Memories

Today when I stepped outside of my house to go to work, I was unexpectedly bombarded with alot of memories. Not any specific ones but kind of just all at once random ones came flooding into my mind. All because of a specific smell-- the world after a rain shower. I was instantly transported back into time two summers ago to Papua New Guinea.

There is nothing like the smell of the world after a legit rainforest shower. We got to experience many showers while in PNG. That included alot of mud and goop on our flip flops.

I spent 5 weeks in Papua New Guinea with New Tribes Mission in 2009. What a growing experience for me! It was my first time away from my family, away from my country (besides Canada), away from all that was familiar to me. I experienced culture stress, jet lag galore, new sights and sounds and smells too. It was the best and worst summer of my life to that point. Many opportunities to get out of my comfort zone for sure. I will treasure the memories the Lord gave me of that time in PNG. He gave me my heart's desire and I am so thankful to Him.


One of the things that is the same in PNG and Chiapas are the bananas. They are ginormous bunches that grow on trees and taste really yummy fresh picked. These bananas I am holding were given to my team leader, Christopher at a village he and some of the team went to for walter filters and a children's program. This is the jungle way of working out. No fitness centers or diets for these people. Just alot of hard work!

Snakes....

Hey All,
I've been thinking today about my journey and how the Lord has brought me to where I am today. There are so many things He's still working on in my heart and life but He has been helping me to conquer certain things in my life.

When I went to Papua New Guinea, I had 3 big fears:

1) Getting lost in Atlanta airport as I had never flown before. The Lord provided a travling companion and we got through the airport ok though, Praise the Lord.

2) Flying. Well, more specifically, falling out of the sky and crashing and dying. But the Lord got me over that fear too. Actually, flying is fun! I like the smaller airplanes because you can feel the bounce around more than on a big plane.

And 3) Snakes. My biggest fear of all time is snakes of any size, shape, color, or kind. I am terrified of pictures of snakes, movies, and snakes in cages. But especially in the wild. When I went to PNG, I was so terrified the Lord would trap me in a small space with a snake and make me get over my fear of snakes.

During the month I was at the Interface campus I didn't see any (Praise the Lord)but when we went to the bush, the Lord decided it was time for me to get over my fear. I had to sleep in the same room with a green python in a cage!!!!! At night, I had to listen to him thud onto the floor while I was trying to sleep! By the end of my time there, I decided I was going to hold that stinkin' snake if it killed me! So I did and here's a video of it for proof. Remember, I was two years younger and very sunburned :)



In Chiapas, I only saw two snakes and I knew where they were when I came upon them so that was a blessing. I'm hoping my "luck" won't run out this trip and I'll have a snake-free trip. :)

Conviction...

Hey All,
I came across a video from a friend's Facebook page and had to share it with all of you. This video is incredibly convicting for me. Last summer, I went on a trip to Papua New Guinea. During that time, I met people who's parents and grandparents died without ever hearing the Gospel. All my life I have sat through dozens of missionary presentations. I have heard dozens of stories about people dying without hearing the Gospel. But to look into the faces of people whose parents died before hearing the Gospel was heartbreaking. The reality of the need for laborers in God's harvest hit me. People are DYING without ever hearing the name of Jesus and here in our comfortable lives, we use His name as a swear word. How sick is that?

I firmly believe that it is not an option to be a missionary. If you do not believe you are "called" to the foreign field then you had better be working wherever God has you. I am not meaning to sound like I'm better than you because I am not. Just because I have gone on a missions trip does not make me holier than you at all. Coming home from PNG, I struggled with feelings of resentment towards the American church. We who have had the Gospel for hundreds of years yet there are still how many unreached people in the world? I am not resentful anymore, just sad for the lack of laborers for His harvest. People are dying EVERY DAY without ever hearing Jesus' wonderful name.

If you are not called to go to the foreign field, do everything you can to support those who are. Whether it be praying (the most important tool of all) or giving monetarily. I know this probably sounds like I am asking for money for me but I am not in any way meaning it to be that. As of now, there are no definite plans for trips anywhere. I'm just trying to point out the need for support of missionaries here at home.

This is a picture of me with 4 precious bible leaders. At least one of these said that their parents or grandparents died without ever hearing the Gospel. Heartbreaking for sure. Why have we not done something? Jesus commanded us to "Go into ALL the world and preach the Gospel to every kingdom." So far, we've reached not very far with the Gospel.

