flying past my eyes, and the only investment worth making is in God’s eternal kingdom.
Worship helps me with my focus and motivation. I read the Scripture and I see God’s character and in a world where all is failing me, where many things are empty and devoid of goodness I see God shining above it all. God is so good and so Holy. And when I concentrate on that, little else matters to me. My self fades away, my soul desires to be with God’s holiness. As if I’m taking a huge drink after years of thirst, soaking in God’s holiness. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing, so long as I’m worshiping God through thought and action, and whatever I end up doing, I need to be convinced that I’m doing it to worship the goodness of God. Right now, I’m convinced the way to do that is to go to PNG and take my family. The risk is that we would be consumed by the process and lose sight of worshiping God, which would be the failure of the project. But I see no evidence that in not going that risk becomes any less. In fact, I am anxious for the opportunity to throw my life into a situation where I am stripped of my American culture and comforts and thus can measure how much I truly depend on God for all things. And continue to live a life where I am dependant upon God.
As a westerner, there is much I do not understand about dependence.
4And do you remember God's answer?
5It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority still--not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. 6They're holding on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because they're convinced of God's grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago.
My selfish nature and Bible study already tell me what I will get out of serving God, assuming I do it correctly. But I also know that none of these rewards will be sufficient motivation to forebear the suffering that will most likely accompany any faith developing scenario. (I use the term faith-developing instead of testing on purpose). So these rewards are not what motivates me. There is a sense of duty, yes. A sense of doing what is right also. There is a sense of not losing face among those invested in our success as well. But these motivations will crack under the pressure too. The motivation that will truly uphold us during the times when we can’t take any more, will be because we are convinced of God’s grace and purpose in choosing us. And we are. God’s grace is immeasurable. The fact that He chose us is inconceivable. We are fully confident of this. Couple that with a daily dose of worshiping His goodness and Holiness and what you have are addicts for God.
Perhaps this pushes the illustration a bit extreme. A drug addict, will do anything for their next fix. But they also know when they’re getting fake stuff. It doesn’t have the same effect.
That is how we intend to let the Spirit be our rudder. When entering God’s presence and sensing even a sliver of His holiness becomes something we can no longer do we will know that there is an issue we need to work out and right before God.
We desire to be submissive to Him, so we can stay close to Him, because He is good. We are addicted to God's holiness, we breath it in as often as we can. When you remain in this state, you eyes and ears and heart maintain a sensitivity to the Spirit that helps guide.
The risk of losing sight of God's plan is the same at home as it would be in the field. The pressures are strong against you whenever you are doing what God would have you do. The cultural adaptation stress can be a huge factor. As a missionary you are more in the public eye. A spiritual failure at home can go unnoticed, but a spiritual failure in the field will not go unnoticed. Also though, the stigma that comes with a missionary returning before retiring is that perhaps they failed in their mission. It's sad but that is an assumption that some folks make "what went wrong?" Maybe nothing went wrong at all. But that is a different topic.
We refuse to disobey God's call because the risk for failure is great. The risk of embarrassment is great. Failure is simply not an option. My family has been specifically prepared for this, we have been specifically called. We have the qualities required for success both in faith, character and personality. I can give you a very convincing resume of why we are very well suited for the work before us, and odds are you already know us and are convinced of our abilities yourself (otherwise you would not be supporting us). But none of that matters. There is only one requirement God needs and that is willingness. We are obedient and willing and submissive to what God puts on our hearts. God does the rest. In fact He even accomplishes the obedience and willingness simply by means of being who He is. He is completely good, and completely Holy. We are compelled to Him. We are not relying on odds or on pedigrees, we are relying solely on God's provision. God will not fail, and thus we will cling to His coat tails the entire way.
Yes the pressures of cultural adaptation will be great. Yes the spiritual warfare will be present. Yes financial pressure will be a stress. There is a long list of reasons why we can fail. God is greater than all of them, God does not fail. We can fail, we will fail. God will prove faithful and compensate.
As partners in this ministry you have opened yourselves up for failure as well. You have committed to pray for us, and the more effective our ministry is at tearing down the strongholds of Satan, the more the people who pray for us will be under attack. Few consider this. Know that God overcomes. God is faithful.
And so, when the times come where we feel we want to give up, we will first go to God and admit it. We will ask God to shore us up, to meet us and supply. No one truly seeks to suffer, but we will not shy from it when it comes. We expect hardship, something that as Americans who have been blessed our entire lives is not something that we confront often. So when it comes, many people will wonder if we will be able to handle it or not. We don't know ourselves, but we do know that our instinctive reaction will be to plead to God for help through it. We do not ask to avoid pain, but we desire to seek God's face in the midst of it, and in the end, be more fit to glorify God.
We look forward to blogging the great stories of God proving faithful. For where the odds are their worst, when things seem impossible, those are the places that God absolutely shines without doubt. We are so anxious for those times, because it brings us all closer to God. Pray for those times for yourself and each other. Pray that this ministry would be a collective of submissive servants who live only so that God can be glorified.
Burnout is a reality. Stress can be overwhelming. Wycliffe has mandatory counciling and has good training and preparation for handling stress. We have been reading books and studying to prepare. Many practical steps have been taken to assure the full success of this ministry, but in the end, it comes down to the reality of every situation in life. How much are we going to try and handle without God? The answer is 0.00% There isn't any success to be had on our own.
after re-reading this I realize that we have already undergone some spiritual attack and stress and suffering. In each instance, as a couple we immediately turned to God in prayer. In each instance, God met us there quickly and completely and so amazingly "God-like" that it was undeniably Him. The term "God-thing" applies because it is during these moments of sorrow, stress, weakness, complete humanity, that God is glorified because only He fit those jigsaw like missing pieces of the puzzle.
The story we blogged about my daughter carrying the backpack for my wife was such an example of God supplying for us when we were needing encouragement greatly.
well, since we're not really sure at what time we'll be leaving or ready to go, we're in a mode of.... preparing. Faithfully working towards the idea that the money will come in before January '07.
we're planning to pack for a trip to a place we've never lived in.
Well first we talk to a lot of folks who live there or have lived there, and take in all their advice.
Then we look at our belongings and consider what can stay and what needs to go. Ironically we look forward to simplifying our lives, and yet have been advised to buy many things unobtainable over there. Like advil.
In the midst of this we are keeping in mind the idea of simple living. Depending on God. And balancing that with our passion to create a home environment for people.
for me personally, it seems very silly to be asking "how many computers should I bring?"
one for me, one for the wife, one for the kids, one for spare parts, one as a server...... really how many is "enough".
For my wife the question is photo albums, we're told not to bring anything we can't afford to lose at first... should something go wrong somewhere in the shipping process.
and then... we'll most likely need to move all of this stuff multiple times a year.
Managing this issue of "stuff" is a blessing to us from God because my wife and I are rather compatible in this area. Neither of us are too materialistic. Both of us have our areas of "i need this..." and each of us can be stretched and challenged enough to adapt that it makes it an adventure.
We both loved "colonial house" (a pbs special). The idea of getting away from dependence on technology, of a return to simplicity.
Now we are facing the reality of making choices... what stays, what goes, and what needs to be purchased for whatever reason to take with us?
Whatever decisions are made, we'll survive and be strengthened by any "lack" we might experience.
We also hope that it will develop a truer sense of priorities. Even if we think our priorities are right now, there is nothing like good old fashion testing your mettle.
-physical conditioning to be able to handle the training camp 3 day backpacking hike.
well we are working on finding the people who want to partner with us in prayer and or financially. We have spoken in a few groups, and right now see our ministry as a process of informing and discovering. Our home church is having a missions emphasis month and so we're involved in helping other missionaries where we can.
We're writing a lot of letters right now, and seeing where that leads.
We're at 23% of our goal right now, and we're hoping to be at 100% before August but that all depends on God's timing.
This part of the process is the part where there might not be as much to blog primarily because financial matters inherently involve a bit of privacy.
But we can still talk about what God is doing and what He is showing us. Right now He is showing us how wonderfully excited so many of you are about us as friends and about our joining together in ministry!

