Month: May 2016

The End of School

/ MacKenzie / 2 Comments

Handles

 

I am done. Like stick a fork in me I’m overcooked kinda done. Truth be told I was done about a month ago.

The next five days Gingernut and Lil’ Paul go to school can’t come and go fast enough.

Gingernut is going to school with…hmmmm….maybe half of her school supplies every day. And that’s on a good day. She might have a pen, perhaps two, but one is probably one she found on the floor or that a friend let her borrow. She has a handful of colored pencils that look like the worse end of something a beaver has been gnawing on. I’m pretty sure I only saw about three markers floating around during homework time today. And a pencil sharpener…that thing was probably lost weeks ago, people. And don’t get me started on glue. I could have put this kid through a year of college with all the money I spent on pens and glue alone.

Snack? What snack? Are teachers still expecting us to send a snack? Honestly, I throw a pack of crackers in that snack box and call it done. And I even pat myself on the back for having something to put in there so they don’t starve between drop off and lunch.

And homework? Why are we still doing homework with a week left of school? I just can’t even.

So as the year is wrapping up, I am reflecting on the year. Not only was it the first full year of school but it was the first year in a foreign school. And as I reflect, I realize I have many different emotions and feelings and sentiments.

Accomplishment.  We did it. And I while I know it was the kids actually going to school, Paul and I might as well have been in that classroom with Gingernut. I have learned new ways to write in cursive and add and subtract. I mean, who knew there was more than one way to write a cursive “a”?? We all learned so much, and we are all alive to tell the tale, which is an accomplishment in itself. We have successfully accomplished completing the first year of Italian school. Gold star for all of us.

Relief. Relief that this first, and I hope, most difficult year is almost past us. I’m almost ready to breath that heavy sigh of relief. I can see the finish line of this marathon approaching. It is so close. One down, only about 13 more to go.

Pride. I was so nervous last September. I was sending my kids into an environment in which they could barely ask to go to the bathroom. But it was necessary. Necessary for them to learn the language and the culture, to begin making friends and hopefully to feel like they “fit in”. And our kids did it.  You guys, they DID IT. It’s crazy to think how much language they have learned this year. And while there were some battles, they did remarkably well. They did something that was hard – especially Gingernut – and persevered. I don’t even know that “pride” is a strong enough word to convey what I feel when I think about this.

Thankful. I am so thankful to my God who heard every cry, of all our hearts, on those hard days. Who stayed close not only to the kids but to Paul and I as well when all we wanted to do was keep them home instead of leaving them crying at school. On those days, I clung to dear Jesus with everything in me. I had to. Only He was going to get us all four through it. And I am so thankful he did.

Happy. I am happy to have Gingernut and Lil’ Paul home for 100 or so days. I am eagerly awaiting the first day we aren’t rushing to get out the door. I am excited to play and read and picnic and nap together. Especially the nap together. I realize that these are all fuzzy, warm dreams that may or may not realize themselves and by August I’ll be counting the days down to the start of school, but right now, I am just going to happily look forward to picture perfect lazy days of summer…and hopefully make it through the last days of school.

Understanding. Gingernut had a so many ups and downs this year. And while I am sad she had to go through so many hard things I am glad that I had the opportunity to speak the Gospel into those hard things and that I now understand more about the way she is wired, which in turn helps me to parent her better. I also understand better how to advocate for her because of all the trials that she faced this year.

Encouraged. We made it through the first year with everybody still somewhat mentally intact, which has given me encouragement that we can succeed at school and language learning. All of us. But beyond the school aspect, I am encouraged as I talk to Gingernut and Lil’ Paul about things of Jesus. They have grown in their understanding of him and are learning how to depend on him as their source of help and hope, especially Gingernut.  I am encouraged that they will one day see him as the Savior to save them, the Shepherd to guide them, the Protector to take away their fears, the Father who loves them unconditionally.

These end-of-school days mark a significant accomplishment for our family. It is one that I think I will always remember. How through tears, tantrums, and endless hugs and kisses goodbye at classroom doors we all persevered and made it through the first year with love and grace and  more understanding of Italian and one another.

