An Incredible Story

"Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105 ESV

We want to share with you an incredible story of the power of God's incredible Word!

An incredible gift.

Kids loved receiving their new Action Bibles, donated by ChildHope. We loved being able to put those Bibles in their hands. It did not take very long for us to hear testimonies:

• Kids from the school near the notorious Palmasola prison showed up to church with their new Bibles so they could learn how to use them.
• A high school student from that same school was in the hospital to undergo tuberculosis tests. He had his mom bring his new Bible to help him pass the time.

The Bible, God's Word, is an incredible gift. And receiving God’s Word is always a blessing.

An incredible visit.

God opened the door for us to enter the Palmasola prison, where a number of kids sponsored through ChildHope used to live, and where a number of sponsored kids’ parents still do.

We went in to talk to some students' fathers. The school was able to share report cards and important information with the dads. A pastor friend was able to share from God's Word. Then, we were able to hand each of them a copy of God's Word so they could read it for themselves. We gave them each one of the same Bibles we had recently given their kids. They were excited. We were excited.

An incredible opportunity.

On the way out of the prison, we were given the unlikely opportunity to visit Mery. She is mother to a couple kids sponsored by ChildHope at the school in Samaria. She had been imprisoned shortly before our visit. She would later be proven innocent of her charges. However, that was not much consolation in that moment. A mom behind bars. Her boys left with her parents. During our visit, we gave her one of the Bibles. She is a Christian, and we wanted to encourage her.

Mery has since been released from the prison. She is now back at home with her kids. That is where I recently had the chance to visit her. I asked her about the Bible, and that is when she shared the following beautiful testimony with me.

An incredible testimony.

Mery brought her Bible to an office where she was working within the prison. It became a community Bible. Other ladies began reading God's Word too. Ladies who had never read the Bible before. A friend commented to her about how she had never understood the Bible so clearly as she did then.

When Mery left the prison, her friends asked her to let the Bible stay behind so they could continue reading it. She did. Mery still visits her friends in prison. They recently asked her to bring a notebook and pen with her, because they have been copying Scriptures from the Bible she left for them to read in their cells. They are so hungry for God's Word!

The incredible God!

We never know all that God has in store when we follow the steps of His plan for our lives. But we do know that, whatever it is, it will be incredible, because God is incredible!

In this case, what began as a project from ChildHope to put God's Word into the hands of kids at partnering schools throughout Latin America turned into an opportunity to leave copies of the Bible in a notorious Bolivian prison. As people read these Bibles, God continues to speak His incredible Living Word!

What to Do if You Have a Bad Name

Today's word: Reputation. Merriam-Webster defines it as:

: the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something

What is your reputation? Does it matter? I think the Bible says that it does. Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) says:

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.

"A good name" is synonymous with "a good reputation." When people hear your name, it should lead them to think well of you. I know that's what I want. I hope that when people hear my name, they think of qualities like:

• integrity
• trust
• genuineness

Of course, this begs an important question:

How do we build a good reputation?

Let me answer this question by sharing some life lessons from a fortune cookie and Henry Ford.

Fortune Cookie.

I don't typically find fortune cookie sayings all that insightful so the one I got yesterday pleasantly surprised me:

"You can't build a reputation on things you were going to do."

A lot of people have good intentions. But our reputation is built on things we have actually done, not the things we intended to do.

Henry Ford.

As I was researching the above saying, I came across a similar quote from Henry Ford:

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."

In the same way that reputations are not built on things we intended to do in the past, they are not build on things we are intending to do in the future. We may have some great goals and ambitions. We may even follow through on them and be successful in them. But as long as they are still in the future, they will not impact our reputation.

The bottom line.

Reputation is not built on intention, past or future. Instead, it's built on what we have actually done in the past and is maintained by what we are doing in the present. At some point, we have to stop intending to do something and actually do it.

A good reputation takes hard work to build, rebuild or maintain. But being someone willing to work hard for a good reputation is not a bad reputation to have.

The challenge.

Do you have a reputation of making New Year's Resolutions but not sticking with them? Do you have another reputation you would like to change? Do you have a quality you would like built into your reputation? Whichever describes you, here's the challenge: just do it! Don't wait for New Year's. Don't even wait for tomorrow. Put in some work and start changing today! 

Experiencing the Calm through the Storm

There's an old saying about the "calm before the storm" but I want to share about the Calm through the storm.

Analogy.

We're in a boat, heading toward our destination, calm and relaxed when suddenly a big wave crashes down on us and we realize that we have taken on a significant amount of water. When we look at the amount of water and the pace at which it's coming, we're overwhelmed. We are unsure if we'll make it.

We are incredibly busy as we prepare for Costa Rica and enjoy time with family and friends. How can we possibly fit everything into our schedule?

We've been praying about this transition for a while, knowing how hectic it would be. Now that it's here, we're reaping the answers to those prayers. And God has been so faithful! When look at the big picture, it can be overwhelming. But God has been our Calm during this time, helping us keep our priorities straight and to stay focused. He is the anchor we hold onto.