lowercased:
what a great christmas we had! we were able to see a lot of friends and family and host a full house for several days in the midst of packing everything up.
you can't really ask for a better "last christmas in the states (for a while)".
thanks to everyone here and more, we are currently at 101% of funding! what a great christmas present.
our png plane tickets arrived in the mail.
we are expecting the shipping company to arrive january 10th, to haul our belongings to papua new guinea.
we are moving out january 13.
we have tickets in hand for waxhaw, north carolina for 8 weeks of training and then we're leaving for png in march.
101% sounds like an exciting number, and it is! but there are numbers and then there are numbers.
i am cautioned when sharing the "inner workings of mission finances" and i'm not sure really why. i've heard the advice, and honestly if i get in trouble i'll probably get more cautious in what i share.
but again, my intention here is to demystify missions. i've been raised in the church and i've held many of the same misconceptions about missions as many people have. this entire process is a huge eye opener to me.
see even though we're told "you can go once you get 100% of support" the truth is, you really should be higher than 100% of "promised commitment". there is the promise, and then there is the actual. people are people and they sometimes forget, or their circumstances change and the funding you planned on doesn't come in.
a true miracle would be if we received 100% of the commitment. 100% equals the budget it takes for us to live in png and it's a very stripped down budget. the common question is "what happens to the extra?" 100% means that we've reached 100% of the comitted support required by our budget. in a perfect world any extra would go towards unexpected costs, towards immediate needs, or into savings for future needs (such as vehicles and gas, which we have not budgeted for since we do not own a vehicle over there yet). however in a realist's world, sometimes accounts dip under 100% support on a month by month basis. sometimes the funds didn't come in, and sometimes emergencies required straying from the budget. missionaries tend to play a lot of catchup, which is why working for an organization who can afford to allow you to play catchup. they have been burned in the past by this though, which is why they require 100% before being allowed to go to the field these days.
if one dips too low, to often, they are encouraged to return and do more partnership development (fund raising).
so we gleefully tell you, we're at 101%, and we wouldn't shy away from being at 110% before we depart, the extra money will go to cover the eventual loss we expect over time. we do expect to see a few drop offs as churches change and people age.
glory to god, this is all in his hands. and miraculously, it's been chiefly through individuals. that's unheard of really. most missionaries depend on churches. in our scenario, each and every person is a major player in getting and keeping us in png.
so thank you! and merry christmas to your house!
christ the lord be glorified forever and ever!
for those that have been praying.
my son had tubes put in his ears, and his adenoids removed yesterday around 1pm. the procedure went smoothly. his adenoids were very large.
he's almost back to his normal self, except he's been unable to hold down solids but he's working through it. what a trooper, was calm the whole time.
-we needed him in quick, the doctor got him in 3 days later because he was sympathetic to our cause.
-the anesthesiologist (sp?) had done several volunteer global short term trips himself and even was able to compare notes with my wife on certain places. he was great with kids, a very pleasing bedside manner.
-that time of day the recovery room was empty so we got focussed attention.
-after we got home, my wife, who wasn't feeling great, finally took a moment to realize she had strep. we were able to get the oncall doctor to write a scrip for drugs for her without a visit and she's feeling a ton better today. that almost never happens.
god had his hand on this family through this entire process, i'm sure there is more but i'm pretty tired from taking care of sickies all night.
yesterday was the first time i ever had to see my kid attached to an i.v., with breathing mask and everything. i admire the strength of so many of my friends who have had to do that for prolongued periods of time during their child's infancy. ear tubes and adenoid surgery is a cake walk compared to some of that stuff. and through it all, somehow my little son, with his bravery and calmness, facing his own nerves, made me respect him and proud and thankful to god all at the same time.
it is amazing what god will help us get through.
prior to the surgery i was talking and walking with him. we spoke about bravery.
"son, bravery is when you do something you need to, even though it scares you to do it. can you think of an example?"
"yeah, like i'm scared to go to papua new guinea, but i'm gonna go."
from a child's mouth, at any moment, without warning can come silliness, or poignancy.
he said that our son has fluid in his ears, and recommended implanting tubes. at age 5 when chronic fluid is prsent, they usually take a look at the adnoids and possibly remove them. a procedure akin to removing tonsils.
-it could resolve his hearing issue and not have permanent loss.
-his current hearing loss, should it be permanent, isn't enough to affect his speech or learning or functioning. (not strong enough to require a hearing aid), and isn't progressive if we treat it now.
because of our timeline the doctor was able to fit us in this friday. which is another huge answer to prayer. being fit into our insurance plan and his schedule 2 days after seeing him?
it's not because it was an emergency but because the doctor would like to check up on him before we left for n. carolina!
also throw in a side prayer that our visas come through soon.
thank you! praise god, that's a load off our minds.
there is more going on than i can even blog but the energy is very high around here. we're very very excited. i tend to use that word a lot these days.
funding wise, we haven't technically reached 100% yet, we still need some more monthly committments and partners. however we have reached 100% if you look at it another way.
(it's funny how finances can be viewed in multiple ways) so we're cleared to leave the country! we're hopeful that by the time we actually leave we'll be at 100% every way you look at it, but 1 way is good enough for us for now.
1 - you'll never be higher support wise, than you are when you first leave.
why? - because people won't feel your presence anymore, won't see your energy, won't experience your enthusiasm, and will forget your face over time.
why? - because people will stop sending for various reasons, or forget to start.
so, by no means are we intending to stop, for multiple reasons.
we're very excited to actually start creating experiences to write you all about.
pictures! new stories! the good stuff! the exciting stuff... what god is doing over there stuff!
well we've begun packing too. giving away furniture, selling stuff on craig's list, donating to the neighbors, hauling away junk, putting stuff in boxes, and trying to find people who'll store a box or two for us here and there.
it is quite the logistical puzzle to craft moving, when to get rid of what furniture, when to sell/donate cars, when to quit work, and when to pack up... say.. your computer equipment, etc.
all signs are pointing to go... but there are a few more obstacles god has to clear.
january 13 - we fly to waxhaw, north carolina to live in an apartment for 8 weeks.
during those 8 weeks we will undergo cultural sensitivity training and technical training while our kids attend a local school.
march 10, we return from nc to stay in the bay area for 1 week, visiting, saying goodbye, and tieing up loose ends.
march 17, we begin to fly to png.
- packing. logistics of getting it all done.
- holidays. we're hosting christmas, and it'll be a very full house, with family from both sides attending. it promises to be a mixture of the stress of moving, the emotional stress of leaving, the logistic stress of having visitors stay in our home, and the christmas commotion of all the goings on. it's a perfect storm, and everyone is going to feel the pressure. but, the reason for it all is love. folks want to be around us during this time, even if part of them are upset at us for taking away the grandkids, they love us. pray that all of us can be kind and sincere during this time.
-our son's hearing. this is a very personal issue and one that we share not to embarrass our son. he's 5yrs old, and the doctor's are telling us we might expect some percentage of permanent hearing loss. a few weeks ago, i noticed something odd about his hearing and didn't dismiss it as a young child being stubborn. we did an impromptu hearing test and he didn't do so well. so we went to his pediatrician. she said she suspected fluid, and because we were leaving the country in 3 months, put him on aggressive anti-biotics.
aggressive anti-biotics is a bit scary of a thought because i had heard of children being deaf because of this type of treatment for ear infections. in fact memory serves that one year our son had 2 infections and the dr. said a third would require tubes instead of anti-biotics.
the treatment possibly cleared up the fluid but a tympanogram proved no movement of his tympanic membrane. so we went to an audiologist who said there might be "some" fluid but they suspect a percentage of permanent loss.
so on tuesday we see a specialist. what are they going to tell us? we don't know yet. we have many questions.
we need more data on his situation first. as you would guess, there are a lot of questions, and a lot of prayer needed about this right now.
as always, pray that god would envelop us in a pocket of god's presence. that we would defer all decisions to him, that we would submit gladly to his will and recognize it.
yesterday we sold the kid’s swingset. at noon i posted on craigslist, by 1pm i had cash in hand and someone was tearing down the big wooden structure. by 4pm the structure was gone. that was nice.
i love our kids. another example of god preparing them for this ministry. they take change so well. my son is anxiously awaiting today when we give the neighbor his train table.
that was a funny moment for me. i had forgotten my daughter knows her apple types well.
today i said goodbye to my vhs movie collection. i started it in 1991, in college i used to lend movies to people. as a young kid my mom used to say “you have a gift for remembering movie trivia.” and i did, and i do.
when people ask my hobbies i often say “film”. but i don’t say it with pride, i say it with shame.
when we’re sitting around talking and someone says “you know that guy.. in that one film… who did that thing?” and i quickly reply with all the relevant data. i don’t take joy in that.
it was easy on some of the lame ones, and harder when i got to some of my favorite classics.
i was struck by a sobering thought. i looked at the futility of collecting these movies now on a nearly defunct medium, unloved for years, and finally put into the trash.
i felt sad, as if i had wasted a lot of time and energy.
i wonder if this is a small fraction of what it would feel like to stand before god on judgement day and realize your entire life was spent chasing the wrong thing.
lord, i don’t want to chase the wrong things. i know movies aren’t sinful, but i also know they're trifles, not things to be largely concerned with. god help me not to continue the habit of spending too much time on trifles. god give me a consuming fire for your word. god i know myself and i know i have these moments of clarity that are later overridden by unbroken habits. god help me to break that habit.
when we first started this adventure we had a list of prayer requests before god.
"god, these are the concerns on our heart, we will follow you and obey you regardless of whether or not these are answered, but we put them before you."
in the past year, that list has been systematically answered.
we still have petitions before him, but he has graciously answered the chief concerns on our heart, and now we stand before the threshold ready to serve him with an unburdened and unworried heart. it is such a wonderful confirmation that god would alleviate those concerns of ours.
we have all but 2 pieces of papers in to submit our visa application. we've been working hard on this. there are many doctor's visits and revisits to get all the papers we need. i'm anxiously awaiting one email so we can submit our visas.
we're starting to investigate air fare to papua new guinea! 95% is when you begin the final preparations!
--we still need free long term storage for our stuff.
--we still need around $160 more p/month to meet our criteria.
-god is working, he's comforting our last minute worries, he's providing for us in so many ways, he's even making work exodus go smoothly.
i had a dream last night that shook me a bit. i rarely pay attention to dreams, but you know sometimes they can affect you emotionally as you wake up and start your day. i woke up with questions and fears. instinctively i turned to the word. i grabbed my "message" and walked outside after 6am and read it. sometimes the message is best for morning light reading. i prefer nkj for the more mental exercises.
--god what if i'm making a huge mistake? should i keep my job?
--god what about the spiritual attack i'll be putting my family under?
they're a joke with no punch line.
--god what if i make a huge mistake and mess up my family's future?
his path blazed by god, he's happy.
god has a grip on his hand.
--okay i get it, but god how do i make sure i don't falter and mess things up? i'm only human.
his feet are as sure as a cat's.
insolent souls are on a dead-end street.
god speaks to his people. i am very uplifted. i've been listening to john piper and one thing he mentions is that there are two parts of the christian faith.
the other is desiring god.
i tell you my passion is that god's word would pump through my life like blood through my veins. wow. i can't help but get excited about that. god is so good, so praiseworthy! get excited about his stuff!
i recently got an email.
we've been praying that god would see fit to increase the bandwidth in png before we got onsight in january.
the email today was exciting news. they are deploying new internet service technology (i'm being vague on purpose) which will allow them more reliability and bandwidth!
there are a lot of technical questions at the moment, but, it is a definite and direct answer to prayer.
god is awesome. he chooses to bless us through continued answer to prayer and he is worthy of praise. when we see answers to prayer like this we get excited! god thank you! we do not deserve these mercies!
well, summer is over and the kids are back in school. calvin started kindergarten this year and sydney is in second grade. we had a very busy summer, but were blessed to have a chance to spend lots of time with some of our extended family. those times become much more precious when you realize that by next summer we will be living halfway across the globe.
we’d like to take a minute to say thanks to all of you who are partnering with us in this journey. your prayers and financial support are invaluable. we are definitely looking forward to getting to papua new guinea, but this time we spend in preparation has given us a chance to get to know some amazing people who are a part of our team. in fact, this summer kendal had the privilege of meeting some of our prayer partners. the residents of the retirement community where kendal’s mom works have been faithfully praying for us for the past year. while in oregon this summer, kendal had a chance to meet this amazing group of people and share with them a little more about what we will be doing and where we are going. what a blessing to meet and share with these faithful members of our team!
we are at 84.8% with $600 p/month left to discover.
we don’t use the word “raise” because really we aren’t earning or raising any money, but you as our partners are supporting us because you care.
we are constantly reminded that we are on god’s clock, not our own. personally, i (chad) would like to see 100% before september ends. that would mean we could buy plane tickets to north carolina at the best value, and make all our training on time, as well as finalize the details of moving. it is an interesting limbo state that we are currently in. if we do not reach 100% in time to purchase plane tickets and leave in january, then we will have to wait until the following august to go. god is sovereign, his timing is perfect. he has answered so many prayers that indicate that this january is the right time that we are acting in faith he will provide. all signs point to january as being when he wants us to depart, which is why we strongly believe we will reach 100% in time.
please pray. currently we have reached out to everyone we know, and friends of people we know. historically missions finances primarily come from churches, but that does not seem to be the method god had in mind for us as over 95% of our current funds come from individuals.
if you attend a church that has an active missions department please contact us.
if you are interested in partnering with us through prayer or finances please contact us.
please pray that god provide the 100% in time.
again, thank you to everyone for your prayer and support. it takes a team to accomplish this work, and we are very thankful to god for you.
wow, a lot of stuff has happened.
in the interest of getting the information out, we sort of hacked up the original format to squeeze in the info.
2 - god would bring folks who have committed to joining us, to telling us what level they are comfortable with.... .still in progress but some folks are saying "remember when we committed months ago.. .well this is how much we'd like to give.."
