Merry Christmas

For some reason God's timing has been on my mind a lot during this Christmas Season. I was listening to a CD the other day called Child of the Promise. It is a musical drama that features the voices of many well-known artists to tell the Christmas Story. The part I have found myself focusing on though is the first song, "That's the Way It Will Be" that recounts the prophecies of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Micah about the Messiah. These prophets lived 500-700 years before Jesus was born yet they fully believed the promises and prophecies God had given them would come true. 700 years is a long time! It made me start thinking how God has planned and knew everything that would happen from the very beginning. His timing might be different than mine but He is the Creator and Author of life, including yours and mine. 

Last year at this time I had imagined that by now I would have already left and be serving in Indonesia. God had different timing in mind. To be honest I don't know exactly why but I am learning once again to trust Him and His plan. I wonder if it is because there is someone I need to meet or a lesson I need to learn. I don't know and may never know. I do know that each day is worth living to the fullest, enjoying moments with people and the places I go. 

This Christmas I will be with my family in Hood River. All of us together! And my grandparents (mom's parents) will also be joining us. For the first time in four years I don't work any part of the Christmas holidays. I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends like the Stenbergs. 

Merry Christmas! I pray that you have special moments with family and friends and safe travel. 

Here is a video of the song I mentioned above from YouTube. I highly recommend the whole CD. For a little fun check out the song "Nothing Ever Happens to a Shepherd."

A November to Remember

I had two special events happen in November that I wanted to share about...

The first was a week long trip to Mexico with all of my sisters. This was a much dreamed about, planned for and saved for vacation for all of us. We wanted to celebrate Laura's graduation from college and spend some time together knowing I would be leaving soon for Indonesia. I went to college when my youngest sister, Laura, was in 2nd grade so other than a few vacations and summers it has been years since we all spent a full week together.

It was nice because we avoided the tourist scene by staying in a house in a small town. This allowed us to cook some of our own meals. Thank goodness I have to two sisters who can cook! Our schedule had us sleeping in, eating breakfast at home, heading to the beach for a few hours, taking a siesta in the late afternoon and then either cooking or going out for dinner followed by a movie or a game of cards. I have to admit it could have been a complete disaster with our different personalities and in such close contact for the week but we had some great talk time and lots of laughter. Here are a few pictures...

On the beach in Mexico

Enjoying Breakfast Out

Getting ready to go out in the evening

Taking a break from shopping in a nearby town

Final night in Mexico

The second event was the first annual New Hope Christian Church Missions Conference (my church) here in Everett. It was fun to share my story and plans with my church family, including with the kids during the evening service. I was especially blessed by a time of prayer at the end. Someone once suggested that during those times of prayer I open my eyes and look around at those who are praying for me. Then in the future when I am serving and having a rough day to remember that moment and be encouraged. It is incredibly powerful to feel the weight of the hands being laid on me, hear the words of the prayers, and look at the faces of those uplifting me in prayer. Definitely something I will remember and take with me.

Motivation

I have a question for you - what gets you out of the bed in the morning? The easy answer of course is that annoying alarm clock or maybe your kids jumping into bed with you. I am asking you though to dig deeper than the easy answer. Why do you do what you do? Do you wake up each morning excited about what the new day might bring? What is your motivation? What is your inspiration? I came across this quote recently and it stopped me in my tracks...

Is what you are living for, Jesus worth dying for ~ Leonard Cohen

I have been struggling recently. I committed to becoming a career missionary, of moving to Indonesia for the foreseeable future. It doesn't take long after making a commitment like that for the doubts to start. I could stay here in the US and live a "normal" life. That desire is so strong sometimes.

It is amazing to me though how the Lord meets me even in these doubts. I recently picked up and reread the book Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin Raphael McManus. I also recently read for the first time the book Radical by David Platt. Both reminded me that Jesus has given us as Christians a radical call - one that is difficult and not safe. Both said almost the same thing about how we tend to think that the being in the center of God's will is the safest place to be, when instead it should be the opposite. God didn't call us to an easy life but one of adventure and one of danger. McManus reminded me that each moment in every day could be a divine moment. Sometimes it is so easy to get so busy that we miss those moments God puts in our lives. Platt also reminded me of the needs in the world - those that are unreached and unengaged and those that are dying every day because of the need for clean water, food, and healthcare. Platt speaks passionately about how the church in American has stood by for far too long and not used our blessings to reach and bless the world. I would strongly recommend you pick up these books!

So what is it that motivates me? What is it that gets me out of bed each day? As a nurse who spends her days (ok actually nights since I work the night shift) taking care of others it is easy for me to feel drained. So I recently read the book Called to Care: A Christian Theology of Nursing for my devotional time. The section I keep coming back to talks about the motivation for providing nursing care. It says, “We love because He first loved us. (I John 4:19). The contrast between gratitude and duty results primarily in a difference in attitude and approach. When you care out of a sense of gratitude for what God has done for me, you can view the patient as a person of great value, worthy of my respect, interest and attention. When you care out of a sense of duty, the patient becomes an object. You do what you have to do and get out.”

