New Zealand - Good News

"Who was the first person to receive the gospel?"

This thought came crashing through my mind in the middle of our worship time this morning.  We've been practicing hearing God's voice this week, and (sensing that He may want to speak something to  me) I followed the train of thought.

"I don't know God, what do you want to show me?"

We as sincere followers of Jesus Christ enjoy the benefits of the new covenant He payed for with His life; it's accessible to us any time we choose to focus on (and receive) the truth.  Forgiveness, release of shame and guilt, loving adoption as sons, fellowship with His spirit, and grace that empowers us to change all lie at the fingertips of our hearts and minds.  His gospel stops us from running in circles in the dark, gratifying our own desires, yet never being satisfied.  It gives us an anchor, a light, and a hope to walk toward.

As an admission, I often focus instead on trying to manage my bad behaviors, sin, and selfishness in an effort to be worthy of this blessing, but how do we really receive this covenant?
Romans 10:9 says that all we do is declare Jesus to be Lord, and we believe that God raised him from the dead.

Who was the first participant to drink of this beautiful new covenant?  As I considered this a picture of the thief on the cross next to Jesus sprang to my mind.  This man accepted that he had lived a life apart from God, and deserved his sentence of death.  This man expressed that he believed Jesus would live to "come into" his kingdom.  This man died shortly after Jesus (they broke his legs to speed up the process, but found that Jesus had already died).


And I thought of the beauty of it all...

If you are a God who wants to put an exclamation point on the fact that salvation is 100% a gift of grace that no man can earn, who do you pick as the first child of your new covenant: A thief, a man who squandered his inheritance, condemned to death by the world, unable to do anything whatsoever to serve you or earn your love, with just hours to live.  Broken.  Beaten.  Hopeless.

A heart that cries "We deserve this condemnation and death but you do not...  Jesus, remember me when you enter into your kingdom."

And the Son of God, who leaves the 99 sheep to find the one who is lost replies "I'll do more than that... I will see you there today."


This is the power of the gospel, this is why it's called "good news", because the moment at which we have nothing to offer him is the moment when He offers us everything.  The day we realize that we have no strength to change our sin and darkness, and come to Him in humble faith...  This is the day that everything changes.


God, may I spend less time trying to deserve your mercy, and more time standing in AWE that you give us mercy at all!  Restore to us, your people, the joy of your salvation!

New Zealand - Provision: God's been speaking our Language

I think Gabe has mentioned in one (or more) of his weekly update blogs about how God has been providing, but I'll chime in as well for this week's update.

I've been reading in Isaiah with the angle of looking at what God is revealing about his character and who he is.  So far I'm about 10 verses into chapter two and this is what I've been picking up from what I've been reading:

God: is the creator, the Father, emotional/feeling oriented, caring, sees our need for a savior, compassionate, allows us choice, gives mercy, sees accurately, has preferences, knows and judges the value of the gifts we give, personal, vulnerable, perceptive, inviting, conversational, rewarding, unchanging, unwavering, warrior, worker, finisher, purposeful, intentional, patient, restorer, cleanser, hope, supreme above all others, security, worthy of exaltation.

In addition, Gabe and I and some other students and staff have been studying the book of James twice a week, and we've been going back to James 1:17 - talking about how God is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

One principle in our marriage that Gabe and I have always tried to live by is generosity.  Jesus said a lot of things about giving, but two of them that sticks is that it is better to give than it is to receive, and that the measure to which we give it will be given back to us - pushed down, shaken together, and pouring over.

We have been the recipients of SO much giving over the past few years - really, from the onset of our marriage.  We've been met with generosity everywhere we turn.  We've tried to steward what God entrusts to us and, in turn, give generously to others, of course, but you know how people say, "You can't out-give God?"  I think that's ringing true in our life!

