More Changes than We Can Count
23 Oct 2024
We arrived on the field for language and culture learning during Covid, somehow able to get a visa as well as fulfill the requirements to leave Australia. Yup, there were changes, many expected, and some eagerly anticipated. A new place to live, new team, new friends, new church, new school, new cultures, new weather to adjust to. Some changes were super difficult, some just wore down our patience, and some confused us. Amid countless change, we have annoyed some people, and some people (can I say this?!) have annoyed us.
We have been training in a country outside the restricted access country where we one day hope to serve. But the borders haven’t reopened yet. So, we are asking God for guidance. It looks to us like every step from here will bring more change. And commensurate exhaustion. So, we are working out how we can get some routine for our family and how we can help our children build their lives on God’s plan for the world.
One thing we do is stay grounded in God’s words, his promises; reminding ourselves of what Jesus did for us, and all the stories of God providing for his people. We also pray specific prayers: prayers for guidance, prayers for help. God chooses to answer some of our prayers in the ways we like, and He continues to guide and provide for us. This helps us focus on what Jesus has done, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future.
Even though we keep holding onto Christ and His promises, that doesn’t mean we are always free of some anxiety and stress. The same way I still can’t go on roller coasters without tightly gripping the safety bar, we cling to Christ until our fingers ache.
Life is short. Although full of grace and wonder, it is full of change and pain. Just like winter here – the snow is harsh, slippery, and dangerous, but when you step back to see the big picture, it is breathtakingly beautiful. In the world we live in, amid sin and suffering, we hold out Christ to those around us, wherever we are. We present, with tears of sadness and joy, a never-changing message: God’s word stands forever, by His Spirit He dwells with us, and Jesus is our only hope.
M&L | Pioneers Members
Is God calling you to join the mission field? Get in touch.