Then my pastor said something recently in his sermon from II Cor 5:14 that dovetailed perfectly with what I had been reading. He said (paraphrasing here), “ Living the life Christ calls us to requires more than a sense of obligation or duty. It requires a love that compels us and without this love that compels us, we lose the joy.”

Through these doubts the Lord has met me and encouraged me. The call has been renewed. My motivation has been restored. I would challenge you to spend some time looking at what the Lord might be calling you to do. To ask yourself the questions David Platt asks on page 18 of his book. Do you really believe Jesus is worth abandoning everything for? Do you really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that you will leave all you have and all you own and all you are in order to find your fullness in Him? The book also issues a challenge. Five steps and one year devoted to a Radical Experiment. I am doing it next year. Will you?

I challenge you in this season of thanksgiving as you reflect and give thanks for the blessings in your life to think about how God might be asking you to use those blessings to reach the lost of this world and bless them. This video might just challenge you to take a fresh look at your life. I know it did for me. (For those reading this in your RSS feeder or email you may have to click on the "read more" link to the blog to see the video).

October Days to Remember

There were two exciting and refreshing events for me in October that I wanted to share with you.

First I had the chance to get together with Donda. She serves at Bethesda Hospital helping to coordinate the MedGo program. We had never actually met except via email and Facebook, but those who have served at Bethesda Hospital have a special connection and when we finally met it was like we had known each other for forever. She spent the month of October traveling around the US including a visit to the Seattle area. We spent the afternoon seeing some of the beautiful sights of the Puget Sound, including leaves just starting to change colors, which is something that doesn't happen in Indonesia. I had a great time catching up on news and people at the hospital and speaking a little Bahasa Indonesia. All in all it was a great afternoon with lots of laughter!

Donda and me at a local park

The second event was a chance to get away for a Be Still Retreat weekend in Oregon. For those that aren't familiar with Be Still Retreats they are a chance to unplug from the world for awhile and spend some time focusing on your relationship with the Lord and the spiritual disciplines. They take that unplugging from the world seriously as no watches, alarm clocks, cell phones, or computers are allowed (they wake you up with singing and flowers in the morning instead). It is amazing how relaxing it can be to just unplug! For example, from early evening on Friday until after breakfast on Saturday you are not allowed to speak with anyone to practice the discipline of silence and solitude. It is amazing what you notice when you are quiet! Lots of time studying the Bible, worshiping, and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors including a chance to lay out under the stars made this a refreshing weekend. It was also special that my mom was able to join me, which gave us a chance for some great talking time. All in all it was a relaxing and refreshing time!

November is off to a fun start as well because as you read this I am actually in Mexico. (the benefits of technology and scheduled posting!) This is a long talked about, dreamed about, planned and saved for vacation with all three of my sisters. We are spending the week together to celebrate my youngest sister's graduation from college and recognizing the fact that I will be leaving soon we are storing up some fun time together. I will post some pics from that trip when I get back.

Partnership Development

Money... it is never an easy topic, especially in these economic times. I have hesitated to bring up this topic on my blog. I do however have a very specific need and goal right now that I want to share with you. 

Let me back up a minute though because I know I have a variety of people reading this blog. Some from different faith backgrounds and others who are only generally familiar with the term missionary and what that entails. So let me cover a few basics to help get everyone on the same page. 

I am in the process of partnership development. Some may be more familiar with the terms deputation or support-raising. For those not familiar with any of these terms, this is basically a process in which missionaries develop a team that will partner with them in prayer and financially while they are serving.

So why the change in terms you might ask? It is because of the shift in focus and direction. The old model had most of the focus on what the supporter could do or give to the missionary. This shift in focus is a reminder that in reality this relationship is a partnership, one that involves supporters and missionaries working together to accomplish their part of the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20).

Right now I am in the process of partnership development and raising the financial support I need to reach my goal of returning to the ministry in Indonesia. I cannot leave for Indonesia until I have commitments for 100% of my support and all of my outgoing expenses funded. This means I need to have commitments for $3,500/month and $18,500 for outgoing expenses. Right now I have commitments for 23% of monthly support and 11% of my outgoing support.

Here are a few answer to frequently asked questions I get about support raising and the process. 

So what is support and why do I need to raise it? Support are the funds I will need to meet my financial needs while I am serving in Indonesia. The hospital there will not be paying me a salary. This means I need to raise the funds to cover my living expenses (food, rent, utilities), ministry expenses, travel, medical/evacuation insurance, retirement, and social security, etc. I also need to raise funds for outgoing expenses which includes training, language school, and setting-up my house. This process is different from some mission organizations and non-profit companies who pay a stipend or salary to their employees. 

Who gives and why? Family, friends, and churches give to help meet my financial needs. People give for many reasons. Many churches give out of a sense of vision and mission to accomplish the Great Commission -- taking the love of God to the nations. For individuals, it usually starts with a relationship. Many partners give out of a sense of gratitude to God for what he has done for them through Christ. Others give out of a sense of obedience to the call in 1 Corinthians 4:1 to fulfill our stewardship of the gospel. And many partners have a strong sense of passion to see the gospel spread among certain people groups, such as the people of Indonesia. Finally, some want to support a certain type of ministry such as providing medical care to those in need.  

