Barricades, blessings and benefits of The Missions Trip

Today is a traveling day! We are heading back to Riga, Latvia for 3 1/2 weeks of teaching, training and reconnecting. Please pray for us and the work there, we are excited to see all of the new faces and witness what God is doing in Eastern Europe! (We have two days in Dublin, Ireland on our way over…say what?! Pray for our safety in these uncertain times.)

My original title was, The Mission Trip: It’s not just about sightseeing…and I could have made friends and enemies with my title alone! Some could mistake it for “Shame on you! Didn’t you DO anything on your mission trip besides sightseeing?!” Then those that know me better will realize I am wanting to paint a bigger picture…a much bigger picture.

So, what do I mean? What is the purpose of a mission trip?

The Sweetheart took his first missions trip overseas when he was 18. He traveled to South America where he visited Chile, Argentina and Brazil. He went with an independent pastor who took him to see things up close and personal that would forever change his life.

Witnessing things such as satanic worship in a cemetery…at night…and out of sight…he was introduced to another world, one that most of us only read about in National Geographic back in the 1970’s.

He visited church after church, meeting amazing people who love God and are doing their best to serve Him. Privileged to witness and invite others to come to know Jesus Christ, right on the street, and get a positive response, was overwhelming.

What else did he do?

He went sightseeing. Experiencing the wonder of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will forever be a highlight! He was privileged to bring back treasures such as a marble chess set from Chile and the ugliest sweater for me from Argentina that you have ever laid eyes on. I treasure it to this day! (I wish I had pictures to share but I am thousands of miles away from home and his “SLIDES”, yes, slides! For the younger generation, well, ask the older generation.)

Not to be outdone, when my oldest son, and his girlfriend-soon-to-be-fiancé-now-soon-to-be-wife-of-fifteen-years were both 18, they took a two week missions trip to Alaska. Alaska? Yes, Alaska. America needs Jesus!

Kyle and Rachel visited wonderful missionaries who travel distances we cannot fathom to minister to people, and met native Alaskans who are planting churches all over the 49^th, and largest, state in our great union.

Their group worked, they shared testimonies, sang, preached, whatever was asked or needed in those fourteen days, they were eager to serve.

Did I mention the sightseeing? Oh, my!

Not to be outdone, when our middle son, Kristopher was 17, he and his friend Christopher, (yes, two of them!) joined a group traveling to Bolivia. Again, they were able to meet people and see things that forever changed them. They worked, hard! They preached, sang, shared on the streets and they LOVED…hard.

They also came back with the most hideous, handmade, woven pants you can never UN-see. I bet he had half a dozen pair in different colors and patterns! (Just being goofy here, thankfully they didn’t go witnessing dressed like that!)

Obviously a mission trip brings out the worst in taste. Unfortunately, I cannot recall a decent treasure that was brought back from this trip but the Sweetheart remembers well a beautiful leather briefcase that Kristopher had bought for him. He carried it for many years.

And…they went sightseeing…

Dangerous sights…

Amazing sights…

If you follow my blog, you are aware that I call my boys My Three Sons, so you are expecting me to share The Baby’s mission trip. I will not disappoint you! Korey and Kristopher journeyed to Scotland and Ireland for six long weeks of a personal mission trip…funded by Korey and Kristopher. They spent their own money but were blessed to stay in accommodations with the missionaries there in exchange for hard labor (smile).

They loved every minute of it.

(Okay, almost every minute. Korey is a little dramatic after helping to update the landscaping at the Bible School here. He is a musician, after all, not a gardener!)

And when in Rome…or in Glascow…well, doesn’t everyone try on a kilt? Kristopher does.

They also were at St. Andrews before and during the British Open!

(Korey slept during the tournament. Seriously. He did.)

They took pictures, and liberties, that would probably have gotten them in trouble had anyone been watching.

It was an amazing trip.

Korey then joined us in Riga, Latvia for six full months of ministry. He brought his guitar and sang his heart out, along with several other wonderful young people, helping to start churches in a very difficult region of the world. He met people he would never have gotten a chance to become acquainted with otherwise, people that have impacted his life.

Did Korey get to sight-see? Yes and no. His six months were more work than play. He did see most of Riga, Latvia, the capital of the Baltics. We took him to Tallinn, Estonia to see one of the most beautiful Old Town’s still in existence.

What was his most exciting sightseeing adventure? He was asked to conduct a music seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia for about five days, accommodations in the church with our beloved Missionary, Reverend William Turner. What a privilege! Yes, he was blessed to see a part of the world most will never see and make friendships with beautiful people.

These are examples. Examples I used because I know their stories, I can talk about them, share them freely.

But, what about the career missionaries? They are overseas for long, long periods of time, there cannot be that much to do, right? Isn’t it just one big, long vacation?

