Field Missionary

Yep, I’m the one that seemingly does awkward things, things that always look better in my head than in real life.  Standing up at a conference and yelling “Member Care” at the top of my lungs, with my arms raised in the air, was no exception.  During the long 5 seconds of silence where you could hear a pin drop, I had a moment to ponder if I had regretted what I did, and you know what?  I didn’t.  I can’t help it – Member Care is something I’m passionate about!  It may have begun years ago when I took a “Self-Care in Mission” class in Seminary.  In that class, one of our assignments was to interview an individual or couple who had been on the field for a long time.  I knew right away who I wanted to call, an amazing couple I deeply respected.  I ended up hearing so many amazing, yet heartbreaking, things about their story.  And while some things have naturally changed since they’ve been on the field, like the introduction of modern technology, which has drastically helped us all feel more connected than we used to, it seems that much of what they experienced in the way of Member Care is not that different than what current missionaries experience today.   The most basic idea of Member Care is about an environment and structure that fosters care-givers being cared for in holistic ways.  The idea of Member Care, though, is not that it would only benefit…
Source: Member Care from Scotts – Eurasia

The kids have enjoyed watching America Ninja Warrior and so a discussion about an obstacle course turned into the idea of wanting to construct a rock wall for the kids to climb up.  So last weekend the kids, Megan and my left hand worked on constructing a rock wall structure for the kids to play on.  Once it was finished, the kids have enjoyed climbing on the wall, even Madison enjoyed trying to climb up the wall.
Source: Rock Wall Construction from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific

Let’s be honest. We all have one of “those” weeks sometimes. The week where you get a speeding ticket, you lose something important or you just don’t have the energy. It’s been one of those weeks for us. The traffic police have been ruthless, our brakes on the truck started leaking, we ran out of water at our house, we hit a snag with a project that should not be a problem and our kids seem to be on an out-of-school-boredom-so-we-are-going-to-argue-nonstop kind of kick. But, in the midst of frustration, it has also been a week full of blessings. We have a Work and Witness team of 11 from PointLoma Nazarene University (PLNU) ministering with us in Lubumbashi. Nine people were baptized, four of which were on the PLNU team. We were able to spend some quality time with a family from the kids’ school we have wanted to get to know better. A neighbor down the street shared water from his well with us. We are all in good health and our vegetable garden starting sprouting. And, as in previous years, after a group of university students spend time with our kids, they are convinced that college will be the best place ever. These are the weeks we have to hold on the tightest to God’s Word. “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5b NLT) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”…
Source: Finding Blessings in the Midst of Frustrations from Fothergill – Africa