Questions and Answers, Part III

-          I have no problem supporting individuals, but I don’t feel comfortable supporting organizations, what makes your different?

o    The MAF staff (those who serve overseas) all raise an equal amount of support (one level for individuals, a higher one for families). 100% of the funds we raise go to cover staff needs ONLY. All overhead costs (utilities, cost of office supplies, cost of running headquarters etc.) and cost of operating the aircraft come from other sources. These funds that are generously provided for the staff cover basic needs like housing, medical, children’s education, retirement, and cost of living adjustments. We will also receive an adequate salary so that we can pay for any food, clothing, or other needs we might have. Will it cost Kevin and Tasha $7,200 a month to live in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Possibly, most likely even more. Will it cost Jane and John Smith $7,200 a month to live in a country such as Haiti? Not as likely. It is for this reason we use a pooled system for staff financial support. This way the organization can maintain an equal standard of living (within reason) for their staff across the world, without some needing to raise more than others. 

-          What natural disasters will you experience?

o   Considering that the Congo has the 2^nd largest rain forest in the world, I am sure we will experience a stampede or two by a pack of rogue monkeys (just teasing, but seriously). While the area is not close enough to the coast to experience tsunamis. There have been a few earthquakes, the EARS, East African Rift System, runs through the Congo. The number of earthquakes has been very few and the number of causalities has remained very low, much much lower than other issues in the DRC such as viral epidemics and poverty. So to sum up, we won’t be experiencing a lot of “natural disasters.”

-          What foods are naturally farmed? Will you farm or teach farming?

o   The DRC is very rich in minerals, and because of the warm climate, many different types of agriculture are produced:  cassava, yams, plantains, manioc, corn, sorghum, peanuts, bananas, sweet potatoes, bananas, pineapples, sugarcane, as well as coffee, palm oil, cocoa, and tea. Here is the problem… Tasha can kill a plastic house plant and Kevin won’t have much time for farming. Although, many of the MAF family’s grow gardens for fun as well as for the fresh produce. As far as farming being taught as a skill, I am sure it is a ministry that is utilized, but I am afraid to say, we will not be ministers in this project. Instead, we will more than likely have to learn from scratch how to keep house plants alive.

-          What happens to our money if you quit?

o   If we have to leave early, the money will continue on until you stop your funding. But let me assure you, we are committed for the long haul. It was a long journey (3 years of active preparation, a lifetime of God preparing us without us knowing it) just to get where we are today! When MAF interviewed us, we went through psychological evaluations, personality testing, intense review, etc. Our lives were under the microscope simply because MAF has been doing this since 1945 and they are aware of the unique challenges faced by each person as missionary. We are aware of the difficulties of our specific region and we are committed to these changes. When Jesus called His apostles to make disciples of all nations, they went, understanding the personal challenges. Granted, we are not one of the Twelve Apostles, but we have made this commitment with God and ourselves. Aside from medical or family emergencies, once we arrive in Africa, we are staying our full term (3 ½ years). Right now, we will do this until God directs us elsewhere. We know things will be difficult and like Jesus missing the passing of his friend Lazarus, we know we will miss many things here in the US (births of nieces/nephews, friend’s marriages, deaths, etc.) But when God asked us to be missionaries, we didn’t say sure, but if something happens, we are going back. Kevin and I have decided that as missionaries, we will not be here for many milestones, but we will be with our family and friends in prayer.

-          Can I send you care packages?

o   As much as we would love to receive care packages, things work a little differently in the Congo, DRC. This country has had a traumatic past and currently lacks ways of enforcing law and order like we know it in the States. Even with the improvements made with their government since it became a "democracy", corruption is still prevalent. (ranked one of the top 5 worst countries for corruption)While a care package might seem like a good thing, one cannot guarantee receipt. If you really would like to send us something while overseas, there are other options. Simply contact us and we can discuss alternate ideas. For example, many friends and family members have already made plans to visit us and we could get you in touch with someone making a visit to deliver a package.

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Illness Update

This past week was a low point in our deputation for us. Saturday the 28^th, we began packing for a short overnight trip to Cookeville to present the ministry of MAF to a combined Sunday School class. About 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave, I had to "hug the toilet", and felt worse from there.