god really worked out a major issue for us. poc is a 14 week in country camp/training based on teaching you how to live in the country. my future manager needs me at the job at soon as possible to train me before he leaves in country. if i were to attend the 14 week training it would drastically lower my ability to do my job right out of the gates (i like to hit the ground running).
so now the story is... in january we'll be attending 5 weeks of training, move to png, live there for 6 months, and then go to the 14 week training, which will allow us not only to have more time acclimating, but create a better appreciation for the 14 week training as well as more preparation.
all in all, god moved a mighty mountain for us recently!
and we're waiting for the final 24% of people to let us know what they are comfortable with committing to!
we're excited... the rubber is meeting the road and we're ready to go!!!
-that our funding hits 100% by september.
-that our visas and work permits go through smoothly.
this is very exciting stuff! we're seeing god answer prayers in his incredible style!
people are asking us if we're excited. the answer is yes!
today we moved passed the 70% support line into 75% support!
that is exciting. 80% is our next milestone. we'd like to be there by the end of july. and we'd like to be at 100% by the end of august.
that's our timing, god's timing seems to be keeping in line with that, and we definitely will wait on him.
we are going to take some family time this july, and hope to fit in some time to visit churches and friends.
we have submitted the application for the kids enrolment to school, and we have finalized the visa application (it takes a while to get all the documentation in) and are sending it in today.
pray that all paperwork gets to it's proper destination and is processed in a timely fashion and that things go smoothly.
it is definitely a discipline to do your paperwork thoroughly and on time, and completely. a discipline that is part of the job and that we are learning.
on a personal note, i find it ironic because i have always disliked paperwork, and now i am at a time in my life when paperwork is a huge portion of my day.
doesn't god always work like that? always trying to strengthen us in our weak areas (-;. as my folks used to say... "it builds character".
today marks 67% of our financial goal!
we have begun our visa application process and require prayer that it goes smoothly.
there is a lot of paperwork to fill out and rules and regulations to adhere to, official copies of this and that to get and such.
we do our best to make sure this all goes through smoothly, and then trust god to guide it all to the right people to get it through. as we start sending off document after document, pray for it's smooth sailing.
we are now at 60% financial partnership! only 40% more to go! if you know of any interested parties we have yet to contact please let us know.
the financial data is out of date because in 2 weeks time we have had such a response that we were unable to keep up with it.
we've finished newsletter2, a few weeks ago.
now we're compiling everyone's email addresses.
with each email we send out, we save approximately one dollar. (printing costs and mailing costs).
so in the interest of stewardship, we've taken the extra week to compile email addresses.
51% financial partnership!!!! (as of 5/13/06) we jumped right passed 50 and went straight to 51% !!! yah....yippeee!!! (didn't want to give a search engine free advertising).
also, for those of you who desire a more personal touch, the newsletters aren't it. the newsletters go to a wide range of people, and as such, are typically more informative and general... as is the news.
for the personal touch, look first to the blog, which while public, is more personal. and secondly we do try to keep in touch with everyone on a personal level as well.
if you have any questions, or simply want to talk, we would love to have a chat with you.
god answers prayer in incredible ways.
i (chad) have learned throughout my life to pray for everything. i don't believe in coincidence, and i don't believe anything is too small to pray about. god is all powerful, to him it is as hard to raise full support for missions as it is to find a good parking space. his power can handle both with relative ease. in our eyes, things are harder, and so we tend to gravitate towards only releasing the harder things to god. but, in my daily life i pray continually, and while i sometimes do feel silly praying for the small stuff, i definitely have seen god take those opportunities to be glorified and encourage me.
well i was taking my time, not being rude at all, and i paused at an intersection to let people go, but jsut as i did, a large group of people decided to cross the street and block the river of traffic coming at me, so i took the opportunity and pulled behind a big convertable with one man driving.
his bumper stickers read: "hedonist" "apes evolved from creationists" and "boycott a.a."
i thought "god, this man apparently lives his life in mockery of you."
well, the man was looking to his left, i don't know why, because i was looking to my right, and right in front of him, a car was pulling out.
this man missed it completely, and i got a prime parking spot.
i laughed and thanked god.
not only, did god part the waters to allow me to drive smoothly, but he gave me a perfect parking spot in a very encouraging way as if to say "there will be those that mock me, but i reward my faithful."
it seems like a small thing, but i believe when you have eyes to see, you can see god working everywhere.
i do not know how many of these thoughts i should share. they are personal and not completely matured. yet we desire to remain sincere and open to those who support us, because the end goal is to glorify god. sincerely voicing the thoughts and struggles are part of the missionary process. people can never truly know unless you share, and unfortunately for the reader, when i am passionate i am also verbose (well on paper anyway). keep in mind as you read, the context, we haven't been in the field for many years and thus we consult those who have been and are encouraged. we're aware we probably represent the youthful vitality one expects from "newbies".
i see friends in professional ministry being absorbed by the frustrations of the professional side of their work. i see movies about priests that have lost their faith. always these movies show men who once had a lively relationship with god and now are consumed with selfish desires and have lost that connection with god. i hear of missionaries who burn out and return home from the field.
i desire to serve god with my life. god can search my heart and know that i am a wickedly selfish man. i know that i am no good on my own. i know that i seek out selfish pursuits, but also, if i possess any wisdom at all, i know that these pursuits will not end in happiness, and the only true contentment can be found in god’s presence. on top of that i know that all of these things are temporary. my life is flying past my eyes, and the only investment worth making is in god’s eternal kingdom.
worship helps me with my focus and motivation. i read the scripture and i see god’s character and in a world where all is failing me, where many things are empty and devoid of goodness i see god shining above it all. god is so good and so holy. and when i concentrate on that, little else matters to me. my self fades away, my soul desires to be with god’s holiness. as if i’m taking a huge drink after years of thirst, soaking in god’s holiness. it doesn’t matter where i am or what i’m doing, so long as i’m worshiping god through thought and action, and whatever i end up doing, i need to be convinced that i’m doing it to worship the goodness of god. right now, i’m convinced the way to do that is to go to png and take my family. the risk is that we would be consumed by the process and lose sight of worshiping god, which would be the failure of the project. but i see no evidence that in not going that risk becomes any less. in fact, i am anxious for the opportunity to throw my life into a situation where i am stripped of my american culture and comforts and thus can measure how much i truly depend on god for all things. and continue to live a life where i am dependant upon god.
as a westerner, there is much i do not understand about dependence.
4and do you remember god's answer?
5it's the same today. there's a fiercely loyal minority still--not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. 6they're holding on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because they're convinced of god's grace and purpose in choosing them. if they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago.
my selfish nature and bible study already tell me what i will get out of serving god, assuming i do it correctly. but i also know that none of these rewards will be sufficient motivation to forebear the suffering that will most likely accompany any faith developing scenario. (i use the term faith-developing instead of testing on purpose). so these rewards are not what motivates me. there is a sense of duty, yes. a sense of doing what is right also. there is a sense of not losing face among those invested in our success as well. but these motivations will crack under the pressure too. the motivation that will truly uphold us during the times when we can’t take any more, will be because we are convinced of god’s grace and purpose in choosing us. and we are. god’s grace is immeasurable. the fact that he chose us is inconceivable. we are fully confident of this. couple that with a daily dose of worshiping his goodness and holiness and what you have are addicts for god.
perhaps this pushes the illustration a bit extreme. a drug addict, will do anything for their next fix. but they also know when they’re getting fake stuff. it doesn’t have the same effect.
that is how we intend to let the spirit be our rudder. when entering god’s presence and sensing even a sliver of his holiness becomes something we can no longer do we will know that there is an issue we need to work out and right before god.
we desire to be submissive to him, so we can stay close to him, because he is good. we are addicted to god's holiness, we breath it in as often as we can. when you remain in this state, you eyes and ears and heart maintain a sensitivity to the spirit that helps guide.
the risk of losing sight of god's plan is the same at home as it would be in the field. the pressures are strong against you whenever you are doing what god would have you do. the cultural adaptation stress can be a huge factor. as a missionary you are more in the public eye. a spiritual failure at home can go unnoticed, but a spiritual failure in the field will not go unnoticed. also though, the stigma that comes with a missionary returning before retiring is that perhaps they failed in their mission. it's sad but that is an assumption that some folks make "what went wrong?" maybe nothing went wrong at all. but that is a different topic.
we refuse to disobey god's call because the risk for failure is great. the risk of embarrassment is great. failure is simply not an option. my family has been specifically prepared for this, we have been specifically called. we have the qualities required for success both in faith, character and personality. i can give you a very convincing resume of why we are very well suited for the work before us, and odds are you already know us and are convinced of our abilities yourself (otherwise you would not be supporting us). but none of that matters. there is only one requirement god needs and that is willingness. we are obedient and willing and submissive to what god puts on our hearts. god does the rest. in fact he even accomplishes the obedience and willingness simply by means of being who he is. he is completely good, and completely holy. we are compelled to him. we are not relying on odds or on pedigrees, we are relying solely on god's provision. god will not fail, and thus we will cling to his coat tails the entire way.
yes the pressures of cultural adaptation will be great. yes the spiritual warfare will be present. yes financial pressure will be a stress. there is a long list of reasons why we can fail. god is greater than all of them, god does not fail. we can fail, we will fail. god will prove faithful and compensate.
as partners in this ministry you have opened yourselves up for failure as well. you have committed to pray for us, and the more effective our ministry is at tearing down the strongholds of satan, the more the people who pray for us will be under attack. few consider this. know that god overcomes. god is faithful.
and so, when the times come where we feel we want to give up, we will first go to god and admit it. we will ask god to shore us up, to meet us and supply. no one truly seeks to suffer, but we will not shy from it when it comes. we expect hardship, something that as americans who have been blessed our entire lives is not something that we confront often. so when it comes, many people will wonder if we will be able to handle it or not. we don't know ourselves, but we do know that our instinctive reaction will be to plead to god for help through it. we do not ask to avoid pain, but we desire to seek god's face in the midst of it, and in the end, be more fit to glorify god.
we look forward to blogging the great stories of god proving faithful. for where the odds are their worst, when things seem impossible, those are the places that god absolutely shines without doubt. we are so anxious for those times, because it brings us all closer to god. pray for those times for yourself and each other. pray that this ministry would be a collective of submissive servants who live only so that god can be glorified.
burnout is a reality. stress can be overwhelming. wycliffe has mandatory counciling and has good training and preparation for handling stress. we have been reading books and studying to prepare. many practical steps have been taken to assure the full success of this ministry, but in the end, it comes down to the reality of every situation in life. how much are we going to try and handle without god? the answer is 0.00% there isn't any success to be had on our own.
after re-reading this i realize that we have already undergone some spiritual attack and stress and suffering. in each instance, as a couple we immediately turned to god in prayer. in each instance, god met us there quickly and completely and so amazingly "god-like" that it was undeniably him. the term "god-thing" applies because it is during these moments of sorrow, stress, weakness, complete humanity, that god is glorified because only he fit those jigsaw like missing pieces of the puzzle.
the story we blogged about my daughter carrying the backpack for my wife was such an example of god supplying for us when we were needing encouragement greatly.
well, since we're not really sure at what time we'll be leaving or ready to go, we're in a mode of.... preparing. faithfully working towards the idea that the money will come in before january '07.
we're planning to pack for a trip to a place we've never lived in.
well first we talk to a lot of folks who live there or have lived there, and take in all their advice.
then we look at our belongings and consider what can stay and what needs to go. ironically we look forward to simplifying our lives, and yet have been advised to buy many things unobtainable over there. like advil.
in the midst of this we are keeping in mind the idea of simple living. depending on god. and balancing that with our passion to create a home environment for people.
for me personally, it seems very silly to be asking "how many computers should i bring?"
one for me, one for the wife, one for the kids, one for spare parts, one as a server...... really how many is "enough".
for my wife the question is photo albums, we're told not to bring anything we can't afford to lose at first... should something go wrong somewhere in the shipping process.
and then... we'll most likely need to move all of this stuff multiple times a year.
managing this issue of "stuff" is a blessing to us from god because my wife and i are rather compatible in this area. neither of us are too materialistic. both of us have our areas of "i need this..." and each of us can be stretched and challenged enough to adapt that it makes it an adventure.
we both loved "colonial house" (a pbs special). the idea of getting away from dependence on technology, of a return to simplicity.
now we are facing the reality of making choices... what stays, what goes, and what needs to be purchased for whatever reason to take with us?
whatever decisions are made, we'll survive and be strengthened by any "lack" we might experience.
we also hope that it will develop a truer sense of priorities. even if we think our priorities are right now, there is nothing like good old fashion testing your mettle.
-physical conditioning to be able to handle the training camp 3 day backpacking hike.
well we are working on finding the people who want to partner with us in prayer and or financially. we have spoken in a few groups, and right now see our ministry as a process of informing and discovering. our home church is having a missions emphasis month and so we're involved in helping other missionaries where we can.
we're writing a lot of letters right now, and seeing where that leads.
we're at 23% of our goal right now, and we're hoping to be at 100% before august but that all depends on god's timing.
this part of the process is the part where there might not be as much to blog primarily because financial matters inherently involve a bit of privacy.
but we can still talk about what god is doing and what he is showing us. right now he is showing us how wonderfully excited so many of you are about us as friends and about our joining together in ministry!


