Okay, so there's usually some deep, meaningful scripture here, but today I decided in the couple of minutes I have before breakfast that I would give you an idea of what a typical day here is like. This is what we did yesterday:
1. Marc and I start our day with a walk around campus at about 5:30. Then we come back, get showered, have a quiet time and get the kids up. I cannot stress enough the importance of this time together. We discovered very quickly here that discouragement can grow if we are not spending time together daily--time with no other distractions (yes, I mean my kids). Because there are other adults in the quad who are up, we are able to leave and walk around the campus (about 1.5 miles). Of course, the kids sleep through this every morning.
2. We start our day as a family with breakfast in our apartment. There is a cafeteria, but trying to get the five of us up there between 7 and 8 is nearly impossible, so I make breakfast here. There is a small kitchenette in the apartment. Yesterday, we had blueberry muffins.
3. From 8-8:40 we have house church. This is a small group (four families and two singles) who meet in our quad. We are walking through Acts together right now. We sing, study the Bible, and pray together. We LOVE our small group. Love them, love them, love them. (Did I mention we love them?)
4. The kids go to school at 8:45 and we go to whatever classes we have for the day. Generally, our day of class goes from 9-12 and 1:10-3:00. We have lunch together at noon. The kids all have lunch with their classes. The school is amazing, and they are doing a wonderful job. On some days, like yesterday, we have special meals. Special meals are required events--you have no options but to eat what they give you. The food they choose is from different areas of the world. Yesterday's meal was from the Pacific Rim, and it was delicious. Tandoori chicken and curried rice with coconut, pineapples, tomatoes, and banana with a cucumber/sour cream salad. Really, really good. We eat the meal, discuss some questions they give us, and pray for the people of that region.
5. After school, we have some freetime unless there's a seminar we want to attend. For example, last week I attended a three-day seminar on homeschooling. Otherwise, this is time for us to be together. Yesterday, our friends had a meeting, and we kept their daughter.
6. Dinner is from 5-6, and it was roast beef and potatoes last night. (Notice, Marc, that I am not even going to say how that reminds me of Jesus.) There is rarely dessert, and if there is, it's usually fruit or pudding.
7. After dinner, we can do whatever. Last night, some other friends had a meeting, so we kept their two boys, and we all went to the playground and then came back for Gameboy time. Generally, the younger kids all go to the playground (there are three on campus) and play together just about every night. Hannah went to quilting class with a friend, and Sarah Beth stayed home, which is rare. There are days we barely see S.B.--the teenagers hang out as a pack. Marc helped some folks from our region set up their regional email accounts, and I fixed grilled cheese sandwiches for our friends who missed dinner because of a meeting. We sat and talked and laughed until around 8, when we all worked on getting our children to bed. Marc and I try to spend a few minutes together after the children go to bed when we can discuss (and often laugh over) the day we've had. There is a lot to digest here, and if we aren't intentional about doing it, we could easily become overwhelmed.
That's it. Today we have shots in the afternoon, and a parents' night out tonight (Chik-fil-a and a movie in another couple's quad are the agenda for the evening). We love life here, but it's a lot. Does that make sense? Just every single day is a whole lot of whatever that day is. If it's Bible study, it's a lot of it. If it's security training, it's a lot of it. You get the idea.
Well, it's time for me to get going and make sure everyone eats. I love you guys! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Answering the man of Macedonia
A vision apeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:9-10
Well, I have managed to walk, shower, have a quiet time, and make blueberry muffins for my family (we just can't do the cafeteria three meals a day), so I have a couple of minutes to blog this morning. I really am trying to find time to do this, but there is little down time here.
The Macedonian call is one of the key scriptures for explaining why we go across the world to spread the gospel. I am especially fond of this passage because Macedonia is in the Central and Eastern Europe Region of the IMB, and someone we really adore is headed there. If you have ever felt that call, that tug at your heart that this is what God has for you, then you can understand what it is to long for a place that isn't your home. I am in love with Moscow, not because it is a beautiful city, though it is, but because God has given me a longing for the people of Russia. I can't explain it, but it's pretty unavoidable. God is nothing if not persistent.
Last night we went to Dr. Clyde Meador's house for a fellowship with the top three couples at the IMB: the Meadors, the Forts, and the Rankins. I've already written how much I like Jerry and Bobbye Rankin, but last night was amazing. Jerry Rankin is an extremely powerful man in Southern Baptist life, but last night he plopped down on the floor next to me to chat with a group of us about where we were going, our hopes, our fears...everything. I can't say enough about these servants of God. For my friends who are not Southern Baptist: if you could come here and meet these people, it would improve your opinion of Southern Baptists. They have all served overseas. In fact, no one who speaks to us has NOT served overseas, down to the lawyer who spoke to us yesterday. That gives them such a perspective of who we are and what we're about. They are compassionate and kind, and they're intensely aware of those in the world who need us. The IMB has a completely balanced budget--we know because they explained where every penny goes. Unlike other organizations, the IMB spends 85% of its budget overseas. I can't tell you how well they are taking care of us. It's unbelievable.
