Christmas in Pleiku

Over these past few days we have been remembering the reason for Christmas.....the birth of Jesus......as Oswald Chambers says, "He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it".  We are staying in Soyo, Angola, this Christmas....far from our children, grand child and other family members....and altho this is difficult for me even tho we can chat on the phone or on Skype, it has given me a chance to reflect on some of the other Christmas' I have spent away from family.  The one that comes most quickly to mind is the first and only one I spent in Pleiku, VietNam.

Remember I went to work in Pleiku with the Christian and Missionary Alliance....in their Leprosy Center.  I arrived there just after Christmas in 1973 and so had my first experience of how the Jarai hill tribe Christians celebrated.  The staff at the Leprosy Center had a tradition of putting on a play to tell the story of the birth of Christ Jesus.  They were amazing the amount of work learning their parts and getting the costumes just right.  I remember the one young man.....sadly I have forgotten his name...who was the angel.  He was the tallest and wore a white gown with the most magnificent and enormous wings I had ever seen....how I wish I had a photo but those are in storage.....someday I will put them on this blog....anyway, the wings were made of paper and each feather was of a separate small piece glued onto the frame.  You must realize that this young man had leprosy and therefore difficulty feeling his fingers.  King Herod was played by the delightful young man who called me Amai Sucret or Amai Goliath....and he had a beautiful shiny robe, crown and a knife for effect...  He used this knife to slash through the air when in the story he realized the kings were not going to come back and tell him where the young child was and he says, "I will kill him".  And finally there were two new characters in the story who were created by the story tellers.....Jessica and Matias....the innkeeper and his wife.....actually the wife had more of a part than the innkeeper, Matias.....but this tribe was a matriarchal society.  So the story began with the angel coming to Mary and Joseph to prepare them for the coming of Jesus....their traveling to Bethlehem and the kings meeting with Herod.  The tension of the story is building and Herod is enraged when he knows the kings from the east have outwitted him and he takes his knife, slashes the air and as he shouts his line, the blade of the knife comes off the handle and flies out into the audience.  Thankfully they had also created this as part of the costume so no one was injured and no one stepped out of character thus the play continued.  It was wonderful.....one of the women who had delivered a baby a few months earlier was Mary and had her baby as Jesus.

Why is this the memory that comes to mind year after year when we celebrate Christmas?  I believe it is because these wonderful people.....all leprosy patients themselves.....loved the Lord so much....loved to tell others about Him....and to be part of the story telling of His birth.....these people who by the worlds standards were disadvantaged, disabled, poorest of the poor....yet they were so happy and loved the Lord so much and it touched my heart then and still does 38 years later.  And I wonder if there is any moment in my interactions with others that is ever recalled as something that pointed to my love for God and as a witness of His love for me.  I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to have that Christmas in Pleiku......

God Likeness....Paul Utley

http://utmost.org/the-divine-commandment-of-life

This morning Bryan and I were sitting at the table finishing breakfast and talking about issues here in the community where we live.  Then Bryan began to read the devotional for today by Oswald  Chambers.  We were both stunned at how it caught us and convicted us about our conversation.....  Oswald Chambers writes, "Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection."  Furthermore, he continues, "The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness."

Immediately our thoughts went to a dear friend, Paul Utley.  Paul and Judy live in Thailand where they work for Campus Crusade for Christ.  He works on the Jesus film which is translated into many languages and sent around the world for people to hear in their own tongue.  It is a wonderful ministry and I even brought DVD's in Portuguese and the local dialects for the churches to use here in Angola.

The reason I think of Paul when I read today's devotional is because he is a man that is driven not by a desire to show goodness....but he has walked with the Lord for such a long time and so closely, it is now his nature.  I remember years ago when someone came to Bangkok to have a marriage seminar.  Paul, our assistant pastor at the time, came to the meeting.  The leader asked him to role play the part of an angry spouse that would not work things out in the marriage.  We all suggested that he not be the one to role play this because it is so against his nature.  The leader insisted and it was painful for the rest of us to witness.  Paul is not a man that even can role play as an angry man...... because he is a man of peace and gentleness and kindness.  Paul never looks to elevate himself...to stand up for his own rights....to have people look at him and marvel at a man who has given his life to serving his Lord.....he just quietly works and does what needs to be done....working tirelessly and is renewed through the work.

