“The Missionary Mentality.”

14/06/2010

You may be thinking, “Mmmm, ‘The Missionary Mentality.’ That sounds nice!” and it is! Well…there’s a side of “The Missionary Mentality” that I’ve found that isn’t so great…the side concerning finances. Yes, I have found that we as missionaries (not meaning to stereotype at all) have a terrible habit of hanging onto our money, making it stretch as far as possible, even skipping a few meals if need be.
The other day I was thinking about how much I was hanging on to my money, with the mentality of, “I don’t know if I’ll have enough support next month, so it’s ok to hold on to this.” So every time the offering plate passes in church, every time I passed a person in need, in hunger, every time I could have blessed someone I kept that money in my pocket.
The Lord graciously reminded me of the story of “The Parable of the Talents.” A man who was traveling to a far country called to his three servants and gave them talents. All except for the last servant, who only received one talent, went out and used their talents, receiving double back. The last servant buried his. We all know how this ends, the Man comes back, appreciates and praises the first two servants, and scolds the last one. What did the last servant say? He said this, “And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” It seems I have caught this very same disease; by holding onto what God blessed me with, to bless others with, I have become afraid and hidden that talent in the ground. The Lord has called me here to bless those around me, to go out, use the talents He has given me, and reap the Harvest! The first two servants gained double back! They reaped the harvest of their seeds sown. I want to reap the harvest of souls here in the Amazon! I don’t want to be like other missionaries, who have been here for over eight years seeing NOTHING!
Taking this message to heart, I put it into practice. I have been so blessed by gaining so many friendships with the people here, that it was time for me to bless them back. After church Sunday night, I took several of the young girls out for hamburgers at “El Camino” to hang out and have a good time. Boy! Did we have a great time! So far the girls have continued to stop by the house, bringing little gifts of candy and cookies with them. In this I hope to continue blessing the girls, but more than that mentor them. As my Spanish progresses I hope to soon be able to have bible studies here at the house, and be an influence in their lives. Show them that they are truly the apple of God’s eye, and are here for a reason. That God has a plan and a purpose for their lives! I’m so excited for what God’s doing!

Before the church service Sunday night (whew! Good night!), I was at the internet shop talking to my family on skype. When I was finished and had paid, I was about to walk out the door when an older man stopped me. He said in a thick Austrian accent, “Not meaning to listen to your conversation, but it was hard not to. Next time you need to keep it down, the whole place could hear your conversation.” I was thoroughly embarrassed and apologized many times as he walked out. Just as he did it started to pour rain. The man walked back in, and leaned over the counter where I was standing. That’s when the whole conversation began. He asked what I was doing in the Amazon, and I told him the whole story from beginning to end. I soon found out he was an extreme atheist. Having grown up in a Catholic church, he had a very sore view of Christianity. He knew what religion was, but had no idea what having a relationship with Jesus Christ meant. After hearing my whole story he said, “Wow, you are a very religious young lady” (referring to me having gone to bible school, on the mission field and headed to church soon). I told him, “Nah, I hate religion, I have a relationship with God.” I began to explain that and thought to myself, “My goodness! I sound like a crazy person!” You know what? It is crazy! I am crazy! Crazy in love! Crazy in love with my creator who is crazily in love with me too! Hahahaha!! I kept telling him, “I don’t even know how to explain it!” I couldn’t compare His love to anything! Because He is absolutely transcendent, in a category all of His own – there is nothing in His category to compare Him to, to compare His love to – He’s transcendent!
Our conversations swarmed around evolution, creation, whether the bible was true or not, the church, other religions – meanwhile the torrential downpour continued outside. “God thing?” Haha, I think so!
At the end of our conversation, I asked Him what happens to him when he dies. He said, “That’s it, then there’s nothing.” His view of life was that everything was by accident, we just walk through life without hope, and then die and that’s the end. I grabbed his shoulder and said this, “You know what? I don’t believe that. You know what I believe? What I know? I know that God created you for a reason, that you have a plan and a purpose for your life, and that more than anything He wants to have a relationship with you! Why? Because He loves you sooooooooooo much! That He would send His one and only son Jesus Christ to die for you, so that you could spend eternity with Him!” Whew! He squirmed, but I could see that he knows, deep inside he knows this. When we parted I said, “I’m going to be praying for you!” Sure enough he’s on my prayer wall as I type this! I hope to see him again soon.

So! My conclusion is this! Even though this week was my “week off” before the next team, ministry never stops! There is no such thing as “ministry time.” Life IS ministry. Everyday you walk out your front door, be prepared. Paul said it best to Timothy, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Tim. 4:2-4


God bless,

Heather

Colombia, Peru and Brasil! Whew!

This week has been a fabulous week! I am utterly exhausted from all the ministry, excitement, children and travel on the river, but it’s been good.

Tuesday we left for Islandia, Peru to do a youth purity conference with the highschool. Before the conference, we began to pray with the Pastor of the local church. The little church soon flooded with the presence of God, several prophecies were given to the Pastor and his family, and we were all spiritually prepared for that night.

It was amazing! As we began to sing the spirit of God fell, it was incredible. Later we split up the boys and girls, I then spoke and give my testimony to the girls. The response we received was far above our expectations. The girls popped with questions, and the three of us ladies were able minister to them. Then we ended with a song, “La Nina De Ojos,” which talks about how we are the apple of God’s eye. When the girls began to sing that there was such as sweet spirit of God, and many tears. God is so good! We spent that night in tents in the little church, and headed out early the next morning for Brasil.

Wednesday afternoon we reached Clauber’s and set up camp inside the small school there. Thursday we were raking, sweeping and cleaning up the school, yard and home. Then we headed out on the river to see a bible school Amazon Xpeditions had built for the Tikuna people in Brasil. As we reached the bible school, we looked up the hill to see a building, overgrown with jungle and brush. George (AX founder) began to tell us that a few years ago they had funded and built the bible school, however after much controversy with the government, it was now barren. It was now in the hands of the Tikuna, but not being utilized at all. It was the saddest thing. Since I have been here I have heard story after story of how AX has provided so many things, and many opportunities have arisen for a great need in the Amazon to be filled. However, so many things have gone to waste, just sitting waiting for someone to take up torch and keep running. The workers here in the Amazon are very few…

We then headed back up the river to a local missionaries bible school. He was an old Korean man of 81 years old, who had been there for over 20 some years. As he shared his story with us, his plans, and showed us the school, I wept. God had called him to the Amazon, to those people, to that specific area 20 years ago and he’s not leaving until God says. Ahhh! He absolutely blessed me and encouraged me. I would be so blessed to be able to work with him.

Later that day we held a purity conference with the youth at a local church. It went so good! There was much response, questions and interaction. During Q & A time, we asked the girls if they had a mentor (preferably a woman) to talk to. They all shook their heads, they had no one to talk to. It broke our hearts…I hope that I can soon go back and be able to speak more to them.

Then Friday we held two vacation bible schools, which went really well! The next day, in pure exhaustion we left for Leticia, only to head out early the very next morning to do a youth purity conference with the adults in Brasil. Teaching them the importance and responsibility they have over their children and their purity. It went really well.

Well! The CFNI team, aka, “Dream Team” leaves tomorrow. I’m so sad! They have been such a wonderful team, done such a wonderful job! I’m so proud of them!

In two weeks there is a medical team coming and we will be heading for several hours up the Javari River, to reach the unreached tribes in the valley. There are 11 tribes in the Javari Valley, that are unreached and suffering from lack of medical attention. Please keep us in your prayers!

Blessings,

Heather