Something to pray about--we have some visa issues. I won't go into exactly what's going on, but suffice to say that we are likely looking at a delay. Remember that we are homeless, so if we're delayed, we kind of have a problem. Dr. Rankin did say last night that they weren't going to leave us on the street, which was actually kind of comforting. Of course, our friends here teased us that there's a trailer park on the bad side of Richmond that we can use. I'm pretty sure that's not what Dr. Rankin has in mind.
Well, the muffins smell like they're done. Please continue to pray for us. The next couple of weeks are going to be difficult beyond belief. We are definitely being stretched to our limits. But hear me on this--I have never been happier in my life. I miss my family immensely, I'm tired, I'm overwhelmed by the visa process...but I'm exceedingly happy. Know that you are loved and prayed for by me. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Well, I have managed to walk, shower, have a quiet time, and make blueberry muffins for my family (we just can't do the cafeteria three meals a day), so I have a couple of minutes to blog this morning. I really am trying to find time to do this, but there is little down time here.
The Macedonian call is one of the key scriptures for explaining why we go across the world to spread the gospel. I am especially fond of this passage because Macedonia is in the Central and Eastern Europe Region of the IMB, and someone we really adore is headed there. If you have ever felt that call, that tug at your heart that this is what God has for you, then you can understand what it is to long for a place that isn't your home. I am in love with Moscow, not because it is a beautiful city, though it is, but because God has given me a longing for the people of Russia. I can't explain it, but it's pretty unavoidable. God is nothing if not persistent.
Last night we went to Dr. Clyde Meador's house for a fellowship with the top three couples at the IMB: the Meadors, the Forts, and the Rankins. I've already written how much I like Jerry and Bobbye Rankin, but last night was amazing. Jerry Rankin is an extremely powerful man in Southern Baptist life, but last night he plopped down on the floor next to me to chat with a group of us about where we were going, our hopes, our fears...everything. I can't say enough about these servants of God. For my friends who are not Southern Baptist: if you could come here and meet these people, it would improve your opinion of Southern Baptists. They have all served overseas. In fact, no one who speaks to us has NOT served overseas, down to the lawyer who spoke to us yesterday. That gives them such a perspective of who we are and what we're about. They are compassionate and kind, and they're intensely aware of those in the world who need us. The IMB has a completely balanced budget--we know because they explained where every penny goes. Unlike other organizations, the IMB spends 85% of its budget overseas. I can't tell you how well they are taking care of us. It's unbelievable.
Something to pray about--we have some visa issues. I won't go into exactly what's going on, but suffice to say that we are likely looking at a delay. Remember that we are homeless, so if we're delayed, we kind of have a problem. Dr. Rankin did say last night that they weren't going to leave us on the street, which was actually kind of comforting. Of course, our friends here teased us that there's a trailer park on the bad side of Richmond that we can use. I'm pretty sure that's not what Dr. Rankin has in mind.
Well, the muffins smell like they're done. Please continue to pray for us. The next couple of weeks are going to be difficult beyond belief. We are definitely being stretched to our limits. But hear me on this--I have never been happier in my life. I miss my family immensely, I'm tired, I'm overwhelmed by the visa process...but I'm exceedingly happy. Know that you are loved and prayed for by me. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The lizard, the man of peace, and the shots
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is high above the nations; His glory is above the heavens. Psalm 113:2-4
Lately, I look for every verse that has "the nations" in it, searching for God's direction and His promises about the different peoples of the world. After all, if there isn't biblical reason to go to the nations, why do Southern Baptists (and many other organizations) spend so much time and resources sending out people to reach the nations with the Good News? Of course, you know and I know that the Great Commission commands that we go out and tell the nations of Jesus, His saving grace, the redemption offered through Him. It's just kind of fun for me to see what God has to say about the nations elsewhere, too. As I look out at the assembly of my colleagues, I know that God is already in the places they are going, working among their people group, making a way for His message to be spread. It is comforting to me, especially as I look at my friends going to places where there is grave danger to them.
