Tomorrow marks the beginning of our fifth week of in Brisbane, waiting for our visas. No one can turn time in Brisbane into a hardship. It’s a lovely city and we brought work with us so we stayed busy thus far. We do, however, want to get back to PNG and begin preparing for Christmas and the people who will come to us at that time.
Waiting is an interesting activity. It almost always seems to be a “waste of time” and if I pretended we were not a tad frustrated it wouldn’t be honest. I have, however, prayed about what God has for us in this waiting period. Glimpses appear here and there: a meeting with a long time friend from PNG who is struggling to sense God’s presence; the hairdresser whose husband said he would come to Australia for his family but has decided to stay in their country of origin. All over there are people, God’s image bearers, who need someone to come alongside and say, “He is there. He is listening. Wait and see what He will do”.
Waiting for something as mundane as a visa, reminds me how much our waiting for temporal things Is not like waiting for Christ. Biblical hope is not a wish that something might happen that, should I not cross my fingers hard enough or say the right words, could fall through the cracks. Biblical hope is the expectation of that which is assured. Our hope cannot fail because of the One who made the promise.
So we wait in Brisbane and enter the Advent season, a time of waiting for a promise assured by the Maker of the Universe. These weeks between Thanksgiving and Advent can remind us of a time when all the world stood waiting for the child whose coming made a new star appear, wise men traverse the globe, shepherds rejoice, kings quake, angels sing and senior citizens proclaim salvation to all those in Jerusalem who were waiting for the Messiah.
Celebrating as we wait,
The Vanaria Family
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Brisbane
Brisbane
On Wednesday October 28th we flew to Port Morseby to bring our residential visa application to Pastor Felix. On Friday the visa was lodged in the capital and we flew to Brisbane where we make a second application for our visa in PNG. The entire process should take less than three weeks and then we will head back to our home, celebrate Thanksgiving, and start Advent with our first group of Mesem friends by our side checking the completed translation work.
Brisbane is a great city to spend time in while we are waiting. The Internet works, so the long download of email takes a matter of seconds. We can add messages to the blog and update friends of the work from here. We’re adding some video taken in PNG. We’re in a handy DHL spot so we can get our new credit cards and debit cards to replace what we lost in the most recent “wallet walkabout” that happened at the market. The thief got a lot of cash (Neil had just withdraw money to pay the men) but thankfully the credit cards were not a problem.
Of course the Internet is not our only past time here. Tomorrow Neil goes back to the embassy and we’ll go along as in all these years I have never been in the PNG embassy. Brisbane has a lovely river winding through and a wonderful outdoor mall area where a book lover can sip cappuccino and pass some time. I’ve got the New Testament with me of course, and have finished Acts and should be done with 1 Corinthians this week.
Tony is happy and has found a gym near where we are staying that has a $3 fee for shooting hoops or playing a pick-up game. He will be 17 in December and though we’ve heard the teen years are supposed to be bumpy we’ve not had many bumps and we appreciate the good humour and versatility he has demonstrated in all our travels.
I will update you again as soon as we have more news.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fresh Pork and the House Blessing
House Blessing
Greetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
Greetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
House Blessing
House BlessingGreetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bobiufa
Bobiufa
Life has many twists and turns but the road to Bobiufa is bouncy and dusty on dry days and a muddy, slippery track this morning. We’ve settled in small housing cluster called Bobiufa among the Bena-Bena people. It’s a large house with beautiful landscaping and quite secluded.
We had many friends welcome us back and much help settling into our new place. Susie Leo spent hours yesterday removing the cockroach eggs from the house, a blessing for which I cannot describe my thankfulness. We got a washing machine installed, and though we have so much more to move to get the office up and running we are trying to move quickly so that we will soon “be back in business”.
Tony and Danny, my brother Bob’s sons, arrive tomorrow. A pig kill and mumu has been arranged by PNG friends who also have provided for a ride to the coast for them for the final week that they are in country. I plan to keep the camera rolling while they are here and capture as much of their adventure as possible. I try to look at life through their eyes, as though I were new here and I do realize how many things will be a surprise to them. We plan to use their muscles to move a few more things and then take them for a Mesem “nature walk” as we visit friends down in Morobe.
Right now I am using a “hot spot” in town where I can buy a card and get 30 MB of data for K20. Our Internet trips will be fewer and fewer now that we are farther from town until we can get a landline. I like the quiet aspect of the place and yet I confess I am a bit afraid of the lonliness that can set in when one is confined to a small area behind a fence and can’t communicate much. Unlike the village where we have people with us 24/7, Bobiufa is great for Tony to study and an excellent place to read books and do gobs of work, but not such an easy place to get to know the neighbors. The house is by necessity quite secure, being behind a gate, which is behind another gate, and has a steel bedroom door.
There’s a lovely coffee garden behind the house. In many ways it is the perfect retreat center. Feel free to drop in. I will have a coffee pot waiting for you and perhaps, extrovert that I am, happy for the company as well.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Final Hours, Farewells to Friends
Forty-eight hours from now we will do what we've done so many times before: meet at the international lounge, hold hands with family, hug friends, cry and board.
