Memories of New Beginnings

Today I was remembering the reasons we began providing certain things through ESM for the missionaries to share with those they serve. When we first began this ministry, we weren’t sure what God was asking us to do. It seemed too lofty, too out of our hands & too ridiculous to assume we could do it. Of course…it is! But God. Little by Little, year by year He has led us into new fathoms of helping missionaries with supplies for their people.

The very first thing I remember was Roy waking up one day and telling me he dreamed of handing out IPods filled with an audio Bible, worship music and sermons. Without wasting a moment he bought a book called “IPods for Dummies” and an old Ipod and learned how to refurbish them. That began a ministry which has spanned country after country and supplied the Word of God to many that would not hear it otherwise.  Many of our missionaries ask to have one for their own possession (which we happily provide) and after 2 years will finally have gone through everything and ask for it to be updated. That one item grew into providing laptops, computer centers for orphanages or women’s centers, E-readers with a 200 book library & now IPhones are beginning to replace the antiquated IPods.

Our 1^st mission trip together after forming ESM was to Uganda.  While there we visited a village called Bombo.  We took medicines and held a clinic. We visited the school and then the new hospital where we were shown around by the doctor. He was so proud of the ‘birthing room’ where they had just received electricity, a table and a bed.

                                      

When we returned from this trip, we knew ESM was to supply a comfortable, safe and sanitary way for these people to have babies. We began collecting medical supplies from hospitals and local clinics as well as meeting with a mid-wife to secure information on midwife kits. Eventually God brought creative teams that added baby blankets, onesies, booties, hats, rattles and then recently a momma’s bag with a bible, journal, grooming and fun girlie supplies.

One day innocently reading through an old missionary book of letters, I came across one that forever changed me. It touched my heart in such a way that I have not forgotten in these past many years. After reading it, I have always tucked a doll in every box we ship. 

One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. “…and it is our last hot water bottle!” she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. All right,” I said, “Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.”

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. “Please, God,” she prayed, “send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby’ll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon.” While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, ” …And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?” As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas – – that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. As I put my hand in again, I felt the…could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, “A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!” I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!” Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, “Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?”

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child — five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it “That afternoon!” “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24  

One year after reading the story, Roy & I went to work with missionaries in Uganda (again) and I met a little girl named Rachel. Rachel had a bag of rocks. She took that bag everywhere and was kind enough to share them with me. When I came home, I showed my friend Mechelle the pictures and told her about Rachel’s Rocks. She decided all young children should have a doll rather than a bag of rocks and started sewing Little Scraps of Love from left over material. We put one in each backpack as well as shipping one in each box of medical supplies or midwife kits. 

One of our biggest dreams is that through our website, blog and even Facebook page, our missionary friends will begin to share not only their testimonies, but their dreams and concerns and that by connecting they will be privy to many new or untouched resources available to them. At the same time Roy & I will expand ESM by providing as many resource options as possible!

My Dad

(I wrote this a few years ago but some things never change - they just get better)

You have taught me

the honesty of George Washington

the unprejudiced of Abe Lincoln

the forward thinking of JFK

the fight of Eisenhower

You have shown me

the brilliance of Einstein

the character of Christ

the heart of Mother Teresa

the unconditional love of a Father

You have encouraged me when I was disheartened & been the shelter I could run to in times of hurt and loss.  You have always been there for me during the laughter and tears.  You have shown me through your actions how to be a true friend, parent and spouse.  Though I’ve not learned the art of portraying the unconditional spirit you love us all with, I continue to pray that one day I will.

You have been an incredible example of how a man should live and love and play and pray.  Your strength of character – steadfast in goodness – is unsurpassed.  I am continually thankful to a God who would give me such a leader in my life.  You have taught me that people are more important than tasks.

We have had the greatest discussions and solved so many world problems in the middle of the night.  You’ve enthralled me with stories of our family’s history and we’ve grown together through the character of your ancestors.  We’ve counseled each other –good or bad- it was all fun.  I pray that this year you will receive as much as you have given and more. You are an excellent Dad.  I have learned more from you than anyone in my life and have loved you with the same intensity.

My Dad’s been visiting this week. I have been blessed to have known him for over 50 years now and I’ve laid everything aside to spend every minute I can soaking up the stories and listening to his voice.  I remember once Dad telling me that when Grandpa passed away the one thing he missed was hearing him tell the tales he had heard a million times before; I don’t want to miss a thing.  We’ve been great friends all my life.  I can tell him anything and visa versa.  He is proud of everything I do; he champions all our causes, gets behind the ministry and cheers us on from behind the scenes.   We don’t always agree on politics but we wax eloquent for our ‘side’ and laugh as we move on to the next thing.  What we have no control over doesn’t matter.  What do matter are our values and how much we love each other.  In 3 days he will leave again for another year.  We’ll cling to each other’s voice over the phone, knowing that if anything happens we have loved unconditionally. 