We sent a box to New Zealand from Thailand with our warmer clothes - I don't remember all that was in there, but a couple pair of shoes, some sweaters, long pants, long sleeve shirts, socks, dresses, and other practical stuff for life in a winter climate.  Our box hasn't shown up yet, so for the last 4 weeks, we've been making do with what we packed with us through Europe (i.e.: spring/summer appropriate clothes, which are also beginning to wear thin and/or break from a lot of use!).  We've had the opportunity to go shopping, and even found some good sales, but each time we've thought about biting the bullet (financially) and purchasing something to make the strain of laundry/inconvenience of being frequently chilly a little less, we've felt like the Lord was challenging us to trust him, so each time we've walked away and said, "OK, Lord, we think this would be more convenient, but we're trusting you to provide what we need!"

So far, to date, since arriving in New Zealand we've acquired the following pieces of clothing without it costing us a dime:
A big, cozy, wrap sweater (for me)
boots (for me)
2 t-shirts (for me)
2 t-shirts (for Gabe)
a sweatshirt (for Gabe)
a vest (for Gabe)
ballet flat shoes (for me)
Mary Jane style shoes (for me)
a wool performance/athletic shirt (for me)
2 pair of socks (for both of us - we share!)
a towel

This is in addition to a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve thermal shirt I purchased for less than $10 US at a 2nd hand store in the Solomon Islands when I went shopping with Megan, and a free sweater, another wool long sleeve shirt, and a pair of leggings that I acquired for free in Greece.  In addition, we've been loaned a set of sheets to use for the duration of our time here, so we didn't need to go purchase a new set.

Is it obvious that God is taking care of us?  It is to us!  In fact, it feels like every day bring some new sweet gift from someone (some of which we've even been able to pass on to others, which is super fun!) that tells us, "I think the Lord is prompting me to give this to you."

Last week we learned about hearing God's voice, and there were some awesome things that came out of it for us, but one of the biggest lessons we're learning has been ongoing throughout the school so far:

1 - we have tendencies toward pride, but as we are learning to recognize when we're walking in pride, stop, repent, and choose to be humble (for me, that has been a relatively intense process of learning to graciously accept all these gifts!  I'm much, MUCH better at giving gifts than receiving them - and I'd much RATHER give them than receive them! So it's a challenge for me to realize that someone is offering something I do, in fact, kind of need and I have nothing to give back to them), God pours out blessing.

2 - God provides - really, truly.  He knows what we need (often even better than WE know what we need!) and he has faithfully been providing for those needs - but he hasn't stopped yet, he's provided over and above what we need.  We've gotten to the point where we don't really care what we look like, being warm and dry is far more important.  But God knows what we like and he's been meeting our needs in ways that not only take care of the actual physical need but also encourage and bless our hearts.  My new boots?  Adorable!  A merino wool shirt? Exactly what I've been looking forward to getting for 2 years in New Zealand.  Gabe's sweatshirt?  Totally what he'd been dreaming about.  Gabe's vest?  Totally a style/color/size he's wanted. And on and on! It's been so, so, SO much more than we imagined, and God's blown us away with his provision.

This week we're learning about submission to authority from God's perspective.  It's contained many little nuggets to ponder.  Maybe we'll be able to share more about what we're getting from it later, but for now, it's reinforcing things we've already learned or casting new light and new perspective on ideas we've had.  As always, we're so privileged to be here and we're wanting to just soak up as much as we can from this atmosphere and the teachings and the life-lessons we're learning.

New Zealand - The Big "Who?"

Who is God?

The weight of this simple (often unseen) question propels us through life.

Is He angry? Sad? Powerful? Involved? Filled with hate? Does He see me? Know me? Is He alive? Is He actually present in my life at this moment? Could He be here with me?

The simple answers to this question that we observe, are told, fall into, and eventually decide to agree with can literally push us into a world of darkness or a kingdom of light.