Faith of a child.

Genevieve has a toddler book of Bible accounts. She has brought the book to me a lot lately, turning it to the same page each time and asking me to read about "the rain." It is an account of a storm, found in Mark 4:35-41. Here is Mark 4:37-39 (ESV):

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And here is Genevieve's paraphrase of her book's version:

Once there was a big storm on a lake. They were very afraid. Jesus was sleeping on the boat. When He woke up, He told the waves to stop splashing and the wind to stop blowing. The sea was calm again.

I asked her why she likes to this account so much. To summarize, she says it's because they were afraid but God made it calm again. You have to understand that she's afraid of storms. This account comforts her. And every time she quotes it she reminds us of an important truth: Jesus is the Calm through the storm. Regardless if He chooses to stop the storm or give us the strength and faith to get through it, we trust Him to be our Calm.

Analogy completed.

We suddenly look over and see Jesus. We realize that He is with us and we feel an incredible calm come over us. We stop focusing on the big picture and start looking at the task before us. We grab buckets and begin to empty the boat, one bucket at a time. The entire time, we feel calm as we remember that Jesus is with us. With each bucket removed, the boat buoys higher in the water. Before long, we realize that the water is all gone. We made it!

While we are caught up in this whirlwind, we are anchored to God. We know that though there might be uneasiness during this transition, we will find calmness in Him!

Thank you God for using a 2 year old child to remind us of this truth!

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days? As ambiguous as that phrase is, I bet you know what I mean and I'm sure you've had more than one of them. Well, today is one of those days for me.

So many causes.

So many things can cause one of those days, ranging from minor to serious. Some of my past examples include:

• Being stuck in traffic
• Running late for work
• Receiving bad news
• Receiving an unexpected bill
• Losing money
• Having car troubles
• Waking up with a cold
• Waking up "on the wrong side of the bed"
• Getting into an argument

A changed perspective.

I want to share something that changed my outlook a couple of years ago regarding "one of those days." I cannot recall the cause way back then but I remember that I was having one of those days. At one point I finally just said, 

This has just been a bad day.

I immediately felt convicted. God creates every day. And everything that God creates is good. There are no bad days! It would be disingenuous to suggest that some aren't more challenging than others, but they're not bad. This creates a philosophical shift in our thinking because no matter what discouragement may come along, there are encouraging things too.

Psalm 3 says (in the ESV):

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God. Selah

3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the LORD,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O LORD!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD;
your blessing be on your people! Selah

David was having "one of those days." But I love how David responds. He acknowledges that the Lord is the lifter of his head. And as verse 5 points out, even the fact that we wake up is cause to thank God.

What caused today's "one of those days"?

I just had a bit of discouragement with raising our budget. After an amazing 25 day period, we haven't seen any movement in our budget over the past 4 days.

It's hard work to raise a budget. It's tough to not be in control of our own future. Yet, we'd have it no other way. God has never let us down. His ways are always better than our ways. I trust Him to be in control more than I trust myself.

Thankfully I have an encouraging wife who reminds me to hold on to faith. I do believe that we're leaving in August. I know that doesn't add up using our logic, but I'm reminded of Proverbs 3:5, 6 which says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

I will trust in the LORD. Like David, I know where my help comes from. I know who lifts my head when it hangs low. So today, rather than simply pray to see the hand of God (provision) I will pray to see the face of God (intimacy).

I wrote this blog because I knew that I would read the Bible and be encouraged. When I write, I can read my own advice. Maybe you're having "one of those days." I pray you'll be encouraged and put your trust in God.

God is Faithful

Two movie titles. One chapter in the Bible. One central theme.

Dr. Wave Nunnally, my professor for the History portion of the Old Testament History and Literature class at Central Bible College in Springfield, MO referred to it as "Back to the Future." Matt Travnik, a friend of mine from CBC referred to it as "School of Rock." They each used a different movie title to refer to the events of Joshua 4, but the central theme of their message was the same: God is Faithful!

For whatever reason, having heard thousands of sermons and lessons over the years, these two have always stuck with me. In fact, I've preached a sermon on the chapter on a number of occasions myself. With Matt's permission, I also title my sermon "School of Rock." But clever titles isn't what caused me to hold on to these two teachings over the years; the truth of the message is. Because through my life, God has made something abundantly clear to me over and over again: He is and will always be faithful.

Contrary to what I thought I was going to speak about on both occasions, this is the sermon I've taught from each of my last two services. And while it's a great truth that I think people need to hear, I also think that it's a truth that God has been wanting me to hear again too.