I finally started to recover on Wednesday the 1st, just in time for Tasha’s beloved dog Maggie to break her left front leg. We rushed her to the vet where the most humane thing to do was put her to rest. That night, in between tears, Tasha came down with the same stomach bug I had.

The following Saturday, the 4^th, as we were packing for a week-long trip to Middle Tennessee she began feeling light headed, short of breath and her heart began racing (tachycardia). We took her to the ER, where they admitted her to Cardiovascular CCU with a heart rate sometimes getting to 208 beats per minute.

They were able to get it under control with medication, and fortunately baby girl was un-affected and safe. They did several tests on Tasha; the lab results were all normal, her blood pressure was perfect, her heart is structurally sound and healthy, just beating too fast. After she gives birth, they will do more tests and determine what caused it and how to fix it. We were released and came home yesterday, Feb 5th.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed……..Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4

Praise God for:

Doctors and facilities available to help

Tasha and Baby’s health

Our wonderful family who took care of us, our house, and our pet while we were at the hospital

Even while we were out of commission, our funding continues to increase! We are at 70% of our new goal, or 77% of our old one!

Through a local cat rescue group, we have been able to find a home for our two cats!

Please be in prayer for:

Tasha and Baby’s health

Our morale and energy as we recover from illness, hospital visits, and the loss of our canine family member.

Fun with Pregnancy!

To all you Mother’s out there…I salute you!

I have met so many women who have told me their joys of pregnancy: how their skin glows, how thick their hair gets, their ability to eat for two, how much energy they have, how beautiful they feel, etc. I must say that everyone’s personal experience is different and I must confess I drew the short end of the straw. Here is my attempt to put humor into my situation.

A pregnancy poem:

As my precious baby grows in my womb, wondrous things continue to change about my body.

My blood flow increases to provide nutrients to my baby,

My organs shift about to make room for her growth,

My heart beats stronger and I can watch my belly grow.

Good-bye to my fruit cravings and welcome my unnatural love for hot sauce!

I love snuggling next to my husband as we lay down to sleep.

I love how quickly he falls into slumber and begins his unique, soft snore.

Unfortunately, it is amazing how I cannot control this abnormal giggling I have started.

And Kevin soon wakes un-amused at my humor, and to find I have wet the bed…again.

All you fathers out there who enjoy watching the glorious changes to your wife, have probably enjoyed your new ability to make your woman cry on command.

Go ahead and laugh now but you are the one who has to put up with us getting up every two hours to pee in the middle of the night.

Gone is my ability to run gracefully on the treadmill.

Now I huff and puff when I roll over in bed, like a fat kid running uphill chasing the ice cream truck.

When will I enjoy eating for two?

Now I do! Every one to two hours or woe is my nausea.

It is amazing this little thing is so large inside of me. 

Then I sneeze and realize where she is hiding…

Long gone is my ability to hide the gross noises a woman can make.

Hello ability to out belch my husband (but let us ignore the little “weasels”).

What happened to my craving for spinach salads with balsamic vinegar dressing?

Now I obsess over Hardee’s buffalo chicken tenders…stupid commercials!

Oh how I love to lounge and read books.

Oh how my body hates for me to sit still!

Where, oh where is my ability to converse? My eloquent execution, my perfect pronunciation, and my variable vocabulary have disappeared.

Here in its place, I have pregnancy brain and I forget…where was I going with that line?

I used to be a scholar, or at least that is how I remember it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my baby already and can’t wait to see her, and this is why time has slowed down to the point of all minutes equaling an hour!

So, have fun all you beautiful, glowing, showing pregnant ladies who can wear cute pregnancy clothing and take adorable pictures of yourself!

I may be one of you now, but I doubt you will ever see a cute pregnancy photo of me! 

Updates, Updates, Updates!!!

Sorry for the delay in writing this blog but we have had a busy week! No complaints from us! So, here are some of the updates we would like to fill you in on:

-Our May cultural orientation training at MAF headquarters has officially been postponed. We were worried that because we would attempt to travel by air while I was 37 weeks that we would not be permitted to fly back home. Travel across country by car for a pregnant woman of 37 weeks from Idaho to Tennessee was not an option. So we will go to this training next year as part of our standardized flight and maintenance training.