A Year of Blogging

It is hard to believe but I started this blog a year ago this month. In that time the blog has been visited almost 1100 times. So I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the year.

In that time there have been a total of 20 posts. The top five read posts were:

1. Why WorldVenture
2. Counting the Cost
3. Officially Appointed
4. Birthday Celebrations
5. The Question of When

The blog has been read by people in twelve different countries. This includes the United States, Madagascar, Indonesia, Canada, Russia, Malawi, Germany, Philippians, Bolivia, Faroe Islands, Guinea, and Malaysia. For some of the countries I can imagine my friends reading the blog. The others I wonder how and why you stumbled across this blog? Feel free to comment and share!

Finally it is fun to see how most people read the blog - the number one referring site is Facebook (by about 100 to 1). Others include my email newsletters and some read the blog through an email or RSS subscription.

I have had fun chronicling my thoughts over the past year. It is even more fun to imagine where I will be and what will have happened by this time next year. Lord willing I will be posting from Indonesia!

MedGo

In the past, I have talked a bit about my job description (you can read that post here if you missed it). One of the activities that I think I will find the most challenging and exciting is working with the MedGo program. MedGo is a relatively new program the hospital has started to train, mentor, and disciple young Indonesian doctors and nurses as they prepare and serve as medical missionaries. Originally the program focused on doctors but has expanded to include twelve nursing students. Seven of those students recently graduated and are beginning their internship year serving in the different areas and departments of the hospital. In early 2012 they will also spend two months studying at a nearby Bible school. Following this internship year and in partnership with other organizations these young nurses will begin serving as missionary nurses at a number of locations throughout Indonesia. Fluent in the language and culture they are able to reach out and serve in many areas others cannot go. There they will build bridges and share the Good News by providing health care to those in need.

My involvement with the Medgo program will occur as I teach and help with practicum at the nursing school and hospital, giving me daily interactions with these students. All students at the nursing school attend a small group weekly Bible Study. In the past, I have served as the leader of one of these groups and I imagine that I will do so again, giving me the opportunity to disciple my small group of students. After graduation these nurses have committed to serving with the MedGo program for three years including the internship year at the hospital. I will continue to work with them as they transition from school to working as a nurse and then go out to serve throughout Indonesia for two years. Hopefully I can help to mentor and care for them as they care for others. Most importantly I hope to lead by example as a I serve as a missionary nurse.

Yanto

So I wanted you to have the chance to meet one of these young nurses and hear his story. This is Yanto.

He was born and raised in Nias, a small island off the west coast of northern Sumatra. His hopes and dreams collapsed on the day his father died. This deep disappointment dragged him into despair. He began seeking occult power by contacting a witchdoctor who could teach him black magic. Yanto believed someone had used black magic to cause his father’s sudden death. Hatred drove him to try to take revenge on this enemy.

His mother felt sorry for him but Yanto was beyond her grasp. There was nothing she could do but she kept on praying for him. Amazingly, despite the turbulence in his life Yanto did manage to finish high school.

In 2006 one of his relatives urged him to travel to far off West Kalimantan (province where Bethesda Hospital is located) to become a policeman. Off he went with great hopes for a brighter future in a new place. He quit drinking and smoking and expected to be accepted for training as a policeman. However, life in the new place was hard on him. Four times he failed the entrance exam to become a policeman. This situation forced him to think more seriously about his life; its purpose, his failures and the hatred which was rooted deep in his heart. In desperation he meditated on a Bible verse given to him by an evangelist: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). For the first time in his life Yanto realized his need to have a Savior. Giving up all the witchcraft and hatred which he had brought with him from Nias Island, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Being a new person in Jesus, Yanto stopped pursuing his dream to become a policeman. Instead, he prayed a lot and patiently waited for God’s guidance for his future. In 2008 Yanto applied to study at Bethesda Nursing Academy and was accepted. Through spiritual nurture provided by this institution Yanto has learned more about God and has grown spiritually. He clearly understands that God can use him to serve others through the nursing profession.

Being one of the twelve students in the MedGo Commission’s Missionary Nurse Scholarship Program is a unique blessing for Yanto. It has helped him and his family to cope with their extreme financial limitations due to the death of his father. Most importantly, his mother has accepted Yanto’s decision to become a missionary nurse, an unfavorable career choice to most Indonesian parents. 

MedGo 2011 Class at Graduation from Nursing School

Please be praying for this group of seven new nurses as they begin their three years of service as missionary nurses. Pray also for the five students who are just starting their senior year. Finally be praying for me as I prepare to help with this program. While I am very excited to work these young men and women I know there will also be many challenges.

Why WorldVenture Part II

As promised here is the second part to why I am serving with WorldVenture...

First, a little history on the organization. The following was copied from the WorldVenture web page. You can read the longer original version here.  

