Ministry when Money Talks

             Ministry is a word with many meanings and means different things to different people. However, the most generic and, I think, most widely agreed upon definition, is working with others to further the Kingdom of God and/or spread the Gospel. For the purpose of this post, I am going to assume we all agree on that definition.

            Since there are many ways to spread the Gospel and help others I am not saying that there is only one right way to do it. However, in most countries people are either very receptive or stand-offish about ministry. People in need will do whatever it takes (including setting through a church service) if that means their needs are met at the end of it. And that certainly is a method to spread the Gospel, and helping those in need is the whole point right? But what about those that don’t “need” help but want to take advantage of foreign money?

            In non-first world countries, money is everything. Shoot, that’s even true in 1^st world countries! Money = power. This is not just true in a corrupt system, this is true because we are humans. We place value on money so even if we don’t need it, we usually won’t refuse it if an (legal) opportunity to get more arises. What does this have do to ministry though?

            Even on the mission field money is everything. If someone has money, they immediately attract more interest than someone who doesn’t. Particularly if the money is a consistent part of their life, not a one time thing.  People want free handouts and will do what is needed (within legal limits of course) to get it. This includes attending church regularly, bible studies etc. So how does one do effective ministry without money?

            That is a question we often ask ourselves. But, as I stated above, ministry comes in many forms. Building relationships and always being there when the money falls through is one effective way to do ministry.  Everyone has needs and everyone goes through rough patches in life. Some are worse off than others as a general rule and rely a lot on the help of others. This is when the church needs to step up, not only when they see the possibility of benefiting themselves or trying to act the part so money keeps coming in. The only long term effective ministry is when money is deleted from the picture and relationships are built and helping hands extended when needed, not just when money is around. If you know someone who needs a roof repair but they do not have time, materials and/or money to do it, help them out! If you can fix it, fix it! If you can’t but they can, offer to help with whatever so they have the time to fix it etc. It is through those actions that I believe the most long-lasting ministry occurs. No, it’s not fancy or headline worthy, but then again, not everything Christ did was either. He did his ministry without money, as did his disciples and those after them. Yes, money can be very helpful and is not a bad thing. I am just saying not to let it be the basis of your successful ministry on the mission field. Make sure people don’t see you as money bags, but rather, as the missionary you are there to be.

            This is a very hard thing to achieve, especially as a foreigner. People here see me and see an American and automatically think MONEY!!! However, when they find out I don’t have any, I am dropped to the status of a peer and they actually relate to me as such; and not as a person with money that they need to try to play the pity card or impress to get some. This makes us part of the community and we have built relationships with those around us to the point that they feel comfortable coming over and talking with my husband (baked goodies doesn’t hurt either though!). Although the fruits of our ministry are slow in coming forth, we are beginning to see the seeds sprout in our community.

            So, the whole purpose of this post is to encourage other missionaries and those thinking about going on the mission field to not let money talk. Yes, the fruits of your labor will be much slower in sprouting, but in the end, the fruit will be fuller and richer. It’s worth the extra effort, I promise.

Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.  

Don't forget about you

       Over the past year I have learned a lot. I have grown and matured as a believer and have come to realize a few very important things. One of which includes taking care of myself. I don't just mean health and hygiene but also mentally.

       I grew up being taught to put others first and always die to self. I agree with this, and try to live most of my life like that. However, I have come to realize that if I don't also take care of myself, I cannot take care of others, most importantly my family.

     It's easy for me to get busy with the daily "to dos" and "have to get this done" stuff. Before writing this post I had a list of things that I felt like had to come first. They aren't bad, but they could have waited. I am so busy running around that I get tired early in the day and can't give all the attention the baby or my husband needs because I am running on empty or still have a long list of things to complete. The few times I do stop and rest or just slow down, I feel guilty and that I should be doing something. I have had to remind myself not to feel that way.