If you read Marc's blog (and you should, because his is funnier than mine), you know that we had a little role-playing exercise concerning the man of peace Jesus instructed the 70 (in some translations 72) he sent out to find. What Marc didn't write about was how hard a time he gave me when I was the missionary. He kept hanging on my arm and saying, "You are SO pretty. Will you marry me? You're prettier than all my other wives. I promise I won't sacrifice you to the volcano." He was OBNOXIOUS! Some of the missionaries in residence were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Hmmm....vengeance shall be mine. :o)
The search for a man of peace is really one of the most amazing things to come out of missionary stories. I was thinking about it yesterday as I was walking, and I saw this lizard with a purple tail. I swear! It had a purple tail! But as soon as it moved away from the purple flowers growing on the side of the road, it went back to being green. The role-playing was good, in that it made me know that sometimes the man of peace, the one who can open doors, doesn't automatically turn out to be the person you think. The man of peace could appear to be something else, but then still turn out to be a man of peace. Of course, it was about 120 degrees as I was walking, so it could just be that I was having some kind of horrible hallucination. Who knew Virginia could be this hot in the summer? Yikes!
Ahhhh...the shots. Actually, they went pretty well. John-John just hopped up in the chair, played his gameboy, and took the shots like a man. I was pretty impressed with him. We all had vaccines for rabies, and then I also had polio and a hepatitis A/B mix that's brand new. They are very, very efficient. We were in and out very quickly, which cut out a lot of the anxiety. Afterward, the children's ministry team had snacks and face painting and animal balloons for the kids. There was candy for the adults, too. It really wasn't too bad. We have shots again this Friday, so continue to pray for us. This is definitely not the fun part of being a missionary.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Friday night, we ordered pizza, had all the teenagers over, and watched three hours of Hannah Montana episodes. It was hysterically funny. It's so nice to see my kids settle in to friendships, especially Sarah Beth. Hannah spent the night with another family Friday night, spent all day yesterday with them, went swimming with them, and then had takeout from a Chinese restaurant with them. What fun for her! And John-John spent yesterday morning with some friends at our house, and yesterday afternoon at Aunt Vickie's next door (making banana pudding that I'm really looking forward to today). Then last night, Sarah Beth babysat for us and we went with our friends Matt and Tara to Olive Garden and Kroger. We had a wonderful time! Sundays are always good, because there isn't really much on our plates. We have house church this morning (we love our small group!), lunch at noon, and cultural worship at 6 tonight (this week's service is Korean). Then Sarah Beth has what amounts to an after-church youth fellowship before they all head over to salsa dancing lessons. Doesn't that sound fun? I am so thankful to have had such a good weekend. We have really rested and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Sarah Beth does have a root canal Tuesday afternoon, so please keep her in your prayers. We have shots on Friday, so please pray for us then. And generally, just pray that we will have ears to hear and eyes to see all that God has for us. There is an immense amount of information to take in, process, and apply. Somewhere in there, we also have to parent and have a daily life. There is just so much...pray that we will get everything done and that we'll do it all in a way that glorifies Him. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for praying for us. And thank you for loving us and sending us out. What an honor and a privilege it is to take the Good News across the globe. Remember this--the Great Commission isn't just for missionaries, it's for all believers. How are you fulfilling it today? My prayer for you is that God will show you what He has for you, whether it's right where you are or across the ocean blue. Listen, and then be faithful to what you hear. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Lately, I look for every verse that has "the nations" in it, searching for God's direction and His promises about the different peoples of the world. After all, if there isn't biblical reason to go to the nations, why do Southern Baptists (and many other organizations) spend so much time and resources sending out people to reach the nations with the Good News? Of course, you know and I know that the Great Commission commands that we go out and tell the nations of Jesus, His saving grace, the redemption offered through Him. It's just kind of fun for me to see what God has to say about the nations elsewhere, too. As I look out at the assembly of my colleagues, I know that God is already in the places they are going, working among their people group, making a way for His message to be spread. It is comforting to me, especially as I look at my friends going to places where there is grave danger to them.
If you read Marc's blog (and you should, because his is funnier than mine), you know that we had a little role-playing exercise concerning the man of peace Jesus instructed the 70 (in some translations 72) he sent out to find. What Marc didn't write about was how hard a time he gave me when I was the missionary. He kept hanging on my arm and saying, "You are SO pretty. Will you marry me? You're prettier than all my other wives. I promise I won't sacrifice you to the volcano." He was OBNOXIOUS! Some of the missionaries in residence were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Hmmm....vengeance shall be mine. :o)
The search for a man of peace is really one of the most amazing things to come out of missionary stories. I was thinking about it yesterday as I was walking, and I saw this lizard with a purple tail. I swear! It had a purple tail! But as soon as it moved away from the purple flowers growing on the side of the road, it went back to being green. The role-playing was good, in that it made me know that sometimes the man of peace, the one who can open doors, doesn't automatically turn out to be the person you think. The man of peace could appear to be something else, but then still turn out to be a man of peace. Of course, it was about 120 degrees as I was walking, so it could just be that I was having some kind of horrible hallucination. Who knew Virginia could be this hot in the summer? Yikes!