I remember years ago when Paul came back to the USA to work to renew funding.  He went were he was sent and shared what God was doing....and did not seem to worry at all about the ramifications of not having sufficient funds.  He trusted that God would provide....and you know, God does provide....and he hasn't wasted energy and sleep over worrying that maybe this time, God will not come through and meet the needs.....

Paul and Judy have raised two wonderful children, Hilary and Christopher.  They too have watched their father and mother and I am sure these kids are so dear because of what they have seen lived out in their parent's lives... as Oswald Chambers writes, " If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God"

Reflecting on Paul and the intimate relationship he clearly has with God that brings into and through him the reflecting of God in all circumstances....his continual calmness in all circumstances.....causes me to long even more for this permeation of God likeness in me....Oswald Chambers writes, "The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you...... And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people.".....loving them and being patient as God is with me......

Costas Macris, Man of Faith

http://utmost.org/arguments-or-obedience

Immediately upon reading this writing by Oswald Chambers, Bryan and I remembered a wonderful Greek missionary family we met in Indonesia, Costas and Alky Macris.  

Bryan was working for World Vision at this time in his life and was the Relief and Development Coordinator for all of the Indonesian islands.  He would travel frequently around Java, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sumatra, and Irian Jaya also known as West Irian and now known as West Papua.  

World Vision was trying to assist in community development in the areas of Irian Jaya in a holistic manner which included economic development with the missionary outreach.  The missionaries in Irian Jaya located in several of the highland areas and were somewhat resistant to this development.  Through the vision of Dr. Jerry Powell of the Un-evangelized Fields Mission (UFM), there was a large project started to bring livestock into the area.  Also, Jim Sunda of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.The staples in the highlands was manioc and pork and the health problems were significant with malnutrition and disease from improperly cooked pork.  

Bryan also met with the RBMU missionary, Costas Macris.  Bryan fondly recalls what an incredible visionary Costas was.  He immediately saw the value of the community development and said, "How can I tell someone that God loves them and they are dying of malnutrition and disease?"  

Costas and his family lived in a very difficult part of Irian Jaya......the low lands.  Bryan and I went to visit them and I was shocked to see the area.  I wish I had my photos to share because it was really incredible. I did find this photo online of Costas and some of the tribes people. The area is a swamp full of mosquitos, malaria, dengue fever, water diseases and river flukes that can enter the body if you spend time in the water and permanently damage your body.  The local people found ways to earn money by poaching crocodiles and selling the skins.  

The village groups were very small and one tribe would live on one side of the river and another, with another language, on the opposite side.  The people were also not very friendly at this time......due to superstition....but Costas came with love and a real desire to reach through the fears of the people and present Jesus Christ.

I remember thinking how amazing this man and his family were to be in such a difficult place.  We had visited the beauty of the highland areas and this was a stark contrast.  Costas and his family were the only missionaries we met there except two delightful single missionary women.  He did tell us that there were Wycliff Bible Translators in the area also.

We went with Costas to visit different tribal groups where he was working some with only a few families.  We went by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Cessna plane and would land in some of the smallest landing strips I had ever seen. I remember one place we stopped and a huge local man came and stood, resting his arm over the wing of the plane.  He was a alligator poacher and extremely fit.  The pilot kept saying....quietly, "Please don't break my plane.....don't break my plane".  There was no ill intent but it was very funny....

A man with his bow and arrows

At one of the stops there was a young man with his bow and arrows for hunting.  I had been collecting arrows of different types as a keepsake.  This man had a totally different arrow without a point...the tip was like a club and Costas said that the man would shoot the arrow and stun the bird.....then he could capture it.  I asked if I could buy this unique arrow and Costas asked the man.  I gave him a fair price of Indonesian Rupiah paper money.....and he sat down and just looked at it as we left.  I realized it had no real value to him at all.  There was nothing to buy in this area.  Costas told me later that a coin with the shine would have been better because it could be worn as jewelry.   

After we returned to the mission station I asked Costas to explain the markings on the arrow made in what appeared to be white paint......he said, this is were the witch doctor made markings to make sure the arrow would fly true and hit it's mark when used.  Now this caused me a great deal of concern.  How could I keep in my home something that had been blessed by the witch doctor?  Would this be wrong to keep? I decided to give the arrow back to Costas and when I explained why, he answered so directly....."So is your God not stronger than the witch doctor here?  If that is true, then you should give me the arrow but if God is stronger, then you should keep it."  After saying this and without pause he walked away and left me to think.   I still have the arrow in storage in the USA.   

