Church

We are going to church at Newman Chapel, an expat church that meets in the school multi purpose room. It is run like many churches in the states with a few exceptions. The  preachers are all volunteers that rotate and preach either one sunday, or do a mini series, and the worship leaders are volunteers that rotate Sundays as well. It is small enough that there is a brief time for community announcements at the beginning of service, and visitors or new people are introduced. There is also a time or people to share prayer requests and someone will pray for them right away. It has the feel of a big family meeting, the way I imagine the community of the early church. 

This past Sunday, we were singing songs about sacrifice and depending on God, and it hit me. We were living among people that were living out the words of the song. They were not just singing words on a screen, or singing in hopes it would be true, their lives actually reflected God’s calling. Worship was unadulterated. 

I am excited to live among these people for a few years. Both to encourage them and support their work, but also to learn from them the meaning of living our live for the Lord. 

Embrace the Blue

I walked into our apartment and held back tears. After a long week of travel, I was walking into what was to be our home for the next two years. The apartment itself is a basement apartment that we were told was being used for storage. It has two nice size rooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen, but the fact that it is in a basement makes it rather gloomy. Also the windows look out onto jungle trees, which are beautiful but they do not help with the light. The furniture and appliances were scarce, but the thing that was staring me in the face as I walked in was a bright blue pleather couch with a gold and black trim. A Velvet Elvis poster would have completed my dismay. 

I knew that life in a third would country would be different. I knew there would be a lot of things I would have to get use to or learn how to “deal” with, but sitting on this blue whale taking up space in the corner of our apartment I can only think of it as God’s colorful way of teaching and stretching me. 

I am learning that God is not trying to merely teach me contentment, but to change my value system. I need to remember that my home is not here in Papua, nor even in Spokane, but in Heaven. I need to hold loosely the things of this world and hold tightly to the treasures we have in Heaven. 

Until then, I won’t let the cobalt creature in the corner defeat me. It is there as a reminder God has my needs here on earth covered, and is preparing a grand home for me in Heaven. Now don’t get me wrong. My relationship with the couch is cordial at best, but in my attempt to make our apartment a little more homey, I have bought things that come in blue. Blue storage tubs for the shelves, blue sheets, blue towels. Our mantra: “embrace the blue.”

Aslan is on the Move

We missed the largest snow of the year thus far by one day. It is hard to imagine the tree boughs heavy with snow and the calming effect it has on the busyness of life, when our sweaty clothes are sticking to us, and the bugs create a constant hum. Snow seems so distant, so foreign, a different world. Perhaps it is the magic of snow that makes me think of Narnia, but I can’t help but think of how there are threads of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe running through our own story. 

Recall the part where Mr. Beaver is telling the children about Aslan and it stirs in them new and strong feelings. 

“They say Aslan is on the move - perhaps has already landed.”

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning - either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Chapter 7

Again Mr. Beaver is taking the children to see Aslan and through a turn of events they run into Father Christmas. The arrival of Father Christmas brings excitement to all Narnians, as it means that Aslan has come back and the power of the White Witch is loosening. 

“I've come at last,” said he. “She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The Witch's magic is weakening.” -Father Christmas

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Chapter 10

In very much the same way, we have seen the Lord working in the things around us. One thing after another seemed to be nudging, no shoving, us in the direction of us moving to Papua in January. We were able to apply for visas early, we raised 90% of our funds in a few weeks, and all the other little things that were signs we were supposed to leave now. We felt a sense of peace amidst the pain of leaving, and a spark of courage in the darkness of fear. We can only attribute these things to God moving in our lives. For us the snow, was melting, Christmas had come, Aslan was on the move.