     It's easy to get so involved in ministry, work, and being a wife and mother that I forget that I too have needs. I can't give all the time without stopping for a fill up every now and then. How each person "fills up" is different and may change from time to time. Right now, solitude and quiet are biggies for me, but also needlework. I have always had a need to do things with my body and hands. That's probably why I like dancing so much. But I also relax when doing needlework. My two favorites are cross-stitch and crochet. There is just something about the creation of things through my hands, and the feel of the textures that is calming for me. I can be creating something useful or decorative, but it's the process that helps me. Writing too, I enjoy writing so why not take a few minutes everyday to do something for me?

      It's hard to realize that taking care of myself is not wrong. And that actually, by taking care of me, I can better care for my family. I car will only run for so long on an empty tank, you have to stop and fill up at some point. Isn't better to do it before you are on empty?

      So, my advice to all new Moms or people on the mission field. Don't forget to take care of yourself too. Yes, ultimately you will be caring for others, but spending a little bit of time on yourself is just helping you care for others. If that's spending an hour reading a book, or maybe watching some TV, whatever, it's okay to slow down and it's okay to say "no" sometimes. We live in such a fast paced world, take a few minutes to slow down and take care of you,

Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.

Family Ties

Hello!

       I just wanted to talk about the refreshing visit I had with my brother and sister-in-law. It was so nice of them to come visit and meet Amos. They were only here for a week but it was fabulous to see them! So, this post will have pictures and details of their visit.

Meeting Uncle Matt and Aunt Colleen at the airport

He loves Uncle Matt's beard!

   On Sunday we went to the aquarium which is only a few blocks from our house. We walked there and then got caught by rain, but it all worked out. This was Amos' first time there and he loved the fish! He even had a conversation with a few of them!

Looking at the starfish

Uncle Matt helping him see

Amos was excited about this tank! Good thing Matt has experience 

and had no problems holding onto Amos!

    

    On Monday, we took Matt and Colleen to the Colonial Zone (the old city as I call it) for them to see. I forgot to take pictures but I did get one on the way and one when we stopped for coffee.

Heading to the Old City

Rain means time for a coffee break! Yes, that is iced coffee in a martini glass!

       Tuesday was valentines day so we went to the zoo! Colleen and Matt have a tradition of visiting zoos whenever they go somewhere because Colleen loves animals. Amos had never been so it seemed like a good thing to do. Off to the zoo we went!

On the zoo train

Amos trying his first ice cream

Colleen showing Amos some lizards

   I had to work Wednesday and Thursday so Matt and Colleen went up to Samana to whale watch and such. They returned Friday and we had dinner and walked to the cliffs by our house.

    Matt and Colleen had to fly back Saturday afternoon so we spent the morning at the caves "Tres Ojos" (the three eyes), again, not far from the house. We spent a couple hours there, came home, had lunch and then they had to leave for the airport. :-( It was a great visit and I miss them, I hope they come back soon!

Jonathan, Grecia (my mother-in-law), Colleen and Matt (holding Amos) 

looking at one of the "eyes"

Inside the caves looking out

The 4th lake but not an eye because it is not covered. 

Matt,Colleen and Amos getting their picture taken by Jonathan

who is getting a picture taken by Grecia

and I am taking a picture of all of them!

Missionary Mom

When I was asking about what kind of a post people would want to see; I was asked to write about being a missionary mom. My first reaction was: “no way!” but as I thought about it, I realized it might be useful to go ahead and give my perspective on this.

I am a new, first-time mother but I am not inexperienced. I have been around kids my whole life so, yes, it’s new in the sense that I am now responsible 24/7 for the baby, but changing diapers and making bottles and such is old hat for me. That being said, raising a baby in a different culture is a whole different ballgame than what I was expecting.

The hardest part for me is being told constantly (both subtly and directly) that I am not good enough. People voice their opinions in the States too, but here it’s harder for me to let roll off my back, particularly when it comes from people who shouldn’t be judging me. The culture has a lot to do with this, but even so, people are very slow to admit that the baby is in good health and growing steadily so therefore, I must be doing something right. Instead, they just thing he is a super strong baby and is overcoming everything. Some of that may be true, but I also know that some of the advice they give is really not good.