text:
Dr.Shaliniis a general dentist with several years of clinical experience. She graduated from JSS Dental College Mysore in 2009. She has been with Apollo WHITE Dental Nungambakkam, the state-of-the-art clinic well-equipped with the latest of technological instruments such as Microscope , LASER, digital radiography, cone beam CT to provide high-quality dental treatment to the patients since its inception and is currently the unit head.She has good clinical acumen to diagnose and manage most of the dental problems with efficiency, dedication and precision. She has special interest in Implantology. Her aim at focusing on the patient’s satisfaction and making it a pleasant experience and creating beautiful smiles for them and has earned a loyal clientele over the years.
I would give a perfect 5/5 Why? I had been to this clinic couple of years back. I got world class treatment. When I encountered another problem, last week, I was surprised to see the same dentists who were very much aware of my previous history(as they hold my records) and immediately checked my present situation. They took x-rays (using two different machines). Explained me the problem along with the prescribed treatment & the cost associated with it. I gave a go ahead without giving a second thought & got the same world class treatment. There was no pain whatsoever. I was attended by three dentists who consulted with each other & started treating me. This ensured that there was no mix up or mess. I was there twice & would be going two more times. I had root canal treatment done. Gum cleaning along with sutures were done. The cost is really affordable compared to the services they give/you receive. Special thanks to the Unit Head Dr Shalini who has ensured world class treatment with personalised diagnosis. I have already written a blog couple of years back which you may want to check on the web. I would certainly recommend this since they have all the facilities (to remove fear) & they suggest only the best (p.s. they are not money minded).
One of the Best Hospital in India... Located in Chennai Greams Road. Doctors are friendly and management is really good.
Hi Apollo white dental mention all staff response doctor appointment treatment always good.
Why do so many Indians have these dental and oral diseases?