-Our timeline is looking more complete. Our new agenda is to leave for Canada somewhere in the dates of July 15^th – 31^st so that we can be there by the beginning of August. This will give us about a month to settle in to our new place/environment and adjust to the change in temperature. This also gives us an idea of when to put our house up for sale to prevent moving a lot with a newborn.

-Baby girl is looking pretty healthy and we are in the process of moving from our OB-GYN to the birthing center. We had our first meeting with a midwife on Wednesday and everything seems to be going well. We have another ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday. They will complete the tests the OB-GYN did not and check her heart, thorax, lungs, and check or a cleft palate.  We are praying for positive news (not that we have had any negative news) and a completely healthy baby.

-We have been working on our house for about 3 weeks now and have made some improvements towards finishing the basement in order to sell the house. We have also met with a realtor to discuss any potential things we might have overlooked.

-My 13 year-old dog Maggie has stopped using her back right leg, the one that was broken during our candidacy this past July while we are gone. The vet has put her on steroids as a last resort to keep her comfortable. She seems to be a fighter, but we know that we only have so much time left with her. Kevin is hoping she will make it to a little closer to when Adah is born.

-We still have not found a home for our two cats. With language school coming up, we know we cannot take our pets to live in a campus dorm. So, we are still passing out fliers and asking random people at every opportunity about pets.  My mother-in-law has graciously volunteered to take care of our other dog Cessna and Maggie if she is still with us. (Shameless plug) So, if you know anyone who wants a cat, please check with us before heading to Petsmart!

-We will be on the road again the second week of February making new connections and building up the relationships from our previous contacts. Please pray for safe travels and few potty breaks!

Part II: Questions and Answers

Here is part 2 in our questions and answers series. Keep the questions coming and we will keep producing the answers!

-          What is in it for us (i.e. how does this benefit a prayer or financial partner)?

o   In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 Paul gives a list of gifts that the spirit equips the body of Christ with. Everybody has at least one, no one has all. We believe everyone has a call to ministry (a.k.a. missions). By joining us in this ministry (prayerfully, financially, etc.), you are able to directly make an impact in the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 25, Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”. Later in Matthew 28 He gives us the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations” and expounds on all nations in Acts 1 “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo DEFINITELY qualify as “ends of the earth”. There are people in desperate need of the witness of Jesus, dying physically and spiritually. We cannot be witnesses of the Gospel independently. We must be      

inter-dependent on each other for support, encouragement and abilities. We cannot do what we have been called to do without the help and support of the body of Christ. As a team, as the body, we can be the example of true love He calls us to be.

-          Won’t you get anthrax?

o   While MAF prepares us for our journey, we are responsible for contacting the travel embassy to be prepared and up to date on any medical things (shots, medications, preventatives, etc.). We are fully aware of (and vaccinated for) such things as tuberculosis, yellow fever, hepatitis, tetanus, and measles. While there are diseases and infections by being exposed to strange people, we will have access to the medicine and equipment we need (we are near an airplane base). I think of it as going camping. I know if I forget my mosquito spray, I will be miserable! So, I will bring my mosquito spray and other medicine I need for an emergency.  “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days." (Proverbs 19:20)

-          Isn’t the Democratic Republic of Congo dangerous?

o   2 Timothy 2:8-10 “ Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

If we went to live in a different place like New York City, we must adapt our way of thinking to be safe and responsible inhabitants of that city NYC has riots, shootings, gang activity and other unfortunate events, yet millions of people continue to live safely. Life in Kinshasa (population ~10 million) will have challenges that will require the same adaptive thinking we would need in any other large city. MAF wants us to be prepared for the cultural differences and particular quirks of life in DRC. Part of our training includes two weeks of cultural training before our departure. Politically, things have begun to calm down since the country (formerly Zaire, formerly Belgian Congo, formerly something else) has become a democracy. Fortunately, our ministry uses the airplane as a tool, which we also can use to evacuate quickly as a last resort.