Saturday the usual cleaners and movers were there to bail us out and toss the mustard and kill whatever new life form had hatched in the frig. Meanwhile others played "traffic jam" in the Joyner's basement. What are friends for? Loyalty in face of insanity. I am sure that is one of their many functions.
Indeed few people are as blessed as we are when it comes to friends. There are so many people who participate, move, haul, pray, fast, cry, love and stick with us that they are as much a part of this as we who physically show up in Papua. People see us. They don't see all of those who make it possible.
Truthfully, I hate the final hours. I would rather get on the plane and go. I don't want to cry any more. I don't want to say good-bye for the fifth term and pretend this gets easier. Actually, it gets harder the older I am. We have many things ahead which have their own challenges.
We got a bit of news yesterday, the minor stuff of logistical headaches. Our truck has been in a shop for six months and we didn't know. This is not extraordinary, but we have to replan every thing we just worked out for during the last few weeks for how we can possible get done all that needs to be done in the time we have. I am hyperventilating already.
There is a verse in Psalm 37 that says, "Do not fret, it only leads to sin". That verse gets me in trouble as I am laid back by US standards but a middle aged female international "fretter" in that incidentals like knowing where I might live in two weeks is a stress point to me. I was never big into camping. Give me Vivaldi, a nice restaurant and a fine book and I am right at home. This might prompt you to ask how we have managed to do what we've done for 21 years and the answer is 'grace'.
I have thought much lately about the personality of Jesus. What did He seem like to others? We have remade Him into our own model. We think He cleansed the temple without raising His voice. We think of the verse "For the joy set before Him , He endured the cross" and forget the joy is a perspective, not an emotion. Yes, I've heard it say it is an emotion, but I guess that it depends on how one percieves it. He sweat drops of blood and begged His Father for an alternative as He faced the "joy set before Him".
There are many questions I have for the Lord when we get home. For now, it's enough to say, He has gone ahead of me in every way. In every joy, sorrow, emotion, parting, transition, all this He has done. He has crowned me with His love, righteousness, loving kindness. He has blessed me with good family and good friends who have not faltered.
Well it's now 48 hours and 28 minutes till we leave for the airport. Maybe I will write again tommorow. I need to find my socks and the hair gel got tossed. See, I have a goal this afternoon.
Saturday the usual cleaners and movers were there to bail us out and toss the mustard and kill whatever new life form had hatched in the frig. Meanwhile others played "traffic jam" in the Joyner's basement. What are friends for? Loyalty in face of insanity. I am sure that is one of their many functions.
Indeed few people are as blessed as we are when it comes to friends. There are so many people who participate, move, haul, pray, fast, cry, love and stick with us that they are as much a part of this as we who physically show up in Papua. People see us. They don't see all of those who make it possible.
Truthfully, I hate the final hours. I would rather get on the plane and go. I don't want to cry any more. I don't want to say good-bye for the fifth term and pretend this gets easier. Actually, it gets harder the older I am. We have many things ahead which have their own challenges.
We got a bit of news yesterday, the minor stuff of logistical headaches. Our truck has been in a shop for six months and we didn't know. This is not extraordinary, but we have to replan every thing we just worked out for during the last few weeks for how we can possible get done all that needs to be done in the time we have. I am hyperventilating already.
There is a verse in Psalm 37 that says, "Do not fret, it only leads to sin". That verse gets me in trouble as I am laid back by US standards but a middle aged female international "fretter" in that incidentals like knowing where I might live in two weeks is a stress point to me. I was never big into camping. Give me Vivaldi, a nice restaurant and a fine book and I am right at home. This might prompt you to ask how we have managed to do what we've done for 21 years and the answer is 'grace'.
I have thought much lately about the personality of Jesus. What did He seem like to others? We have remade Him into our own model. We think He cleansed the temple without raising His voice. We think of the verse "For the joy set before Him , He endured the cross" and forget the joy is a perspective, not an emotion. Yes, I've heard it say it is an emotion, but I guess that it depends on how one percieves it. He sweat drops of blood and begged His Father for an alternative as He faced the "joy set before Him".
There are many questions I have for the Lord when we get home. For now, it's enough to say, He has gone ahead of me in every way. In every joy, sorrow, emotion, parting, transition, all this He has done. He has crowned me with His love, righteousness, loving kindness. He has blessed me with good family and good friends who have not faltered.
Well it's now 48 hours and 28 minutes till we leave for the airport. Maybe I will write again tommorow. I need to find my socks and the hair gel got tossed. See, I have a goal this afternoon.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Packing and Sorting
Today Neil is delivering: delivering boxes for storage and items for eBay. (We reason Tony will outgrow his snow board and want the money for those new basketball shoes he ordered last night). While I find moving more difficult the older I get, there is something to be said for packing and sorting. You look at something and ask, "Do I really NEED this?" or "Will I remember if I throw it out?". Traveling light is a priority as any seasoned traveler knows. It's good preparation for life.
These last two years have been full of uncertainty as to how we would proceed. We are thankful for the understanding, support and love you have shared with us as Neil returned to PNG, and we began to make the necessary adjustments to see this work completed in the manner we believe the Lord desires.