But it’s not just with the care of the baby that I am being judged and told I am not good enough. It’s also with housework and ministry work. Everyone has their own views as too what I should and should not be doing and although some people are more polite in how they say it, everyone feels the need to voice their opinions.

This gets hard to deal with after a while (although it’s never easy) and some days I just want to curl up on the bed with the baby and do nothing productive. Not a mature response I know, and the thought only crosses my mind. I just say a prayer, get up and do what I can. I have had to come to the realization that I am doing the best I can. If that’s not good enough, I will just have to take the hits, I literally cannot do anything else or any better than I am.

Another hard thing about being a missionary/pastor’s wife/mom is finding the balance between these roles. Throw in being a teacher and I have a very interesting concoction to try to figure out. Family always comes first but even then, there must be sacrifices made for ministry; where, how and what to sacrifice, and/or what to prioritize is the daily question and never has the same answer. The days that Amos has shots and is feeling under the weather, he comes first and nothing else matters, but on the “regular days” trying to find a balance is exhausting. There are days when Jonathan is working all day, has an hour or two at home then has a meeting that evening. Those days I have to prioritize my husband and home. Sometimes the meetings are in my home, other times they are in the church, and other times at a completely different location. I have to have the house clean, work clothes ready for my husband for the next day, dinner made, dog pottied and crated, preferably baked goods ready for the meeting and a thousand other little things, all while shuffling a baby that may or may not take a nap, and doing laundry and teaching prep. And if I feel not so great? Too bad!! Gulp down some vitamins, drink tea and keep pushing through the day!

However, there are some extremely fulfilling moments as well. Watching children in the neighborhood respond to Jonathan, seek him out in fact is one such moment. Having people feel comfortable enough to come by even though I am an American, that is another moment. When my husband can flow in his calling because I have his home in order (both physically and spiritually) is another moment.

Yes, being a missionary Mom is hard work, there is no denying it. And there are days that I feel like throwing in the towel. But, once I remember who my God is, why I serve him, and remember that I willingly accepted this calling, it gives me the strength to continue, even on the rough days. But when I begin to see the fruits of my husband’s labor in the fields (spiritually speaking), I get a huge second wind. I can put my head down and keep going. “For everything there is a season…” Life will never be easy or comfortable, but it is rewarding and fulfilling. Just remember that on the difficult days and you will get through.

Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.     

The Eggs-periment muffins

       

       I decided to share a recipe this week! Jonathan is not a picky eater but there are a few foods he just doesn't care for. However, I am trying to get him to eat more protien and he can tell a difference when he starts the day with protien versus when he doesn't. That being said, I don't generally have time to cook protien every morning but I do try to have something like muffins for him. However, I tried some scrambled eggs on Sunday that he loved so I turned them into muffins (using an idea I found on pinterest). It's perfect! I can make them the night before and he can warm them up at school and have them with coffee before beginning his day. So, I thought I would share the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper
1/2 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. or 4 leaves of fresh cilantro
1-2 slices of sandwich meat turkey
7 eggs
Cheddar or mozzarella cheese (shredded works best but you can break of pieces of cheese slices instead)
1-2 TBSP butter
Salt to taste

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 375 and grease muffin tin

2) Dice pepper, onion and garlic and set aside

3) Cut cilantro and tear turkey into pieces, set aside

4) Break eggs into a separate bowl. Wisk in spices (if using dry cilantro wisk into eggs).

5) In frying pan melt butter the saute garlic, onion and peppers in the butter until almost done. Then add fresh cilantro and turkey.

