| FRIDAY, October 18, 2024 |
| “Beloved, remember you don’t belong in this world. You are resident aliens living in exile” -1 Peter 2:11a |
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| “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.” -2 Tim. 2:4 |
| I already felt a little bit awkward paying for our snacks with a bag of change, but hey, it’s all I had. Then I felt even more awkward as the cashier slid an Australian coin back to me with a quizzical look. “Oh, um, sorry,” I mumbled as I took it back. She was probably waiting for an explanation, but explaining how I’m a missionary usually living in Papua New Guinea and I transit through Australia a lot and it must’ve gotten mixed up with my American money just seemed too complicated. So I just replaced it with a quarter and slunk away. Little things like this happen a lot. Someone asks a simple questions like, “Where do you work?” or “What’s your address?” and I try to figure out what they need to know and the simplest way to answer. My kids recently asked me, “Mom, when people ask us if we have pets, do they mean in this country or in general?” When we got internet for our house, they asked who our previous internet provider was. When we responded “No one,” they looked at us as though we had just crawled out of an underground bunker. No matter how much we try to blend in, we always seem a little weird, much like an alien trying to blend in with human society. That’s how we’re called to be though- aliens to this world because our citizenship is in heaven. We are supposed to talk differently and act differently and think differently because our priorities are in heaven. So it’s a good reminder. Do I stand out because my priorities are so dramatically different than the world’s, or have I been sucked in to thinking I belong here? I don’t want to forget that I am in a spiritual battle and I need to be focused on working for God’s kingdom. How foolish it would be for a soldier to start interior decorating in the trenches! Let’s not be content with our comfortable little lives. Let’s pour all of our time, money, and energy into making Jesus known! Let’s love those around us, witness like crazy, and pursue Jesus wholeheartedly. Our citizenship is not in this world! We are here temporarily! Let’s make it count! Till all know, Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck |
| Please Pray: – That Karissa’s torn shoulder muscle will heal quickly – For wisdom for Matt as he counsels people at his internship – For more people to join our support team – That we can focus on living for Jesus and not get sucked into American distractions – For wisdom for the doctor as Ty sees an asthma specialist this month Praise God: – Matt finished a class he was taking and now only has his internship and associated class – Karissa’s ankle is healing well – We were able to share at our church about our ministry last week – We’ve had 2 new people join our prayer team – We’ve had 1 new person join our financial support team   Our family got to participate in some races in Saint Paul this month! It was so fun and we praise God for healthy bodies. We have been so thankful for time with family on this home assignment! Here is a picture of our extended family when we celebrated my grandparent’s 65th anniversary!  What are we supporting? This month’s tribal focus: Praise God for the Sorimi New Testament! “After 27 years of faithful service, Poul and Carol Joensen and family presented the first translated copies of the New Testament scriptures to the Sorimi people on August 15! Martin Lamb writes: “What a joy it was to witness the joy on everyone’s faces – the range of emotions was palpable as Bibles were presented to the believers and the Joensen family were embraced with gratitude for giving their lives to reach the Sorimi people.” Please pray for this growing church and that their hunger for the Word of God and literacy will continue to grow!” |