First of all, do not misunderstand and think I am touting the adventures of my family. We were not career missionaries. We were Associates in Missions, or what our organization calls AIM workers. Sort of part-time missionaries in some cases, and in others, self-sponsored, or church sponsored, missionaries who are going to fill a need. They may not have felt a calling, per se, to a certain country, but they want to do something. They see that people are needed, and they are available, willing and ready to go. Sometimes that is a precursor to a career missionary. You have to start somewhere and put your time in before you are promoted to a long term overseas assignment.

Yet, many AIM workers and associate missionaries sell everything they have too! Some, like us, could not have raised the money necessary to spend more than a year in Europe without selling our home, and most of our possessions. We do not regret it, even though we are not overseas full time. Many associate missionaries REMAIN under that status for different reasons. In many ways it is more difficult for them to raise funds and to stay funded. My hat is off in humble admiration to these sacrificial workers in the Kingdom.

Now, we personally go when we see a need, when we can raise the money to do so, and the rest of our time is spent traveling for Revival By Design. (Thank you to all who give so we can go!)

Career missionaries have much more red tape to cut through before they are on location. It can take many months, or even years, to raise the support needed to stay on location.

Naturally, it is different in every organization.

I have read many books down through the years of missionaries blazing the trail. Of those working in the jungles of Africa, walking mile after mile, facing danger, literally, around every corner. I remember stories of other Godly souls who were able to be a part of seeing thousands saved in one tent crusade! They didn’t have email, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Viber, Face Time, or Skype. They had snail mail and some were fortunate to have telephone communication…for about three minutes due to the expense…or the connection!

They definitely had things more difficult in many natural ways than missionaries do today, but they share many similarities that have NOT changed over the years.

Selling out.
Saying, “Goodbye’s” to loved ones…again and again.
Being homesick for their families.
Severe financial hardship. (Just because you are doing it for Jesus doesn’t mean you will be wealthy!)
And the most difficult of all…attacks from the enemy.

But I hear no complaints. I am sure there are some, even missionaries are human, but it is temporary. It may come from frustration, broken promises, and exhaustion.

What they DO experience, and I am sure 95% of them will agree, outweighs the struggle that accompanies the life of a missionary.

They witness lives changed, hearts broken and mended again, miracles, healings, signs and wonders!

They build churches in cities and countries where there has never been a church that taught Truth.

They light the way and bring the Gospel to the four corners of the world attempting to fulfill the scripture, “Go ye, into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15.

And this one, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14.

And some never truly witness the fruit of their labor but maybe one that comes behind them does. Some sow, some water, others reap. All according to God’s perfect timing.

The short-term mission trip whets the appetite of the young and the old. Some will go back, they will commit and “Go ye…” Others that have been privileged to go for a short time will not go back on a permanent basis but the experience will live on in their hearts and they, in turn, give in another way…they financially support those that literally go! It’s in their heart; they’ve been there, witnessed things that impacted them, now they want to help.

They never forget.

So, do missionaries sight-see? Yes, they do, they should! Of course it isn’t JUST about the things they see and the places they get to go…if they are going for that benefit only, they won’t last. God will not bless it. But missionaries that sacrifice for the call…they enjoy the countries God has sent them to love and labor in. Another long-time missionary mentioned that it is often even a spiritual experience as they learn more about their country, the history, the people that call it home…it helps them so much to connect!

They take pictures and post them on social media so YOU can be blessed to see places that your feet may never wander through. You have helped them get there; they want to share it with you! (There are times and situations where missionaries MAY NOT post very many pictures, if any, of their congregation, house church, or people they are working with for privacy reasons.)

The associate missionary, no matter how long they are on location, are a blessing to the missionary that lives in the country all of the time. They bring refreshing, strength, fellowship and maybe even Oreo’s and Ziploc bags from the States!

Missionaries go to places we can only dream about, but they give way more than we will ever realize and sacrifice more than some of us would be willing to.

Be blessed to see pictures of them feeding children in Africa, putting shoes on kids in Haiti, singing on the streets in Europe and preaching to thousands in South America!

Then pray.

Pray for those that have, and will, answer the call to GO. Pray that they will be able to raise the funds necessary, that it will not be a financial burden on them for years to come, and that their hearts will not become weary with THE WAIT.

For those already on the field? They need your prayers even more!

Pray for those that have gone; that God would have His way in their lives. That they would hear HIS voice and know the direction He would have them to take.

Pray for strength for each new day, peace in every situation and for favor with their city, village or country.

Pray that the emptiness in their heart would be replaced by the love of God and a love for the people in their new homeland.

Don’t begrudge them a little enjoyment in the country within which they labor. Love them, support them with your prayers and bless them financially when you can.