 

How to Support Missionaries, Part 3: Investing

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ethical-investment

I recently had the opportunity to go to a women’s retreat in northern Italy with about 11 other women from a different organization but most of whom I know. This was the second year I have been invited to go, and it could not have come at a better time.

I was becoming weary and worn.

I needed rest.

I needed to be with friends without any obligations or responsibilities.

I needed a break. From cooking and cleaning and school. From life.

And as I walked through the lush, green fields with the sun shining warm on my face or sat with a friend talking about marriages and children while sipping a steaming cup of coffee or played games in a cozy living room with a fire roaring inside and a storm howling outside, I rested. Deep in my bones rested.

That weekend was made possible through the efforts of several, but the no cooking and gifts from America (think lots of Bath and Body Work!) were made possible because three ladies from a church in Fayetteville, Tennessee, came to serve us. They prepared all our meals and cleaned up afterwards. They brought us notes from other women in their church who are praying for us. They brought American “goodies” that we do not get to indulge ourselves in here (I mentioned the Bath and Body Works, right?). They served us. And in serving us, breathed energy and rest and peace into our weary souls.

One of these women, Mrs. Sherry, organizes all of the food and notes and gifts and treats. This was her third time to come. She has invested in the women serving here and their families. She knows about our families and our lives. And we know about hers. She cares about us. She loves us. She prays for us.

In serving us, they are serving our families and our ministries. I came home rested and ready to go. And though I didn’t knowit at the time, I was going to need to be rested for what awaited me when I got back home.

When you invest in the lives of missionaries, you make a lasting impact not only in their lives but in their ministries. You are helping keep them sustained.

There are not many ministering to the missionary, who are constantly pouring out. Being able to “fill your tank” yourself is an important skill missionaries have but sometimes you need someone to fill it for you. When the tank gets low and all that is keeping you going is fumes, there is a need for being filled up. I am not saying that people take the place of God. I am saying that this is an aspect of “missions” that is overlooked by the majority of churches. I have seen so many friends who are just burnt out. They are tired and worn and weary. Spiritual warfare is real and if you don’t believe it then you haven’t been overseas. And when you are in that atmosphere day in and day out, you get beat down. This is when having people who are invested in you is so important. You can reread a letter, or look up an old text, or even eat a spoonful of something delicious from home and have the feeling that somebody is in the fight with you, going before you to the LORD on your behalf.

Choose to invest in missionaries. Because this is a big task, it’s advisable to prayerfully consider in how many you can truly invest. Whether it’s one or ten, I guarantee that you will benefit from it as much as the missionaries.

So what could this possibly look like??

Here are some ideas:

Send them and their children letters and packages. Sometimes a hand-written note or a favorite snack will keep that missionary going strong for another 3 months. I have cried over Welch’s Fruit Snacks that were sent to the kids…and I may have cried into a few packs as well. They just taste so stinkin’ good. Thanks Welch’s.

Call them. Set up Skype or Facetime appointments. IT’S FREE.

Send them a text. There are many free texting apps. We use WhatsApp.

Go visit them in their host country in order to serve them. Ask them before you go how you can do this. But some examples of things you might consider offeringare the following: babysitting their kids for a weekend so mom and dad can get away (F.Y.I. babysitters don’t exist for most of us, especially if we have no teammates); offer a guys or gals weekend for a group of missionaries where you show up and do everything and the missionaries relax; offer to do childcare for a team retreat; if you are a counselor, offer to do some counseling (this can also be done via the interwebs); for couples, clean their house and cook so BOTH parents can give their children undivided attention; for folks with kids, show up and play with the kids.

Making the conscience choice to invest in missionaries helps keep them encouraged, makes them feel loved, and gives them the knowledge that they are prayed for by specific people…and in doing this it helps further the kingdom.

And who knows, you might just get a return on that invest one day.

How to Support Missionaries, Part 2: Prayer

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Part one of how to support missionaries is all about financial support, and in case you are interested and missed it, you can read about it here.

This post is about the most important thing way you can support missionaries, or anybody for that matter – by praying for them and the people they are living among.