Oswald Chambers writes, "Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey."  When I think of the simplicity of Costas' faith and his absolute trust in God no matter where it took him....I realize how blessed I am to have had a chance to meet and spend time with such a wonderful man.  And when I think of Alky, his wife, I marvel at her willingness to go to such a hard place with her children and live there for the sake of the Gospel of Christ.  

I have attached a short history of Costas Macris from Helienic Ministries.  It will describe the incredible journey that Costas lived as he followed the Lord.     

"In 1962, Costas and Alky became the first Greek couple to become foreign missionaries, serving under the auspices of Regions Beyond Missionary Union (RBMU).  Their assignment: Irian Jaya-a lush tropical wilderness with dangerous, craggy mountains, cannibalistic Stone Age tribes and a breeding ground for tropical diseases.   

Despite these hardships, their years in Irian Jaya were fruitful for the Lord.  Overcoming the dangers, God allowed them to see spiritual breakthroughs and the church was planted in 12 different tribal groups.  Their accomplishments also include the establishment of 22 nationally staffed settlements with homes, airstrips, clinics, schools and other facilities.

In 1979, after 16 years of ministry in the primitive culture and wild surroundings of Irian Jaya, disaster struck! Costas contracted a deadly form of hepatitis, complicated by the tropical diseases of amoebic dysentery, malaria, and filariasis. He was rushed to a St. Louis, Missouri hospital where the doctors found extensive liver damage. The prognosis was imminent death. God, however, had other plans. Through the prayers of concerned friends, God healed him of every trace of all four diseases and he experienced a complete recovery, to the glory of God.

At this time Costas began seeking God earnestly for new direction, as the doctors had forbidden him to return to Irian Jaya. Throughout this year of intensive prayer, God reminded him of the spiritual needs of his own country-Greece. Costas understood then that he must return to his own people to rekindle the light of Christ's saving gospel. Why? In this ancient land of proud heritage, hardened hearts and superstition, Greek Orthodoxy had all but lost the true message of the Gospel. In obedience to God's challenge, Costas and Alky returned to their homeland. In 1980, the first national Greek evangelistic and missionary organization, the Hellenic Missionary Union (HMU-now HM) was born under Costas' able leadership.

The work grew quickly during the first five years. Costas immediately began doing large open-air evangelism programs, something that had never been done in modern Greece. Many in the tiny and marginalized evangelical community assumed he would be locked up for trying, as the Greek Orthodox Church exerted seemingly monolithic control over society, and the State of Greece has restrictive laws against proselytism. Against all expectations, the Summer Campaigns were not stopped-in fact, their blend of loud contemporary Christian music, street theatre and passionate preaching drew huge crowds and proved to be an effective means of communicating the gospel to masses of people.

Initially relying on large numbers of short-term foreign volunteers, Greek evangelical youth soon came forward to join Campaigns. Since the objective was not just evangelism but to change the course of a nation, this opened the second phase of HM's ongoing work-discipleship and training.

However, as the fledgling mission saw some fruit being born, 'disaster' struck again. While doing an open-air program with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in 1984, Costas handed a 14-year old boy a New Testament. His mother, a fanatical atheist, used the anti-proselytism laws to press charges and Costas, along with two YWAM directors, were sentenced to three and a half years in prison!

What Satan intended for harm, God used for good. Freed for a year pending his appeal, Costas used the time to travel the world to let people abroad know of the spiritual conditions in Greece. By the time the appeal came to court, international media attention was focused on the trial, and the sentences were overturned. In addition, Costas had also been given a 17 meter (55 ft) steel-hulled sailboat to use in ministry to the islands, new workers had been recruited, and God's people on several continents were praying."

http://www.hellenicministries.com/pages/en/AboutUs/OurBeginnings.html

Costas died in 2006.  His life touched so many in Irian Jaya and Greece and around the world.  Oswald Chambers writes, "Bring all your “....arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25)......when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity."