Joshua 4 happens at a time when the Israelites are miraculously crossing through the Jordan River as they are about to finally entire into the Promise Land after 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years of wandering in the desert. God commands Joshua, the new leader of the people after Moses' death, to take 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan and set up a memorial at the place where they would be camping. They do exactly as the Lord commands and set up the memorial. In fact, it seems that they set up two: one in the middle of the Jordan and one at the place where they were camping. I think there are three valuable things we can learn from these piles of rocks:

1. The rocks were a sign of obedience

They obeyed everything the Lord instructed them to do surrounding the event of crossing through the Jordan and the event of setting up the stones. The act of setting up the memorial was a sign of obedience. I believe that the Bible is quite clear that God expects obedience from us. We must know God's voice, listen when He speaks and be quick to obey. What does God's voice sound like? I can't answer that for you. But what I can say is that if you spend time talking to God and reading His Word, He will speak to you. It may not be an audible voice (I've never heard one) but it will just make sense in your heart. It's one of those things that you'll know when it happens. And we must listen. Prayer is not simply us talking TO God, but it's us talking WITH God. It's a conversation. God may be giving you the answer to your prayers but you're not listening to hear what it is. And we must obey. Knowing what God says to us is not enough. We have to act on it. Why are Polly, Genevieve and I leaving our families and moving to Costa Rica? Because we feel so certain in our hearts that God is calling us to. And we know from experience that we're always better off when we listen to God AND do what He says! We would rather be no other place than in the center of His will for our lives.

2. The rocks were an evidence of the supernatural

They didn't have SCUBA equipment back in the days of Joshua. Have large stones from the middle of the Jordan would have provided solid evidence that a supernatural event took place. We all have testimonies of God's faithfulness, whether we realize it or not (if you're alive, you are a miracle). We can't hide those things. We need to display them as evidence for others. I've had more than one friend attempt to challenge the existence of God. And I've even known of some Christians that would deny His ability to perform miracles. But if you have never seen or experienced a miracle, I believe you're just ignoring the evidence. Miracles have made incredible believers out of even the most staunch of atheists. God is faithful!

3. The rocks were a reminder of God's faithfulness

The rocks served as a reminder of God's faithfulness to those who weren't able to participate in the event itself. But they were also a reminder for those who did. Why do I trust that God will provide for my family? Because He always has before. I can rattle off stories and stories of times where God has provided for my family. I have shared those stories before and I'm sure I'll share them again. Sometimes they were simple; other times they were much more intense. Regardless which they were, they serve as a reminder to me that He is able and that He is faithful. I'm not going to tell you that God will give you a sports car if you pray for one. And I'm not going to tell you that if you pray enough and live the right way, you will become rich. But I will tell you that God will supply all of your NEEDS! We become so focused on our own plans that we forget to ask God what His plans are. And His plans are always better! Let me share one example of God's faithfulness in my life. When we stepped down from the church last July to focus on itineration, we lost income; income that we had become dependent on. It's not like we were sitting there rolling in the dough and blowing tons of money. We were already living paycheck to paycheck. Yet through this time that we've made less money, we have paid every bill, been able to pick up new missionaries to support (yes, missionaries support other missionaries too!), and even had times of extra. Mathematically it doesn't make sense. Find the financial advisor out there that will tell you the best way to have more money is to reduce your income. You will not find it! I wouldn't recommend it myself. But that's what has happened to us. Why? Because God is faithful!

Polly and I are currently at 36% of our monthly budget officially (we're at 45% if you add in the amounts that churches and individuals have pledged which haven't been submitted or gone through yet). Our goal is to be at 50% of our budget by the end of March. That is a lot of extra commitments that we will need over the course of the next week (as well as movement in some of the pledges that haven't been submitted or gone through yet).  Our goal is to leave for Costa Rica in August. And even though it may not seem possible in the natural, we don't live by the natural. Are we being naive? Absolutely not! You see, we have a memorial that is made up of a pile of rocks representing God's faithfulness to us throughout the years. We we look back at what He's done for us in the past, we have hope for the future. That's what Dr. Nunnally meant when he called it "Back to the Future."

We are confident that God will once again show His faithfulness and that God will provide. We will not do it alone though. We need people praying for us and with us. Please pray that God will provide favor in this. Also please pray if you might be a part of the solution. This brings us to the second thing we need: we need people who are able and willing to partner with us through a monthly contribution (it can be $5/mo or $50/mo or $500/mo or $5000/mo or anything in between). We don't seek to manipulate or guilt anyone into giving. We're simply putting the opportunity before you and asking you to consider if you might be a part of the solution. God is faithful! And the cool thing about God's provision is that it doesn't always have to come out of nowhere; sometimes, in fact often time, He chooses to use people...ordinary people. How cool is that?!

Will you consider partnering with us? You can read more about partnering by clicking the "About Partnering" link at the top right or set up that commitment by clicking on the "Make a One-time or Monthly Donation" link or by clicking here.

Regardless of whether or not you will be joining our Sending Team today, I hope that this blog post may have encouraged you for your own life.