Door have opened, door have closed and a new picture has emerged as to how the Lord would have us minister in our remaining time with the Mesem. While truthfully, it would have been much simpler to keep doing what we've done in the past, it was not the most effective way to minister in the time that remains.
We will be relocating when we return. That will take time and involve a lot of energy we had hoped to save for something else. Yet we have a PNG friend who has already found a house with security, wired for electricity and handy enough to the transport routes we need to travel to the Mesem. Mesem men have begun translation checking in the village and this responsibility prepares them for continuing in that role and ultimately pursuing Old Testament translation in the future. We will have freedom to host Bible studies and engage in outreach in a way previoulsy not available. He has closed old doors, and opened new avenues.
We'll keep you posted on the sights we see on the journey and thank you for traveling with us this far. In 1987, we left home with these verses as a theme and I share them again here from the 84th Psalm:
Blessed are those whose strength is the Lord
Who have set their heart on pilgrimage
As they travel through the Valley of Bacca they make it a place of well watered springs
The autumn rains also cover it with pools
They go from strength to strength
Till each appears before God in Zion
These last two years have been full of uncertainty as to how we would proceed. We are thankful for the understanding, support and love you have shared with us as Neil returned to PNG, and we began to make the necessary adjustments to see this work completed in the manner we believe the Lord desires.
Door have opened, door have closed and a new picture has emerged as to how the Lord would have us minister in our remaining time with the Mesem. While truthfully, it would have been much simpler to keep doing what we've done in the past, it was not the most effective way to minister in the time that remains.
We will be relocating when we return. That will take time and involve a lot of energy we had hoped to save for something else. Yet we have a PNG friend who has already found a house with security, wired for electricity and handy enough to the transport routes we need to travel to the Mesem. Mesem men have begun translation checking in the village and this responsibility prepares them for continuing in that role and ultimately pursuing Old Testament translation in the future. We will have freedom to host Bible studies and engage in outreach in a way previoulsy not available. He has closed old doors, and opened new avenues.
We'll keep you posted on the sights we see on the journey and thank you for traveling with us this far. In 1987, we left home with these verses as a theme and I share them again here from the 84th Psalm:
Blessed are those whose strength is the Lord
Who have set their heart on pilgrimage
As they travel through the Valley of Bacca they make it a place of well watered springs
The autumn rains also cover it with pools
They go from strength to strength
Till each appears before God in Zion
Friday, August 14, 2009
It's a go
The good news: September 2 departure for Papua New Guinea with an arrival on the 4th.! We are really looking forward to returning to PNG and the subsequent visit of our nephews, Tony and Danny. They arrive on September 12 for a three week walk through Mesem wonderland. We'll be visiting Mesem friends as soon as they have recovered from jet lag and they get to see the glories of the 90 meter waterfall, a common site in that area.
We do need to set up house upon arrival and with the end of the New Testament work so close at hand we are taking a minimalist approach to "home decor". If we can set up enough so our nephews have mattresses on which to sleep and we've got a stove it will be a victory.
The work permit has not arrived and we checked with the embassy who encouraged us the process from this point out should be very swift so we are thankful for your prayers in this regard.
PNG, here we come...
We do need to set up house upon arrival and with the end of the New Testament work so close at hand we are taking a minimalist approach to "home decor". If we can set up enough so our nephews have mattresses on which to sleep and we've got a stove it will be a victory.
The work permit has not arrived and we checked with the embassy who encouraged us the process from this point out should be very swift so we are thankful for your prayers in this regard.
PNG, here we come...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Going, going, going....
We're two weeks overdue from our previously scheduled departure date. God uses times that seem 'wasted' to us for many good things. Indeed July has had many blessings.I got to visit my college roommate and the one who sends all our newsletters, Joyce Turner. Joyce has made a huge difference in furthering the New Testament. Tony met a young man who is seeking God while playing basketball. We were able to enroll him in an online accredited high school so he will have the freedom to hike with his cousins, Dan and Tony when they come to PNG in September. I could stay with my mother so my father and dad would be free to visit Sicily. We could work with other missionaries still itinerating to create media presentations of their work. We've had a chance to get away for four days, albeit rainy, in northern Maine.
Now we are waiting and praying for a SPEEDY return of our work permits so we can process our visas to PNG. Our nephews are coming in September and we need to be in PNG and settled in good time before they get there. Our lease is running out here. Our housing and security situation in PNG is uncertain. There is much to pray about. There is much to trust God for.
The photo is taken of the streets of Boston on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. I love the city of Boston. The extra couple of weeks have allowed us to enjoy these wonderful things.
The closer we have gotten to completing the New Testament the more obstacles we have had to completing the New Testament.We ask you to pray that the documents we need will be here this week, and we can return to PNG within the next four weeks. Some things will only resolve with prayer. Please pray for resolution to our visa and know we pray as well and with thanksgiving for God's extra blessings as we wait.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Pilgrim's Progress
This month we celebrated 30 years of marriage. For the better part of that we've been in Papua New Guinea. This year finds us waiting to return, living in a semi-packed state with as much in boxes as possible without totally disrupting normal life.As Tony is at a gathering of friends in Texas, it seemed a good time to get away and just recover from the non-stop movement of the past five years. At times, when enough things happen, you just "numb out" and keep going. Personally, I've been doing that for a long time. Anyone who has moved forty times or more recognizes numbness as a great way to approach another move.