Pleiku, Vietnam...Reaching across Conflicts

http://utmost.org/missionary-weapons-2

As I read the Bible portion of the devotional today, I immediately think of my time in Pleiku, Vietnam, at the Leprosy Center.  In John 13:14, Jesus has just washed the feet of His disciples before the last supper and He says, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet".  I think of the Leprosy Center because it was there that I watched day after day one leprosy patient who was a trained worker, wash and clean out ulcers of the feet of patients in the center.  And as I watched them, there was no disgust nor aversion in the work but they would talk and laugh together as they preformed this task.  As I have stated before, this foot wash room was foul smelling many times but this didn't seem to bother the workers.  The sweet attitudes of these workers would raise the spirit of the patients that were too ill to remain at home and needed to come to the center for treatment. 

One day around lunch time I was alone with the staff and patients at the Leprosy Center.  Remember, this center was outside of town.....quite a distance.  The South Vietnamese army had built anti tank trenches around the city of Pleiku to keep the North Vietnamese army from riding across the open fields to the town.  They could use the roads but nevertheless, there was a huge project to dig this trench to protect the city and our leprosy center was outside of the trench.  Now this did not make us feel any less secure...and only for a short time this one day did I feel any anxiety at being there with no vehicle and no way to get back to town.  But this particular day, the Vietnamese pharmacist came to me very afraid and said I must hide.  He said that there were North Vietnamese soldiers outside the center and he did not want anything to happen to me.  I went to a room and sat on the floor.  After some time when no one came into any of the rooms looking for me, I snuck to the window and looked out and saw 3 young men, clothing in tatters, and they were so thin.....like they were starving.  I saw the workers giving them rice and fish and water and then the soldiers left after about half an hour.  Everyone came in to where I was and explained that these soldiers were lost from their unit and had not eaten in several days.  That is why they had come to the center......they were so hungry and  needed someone to reach out to them....even though they were the enemy at this time.  

Oswald Chambers writes, "Ministering in everyday opportunities that surround us does not mean that we select our own surroundings— it means being God’s very special choice to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us. The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings......Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you”."  The workers were kind and loving to these men who came for food.  They did not differentiate between sides in a conflict...they only saw people in need and extended kindness to them as Jesus did......their only fear was what would happen if I was found to be there......and this, thank God, was no real issue at all.   

Preparation in the Quiet Times

http://utmost.org/missionary-weapons-1

Oswald Chambers starts this reading with the following.  "We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals what we are made of already.....If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character."  As soon as I read this I was convicted on several levels.  

First, Portuguese language study to be able to be prepared to work in the community.....I have a house girl that comes to iron and clean twice weekly.  This was started when I had my leg in a cast due to a knee injury and she is continuing.  She is 24 years old has 3 children ages 8 to 2 and her husband is unemployed.  She is continuing to go to school trying to complete the 4th grade.  She needs the income and I enjoy the company at home.  We were attempting to communicate....with pantomime and Google Translate....but I must sound out the words because she doesn't read well and the Portuguese is Brazilian not from Portugal so has some differences.  As we were attempting to talk together, she asked what my work was and I told her I am a nurse.  Also that I had visited Cabinda, Angola to try to work in palliative care there and again tried to get this started here in Soyo, Angola, and she with the innocence of a child said, "but you must study Portuguese first".  Now I am studying because I knew what she was saying....but it was a real reminder of how my laziness in the area of language study is obvious even to this young girl.  

The second thing that I thought of was the writing of this blog.  I have not written for the past week.  Why?  I can tell you that it is because none of the daily devotionals of Oswald Chambers fit with the stories I have from my life.....and on the surface, this is true.....but I believe that I am writing these stories to have something for my children and grandchildren as well as to take the time to reflect on not just where God has taken me through my life and lessons I have learned on the way.....but how those lessons can help me where I am today.  It takes time to think, pray, and wait for the right story to come to my mind.....and instead I have been watching TV and spending time thinking about and discussing the difficulties of life here.....and this is an easy way to fill my time.....but is not of value to me or to the purpose of leaving this for my kids......  

Oswald Chambers continues, "It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God."  Now this is a real thought.....that I can be relied on by God......and this is a real motivator for me to focus again on the work of reflecting on the stories of my unusual journey and putting them down for the future.  God has taken me through many crisis and in those times it is much easier to stay close to Him and trust in Him.....it is in the mundane, boring, quiet times of life that cause me to drift away and not continue to stay close.....and I know that there are other situations that I will encounter that I want to be ready for......and not find that I have been less than I should be at that time.  "If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready."