But we can be and are part of the solution! We are laborers in God's harvest. "Look unto the fields for they are WHITE UNTO HARVEST."

I might not be the most popular gal after this post and if I came across as proud, I truly am sorry. I don't mean to be. This topic is so close to my heart though. Listen to the Lord's leading in your life. Seek Him and don't pray for opportunities to share Him, pray for the courage to take the opportunities He sends our way. Dios te bendiga mucho hoy. Cuidate!

A Journal Entry...

Hey All,
I think most of you are aware that I went to Papua New Guinea for 5 weeks this past summer. While there, I kept a daily journal about life. I've been working on typing it up on the computer and adding bits and pieces that I remember to it. I hope to get it printed nicely and in a folder like format, maybe with pictures someday. Anyhoo, I was working on it today and came across an entry that is very dear to me. It describes all my thoughts and feelings and emotions. I think it's the most dear to me of all the entries 'cause it really portrays what my heart was feeling at the time. When my emotions were raw. I hope you can somehow get a little glimpse of what PNG is like through my words...

...We (a missionary lady and I) also talked about what it might be like for me going home. How people can't understand what I've seen and heard and smelled. That doesn't make me better than them at all. I wish that my family could see what I'm seeing and experience this for themselves. I wish they could see the poverty. The kids who go naked or barefoot or who wear the same ratty clothes everyday. I wish they could see how the women are treated by the men-- like they're not important. I wish they could see little Josephine's eyes, she who is now without a mom to guide her. (Josephine and I by the swing on ITF campus. Her mom died about 5 months before this picture. Such a sweet girl! My heart breaks for her.) I wish they could smell the peoples' smell. It's undescribable but is like a strong smoke/sweat/body odor from not bathing in weeks sort of smell. I wish they could meet the lapuns who have lived their lives in poverty and have watched loved ones die. I wish they could ride in the canter and smell the tropical (good) smells. I wish they could go to market and walk through the 4 inches+ of mud/pig poop/baby poop and see the people desperate to make enough money to survive on a day-to-day basis. I wish they could see the dogs that are all around. I wish they could taste the sugar fruit and see how bit those crickets are and understand why I ate one! I wish they could see the stars that shine so brightly and I wish they could hear what I'm hearing right now--crickets chirping. Em tasol-- no cars or planes to dull the sounds of creation. No music or tv playing loud rocky music. I wish they could experience Sunday morning worship services. Singing to God high in the EHP of PNG. I wish they could hear the wind rustling the palm tree leaves. I wish they could get their hand dirty planting kaukau. I wish they could slip and slide down the little path to Yamoyalo. I wish they could skirt around 6 inch or more deep of mud on the road. I wish they could feel loneliness and complete dependence on God. I wish they could experience culture shock and jet lag. I wish they could feel the heat and experience the frequent downpours. I wish they could stay in a cabin that has woven pitpit walls and has a floor that has cracks so that water runs down onto the ground below. I wish they could experience the constant staring of the nationals as they walk through the market and look at stuff. This is mean, but I wish they could get scratched by nail grass and walk through head high grass in order to see a breathtakingly beautiful sight. (My friend Rebekah and I on our way to New Camp, the breathtakingly beautiful sight mentioned. The grass was so tall! I don't know what nail grass is but all I know is it hurts to be scratched by it! Just walking to the camp, I got tons of long scratches on my skin. But it was oh so worth it to see the gorgeous sight!) I wish they could take a frigid bucket shower while smashing crickets. I wish they could see the national kids swing and giggle and play with each other. I wish they could see the moms and grandmas wipe the babies noses with their hands. I wish they could see Uriso and James playing. I wish they could watch ladies turn rope SO quickly and make a bilum. I wish they could feel overwhelmed by not understanding the language and culture here. I wish they could be at a campfire and hear stories of God's goodness and faithfulness to us. I wish they could be fearful of looking a man in the eye. I wish they could be taught by Clayton and hear Peter and Rachel's stories about living in a tribe. I wish they could be teased by Rich Foster and have deep conversations with Katrina and Melissa and David and Tyler and Nate the cook. I wish they could examine how they dress based on how tribal people look at them. I wish they could hear geckos screaming and bees buzzing around huge tropical plants. I wish they could smell the flowers here and see the huge diwai. I wish they could eat fresh coconut and bananas. So many aspects of life here that I wish my family and friends could experience. All I have is my memories and pictures to share with them. God is so faithful to me! I praise Him that I am here in PNG. He's really working. Em tasol na gut nait! (That's all and good night!)...