So, this week we are learning who God is, in teaching times and throughout our days. As Dani helps the media team create communication, she is learning that Jesus is the Word, and He loves to communicate. As I do grounds-keeping I am reminded that I work and serve and clean because I believe in a God demonstrates His love by being the servant of ALL. As we worship and try to hear his voice in new ways we are reminded that His heart toward us is like a dad with His hands stretched out, excitedly watching His toddler take their first steps. He loves our progress toward Him, no matter how small, and he's not discouraged by our weakness and clumsiness.

Two days ago, I filled out my weekly journal entry for my one-on-one leader. We were challenged to write down some things we're believing God for in the coming week. I started the entry with “I want to become a real worshipper” but felt God challenging me to also write something that was an actual physical need. I continued “AND I trust God to provide new shoes for Dani because her last good pair is breaking.” Once I was finished I simply closed the journal and went to bed.

In the morning Dani went on a morning run with Anna (one of our staff members). They were talking and Dani shared that the Lord has been humbling her because many of her clothes have worn out or been lost on our trip and she can't always look exactly how way she'd like to.

Anna went back to her room after their run and returned with some of the most beautiful LEATHER boots either of us has ever seen and said “Dani, I'd like you to have these, oh and this sweater too!” Less than twelve hours later I found myself checking that need off the list, because God pays attention when I talk to Him, knows our needs, and is more generous than I often give Him credit for.

Who is God?

There are more answers to that question than I could ever write.
But today I know this: He's a good father. A father knows what we need even before we ask, and is willing (excited, even) to show us His faithfulness in this life.

New Zealand - Redemption

Have you ever been encouraged by another person's brokenness?

This week we shared our life-stories with our fellow DTS students and staff, and I don't just mean the nice bits. Everything that brought each of us to this place was laid out; good, bad, honorable, sinful, wonderful, and terrible, as each person shared their greatest dreams, deepest failings, and strongest fears.

We realized as stories unfolded that we were all broken in some way. We've all seen tragedies, and each person has chosen at times to walk paths that betrayed God's friendship of trust with us.

It would seem that hearing story after story of pain and struggle would leave us with heavy hearts, but the great surprise is that God meets with broken people. As each person took ownership for their mistakes, called out to God for forgiveness, rebuked the enemy's power in their life, and asked God to fill our minds and hearts with His thoughts, the atmosphere of the room changed.

It was no longer a room filled with tragic stories and broken people, it was a room filled with the presence of God and his sweet forgiveness. We looked around and saw brothers and sisters experiencing the redemption of God.

This morning our speaker challenged us to speak out the truth over ourselves, declaring God's word into our lives. I spoke out verses and promises of the Lord until I couldn't think of any more, and when I fell silent for a moment I felt God say to me “Gabe, you were bought with a price, and I don't want my money back.”

Thank you Father for your kind heart.
Thank you for taking broken people and giving them Good News.
Thank you for never withholding your wholehearted forgiveness and love from us.

Clarity

Hi All!  We are loving it here in New Zealand, although FREEZING in the winter weather. We've already been really challenged and encouraged by the leadership and the staff and what's come up, even during this orientation week.

For example: our leader felt led to talk to the school as a whole about independence, what values independence is based on (I'll give you a hint - dependence on God is a biblical thing!). He challenged us all to intentionally seek vulnerability and transparency with each other and dependence on God.

That was a pretty big challenge for us, especially as we applied that to the issue of our finances and how we were leaning toward leaving the DTS, heading home early, and starting to pursue education in the areas God has brought to our attention in the Solomon's with the money we'd budgeted for our DTS fees. Long story short, though, we've chosen to take what we perceive to be the most extreme route of faith, trusting that the Lord has significant things for us here, and even though the DTS is more than we budgeted, and our long-awaited news on our tax payment is more than we hoped, and all of this is taking hits out of our emergency fund, meaning we will likely come home with about half (or less!!) of the money we'd planned for our "stateside relaunch" and we'll be broke and jobless and carless and homeless and needing to pursue about $40,000 of schooling (insert me trying to not panic here and thinking about how long it took us to save up for this trip!!!), we are desiring to trust God. Full stop.