Ahhhh...the shots. Actually, they went pretty well. John-John just hopped up in the chair, played his gameboy, and took the shots like a man. I was pretty impressed with him. We all had vaccines for rabies, and then I also had polio and a hepatitis A/B mix that's brand new. They are very, very efficient. We were in and out very quickly, which cut out a lot of the anxiety. Afterward, the children's ministry team had snacks and face painting and animal balloons for the kids. There was candy for the adults, too. It really wasn't too bad. We have shots again this Friday, so continue to pray for us. This is definitely not the fun part of being a missionary.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Friday night, we ordered pizza, had all the teenagers over, and watched three hours of Hannah Montana episodes. It was hysterically funny. It's so nice to see my kids settle in to friendships, especially Sarah Beth. Hannah spent the night with another family Friday night, spent all day yesterday with them, went swimming with them, and then had takeout from a Chinese restaurant with them. What fun for her! And John-John spent yesterday morning with some friends at our house, and yesterday afternoon at Aunt Vickie's next door (making banana pudding that I'm really looking forward to today). Then last night, Sarah Beth babysat for us and we went with our friends Matt and Tara to Olive Garden and Kroger. We had a wonderful time! Sundays are always good, because there isn't really much on our plates. We have house church this morning (we love our small group!), lunch at noon, and cultural worship at 6 tonight (this week's service is Korean). Then Sarah Beth has what amounts to an after-church youth fellowship before they all head over to salsa dancing lessons. Doesn't that sound fun? I am so thankful to have had such a good weekend. We have really rested and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Sarah Beth does have a root canal Tuesday afternoon, so please keep her in your prayers. We have shots on Friday, so please pray for us then. And generally, just pray that we will have ears to hear and eyes to see all that God has for us. There is an immense amount of information to take in, process, and apply. Somewhere in there, we also have to parent and have a daily life. There is just so much...pray that we will get everything done and that we'll do it all in a way that glorifies Him. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for praying for us. And thank you for loving us and sending us out. What an honor and a privilege it is to take the Good News across the globe. Remember this--the Great Commission isn't just for missionaries, it's for all believers. How are you fulfilling it today? My prayer for you is that God will show you what He has for you, whether it's right where you are or across the ocean blue. Listen, and then be faithful to what you hear. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Packing like a dead man
You keep talking about dying to self, Dr. Rankin. It occurs to me that I have a lot of things packed that a dead man doesn't need. --a colleague headed to Poland
I've told you that Dr. Rankin, the president of the IMB, was here last week doing a three-day seminar on spiritual warfare. The statement above was the defining moment of the seminar. It came during the application time, when we were discussing as a group the impact of the seminar. When the man finished and sat down, we all were kind of stunned. Even Dr. Rankin was speechless for a minute. Then he grinned and said, "I'm going to use that." It was a transparent thing to say, and a meaningful thing to say, but it was mostly the movement of the Holy Spirit kind of thing to say. We have all been so concerned with what we are taking, both literally and metaphorically. Do we have the right socks? underwear? Are we handling the transition well? Are we going to be good missionaries? Are we going to live up to what the IMB and Southern Baptists have invested in us? And yet, those are all things a dead man isn't going to need. Jesus isn't depending on me to create the Russian Baptist church. He is depending on me to depend on Him. And that isn't an easy thing for me. It is the growth area in which I fight Him the most. I want to think about what I can do...I may couch it in terms of what God has blessed me with, but that sometimes isn't very genuine. What He is showing me is that everything up to this point--the good, the bad, the ugly--has been sifted through His hand. What success has come to me has come to me because it served His purposes. That's hard, isn't it? I want to claim those things as my own, and yet they aren't mine. The failures--those I can claim! He is working on me. It doesn't always feel good, but He is definitely working on me.