We would appreciate your prayers today for my health as well. I am not one to post on social media all of my ills but I have a severe case of bronchitis, so much so that my doctor didn’t want me to leave today. Please pray for healing and strength, if you have had bronchitis you know the I’ve-been-hit-by-a-truck fatigue and the incessant coughing. Pray my cough doesn’t get me kicked off the plane, yikes! Bind together with me in prayer and let us see what God will do!

Batman…Leaving the Batcave one last time

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Batman…Leaving the Batcave one last time

“Robin: Where’d you get a live fish, Batman?”

Batman: “The true crimefighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt, Robin.”

The Batman character has certainly changed over the years. The series, and characters, that are on our minds this weekend, with the sad passing of Adam West, ran only three seasons beginning January 12, 1966, to March 14, 1968. Needless to say, my first remembrances of this classic were as a very young child myself. I can remember my two brothers running through the house shouting, “POW!” “Wham!” “ZOK!” (Yes, that was one, too!) “Splat!” and on and on they would go chasing each other through our small home. I was rather annoyed by the whole thing, and didn’t take much interest in the show unless Batgirl was on.

Her name also just happened to be Yvonne Craig, my first name as well, so, of course we had everything in common. (insert sarcasm here) If she was in an episode, I might sit down and watch it or sneak through the kitchen to get glimpses, not actually admitting I was interested in a boys crime-fighting show, naturally.

Fast forward a few years and I had a little blonde-haired, blue eyed boy of my own. He was fascinated with superheroes at a very young age. Super Friends was all the rage, bringing back old, beloved comic characters, all in one place. And, as luck would have it, Batman and Robin reruns were everywhere.

Even better? There were GUYS.

This iconic word served as a generic title for every super hero from Superman to GI Joe; our house was full of guys. You stepped on them, found them in precarious poses in your Lazy Susan, scooped them out of the bathtub, found them perched on window sills, where they had just scaled the wall to get in and save the world. Seriously, they took over my house. And this was still with just ONE little boy. The other two little tow-heads had not arrived yet!

Needless to say, whether by my own encouragement or not, we were Batman and Robin fans again. I have played the role of Lex Luthor, Robin, AquaMan, Wonder Woman, The Joker, and even Superman. But I do not recall EVER getting to be Batman. Only Kyle’s best friend and first cousin, Jeremy, was allowed to be Batman. And the only reason Kyle would succumb to that was because Jeremy had the costume.

Check out the backside picture. It’s just too much! The little guy, Michael was our good friend and neighbor who was also spending the night. He didn’t get the memo about the official pajamas but any good Mom can improvise and instantly add another super hero!

Robin: “You can’t get away from Batman that easy!”

Batman: “Easily.”

Robin: “Easily.”

Batman: “Good grammar is essential, Robin.”

Robin: “Thank you.”

Batman: “You’re welcome.”

Living in Indianapolis in 1986, the Dynamic Duo were appearing at a Comic Book Collector’s Convention. They had the Batmobile on display and the famous actors would be signing autographs.

We were in!

For two little five and six year old boys, meeting a real-live superhero was over-the-top in every way. We stood dutifully in line and Kyle and Jeremy were a tad bit nervous about shaking the hand of the two heroes who could put the Penguin on ice!

The closer they got, Jeremy became a little intimidated and wasn’t so keen on getting too close but he persevered. Meeting them in real life was kind of creepy and you had the foreboding that the Riddler would come leaping in with his hideous laugh and have us all tied up in question marks.

Jeremy getting his autograph!

Speeding forward in our Time Machine once more, Kyle called me yesterday morning. He is normally a texter so I figured something was up, hoping he needed a babysitter or wanted to chat about the awesome Worship Night on the Square that had just wrapped up a few hours before.

No. The conversation went something like this:

“Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“Batman died.”

It was the end of an era, and hearing about the death of a super hero who was such a big part of your growing up years brings back so many memories, hopefully all good.

We reminisced a few minutes about characters and a few funny things but I hung up grateful that we had that in common. That he remembered if anyone would care that a piece of his childhood was no longer with us…it would be Mom.

It wasn’t long before I received a text from my youngest with a meme of the death of Adam West. Before the end of the day, they had all joined in the conversation and probably wondering where their Batman and Robin figures were stashed. (Don’t tell them, but I could put my hands on a few in just a couple of minutes).

Now, My Three Sons do not live in the past, they just have great childhood memories (most of them were great) and they love nostalgia. They might not look anything like their mother but they acquired my love for all-things-childhood.

And, true to their nature, Kyle and Jeremy are continuing their love for the Caped Crusader with their wee ones, Mister Miller and Norah Jayne. Miller’s nursery is all super heroes, and adorable! He started out early with Batman attire:

And then there is Batgirl, Norah Jayne gets in on the action at an early age too!