So to celebrate we headed up to Maine. Maine is easy, relatively inexpensive and it's not crowded. There is something about being in a place that is simple and quiet that puts life back in perspective. The ocean is vast. We are small. A very clear reminder of our great impact in the universe. The birds abound. Each is cared for individually by Our Father in Heaven. I even had to laugh to myself as I went through a plate of steamers and enjoyed a lobster the next day, that those "Levitically unclean foods" I so enjoy are a reminder that it is "for freedom that Christ set us free". Back to bondage? No way.
When we got home we had a bit more news of things overseas. Neil's work permit is "all set" but for some official transcripts which apparently now need to be notarized. Neil is out doing that now. The issues of housing, safety and schooling remain unresolved and the fist two issues may not be resolved until we are actually in PNG. Yes, I wish it were all settled. No, I don't enjoy living in a state of perpetual transition. Yes, I remember that we are looking for a better city, one whose Builder and Maker is God. Yes, I feel like I am getting a bit old for this. Yes, we are supposed to live our entire lives as pilgrims and strangers on the earth.
Still sojourning, and praying for the next stop on the pilgrimage.
Psalm 84
Monday, June 15, 2009
Pearly Gates and Redeeming Pain
While we've been waiting to receive our work permits to PNG, I've been reading Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven". I really enjoy the book and it's made heaven sound more attractive than I have pictured it when I hear it described as a perpetual song service. It will indeed be magnificent and reflect the Creative One whose Glory will be seen in every detail.
In the twists, turns, ups and downs of the last five years, I, to be totally honest, have asked God if He would reassure me that there is something redeeming in all that has transpired. While I will admit this is not super spiritual I have asked,"Would the world fall off its axis if we went from A to B without something being excruciatingly painful?" We haven't cornered the market on difficulty, but most honest people have asked the same question at some point in their life. I have reviewed events and said, in all truthfulness, "It was less painful getting hit by the car".
Then I realized something about gates made of pearls. Pearls, are of course, born from a painful foreign substance that gets lodged in the oyster's shell. Oyster's don't get up and say, "Let me go find something uncomfortable so I can make a pearl". It's one of those thing that "happens" to the oyster and there's not much the oyster can do about it. I'm not an oyster (really) but I can imagine that "pearl making" is not a wonderful experience.
I looked at the gates in a new way. How amazing and redeeming that the entrance to that great city is by passing through gates which in part are made of a substance born from pain. Born from His pain. Born from ours. Yes, there is something redeeming and even eternal and glorious in that.
In the twists, turns, ups and downs of the last five years, I, to be totally honest, have asked God if He would reassure me that there is something redeeming in all that has transpired. While I will admit this is not super spiritual I have asked,"Would the world fall off its axis if we went from A to B without something being excruciatingly painful?" We haven't cornered the market on difficulty, but most honest people have asked the same question at some point in their life. I have reviewed events and said, in all truthfulness, "It was less painful getting hit by the car".
Then I realized something about gates made of pearls. Pearls, are of course, born from a painful foreign substance that gets lodged in the oyster's shell. Oyster's don't get up and say, "Let me go find something uncomfortable so I can make a pearl". It's one of those thing that "happens" to the oyster and there's not much the oyster can do about it. I'm not an oyster (really) but I can imagine that "pearl making" is not a wonderful experience.
I looked at the gates in a new way. How amazing and redeeming that the entrance to that great city is by passing through gates which in part are made of a substance born from pain. Born from His pain. Born from ours. Yes, there is something redeeming and even eternal and glorious in that.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Imitation and Redemption
Today at the Southern New England Council we celebrated the Lord's Supper. That ordinance of the church has always held special signficance for me. Today as I held the bread and the cup I was thinking, "We are alive because of the unwarranted sacrifice of Another. We were redeemed because One who did not desereve the blame carried our blame. I live from the sacrifice of another."
One of the statements that I have often heard but has left me feeling unsure is the saying, "If you had been the only person in the world, Jesus Christ would have died for you". I have had occasion to think about the "cost" of seeing someone come to Christ. There are some sacrifices that come more easily than others. There is no sacrifice we are asked to make in ministry, that Christ Jesus did not make for us. Do we lack good housing? He had no where to lay His head. Are we criticized for how we carry out the work to which God called us? So was He. His family thought He was wrong and self promoting. ("If you want to be a public figure…). Anything we might "suffer" so has Christ Jesus.
Jesus was despised, rejected and ultimately tried on fasle charges by human beings so confused about the nature of God that they were concerned about taking the bribe money they returned to Judas less they do sometihng unlawful but crucified the Son of God. As they taunted Him to “save Himself” He was actually saving us. As much as we would like the redeeming of souls to be easy, it is not. It cost Jesus everything. It will certainly cost us something. If we are not willing to count that cost, we will probably never see people come to Chirst.
Several years ago I heard a man saying something that has stayed with me ever. He said, “There are many things we can fail to do and call still ourselves Christians. But we cannot neglect these things and call ourselves imitators of Christ”.
