It’s fun to think back on the past 11 weeks, hard to believe it’s already been that long really.
I’ve been able to eat sushi, poblano peppers stuffed with chorizo, my friend Sarah’s meatballs, peaches and watermelon.
I’ve been able to celebrate my nephew’s 2nd birthday with a cow cake (which he tried to feed), my niece’s 6th birthday with a LOL doll clamper play set, and my mom’s and my own birthday with an outdoor family meal as the sun went down. And birthday cake. I love birthday cake.
I’ve been able to eat at the Cozy Cottage with real bacon twice!
I’ve had some wildlife experiences trying to catch first one groundhog and then a 2nd but getting a possum and three raccoons instead. And when I first came back there was that chipmunk infestation in my dryer vent. I never thought of Indiana as a place with so much wildlife!
I’ve been able to roast S’mores, read the Narnia series, blow bubbles, draw with sidewalk chalk, ride bikes, run in the rain, plant the garden, wash the car, jump rope, bake a cake, have picnics, go on hikes, pick strawberries, and play Spot it, Quarkle and Chineese Checkers with my 6 year old niece, and there’s just nothing better.
I got to see the fern fiddle heads come out of the mounds of leaves (and I got to rake those leaves!), the redbuds and magnolias bloom, and the bike trails’ forest come to life.
I’ve been able to run through the woods, walk with a friend in the rain, have an outdoor birthday party (with entirely too much ice cream and cheese, apparently), plant my garden and have outdoor prayer meetings under the pavilion after eating Thai, Indian and Mexican food.
I’ve been able to hold tiny fingers, read about the three goats, and answer countless ‘why’ questions.
There is nothing better. Life is abundant, beautiful, full.
And yet . . . I wait.
And while I wait . . .
I’m working from here, sending out ideas for our missionaries on how to connect with people to share their story when it may be harder to meet with people, making Power Point templates for them to use with information about PNG, sending out updates on the work going on in various tribal locations, and updating the resources and info available to new people coming to the field. I put together these three videos. I’ve sent out email newsletters to churches and supporters all over the world about needing co-laborers for their missionaries, and I’ve been consistently sharing the story of God’s work through our social media. The time has gone fast, and yet, I still have a lot of projects to be working on.
Please pray for my effectiveness in equipping both missionaries and the churches sending them in sharing this journey of God’s faithfulness.
While it’s hard to engage in caring for my co-workers from here as much as I’d like, God has enabled me to find new ways of reaching out. One of the highlights of my week is praying by video call with ladies who I normally work with in PNG who are in the US and Europe right now. We connect weekly to bring the work in PNG before the Lord.
While there is much to be done from here, there are parts of my ministry, maybe the most important parts, that can’t be.
I can’t go into tribal locations to get the footage that I need for the videos I’m creating to communicate key concepts.
I can’t sit down next to someone and walk through their communication plan and tools.
I can’t send letters of encouragement into tribal locations or birthday gifts for the kids.
I can’t have church planting families over for dinner to get to know them.
I can’t sit down with someone in-person and hear their heart.
I can’t get to know someone’s life.
Some things you have to be present for.
And so . . . I wait.