So that, dear reader, is just a teeny glimpse into what I thought and felt and saw and experienced while in PNG. God gave me an amazing gift by letting me go to PNG. I'm so thankful for that. Even though I am making steps toward Mexico and I feel that the Lord is going to take me to Mexico, PNG is no less dear to me. I wanted to go there for 7 years. Feelings for something don't just change. I don't know why God is moving me in a different direction, but He is. I just need to keep trusting in Him.

Thanks for listening to the random ramblings of a crazy gal. Espero que Dios te bendiga mucha este noche. Cuidate hermanos!

Musings...

Hey All,
This week has been one full of deep thinking and soul searching. Scary, huh! I've had so much on my mind and it's not fun but it's necessary. Circumstances in life seem to get me down and that is not good. My joy should not be dependent on the circumstances around me. I think of the passage in Matthew 14:22-33 where Jesus is walking on water and Peter decides to get out of the boat and follow Him. Peter did fine until he took his eyes off his Lord and looked at the waves around him. He reminds me of me. So often, this week especially, I take my eyes off of Jesus and start to "sink" because I look instead at my circumstances. I covet your prayers for me. My faith is so lacking in everything. You would think I would learn my lesson after Papua New Guinea, but I haven't. Even this week I was "complaining" to God that things weren't happening that I can see in the way of language school. It's like I'm on a plateau of sorts right now but God sees the whole picture. I need to be faithful in the little, every day things and He will make things happen in His time, not mine.

I thought I would post some pictures of PNG for you all to see. I went there this summer for 5 weeks with New Tribes Mission on their Interface program. It is an intense bible/language/culture course. I was blessed by it and hope you enjoy the pictures. Precious memories for sure!

Me with a banana spider on my head. Why, I'm not exactly sure. Sorry if this grosses anyone out. I have absolutely no fear of spiders. Snakes are a totally different story!

Flying to West Britain Island for a side trip. My missionary friends live there and it was such a blessing to be able to visit them. The view from the 12-seater plane was breathtaking!

A glorious view not marred by paved roads and electric poles. The quietness is loud if that's even possible. One thing I miss about that place is the uncrowded feeling. But I'm so thankful to live here in the States!

With some precious sisters in Christ all the way on the other side of the world. What a privilege to worship with them and share a potluck meal, PNG style after the service Sunday.

Finally, how I looked when I got home from my trip which consisted of 6 connecting flights, and a 14 hour time change. It was August 9, 2009 for 48 hours. I was indeed very jet lagged when I got home to the welcoming arms of my family. It was SO good to be home! My brother even bought me roses. Aww...

Hope you enjoyed these pictures. So many amazing memories from that trip. And the travel bug definitely bit me! Now I just want to go anywhere and everywhere in the world and see all the sights and meet all the people. Ok, so I dream big! =) May God grant you all an amazing night. Dios te bendiga!

Bienvenido!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my blog. To introduce myself, I thought I'd share a picture of me and my sisters. I'm on the left with my sister Jen on in the middle then Katy on the right. This blog is a testimony of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.I want to stress that this blog is not about ME. It's about Jesus and what He's doing in and through me. I am nothing without Him. I don't deserve salvation but for some reason, He saved me. ME, a wretched person! My prayer is that through this blog, people will see my heart's desire to bring the Gospel to Mexico one day. Here's how it all got started:

When I was very young, I wanted to be a ballerina but since my parents could never afford lessons, that dream quickly became nothing more than that. Don't worry, I wasn't scarred for long! After that, I started hearing more and more about missionaries all around the world. My dad is the pastor of a small independent Baptist church in Western New York so I grew up hearing stories from missionaries about their ministries in Africa or Europe or Asia. The Lord was working in my young heart to become a missionary one day. In October 2002, some dear missionary friends from Papua New Guinea came and spoke at our church. (This is the Van Der Decker family at their home in Papua New Guinea. Their oldest, Josiah is in the States attending a New Tribes Institute Bible school.) They have 4 boys and a girl. I played alot with two of their boys and during our childish games, they told me all about their life in PNG and invited me to visit them. I was only 10 at the time and was like, "Sure, we're having such a fun time here, it would be great if I could visit them someday and we could play some more!"


