Advent Reflection: Journey in the Valleys

Papua New Guinea is full of hills and valleys. The beautiful grass and trees on the hillside can be see for miles from the seat of a plane when traveling across this nation. Sometimes the valleys go deep as the mountains tower above them.

However, even when we travel into these spiritual valleys, or even physical valleys, I know that my Lord and Savior Jesus is right there with me. This blog post that I am sharing here on my blog by Scott S. gives an excellent picture of three valleys that the Lord travels through with us…

Tending Scattered Wool

The Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23)

The Valley of Achor (Hosea 2)

The Valley of Baca (Psalm 84)

Three valleys in the journey of life named:

“Shadow of Death”

“Bitterness”

“Trouble”

How did we get here?

Psalm 23 The Shepherd Leads Us

Psalm 23 is the great comforting Psalm of the Lord as our Shepherd. We are assured He will lead us, guide us, provide for us, and protect us.

“He leads me in the right paths for His names sake (3).” Jesus is the Way and He knows the Way well.

Suddenly, we are down in a valley called the “Shadow of Death (4).” Has our Shepherd left us?

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

For His names sake; in wisdom that is greater than ours; to ever tune…

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15 Years…

15 years…what were you doing 15 years ago? I was 22, a college graduate, and had no idea what was next. Since that time, I have changed careers twice, driven across the U.S. from coast to coast—multiple times—, traveled the world, spent time on 6 out of 7 continents, and lived in a foreign country for almost two years.

As I reflect back, the statement “not all those who wander are lost” comes to mind. Some have said “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.” 🙂 However, I like to say, I have followed well in my Master’s footsteps.

So what’s next you ask? I am returning from living overseas and serving as an RN with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. As in the past career/life changes, the Lord has used my past experiences to guide and direct me to the next opportunity to serve those in need.

I will continue serving with Wycliffe in the U.S. as a Launch Coordinator. I’ll be based outside of Columbia, SC while I attend Columbia International School to obtain my M.Div in Care & Counseling.

A Launch Coordinator provides proactive support and care for new Wycliffe USA members from the date of their acceptance through the completion of their first term of service. By furthering my education, I will be able to combine Biblical knowledge, with understanding from a missionary perspective, to assist in furthering the life and call of a missionary.

Before I will be able to start my job as a Launch Coordinator, I will have to reach 100% of the budget that Wycliffe has set for me. I have a goal of reaching 100% by August 1st, so that I can start my training as a Launch Coordinator on August 6th. I currently have a deficit of $650/month to reach 100%. You can click the link below and it will take you to my Wycliffe Ministry page. Thank you to my current financial partners who are continuing to support my Wycliffe Ministry!

Click to Support Joshua

Finding Jesus with Reading Glasses

Have you ever been looking for something but not been able to find it? Have you gone back a second time or maybe a third time to see that it was right in front of you?

Have you ever thought why you were not able to see it the first time or two? Maybe it took a second party to help you find what you were looking for. Maybe you didn’t even know you were looking for something or someone, until the second party helped you out.

The Kasua people of  Papua New Guinea, whether they realized it or not, have been searching for Jesus. He has been there in front of them the whole time, but they have not been able to see Him…until now 🙂

Thanks to the commitment of Tommy & Konni Logan, with their two daughters, the Kasua people can finally see Jesus. They have for the first time in their language, a completed New Testament.

In October 2017, I was privileged to help give sight to a few of the older Kasua population through reading glasses. Without these, Jesus would have been right in front of them, but they would not have been able to see him.

In 2018, I implore you to set your eyes to seek out Jesus, who can give you all that you will ever need.

As you search for who He is, Jeremiah 29:13 says  ^“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

And maybe, just maybe, you can help someone else find what they are looking for…in Jesus.

Spiritual Bankruptcy & the Reformation

I am reading a book called Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love by Jerry Bridges. In the first chapter he talks about filing bankruptcy – either Chapter 7 or 11.

Chapter 11 is chosen when a business is fairly healthy, and given enough time, can work out of its financial troubles. Chapter 7 is filed when a company is so deep in debt that there is no way to continue as a viable business. The owner loses everything, and the company is dead. Thus in layman’s terms, Chapter 7 is permanent & Chapter 11 is temporary.

Many people try and claim Chapter 11 spiritual bankruptcy. They believe, given enough time, they can work themselves out of their spiritual bankruptcy and revive themselves.