In Christ,

Mike

Finishing What I've Started

The email came in on May 7, 2012. I was at an off-site meeting for my secular job in Scottsdale, AZ. I remember this trip well because I flew out on my birthday and celebrated alone in the hotel restaurant. They were kind and gave me a free dessert to make the moment a little less sad. Anyway, the email was short and concise. It was from Missionaries John & Dina Mussachio and it went as follows:

Hey, Guys.

How are you doing? How was your weekend?
Maybe you've read it, but if not, I want to invite you to download a free book on ibooks: George Müller - Answers to Prayer.
Powerful.

We love you guys,
John & Dina

That's right, a simple email...a book recommendation. I love reading and am always looking for a good book. I used to read suspense novels and true crime books but I had given those up on account of them being a waste of my time ultimately. But this seemed like an awesome suggestion. We were just beginning our journey of itineration and fund-raising, so it was great timing. I had my iPad with me at the meeting so I downloaded it and began reading. Of course, I got distracted with work and other things so I didn't really read a whole lot. Then I did as I always seem to do: I forgot about it. I apparently remembered about it on June 3, 2012 because that's when I downloaded it to my Kindle app. Apparently I had also forgotten that I had downloaded it on iBooks. I'm sure I read a little more. Then, again, I forgot about it. I bought other books and started reading them. Of course, I'm not sure I finished any of them either. I am notoriously bad at finishing books.

If you were to look at my bookshelf, you're likely to see a number of partially-read, bookmark-sticking-out-of-them-somewhere books. It's not that I've never finished a book...it's that I rarely finish books. Why? Honestly, I'm not sure. Sometimes I don't like the book, but that's not usually the case. I think I just get easily distracted and lack motivation at times. I bring a book to work nearly every day. And nearly every day I don't crack it open once.

My secular job gave me the week of Christmas off paid. With the extra time off, we decided to spend extra time visiting with Polly's family. I packed my iPad and some books into my briefcase. We were already about an hour away from home when I realized that my briefcase was still on our couch. As Genevieve would say, "Oh no." So now we were going to be at Polly's parents' house for 5 days and I had no reading materials. This was not good. I mean, I love spending time with family, but not all day long. Relief finally came on Christmas day when Polly's parents gave us a Kindle. I know, we're slow to move on getting this stuff. I never really wanted one before but decided that it would be a good way to read books while in Costa Rica. Of course, I didn't know I was actually getting one, so I was incredibly happen when I saw it. After opening all of Genevieve's toys and putting things together, I finally sat down and set up the Kindle. I was going to try to find a book in the Kindle Store to read when I saw it... Answers to Prayer by George Müller was already on my account from when I had downloaded it for my app. I decided to pick up reading from there.

I didn't end up getting a whole lot of this pretty short book read during the rest of our stay. In fact, I was about 33% done with it (couldn't tell you in pages) when we left. Why? Well, we spent the next day watching movies which took up a lot of our free time. So once again I put it down. Then came that time of year that everyone looks forward to: New Year's!

Why do people like New Year's? Because they like the feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate. It's a time many people make New Year's Resolutions (the #1 resolution each year is weight loss). I loosely make resolutions each year. I use it as a reflection time to think through positive changes I should make. I mean, don't get me wrong...if I determine a positive change I need in my life during the middle of the year I don't wait to enact it. I'm just more likely to think of those changes when I take time to reflect and I'm more apt to take time to reflect around New Year's.

During my time of reflection I thought of a number of personal improvements I could afford to instill in my life. One of them: to read more. And the best place to start for me: to finish where I left off...in the books I've already started. Here's my goal:

I want to read at least 1 book a month this year. And the first book of each month much be a book that I've already started and have yet to finish. So if I want to start a new book, I must first finish one I've already invested some time in.

One week into the new year, I can happily say that I'm starting well. I've already finished Answers to Prayer. It was a great book to read. Simple, yet powerful! John & Dina were right. I highlighted a number of things throughout the book, but let me share my favorite thing which came from an appendix and agrees with my philosophy in reading (this seemed appropriate given the topic here):

"If any believers read this, who practically prefer other books to the Holy Scriptures, and who enjoy the writings of men much more than the word of God, may the be warned by my loss. I shall consider this book to have been the means of doing much good, should it please the Lord, through its instrumentality, to lead some of His people no longer to neglect the Holy Scriptures, but to give them that preference, which they have hitherto bestowed on the writings of men. My dislike to increase the number of books would have been sufficient to deter me from writing these pages, had I not been convinced, that this is the only way in which the brethren at large may be benefited through my mistakes and errors, and been influenced by the hope, that in answer to my prayers, the reading of my experience may be the means of leading them to value the Scriptures more highly, and to make them the rule of all their actions." (Page 119)

I encourage you all to read, but first to make a habit of reading the Bible. And then to read things that are beneficial.

Well, reading one book doesn't satisfy my resolution. So next on the docket to finish: The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. As I said, I have started well. But real success in this quest will be measured not by how well I've started; it will be measured by how well I finish what I've started!

