An evening to remember

So what happens when you combine a dozen obstetric nurses and some good food... you get a lot of stories and laughter. Now imagine that you combine that with something they can get passionate about like decreasing maternal/neonatal mortality and stories from Indonesia. Add that all together and you get an evening to remember.

A co-worker (thanks Anitra!) hosted an evening for me share to share with other co-workers about Indonesia, my plans and needs. It was so much fun to share about this part of my life with my friends! I wish I had thought to get some pictures but in the busyness of the night I just forgot.

Now I am sitting at SeaTac airport waiting for my flight to Colorado. I will spending the next five days at WorldVenture's Renewal Conference. This is a chance for all their missionaries currently in the US and the home office staff to get together. We spend the first two days in prayer. Prayer for the workers and work around the world. The remaining two and half days are filled with updates from around the world and what is happening at the home office as well as some workshops. It is an exciting time to see what God is doing around the world and be with friends. I will have the chance to connect with teammates from Indonesia and some of the group who were appointed at the same time. It is so encouraging to connect with those who are on similar journeys. Please pray for safe travel - it is winter in Colorado but thankfully no major snowstorms are predicted. 

Snow Days

I know that there are going to be those of you that get a good laugh at this post (especially those of you reading this in Colorado, Chicago, and back East) because yep I am posting about snow. You see snow, especially snow that lasts more than a day or so, is not the norm here in the Puget Sound. Need examples of how people in the Puget Sound respond to winter weather... just look up Seattle winter driving on YouTube :)

That said I happen to love the snow. Especially when I can stay all snuggled up at home and just enjoy it. It started snowing here in Everett last weekend. Just a few inches but because it was cold it didn't melt away (the usual for Puget Sound snow). I was working all weekend so that meant some dicey commutes to and from work, but thanks to good snow tires and and all-wheel drive Subaru I had no big problems. I finished work on Tuesday morning and when I woke up on Tuesday afternoon we had gotten hit by a convergence zone and had about 5 inches total. Still cold so it stuck around. Today (Thursday) it was suppose to warm up and change to rain. As I write this however, it is still only 25 degrees here at my house AND it has been snowing all day so we are up to like a foot outside (not that I am going out to measure it).

Here are a few pictures from my yard over the last few days...

Not sure my lilac bush is ever going to be quite the same

Or the rhododendron either for that matter

The view from my bedroom window

The official current conditions and forecast on my computer screen

Compare that to the current conditions and forecast at the hospital in Indonesia

Check out that "real feel" temperature of 105 and it is only noon, so the hottest part of the day is still to come

The change in the weather is going to be one of the many changes I will have to adjust to when I move to Indonesia. Right now though I plan to curl up and enjoy the peace and quiet the snow brings.

Next Thursday, I am looking forward to spending the evening at Anitra's house. We work together at Providence Hospital here in Everett. She has volunteered to host an info and fundraising event for me to share about my plans with our friends and co-workers. I hope it will be a lot of fun as well as informative. Please be praying I communicate well with this diverse group of people.  

Unreached and Unengaged

This is one of those posts that is a work in progress. It has been coming together for awhile now. Some comes from reading assignments I have completed as part of my departure requirements. Some comes the book Radical by David Platt, which I recently read. Finally some started last year about this time when I took the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class. This class was required as part of my preparation for serving with WorldVenture. I wrote a blog post on it shortly after I finished, which you can read here if you want. Part of this class gave me the latest information on what missions is doing around the world and the chance to interact with missionaries serving around the world and hear their stories. One of the videos we watched in class is the video above. Before that time I had heard the terms unreached and unengaged around but only understood them in general terms. So maybe that is a good place to start...

Unreached means that a people group does not contain an indigenous community of Evangelical Christians with adequate numbers and resources to spread the gospel within the people group.  
Unengaged means no church or organization is actively working within that people group to spread the gospel.

There are lots of statistics out there to give us an idea of how many groups are unreached but in general it is thought that about 6,000 people groups totaling around 2.8 billion people are unreached and of those 5,000 people groups totaling 1.5 billion are unreached and unengaged. As David Platt says in his book Radical, "that means for these 1.5 billion unreached and unengaged peoples, almost every individual within them is born, lives, and dies without ever hearing the gospel. Even worse no one is currently doing anything to change their situation. No one."

Indonesia is a unique country with its 17,000 plus islands and 768 people groups. It ranks as the country with the third most people groups (India and Papua New Guinea are the first two). About 127 major unreached people groups are present in Indonesia. 39 of those people groups are unengaged and three of those live on the island where I will be serving.

I have two expected roles in Indonesia. One is obviously to serve as a nurse and midwife to those at the hospital and through our village health outreach team. The second is to mentor and disciple young nursing students and nurses who have made the commitment to serve as missionary nurses in Indonesia through our MedGo program. Together with your support we hope to reach out to the many unreached and unengaged people groups in Indonesia with good health care and the Good News.

God has a plan for reaching those unreached and unengaged. He outlines it in Romans 10. God sends His servants, His servants preach, People hear, Hearers believe (not all but some), Believers call, Everyone who calls is saved. So why hasn't the goal been reached? There is really only one possible spot this plan breaks down - when servants of God do not preach the gospel to all peoples. As David Platt says in his book Radical, "we are the plan of God, and there is no plan B." Maybe it is time we stop asking that all too famous question, "What is God's will for my life" and realize that He has already told us. The will of God is for you and me to give our lives for the gospel and glory of God among all peoples but especially those who have never heard of Jesus. This is a cause worth living for and it is a cause worth dying for. So the question becomes "Will we obey God's will?"

So as you look at your New Year's Resolutions this year I challenge you to consider how the Lord might be asking you to help reach those unreached and unengaged. 

Pick up the book Radical by David Platt to read a lot more on this topic. At the end of that book he challenges us to an experiment. It is one I plan on working on this year. Want to join me? You can also read a lot more about this topic on The Joshua Project web page here. Or maybe you could take a Perspectives class. Many start in January and you can find one near you through their web page. You can also pick up a copy of Operation World which helps you read and pray through every country in a year.

Check out the video above for some interesting facts and challenging questions. (For those reading this in your email or RSS Feeder you might need to click on the "read more" button at the bottom of the email to go to the blog to see the video) Please take the time to view it! 

Happy New Year!

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.