-          What will you eat?

o   Generally, I like to eat food (ha-ha!) We will be fortunate enough to live in the capital city of Kinshasa where the US Embassy is also located. We will have access to most American/Western products, but it will be a much higher cost. But in general, there will be lots of fresh fruit, much of it impossible to get fresh from the field in the US (bananas, passion fruit, mangos, etc.). There will be some local cuisine like goat dishes and “fu-fu” (a dumpling like dish). We must simply have open eyes and an eager palate!

-          Why does it take so long to get there?

o   It is important that we prepare for our journey as missionaries in body, mind, and spirit. Once we were accepted as missionaries, we were to prepare our hearts and spirit for this journey with our Ministry Partnership Process (funding the ministry as well as developing prayer partners). After we have a foundation of prayer and financial partners, we have our spiritual backing for our journey. In order to prepare our minds, we are sent to language school so that we will be able to help others in their language. Finally, we are to prepare our bodies with a final orientation/adaptation training as well as a final pilot training. MAF wants us to be fully prepared for our journey and they are very thorough in leaving no stone unturned. I could not image us being successful missionaries without being prepared. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). Because of the large list of qualifications and an environment that requires a high degree of technical proficiency, it takes the average MAF pilot 10 years of prepararation to be able to work safely in the mission field. Acceptance and training with MAF typically happens during the last two years of this 10 year period. We are within a year and a half of finally reaching the field.

Baby on Board!

“On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:23-24.

This morning was our big baby appointment. After experiencing a miscarriage, this second baby has been a time of fear for me. Fear that I will lose this baby or that he/she will not be developed. This morning, I prayed to God. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart.” Knowing this, Kevin and I decided that we would not do any genetic testing for this baby. God knows what needs to happen to develop us as servants for His Kingdom and He has decided that the baby inside of me will be ours to “bring up in the way it should go”. As I prayed this morning, I did not pray for relief for my fears, I did not pray for a healthy baby, and I did not pray that this baby will be ours to raise. Instead, I did what I felt in my heart was right – I prayed that God would be there with us, beside us, during the ultrasound. Immediately, I felt a calm come over me and a “feeling” that I needed to pray right before the ultrasound with Kevin and the technician.

Driving to the OB-GYN:

On the way to the OB-GYN, Kevin and I spoke about our morning. I told Kevin what God what us to do – pray for the ultrasound.  That was when Kevin confessed to me that he had the same prayer this morning. He began praying for the health and wellbeing, but then felt the overwhelming need to stop asking and just acknowledge and adore God for who He is how He takes care of his children. That was when Jeremiah 29:11 came to mind for both of us– “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This baby is God’s baby. We have been chosen as the parents so that we can teach this child to know God, love God, and fear God. Our duty is to parent the child of God that He has chosen us to raise and in this knowledge, we know that God is going to uphold and sustain the child while it is inside of me.

OB-GYN visit:

We prayed with the technician and she said that was the first time in 12 years that anyone has done that and she wished everyone would do it! Then, the technician (Tonya) went through the ultrasound and scans letting us know each item was good – the bones are forming, the heart is strong, the brain looks perfect, there are fingers and toes (8 fingers, two thumbs, 10 toes), the kidneys (both, Kevin only has one….he’s jealous) are functioning, the bladder looks good, etc. Lastly, we turned our heads during the gender screening and the technician wrote down on a piece of paper a confirmation of the sex of our baby. We drove home with our ultrasound video and our sealed envelope. Once we gathered with our family, we watched the video and opened up our sealed envelope. What is the baby’s gender? Stays tuned for the video, or check us out on Facebook!

Part I: Questions and Answers

For us, December has been a slow month. Many people have been busy preparing for the holidays and still others have been vacationing and have been unavailable. So, this month, we decided to take it easy and work on our house and make other preparations for our departure. Well, I guess that is not really easy after all. I have been thinking about my New Year’s and all the possible resolutions I could come up with, but in my pondering, I have thought about the past year. What pops out in my mind most, are the questions that we have been asked throughout this whole process. I have decided to share them with you and hopefully in this process, answer any questions you might have not been prepared to ask. With this, I am sure will come more questions. I will eventually set up a Q&A section in this blog with your contributions.