However, this not the case. We have a debt we cannot pay – the wages of our sin (Romans 6:23) – which causes death.  We are spiritually bankrupt (Romans 3:10-12), and as such, can do nothing to revive ourselves. We are permanently dead in our sins, and unless someone pays our debt, there we will stay

This coming week is the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation. Over the past few weeks, I have been learning about church history and some of the names that have helped shape the church; names like Spurgeon, Edwards, & Martin Luther.

During Luther’s day, after death, if you were not yet holy or “clean” enough to enter Heaven, you ended up in a place called Purgatory.  The belief was that there were still sins in your life on earth that needed to be atoned for.

Family members on earth could “assist” someone out of purgatory by buying an Indulgence. This payment would then allow the person into Heaven. Luther saw the error in this belief and thus wrote his 95 theses to counteract and show the truth of the Gospel.

I am thankful for men like Martin Luther who stood up and proclaimed the truth of the Gospel. That it is not by works, or your own merit, that shall cause you to be saved or made righteous. It is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:8-9.

As each day moves us closer to the return of Christ, may we always remember to proclaim the truth of the Gospel, no matter the circumstances, to all people – foreign and domestic.

God Is Not American “Tasol”

“Tasol” in Tok Pisin means – “Only.” I have been living in Papua New Guinea for a year now. Back in January of 2015, I wrote the majority of this blog post…before I had even become a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Funny how the Lord puts things in your heart, and at the appropriate time will bring them to fruition.

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

In the above verses Jesus tells his disciples to go and make disciples of ALL Nations. This command includes your native home country. Some people he has called to do this in their native home country and some overseas.

Some where along the way though, this command got relegated to Pastors and Missionaries “tasol” I believe. Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” – John 14:15.

If you and I are followers and disciples of Jesus, this means us. We have the power of Jesus in us, and if you read these two verses together, we are not on our own when we are making disciples. He is right there with us…However, we can tend to forget this at times…

I was reminded of two stories – Saul, Samuel, and King Agag & Jonah. We may start out following God, but then we are distracted by all the nice wealth and possessions. (1st Samuel 15) Or like Jonah, we run away from what the Lord has asked of us. We focus on ourselves. (Jonah 1)

We all have a part to play in making disciples, in our native country or overseas. What is the Lord asking of you?

The Grass Is Greener…

“…man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:3b

Have you ever tasted some food or fruit, and what you were expecting didn’t happen? I have, and it is a jolt to the taste buds. I am visual, so if some food, fruit, dessert, etc. doesn’t look appealing, at times I have a hard time stepping out and trying it.

I already have an expectation that it won’t be good or a benefit to my taste buds or hunger. The Bible speaks about food in Psalm 34:8 – “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”

Have you ever avoided tasting or moving towards the Lord because you have an expectation of it not being good or a benefit to you? What does it really mean to “taste and see” about the Lord?

It may start in/with Psalm 111:15 – “He  provides food for those who fear him.” I believe food maybe wisdom. Cross reference Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it, have a good understanding.” Proverbs 3:7b-8 – “fear the LORD and turn away from evil, it will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

I have been reading a book called A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. In it he speaks about how a shepherd keeps moving the sheep from pasture to pasture to keep them healthy and well fed.

I think the apostle Paul was talking about this when he spoke of moving from milk to solid foods in Hebrews 5:12, 14 – “…you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food…But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Just like sheep move from pasture to pasture, following the lead of the shepherd; I ask myself this question, ‘What pasture am I currently feeding on?’ Am I moving to new pasture or staying on the same?

 

Planting Yams

This is Joshua and his family. Have you ever planted yams? One day I had the privilege of learning this trade from Joshua and his family. I met them when I was living in the village of Balama, Papua New Guinea, last year (2016) during my one month stay.

First you dig a round hole. Next you take a stick and place it in the middle of the dug hole. You find a number of already ripe yams and place one of them next to the stick. Then you fill the hole in with dirt and make a mound. Finally, after months of rain and cultivation by Joshua, during harvest time, the yams will be ready.

A few years ago, the LORD began to plant something in my heart. I began to think about a possible change in direction, away from being an Emergency Room RN towards some type of counseling. However, at the time it was a small seed and not yet ready to harvest.