In Christ,

Mike

Tis the Season

Well, it's official...the Christmas season is upon us. While different people begin celebrating the Christmas season at different times and for different reasons (we begin listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies starting on November 1st but don't really do anything else to celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving) most people recognize the Christmas season to be in full swing by December 1st. Many houses (and some businesses) are outlined by lights, have wreaths on doors and/or have decorated Christmas trees standing prominently in their front window. Most cities/towns have put up their annual Christmas displays. Many churches and some homes have erected their nativity scenes (and not a few incorrectly according to historical evidence considering the fact that the wise men did not arrive until Jesus was at least 2 years old). Every store you walk into is playing Christmas music while red and green dominate the color palate. Yes indeed, it's officially the Christmas season!

Easter is my favorite holiday because of what it represents. But Christmas is my favorite holiday season for all that it encompasses. While Easter is when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus for our sins, I cannot ignore the fact that this never would have happened if Jesus didn't first come in humility as a baby. Though we know that Jesus was likely born in the fall and almost certainly not on December 25th, this is the time that has long been designated as the day to celebrate the Lord's birth so I have no problems recognizing it as such. First and foremost, Christmas is a time to thank God for His love for us in humbling himself to live as a man to ultimately die on our behalf for our sins. As the old saying goes, we must never take Christ out of Christmas!

As I mentioned above though, I enjoy the Christmas season for all that it encompasses. While Jesus' birth is always at the forefront, I do enjoy the music, the movies, the lights, the decorations, the family and friends, the food, the opening of Christmas presents and the overall experience that it offers. I do not believe that these things overshadow Christ; I believe they are a separate element altogether which we can celebrate. In fact, I celebrate and thank God for the birth of Christ every day! This is not something that we should give thanks for only once a year.

Santa or not Santa, that is the question. Many people have many differing views on Santa. I've known Christians who have embraced Santa (in varying degrees and ways), Christians who have been indifferent about Santa and Christians who have been vehemently opposed to Santa. Where should we stand? Well, I believe that this is an area that each person must determine for himself/herself. There is no cut and dry answer. As for us, we are no Santa people while not being vehemently opposed to him overall. Look, St. Nicholas seems to have been a pretty cool, generous guy historically. With him, I have no issues. With what Santa has become I do have some issues though. I'm sure I could think of more, but there are three main reasons that we do not do Santa in our household (again please know that this is a decision that we have come to for us and we are not suggesting that everyone needs to come to this same decision; your decision on this matter is certainly not an essential for salvation). You may be shocked to discover that none of my three reasons are overtly religious in nature. In fact, I have met some non-Christians who do not do Santa for some similar reasons. Anyway, here are my three reasons:

1. The Letdown - I've seen more than one kid shed more than one tear when discovering that Santa is not actually real. It can be heartbreaking for kids to discover that Santa's not real. While it may be cute for a season, it could have negative impact down the line. Some kids don't have this issue at all. So for some it's a huge deal that Santa is fake and for some it's no big deal at all. The problem...I don't know which category Genevieve would fall under. I'm not prepared to break her heart when she gets older. (There also is an belief out there that I at least partially subscribe to that says that children may also begin to question if you were lying to them about Jesus all along too; Obviously this could be dealt with, but why put myself in that place where I would need to). I know that some people believe that the fun kids have for the time they do believe outweighs the letdown when they learn the truth. I respect that belief, I just don't hold to it myself.
2. The Appreciation - One of my goals in raising Genevieve is to ensure that she grows up with a proper appreciation for all that she gets. I work hard for my money. I'm not handing over credit to some fictitious guy in a red suit for the things I work hard for. If Genevieve thinks that an expensive toy can simply come for free then she will not have the proper appreciation for it. When she knows that it came via hard work and great sacrifice, she will appreciate it more. Some might think this is selfish on my behalf, but I think it's an important value. While I must guard Genevieve from any stress that comes with finances or anything along those lines, that doesn't mean that she can't have a proper understanding and appreciation for what she has.
3. The Worldview - This is a more recent reason for me that serves as icing on my "no Santa" cake. I believe that Santa skews children's worldviews. American children (of whom even the poor are among the wealthiest in the world) most likely believe that Santa visits children all around the world delivering them nice new toys. The problem with this...even of the kids whose family does celebrate Christmas, many kids around the world will get nothing for Christmas. They will be doing well just to eat a hot meal. This kind of ties into my second reason but I think it's specific enough to warrant its own point. I think it's important for Genevieve to have a proper worldview which is that most people in the world are impoverished...especially in comparison to the American standard.