Prayer is the greatest weapon we have at our disposal. Think about it. What is prayer? Prayer is coming before God with our requests, petitions, supplications. We can read that and keep on going along our merry way or we can stop and let it sink in to our bones. We have the privilege, given to us by God’s good grace through Christ, to come before the LORD God , requesting Him to move, to act, to answer not just on our behalf but on the behalf of others. There is no god that man worships that when they call on his/her name responds, except Yahweh.

While, money helps missionaries stay “on the field” and do the work, prayer is what gets the work done. Prayers for the Holy Spirit to work, awaken, move, cultivate, sanctify are what make the difference, in my humble opinion, between the Gospel being spread and received like seeds that are sown on good soil versus the Gospel falling on deaf or unwilling ears, like seeds that are sown on the side of the road or among the thorns. We can preach, teach, share, disciple all day but unless the Holy Spirit moves in a person there will be no life change. These are the prayers missionaries are praying – it’s what we plead with Him to do – to change peoples’ lives.

The apostle Paul understood the importance of prayer and wrote much about it.

To the Romans, he wrote:

“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;  so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.”*  Romans 15:30-32

Paul urged the Ephesian church to pray for all the “saints” and also for him, that he might speak the gospel with boldness:

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel….”* Ephesians 6:18-19

He again asked the church in Philippi to pray for deliverance:

“…for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ….”*Philippians 1:19

He asked for  prayer for an open door to preach the gospel from the Colossians church:

“…praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned….”* Colossians 4:3

The writer of Hebrews asked for prayers on his and others behalf that they might be honorable in all their conduct.

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.”* Hebrews 13:18

Perhaps our greatest example of praying for others can be found in John 17 as the Son prays to the Father on the behalf of the disciples and all who would believe in Him because of the words the disciples preached.

” I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.… I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth….I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”* John 17

There are days when you feel the prayers of others. It covers you like a warm blanket. I love getting messages from people that let me know they are praying for me that day. It encourages me, lifts me, and reminds me to pray for others.

Prayer is what keeps us going, keeps us sustained.

There is just nothing more powerful than people fighting the fight with you through prayer.

So stay on your knees. Life change depends on it.

*italics added

Making disciples at home

/ MacKenzie / 2 Comments

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“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19

I think this might be the mantra of every mission-sending organization on our planet. It’s a good mantra to have. I’ve spent the last 9 years trying to understand how to live out the Great Commission, but lately I have been reflecting on who I am ministering to and who am I living out the Gospel in front of the most?

The answer is my kids.

I forget all too often that during this period, Paul and I are their disciplers. Recently, while sharing a meal with our teammates, I was reminded of it. My job as their mother is to point them to Jesus.

The most important thing I will do is send Gingernut and Lil’ Paul out into the world as adults who follow Jesus with their whole hearts, who understand what it means to pick up their cross and follow him. This is a great responsibility, one that I don’t take lightly, but one that I sometimes forget to make the focus of my mothering. I too often allow the stresses of life, the tantrums and fits, the disobedience, the lack of energy and sometimes want I feel to overshadow it. God forgive me.

When my children leave “the nest” I want them to go into the world seeing it through the lens of the Gospel. I don’t want them to have an American worldview or an Italian worldview but a Gospel worldview.

This is my great task…to prepare, teach, show and encourage them in the ways of Christ. If they are the only two people I disciple over the next 14-plus years, then I will count the time well-spent. I could reach all of Salerno, but if I fail to show and teach my children what it means to be a follower of Jesus, what have I really accomplished?

God gave two children – two of His children – to raise not in a religious household, but in a household that lifts up and makes much of His name. This responsibility, this great task, has driven me to my knees in prayer – prayers that He works and moves despite my weaknesses and sin, prayers for discernment and wisdom as I teach my children, prayers for learning how to rest in Him when the days are long and my patience in short, prayers for the ability to do everything in love even when I don’t want to.

So, next summer, when we are back in the U.S. and you ask me how I spent my time, I’ll certainly tell you about the Italians I know and what I do at the church, but mostly I tell you about my children.