About 4 years go by, and now it’s Summer 2015. The thought returns about pursuing some sort of counseling but with the added thought of having biblical understanding to bring to the counseling. The planted seed has grown and developed, but yet not quite ready to be harvested by the LORD.

In May 2015, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and began to pursue moving to Papua New Guinea. I was to work as an RN supporting Bible Translation, Translators, and Support Workers on one of the branch centers. I couldn’t figure out how to combine the two roles of pastoral care and counseling, so I let the thought go and continued to pursue what the LORD was leading me towards.

I arrived to the branch center in Papua New Guinea in mid-October 2016. After being on center for about 2.5 months, the LORD again brought up the desire towards biblical counseling but with the added idea of helping missionaries. I began to wonder if the LORD was starting to harvest what he had planted back in 2011.

It is amazing to me how intertwined my daily life can be to things I am learning from the LORD. I recently finished reading about Joseph and his time in prison with the cup-bearer. The LORD gave Joseph the gift of interpreting the cup-bearer’s dream. A seed was planted with the cup-bearer to remember Joseph. However, it was 2 years before this seed would be harvested. When it was though, Joseph was immediately brought from prison to Pharaoh’s presence and made Prince of Egypt.

Just like it took time for the yams to be ready, and for Joseph to be Prince of Egypt, so it has taken time for the LORD to grow and cultivate this desire he planted within me. I believe Joseph was ready for when the LORD came and harvested what was planted in him to become Prince of Egypt.  Now it’s June 2017 and the LORD has begun to harvest what was planted within me back in 2011.

Are you going to be ready when the LORD comes/begins to harvest what He has planted within you?

 

Village Clinic

From February—November, three days a week, the Ukarumpa Health Centre (UHC) goes to 12 different villages surrounding the Ukarumpa Center. On Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday each week, 2—3 UHC National staff and one RN from the SIL Clinic travel by car to a village anywhere from 10 min—to 1 hour away.

After set-up is complete, Hosea (UHC National staff) takes a “skel buk” (a book that records patient information) and writes down chief complaint and if there are any immunizations that the child needs.

Afterwards, the child and family member come and see me. The variable of shots I give can vary from zero up to five. In total there are eight different shots that can be given to any individual child based on past immunization records.

Sometimes the child needs medical attention rather than an immunization shot. Most of the time we give out antibiotics for pneumonia, Panadol (Tylenol) for pain or fevers, worm medicine, or we clean wounds, etc.

I thought I would share a few pics of what a typical village clinic experience was like.

Packing the medicine

some of the roads…

and bridges…

to get to the different villages

weighing the children

Hosea taking the chief compliant

immunization station

set-up complete

Oaks of Righteousness

Psalm 1:3 – “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Ezekiel 47:12 – “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

A few weeks ago, during my Saturday morning prayer time, the LORD highlighted the above three verses for me. He revealed that when a tree bears fruit, the fruit is not for the trees consumption. Rather, it is for the nourishment of those who come.

This year, as I attended the Good Friday service, I felt more of the grief and anguish I believe the LORD felt. It was revealed to me, there is no grief or sorrow too deep that I may go through, that the LORD has not experienced himself.

I am an oak of righteousness. And as such, Jesus says in John 15:1-2 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser…and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” So whatever pruning I go through, the fruit that is being produced in me is for the betterment of those who will cross my path.

Sacrificial Love

“And if you had known what this means, I desire mercy [love] and not sacrifice…” – Matthew 12:7

In the Hebrew, this word for mercy means steadfast love. We are not called by God to just make a sacrifice – “an observation of religious rituals” – that shows on the outside that we are making a sacrifice for the LORD. We are called to go and Love.

If Love is the overarching factor, then the sacrifice of going and doing is not as difficult, although it still maybe.

“ACCEPT EACH DAY exactly as it comes to you. By that, I mean not only the circumstances of your day but also the condition of your body. Your assignment is to trust Me absolutely, resting in My sovereignty and faithfulness.

On some days, your circumstances and your physical condition feel out of balance: The demands on you seem far greater than your strength. Days like that present a choice between two alternatives – giving up or relying on Me. Even if you wrongly choose the first alternative, I will not reject you. You can turn to Me at any point, and I will help you crawl out of the mire of discouragement.

I will infuse My strength into you moment by moment, giving you all that you need for this day. Trust Me, by relying on my empowering Presence.”

Sarah Young from Jesus Calling

8 September Entry