World War II was raging, but there in Chicago, on Monday, May 24, 1943 about 50 Baptist pastors and other concerned people gathered in Chicago. And they prayed. On through the afternoon they discussed their concerns and they prayed. There, on their knees in prayer, they took a step of faith. The Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society was born, incorporated seven months later, to assist churches in sending, funding, and caring for missionaries. In time, the organization came to be known as CBInternational, and now, WorldVenture. The first 10 years, ending in 1953, became known as the Ten Miracle Years. Beginning with no personnel, no fields and no funds, the organization grew to 300 missionaries on four continents. After six decades of ministry, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have come into the family of God - a result of the faith of those early 50 who prayed. Thousands of churches have been planted and church leaders equipped. Many around the world have been touched by our acts of compassion. Today, with more than 500 missionaries in more than 60 areas of the world, WorldVenture is still expanding the harvest, taking the love of God to the nations. It is our vision to see people of all nations transformed by Jesus Christ through partnership with his church.

I realized that I might need to back up a bit for some of my readers. I frequently get the question (like again at work this week) what exactly is WorldVenture? The official version (as copied from their web page) is that "WorldVenture is people. A network of partners working together with a shared vision to see people of all nations transformed by Jesus Christ. WorldVenture exists to assist churches in global ministry. To accomplish this, we do many different kinds of work -- from evangelism and church planting to medical, educational, agricultural, and relief and development work. Most any skill or occupation can be utilized in WorldVenture's global ministry." But what exactly does that mean? It means that they help churches send, fund, and care for missionaries. 


As part of the sending process, I as a missionary with WorldVenture have gone through an extensive application process that involved recommendation by my church, a lengthy application, writing of a doctrinal statement, and an interview with a committee. To help prepare me to serve to the best of my abilities I will complete training and reading assignments before I leave. Some of these are required for all missionaries serving with WorldVenture and others were specifically recommended for me based on where I will be serving, my job description, and issues identified during the application process or interview. You can read a lot more about that in this blog post. 

The funding process is one I will have to tackle in another blog post.


I mentioned in my blog post earlier this week that one of the reasons I have chosen to serve with WorldVenture is because prayer is an integral part of the organization. The other is because they are known for their care of their missionaries. I experienced this first-hand when I became sick in 2004, as I explained in the post earlier this week. Another more recent example happened during my application interview. I was asked how I planned to take care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually while I was serving, as my ministry will be stressful at times caring for the needs of others and because of its remote location. I didn't have an answer for them then, so coming up with a plan became a growth goal that I needed to complete before I left. You can read more about that process and my plan in this post. 


In closing, WorldVenture is not perfect - no organization is because we are all imperfect people. That said, after 60+ years many organizations find it hard to keep up with all the changes and find themselves slowly dying. That is not happening at WorldVenture - they are doing their best to keep up with the changing world and are coming up with new and exciting tools and programs. One of the ones I find most exciting is the Journey Corp program. The easy description of the program is that it is a Christian version of the Peace Corp but in reality it is so much more. Watch the video below or check out the web page for more details.




Beautiful Things from Journey Corps on Vimeo.

Why WorldVenture Part 1

It is not uncommon for me to get asked the question "who?" when I tell people I will be serving with WorldVenture. Others say oh I have heard of "World Vision" and then I have to correct them and say no that was WorldVenture. So I thought it might be a good time explain a little bit of my history with WorldVenture. The second part that I post later will give you a little history of the organization, explain more about the role WorldVenture plays in my life and some of the exciting work they are doing around the world.

I am not sure I can actually say I chose WorldVenture originally. I know that the first time I headed to Indonesia in the summer of 2000 as a college student I had some paperwork processed and an interview with someone but I really don't remember many of the details. They were the missions organization for my home church in Oregon and also the organization that helped start Bethesda Hospital, so it seemed natural that I would choose to serve with them. 

That relationship deepened though when I wanted to return to Indonesia for a planned stay of 2 years (that ended up being 2 1/2 years). At WorldVenture this is called a mid-term assignment, which is longer than a short-term assignment but not as long as career assignment either. There was paperwork, an interview, and once approved books to read and training to do. Through this journey several people from the home office in Colorado walked alongside me and prayed with me. I think that was one of the reasons WorldVenture felt so right - there was rarely a conversation etc that didn't end with time in prayer.

It was when I got sick while serving in Indonesia though that their true worth became very evident to me. For starters because I was serving with them I had international health insurance that paid for care in Malaysia and Singapore in search of a diagnosis. In the end we still didn't know what I was sick with then but we knew I would benefit from some time in the US to rest and try to find a diagnosis. I was a little over a year into my two-year stay and instead of just telling me I should quit and come home they walked through that long and scary process with me. They supported not only me but also contacted my church to make sure they understood what was happening and that the organization was available if needed. They then supported my return to Indonesia a month later and provided the resources and assistance I needed to readjust back to Indonesia.