6) Add to egg mixture and add cheese. Stir until everything is combined,

7) Fill muffin tins to top (they rise some but not much) and  bake for 15-20 minutes (I did 4 eggs and this is how many muffins it made)

8) remove from tin and serve immediately or allow to cool and store in airtight container in fridge until the next day,

        You can tweek the seasonings and things to taste. Jonathan and I love garlic so I actually use a lot more garlic than I have listed and I eyeball a lot of the seasonings, These are just approximate measurements based on how we like ours to taste. Jonathan is not a big fan of black pepper but likes salt so I use no pepper and some salt and such. Just have fun! This is just a scaffolding for you to build on, there are a bunch of things you can do with this recipe!


         I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you want me to post more recipes of successful experiments that I have done. Until next time, may Adonai bless and keep you.

Make each day count

       This week we had another experience with death as the father of some students passed away unexpectedly and at an early age. We went to the viewing to show support and it stuck home with how death can happen so suddenly. Here is a man that was young and successful with 3 beautiful and intelligent daughters that was just suddenly gone. As a mother, I can now better understand what some of the thoughts his widow might be having are.

Without warning she knows finds herself a widowed, single parent with three children to finish raising. He was the main source of income so now she has to figure out how to keep her family stable financially, how to keep the children in private school, how to afford a car, house, food, etc. Not only does she need to make ends meet, but she has to be available for the children emotionally too as they all grieve and try to heal. It makes me wonder what I would do if I was thrust into her shoes?

Lord willing that will never happen; but the unexpectedness of this man’s death drives home how finite our time really is. We never know when our time will be complete so we need to use our time wisely. For each of us that means something different, whether it’s spending more time with loved ones, finishing a project (like a quilt or a book) that you want to leave behind, accomplishing more ministry, raising a family, etc.

One thing that I think about is the amount of time I have spent in disagreement with my husband. I am not saying to never have disagreements (that would be ideal but impossible), but maybe not everything is worth having a spat over. I wonder if this lady had an argument with her husband that she is now regretting, or did she not give him a hug, or get up to say good-bye that morning or whatever. Maybe or maybe not, I will never know. However, it makes me realize more and more that each day, each hour, each moment here on earth is precious. I don’t want my last act to be a fight or an action that does not show love. I never want my husband or son to question my love for them if something were to happen to me. Nor do I want to live thinking about an action I did if for some reason Jonathan is taken from me.

But just as important is what is accomplished for the Father on a daily basis. Can I lay my head on my pillow at night knowing that I have done something to further the Kingdom of God? Or at the very least, not damaged it. Maybe there are dishes in the sink or clothes in the hamper but did the community or the kids at school see Christ’s love that day? Did my husband and sin feel nurtured and loved? Did I conduct myself in a manner pleasing to Adonai even on days filled with adversity? What have I done today that I can stand before the throne of Adonai and be proud of? Some days it may be nothing more than just caring for the baby and other days it may be something bigger. Each day is fresh and a treasure chest. What you put in it is up to you, but if you were to look back and open it, would you be pleased with its contents?

I want to encourage each and every one of you. Our time here is limited and we never know how much we have. Do something every day that matters. Make each day count. Show Christ’s love even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard. Never lay down at night regretting something because tomorrow is not promised.

Until next time, may Adonai bless and keep you.

Friendly Fire

            When one goes to the mission field, you expect resistance and spiritual warfare. However, one does not expect it from people who claim to have the same calling/draw/desire as yourself. But, this has proven true for many people, not just me….

            Humans are petty….and territorial. There. I said it. Ever since I began a relationship with my husband, I have gotten flack, as has he. Obviously we both ignored it and moved forward as we are now married and have a baby. However, more than relationship nay-sayers, there is another form of pettiness that bothers me, particularly on the mission field.

            Here in the Dominican there are multiple missions and missionaries working (I know other countries have multiples as well, but I am just speaking from my personal experience). I think that is great! The more people working to save souls the better! However, there is a lot of turf wars and disunity among these missions and missionaries. I just want to know one thing…WHY????? Aren’t we all working towards the same goal and for the same boss??? Apparently not.