Do we have a take-away from the death of an actor, a character that brought a lot of happiness to many children (and adults) in his cape and ballerina tights? I think so.

Everyone is looking for a super hero. We all want to think there is some super power out there that can come and save the day, get us out of our messes and deliver us from our mistakes. Whether he comes in a Batmobile, or flying through the air faster than a speeding bullet, we want someone to step on the scene and bring instant calm to our chaos.

Unfortunately, Batman isn’t real, nor Superman, Spiderman or any of our comic book character icons. They make for great entertainment but that is where it ends.

But since this is a Christian blog, let me end this with some hope.

We DO have a super hero, friends. There is only One that can really walk through a wall and only One who can walk on water, or give the command for another to do so!

This Super Hero of our every day, every moment existence, LIVES to bring deliverance to our universe. He literally gave His own life, willingly, that we could also live an overcoming life and have eternal hope that we will live forever in a glorious place with the Savior of the World.

He will come running to you in an instant when you speak His name.

He will go to the depths to lift you up and carry you higher.

He can heal all of your diseases or give you strength to go through any trial.

He will give you wisdom for every situation and words to go in your mouth in a moments notice.

He will surround you with His presence, bringing instant peace to your circumstance.

There is absolutely nothing that He cannot do, or will do, for you, His child.

He put that cape on a long, long time ago. And He is patiently waiting for the day that YOU join Him and bring completion to His perfect work.

Remember today, Batman couldn’t save the world, and he can’t come back once death has claimed him. But Jesus did both and left us with the hope that we can overcome as He did, if we know Him.

As we see the world around us crumbling, we remember His Word to lift up our eyes! Look up!

Our redemption is drawing near.

One last tribute to Adam West. Same bat time, same bat channel!

Here comes the judge!

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Here comes the Judge!

Jonah, Jonah, Jonah…we look at him and see stubbornness, disobedience, rebellion and definitely ungratefulness.

Yes, he did thank God for saving him from the belly of the great fish, and yes, he did finally obey and head for Nineveh. What he didn’t expect was for the people to believe, repent and turn from their wickedness.

Jonah arrives in Nineveh, (a city that takes three days to walk through!), and just one day inside he starts preaching the Word of the Lord. He told the people, in this wicked city, that they had 40 days to repent or the entire city, and everything in it, would be destroyed. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

They believed God, they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth (a sign of repentance and humility) even down to the least of them.

Word had come from the king himself, he had taken off his robe, covered himself in sackcloth and sat in ashes! He said,

“Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger,that we perish not?”

The desperate situation called for desperate measures. They humbled their souls with fasting and what happened?

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” Jonah 3:3-10.

Did they change the mind of God? Of course they did!

Turning FROM sin and turning TO God will cause the Lord to reach out a hand of MERCY!

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This is what Jehovah wanted them to do!

But it is NOT what Jonah wanted them to do. At all.

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. “So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” Jonah 4:1-3 NLT.

Can’t you just see Jonah complaining to God? “I told you, Lord! I told you this would happen!” He says he knew all along if they repented God would go soft. And he was mad about it! He was upset that these people that he literally despised were going to receive the forgiveness of God…just like he had.

Now here is where we think Jonah is One Selfish and Self-Righteous Dude.

But is he really any different than so many of the rest of us? Haven’t there been times in our lives where we have been a little aggravated at some of the Ninevites in our own lives? Do we think they can’t be saved, that God surely wouldn’t bother with them; His mercy couldn’t possibly extend that far?

And when they do come to the Lord? When they DO repent? We doubt and say, “They won’t stick with it, that’s just how they are.” We second guess their motives, “They aren’t really sincere, they are just coming to church to put on a show or to be seen.” We are sure there is nothing to their experience.

We reason it in our minds…and sometimes speak it with our mouths.

Worst of all? Looking deep in our hearts we might discover we just do not like them. Maybe they have hurt us in the past, done something against us that we are struggling to forgive. We actually want to see them continue in their sinful life, they are deserving of judgment!

God is no respecter of persons. And the story of Jonah and the Ninevites is a wonderful example of the mercy of a loving God. It was a wicked city, the Assyrians were bent on world domination, they didn’t care who got in their way. They even sacrificed their children and served the idol Dagon! But when they heard the warning, and their king took it seriously, they believed, they repented and they were forgiven. They were spared!

Just like God told Jonah, “And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

Can we just be grateful that God had mercy on us, that He loved us, in spite of ourselves, overlooked our faults, failures and sins?

Let us not be judgmental when it comes to the sins of others. Let’s not be critical of their motives when it comes to salvation.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 NKJV.