One of the statements that I have often heard but has left me feeling unsure is the saying, "If you had been the only person in the world, Jesus Christ would have died for you". I have had occasion to think about the "cost" of seeing someone come to Christ. There are some sacrifices that come more easily than others. There is no sacrifice we are asked to make in ministry, that Christ Jesus did not make for us. Do we lack good housing? He had no where to lay His head. Are we criticized for how we carry out the work to which God called us? So was He. His family thought He was wrong and self promoting. ("If you want to be a public figure…). Anything we might "suffer" so has Christ Jesus.
Jesus was despised, rejected and ultimately tried on fasle charges by human beings so confused about the nature of God that they were concerned about taking the bribe money they returned to Judas less they do sometihng unlawful but crucified the Son of God. As they taunted Him to “save Himself” He was actually saving us. As much as we would like the redeeming of souls to be easy, it is not. It cost Jesus everything. It will certainly cost us something. If we are not willing to count that cost, we will probably never see people come to Chirst.
Several years ago I heard a man saying something that has stayed with me ever. He said, “There are many things we can fail to do and call still ourselves Christians. But we cannot neglect these things and call ourselves imitators of Christ”.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Nine weeks and 52 years
It's very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on your time zone. Either way, April 21 is Neil's birthday. His card was accidentally left on the vendor's belt at Stop in Shop while I did a "self check out" (to get rid of coins) but at least I remembered his cake. Today he is 52. If you know the story of the last four years, you know that today is a miracle. Today is a gift from Jesus to me and Tony and all who know my husband.
Of course, being a woman, it reminds me that in another five months, I will join him with this elite number of years given by our Lord. Anyone who has followed what God has so gracefully preserved us through, will celebrate that we are alive, walking, and still in ministry. This is evidence of God's grace, favor and of the faithfulness of so many of His people. Yes, God wants the Mesem to have His Word.
It is nine weeks till, Lord willing, we plan to depart for Papua. We are still waiting on our visas and still waiting on our housing and Tony's school situation. We are working daily on the New Testament here and in another week I leave to begin work on the "Fire Bible" in Melanesian Pidgin, a translation of the New Testament in the trade language that includes explanatory notes. It's a three year project, and I am thankful to be able to be involved in something that impacts so many lives in Papua New Guinea.
There are many unknowns tonight. We don't know so much of what awaits us when we go back. This we know: God is waiting. His Word is alive. His Spirit is working. We know the Mesem want to have the scripture and are hungry to receive it. We know God called us. Dear friends, in an age when human reason has so often supplanted faith, love and hope, we ask you to remain steadfast with us in prayer that Jesus' Name is made great among the Mesem and that His glory is revealed here in an ever increasing way that leads to revival.
Of course, being a woman, it reminds me that in another five months, I will join him with this elite number of years given by our Lord. Anyone who has followed what God has so gracefully preserved us through, will celebrate that we are alive, walking, and still in ministry. This is evidence of God's grace, favor and of the faithfulness of so many of His people. Yes, God wants the Mesem to have His Word.
It is nine weeks till, Lord willing, we plan to depart for Papua. We are still waiting on our visas and still waiting on our housing and Tony's school situation. We are working daily on the New Testament here and in another week I leave to begin work on the "Fire Bible" in Melanesian Pidgin, a translation of the New Testament in the trade language that includes explanatory notes. It's a three year project, and I am thankful to be able to be involved in something that impacts so many lives in Papua New Guinea.
There are many unknowns tonight. We don't know so much of what awaits us when we go back. This we know: God is waiting. His Word is alive. His Spirit is working. We know the Mesem want to have the scripture and are hungry to receive it. We know God called us. Dear friends, in an age when human reason has so often supplanted faith, love and hope, we ask you to remain steadfast with us in prayer that Jesus' Name is made great among the Mesem and that His glory is revealed here in an ever increasing way that leads to revival.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Fingerprints and Paperwork and Living on the Edge
Spring is a time of renewed hope for man many people. Gone are the dark, cold days of winter. There is more sunlight, birds sing again, the grass begins to transition from dark brown and muddy to something we remember called "green". We know, here in the Boston area, that while we were wrapped in layers of warm clothes just yesterday, in a few weeks time the humidity will give us a Florida-like feel.
Springtime in New England also causes another emotion to awaken within me: moving angst. I know that is not terribly spiritual, but it's the truth. Every spring when we are in New England I know that in a few weeks time all I own will be in a suitcase and I will be travelling again. It is also a time for paperwork in various forms: fingerprints to be sent off with work permit applications, medical work to be copied and taken abroad, school results to be exchanged with a new institution, address changes, bank changes, driver's license changes, auto transfers, insurance cancellations, insurance renewals, insurance changes, and of course, the inevitable visa process which accompanies the work permit. In short, spring means paperwork.
It also means a limited amount of time to say good-bye again. This time we will not be gone for as long a period as in the past, but our parents are in their mid-80's and we've not been home much in 20 years. Lives are increasingly busy and finding time to get together is harder as well. I looked at the calender the other day and realized that I knew what we were doing all but two weekends between now and when we hope to depart. I also thought, "Gee, I'm getting kind of old for this". I think I said that in 2003 as well.