So...Santa aside, we enjoy the Christmas season. And, as has been the case with many other days and holidays and events, we will likely not be celebrating another Christmas here in the States with our family and friends enjoying our normal traditions for a few years. In fact, if everything goes according to plan, we will not be celebrating another Christmas here until December 2016. Genevieve will be less than one month shy of turning six. Wow, that's crazy to put into words! As a result, we're going to try to do our best to enjoy as much as we can during this Christmas season. Here's a look at some of the things planned or already accomplished:

• Christmas lights - We love looking at Christmas lights. Of course, this means that we love driving around and looking at random Christmas lights. But this also means that we enjoy going to professional light displays too. This past Saturday we enjoyed our first professionally created light display when we went to La Salette in Attleboro, MA. Polly and I had been there before but this was Genevieve's first opportunity. And she LOVED it! She gets excited every evening to see the lights come on on the tree and on the house, so to have such a big and beautifully done display was quite the experience for her. The Violettes (the family that has so graciously let us live with them for the past 4 years) came with us. It was their first time and they all seemed to enjoy it too!
• Christmas parties - Tonight Polly and I will be attending the Southern New England Ministry Network's Central Mass Section's annual Christmas party. I believe this is the 8th straight party for me though it's possible they skipped a year or that I missed one. Regardless I've been to a bunch of them and I enjoy them every year. This is the 3rd straight year that it's being held at the same restaurant which is a great experience. I'm not sure what all is planned for the evening, but we will be among friends and fellow ministers so we know we will enjoy ourselves. This is the first of hopefully quite a few Christmas parties we will be able to enjoy this Christmas season. And hopefully Genevieve will be able to enjoy some too.
• Christmas gatherings - There are many gatherings of people that I don't quite consider to be a party per se but that are still meaningful and enjoyable. We will be celebrating Christmas with my family this coming weekend. We will be getting together with Polly's family the weekend before Christmas through Christmas day itself. Beyond this, we will be getting together with various friends and maybe family at other junctures which will undoubtedly have a Christmas-feel to them.
• Christmas plays - We don't currently have any specific plans to attend any specific plays but I'm sure we'll end up making our way to at least one.
• Christmas caroling - We used to go caroling when I was a kid. Whether we went to a nursing home, a mall or to random neighbors (especially on Christmas Eve when we would go to my aunt's house) we loved to spread Christmas cheer.
• Christmas events - Polly will be helping my mother at an event they are putting on for some underprivileged children. Genevieve and I will be attending an event that a local church is putting on that same day.
• Christmas adventures - Of course, there are always other miscellaneous adventures that we plan to enjoy. For example, we are planning a trip down to New York City this Saturday to see the big tree, go to FAO Schwarz and perhaps even ice skate. We may try to squeeze in some time in Boston and maybe other fun adventures.

How about you? Do you look forward to the Christmas season? Do you enjoy any elements beyond the narrative of the birth of Christ? Do you make fun plans? Would it be hard for you to miss three years of Christmas the way your used to it?

I'm sure I'll post again before Christmas but it's never too early to say this anyway, so: Merry Christmas! We wish you an amazing Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of Christ and spend time with family and friends.

In Christ,

Mike

God Will Equip Us

Since Polly and revealed our plans to become Missionary Associates to Costa Rica, a number of people have asked me if we speak Spanish. To answer simply, "no." Or as they say in Spanish, "no." Yo no hablo bien español. (I do not speak Spanish well.) In fact, aside from a few simple words and phrases, neither Polly nor I speak Spanish at all. This is unfortunate considering the fact that we are becoming missionaries to Costa Rica, a Spanish-speaking country. I can't help but to think back to a saying I heard a lot growing up: "God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called." 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" (ESV) We are going to have to rely on God to equip us with the ability to learn Spanish. And this will mean us working hard, studying faithfully and practicing often.

How we intend to learn

Once our budget is raised and we finally arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica, Polly and I will begin our studies at CINCEL (Latin American Missionary training center for the Assemblies of God World Missions) for our linguistic training. Those studies will take us up to one year. I've heard that it's not beyond the teachers to use a tongue depressor to force students to roll their "R"s. Considering my complete inability to roll an "R," I anticipate such treatment.

Just because we are going to receive linguistic training in Costa Rica does not mean that we have to sit around and wait, however. In fact, I think that we would be poor stewards of our waiting time if we didn't begin the process of learning Spanish prior to our departure. So, what tool will we use to learn now? Well, unless someone generously decides to gift us a copy of Rosetta Stone, I am pretty sure that it won't be that.

In this day and age of technology, there are a lot of apps and websites that offer free language studies. They might only offer basic training, but that's where we need to start anyway. One such resource that someone tipped me off to is BBC. And here I thought they were only a new agency.

Polly and I also have the benefit of having a number of Spanish-speaking friends. We intend on taking advantage of that resource by practicing Spanish with some of those individuals.

Genevieve has it much easier than either Polly or I do. It's still early on in her linguistic development. Truth be told, with her living in a Spanish-speaking country from ages 2-5, Polly and I will have to ensure that we continue to communicate with her in English. Though I believe that Genevieve will pick up the language without much difficulty once we arrive there, I still switch her toys to the Spanish setting from time to time. This helps me learn too.