On November 7, 2002, I was born again. I have literally gone to church since I was a newborn but had never made the personal decision to accept the Lord as my Savior. I was getting ready for bed that night and scraped my shin against a sharp corner of the bed. I started sobbing and could not stop even after the pain stopped. I remember crying out to the Lord for forgiveness and asking Him to live in me and be the Lord of my life. After that time, the Lord really laid on my heart foreign missions. He gave me the verses in Romans 15:20-21 that say "And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named lest I should build on another man's foundation but as it is written: 'To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.'" This sums up my heart's desire. I want to take the Gospel to where it has never been.


PNG seemed to be the place that the Lord was leading me so I started making steps towards going there. I emailed the missionaries who had visited. They were very helpful in providing literature in Tok Pisin (the trade language of Papua New Guinea) and giving me advice. In October 2006, they came back to visit our church and stayed with us. During that time, my dad felt that our family was being called into ministry. (Here's my whole family: I'm on the left and am 18, then my dad Dan, mom Sydney, Jenny who is 16, Danny who is 15,and Katy who is 19.) At the time, we thought Papua New Guinea or Mexico. When he made the announcement in church he said he didn't know when, where, or how but he knew the Lord was calling us into some sort of ministry. He pursued several mission boards but it was like the Lord kept closing the doors. God opened our eyes though to the migrant workers from Mexico who live all around us. Dad went to a farm about a half mile from our house and asked some guys over for dinner. Cesar was the first amigo to come to our house. We had him over every other Friday for dinner then he and Dad would read the Bible in Spanish and English. This went on for 2 years. Cesar and his nephew Adrian just kept coming over for dinner. (Cesar is the man on the right with my dad in the middle and a precious 70 year old man, Tiburcio on the left. Tiburcio has since gone back to Mexico. We shall see him in heaven!) During this time, I was still making steps to go to PNG in 2009. Our family never dreamed that the Lord would ever grow our ministry to more people then Cesar and Adrian. But His ways are not our ways...


In the fall of 2008, my siblings and I started going to a youth group at another church because our church is too small to have one. There, we met a lady, Bethany who works on a farm and knows alot of "amigos" as we call our Mexican friends. (Bethany's in the middle with Rudiel on the right and Jairo on the left.)
We started talking and decided to meet at a cafe that is run by a local church for coffee one night. There, we met another lady Kristy who speaks Spanish fluently. We started talking and decided to meet at the Cafe Shiloh for a bible study every Friday night. (Kristy is on the left with Antonio who is 8 and Dominic who is 5.)
At first, there were only two or three guys that came every time but over time, more and more guys came and even a family with four little boys. Right now, there are about 7-10 amigos that come to the study. We outgrew the cafe and are currently meeting at my family's home.


Meanwhile, doors to go to PNG were flying open like crazy for me. The Lord provided that I go with New Tribes Mission to their 5 week program, Interface that takes place high in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. He also worked it out that I got to visit my missionary friends for 3 days while there. I still am amazed at how God worked everything out.( Me with some precious believers at the village that my friends live in. There truly are brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world!) Only He could do that! Going into the trip, I had no clue what would come of it. I though for sure that while there, the Lord would reaffirm what I knew (or thought I knew) and that He would give me such a burning desire to go back to PNG as a missionary nurse one day. Well, that didn't happen. I don't know, but while there, the Lord completely took away my desire to go to PNG as a full time missionary. (Here's me with Dominic and his brother Cesar who is 9. At Bible study, we like to celebrate birthdays with cake and a card for whoever the birthday person is. Big Cesar bought me a cake and the boys' parents made it for me. It was delicious and so precious to know that my amigos care about me so much as to celebrate my birthday. I LOVE these people!) Instead, He started giving me a burning desire to go to Mexico. He started a very painful process of turning my direction to Mexico instead of to PNG.


I found a language school in Guadalajara, Mexico that is run by missionaries. I sent in my application and placement exam (yikes!) the other week and am waiting to see where the Lord leads from here.(Ok, one more random picture. This is one of my bestest friends ever, Jacquie! She's been so supportive of me on my journey. Love ya girl!) That is the long version (well, not really 'cause I omitted ALOT!) of how the Lord brought me to where I am now. I am purposing to keep this updated. We'll see how that goes! Thank you all for reading. Dios te bendiga! (God bless you!)