We trust that if he wants us to pursue the educations, he'll supply the resources. We trust that this season won't be a "waste of money" like we're tempted to wonder. We trust that Proverbs 9:10 means what it says, "Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement" and the knowledge we gain of God in this season will provide us with good judgement for all our future seasons. We trust that when God says, "I will supply all your needs" it means just that. And we trust that when he commands, "Don't worry about tomorrow" he means that too!!! Well, we're working on it, at least 😉

As for our education desires: Gabe feels like the Lord has led him to become a Bible Translator. We'll be exploring exactly what education will be needed, but most likely a bachelor's degree with some focus in linguistics. I, meanwhile, feel like midwifery is my calling. So I'm researching what my options are for training and certification in that. And we still both feel strongly that the Lord has directed us to work among unreached people groups, so we'll be keeping our ears and eyes open for opportunities where those three different things intersect.

We just want to keep you posted on what's happening in our lives and our hearts, thanks!

New Zealand - Dances at Spear-point

We’ve arrived at the Shire!  

New Zealand is really some of the most idyllic farming countryside we have ever seen, with gorgeous (but steep) green hills, winding rivers, rolling waterfalls, and sheep, sheep, & more sheep!

We both feel at home in the YWAM environment here in New Zealand and are really excited about the friendships that we are forming, the valuable training we are receiving, the insight the Lord is giving us, and the work we are going to do!

Today we did a traditional Maori tribal welcome to the land.  Gabe was selected as the representative of the delegation of new visitors was told to stand at the front of the group of DTS students during the ceremony.  

Suddenly, a massive, tattoo-laden Maori warrior in traditional dress began to approach the group, waving a spear, shouting, and doing the dance that the Maori have traditionally used to intimidate messengers to ensure that they truly came in peace.

"Maintain eye contact with the warrior, no matter what!!!" were the last words Gabe heard before the ceremony began, so he glued his eyes to the intense face approaching.  The warrior dropped a fern leaf as a symbol of invitation, which Gabe came forward to retrieve and we were welcomed into the ceremony with traditional Maori chants and songs.

Later on, we sang worship in Maori and the chief of this area welcomed us onto their land, and granted us a place in their family as he prayed God's purposes over us.  Both our DTS leader and Gabe shared that we were honored by this opportunity, and that all the new students have come desiring peace and unity, honoring the lives of our fathers who have pursued God before us, and thanking the Maori for the privilege of being given a place in their land and family.

It was a beautiful example of God redeeming culture to give honor and love to his sons and daughters.

Solomon Islands - The Old and The New

Nothing was visible but ocean as far as my eyes could see as we approached the Solomon Islands.

As we began our descent, I waited (and hoped) that a slice of land would appear before we hit sea level! Suddenly we were surrounded by green as we touched down on Henderson Field (the tiny airstrip that turned the tide of World War II; whose construction began at the hands of Japanese Engineers, but was soon finished and tenaciously defended by US Marines).

Later we would discover more about that great battle as we visited the rusty remains of amphibious tanks left behind by the American Navy and went to the memorial commemorating the great sacrifices of those who fought here.

Dani and I kicked off our trip to the Solomon Islands by grabbing a couple of paint brushes and attacking Megan and Andrew's dirty 15-year-old-pink living room walls. Megan's relief was great as she was able to watch the dismal shade disappear under a new coat (or five!) of fresh white!

We arrived halfway through a Bible-Training workshop here at the SITAG (Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group) facilities, and had the privilege of attending several sessions. Pastors and local leaders shared their cultures' traditions and problems, examining their culture in light of the gospel. Later they discussed how to apply biblical principals to those traditions, transforming their culture with the truth.

This leg of the trip has been very exciting as God seems to be putting some of the puzzle pieces of His guidance together for Dani and me. As insight we have gained from our various ministry experiences becomes clearer, and we weigh possible directions for our future, we greatly value your prayers over us.