Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Looking back at joy

We are just two weeks from our three year anniversary of moving here. How does it feel? Well, Selawik has become familiar and comfortable, at least most of the time. We have become part of the community. We truly enjoy the people and the place.

Yet, we still have no major triumphs. We have been asked for more mission stories on our blog. I want to satisfy that desire, but honestly I'm not sure what counts as a "mission story". If it is conversion stories, we don't have any. We are still trying to learn the key that will change people's hearts here. Often it feels like one step forward, one step back. We also feel a need to maintain privacy: people here are reading our blog. As I have been considering my lastest posts, they seem rather morbid. Such is life out here. People have much more opportunity to gather for a funeral than for the rare wedding. In fact, people have been flying to Buckland because there has been a death (or two) there this week.

Still there are bright notes of joy among the negative noise of death and pain. We cannot hope to see victory in the lives of many here unless they learn to hear them. Here are a few of ours, if they count as "mission stories" I am glad.

Warren hopes to have the software to automatically stream 3ABN radio ready before we leave in January for pastor's meetings. Also we were excited to learn from Warren's Dad that the FCC allows unregistered TV stations where there are no broadcast stations i.e. bush Alaska (we only have cable not broadcast TV.) Now we want to explore that option.

Some kids came over this weekend and we decorated the Christmas tree in the church (we don't have room in the house). I was happy to see C again, it has been a long time. Then I got to tell the story of the shepherds and the story of baby Moses and Miriam because the children said they didn't know them. R even listened attentively to both of them. Then I got to play "basketball" with girls, this gave me a renewed desire to go to open gym time for exercise and getting closer to the kids here.

As I spent hours with P's family last week, grieving with them, rubbing their backs as they cried, sharing food with them, and learning more about all that takes place before the funeral, I become even closer to them. I even got to say "I love you" in Inupiaq. But I also learned more about myself and my weaknesses. I need to daily lay all of my plans at Jesus' feet and in the words of Christmas spiritual "Rise up shepherd and follow"

Joy to the world,
Verity

No comments: