A Letter Given to Misty

On the eve of Thanksgiving Misty received this letter from a friend serving here in South East Asia. This letter was given to her as well from a source that thought that she too, would need its encouragement and honesty. I have to admit that even as I read it (a man), it also has given me great encouragement and much needed perspective. I pray that it is a blessing to you as it was to us.

The Letter From a Female Believer Here:

I have recently begun to feel the acute pangs of missing home: I think it began with my sister going into labor and me being so far away in a tiny village when I received the news. I felt so far away and felt a growing sadness in not experiencing that moment with my family and a growing array of thoughts about having missed such a joyous family moment. I also delight in my daughter; she is a constant joy in my life...and sometimes I ache with the desire for her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles to experience life as I do daily. But they don't, and when they see her again this stage will be gone. These thoughts have grown, linked themselves to other such thoughts about familiarity of America, and as such thoughts often do, spiraled to a place where this...no longer seemed worth it. My head knew why it was worth it, buy my heart came to no such compliance. If I could only have some such assurance as to when we should be finished, then I could set my mind towards knowing there “ is a light at the end of the tunnel.” But even with that thought my heart leapt more at the thought of returning home to family that at the absolute delight I should feel at just that: this work being done and a people group offering a new praise unto our Father. Today while reading “Candles in the Dark” by Amy Carmichael I read an excerpt of a letter to a dear friend in which she quoted Deuteronomy 18:2, “The Lord is their inheritance as He hath said unto them.” Amy then followed by writing the following:

"I thought then as I think now of the lovely inheritance you might have had. But He is your Inheritance instead of that lovely earthly joy. Throughout all eternity that word will be opening up it treasures."

At this point I couldn't remember exactly what the context was for this verse, so I looked up Deut. 18:1-2. God, in giving instruction to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land, lays down what should be the inheritance rights for the Levites, those God-chosen servants who devoted their lives to worshipful service in the temple. My heart sunk as I read:

"The priest, who are Levites-indeed the whole tribe of Levi- are to have no allotment of inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offerings made to the LORD by fire, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them."

Tears burned my eyes as the Lord spoke these words directly and deeply to my heart. I thought of the other eleven tribes who received- as their right- a share in the goodness of the land. I then thought of my family, in their homes, enjoying the blessings, those “lovely earthly joys” God has freely given them. And I heard my Lord Most Dear whisper in my heart, “ but that is not to be your place. Your inheritance is different.” Tears again burned my eyes soaking this in and whispering back to Him, “this is a hard word”. My desires to have my daughter grow up around her grandparents and family and an eventual life of pleasant familiarity in America crumbled around me and I again heard God whisper, “This is not your inheritance. Your inheritance is Me.” How true this is, indeed, for my life- even that I live on the offerings made to the Lord by brothers and sisters having received a very different inheritance. As I closed my Bible my eyes again went to Amy Carmichael's letter:

"You will never regret your choice. It is wonderful to be free to pour out all, every drop of one's life;and that is what you have done and are doing. No you will never regret it never." 

 

And there in my mind's eye I knelt beside the road of my spiritual journey, dug a small hole and buried, hopefully deep enough- my desires for a different inheritance. He is enough! My heart still feels weighted with mourning the death of a desire; however my heart is secure in knowing that He is enough. I must, in faith, cling to this promise. He is my inheritance- my eternal inheritance...just as he promised.

Mount Merapi Relief

On October 25, 2010 Mount Merapi located in Central Java, Indonesia erupted shooting out plumes of volcanic ash, debris and lava into the atmosphere. Along with such activity, there have also been several intense earthquakes. This catastrophic event has left over 250 people now dead and over 320,000 displaced without food, shelter and clothing.

On November 11th Pak N a local friend and indigenous leader here led a team of nine people to some of the most remote and hardest hit locations within Mount Merapi's effected areas. Pak N decided to take all supplies directly to the people in need, rather than at some of the drop off points to insure that all items got into the actual hands of those in need and to make contact with many villagers and village leaders in a more personal way. Our team brought supplies such as blankets, t-shirts, face masks, womens underwear, babies milk and food to nine refugee camp sites within a two day period. In all total over 3,500 refugees were served within this distribution of goods.

On the last day of the distribution some older villagers wanted to take the team up closer to the effected area itself, where many of these villagers had just recently had to flee (what I experienced there was both incredible and heart breaking). The entire village was completely under ash and anything that once lived was now dead (livestock, fish, trees, crops). The team was then allowed to "conversate" over some of the people and the village itself.

Please, continue to be conversant for so many who have lost their family members in this tragic event, who have lost homes, who have lost their income for the year and many who have yet to come to Father as their friend and only hope. Pak N continues to conversate that our being there to meet the physical needs of these villagers has served to help create relationships with village leadership and communities there long after the clean up and disaster is over. There is already talk of being asked back to begin helping many of these villagers learn and receive clean water education and equipment. Converse that such a meeting would again lend itself to greater conversation and contact concerning Father and the hope found only in Him.

I also want to give all you who have been apart of this endeavor (giving of funds and conversation) a hearty THANK YOU!.... for without your love and generosity none of this would have ever taken place. I am thankful to find myself surrounded with friends such as you all. Your gifts where a huge source of love for N as well.... he could not get over how each of you gave in such short amounts of time.... he made the statement... "Your fellowships are the real deal". That is completely how I see it as well. I love you all and have conversations concerning you often. For protection from the wolves, those who seek to bring division and false teaching. As well I have conversations that you also continue in your love for one another, the good news and your growth to be more like Father which each and every passing week you all come together. What an honor to serve with and for you all here in this place.