lowercased:
dr.shaliniis a general dentist with several years of clinical experience. she graduated from jss dental college mysore in 2009. she has been with apollo white dental nungambakkam, the state-of-the-art clinic well-equipped with the latest of technological instruments such as microscope , laser, digital radiography, cone beam ct to provide high-quality dental treatment to the patients since its inception and is currently the unit head.she has good clinical acumen to diagnose and manage most of the dental problems with efficiency, dedication and precision. she has special interest in implantology. her aim at focusing on the patient’s satisfaction and making it a pleasant experience and creating beautiful smiles for them and has earned a loyal clientele over the years.
i would give a perfect 5/5 why? i had been to this clinic couple of years back. i got world class treatment. when i encountered another problem, last week, i was surprised to see the same dentists who were very much aware of my previous history(as they hold my records) and immediately checked my present situation. they took x-rays (using two different machines). explained me the problem along with the prescribed treatment & the cost associated with it. i gave a go ahead without giving a second thought & got the same world class treatment. there was no pain whatsoever. i was attended by three dentists who consulted with each other & started treating me. this ensured that there was no mix up or mess. i was there twice & would be going two more times. i had root canal treatment done. gum cleaning along with sutures were done. the cost is really affordable compared to the services they give/you receive. special thanks to the unit head dr shalini who has ensured world class treatment with personalised diagnosis. i have already written a blog couple of years back which you may want to check on the web. i would certainly recommend this since they have all the facilities (to remove fear) & they suggest only the best (p.s. they are not money minded).
one of the best hospital in india... located in chennai greams road. doctors are friendly and management is really good.
hi apollo white dental mention all staff response doctor appointment treatment always good.
why do so many indians have these dental and oral diseases?