(English: I am very excited to go with my family to Costa Rica as missionaries!)

Why we're confident we will learn

As I mentioned in the first paragraph and even alluded to in the title, I believe that God has called us to serve in Costa Rica. As such, I am confident that He will enable us to learn the language, even if that still means hard work for us.

Polly and I also each have the encouragement of knowing that we have the ability to learn and thus speak another language. Polly is bilingual and I'm probably as close as one can be without considering oneself to be bilingual. Polly is fluent in sign language (ASL). She grew up with two deaf parents and also minored in deaf ministries in college. I took five years of French in school (8th-12th grades). I used to communicate with friends using French but have not done so consistently for many years now. I can read and understand quite well, but I'm a bit slow when it comes to communication. It's one of those things where if I lived in a French-speaking country for a year, I'd be fine. Back to the point, however, we both know that we're capable of learning and speaking a new language (and equally as important, we both recognize that this is only because of God's favor and not our own doing).

A year of focused study on a language is a good deal of time. Already knowing the basics, we should do just fine.

Learning the language is just another one of the many exciting aspects of this journey for us. We trust that God will equip us, and we have been praying as such.

Mike

The Hardest Part

Polly and I are incredibly excited about the journey that God has in store for us as we become Missionary Associates in Costa Rica. We have felt so much confirmation and direction from God throughout this process. We are confident that this is where God has us for this season in our lives. And as such, we have no regrets in making this decision. But, I would be lying if I claimed that this decision hasn't led to mixed emotions. That is to say that some aspects of this transition have been more difficult than others. And no aspect has been more difficult than the reality of moving away from family and friends.

Polly and I both come from close-knit families. We both still have great relationships with our parents, siblings and extended families. Polly and I also get along well with each other's family. Family is an important thing to us. Friends are also important to us; we have truly been blessed beyond belief with great friends. The simple truth is that Polly and I will miss our family and friends while we're in Costa Rica. But (at least to start with) it's only a three year commitment. Polly and I will get by just fine. As soon as Polly and I made the decision to go to Costa Rica, our first thought was not about leaving our family and friends; our first thought was about taking Genevieve away from her family and friends.

When Polly and I had Genevieve, our family ties became even stronger. Genevieve is Polly's parent's only grandchild and Polly's siblings only niece or nephew. Genevieve is my parent's only granddaughter and only their second grandchild. She is my siblings first niece. She has four loving grandparents, five loving great-grandparents, thirteen loving aunts and uncles, one incredibly cute and loving first cousin and many other loving great-aunts, great-uncles, cousins and friends. Needless to say, Genevieve is well loved. And even though three years is not a long time for Polly and me, these are three huge years developmentally for Genevieve (she will be gone from ages 2-5). There is a part of us that feels like we are robbing our family and friends of the joy of watching Genevieve grow up.

And yet, with all that said, we know that we are making the right decision. As I mentioned in yesterdays blog post, we just have a new perspective on things now. We have been given a new appreciation for Luke 9:61, 62 which says, "Yet another said, 'I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (ESV; In the NIV it reads, "but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.") Jesus was not devaluing family when He said this; He was simply valuing himself. Jesus is always to be our priority. It is more important to obey God than anything else. And, out of trust for God, I know that He will take care of my family better than I can. He is, after all, our creator and knows us better than we know ourselves. I trust that the Lord has my family's best interest at heart. In fact, working through this difficult part of the process, I believe that God has helped me to better understand the significance and value of family and relationships. I would even go so far as to say that I believe through this insight, God has equipped me to be a better husband, father, son, brother, grandson, nephew, friend, pastor, etc. There are two major parts to this insight:

1. Purpose of Family and Friends - I believe that God has better helped me understand the purpose of family and friends. We see throughout the Bible that God is relational. God has many relational descriptions in the Bible, but my favorite is the description of God as our heavenly Father. Romans 8:15 says, "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!" (see also 2 Cor. 6:18; Psalm 89:26; 1 John 3:1; Matt. 5:16). God is relational. And we know from Genesis 1:27 that God created us in His image. If we look further, Genesis 2:18 says, "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" Genesis 2:22 tells us that God formed woman from the man and then 2:24 says, "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." God is relational. God made us like Him. Thus, we are relational. We all have a desire for relationships. And to satisfy those desires, God blesses us with family and friends. We should thank God for His favor in blessing us with these relationships. This reminder has encouraged me to be more grateful of my family and friends.