The Story of the Nail.....Answered Prayer

http://utmost.org/the-purpose-of-prayer

I have already written some of the history of Hubert Mitchell.  Years ago I heard him tell the story of "The Nail".  Daniel, his son, also sent it to me and I want to share it in this posting.  It is a remarkable story of faith and God's faithfulness. 

The year was 1934 and for some years there had been a move of God's Spirit on the West Coast under the ministry of Amie Semple McPherson at Angelus Temple located in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles and the same was happening in the Mid West under the ministry of Paul Rader.

"I don't want to go there Lord, I am part of a great move of God here in Kansas. The Kubus are over in the middle of the jungle in a nowhere country and I am here and God is Blessing the ministry of Paul Rader and he has given  Helen and me an important part in the music ministry. The people enjoy Helen's lovely voice and the they also enjoy my accordion, piano playing and song leading and they say Helen and I make good music together. Anyway there are others who said they would go and that is good enough for me.  Yes Lord, I heard what R.A.Jaffrey said about the Kubu Tribes and that they need to hear the Gospel, but people here in America need to hear too and that is why I am here doing Your work Lord, you do understand don't you? And one more thing, I have a wife and a two year old son and what would people think of me taking them out to the wild jungle and maybe having some terrible disease come over them and they die....what would people think of me? Also, I hear there are wild animals out there too Lord, what do you think of that?"

Such was the battle that raged in the heart and spirit of  Hubert Mitchell. There was no letup and he could not free himself from those nagging words of R.A. Jaffrey of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission spoken some months previous at a missions conference...."Hubert, how can you tell the Gospel story over and over again to people who have heard it hundreds of times and yet there are thousands who have never heard it once.  Hubert, the Lord is calling you and He will not let you go." 

After a series of meetings and then traveling onto another meeting, they were passing through Arkansas Kansas when he spotted a small church off to the side of the road. Pulling in front he knew he had to get free once and for all. Hubert with Helen following opened the door and knocked on the door marked "office" and walking in asked to speak to the Pastor. After introducing themselves he asked the Pastor if he would pray for the two of them. After a brief explanation of his inner  struggle, the Pastor laid hands on them both and  prayed.  After the Pastor's  prayer, Hubert happened to glance up on the wall above the Pastor's desk and spied a plaque with a poem written on it. He got up to see it more clearly and saw that it was written by Annie Johnson Flint.  Intrigued with the words He asked the Pastor if he could take it down to look at it and then asked if there was a piano in the sanctuary. With the Pastor's permission, he sat down at the piano and started to play.

The words and notes seemed to blend into melody and harmony as Hubert's fingers spanned the piano keys and before he knew it, the Lord had given him the music to the words of a poem written by Annie Johnson Flint with the title.."He Giveth More Grace"  Turning on the piano stool to face his wife seated behind him, he queried..."Helen do you feel the same as I do? Are you willing to go to the Kubu Tribes in Indonesia?  The Lord has called us and we need to be obedient to His Call."  And so the battle had turned and in a relatively short span of time the three of them, Hubert, Helen and little David Mitchell set out by ocean steamer under the Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission and arrived in Sumatra Indonesia.

After settling his small family down to a regulated schedule, language study and getting used to this new culture was one of Hubert's first priorities. A rudimentary grasp of the Malay language came as he listened, enjoined  words and phrases with the local populace and soon he was speaking to small groups of Christians in their homes and churches.  On one occasion he went to one of the Dutch government officials and in some strange way received written permission to witness to the Malay Muslims. Unbeknownst to him this was against the law, but his witness was so effective the local Iman protested and the permission paper was revoked.  Because of this opposition, the door officially  opened for the ministry to the Kubus Tribes, an official Animist group. Along with Tobing his "Man Friday" and other Brothers, forayers into the thick jungles began. 

