Lessons

Do you ever have the  feeling that God is trying to tell you something? 

I do. All the time I do! And this last week it seems that He has been trying to teach me about relying on Him. You see, I am a waiter. I've been waiting tables for 2 years now, and I'd like to think that I'm ok at the job. Not as great as I would like to be, but still, ok. Anyways, the other day I was waiting tables and I had a great day! I was on fire, moving quickly from table to table and never making a mistake, bringing things even before my customers asked for them. And I thought to myself "I'm gonna make some money tonight!!!" And you know what? I did. Emphasis on the "some", not on the "money". Really, I made less than I do in a typical night, and I couldn't understand it. 

The next night I was working again, and that night I was doing terribly! I dropped some food, I messed up more than one order, and I was moving so slowly it hurt to watch. Not a great night. And I thought to myself, "Man, I messed that up. Where am I going to find the money to pay those bills now?" But a funny thing happened. Even though I messed up, and even though I had fewer tables, I still somehow manged to make almost twice as much as the night before. I couldn't understand it! It was like the amount I work, and the skills I have count for nothing in the grand scheme of things! 

Click!

Oh. That's right. I can't do it all myself. I can't make everything work out in the end because I am just Human. The truth is one of the many messages that the Bible puts forth to us is this very idea. Time and again God has shown humanity that when we try to do things on our own, we fall short. It is only when we rely on God to provide for our needs, physical, spiritual, or whatever kind, that we get that which we need. In terms of salvation, we can't save ourselves. No amount of good-deeding and Bible-reading is going to save us. Jesus saves us. Has already done so, really. 

What this means for me practically in the future is this. I will be going on a trip across the country this Fall, looking for potential partners in my mission work in PNG. People who will go with me, People and Churches who will pray for me, and people and Churches who will be willing to make my going possible. I can't do it on my own. No matter how many tables I wait I won't be able to move to PNG on my own power. And so, this trip will be my way of showing that I rely on God. And on His people. Please, if anyone has any suggestions as to where I should go, let me know. And if you have a house for me to stay in while I'm there, even better. 

But now, it is time for bed. God bless, and good night.

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Trip to PNG

So, one of the big events that is coming up in my life is my trip to Papua New Guinea this coming spring. As I plan on working in PNG long term after completing my training here in Dallas, we thought it would be a good idea to let me see what the ministry looks like in Papua New Guinea so that I would have a better understanding of where I will be fitting in! Pioneer Bible Translators does not currently have a literacy specialist on the ground in Papua New Guinea, but that doesn't mean that they haven't been teaching people there how to read. Part of my trip will be seeing what methods of teaching are in place and how effective they are. This will give me a great heads up about what sort of teaching environment I will be coming into. It will also be a good time for me to see what resources may be available to me, and an opportunity to meet some of the many Papua New Guineans who are already being impacted by God's Word in their language through the efforts of Pioneer Bible Translators with their people. It will be a time for me to learn about PNG culture, and even to learn a bit of Pidgin, the trade language in the area, so that I will be even better equipped in the future to jump right in once I hit the ground.

I'm extremely excited to see what might be in store for me in PNG, and to see in what ways I can help serve these people. As such, I have already begun to talk with people about finding funds to send me over. This trip will cost $5000, including airfare, places to stay, and expenses on the ground. Of that cost I have so far only raised a small portion, but I am confident that the funds will come in. The Church has a way of sharing with and supporting one another that is absolutely amazing to behold. I feel like this is a great spot for me to go ahead and say yet another thank you to those of you who have been supporting me in my training efforts thus far. Missions is one of those wonderful things that most everyone agrees should happen, but which so many times gets pushed to the side because the people who can go haven't found those who are willing to send. I feel so blessed to have already found so many people willing to help send me to the ends of the earth to share the Word with those who have not yet heard it. Thank you so much.

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Where I Am

Session 2 of school is almost finished! I have been here at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL) since July, and so far I have been loving my classes! This semester I am only taking two classes, phonetics and phonology, as I am just getting started with my requirements for getting me to the field long term. Phonetics class is all about learning the sounds that humans make in order to communicate. We get to learn everything from how to make the simple every day letters all the way up to making and using clicks in language! Phonology so far has been about learning more about how the sounds that we learned in phonetics are used in languages. As phonetics draws close to its end, I am very much so looking forward to getting even more involved with my Phonology class. Understanding how people use sounds in their language is so important when it comes to teaching them to read. It really is great to be getting into classes where I can see directly how they will impact my future missions.

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