My Mentor

Marcia, Jan, Anne, and Beth... These are just a few of the mentors the Lord has blessed me with through my life. Women who have spoken truth into my life and shared their wisdom with me.

Marcia and Jan were nurses and women of faith in my community when I was growing up. Both helped support my dream of becoming a nurse and gave me practical advice on my career options. Anne was one of my teachers during nursing school at Seattle Pacific University. Her smile and joyful attitude were such a big encouragement during some of the long days. She was the one who first told me I would be a good teacher because I was naturally doing it already. I laughed at the time! Turns out she was right - I love to teach and combine that with my skills as a nurse and midwife.

When WorldVenture told me I would need to choose a mentor to walk with me through the journey from appointment to departure, I had no idea who to pick. My first thought turned to someone at home in the Hood River area. I was living up in Everett at the time though and really wanted somehow close by who I could meet with regularly. I had done a couple of Women's Bible Studies with my pastor's wife Beth and had really appreciated her wisdom, so I decided to approach her.

That was the beginning of beautiful relationship. One I know will not end with departure! She made the trip out to the WorldVenture Home Office for training with me and for my commissioning service. While I was still living in Everett, at least once a month you could find us at an IHOP or Starbucks talking and praying until one of us realized how late it had gotten. She has been one of those who I have gone to when the emotions and the fears seem overwhelming and it felt like I was never going to be able to depart. She has an in-depth knowledge of the Word and seems to know exactly the verse I needed to hear. Her prayers have been filled with knowledge and wisdom. I am hopeful that she will be able to come out and visit me in Indonesia sometime in the future. This will take a small miracle though as she is afraid of flying :)

I wish I had a better picture of her :( In this picture she is teaching during a Be Still Retreat

Meet my RopeHolder

When you are on a dirt road out in the country on a dark night, trying to find a place you have never been before, it is awfully nice to have your cell phone and know you can call a friend who has driven there before.  And when you are new parents and the baby develops a mysterious rash, it sure helps to call a sister with 5 healthy kids and know you’ll get good advice without condescension. In that first year on the field, should you feel lonely or discouraged, wouldn’t it be nice to Skype, call or e-mail someone who has “been there before” and will understand you.

 RopeHolders is a new program developed by The Paraclete Center at WorldVenture. They are veteran, retired WorldVenture missionaries who have successfully navigated multiple transitions and cross cultural adjustments, and who are willing to serve as long-distance confidants to new missionaries.  RopeHolders have been screened and trained by The Paraclete Centre staff in how to “hold the ropes” from the U.S. for our new missionaries in their first term of service.

That is how the RopeHolders program was described to me by WorldVenture. The picture above was taken during Pre-Departure Training when I first met Pat, my RopeHolder. She served for several decades in India. We had a lot of fun talking and learning more about each other. I am looking forward to get getting to know her better as I head to the field. It is also nice to know I have a resource who has "been there done that" as they say.  

Celebrating 100%

From our time of celebration during Pre-Departure Training

Sometimes I think God loves to surprise us and to fill our days with joy. He did that for me yesterday! Just 18 days ago I was at 86% support. I had been there for over a month and was feeling stuck with few leads to follow.

I had decided April would be dedicated to a special 30 Days of Prayer and was looking forward to praying through the month with several committed friends. Shortly after we started praying God started moving. The support started to climb steadily. Halfway through the month I needed just 5% more and then a few days later 4%. And then yesterday I got notified that a supporter had called and wanted to give enough to get me the rest of the way to 100%.

It is so exciting and such a blessing to see the Lord working. Thank you to all who have supported me in prayer and financially!

Time for the next phase of this adventure to begin! My final departure clearance will be issued when my International Ministry Director returns from a trip and I will then start shopping for plane tickets. Please be praying that my visa, which is being processed right now, would be approved quickly. There is some doubt whether it will be done in time for a late June departure as I had hoped.

Partnership Development Coach

You get the prize if you can figure out what we are doing in this picture :)

This is an old picture of my good friend, Jill. Once upon a time we were roommates in college. That was 15 years ago! These days we don't get together or talk as often as we should and so when we do we are likely to talk for hours :) She has the business-brain and tends to be more detail-oriented that I am. She also has been out to visit me in Indonesia. So when I needed to pick someone to be my partnership development coach she was one my first thoughts. Plus it was a good excuse for us to "have" to spend some time together!

A partnership development coach is required by my organization during this time of support-raising. For example, she went with me to PDX (partnership development training) and helped me design my presentation. She has also helped me plan and kept me accountable during these long days of preparation. Her "job" essentially was to help me leave, which of course means she has to say goodbye, which has to be one of the tougher jobs out there! It has been a blessing to have someone walk this journey with me. Hopefully, she will again get to visit Indonesia as well.

(For those who are wondering the picture above was taken during Jill's visit to Indonesia. Unfortunately, her visit happened to coincide with my getting sick and so in the picture we were actually in a hospital in Malaysia. I was about to have minor surgery to remove a lump near the initial bite that we thought might help us figure out what was making sick. Not exactly what we had planned for her visit, but it was nice to have a friend with me.)

Intolerance

Prayercast: Indonesia. A special prayer in Indonesian and English with video from Indonesia. (for those reading this in an RSS reader or on your email you might need to click on the link to the blog to see the video)

"A Christian, a Muslim and an atheist sounds like the beginning of joke. Instead, it could be the beginning of a broader-based struggle for freedom of religion and belief, in the face of rising religious intolerance around the world."

That is the opening paragraph from this recent story in the Huffington Post about increasing intolerance in Indonesia. In the article the author shares three stories of intolerance against an atheist, a church, and a Muslim sect in Indonesia.

Enshrined in the Indonesian Constitution is a model of tolerance and moderation. With 6 recognized religions (Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) and 768 people groups, it is key to keeping the peace.

Recently, however things have been changing. Several churches have recently come under persecution for not having the correct permits due to a change in law requiring that they have support of the neighborhood around them. This has led to problems like those faced by the Filadelfia church in the Huffington Post article as well the church in this article from The Jakarta Post.

Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) describes Indonesia as a hostile nation. On the VOM web page (under restricted nations) you can read more stories about persecution. Please be praying that the government of Indonesia would recommit themselves to guaranteeing religious freedom. Please also be praying that Christians in Indonesia will not be intimidated or discouraged. Finally, please be praying that the darkness will be lifted from the hearts and minds of the lost and that the light of Jesus will be revealed to them.