NTM

Walking in a winter wonderland . . . ok, well, it’s not quite a winter wonderland, but it will be a white Christmas for my family and I.  I don’t remember the last time we have had a white Christmas, so this is pretty exciting!!

I’m home for Christmas for a month which is great because I feel like there are many things that I would like to get done while I’m home.  Time management it key!! 

Pray with me that I will be a wise manager of my time and get a few things accomplished that have been place on the back burner in the last couple of months.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you would remember, that YOU are the reason that Jesus is the reason for the season!!

Wandering around seeing God’s wondrous works, yet not giving Him the praise and adoration He deserves is something that I feel like I have been doing for a long time. God has been teaching me about how great He truly is and that I need to be living in awe of who He is and what He is doing, each and every day.

A friend shared a story with me about a tribal man who had recently heard about Jesus Christ and had become a follower of Jesus. As they walked through the jungle this man Paska looked around and commented that he use to live in fear of every thing in the jungle, but now he looks around and sees the jungle and sees God’s creation and knows that it is all good because God made it.

After hearing the story of Paska, my heart hurt. How many times a day do I see incredible things that the Lord has made, yet I do not even acknowledge the awesomeness of my creator, owner God. Paska saw God in EVERTHING. I see God when I want to. I have spent my life hearing about the greatness and awesomeness of my Savior, yet I am cut to the quick when I consider how little I consider my great God.

Honestly sometimes when I think about how God has called me to be His missionary I ask, “Why? I really do think you have the wrong woman for the job.” I realize that I am not enough. I never will be. God though, He is enough. He is MORE than ENOUGH!! I am so inadequate for the task of tribal church planting, but honestly I am thankful, it makes me depend more and more on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is good and He desires to work though me.All I can ask is that He would mightily work in and through me as I consider His goodness and live in awe of Him.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go back in time and visit New Tribe Bible Institute in Waukesha WI. It was weird walking the halls and remembering my times studying and hanging out with friends . . . so many good memories. It’s interesting to look back and think about who I was before Bible School and then think about who I am now and realize that those are two different people. I just have to praise Jesus for the work that He has done in my life!!

The whole reason for my trip to WI was to share about life at the Missionary Training Center and to encourage the Bible school students with the work of the Lord. Myself along with 6 other people were able to present the need for training through the idea of the barriers that we face in going into a different culture. Barriers such as culture and language differences, leaving family and friends, health, living in remote locations, and political unrest, just to name a few are a few things that make missionary work challenging. We were then able to explain how MTC helps to equips you to overcome some of those barriers.

Although the NTM’s training is a great thing, it is merely a tool in the toolbox to be used later on down the road, but these tools will do you no good if you do not have a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how much training we receive or how equipped we feel we are if our relationship with the Lord is lacking, we have nothing to offer. The most important aspect of life no matter where you are is to walk with the Lord, and this is what we ultimately challenged the students with, to walk with Jesus.

It even challenged me to walk more closely with the Lord as well. It is so easy at times to get caught up in everything else that is going on around me, getting so involved in the work of the Lord that I end up forgetting the Lord’s work in my life to save and apply grace to my life.

The Lord has brought me a long ways and I am excited to see where He takes me, but no matter where I go I must remain content in the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in Him or all else is in vain.

"’Abide in Me and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you aide in Me.  I am the vine, you are branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing‘."
- John 15:4-5

Many times in my life I have felt out of place . . . I’ve learned to deal though and for that I am thankful.

This past Saturday I got to experience a country club luncheon with some seemingly elite people.  The organization that I do outreach ministry with had their BIG once a year fundraiser luncheon . . . talk about a culture experience!   Boy did I feel out of place . . . me wearing my $13 dollar dress that I bought at Wal-Mart.  Did it bother me that every other lady was probably wearing expensive, designer outfits?  Nope.  For many of these ladies this $25 dollar a plate fundraising event is a frequent occurrence.  Get dressed up, go to the country club, eat an expensive lunch, gossip with other ladies of importance . . . what more could a woman want I mean seriously?!?! 

The whole time I was there I just kept thinking, "You know, this is fun, but I would never want this to be my life."  Instead of making me discontent it only made me appreciate more where I am and where I am going.  Give me a jungle and a tribal hut and let me live!!

God is doing amazing things all around the world . . . 
even here in the USA!!  How are YOU going to
be involved in HIS work?

Don’t be afraid to feel out of place!

NTM has works all over the world and I will eventually be joining one of those overseas works.  Please join with me in fervent prayer that the Lord would give me direction about the country that He would have me serve Him.  Also that I would be open to where He desires to lead me.  The fields are ready . . . who will go?

March 2007 was the very first flight for the Quest Aircraft’s revolutionary plane the, Kodiak. A year and a half later I was able to experience the shear magnitude of what this plane means for missions work. It has been touring around the US and our little town in MO was merely one of the many stops along the way.

The Kodiak is a plane that was built for rough, rugged terrain with short stopping distance as well as short take off distance. The incredible thing about this plane is that it was built to carry twice as much as the planes that are around now that are being used for mission and humanitarian work, but has the same performance, take off and stopping distance. Instead of running on just airplane fuel which has become impossible to get in some countries this plane has 3 different options for fuel which makes it all the more versatile for different countries. I know this probably seems like, oh whatever, but to me it’s a big deal to know that soon more missionaries will be able to fly into remote places for cheaper and MUCH safer just blesses my heart.

Climbing on board and going for a ride brought a flood of emotions knowing that God has great plans for this universe and He has gifted men with the vision and knowledge to build a plane that is so much better than the planes of the past. Also the realization that someday I could be boarding one of those planes to reach some unreached people group brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. God is so good!!

Summer has definitely been a time for me to exclaim, how great is MY God!! The constant theme of what the Lord was showing me this summer was living in awe of who He is and what He has done. My Jesus came to earth to die to save me from my sins, but not mine only but those of the whole world. There was nothing in and of myself that deserved such a sacrifice for I am ugly, helpless, worthless, and a sinner in desperate need of saving. God in His compassion didn’t want any to perish so He sent His one and only precious son Jesus to die in my place. Jesus was the satisfaction of God’s righteous anger, for me, for you, for all who believe!! When considering that how can I not exclaim. . . HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!

"Our God is greater than all gods." – 2 Chron 2:5

Jesus died to be my redeemer and He rose from the dead to give me the hope of eternal life. I serve a risen Savior, it truly is glorious!! Because I believe in this precious truth God sees me as righteous, His beloved child all because of Jesus. Now I get the privileged to live for Him, serve Him and bring Him glory, not that I always do, but I now live no longer condemned to hell. I have been bought and covered with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. It makes me want to cry . . . I’m living in awe of how great my God truly is.

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." – 1 Peter 2:21

"And all were astonished at the majesty of God." – Luke 9:43

During the summer I was able to counsel a high school girls camp which was truly a wonderful week. The Lord worked in some incredible ways to reveal himself to these girls. I was able to watch the transformation of shy girls learning how wonderful it is to live out their faith with boldness. To realize that Jesus is worth their entire lives and to realize that they love Him so deeply. Even I was challenged to love Him more, share Him more and serve Him more faithfully. He deserves our utter devotion, worship and adoration, for He is great and good and above all.

"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." Psalm 95:1-7

How Great is Our God
by Chris Tomlin

The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me How great is our God,
and all will see How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing How great is our God

Join with me in prayer that while I am undergoing training that I would be focused on the task at hand and intentional about sharing my Jesus with all those around me.