After coming home in late 2006 from my third trip to Indonesia I attended a Renewal Conference in early 2007 as part of the debriefing process. Renewal Conferences are held annually in Colorado near the home office and all US staff as well as any missionaries in the US at the time attend. Because I had served short and mid-term I had been in contact with only a few of the staff at the home office and had never visited, so I assumed when I arrived for Renewal Conference that I would know very few people. It didn't take long though for me to realize how wrong I was. There was always the initial awkwardness of trying to sneak a look at each others name badges and then the the look of recognition would come into their eyes and they would recall a story or prayer request I had shared in my one of my monthly updates. It felt like I was welcomed into a family that I had long known about but had never met.

It was during this conference that I first felt the plan of going to grad school and then heading back to Indonesia long-term come together. I shared this with one of what WorldVenture calls Mission Coaches. According to the WorldVenture web page "Mission Coaches exist to help discover a person's passions and gifts and then together discern whether WorldVenture and a person are a good match and whether there is a place for that person." That sounds like a big job description but in reality they do their best to walk alongside a person who is interested in serving as a missionary. I assumed this missions coach would file my info away and we would talk again in a few years because grad school would take me at least two years and I hadn't even started yet. Instead over the years I received regular emails and phone calls asking how they could pray for and with me and discussing what God was doing in my life.

So as grad school wrapped up and doors seemed to again be opening for my return to Indonesia letting WorldVenture know seemed like a natural choice. You can read some of my very first blog posts to find out what happened next here and here. Stay tuned for more to be posted the end of this week. 

Birthday Celebrations

It is that time of year again - time when I celebrate being one year older! This year I celebrated turning 33. It feels like the years are flying past as I get older and I suppose sometime soon I will be tempted to start lying about my age :) But for now I am happy to celebrate all that that has happened in the past few year. It has been a year with quite a few milestones. I completed my Master's Degree and became a Certified Nurse-Midwife. And I was appointed to return as a career missionary in Indonesia.

So over the past couple of weeks I have celebrated with family and friends. My celebration actually started before my birthday with an afternoon of shopping (shoes of course!) and time with my sisters Kara and Laura in Seattle. I worked the day of my actual birthday, so I also got to celebrate with my friends at work.

Finally I went camping with my parents and grandparents. Because of the time of year celebrating my birthday with a camping trip was common when I was kid. During this trip we had fun remembering past trips. I got my first bike during a camping trip! Little did I know until we were discussing it this time my parents had saved and been very excited to find a used bike that would work for me at the time. We also remembered a camping trip that was so hot that it melted all the frosting on the cake and it slid off as we traveled leaving a mess :) My mom had a lot of fun creating cakes each year, spending a lot of time decorating it with our chosen theme of the year, so I am sure it was disappointing at the time but all I can remember now is lifting the lid off that cake container to see that mess and having a good laugh. It still tasted delicious!

This year we traveled over the North Cascade Highway to Lone Fir Campground where we met my grandparents who live in Wenatchee, WA. Over the next several days we spent the days hiking area trails (including my 92 year-old grandpa!), enjoying the beautiful views, spending the evening around the campfire, and spending the night in a tent with my parents. Been about 30 years since I shared a tent with just my parents :) All in all we had a great time!

  

This coming year will include a lot of changes and next year I will most likely be celebrating in a very different place and with different people. That makes this birthday a bit bittersweet. Although I am looking forward to creating more special birthday memories next year. 

Building a Prayer Team

One of the things that has become more and more obvious as I have worked through this process of preparation is that prayer support is incredibly important. Satan has and will do as much as he can distract and destroy the work at Bethesda Hospital. That includes attacking those who serve there, myself included. Staying strong physically, emotionally, and spiritually will be crucial and one of the best ways I know to protect myself is to have a strong team praying for me and the ministry there.

The idea is that this core group of people would commit to pray regularly. I would send updates to this group on a regular basis as well as any urgent prayer requests. These requests might be personal, others would be for needs or problems in the Indonesia, and some for specific patients or needs at the hospital. As the prayers are answered I would let you know giving us a chance to share in the joy of what the Lord is doing in Indonesia.

Prayer support has been an incredible blessing for me during previous times serving in Indonesia. There was someone at First Baptist Church in Hood River who prayed for me during the service when we were sharing in a time of blessing and praying just before I left for Indonesia. The person praying told me to look around and see the faces of the ones praying for me and feel the presence of those that were laying their hands on me at that moment. Then when the hard days came to remember that moment and know that those people were still thinking and praying for me. That encouragement is something I took with me and that gave me an incredible sense of peace when those hard times did come and obviously it is something that I remember even today.

If you are interested in joining this team please let me know. You can email me at calistay[at]gmail.com. (Just replace that [at] with an @ symbol in your actual email - this helps cut down on the spam I receive)

Oh and FYI for people in Hood River - I will be visiting the area August 19th-23rd. I know August is a busy vacation and activity time but I would love to sit down and talk with anyone who is interested or has questions. I will be also be visiting near the end of September (dates still be to determined) for those that aren't available in August.