            I do not remember anywhere in Scripture where we are referred to as “men” or “adults” of God, but I distinctly remember being called the “children” of God numerous times. I am sure there are many reasons for this, but sometimes I just chuckle to myself because even “adult” and “mature” believers act like children; myself included! Adonai’s command to us is pretty simple…

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NASB

Nowhere in this scripture does it say be petty and territorial over the souls you are trying to reach….but I am no Greek or Hebrew expert. Maybe in the original language it’s there; but in the English translation, it most certainly is not. So why are people so “Mine!” “My area. My church, my lost souls, my souls needing encouragement, back off!” when obviously, there are others trying to accomplish the same thing as you? Honestly, I don’t know. But, I have a few theories from personal observation both overseas and in the States.

            Theory 1: Denomination/movement/belief differences.

            Now to some people (my own movement included), this is a biggy. “I have to teach the TRUTH! My movement/denomination/beliefs are the truth, the one true way!” If I have heard that once, I have heard it a hundred times. But is there any truth (pun intended!) in that? Yes and no. Every belief, denomination, movement (whatever you call yourself) has some truth and some falsehood, Judaism included. And it’s these differences in beliefs that cause disunity, the birth of yet another movement or denomination that again, is the one true way and we can’t have these OTHER believers in Messiah contaminating our sheaves. After all: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” Gal. 5:9 NASB

Really? Really fellow believers and MISSIONARIES??  Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines missionaries as “One sent to propagate religion” as in create more believers/missionaries. The very definition of missionary does not leave room for other missionaries to be excluded/shunned/turned away. There is no difference of beliefs mentioned in scripture or the dictionary. If we are going to stick to the whole “TRUTH” argument, none of us should be missionaries. The disciples were the only ones trained with all of the truth, and even they had disagreements! They had Christ himself teaching them, for Pete's sake!

            Theory 2: Funding

            Seems like a pretty basic and off the wall reason to have pettiness and discord, but I honestly think it is a root cause. So many missions and missionaries are being supported by churches (as they should be) and are being held accountable (as they should be). However, how the churches go about this is not always conducive to effective missions. Not every report from the field will be (or needs to be) positive. It’s a sign of growth and success to come upon hard times. If every report is “we are growing!” I would begin to question the legitimacy of the report. There will be seasons of growth for sure, but also seasons of rebuilding and even decrease. Our jobs as missionaries is not to always have a good report, it’s too win souls for Christ and prepare them to be missionaries. We are to work ourselves out of a job. But, in order to keep the funding coming reports must be positive and encouraging or people will stop giving. I have to ask, “so what?” what if the funding stops coming? Does that make you any less of a missionary? No. It just means you have to be a tentmaker and get a job and work among the people you are trying to witness too. Believe me, funding makes full-time missions SO MUCH EASIER, but it is not a necessity to be effective. On the country, it actually might be more of a hindrance, depending on your particular niche of missions work,

            So here is what I am trying to say: we all say we have the same goal/purpose and all serve the same God. However, if we cannot get along as fellow believers and missionaries, how can we have effective ministry work on the mission field or otherwise? We need to stop this whole “don’t talk to them because_______” “don’t associate with their mission/work because one time they ____________” “those people teach false doctrine so don’t work with them” “they work for another mission so you can’t help/work with them (or you’re a traitor)” etc. crap. As long as we are all teaching the true salvation message and the fundamentals of how to study scripture for themselves, what else matters? Why do we all want to build our own fortresses and face spiritual warfare alone? Why not live together even with our differences, in unity, in one place (metaphorically speaking) to walk the walk and talk the talk? How can we teach the love of Christ if we can’t even show it to the others that are trying to achieve the same goal?

            So fellow missionaries and believers both on and off the mission field, I implore you. Let go of the hair-splitting differences and stand in unity with others. We will be more effective for the kingdom both on and off the mission field. And let’s be real for a minute. Just being a believer makes you a missionary wither or not you are in a foreign country. The love of Christ should be seen through you at all times, and that alone is ministry to the unbeliever.

Rant over. Have a wonderful and blessed week, Until next time, May Adonai bless and keep you.