I had better run and get ready for breakfast. I know these are very short blogs, but it really is all I have time for right now. I want to keep you updated, and I really want you to get to hear the unbelievable experiences we are having. (I haven't talked about worship in Hindi, yet. That was amazing!) Our time is very, very scheduled. Since I likely won't have a chance to write tomorrow, I will go ahead and ask you to pray for us at 3:10. That is our first immunization time. The kids will all get two shots, and Marc and I will get three. One of them is likely to make us feel fluish for a day, so just pray for us. You can imagine, this is the thing the kids have dreaded the most. (Okay--their parents, too.) Continue to pray that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see the crying of a world lost without Him...and that we'll be able to pack like dead men when we leave. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I've told you that Dr. Rankin, the president of the IMB, was here last week doing a three-day seminar on spiritual warfare. The statement above was the defining moment of the seminar. It came during the application time, when we were discussing as a group the impact of the seminar. When the man finished and sat down, we all were kind of stunned. Even Dr. Rankin was speechless for a minute. Then he grinned and said, "I'm going to use that." It was a transparent thing to say, and a meaningful thing to say, but it was mostly the movement of the Holy Spirit kind of thing to say. We have all been so concerned with what we are taking, both literally and metaphorically. Do we have the right socks? underwear? Are we handling the transition well? Are we going to be good missionaries? Are we going to live up to what the IMB and Southern Baptists have invested in us? And yet, those are all things a dead man isn't going to need. Jesus isn't depending on me to create the Russian Baptist church. He is depending on me to depend on Him. And that isn't an easy thing for me. It is the growth area in which I fight Him the most. I want to think about what I can do...I may couch it in terms of what God has blessed me with, but that sometimes isn't very genuine. What He is showing me is that everything up to this point--the good, the bad, the ugly--has been sifted through His hand. What success has come to me has come to me because it served His purposes. That's hard, isn't it? I want to claim those things as my own, and yet they aren't mine. The failures--those I can claim! He is working on me. It doesn't always feel good, but He is definitely working on me.
I had better run and get ready for breakfast. I know these are very short blogs, but it really is all I have time for right now. I want to keep you updated, and I really want you to get to hear the unbelievable experiences we are having. (I haven't talked about worship in Hindi, yet. That was amazing!) Our time is very, very scheduled. Since I likely won't have a chance to write tomorrow, I will go ahead and ask you to pray for us at 3:10. That is our first immunization time. The kids will all get two shots, and Marc and I will get three. One of them is likely to make us feel fluish for a day, so just pray for us. You can imagine, this is the thing the kids have dreaded the most. (Okay--their parents, too.) Continue to pray that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see the crying of a world lost without Him...and that we'll be able to pack like dead men when we leave. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
When your shoe gets stuck in Africa
"We are not sending you to build churches. We are sending you to be obedient to Christ. He'll build the church." An FPO worker.
Wow! What a statement! Again and again, we are being reminded that our faithfulness is not to a church-planting movement or a creed or doctrine, but to Christ Himself. (Esoos Khristos in Russian) That is both a huge responsibility and a huge weight off our shoulders. Faithfulness will be rewarded. It may not be the reward we sought when we started, but it will be rewarded.
I only have a few minutes this morning, but I couldn't resist telling you the story associated with the title. Hannah and her crochet club decided to "pretend fish" in the fountain by one of the buildings. This is a beautiful fountain with a wrought-iron globe in the center with the different continents clearly shown. Hannah is telling us this story as we walk to dinner, and the punch-line is, "And then I looked up, and my flip flop was stuck in Africa. I hate it when that happens!" We, of course, broke into fits of laughter, but Hannah thought nothing of it. Sometimes, your shoe gets stuck in Africa, and it's just a pain. My children's lives have certainly taken an interesting turn.
I will try to do more blogging later, but I am having trouble finding time. Know that I am happy and having a remarkable experience here. And I'm trying hard not to get my shoe stuck in Africa. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wow! What a statement! Again and again, we are being reminded that our faithfulness is not to a church-planting movement or a creed or doctrine, but to Christ Himself. (Esoos Khristos in Russian) That is both a huge responsibility and a huge weight off our shoulders. Faithfulness will be rewarded. It may not be the reward we sought when we started, but it will be rewarded.
I only have a few minutes this morning, but I couldn't resist telling you the story associated with the title. Hannah and her crochet club decided to "pretend fish" in the fountain by one of the buildings. This is a beautiful fountain with a wrought-iron globe in the center with the different continents clearly shown. Hannah is telling us this story as we walk to dinner, and the punch-line is, "And then I looked up, and my flip flop was stuck in Africa. I hate it when that happens!" We, of course, broke into fits of laughter, but Hannah thought nothing of it. Sometimes, your shoe gets stuck in Africa, and it's just a pain. My children's lives have certainly taken an interesting turn.
I will try to do more blogging later, but I am having trouble finding time. Know that I am happy and having a remarkable experience here. And I'm trying hard not to get my shoe stuck in Africa. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Singing to the nations
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth. Psalm 108:3-5
I have always loved this passage of scripture, but it has come to mean more to me since we accepted the call to international missions. The glory of God will reach the nations--He has promised it--what a joy and privilege to be part of that. Speaking of singing His glory to the nations, we begin our cross-cultural worship tomorrow night, and I believe we'll be worshipping in Hindi. How cool is that? I don't know about you, but I've never worshipped in Hindi.