text:
If you're starting with bones and water, place them in a large pot.
I didn't include any protein in the baby food version, because my son was still nursing for most of his nutrition. If this was being served as the main course for an older baby or child, I would add the meat or even do an "egg drop" method to enhance the protein content.
We are not "religious" food snobs by any means, but for a family who is recuperating from an illness, I find it is really worth it for me to get the best quality meats and eggs that I can find. I get grass-fed beef bones from a local company, as well as pasture raised eggs. There really is a nutritional difference.

lowercased:
if you're starting with bones and water, place them in a large pot.
i didn't include any protein in the baby food version, because my son was still nursing for most of his nutrition. if this was being served as the main course for an older baby or child, i would add the meat or even do an "egg drop" method to enhance the protein content.
we are not "religious" food snobs by any means, but for a family who is recuperating from an illness, i find it is really worth it for me to get the best quality meats and eggs that i can find. i get grass-fed beef bones from a local company, as well as pasture raised eggs. there really is a nutritional difference.


text:
Get the Final Fantasy XIII Lightning in high quality design for your inspiration. You can download Final Fantasy XIII Lightning for free to your background desktop, PC, table, smartphone and other device. Maybe the Final Fantasy XIII Lightning can make inspiration for your project, please feel free to contact me, or you can visit the source of Final Fantasy XIII Lightning in the Image Source below. We give other resolution for this Final Fantasy XIII Lightning. You can find the best resolution for you want and look the related wallpaper for this Final Fantasy XIII Lightning.
To set this Final Fantasy XIII Lightning as wallpaper background on your desktop, click on the DOWNLOAD button to save Final Fantasy XIII Lightning images on your desktop PC or other device. Right click on the picture you have saved and select the option "Save image as" or "Set As Background" on your PC. If you want to publish your image in this site you can contact us. If you want to remove image in Wallpaperia please contact us.

lowercased:
get the final fantasy xiii lightning in high quality design for your inspiration. you can download final fantasy xiii lightning for free to your background desktop, pc, table, smartphone and other device. maybe the final fantasy xiii lightning can make inspiration for your project, please feel free to contact me, or you can visit the source of final fantasy xiii lightning in the image source below. we give other resolution for this final fantasy xiii lightning. you can find the best resolution for you want and look the related wallpaper for this final fantasy xiii lightning.
to set this final fantasy xiii lightning as wallpaper background on your desktop, click on the download button to save final fantasy xiii lightning images on your desktop pc or other device. right click on the picture you have saved and select the option "save image as" or "set as background" on your pc. if you want to publish your image in this site you can contact us. if you want to remove image in wallpaperia please contact us.