Life has a tendency to cycle. The first time we left was heart wrenching and I was kept going by those verses from Hebrews 11 that speaks of those who long for a better country, "whose builder and maker is God". Twenty-one years later I find myself struggling to leave for different reasons and I need to remind myself that I still am a "stranger and foreigner" in the course of a long sojourn towards Zion. In fact much of the past year I have been coming to grips with the fact that this particular departure is a step of faith similar to the one we first made when we started. We never "get off the hook" in terms of needing to walk by faith. If we do, we are probably camping out in the wrong place.
One of the best adages we heard this furlough was from Dale, who is a fellow missionary. He was telling us of a time when he and his wife came through a storm and thought maybe the idea of itinerant preaching looked pretty good, not to mention a lot less stressful than what they had just been going through. His son said, "Dad, if you aren't living on the edge, you're taking up too much room". That was a comment that confirmed to Dale and his wife it was time to head back into missions.
I like that comment. Yeah, we are getting older. I have yet to meet anyone who is not. The goal is not to be blinded by paperwork, discouraged that we don't move as fast as we once did, or that we wouldn't mind having a home of our own sometime. The goal is stay on the edge and in the words of Ps. 84, " to go from strength to strength till (we) appear before God in Zion".
Springtime in New England also causes another emotion to awaken within me: moving angst. I know that is not terribly spiritual, but it's the truth. Every spring when we are in New England I know that in a few weeks time all I own will be in a suitcase and I will be travelling again. It is also a time for paperwork in various forms: fingerprints to be sent off with work permit applications, medical work to be copied and taken abroad, school results to be exchanged with a new institution, address changes, bank changes, driver's license changes, auto transfers, insurance cancellations, insurance renewals, insurance changes, and of course, the inevitable visa process which accompanies the work permit. In short, spring means paperwork.
It also means a limited amount of time to say good-bye again. This time we will not be gone for as long a period as in the past, but our parents are in their mid-80's and we've not been home much in 20 years. Lives are increasingly busy and finding time to get together is harder as well. I looked at the calender the other day and realized that I knew what we were doing all but two weekends between now and when we hope to depart. I also thought, "Gee, I'm getting kind of old for this". I think I said that in 2003 as well.
Life has a tendency to cycle. The first time we left was heart wrenching and I was kept going by those verses from Hebrews 11 that speaks of those who long for a better country, "whose builder and maker is God". Twenty-one years later I find myself struggling to leave for different reasons and I need to remind myself that I still am a "stranger and foreigner" in the course of a long sojourn towards Zion. In fact much of the past year I have been coming to grips with the fact that this particular departure is a step of faith similar to the one we first made when we started. We never "get off the hook" in terms of needing to walk by faith. If we do, we are probably camping out in the wrong place.
One of the best adages we heard this furlough was from Dale, who is a fellow missionary. He was telling us of a time when he and his wife came through a storm and thought maybe the idea of itinerant preaching looked pretty good, not to mention a lot less stressful than what they had just been going through. His son said, "Dad, if you aren't living on the edge, you're taking up too much room". That was a comment that confirmed to Dale and his wife it was time to head back into missions.
I like that comment. Yeah, we are getting older. I have yet to meet anyone who is not. The goal is not to be blinded by paperwork, discouraged that we don't move as fast as we once did, or that we wouldn't mind having a home of our own sometime. The goal is stay on the edge and in the words of Ps. 84, " to go from strength to strength till (we) appear before God in Zion".
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Death Doesn't Win
In November of 2008, I had the privilege of sharing at Evangel Assembly in Wilbraham. The vantage one has from the pulpit is the ability to watch the faces of everyone seated in the congregation. And so, when it was my time to speak, I had the opportunity to view everyone and watch their expressions as I shared.I've watched as people sat forward in rapt attention, and truthfully, I've watched while others fell sound asleep. That morning a woman caught my attention because she was seated in a wheelchair in the aisle, quite clearly in the end stages of cancer. Her husband was beside her as well as her son. I didn't realize the young woman who had been assisting me for much of the morning was her daughter. The name of the woman who was sitting in the wheelchair is Laurie Poulin. I say "is" because Laurie, though not in our midst, is very much alive and her testimony continues to impact others.
That morning as Laurie listened intently, I could not help but notice how fully she participated in worship. It was early in December that she moved on heaven to wait for us and her funeral was extraordinary. People were crying openly, sharing freely, and remarking how encouraging it was to be with Laurie, how deeply she would be missed, and how great had been her suffering. And we sang songs, chosen by Laurie, about the Lord who ransomed her from death, has healed her completely, and with whom she is celebrating even as I write. I have been to many funerals over the years, but this was truly a celebration of Jesus and Laurie's faith in Him.
In keeping with her wishes gifts given to her family were designated so that Evangel Assembly now joins us as we prepare to return to Papua New Guinea to resume ministry among the Mesem. Laurie's husband Mike, is seen here next to Neil, along with the rest of the Poulin and Vanaria crowd. We'd been together in December to say good-bye to Laurie, but though her time of pain on earth is finished, the days of her testimony are not. Her work for and in the Lord will live on till He returns. Generations of Mesem will know Jesus better, because a woman who lived in Wilbraham, MA prayed for the Mesem even as she fought her own battle with cancer.