Things here have kind of settled in, at least for now. We had a wonderful three days with Dr. Rankin. I had very positive feelings about Dr. Rankin before coming, and those feelings were only multiplied. He's an amazing man, with a wonderful sense of humor and a boldness that is refreshing. Sometimes people get into positions of power and are afraid to speak the truth in a bold way for fear of losing that power. My impression is that Dr. Rankin never sought any kind of power, and so losing it isn't a big threat for him. He's a missionary's missionary...he served in Indonesia and Thailand...so he knows what kinds of things we are experiencing now and will experience. What a wonderful time we had with him.
There are so many stories here, such a sense of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I can only tell you our story, because it's the one we own and because there are immense security issues surrounding many of our friends who are headed out to the hardest parts of the world. Even taking pictures is very tricky. Suffice to say that those who surround us are not only wonderful people, but they are people with a heart for God and for the nations. It's amazing to see.
Last night we had two families over and ordered pizza and played cards and just sat and talked. We laughed and laughed and laughed, and we REALLY enjoyed the pizza! (It was beef stroganoff night in the cafeteria, and there's only so much food experimentation my family is willing to do.) As the night wore on, more and more people would just drop in and sit and laugh with us for a while. By about nine o'clock, our great room was full of adults and kids, some of whom we knew and had invited, and some of whom we didn't know and had just decided to drop by because they could see the people inside. What a great time we had! I'm pretty sure these are the "times of refreshing" the Bible speaks about--talking and laughing with other believers, some of whom you know, some of whom you don't, but just having a great time listening to each other's stories.
One requirement our field has (we are in the Russia field of Central and Eastern Europe, one of the 11 regions the IMB has divided the world into) is that we must walk from our quad to the road outside the farm several times a week. This is about three miles, and the whole family has to do it. The farm is enclosed by fences and a "welcome house" with a gate that you have to go through to get on campus. (If you thought guard house instead of welcome house, you'd be correct.) So far, we've been amazed at our children's ability to do this. What an answer to prayer! Remember that we will have to walk everywhere we go, so it's a big deal to practice long distances.
Well, I'm headed off to walk. It's absolutely beautiful here, and walking is really a pleasure. We had a terrible storm Thursday night. My friend and I went to a class on cutting hair that was all the way across the campus, and we suddenly realized we needed to head home because it was so dark and there was lots of lightning. By the time we made it back to the CEE section of campus (they group us all together, or at least try to), there were twigs in our hair from all the wind. We watched it from our great room with the kids, and John-John turned to the older gentleman who lives next to us in the quad and said, "Uncle Darrell, did you know Jesus could stop this storm if He wanted to? He could." It made my heart so glad for two reasons. First, my kids have settled into the knowledge that their "family" on the field is not just us. MKs create their family on the field. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all the aunts and uncles my children are gaining--people who care about them and pray for them and help them grow and develop into people whose hearts are God's. But I was also moved because it was just one more display of the way God is working in John-John's heart. He has come to a place where he is really starting to understand relying on God for everything. What a blessing that is. And how tremendous it is to watch it happen.
Wherever you are, I pray that you have a remarkable family, too--not only the family God gave you when you were born, but a family of believers who love you and care for you. If you don't...find one! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I have always loved this passage of scripture, but it has come to mean more to me since we accepted the call to international missions. The glory of God will reach the nations--He has promised it--what a joy and privilege to be part of that. Speaking of singing His glory to the nations, we begin our cross-cultural worship tomorrow night, and I believe we'll be worshipping in Hindi. How cool is that? I don't know about you, but I've never worshipped in Hindi.
Things here have kind of settled in, at least for now. We had a wonderful three days with Dr. Rankin. I had very positive feelings about Dr. Rankin before coming, and those feelings were only multiplied. He's an amazing man, with a wonderful sense of humor and a boldness that is refreshing. Sometimes people get into positions of power and are afraid to speak the truth in a bold way for fear of losing that power. My impression is that Dr. Rankin never sought any kind of power, and so losing it isn't a big threat for him. He's a missionary's missionary...he served in Indonesia and Thailand...so he knows what kinds of things we are experiencing now and will experience. What a wonderful time we had with him.
There are so many stories here, such a sense of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I can only tell you our story, because it's the one we own and because there are immense security issues surrounding many of our friends who are headed out to the hardest parts of the world. Even taking pictures is very tricky. Suffice to say that those who surround us are not only wonderful people, but they are people with a heart for God and for the nations. It's amazing to see.
