Thanks so much for your prayers! Aaron has been found! He is alive and well.
God is good.
A little more information: Aaron took the kayak from Raotan Island, off the north coast of Honduras. He stayed with his kayak, and was found about 29km NNW of Utila Island. It had been about 15 hours. What a journey!
Please pray for Camino missionaries Mark and Michelle Fittz and their family today. Mark’s sister and her family were visiting from Texas. Mark’s nephew, Aaron, went out on a kayak in the Caribbean Sea last night around 6pm and has not returned.
The search had to be called off last night, but is resuming this morning. The search will now be extending to Belize as well.
This from Aaron’s Dad, Daniel:
Please continue to pray for Aaron to say afloat on the kaiak, him to have peace as he remains lost on a huge sea at night, for Mary Beth and the kids. Also that The Holy Spirit with guide the rescue effort straight to Aaron’s location. I am eternally grateful for the prayers and the outpouring of love and support from both those who know us well and those we have never met. May God richly bless you. Hug your kids.
Update: Aaron has been found!
So here we are, at the convergence of the past and the future. This week in particular.
We’re madly trying to finish all the year’s schoolwork, filling in end-of-the-year forms, asking final questions. At the same time, filling out registration forms and planning for next year.
We’re going over medical files from the past in order to plan for doctor’s appointments for the future. Preparing for future Bible studies, talking to a few different people about future long/short term ministry, while preparing for interns and teams coming this month. Planning meetings, taking care of van maintenance, updating paperwork, planning speaking engagements, complaining to customer service because they sent us the wrong item…
Missionaries around the world are frustrated. Not because they have to prepare for a Bible study or visit someone who is sick unexpectedly – those are very “spiritual” activities.
No, they’re frustrated because they have to find a new vehicle, apply for a visa, fix the leak, take someone in their own family to the doctor (again), go to the meeting, and carry the water up the hill.
You see, we just want to do “ministry”. No, not just because it looks good to to the family and friends back home (easy to fall into that trap), but also because it “feels good” to us. It feels like we’re doing something worthwhile.
Delayed paperwork, broken pipes and returning items to the store for the third time – these are more likely to be “attacks of Satan”, and reasons for discouragement.
I don’t think we’re entirely wrong here – Satan, the world, and the flesh certainly don’t want us sharing the Gospel. And these things can end up taking up far too much time if we let them, and sometimes when we’re doing all we can to not let them.
And missionaries are often dealing with an added level of complexity – language barriers, cultural barriers, and the expectations of many different groups of people.
But that being said, maybe sometimes – sometimes – we just shouldn’t get quite so worked up.
Remember those people back in your “passport country”? Guess what? They may be going through just as much – often far more. As believers, they want to serve the Lord too, you know.
And that goes for the people you’re ministering to “on the field” too. They just may have it a lot harder than you. Just like you, they have to balance the “spiritual” things with the mundane, the unexpected with the planned, the things that they are “gifted” in with the things that they “have to do”.
And let’s not forget Genesis 2:15. God made man – and put him to work right away! Doing what? Gardening. Farming.
Those forms and trips and meetings are very often about loving your neighbour, taking care of your family, improving the system. Without minimizing the importance of sharing the Gospel – sharing has to go along with all these other activities in order to be effective. All work – assuming it’s God-honouring – is “spiritual”.
The cross cultural missionary does have unique challenges. But it’s time we remembered that those “extra” things are only making us a little more like the rest of the world.
In fact, it may actually be helpful to remember: our specific tasks may not be the same as the tasks the people around us have. But they have to deal with health problems in the family, make sure their children are prepared for school, make sure they have the money to pay the bills – just like the missionary. Maybe if we can learn that God is in it all, and that we can serve God in it all, and serve the Church in it all … maybe we’ll be able to pass that wisdom on to someone else.
And now? I do actually have a Sunday School class to prepare for. 😉
I’ve been meaning to give you an update on my memorization project. As you my remember, I completed Philippians and started memorizing John (with the plan to continue reviewing Philippians until May).
Well, I’m still working on it, but I’ve fallen behind. I thought it would be worthwhile to mention some of the reasons why this has been a little more difficult.
Actually, in some ways it’s been easier – the verses seem to be shorter in John so far, and easier to memorize than the verses in Philippians.
However, the plan was a little more open-ended for John, because it’s so long. I had a plan up until May, but it’s not the same as being able to complete a whole book in a few months. The “end” is too far away to see.
Second, there were at least a couple of people who said they would memorize Philippians along with me. Not having the extra accountability has been a downside to memorizing John.
Once I fell behind, and didn’t have a new goal, it also became harder to continue.
Another thing – the chapters of John are lllooong! The first chapter has 51 verses.
I was going to come up with a new plan in this post, but we are now in the busiest part of the year, so I’m not sure if it’s wise. Of course, if I don’t, I’m all the more likely not to do much of anything!
I think what I’ll have to say for now is that I’ll continue reviewing Philippians, and try to keep working on John as I have opportunity. (No, this isn’t the only time I’m spending in the Bible – so I’m not suggesting I’ll just skip any time in the Bible if I don’t have “opportunity”!) I’ll see where things are at and report back when the extra-super-extreme busy season is over – sometime in October. Maybe.
Another eclectic set of posts – the most visited from the last 90 days. As usual, in chronological order, with the most popular in bold. Enjoy!