Laurie was 45 when she shed her earthly body. In the eyes of many that is a life "cut short". Laurie didn't just live a full life, she lived a complete life. She knew where she came from and she knew why she was here and she knew where she was going. Death didn't win. Jesus did. Laurie did. The Mesem did. And for Mike, and his children, who have shown their faith in the midst of tremendous sorrow (for faith does not diminish our sense of loss) there is the certain expectation of reunion in the future.
Death where is your sting? Grave where is your victory? Taken from you by Jesus and all who believe. We don't just win, in Jesus, we triumph.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Cornelius from Italy
For many years, people have wondered how such nice people, ended up with such incredibly long names. Some years ago Neil was given an award at a conference for having the longest name of anyone present. This is one of the chief reasons he goes by "Neil". We were in fact, engaged, before I realized his full name was Cornelius.
My family in Italy has often asked yet in Acts chapter 10, we read about the outpouring of God's Spirit on the household of Cornelius, the commander of the Italian Regiment. I just finished revising that chapter of Acts this morning and it was a joy to read.
Many things come to mind about the character of God when we read the story of Cornelius.
1. Cornelius was a generous, praying man, who feared God. He was not, however, a Jew.
2. Peter was a generous, praying man, who feared God, and was not a Gentile.
3. Peter needed God to speak supernaturally to him before he would "lower" himself to go to the home of Cornelius.
4. Cornelius thought that Peter was his better. Peter may still have had some ideas like that since rather than humbling greeting Cornelius he restated his old prejudices and how God had changed his mind.
5. God poured out His Spirit on the house of Cornelius and that experience transformed not only the converts but the onlookers so that Peter was now a defender of those he might once have shunned. (They should be baptised, who can object?)
The thing that struck me once again is the Loving Unity that occurs when God enters the picture. That is not remotely like uniformity nor agreeing in all matters. Cornelius was still uncircumcised and served in an army that was politically opposed to the convictions of Peter's countryman. Peter was not about to join the ranks of the military to show solidarity with Peter. According to the laws of the land at that time, Cornelius, from man's perspective, would have been one to have authority over Peter. From the perspective of the spiritual, Peter had God-given authority to BLESS Cornelius.
As we translate the New Testament we spend hours on passages we would normally read in moments. This can be a wonderful gift as we have the chance to meditate on what the Word contains. When we do meditate, we see how petty is the human heart, and how magnificent is the nature of God.
God grant us the strength, the prayer support, the courage, to speedily deliver this Good News to the Mesem.
My family in Italy has often asked yet in Acts chapter 10, we read about the outpouring of God's Spirit on the household of Cornelius, the commander of the Italian Regiment. I just finished revising that chapter of Acts this morning and it was a joy to read.
Many things come to mind about the character of God when we read the story of Cornelius.
1. Cornelius was a generous, praying man, who feared God. He was not, however, a Jew.
2. Peter was a generous, praying man, who feared God, and was not a Gentile.
3. Peter needed God to speak supernaturally to him before he would "lower" himself to go to the home of Cornelius.
4. Cornelius thought that Peter was his better. Peter may still have had some ideas like that since rather than humbling greeting Cornelius he restated his old prejudices and how God had changed his mind.
5. God poured out His Spirit on the house of Cornelius and that experience transformed not only the converts but the onlookers so that Peter was now a defender of those he might once have shunned. (They should be baptised, who can object?)
The thing that struck me once again is the Loving Unity that occurs when God enters the picture. That is not remotely like uniformity nor agreeing in all matters. Cornelius was still uncircumcised and served in an army that was politically opposed to the convictions of Peter's countryman. Peter was not about to join the ranks of the military to show solidarity with Peter. According to the laws of the land at that time, Cornelius, from man's perspective, would have been one to have authority over Peter. From the perspective of the spiritual, Peter had God-given authority to BLESS Cornelius.
As we translate the New Testament we spend hours on passages we would normally read in moments. This can be a wonderful gift as we have the chance to meditate on what the Word contains. When we do meditate, we see how petty is the human heart, and how magnificent is the nature of God.
God grant us the strength, the prayer support, the courage, to speedily deliver this Good News to the Mesem.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
2009: The Year of Ministry Urgency
Looking at Tony, I realize we have indeed been with the Mesem for nearly 16 years. He was born our first furlough, and was six months old when he began a Mesem. Our friends tell us that he is fully Mesem since he grew up there, while Neil and I must settle for being "part Mesem", having worked in another region in PNG prior to moving to Samanzing, and of course, we were both well into our thirties when we began working there. I think if it were not for the amazing changes in our son, it would be hard to believe so many years have passed, but they have indeed.
As we reported in our last newsletter, the Mesem are very excited to have a date of 2011 for completion of the New Testament and we are really asking people to pray for this that there are no more obstacles, hindrances, hassles, or setbacks as we bring this part of the work to completion. We need God's Spirit to enable us, and protect us, as well as to enlighten and empower the Mesem people who read the Word and work along side us.