Last night we had two families over and ordered pizza and played cards and just sat and talked. We laughed and laughed and laughed, and we REALLY enjoyed the pizza! (It was beef stroganoff night in the cafeteria, and there's only so much food experimentation my family is willing to do.) As the night wore on, more and more people would just drop in and sit and laugh with us for a while. By about nine o'clock, our great room was full of adults and kids, some of whom we knew and had invited, and some of whom we didn't know and had just decided to drop by because they could see the people inside. What a great time we had! I'm pretty sure these are the "times of refreshing" the Bible speaks about--talking and laughing with other believers, some of whom you know, some of whom you don't, but just having a great time listening to each other's stories.
One requirement our field has (we are in the Russia field of Central and Eastern Europe, one of the 11 regions the IMB has divided the world into) is that we must walk from our quad to the road outside the farm several times a week. This is about three miles, and the whole family has to do it. The farm is enclosed by fences and a "welcome house" with a gate that you have to go through to get on campus. (If you thought guard house instead of welcome house, you'd be correct.) So far, we've been amazed at our children's ability to do this. What an answer to prayer! Remember that we will have to walk everywhere we go, so it's a big deal to practice long distances.
Well, I'm headed off to walk. It's absolutely beautiful here, and walking is really a pleasure. We had a terrible storm Thursday night. My friend and I went to a class on cutting hair that was all the way across the campus, and we suddenly realized we needed to head home because it was so dark and there was lots of lightning. By the time we made it back to the CEE section of campus (they group us all together, or at least try to), there were twigs in our hair from all the wind. We watched it from our great room with the kids, and John-John turned to the older gentleman who lives next to us in the quad and said, "Uncle Darrell, did you know Jesus could stop this storm if He wanted to? He could." It made my heart so glad for two reasons. First, my kids have settled into the knowledge that their "family" on the field is not just us. MKs create their family on the field. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all the aunts and uncles my children are gaining--people who care about them and pray for them and help them grow and develop into people whose hearts are God's. But I was also moved because it was just one more display of the way God is working in John-John's heart. He has come to a place where he is really starting to understand relying on God for everything. What a blessing that is. And how tremendous it is to watch it happen.
Wherever you are, I pray that you have a remarkable family, too--not only the family God gave you when you were born, but a family of believers who love you and care for you. If you don't...find one! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Suffering
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
It has been an interesting week so far. I mentioned earlier that Dr. Jerry Rankin, the president of the IMB, is here talking to us about spiritual warfare. It has been very enlightening, though it's hard to sit for that many hours at a time for me, since I'm used to being the one doing the talking and walking. One of the things he has stressed is that though demon possession and that sort of thing are found on the field, especially in remote, animistic areas of asia and africa, that isn't the spiritual warfare he is concerned with. Instead, it is the daily warfare that the Enemy does in the little things in life. You know--the materialism that creeps in, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life that makes us want to be first...that kind of thing. I guess I'd never really thought of that as spiritual warfare, but it's been unbelievably good for me to listen to him. Today is the last day he's here with us. I have enjoyed getting to know him a little bit.
One of the things I am reading is a book called Church Planting Movements, which is a requirement of our region (CEE--Central and Eastern Europe). One of the things it says is that in most successful church planting movements, missionaries suffer. I don't want to suffer. I'm not for it. But I especially don't want my family to suffer. Whether it's my children on the field or my family in the states, I don't want to be faced with that. It is my greatest fear. But one of the things Dr. Rankin reminded us is that Satan is simply a messenger. He has no control over anything but what he whispers in our ear. He cannot give us cancer or make a car slide off the road. He simply isn't that powerful. I am protected by the Almighty God of the Universe, and so are those I love. Nothig will come to me except that which is sifted through His righteous right hand. What comfort and peace that is. I have spent a lot of time here praying through my fears for my family.
Many of you have emailed me your prayers for the children, especially for John-John. Thank you so much. He is starting to really settle in. We are blessed to be in a quad with one family we'll be with on the field--they live just up the metro from us in Moscow--and another couple in the Master's program (for retirees) who are so kind to my children. They have already learned to love their new aunts and uncles. (All MKs call other missionaries aunt and uncle...a way the IMB has of developing family relationships for us on the field.) Last night, we took the little kids to the playground, and there was a lot of noise and fun with other kids from our area of the farm (we live in the Asia section)...it was wonderful to hear them and watch them play and have fun. And John had a great day at school yesterday (even his teacher said it was a great day). They have implemented some things with him--like his kindergarten teacher did--and they are making a big difference. I am so thrilled. Thank you for praying.