text:
In case, this is the first time you are hearing about Excel formula wildcards, check out the Using wildcards in Excel VLOOKUP formula tutorial.
So you know about wild cards like * ?, now how would you tell VLOOKUP to ignore them?
Say, you are genuinely interested in looking the value “* Payroll” in a lookup table. What then?
How to deal with wildcard problem?
In this short video, learn how to use the ~ character to nullify the wildcard effect.
You may also watch this video on our YouTube channel.
Click here to download the example workbook for this video. Play with the data and formulas to learn more.
Here at Chandoo.org, I am always on the lookup for crazy, fun & creative lookup problems. Check out these examples to one up your lookup quotient.
What is your wildest lookup challenge?
Ever had a wild time with lookups? Late nights with naughty data, nasty lookups and ninth cup of coffee? Please share your crazy lookup experiences, tips and stories in the comments section.
I have a quick short comment/suggestion.
The VLOOKUP formula =VLOOKUP(C29,$G$20:$H$31,2,FALSE) (in cell B29) should return "Nothing" because cell H31 is Empty but, instead, it returns 0.
So, in order for it to return "Nothing" - I would add a short Suffix, such as: &"".
Cell H31 has value, has 0, is empty.

lowercased:
in case, this is the first time you are hearing about excel formula wildcards, check out the using wildcards in excel vlookup formula tutorial.
so you know about wild cards like * ?, now how would you tell vlookup to ignore them?
say, you are genuinely interested in looking the value “* payroll” in a lookup table. what then?
how to deal with wildcard problem?
in this short video, learn how to use the ~ character to nullify the wildcard effect.
you may also watch this video on our youtube channel.
click here to download the example workbook for this video. play with the data and formulas to learn more.
here at chandoo.org, i am always on the lookup for crazy, fun & creative lookup problems. check out these examples to one up your lookup quotient.
what is your wildest lookup challenge?
ever had a wild time with lookups? late nights with naughty data, nasty lookups and ninth cup of coffee? please share your crazy lookup experiences, tips and stories in the comments section.
i have a quick short comment/suggestion.
the vlookup formula =vlookup(c29,$g$20:$h$31,2,false) (in cell b29) should return "nothing" because cell h31 is empty but, instead, it returns 0.
so, in order for it to return "nothing" - i would add a short suffix, such as: &"".
cell h31 has value, has 0, is empty.


text:
Of all the 19th century Fitzrovians who had secret families, Wilkie Collins is probably my favourite. Famous for ‘sensation novels’ such as The Woman in White and The Moonstone, Collins was adept at probing the hypocrisy that underpinned bourgeois family values in Victorian England. Like the main character in The Woman in White, he was fascinated by the ‘idea of something hidden below the surface’.
Marian (Jessie Buckley), Walter (Ben Hardy), Laura (Olivia Vinall) in the BBC drama of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White. Image: BBC Media Centre.
Unorthodox relationships, confused identities, and the economic plight of women were the staple fare of his work. Unconventionality was something that Collins embraced in his personal as well as his professional life. Unlike his close friend and collaborator Charles Dickens, he never attempted to wrap a veil of respectability around his affairs. As a result his families were never particularly secret, though he was certainly anxious that his much-loved mother should never find out about them.
He was implacably opposed to the notion of marrying. In an article called ‘Bold Words by a Bachelor’, written for Dickens’ weekly magazine Household Words, Collins argued that ‘the general idea of the scope and purpose of the institution of marriage is a miserably narrow one’. But this was probably hard on the women in his life, whose social existence was much more circumscribed than that of a bohemian male writer.
‘Smeary Street’ was his own name for the thoroughfare. ‘I have witnessed some sad sights during my stay in Smeary Street, which have taught me to feel for my poor and forlorn fellow-creatures as I do not think I ever felt for them before …’ (Household Words 14 June 1856).
Sadly if Collins were to walk down Howland Street today he probably wouldn’t consider it greatly improved. In 1858 he set up home with Caroline at 2a New Cavendish Street, and it was here that he began his novel The Woman in White. Later the couple moved to Harley Street, then to Dorset Square, and finally in 1867 to Gloucester Place.
Collins’ tandem family was acquired in 1868, soon after the death of his mother, when at the age of 44 he embarked on an affair with 20-year-old Martha Rudd. Martha may have been one of his mother’s servants. Before long she was settled in lodgings at 33 Bolsover Street under the name of Mrs Dawson, and she went on to bear Collins three infant ‘Dawsons’, two girls and a boy. They were to remain a couple to the end of Collins’ life.
‘My morganatic family’ was how he referred to them, and when dealing with the landlady he called himself Mr. William Dawson. So like some of the characters in his own novels, Collins was taking on a double identity.
Understandably Caroline was not too enthusiastic about Martha’s appearance on the scene. At some point in 1868 she moved out of Gloucester Place, and in October that year she married a young man called Joseph Clow at Marylebone Parish Church. It may have been an amicable arrangement — Collins attended the wedding, and he continued to care for Caroline’s daughter Carrie until she herself married.
But Caroline’s own marriage was not a success. In 1871 she left her husband and returned to live in Gloucester Place, becoming Collins’ housekeeper and almost constant companion.
Gradually the writer settled back into a dual domestic existence. Sometimes he took both families on holiday to Ramsgate, with the Caroline branch augmented after a while by Carrie and her three young daughters. The two households were installed in neighbouring boarding houses, and the children all played together happily. But Caroline and Martha never met.
When Collins died in 1889 it was Caroline who headed the group of mourners at Kensal Green cemetery. ‘Mrs. Dawson and family’ had to be content with sending a cross of white chrysanthemums. Collins had divided his estate equally between Caroline and Carrie, and Martha and her children. On her death in 1895 Caroline was buried in the same grave as the writer. The plot was tended by Martha until her own death in 1919.
This article was originally published in the printed edition of Fitzrovia News FN129 June 2013. The Woman in White, a five-part BBC drama of Wilkie Collins’ psychological thriller, written by Fiona Seres, directed by Carl Tibbetts, produced by Origin Pictures, is available to watch on iPlayer.