Counting the Cost

Yates Girls at Laura's College Graduation

I have a confession to make... I have been struggling with the "have nots" and "won't haves" lately. What exactly are those you might ask. They are the realization that in choosing to serve in Indonesia there are several things I will have to give up. It is hard knowing that all this work is preparing me for something that will be difficult, stressful, exhausting and lonely. There will be days filled with language oops and culture missteps, days when I don’t know the answer to the question or even where to get the answer, and days when I lose patients (probably quite a bit more frequently than it does here in the US).

One of the things I will miss most are regular and frequent moments with my family. The picture above was taken in June of this year at Laura's graduation from Seattle Pacific University. We spent a weekend as a family enjoying Seattle sites, having family discussions, and of course eating some good food. As part of the weekend we also celebrated my mom's 60th birthday with her parents and sisters. These were bittersweet moments. Sweet because we always have a great time when we get together as a family. Bitter because I know there will only be a few more of these before I leave and I will miss many of them when I am gone. Yes they can and will come visit  (I hope!) and I will be home every couple of years for a few months at least, but still it will be different.

Here in the US I am a respected healthcare provider. I am part of the team with a known role and responsibility. With my arrival in Indonesia I will back at the bottom of the learning curve, working to figure out my role and responsibilities. Transition from the known to the unknown is always hard. I cannot tell you how many times I have told friends my plans, to have them express excitement that I will be working to help prevent maternal and neonatal mortality. And then comes the question, “how long will you be there?” And when I respond, “it is a long-term commitment” they all of a sudden become quiet. To go for a short time is completely acceptable and respected as a humanitarian mission. To give up an extended period of my life is considered crazy.

So why in the world would anyone choose to go? Why would I??

I have to admit there have been days I have put off the work of preparing to go because somehow it delays the hard days I know are ahead. So I took some time during my vacation in early June to just get away from all the voices, all the worries, and all the fears and the let the Lord speak. He took me to Philippians 2 and reminded me of part of an article I had read during Perspectives.

It was an article about the incarnation as a model for Christian witness. Sounds very theological and a bit overwhelming to me but the basic idea was that since Jesus gave up His status, independence, and immunity to become human and to save us, how can we as Christians be willing to do less. That is not to say that I have this figured out but something I am trying to work though. 

So I took some time to remember the positive reasons for going… A daily reliance on the Lord and a deeper relationship with Him, amazing friendships, knowledge that God used me to help people, moms and babies saved that would have died if Bethesda Hospital wasn’t there, the chance to share with patients about their Creator and the God who loves them, the adventure of trying new foods and new words, and lots and lots of laughter at those cultural missteps and language oops. 

There was an article about the missionary journey in the Women of the Harvest magazine back in 2005 that said it so well, “… we alone are stretched beyond what we thought was possible. We are physically and emotionally drained. And we are the ones bearing the bruises and scars. Yet we know the names and the faces of those who have been transformed by God’s Spirit. We alone have the privilege of experiencing the birth of a love for the people God has called us to. And we will never be the same" (From Laboring for the Kingdom by S.R.L). 

Once I found my eyes focusing on Jesus and the positive I found my energy and excitement about completing all this preparation and going had returned. Not to say that life is perfect and that sometimes the thought of that departure checklist and the to do list doesn't make me want to roll over and go back to sleep in the mornings :) Then I try to remember that while all the human reasons may not make sense it all makes perfect sense in God's eyes and that I have to be willing to live this adventure I call life. Please be praying that I will keep my eyes on the positive (Phil 4:8) and stay focused on the task ahead.

Philippians 2:1-8 from The Message
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

The Question of When

One of my most frequent conversations these days is about the process of preparing for departure and when I will be leaving, so I thought it would be good to share some more of the details with you. Below is the document that WorldVenture uses to list the requirements that need to be completed before departure.

 

Basically it breaks down into several categories:

Books to Read: These are required for every long-term missionary preparing to serve with WorldVenture. They cover topics ranging from support raising, to history of missions, to cross-cultural integration. In addition, each missionary has books assigned by their specific country leadership team to help prepare them for service in that country or area of the world. In total each missionary reads somewhere between 10-15 books. An integration report is written after reading each set of books. I have completed integration reports one and two and am currently working on three through five. 

Growth Goals - These are specific to me and include taking Perpsectives, completing 30 credits of Bible including a systematic theology class, and writing a self-care plan. I have completed two of the three growth goals and am currently working on completing the Bible credits. 

Training: Every missionary is required to complete several training requirements to help better prepare them for service, help with making the cross-cultural adjustment and learning a new language. The first training is two weeks at the main WorldVenture office in Colorado following appointment. The second is a several days spent learning about partnership development and support raising back at the WorldVenture office several months later. There is also a 3-week training on cross-cultural adjustment and a 2 week training on language acquisition that are outsourced to other well-respected organizations. Finally you spend one final week at the main office for pre-departure training. I have completed the first two trainings. To attend the remaining three I have to have read all of the books, complete all of my growth goals, and be at least 60% supported. I am hoping to attend those trainings starting in the fall. 

