Sunday, March 29, 2009

Full Circle Mission

Last month two teenagers returned from their Marantha mission trip to Chile with Jim Kincaid. We were so excited, this is what we have been longing for since before we arrived. Jim showed the church some slides yesterday and we were much encouraged at how much the girls enjoyed the trip. We didn't want to press them too much and they have not shared anything about their experience with us. But we are hopeful that this will be a positive beginning for them. We hope that they and others will also begin to go on mission trips regularly and positive change will come to Selawik.
I know the God can use mission trips to be a guiding force in our lives. I have seen it in my life. Everytime I think of the picture of my Borneo mission trip I discovered in the church, I feel confirmation of I our mission here. After I returned from that trip a teacher showed our class a video of some guys backpacking in Alaska. The movie left me with disdain of the thought of Alaska and cold. I was sure that I was headed for warmer, more exotic locales. Then I met Warren and began to know I was headed for Alaska. Still when it came time to choose our place to minister, I avoided the thought of living the Arctic until I visited here on a VBS trip. After we moved here I discovered pictures which I slowly began to recognize as from my Borneo trip. Now I know God lead me here. God is doing great things here in Selawik even if we can't see what they are now.
Blessings,
Verity

Monday, March 16, 2009

It's Time to Give!

This morning I happened to pick up our World Vision magazine. The letter from the president Rick Stearns was very timely. He recalled his anxiety in October 1987 when the stock market crashed. His family lost a third of their portfolio. He was so tense every night that his children began to be afraid. Finally his wife came to him and reminded him of all the blessings they still had. After praying together, she shocked him with the suggestion that they should give large donations to various charities as a way to remind Rich that the money was God's, not theirs. After they wrote out their donations, he was amazed at the freedom that he felt.

We can identify. God has provided all that we need (we are thankful for everyone who has been part of his providence). We feel so rich in this tiny place; how could we feel otherwise with wants few and blessings many? We came here with enough for one year and we feel no closer to the bottom of the barrel than we when we arrived. Indeed, we don't even think about the bottom anymore. We simply avoid buying things we don't need. Yet we have become quite reckless in sharing our food stocks and such as well as giving to our favorite charities. We believe that soon we may no longer be able to share and we want to make the most of each opportunity. With people in want more than ever before, isn't it time to give?

Blessings,
Verity