When I went to college I was part of group that would go down to an orphanage in Tijuana with our professor to play with the kids, do odd jobs around the property and do special days for them, like a Christmas party.
I met Dave during this time. When we were dating and in our early marriage we weren't sure if we would someday go on the mission field, but we believed (and still do) that no matter what, God calls us to be faithful and obedient to him right where we are.
We would hear the stories from the missionaries when they returned from the field. They would tell of normal stuff that would happen, but the thing that stood out was their perspective of it all. It was that they knew, they really knew that God was in charge. And when God is in charge there is never a mistake. That somehow this tough situation would bring Him glory.
Since Dave and I wanted to be faithful and obedient where we were (are) right then (now) we took on this mindset as much as we could remember to do it. When something hard or tough came up we would say, "this is missionary training part....". We would make up a number...like a course number in college.
Dave loves the church. Not the building, but working with the people who the Bible calls "the body of Christ". I know that's a weird saying, but it's a great analogy. He loves equipping the people at church for their work in the ministry.
I love Dave. I have never known for sure whether we should have taken a huge step of faith and gone out as missionaries, but this one thing I know: I need to be faithful and obedient where I am right now. Right now I live in Idaho, married to Dave, serving in a church here.
About 4 years ago I realized that all this "training" was probably equipping Dave and I to be "senders". A sender is someone who can come alongside a "goer", aka missionary and lend some kind of support. A sender promotes missions in their local church. A sender normal doesn't go and that is OK with them. So our training jargon left our vocabulary and we just got busy being senders instead. We have poured a lot of our lives into this. We read and study on the subject. We try to teach others and spur them on to see that our world is smaller than what it looks like. I learned that there are 80 different languages spoken in the valley I live in.
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| Dave with some of his teammates getting ready for their flight to Paris |
Dave and I worked really hard this past year to be senders for a team that is now in Paris heading to Lome, Togo, West Africa. Their end destination is Mango. Dave was needed on the team so he went. And I stayed.
Missionary Training part .....Staying and manning some technology so that others may know what is going on in another land; being an encouragement to the wives and families of the guys that went, even when one of the guys is my guy.
Our friends are going to move to Mango. In fact, the team might be working on their house. She stayed and he went. He went for many reasons and she stayed for many reasons...mostly all logistical, what made the most sense.
Having Dave gone (it's only been a day, I'm such a wimp) makes me understand what its like for those that are close to the "goers". They know it is important, but it isn't always easy. Dave is always on my mind. I'm probably not on his. It's not that I love him more, it's just that my life is normal, but he's not there...so it's a little awkward normal. His life right now is all new. He just landed in Paris and he's never been there before. He's probably exploring and keeping up with the team. He'll keep on in this pattern for the whole time that he is gone. He has a work to do there in Mango. He'll be busy. He'll think of me, but probably won't be reminded of me by anything there since we've not been there together. I am reminded again that the ones that stay and send need to remember that the most import thing is to be faithful and obedient right where you are right now. Whether to you stay or go it does not matter.
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
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