On one of those forayers just after sunrise, Hubert dropped over to the toko, (small shop) and took some canned sardines and dried fish from the shelf and some cans of Mandarin oranges for desert. After paying the owner and passing on some words of encouragement to him the group set out for the trail which would take them deeper into the jungle than they had gone before. This day was particularly hot and the humidity was oppressive and it seemed that not much headway was being made.  The saw grass seemed particularly tough as the group hacked their way through with their parangs (long knives)....when suddenly they come onto a clearing. The triple canopy tree growth gave no warning, but here it was!  The people who were around suddenly took off when they saw this white man, but Tobing persuaded the Chief who had a parang that he, Hubert had come from a long distance with a wonderful message called "Good News" for him and his people.

Taking a cue from Tobing, Hubert began to tell the story from the Gospels how Jesus Christ came into the world as a miracle baby, grew up like any man  and because of the miracles He did and the things He said, the religious rulers were jealous of him. They condemned him to die and nailed this man Jesus to a cross (salib). Hubert asked one of the Brothers to cut down a sapling and then with the same parang, cut it in two. Cutting down some rattan, thin jungle ratan vine, he tied the two pieces together forming a cross. As more people gathered around him and all this time telling the crucifixion story, he laid down on the cross and with his hands making  motions,  told the people surrounding him looking on with great interest that the soldiers nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross. As he went on with the story.... .

Suddenly from the middle of the crowd rang a question from the Chief..."what is a nail'? Taken aback Hubert lay there trying to explain what a nail (paku) was. As he talked, the people started to pull away from where he was lying. "Don't go, there must be a nail  somewhere around here" Hubert intoned.  Again the question came from the crowd but this time more pointed and insistent..."what is a nail?!" The more he tried, the more the crowd dispersed with muttering until finally no one was there except for some curious boys, Tobing and the Brothers and Hubert searched his pockets and nap sack and asked the others to do the same, but no nail.

Dejected and frustrated Hubert asked the men to prepare some rice for lunch and with a prayer and a plea for a miracle they sat down to eat rice and dried fish with some canned sardines.  As he slowly ate with a spoon, these thoughts flooded into his mind..."Oh Lord You brought me all this way from the US for this? What will Tobing and the Brothers think of me now? Lord what about all these people who are left hanging in the air?" After the meal and grabbing for his nap sack and at the same time reached in took out one of the cans of oranges for desert and pouring them onto his plate was ready to toss the can to a group of the small boys who were eying this strange white man eating....when he heard a rattle and opening the can further he looked inside and there on the bottom of the can was a nail!

Grasping the nail in his right hand and jumping to his feet at the same time Hubert ran yelling  out as loud as he could..."this is a nail!....this is a nail!  this is a nail! This is what they put into the hands of Jesus! He ran to the Chief's hut and up the notched log he literally bounded. meeting the Chief coming down. He grabbed the Chief's hand and pushed the point into his palm..."this is what a nail feels like and this is what they did to Jesus!"  He then grabbed the back of the Chief's hand and taking the nail scratched the dark skin. "Don't make my hand sick!" cried  the Chief. Calling everyone back to the center of the clearing the Chief asked Hubert to tell the crucifixion story again. As he retold the story how the agony and tragedy of the Father was such to see His only Son die and become SIN himself, for everyones sin. When suddenly the people started to weep with deep sobs and tears flowing down their cheeks creating little rivulets of moist skin. Tobing, Hubert and the Brothers came around and hugged the people in small groups and told them God loved them so much and how their sins could be forgiven and their hearts cleansed from their SINS. With the Chief leading,  Tobing led the people in a prayer of confession of SIN and repentance. They knew they were sinners, convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.  Hubert then went on with the story of the Lord Jesus' Resurrection from death and that He appeared to over 500 people to prove His Power and Heavenly Glory. The Assention was told and then the Command to go out to others with this message and make disciples of all nations...."and this is why I am here to tell you this story" Hubert went on.

Suddenly the Chief turned and up the notched log to his hut he ran and coming back with two large baskets in his hands he said to Hubert..."when you see Jesus give these to Him. They are my most precious possessions and I was going to sell them to Chinese traders for knives and things we could use, but I want to give these to Jesus." The baskets were filled with bear and tiger claws, animals  which he had killed in close encounters with a homemade spear. Hubert explained that Jesus was not here on earth, but in Heaven and now he, his Family and tribe would be there with Jesus one day.  "But I want to give something to Him!" said the Chief. "But you did" replied Hubert, "you just gave Him your heart and life and that is what Jesus Christ wants and not only that, He wants you to tell others what you have just heard.".......

