Choices

I can remember that day, like it was yesterday.  My father took me by the hand. Mother and the other children followed behind, as we walked out into the crowd. 

My little mind did not understand everything that was happening that day. I  knew there was war and talk of war, still my world was filled with familiar things like cooking, cleaning, feeding the livestock.

Even still, I knew that something important was going to happen. I quickly glanced around to see if I could spot some of my friends. Yes, there were some familiar faces. Sadly, after that day, I never saw some of them again.

A hush fell over the crowd, as I heard a voice all too familiar to me. It was an older man whom my father greatly admired. When he spoke, it was with the authority that you could tell was not his own. He spoke about our father Abraham and of Isaac and Jacob. He also spoke of Jehovah in a way that I have only heard few people speak. It was as if he had spoken to God personally.

People around us began talking amongst themselves about what he was saying.
I could tell that he was saying something important, because I felt a change in my father's hand that I was holding.
My thoughts came back to what the man was now saying.

"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: 

and put away the gods which your fathers served..."

 The whispers stopped. 

My father and a few other men cheered, while others remained shocked and silent.

Now the eyes and ears of the crowd were glued on the speaker. It seemed as if we all knew what would come next was the most important part.

"...choose you this day whom ye will serve;

whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood,

 or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:

 but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

It was as if he had drawn a line in the sand. 

We had a choice. 

For my father, it was not a decision he had to think about. He knew that the only One to serve was the God whom he loved.

- - - - - - -

Years have passed since that day.
Many families were happy to choose to serve God, while others reluctantly chose because they knew they should.  Many of those families have died off or become slaves to our enemies as a result of their sins and greed for worldly gain.

My family has survived from generation to generation, because we have learned from our father to put God first. 

They say we will soon be able to enter the Promised Land...

Yes, that day seems like only yesterday, because it was the day our whole lives changed.

- - - - - - -

The previous was a thoughtful, but fictional account taken from Joshua 24.

The day that Joshua challenged the people to choose truly changed their lives. 

What a great challenge for us today!

Joshua challenged the people to turn from their familiar traditions to serve the Lord God.

Our challenge should be the same.

If Joshua had addressed that challenge to me, would I be willing to choose serving God over my family and cultural traditions?

As you ponder that thought, I leave you with the closing remarks from this passage in Joshua.

"And the people said unto Joshua, 

Nay; but we will serve the Lord.

And Joshua said unto the people,

 Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. 

And they said, We are witnesses.

Now therefore put away, said he, 

the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey."

Trading Places

This past week,  I was in the church of the woman taking my place on the mission field.  She is there so that I could come to the States to report and rest.

As I was chatting in the hallway to one of the ladies, a little boy came up to greet me. He was the son of the woman I was speaking to.

His mother began telling him that I was the lady from Zambia that Miss Amy went to help. He looked a little confused.

We then told him that another lady had to take Miss Amy's place at their church, so that Miss Amy could take my place in Zambia.

"They traded places", we said.
His face smiled then.

We knew then that he understood what we were saying.

Trading places, living someone else's life- sounds like a movie, doesn't it?

No, it is real!

People all over the world do it, so that God's ministry continues and so that missionaries can do what they are commanded to do.

I looked at the little boy and asked,
"If you could trade places with anyone in the world, who would it be?"

He looked at me and then ran away.
Where did he go?

In a few minutes he returned and said the name of a missionary in the Arctic.

I had expected him to say the name of one of his heroes,  but instead he ran to the missions wall to decide who he might trade places with.

Innocence and sincere love for God are reflected in the heart of that little boy.

His mother and I just looked at each other, knowing that at that moment God planted the seed for the possibility of being a missionary in that little boy's heart.

Let me ask you, "If you could trade places with anyone in the world, who would it be?"

Would it be someone rich and famous?

Would it be with someone who has a nice physic?

Would it be with someone serving the Lord?

Maybe you wouldn't trade, because you are content in God's will for your life right now.

If you are not where God wants you now, then where should you be?

What Makes You Grow?

"Bloom where you are planted",

"Read your Bible, pray everyday
and you'll grow, grow, grow..."

You have probably heard these phrases before, but have you ever thought about how differant plants need differant climates to grow?

African Flame Lily

Take the African Flame Lily, for instance.
I have only ever seen this beautiful flower bloom in the midst of a dry African plain in the wild bush of Zambia.  Such exquisite beauty!

Over seven years ago, when I first started deputation as a missionary to Africa, an experienced pastor shared with me some words of wisdom.

He said, "A number of years ago, my wife and I were young missionaries at a conference with other missionaries.
One of the older veteran missionaries asked me, 'So why are you going to __________?' Before I had a chance to respond, he answered, 'I know that you are going to say that the people of ___________ need to hear about Jesus.'  Again, before I had a chance to respond, he said, 'But isn't it every Christian's duty to tell others about our Saviour?'
He was right, in Matthew 28, Jesus commands all believers to 'GO'!
The seasoned missionary went on to ask another question. 'Did you ever think that God moves His people to differant places to help them to grow?'"
That thought has stayed with me all of these years.  After serving over 5 years now in Africa, I can certainly say that I have grown tremendously because of the things that I have gone through and experienced.  I have only grown in certain spiritual areas of my life, because the Lord has 'planted' me in Africa.
I still live a 'normal' life like you do here- going to church, teaching at school and Sunday School, helping my neighbors and community, telling people about Jesus...all things that a child of God should do, only, I do it in another country.