As in any ministry, without some plan of how to go from A to B, a work with the best of intentions can flounder. There is a clear plan in place, which we believe the Lord has given. Likewise, it can be a terrible mistake in any ministry, but more so in missions, to assume you will always have an open door. We really believe that time is limited and there is great urgency to complete the translation that the church might be equipped to move forward.
This week I put together my CV and passport sized photo and Neil is sending them off to the church leadership in PNG who will write to request our visas for return. January is a slow month because many Papua New Guineans travel home for the holidays and as travel is quite challenging (in other words, it takes a long time), a Hilda that would be brief here, takes longer over there because the amount of work involved just to get home and back again is considerable. We don't expect to hear for several weeks, but are confident that the Lord, who has guided this transition will expedite our visas.
We've been asked many questions about our timing for return. Tony is 16, so he is a sophomore in high school. He has faced extraordinary pressures for the last five years and he asked that he not change schools in the middle of the year. Our lease ends in June, and given that we don't yet have our visas in hand, and our living and education plans are not finalized, we will remain in the US till Tony finishes the school year. This does not delay completing the scriptures. At this point when so much of the scripture is already drafted and being revised we can really make as much progress here as we can overseas by concentrating on computer related tasks that don't require we have Mesem speakers with us. In fact, since we are not in PNG some of this work we can do more efficiently since we always have power and have fewer interruptions during the day.
Neil is developing a spell checker. The language didn't have a written form when we started and people wrote words as they thought they should be spelled. Of course, not everyone wrote them the same way so for any given word there are numerous spellings. Neil is standardizing the spelling and then the entire New Testament will be spell checked for consistency. The same will be done for "key terms" like "baptism" and "grace" which have also changed over the years. While Neil works on that, I have continued with the book of Acts, which has been moving very quickly or very slowly depending on our schedule. I am pleased with what we have so far: a draft of the entire book and the first six chapters completed with the seventh to be started today. Luke was a rather prolific writer, so his chapters are long and he has a lot of them. Neil will tackle Luke, and I will be completing Acts.
So it is with some humour that I am nicknaming 2009 "The Year of Urgency". In reality, we always live in urgent times: we don't really know how long we have to live or how long the doors will remain open in Papua or anywhere for that matter. So we ask that you pray for us, and we for you as well, that we would live "redeeming the time". This is the mindset with which all believers are to live, and our prayer is that all of us will have a sense of expectation for the great things God will do through us in this coming year.
Pray for the Mesem. Please pray this work all the way home.
As we reported in our last newsletter, the Mesem are very excited to have a date of 2011 for completion of the New Testament and we are really asking people to pray for this that there are no more obstacles, hindrances, hassles, or setbacks as we bring this part of the work to completion. We need God's Spirit to enable us, and protect us, as well as to enlighten and empower the Mesem people who read the Word and work along side us.
As in any ministry, without some plan of how to go from A to B, a work with the best of intentions can flounder. There is a clear plan in place, which we believe the Lord has given. Likewise, it can be a terrible mistake in any ministry, but more so in missions, to assume you will always have an open door. We really believe that time is limited and there is great urgency to complete the translation that the church might be equipped to move forward.
This week I put together my CV and passport sized photo and Neil is sending them off to the church leadership in PNG who will write to request our visas for return. January is a slow month because many Papua New Guineans travel home for the holidays and as travel is quite challenging (in other words, it takes a long time), a Hilda that would be brief here, takes longer over there because the amount of work involved just to get home and back again is considerable. We don't expect to hear for several weeks, but are confident that the Lord, who has guided this transition will expedite our visas.
We've been asked many questions about our timing for return. Tony is 16, so he is a sophomore in high school. He has faced extraordinary pressures for the last five years and he asked that he not change schools in the middle of the year. Our lease ends in June, and given that we don't yet have our visas in hand, and our living and education plans are not finalized, we will remain in the US till Tony finishes the school year. This does not delay completing the scriptures. At this point when so much of the scripture is already drafted and being revised we can really make as much progress here as we can overseas by concentrating on computer related tasks that don't require we have Mesem speakers with us. In fact, since we are not in PNG some of this work we can do more efficiently since we always have power and have fewer interruptions during the day.
Neil is developing a spell checker. The language didn't have a written form when we started and people wrote words as they thought they should be spelled. Of course, not everyone wrote them the same way so for any given word there are numerous spellings. Neil is standardizing the spelling and then the entire New Testament will be spell checked for consistency. The same will be done for "key terms" like "baptism" and "grace" which have also changed over the years. While Neil works on that, I have continued with the book of Acts, which has been moving very quickly or very slowly depending on our schedule. I am pleased with what we have so far: a draft of the entire book and the first six chapters completed with the seventh to be started today. Luke was a rather prolific writer, so his chapters are long and he has a lot of them. Neil will tackle Luke, and I will be completing Acts.
So it is with some humour that I am nicknaming 2009 "The Year of Urgency". In reality, we always live in urgent times: we don't really know how long we have to live or how long the doors will remain open in Papua or anywhere for that matter. So we ask that you pray for us, and we for you as well, that we would live "redeeming the time". This is the mindset with which all believers are to live, and our prayer is that all of us will have a sense of expectation for the great things God will do through us in this coming year.
Pray for the Mesem. Please pray this work all the way home.
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