Departure Clearance: Once I have completed all of those requirements and am at least 80% supported I will start on the final phase. This involves coordinating my arrival in Indonesia with the team already there, making sure all of the official documents like passport and will are up to date, final trips to doctors and dentists, and making travel arrangements. Finally of course I will plan to spend time with family, friends, and churches saying goodbye. 

So the answer to the question of when I will leave really does depend on several factors including how quickly I can complete these requirements and be 100% financially supported. My latest goal is a departure in late January 2012.  

So are you overwhelmed yet? I have to admit I was at first, but as I have started to walk through the process things have become clearer and it is always fun to check something off the list. I have completed all of the requirements in the first column and am slowly but surely working on the second column.

I have to admit there are days when I start to doubt whether this is all necessary but then I remember that WorldVenture has 65+ years sending missionaries and over 500 missionaries currently serving around the world. They are an organization that is known for their care of their missionaries. This personal care is something I have experienced before while serving with them and why I chose to serve with them again. Their and my desire is to succeed and thrive while serving, so time spent preparing now will I am sure pay off in the future. 

I am blessed to have a great team walking on this journey with me including 8 other "units" (single people or couples/families) who were appointed to serve with WorldVenture at the same time I was. We keep in contact via Skype and Facebook to share ideas and encouragement. I also have mentor and partnership development coaches (more about them another time) who I meet with regularly and who help keep me working toward the goal and encouraging me.

Be Still

The picture above is an item near my bed. It is a bowl filled with sand, lavender candles, and a rock with with the words "be still" written on it. Many of the items were gifts. They help remind me that sometimes it is good to slow down and take time. Time to rest. Time to focus on my relationship with the Lord. It seems life flies by so fast these days!

This is a life skill and spiritual discipline I am trying to learn. My mentor, Beth Ladd, has been instrumental in helping me recognize this need through her work with Be Still Retreats. Taking time to be still will be even more important as life will be very busy when I am serving in Indonesia. The work there is 24/7. When you are just a phone call and couple minutes walk away from the hospital it means you are always on-call. That on top of the heat and humidity means there will be stress on my body. With my diagnosis of chronic lyme disease this makes taking time to rest even more important.

So one of the growth goals I just finished was writing out a plan to proactively take time to rest. As you might remember growth goals are several goals and requirements WorldVenture wants me to complete before I leave for Indonesia. These requirements include rounding out my Bible education, reading several books, doing training, and intentionally making plans to guard my health while I am serving.

So my new plan includes making sure I take a break at least once a month with a three day weekend. Weekends as Americans know them don't really exist in Indonesia because the nursing school operates 6 days a week including Saturday and of course the hospital is open all day every day. Sundays while different with church are still full of activities. So hopefully designating three days a month to rest will help me to stay healthy and serve well the rest of the month.

This is a life skill and spiritual discipline I think we all need. So sometime soon be intentional about taking time to Be Still.

Where (Part II)

So once upon a time I promised that I would tell you more about the country of Indonesia, which is where I will be serving. I am such a visual person that I think it would be a good idea to start off with a few pictures including a few maps.

A map of the world with Indonesia circled in red

This is a view of Indonesia from Google Earth. Indonesia has been described as a string of emeralds strung on the equator like a necklace. The equator isn't in this picture but it pretty much runs right through the center.

Because of its location on the equator the weather is hot and humid. You can check out the current temperature near the hospital by looking in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Another fun fact about living near the equator is that the sun comes up and goes down pretty much every day around 6.

Officially Indonesia has 17,508 islands although that number may vary based on the source due quickly changing geography amidst several active volcanoes. Only about 6000 islands have people living on them. That includes about 750 different people groups.

It is considered the most populated Muslim country in the world with about 80% of the people claiming to be Muslim. There are however 6 recognized religions in the country. The main remaining groups include Christian (15%), Hindu/Buddhist (3%), and Ethnic/Animist (2%).

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are three pictures of the main people groups the hospital serves.

The majority of the people who live around the hospital are Dyak

Celebrating the end of Ramadan with a local Muslim Family

Chinese man participating in a ceremony to celebrate the Chinese New Year

Indonesia is a fairly new country. It declared independence on August 17th, 1945 but before that it was ruled by several colonial powers including most notably the Dutch and the Japanese (during WWII). Then until 1997 it was controlled by a series of powerful presidents/dictators. After successful democratic elections in 2004 and 2009 it is now considered a fledgling democracy.

One of the current challenges facing Indonesia is it location on the Ring of Fire. This causes frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and in 2004 a large earthquake/tsunami which devastated part of Indonesia and caused the death of an estimated 180,000 Indonesians.

Ways to Pray
Indonesia’s vast diversity is both its strength and its peril. With 17,500 islands strewn across nearly 10 million sq km of ocean, 33 provinces, 722 languages, even more ethnic groups, myriad religious expressions and deeply divided political agendas, holding this nation together is a monumental task. Pray for political strength for the maturing democracy to stay balanced between national unity and regional identity. Pray also for the government to act with righteousness in honouring all peoples and communities; Indonesia’s history, especially recently, is characterized by discrimination, exploitation and favouritism. (From Operation World)

You can find out more information about Indonesia by reading:
The CIA Fact Book
Operation World
The Jakarta Post - online version of the largest English-language newspaper in Indonesia.