-          Where will the baby be born?

o   Fortunately for us, God has provided us with a convenient timeline. The baby will be born roughly May 31st (but only 12% actually deliver on their due date).  This is in the middle of our fundraising efforts. We have planned to move to Canada for language school several months after. Meaning, our child will be born in Knoxville, TN.

-          Are you going with Kevin?

o   Oh my yes! I personally feel called to this ministry just as much as Kevin. I could not let him go off and have all the fun!

Ephesians is chalked full of incredible scripture about how a man and woman belong together! The one that sticks out is 5:31, which says “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Kevin and I have both been called to missions and as we are now one in marriage, we are now one as missionaries.

-          What does your kid think about moving away from home?

o   Well, I asked and he didn’t kick back, so I think he is stunned. Just kidding. In all seriousness, I have been asked if I planned on taking my child (which I am), and other missionaries have been asked the same. Much like parents in the US who move homes, the children don’t have much of a say. When parents have decided to become missionaries, they are speaking for their children. All of my friend’s children, who are going through this process with us, range from 7 months to 7 years. Obviously, the younger children will grow up in another country, not knowing the difference, but a few do understand. Many children that I have spoken to are so excited about the change. The chance to go to a new country, the chance to make new friends, the chance to share Jesus. Children are resilient and cope much better than their parents. Our child will grow up with a totally different worldview than we have. For all intents and purposes, our child will be “African”, so that will be his home to him, not the US.

o   Here is one example I can provide you: One of my friends’ son began crying as they boarded the airplane for Indonesia after saying good-bye to his grandparents. It is unknown whether he cried because he realized he was leaving them behind, or that he was tired after having to wake in the middle of the night for a long flight. Either way, they have been there for four weeks and he already attends school and church, and has made many new friends. He loves the motorcycle rides with his dad and enjoys looking at the wildlife he didn’t see back home.

o   I am excited to be raising my child in Africa, where he will grow up seeing God’s love and His miracles, first hand.

-          What do your parents think about this?

o   While any move for any parent is hard, no parent wants to their children to leave especially now that a grandchild is on the way. But both sets of parents know this is something we feel called to and respect our decision. Matthew 10:37 says “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples. Those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples.”

o   Keeping that in mind, we do respect our parents. With the advances MAF has made in technology, we will have the capability to e-mail, video chat, and make calls on a regular basis. Just because we move halfway across the world, does not mean we will ignore our family back home. Some missionary kids I have spoken to feel a unique bond to their grandparents. They have to make a willing effort to connect to them, so each visit becomes special, each call important, and each video chat means memories being made.

-          What exactly is it that you will be doing?

o   This can be answered in many ways. Traditionally, MAF seeks to share the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and traditionally transformed. MAF partners with over 600 Christian and Humanitarian organizations worldwide to bring in peoples and supplies to these isolated groups. Someone once tried to define us as “UPS for Jesus.” That is a good way to look at it. We deliver things (books, medications, doctors, missionaries, Bibles, food supplies, etc.) to remote groups who could not otherwise have certain needs met. The areas that MAF have been led to operate in have no infrastructure and lack of a way of getting aid. In the US, if I get an upset stomach, I can drive in my car to the pharmacy. In Africa, if a villager gets an upset stomach, they ask the nearest witchdoctor (sometimes a week’s walk) for herbs and/or spells. If that doesn’t work, they have no choice but to suffer. There are no pharmacies, there are no roads, there are no paths to a doctor’s office, there is no money to pay for a hospital visit, and there is no hospital.

o   These tools (airplane, pilots, teachers, doctors, etc.) are what help us to fulfill the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We are very blessed to have Africa as our new home. The Democratic Republic of the Congo claims to be roughly 90% Christian, but they have included voodoo, animism, witchcraft, and any other thing that they feel will help them. It is like a pool of water 1 mile wide and 1 mile long, but a millimeter deep. Kevin and I, as well as the other missionaries in the Congo, DRC live as examples of God’s Holy Word. We are to draw upon the teachings of Colossians 3:15-17: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”