Oswald Chambers writes,  "Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end."  This story from Hubert Mitchell's life is such a blessing....and excellent reminder to ask God for the things we need.....and expecting He will answer as we need!

Life Choices

http://utmost.org/i-indeed-but-He

I am writing this blog for my children and grand children.....and I want to be honest and open about the journey God has taken me on to surrender to Him in all things.  Not all the stories I have to relate will show me in the best light.....if fact, it is the ugly things that show the transformation that has occurred over the years and continues each day.....and should be an encouragement to you as walk through your own lives.....falling down over and over isn't the issue.....it's the getting back up, learning, growing and submitting to God from each fall that develops you..

While I was in high school I had a boyfriend, Leigh Twa.  He was a kind young man and loved me dearly.  He was in the Navy and part of my infatuation with him was that he would go overseas for 6 months at a time and I could send him care packages and write long letters.  It fit so well into my romantic personality at that time.

Upon returning from one of his voyages he and several of his friends bought motorcycles.  They then went to Hell's Angels and got permission to start their own club.....'The Caretakers'.  By this time I was in college studying nursing and I loved it on the weekends when he and his friends would come and stay at my parents home and we would ride up and down the coast of California.  Leigh had a beautiful Harely Davidson bike that had been chopped and was very cool looking.  

Interestingly and not surprisingly being in this 'club' began to change the people we hung out with and where we spent our time.  Truthfully, the desire to ride with these guys was changing me because I needed to hide from my parents how I was living and where I would stay at times.  This was very difficult for me because I loved my parents very much but the thrill of the ride was enchanting at the time.  

One weekend we had travelled to San Deigo to hang out and ride.  Leigh was very protective of me and kept watch that I would be safe.  We slept in the garage of one of the members and after breakfast, road to a bar around noon.  When we went into the bar, some of the guys began knocking over tables and intimidating the patrons.  It was like something you would see in a movie.  I went outside and Leigh came with me.  Shortly afterward several of the other members came out and we went to one of their farms in the area.  Everyone began to gravitate to the barn to 'get loaded'.  I sat by the bikes to wait and began reflecting on how I was living......  I liked the time of riding down the roads and having people look at us and seem to notice us.....but this weekend I was sleeping in a garage on the floor and we had just left a bar at noon where the intent had been to intimidate and frighten the people there....and I thought.....What am I doing?  Where is this going to lead?  Why am I seeking such a dangerous lifestyle?  I felt this incredible sense of shame at what was happening in the bar and in the direction of my life.

I remember that my mother used to tell me that in each situation I question whether I should be there, I should ask myself......as a Christian.....is Jesus glad to be with me here?  Am I making Him proud of my choices?  Definitely, the answer that day was......No!!!!

When it was noticed that I was not in the barn with the others, Leigh came to find me.  He was rather disgusted at my not joining in......Since I had ridden to San Deigo with him, I asked him to take me to the bus and I could go home......he wouldn't allow that and took me back to Los Angeles himself.  I never wanted to come to San Deigo and ride with these men again.....in fact, this event caused me such disgust at the direction of my life, it changed the relationship with Leigh and began the decline that eventually ended our relationship.....  

Oswald Chambers writes, "....I indeed am at the end, and I cannot do anything more— but He (God) begins right there— He does the things that no one else can ever do. Am I prepared for His coming? Jesus cannot come and do His work in me as long as there is anything blocking the way, whether it is something good or bad. When He comes to me, am I prepared for Him to drag every wrong thing I have ever done into the light? That is exactly where He comes. Wherever I know I am unclean is where He will put His feet and stand.....Repentance does not cause a sense of sin— it causes a sense of inexpressible unworthiness."

This focus on my behavior was one of the things that caused me to begin looking to where I could serve the Lord....and be away from these influences and the disgusting life I was living at that time.....and although my journey to Vietnam was not wholly to serve Him, it was a factor in my decision....and definitely was going to be a place where God changed me in many ways to be open to His leading.....

Dear children and grand children when you find yourselves in a situation you are needing to hide from your parents.....and you think that you may be able to fool them....this will be true sometimes....but God sees all....and He is the one it is most important to honor with your life.....Remember, everywhere you go and in all you do, you take Jesus with you......so is He proud of what you are choosing?