Perspectives

~ I know for a fact that this post was originally sent out on May 12th, but for some reason it is not showing up on the blog anymore. So I am re-posting it and getting out a new one this week as well ~

So for the last 15 weeks I have been taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class at a church about an hour from my house. Perspectives, as it is more commonly known, has been around since 1974 and experienced by more than 80,000 believers in North America. This class was something I have been wanting to take for awhile, as I heard so many good things about it but just couldn't get fit it into my schedule with school and work. Then WorldVenture made it one of my growth goals, or basically something I needed to complete before I could leave for Indonesia :)

The class is broken into four sections:
The Biblical Perspective - focuses on God's mandate for missions in the Old and New Testament.
The Historical Perspective - focuses on the history of missions throughout the ages.
The Cultural Perspective - focuses on reaching different cultures and building bridges of love.
The Strategic Perspective - focuses on strategies for reaching the lost.
Each week we had a reading assignment and homework to complete. Then on Thursday we all got together for three hours for a class. These classes were all taught by different speakers, each with knowledge and experience in the subject for the week.

Overall I really enjoyed the class and all that we learned. Some of what I learned will be tools for my ministry and some will be encouragement on the tough days. You can check out this video for more information or find more information on the Perspectives web page.

Check out this video for more details...

Perspectives Course - Seattle Loop from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

Where

Well this post is long overdue! February was a busy month with lots of travel, projects, etc. I had fun spending time with friends and fellow missionaries at Partner Development Training in Colorado. We learned a lot and spent some long hours putting together our presentations. Then two weeks ago I spent a long weekend in Boise, Idaho at a training session on Midwifery Volunteerism in the Developing World. This training was sponsored by Mercy in Action which runs several birth centers in the Philippians, so they had lots of practical real-world advice that was a great addition to my previous education. My brain is full of ideas, dreams, and plans!

So one of the frequent questions I get is... where are you going? I am headed to Indonesia. Sometime in the near future I will spend some time telling you a bit more about Indonesia as a country but for this post I want to share a bit about Bethesda Hospital, which is where my ministry will be focused. One of the reasons for this is that February is when the hospital celebrates its birthday, so it seems appropriate. Course it would have been more appropriate had I actually gotten this published in February but hey it is close :)

Bethesda Hospital is located in the jungles of West Kalimantan (Borneo). It was started by WorldVenture (previously CBFMS) missionaries in 1965 as a simple general hospital. It moved 7 miles down the road to its current location in the village of Serukam in 1974. This allowed for a good source of water, electricity, an air strip, and future expansion.

The buildings and landing strip of Bethesda Hospital

In the early 1980s the hospital was officially turned over to an Indonesian foundation which runs the hospital and its ministries. This has allowed the Indonesians to take the lead and responsibility for the daily operations and plans for the hospital. Today the majority of staff are Indonesians with support from two American physicians (one internist and one eye doctor) and when possible at least one American nurse (although it has been almost 5 years since the last one left now). The original doctor and nurse (Wendell and Marge Geary) who helped to start the hospital are also still actively involved, spending several months of the year there.

Doctors at Bethesda Hospital - 2009

The ministries of Bethesda Hospital include a 100-bed hospital that admits and cares for an average of 5,000 inpatients a year. In addition, the outpatient department (clinic and ER) treats an average of 25,000 patients a year.

The ministries of the hospital also include a Nursing Academy. The Academy currently has three classes of 50 students each enrolled. These students study theory and do practicum at the hospital. Some will graduate and work in the hospital, others will work in other hospitals in the area, and some will return to their villages and provide health care there.

The hospital also has a Community Health Outreach program called PKMD. PKMD serves over 60 villages scattered in remote areas of the rainforest where government service is scarce to nonexistent. Working with the New Tribes Flight Program and previously Missionary Aviation Fellowship, four satellite clinics have been established to serve the Dyak tribal people.The focus of this program is on the high rate of mortality of kids under the age of 5 and maternal mortality.

Measles Immunization

I am excited about how the Lord is leading me to return to serve at Bethesda Hospital. In a previous post I shared a bit about how I will be involved in each of the different ministries (read previous blog post - What). It will be amazing to see how the Lord continues to use the ministries of Bethesda Hospital to provide care and share the gospel with the Indonesian people.

Happy Birthday Bethesda Hospital!

New Year Plans

Been some busy days here! The big news is that I passed my board exam and am officially a Certified Nurse-Midwife!! It is a great feeling to put the whole school thing behind me and focus on preparation for Indonesia. 

Next month is going to be busy. In early February I will be returning to Colorado for training in Partner Development. It will be good to reunite with the friends I met in November and make some new ones. After that training I will begin building a team of prayer and financial support for Indonesia. In late February I will be headed to Idaho to attend training on serving as a midwife in a developing country.

Last but not least I am getting ready to start sending out monthly email newsletters. If you would like to received them you can sign-up on the left-hand side of the blog.