I am blessed, to know an earthly love that exemplifies a heavenly love.  And yet…not as much still.  God loves us even more.  How can that be?  I marvel at God’s heart for us.  It is so all-encompassing.  We can enjoy His presence in every step of our lives.  Wherever we go, He is there.  He IS love (1john4:8), and that love is ‘manifest in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him’ (1john 4:9) Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39).  That is enough, yet there is more.  More love, more forgiveness, more kindness, more provision…He is omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresence and omni-more!

Two Fathers, Two incredible Loves – one temporal, one Eternal.  Thank you to the One(s) who loves me most!

Stones of Remembrance

Lately, the Lord has had me go back through the Words He has given me over the years. Encouraging me to continue to race; exhorting me not to give up, comforting me in my weariness. It has been a month of pulling up my boot straps, reminding myself this is HIS call on my life as well as HIS timing. I've worn a path in the road between I'm all in and I just want to be one with the couch. IT's never just about learning the task part of the call; I've also had to learn how to run this race without being the one in control. 

Well, we've all been there.

When I read this blog today, I realize WHY He took me back; WHY He reminded me of the WHY. Going back over the "Stones of Remembrance' set me on my face again; weeping for the nations, crying out for the missionaries daring it all for the sake of the Gospel; embracing the mantel placed on my shoulders and choosing to get on with it! As it says in The Message, "Strip down, start running and never quit.  No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - He could put up with anything along the way..."

So I share it with you...just in case you are also in a place of needing to remember the WHY!

Marilyn - 6/14/15
When I was four years old, my parents thought they may not be able to continue living in Pakistan.

They were tired. They were discouraged. They felt they had seen so little, for so much work. Mom and Dad were getting ready to go on a furlough and wisely decided not to make a decision until they had reached the United States and had a chance to process and rest.

It was while at a summer linguistics course that my dad had a renewed sense of purpose, a reawakening of his ‘call.’ While reading the book of Acts, he was struck by this work that began so long ago: The work of reaching out with the message of the gospel.

I learn this as I begin to reread my mom’s book. It is a book about the mission work that was started in the Sindh area of Pakistan by my parents mission, soon after Pakistan’s birth and independence. It is a fascinating history full of names and people who I know. Not only does it read as a historical account, it also gives me insight into my parents as a young couple, beginning with a journey by ship to this new country.

I read about my dad building a septic system with one page of simple instructions; about how three couples with five kids between them lived in two rooms; about a Hindu friend bringing them keys one night to a new house, urging them to “Quick, come put the lock on so Muslim neighbors don’t take it!”

I read about death and discouragement, about times of miscommunication and trial, about raising a family in a country far different from the one they left.

I read, and I remember.

There were times when my parents were deeply discouraged, and I see that through the book. Sometimes discouragement was soul deep; so deep that they felt they could no longer live overseas. But then they would remember – remember what brought them there, remember what had transpired, remember the day-to-day strength as well as the extraordinary miracles that happened. There was strength in remembering.

In the Old Testament book of Joshua, the Lord tells Joshua to choose 12 men, one from each tribe. They are to go and pick up a stone from the middle of the Jordan River, at the spot where the priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant. They were to carry the stones to the place where the people would spend the night. There they would put them down to serve as a sign. These were stones of remembrance. They served as a sign to the people present and to future generations.

“In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever….Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.” Joshua 4:6,7,9

I don’t know where you are today or what is going on in your life. I know that it is the end of the school year and many of you are packing up and saying goodbye. Others are staying, you are the ones left behind. Some of you may be wondering why you’ve wasted your life in the hard places, others may be weeping that you have to leave those same places. Some of you may be facing a difficult decision, a decision that demands head and heart: “Should we stay? Should we go?” Others may have no choice in the matter, a crisis demands that you leave what you love.

No matter where you find yourself today, I urge you to remember.

What are the stones of remembrance in your life? What rocks can you point to, stones of surety that declare “God was here.” What can you list that point to a life of faith, built on a stone foundation? Was it a visa that came at the last-minute? A job that fit your gifts and skill set that you know laid the foundation for you to be able to go? Was it that sense of dread, and then peace, knowing something wasn’t quite right and finally finding out what it was – and you knew God had prepared you? Was it a time of meditation, where you knew beyond doubt that you were in the right place, making the right decision – whether staying or leaving? What are your stones of remembrance?

Gather those stones, put them down in writing, so that you too can tell future generations “This is why we are here.”Because it’s good to remember.

“But first, remember,remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain. the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the sign which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay not attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” CS Lewis in The Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia Series.