To better understand Luke 9:61, 62, we must understand that no matter how strong our relationships might be with our family and friends, it will never come close to joy and fulfillment that our relationship with God brings. Our relationship with God was broken by our sin (Romans 3:23), but was made complete again by Jesus' death and resurrection (Romans 6:23). It is by God's grace which we have through the faith He gifts us (Ephesians 2:8, 9) that we can accept what Christ did for us (Romans 10:9, 10) and be reconciled with God, having a renewed relationship with Him. Our decisions should always be made with this truth in mind. Everything that we do should be to honor God. Honoring God will always bring us more joy and fulfillment. And when we love our family and friends and treat them well, we honor God. This is a positive thing. So, let's be careful to cherish those whom God has blessed us with while still putting our relationship with Him first!

2. Role Shift - I have said before that once I became a father, I sensed a shifting of roles in the structure of family. Up until that point I had always viewed myself as my parent's child. But from the moment that Genevieve was born, I began viewing myself as my child's parent. My parents used to refer to themselves as "Dad" and "Mom" but from the moment my nephew Sean was born, they began referring to themselves as "Grampie" and "Grammie." This is a simple reality of life. As we grow up, our roles shift. It is with this reality in mind that I can foresee a day when my role will shift again. Genevieve will someday grow up and have a family of her own. I will be the "Grampie." Granted, this is a long time from now, but everyone always says how fast it goes. With the foresight that Genevieve will someday have her own family and will someday be faced with similar decisions, I recognize that it's possible that she will move away from Polly and me. With this in mind, I want to do all that I can to enjoy the time that God blesses us with her now in order to prepare her for that day. This perspective helps to keep me motivated to be the best father that I can be.

So, you see, there are difficult aspects that go with this decision to transition from everything we know to a place where we've never been. But we are not worried or afraid, because we know that God will lead us and take care of us every step of the way! I believe that God is saying the same to me that He said to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.'"

Mike

Context Changes Perspective

This past January, I taught a Sunday school series at our church. The series was titled "Unlocking God's Word" and dealt with how to more effectively read the Bible and apply it to our lives. One of the points I taught (I was expounding on some material I had gleaned from a book written by Rick Warren) was with regard to how we will never fully exhaust the study and application of any scripture in the Bible. One of the reasons I gave for this was because our context changes our perspective. For example, in one class, I had everyone break down Genesis 37 (the beginning of the story of Joseph). I was amazed at how many different perspectives people had regarding Joseph. One person viewed Joseph as sort of arrogant and annoying (she was the middle child in her family). Another viewed Joseph with sympathy (she was the youngest child in her family). Still another, viewed him as simply immature (she was the mother of a 16-year-old boy). Even though we were each reading the same story about the same person, our different contexts affected what we read and thus what we took from this biblical account. This is not to say that the text changed or that it had different meanings; we just all related to it differently. This is because our context changes our perspective.

Polly and I have been reminded of this reality numerous times since we began the application process to become Missionary Associates to Costa Rica. Once such verse that I remember standing out to me in a whole new light was Genesis 12:1. This verse reads, "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." (ESV) This chapter continues with the promise that God makes to Abraham about making him a great nation and blessing him. My whole life to this point, I had always read Genesis 12:1 with the thought in mind of where God was calling Abraham to: "the land that I will show you." Having the benefit of hindsight, I already knew that this was the Promise Land which would later become the nation of Israel. Whenever I read Genesis 12:1, I was filled with encouragement and joy knowing that God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. It wasn't until Polly and I started dealing with the realities and emotions of this transition that I read Genesis 12:1 with the thought in mind of where God was calling Abraham from: "your country and your kindred and your father's house..." The truth is, leaving our families is the most difficult thing that Polly and I have had to work through in this transition. Becoming missionaries has changed our context, which has changed our perspective.

Genesis 12:1 is merely one example of many passages from the Bible that have gripped us in different ways than they ever had before. Let me briefly share one more with you. I have read Proverbs many times. I have been reading the Proverb that corresponds with the day of the month (there are 31 Proverbs, so this works well) each month since the beginning of 2011. I am amazed by how often something jumps out at me, even after having read it so many times before. Polly and I have been praying for God to give us a verse or passage that we could really use as an anchor as we become missionaries. On Sunday (March 25th) I was reading Proverbs 25. When I got to verse 25, I was instantly gripped. In the ESV it reads, "Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." So simple, yet so powerful. I had read that verse at least 14 times since the beginning of 2011, yet this was the first time I was really captivated by it. Polly and I want to bring "water" to "thirsty" souls. You see, my context had changed, and with it, so had my perspective.

The Bible is rich and we will never exhaust its richness. We must be careful not to read the Bible with presuppositions or feel like we have nothing new to gain from a scripture. The Bible is God's living word. It does not change; but we do. And as we change, so does our understanding of the things that we read. As our context changes, our perspective changes. May we have greater fervor and excitement as we read God's Word!

I mentioned above about how the most difficult thing that Polly and I have had to work through in this transition is with regard to leaving our families. We are far from the first couple to face this difficulty and we certainly won't be the last. Tomorrow, I will share what we have learned in this journey that has helped us work through this reality and has taught us more about relationships in general (as I believe it has even helped me to become a better husband and father).

Mike