lowercased:
of all the 19th century fitzrovians who had secret families, wilkie collins is probably my favourite. famous for ‘sensation novels’ such as the woman in white and the moonstone, collins was adept at probing the hypocrisy that underpinned bourgeois family values in victorian england. like the main character in the woman in white, he was fascinated by the ‘idea of something hidden below the surface’.
marian (jessie buckley), walter (ben hardy), laura (olivia vinall) in the bbc drama of wilkie collins’ the woman in white. image: bbc media centre.
unorthodox relationships, confused identities, and the economic plight of women were the staple fare of his work. unconventionality was something that collins embraced in his personal as well as his professional life. unlike his close friend and collaborator charles dickens, he never attempted to wrap a veil of respectability around his affairs. as a result his families were never particularly secret, though he was certainly anxious that his much-loved mother should never find out about them.
he was implacably opposed to the notion of marrying. in an article called ‘bold words by a bachelor’, written for dickens’ weekly magazine household words, collins argued that ‘the general idea of the scope and purpose of the institution of marriage is a miserably narrow one’. but this was probably hard on the women in his life, whose social existence was much more circumscribed than that of a bohemian male writer.
‘smeary street’ was his own name for the thoroughfare. ‘i have witnessed some sad sights during my stay in smeary street, which have taught me to feel for my poor and forlorn fellow-creatures as i do not think i ever felt for them before …’ (household words 14 june 1856).
sadly if collins were to walk down howland street today he probably wouldn’t consider it greatly improved. in 1858 he set up home with caroline at 2a new cavendish street, and it was here that he began his novel the woman in white. later the couple moved to harley street, then to dorset square, and finally in 1867 to gloucester place.
collins’ tandem family was acquired in 1868, soon after the death of his mother, when at the age of 44 he embarked on an affair with 20-year-old martha rudd. martha may have been one of his mother’s servants. before long she was settled in lodgings at 33 bolsover street under the name of mrs dawson, and she went on to bear collins three infant ‘dawsons’, two girls and a boy. they were to remain a couple to the end of collins’ life.
‘my morganatic family’ was how he referred to them, and when dealing with the landlady he called himself mr. william dawson. so like some of the characters in his own novels, collins was taking on a double identity.
understandably caroline was not too enthusiastic about martha’s appearance on the scene. at some point in 1868 she moved out of gloucester place, and in october that year she married a young man called joseph clow at marylebone parish church. it may have been an amicable arrangement — collins attended the wedding, and he continued to care for caroline’s daughter carrie until she herself married.
but caroline’s own marriage was not a success. in 1871 she left her husband and returned to live in gloucester place, becoming collins’ housekeeper and almost constant companion.
gradually the writer settled back into a dual domestic existence. sometimes he took both families on holiday to ramsgate, with the caroline branch augmented after a while by carrie and her three young daughters. the two households were installed in neighbouring boarding houses, and the children all played together happily. but caroline and martha never met.
when collins died in 1889 it was caroline who headed the group of mourners at kensal green cemetery. ‘mrs. dawson and family’ had to be content with sending a cross of white chrysanthemums. collins had divided his estate equally between caroline and carrie, and martha and her children. on her death in 1895 caroline was buried in the same grave as the writer. the plot was tended by martha until her own death in 1919.
this article was originally published in the printed edition of fitzrovia news fn129 june 2013. the woman in white, a five-part bbc drama of wilkie collins’ psychological thriller, written by fiona seres, directed by carl tibbetts, produced by origin pictures, is available to watch on iplayer.


text:
(v. i.) Just mentioned, or just about to be mentioned.
(v. i.) Not different or other; not another or others; identical; unchanged.
(v. i.) Of like kind, species, sort, dimensions, or the like; not differing in character or in the quality or qualities compared; corresponding; not discordant; similar; like.

lowercased:
(v. i.) just mentioned, or just about to be mentioned.
(v. i.) not different or other; not another or others; identical; unchanged.
(v. i.) of like kind, species, sort, dimensions, or the like; not differing in character or in the quality or qualities compared; corresponding; not discordant; similar; like.


text:
My first 5k race, and I be representin'!
Excellent! Did the hat make you feel faster and more aerodynamic?
Good for you (and for that family running together).

lowercased:
my first 5k race, and i be representin'!
excellent! did the hat make you feel faster and more aerodynamic?
good for you (and for that family running together).


text:
Top Global Equipment Structure Providers.
Global private high-end customized product processing.
From sheet metal to plastic material parts.
No MOQ, no Set up charge for your deisgn projects.
NAB show Equipment by LK made.
We will provide the DFM for your projects.
Save your time and cost. It will easy to work with you together.
LK is your best partner. Every week we will send the production schedule pictures to you.
Free quote within 24 hours. Prototype samples can be 1-2 weeks shipping to you.

lowercased:
top global equipment structure providers.
global private high-end customized product processing.
from sheet metal to plastic material parts.
no moq, no set up charge for your deisgn projects.
nab show equipment by lk made.
we will provide the dfm for your projects.
save your time and cost. it will easy to work with you together.
lk is your best partner. every week we will send the production schedule pictures to you.
free quote within 24 hours. prototype samples can be 1-2 weeks shipping to you.


text:
Why do we need personal responsibility? Without personal responsibility we are not accountable for our actions. Without responsibility we are not punctual. Good motivation and attitude is essential to developing personal responsibility. Personal Responsibility is essential for success. A responsible person is one who is able to act without guidance or supervision because he or she is accountable for his or her behavior.
Responsible people desire respect and consciously put forth outstanding effort to achieve excellence. Responsible people are good troubleshooters because they organize, prioritize and, accomplish tasks and assignments as instructed by professors and leaders. As a student, the assignments I am given the highest level of importance. Accepting personal responsibility is an obligation to oneself. It means putting a halt to blaming, admitting and accepting, my own outcomes by choices that I have made.
To be successful in college my individual duty is to ensure positive outcomes derived from my good behavioral perspectives, originated from how I was brought up, and types of conditioning I received. Responsibility in life provides successful outcomes in comparison to unethical choices that could lead us to personal and professional failure. When we are not accountable for our own actions in our business or personal life, the outcome backlashes on our lives, and we internalize failure in a downward spiral. If I was irresponsible, employers and people would not count on me. I would be my own worst enemy. The cause and effect for accepting personal responsibility is a constant reminder that I am accountable for my own actions. Individual responsibility also includes accountability for the degree and level of your health, wealth, success and happiness. Whether you like it or not, you must accept personal responsibility for the mess and disorder that you have created in your life. Life always gives you the consequences related to your actions or inaction. The onus is on you to amend your mistakes and negligence. A personally responsible person is in charge of his own destiny and outcomes.

lowercased:
why do we need personal responsibility? without personal responsibility we are not accountable for our actions. without responsibility we are not punctual. good motivation and attitude is essential to developing personal responsibility. personal responsibility is essential for success. a responsible person is one who is able to act without guidance or supervision because he or she is accountable for his or her behavior.
responsible people desire respect and consciously put forth outstanding effort to achieve excellence. responsible people are good troubleshooters because they organize, prioritize and, accomplish tasks and assignments as instructed by professors and leaders. as a student, the assignments i am given the highest level of importance. accepting personal responsibility is an obligation to oneself. it means putting a halt to blaming, admitting and accepting, my own outcomes by choices that i have made.
to be successful in college my individual duty is to ensure positive outcomes derived from my good behavioral perspectives, originated from how i was brought up, and types of conditioning i received. responsibility in life provides successful outcomes in comparison to unethical choices that could lead us to personal and professional failure. when we are not accountable for our own actions in our business or personal life, the outcome backlashes on our lives, and we internalize failure in a downward spiral. if i was irresponsible, employers and people would not count on me. i would be my own worst enemy. the cause and effect for accepting personal responsibility is a constant reminder that i am accountable for my own actions. individual responsibility also includes accountability for the degree and level of your health, wealth, success and happiness. whether you like it or not, you must accept personal responsibility for the mess and disorder that you have created in your life. life always gives you the consequences related to your actions or inaction. the onus is on you to amend your mistakes and negligence. a personally responsible person is in charge of his own destiny and outcomes.