Hannah and some friends have started a crochet club that meets in the afternoons. Sarah Beth and the other teenagers (they travel all together in a pack) are learning to salsa dance and playing ultimate frisbee. Life is pretty good. Let me say this--we prayed and prayed that Sarah Beth would have people here to befriend. This is an inordinately large group of teenagers. They are absolutely in love with one another. They go places together, joking and laughing and having fun, but they always obey the rules about boys and girls being together. I am so thrilled. The other parents here are so excited, too, about the way they have all gelled together.
A big thing for us is Saturday night. The children's ministry team and the AV team (which Marc is on--big surprise) are showing the premiere of High School Musical II for the whole campus. I wish you could have heard the excitement as it buzzed through the crowd when it was announced. The IMB is even giving us the big auditorium, and there will be a sing-along with the songs from the first one, and pizza and popcorn and cokes--huge for our kids. I cannot say enough what good care Southern Baptists take of their missionaries. If you put a penny in that plate for missions...thank you.
Well, it's time for me to run to breakfast. I am obviously really busy, or I would be blogging more. More than anything, I am forcing myself to sleep a little later in order to be more rested--something I have been very convicted about here. Know that you are loved beyond measure---by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
It has been an interesting week so far. I mentioned earlier that Dr. Jerry Rankin, the president of the IMB, is here talking to us about spiritual warfare. It has been very enlightening, though it's hard to sit for that many hours at a time for me, since I'm used to being the one doing the talking and walking. One of the things he has stressed is that though demon possession and that sort of thing are found on the field, especially in remote, animistic areas of asia and africa, that isn't the spiritual warfare he is concerned with. Instead, it is the daily warfare that the Enemy does in the little things in life. You know--the materialism that creeps in, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life that makes us want to be first...that kind of thing. I guess I'd never really thought of that as spiritual warfare, but it's been unbelievably good for me to listen to him. Today is the last day he's here with us. I have enjoyed getting to know him a little bit.
One of the things I am reading is a book called Church Planting Movements, which is a requirement of our region (CEE--Central and Eastern Europe). One of the things it says is that in most successful church planting movements, missionaries suffer. I don't want to suffer. I'm not for it. But I especially don't want my family to suffer. Whether it's my children on the field or my family in the states, I don't want to be faced with that. It is my greatest fear. But one of the things Dr. Rankin reminded us is that Satan is simply a messenger. He has no control over anything but what he whispers in our ear. He cannot give us cancer or make a car slide off the road. He simply isn't that powerful. I am protected by the Almighty God of the Universe, and so are those I love. Nothig will come to me except that which is sifted through His righteous right hand. What comfort and peace that is. I have spent a lot of time here praying through my fears for my family.
Many of you have emailed me your prayers for the children, especially for John-John. Thank you so much. He is starting to really settle in. We are blessed to be in a quad with one family we'll be with on the field--they live just up the metro from us in Moscow--and another couple in the Master's program (for retirees) who are so kind to my children. They have already learned to love their new aunts and uncles. (All MKs call other missionaries aunt and uncle...a way the IMB has of developing family relationships for us on the field.) Last night, we took the little kids to the playground, and there was a lot of noise and fun with other kids from our area of the farm (we live in the Asia section)...it was wonderful to hear them and watch them play and have fun. And John had a great day at school yesterday (even his teacher said it was a great day). They have implemented some things with him--like his kindergarten teacher did--and they are making a big difference. I am so thrilled. Thank you for praying.
Hannah and some friends have started a crochet club that meets in the afternoons. Sarah Beth and the other teenagers (they travel all together in a pack) are learning to salsa dance and playing ultimate frisbee. Life is pretty good. Let me say this--we prayed and prayed that Sarah Beth would have people here to befriend. This is an inordinately large group of teenagers. They are absolutely in love with one another. They go places together, joking and laughing and having fun, but they always obey the rules about boys and girls being together. I am so thrilled. The other parents here are so excited, too, about the way they have all gelled together.
A big thing for us is Saturday night. The children's ministry team and the AV team (which Marc is on--big surprise) are showing the premiere of High School Musical II for the whole campus. I wish you could have heard the excitement as it buzzed through the crowd when it was announced. The IMB is even giving us the big auditorium, and there will be a sing-along with the songs from the first one, and pizza and popcorn and cokes--huge for our kids. I cannot say enough what good care Southern Baptists take of their missionaries. If you put a penny in that plate for missions...thank you.
Well, it's time for me to run to breakfast. I am obviously really busy, or I would be blogging more. More than anything, I am forcing myself to sleep a little later in order to be more rested--something I have been very convicted about here. Know that you are loved beyond measure---by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
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