Have you ever thought that God might be prodding you to be a foreign missionary because He knows you can grow more closely to Him by the things He can only teach you there?

How are you growing?

Where are you growing?

Does God want you to move yourself into His will in order for you to grow?

Are You Available?

Since arriving in the States, there have been a few pockets of time to relax and rest from being on the "front lines".
But mostly, I have been busy,
not even home for a whole week at a time.

Don't get me wrong, part of the reason you come home on furlough is to report to supporters and share the ministry in new churches.
I have really enjoyed the fellowship.

With all of the travel, I am not at my sending church very often. When I am there, I get asked one particular question by at least 5 people each time.
"Are you available to do something with me this week?"

Sometimes I am available, but sometimes I have other things that are top priority to get accomplished.

As I have been pondering missions, I have been thinking about the lack of people who are committed to going out into the "highways and hedges". 
My thoughts took me to the fact that people are really not available.

People are so busy with what they want to do, that they are not available for what God wants them to do.
It may be that people are doing good things like -
working a job to support your family,
traveling out of town to visit family,
going to get groceries,... 
These things are good, but they don't bring souls to Christ.

Could it be the we maybe need to rearrange our schedules, so that we are more available to serve our Saviour?

When a couple is first in love, they will move anything aside to do something for the other.  How does our love for Christ motivate us to arrange our schedule to be availble for the things of God?

On the thought of availability, also comes the qualification to evangelize.
We know that first of all, we must be saved in order to tell others of the Saviour.
I could go on about this, but I would like to focus on the fact that a Christian must be saved, seperated and serving.

How can we start serving if our personal lives are not consecrated (set apart), for our Master's use?

We cannot be used of God if our vessels are not empty, clean and ready to be filled by the Lord.

Do you have a daily, personal walk with the Lord?

Are you growing by learning more about your Saviour, daily confessing sin in your life, and by waiting to hear your Saviour's leading?

What is my attitude toward God-given authority?

Am I listening to the Bible preached by my pastor and obeying the Word that he has preached? (After all, God is the One who gave him that message for me.)

What about service?  Am I willing to serve in my local church?
Am I making myself available to be used by God?

Many in our churches are unavailable.  Why?

Because of sin in thier lives,
because of financial debt that would prevent them from going to a mission field,
because of investing so much time and money in earthly possessions,
because of a weak homelife that is not right with your husband, wife, parents, or children,
because of love of self and money,...

Are you available for God to use you?

If not, what can you do to make yourself more available to God?

What's Your Excuse?

Over the past few years I have invited friends, acquaintances,  and fellow church members to come to Africa for a visit, just a little taste of the mission field.

Some of the responses I get are-
"I think that's too expensive"
"I am afraid of flying"
"I don't want to travel that far away"
"I could not bear such a long flight"
"I can't, because I have too much debt to work off"
"I would never go to Africa with all of those spiders and snakes"
"I don't want to get shots"
and the list goes on...

What do all of these excuses have in common?
You guessed it- "I"!
Just a one-letter word that holds a whole life in balance.
The major problem with our culture and lives is that selfish and sinful word "I".

In fact, it is our own sin that keeps us from taking opportunities to be used of the Lord.

It could be the sin of debt, or fear, or wanting to do my own thing, live my own way...
We miss being used of God when we make decisions based on what WE want, rather than on what God wants.
Do we ever stop to think that maybe God has a specific soul He wants us to reach?

The One who gave us this life, gave His life, so that we have lives to live for Him.

Ask yourself, "what is He asking me to do for Him?".
Are you doing it?
If not, WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

Furlough Travels , so far

For missionaries, 

a furlough is a time to come back to report to supporting churches, 

gather more support, 

reconnect with friends and family, 

and gain refreshment to have strength to go back to the "front lines".

Here are a few pictures of some things I have been able to do so far-

Teaching at a Ladies' Fellowship & Paint Day

with the ladies at Susquehanna Valley Baptist Church

Traveled through northern PA and saw a black bear

Helped my dad put in a new floor

Went on an outing with the Ambassadors 

(60+ group from Mt. Zion Baptist, my home church)

Went to Arkansas to report to one of my supporting churches

and got stuck in an airport for a day

Enjoyed some beautiful scenery along the way

Got to see some people baptized at my home church

Attended a one day retreat for pastors and missionaries

Spent time with some young ladies from my church

Of course, I haven't included everything.

Since I have been back in the States I have been in a different church 

almost every weekend to share a ministry report.

In reality, I always forget to take pictures,

because I am enjoying the wonderful fellowship.

I am thankful for the health, travel safety and friends that the Lord brings my way!

Please continue to pray that the Lord would quickly add to my support 

and that the rest of my time here will be profitable.