Ministry From The Far Side

Missionaries are humans too! Observations from a missionary to Moldova.

The Early Morning 4 Mar 2010, 4:24 am

I leave tomorrow morning in the middle of the night, heading back to the US for some services (and a wedding).  I really hate being away from the family, even for two weeks.  I guess it is worth it for us though, as an opportunity to share about the Home of Hope, raise some funds for the next few months, and reconnect with some churches. 

But I always get a little anxious before leaving, knowing that I still have a myriad of details to finish, things to buy, and stuff to get prepped for departure.  I haven't thought about packing, I need to show Elissa how to download their Amazing Race program, and I need to write out a list of tasks for Gheorghe for the next two weeks.

But it is 5:30 am.  I woke up early today, just needing the extra time to get things ready.  I love the quiet of the morning.  I try to sneak out of the room without waking Nancy, closing all the doors to the kids room, and then let out the dogs.  Hopefully they don't do their early morning shakes until I get the door closed so they don't wake up the kids.  I started the coffee, sweet Obsidian Caribou coffee sent by our friend John.  Usually by the time I've finished making the coffee, the dogs are ready to come in.  Britta (the German Shepherd) crashes again by the basement door, while Grace (the miniature Schnauzer) jumps up on the couch.  She is gently snoring as I write.

I have my favorite rocking chair.  The skies are dark, with just a hint of lightening to the darkness.

And all is well.

I can read my Bible (though I forgot it this morning upstairs).  I like to read a challenging book, or just sit and enjoy the silence.  If it was warm enough to crack the window, I'd hear a dozen roosters from the neighborhood, countless dogs, a few stupid cats yowling after their night prowling.  I might even here the early morning bells from the Orthodox church, glad every time that I don't live across the road from it!

But all is well.

Morning is my reset time, where I try and enjoy the moment.  I want to carry this peace throughout my day, no matter the anxieties that attempt to invade my mind.  I want to remember that what is truly important is this...a time with the Lord, the solitude and quiet of the dawn, and the knowledge that all is well with my soul.

Source: Ministry From The Far Side | Raatz

Blue Skies 23 Feb 2010, 7:38 am

My last e-letter (and my last post) was about the transition into a High-Def life.  I had that concept come to mind when I finally saw the sun (after weeks of disappearance).  The rays of sun returned color to our de-saturated world!  My last 3 months of gray and drabness had reduced the COLOR of Moldova to color, a faint representation of reality.

My mind then began to think of C.S. Lewis.  I try to read the Chronicles of Narnia annually, and my favorite section is the last chapters of The Last Battle.  Lewis's description of heaven is so intense, so intriguing.  The characters are still in something like their world, but everything is better...bigger...more colorful...more filled with life.  They realized that their old world was just a poor representation!

The world around us is unique to us.  We receive input through our eyes and ears.  I am not colorblind (I pass all those tests!).  But I don't know if my eyes and brain receive sensory input like yours do.  My taste buds don't!  What I think is bland is spicy for my wife!

I wonder if this fallen world, enshrouded by sin and its effects, has dimmed reality to the point where our senses do not SEE reality as God intended.  We eat its plastic fruit and enjoy the taste, unaware of the TASTE that God originally intended.

We enjoy friends, unaware of FRIENDSHIP as God intended, relationships with total openness, acceptance, and authenticity. 

The substitutes for joy and happiness are quite lame, not lasting long.  I see friends trying to find joy in a better job and a bigger house, in pleasure cruises and fishing trips, in inappropriate sexual relationships and self-focused positioning for power.  All because they want to find significance, happiness, and satisfaction.

I want to see, hear, taste, and feel like world as God intended, a world full of Joy, Intensity, Peace, Satisfaction. 

Lord, help me see my substitutions for You.  Help me live in Your world.

Source: Ministry From The Far Side | Raatz

High-Def 20 Feb 2010, 8:53 pm

My last e-letter was about the difference between blah-color and high-def.  Our Moldovan winters have been so gray that I was losing all inspiration to shoot photography!  Photography is the at its roots "the study of light."  We just haven't had much of that light over these last few weeks!

When blue skies peeked out last week, I called the girls outside and said, "Look!  What is that?"  They all went, "Huh?" 

"It's blue sky!  Don't you remember what it looks like?"  I replied.

I wonder if that will be our reaction when we arrive in heaven?

It is too late to follow this thought more, but tomorrow I want to write a little more about this idea, something that C.S. Lewis best described as living in the Shadowlands.  We live now in a place that is a pale representation of reality--God's heavenly world.

When did you first discover this idea?

Source: Ministry From The Far Side | Raatz

Communication Overload 16 Feb 2010, 5:03 pm

I deal with a lot of communication.  Throughout the years of ministry, I have developed friends across the globe, wonderful friends with which I share some great memories. 

• We have made friends from teams that have served here.
• Friends from churches we've pastored
• Friends from shared ministry and missions work
• Friends from school, work, and travel

Yet there are days where I'm just tired of communication!  Facebook has lost most of its appeal for me.  Twitter can be incessant and annoying.  Emails roll through continually.

It isn't that I don't want to hear from people.  I LOVE good letters and emails from friends.  I just seem to have hit a point where the writing back is too hard for me!

I would love a few days sitting with my parents, eating rice pudding and bratwurst.
I wish I had a week with John, shooting photos and drinking Caribou coffee (and I'd forgive him for using a Canon)
I wish I had a month with my two friends in Alaska, sitting on a river boat, glassing for moose or bear.
I'd love a few days with Bill, roaming the mountains out of Choteau.

I think my communication blahs are mostly about the long-distance communication.  Emails and posts are to relationships like velveeta is to cheese...a poor substitute for something real.

But then again, it sounds just like a empty religion...a poor substitute for a relationship with Christ.  Why be satisfied with something fake like that?

I'm going to be satisfied with my real relationship with Jesus, even as I struggle with the silly emails.

Source: Ministry From The Far Side | Raatz

10 Feb 2010, 10:20 am

Been thinking about the need for generosity. I am NOT a prosperity gospel person, and do NOT give in order to receive. But there is something about God's blessing on those that are responsibly generous with God's blessing.



In other words, I do not give $100 in order to receive $1000. But I have found that as I generous toward God, He does provide for me needs.



I have been just a tiny stressed over the financial needs I am feeling (in ministry, not personally). I know of the financial load for the Home of Hope, toward the 2 or 3 churches we want to get finished, towards the outreaches for this summer, and for the wells we want to put in this spring and summer.



But I am feeling that God is calling me to live generously with all our ministry funds, not to hold back out of fear.



Who can I bless? To whom do I need to give? Just thinking.

Source: Ministry From The Far Side | Raatz