The Next Step...

Dear Friends and Family,

            Greetings from Australia!  We have been serving here with AuSIL, the local branch of Wycliffe for 2 ½ years. Many of the goals we had before coming to Australia have been accomplished.  We have built relationships here, we have learned (and continue to learn) Kriol.  We have been part of dubbing the Luke DVD into Kriol.  We have also been part of many different Bible study workshops and one song writing workshop.  We have been blessed with an excellent team to work with, and have built lasting friendships with our team members.

            Though we have been able by the Lord’s grace to accomplish much, we feel the Lord leading us in a new direction.  We would like to serve through our local church in Katherine, and be able to teach more than is possible within Wycliffe.  We feel led to begin a youth ministry at our church in Katherine.  The church we have been attending is a new Baptist church plant, and there are many opportunities to serve through the church. 

            Through our time serving with Wycliffe I have noticed something significant.  Older people don’t seem to care as much about coming to church or serving God if they haven’t grown up with it.  The women who have been coming have consistently remembered with smiles the Bible clubs or weekly Bible meetings at their church when they were children.

            As I have observed the children in this area, I can see that they are lost.  The methods being used to reach out to them aren’t overly successful.  There are good beginnings, but there is a lack of consistent outreach for various reasons, with little or no follow-up.  Follow-up is also known as the first step to discipleship.

            The ladies in the church have all agreed; there needs to be more outreach to the youth, and  they have suggested a weekly meeting for the kids.  While serving with Wycliffe, I would not be able to take the lead in this ministry, though the ladies are all grandmothers and either working or too old/sick/busy to carry out this type of ministry on their own.  Wycliffe’s stance is for the indigenous church to take the lead in ministry, not the non-indigenous person to come and take over.  My intent isn’t to take over, but to serve until the time comes when the churches here are able to reach out on their own, training people up who are passionate about reaching the youth.

            Living costs in the Northern Territory are rather high.  As a result of our move and a quadrupled rent price, I looked for a job to help meet the costs we will have.  I have been offered a job working at a motel here in Katherine.  It is a full-time position as a receptionist/manager.  This was an answer to prayer for us.  However, it will also limit our time in ministry. 

            Our hope and tentative plan is to have a sort of youth group meeting fortnightly.  One week in Katherine for the kids there, and the other week in Barunga.  We will do one group in English, and the other group in Kriol.  This would include games, singing with guitar, and then the Bible lesson and prayer.

            Since we will be leaving Wycliffe, our new accountability is our church here, the pastor and elders.  This also means we will no longer be supported through Wycliffe.  We wanted to thank each and every one of you for your faithful prayers and support over the past 5 years we’ve been with Wycliffe.  Each of you have been a blessing to us, and we will not forget your love and sacrifice for our family and the Kingdom. 

            We will be heading back to the States for a brief visit during the school holidays over here, to debrief from our time with Wycliffe as well as see family & friends.   Our tentative schedule is as follows:

            Dec 11-14 Dallas TX, for debriefing from Wycliffe

              Dec 15-18 Austin TX

              Dec 19-24 Phoenix/Tucson AZ

              Dec 24-31 Longmont CO

              Dec 31-Jan 5 Bemidji MN

            Jan 5 –Jared flies back to Australia to begin work at the motel; Cheri and the kids will remain through Jan 21 in MN/IL to visit friends and family.

            Please let us know if you’d like to get together with us while we’re in your area.  We would love the opportunity to reconnect with as many folks as possible.

            Again, for those who have served alongside us through prayer and financial support, thank you so much for joining us in the ministry God gave us, and may the Lord bless you as you continue to serve Him, whether it’s with us or in some other way.  You have been a blessing and we’re grateful for you. 

            If God is leading you to continue with us, please pray for us during this time of transition.  If you would like to give financially, we are currently working out how that can happen.  We will keep you updated through our blog and e-mail, and if you’ve got Facebook… J

                                                Serving Him Together,

                                                            Jared and Cheri,  Alice, Bethany, and Cameron

Real Ministry?

Often times I think people have a skewed view of who a missionary is and what a missionary does.  When people think of overseas workers they may think: "They like eating weird foods like grubs, kangaroo, shark stomach, and pig's head."

Then they may think, "They live in huts, have no running water, and have to save all their plastic bags because they don't have anything like that in (insert a country name).  They're the ones who are telling people about Jesus in unreached parts of the world."  Still others may think, "They're the ones who are constantly asking people for money, and they don't even do a real job."(hopefully this misguided group is a small one...)

As we work over here in Australia (or should I say, "Down Under?"), the definition of what a missionary is and what a missionary does eludes me at times.  Does it truly matter where we are on the globe?  Does it really matter what our climate is and what the wildlife look like?  What is the point of a missionary?
 
Aren't we called to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations?  Yes.  Are we called to bring others to Christ?  Yes.  Are we called to become like people we're trying to reach in order to be effective?  Yes.  Are these commands only for people who are "missionaries" in Australia, or Indonesia, or any other country?   NO.  Aren't these true for all Christians everywhere?

My prayer for every believer is that we realise God has made us with a specific purpose, and we have a part in His amazing plan to draw all men to Himself.  Where do we fit?  IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.  Are we all the same?  NO, praise the Lord!  But we've got to do the work God has laid before us to do, no matter what that looks like.  Not everyone is going to be heading to Australia to live in an indigenous community, learn a new language, and do workshops helping others to study God's Word in that language.  Not every believer is called to move to a new country to serve the Lord.  However, we are all called to make disciples.  We are all called to go and be witnesses.  We are all commanded to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices to God(which is acceptable).

What does that look like?  Well,(I ask myself) where has God placed me?  Who are the people around me?  Am I reaching out to them in a way that is relevant to them?  Am I using the gifts God has given me to bring glory to His name?  Am I doing everything I possibly can to bring glory to Him by helping others to know Him?

Oftentimes I feel unworthy, inadequate, like a failure, and a bit like nothing I do really matters.  However, according to God's Word, nothing done for him is a waste of time.  NOTHING.  I am not perfect, but I must continue to serve the Lord with all my heart--as imperfect and incomplete as my service may be--because He commands me to.  And because my life is not my own.  And aside from all that, what else is there for me, anyway?  Nothing.  Apart from Christ, nothing else matters.  And I will trust Him to take my broken, imperfect, incomplete work and make it useful, perfect, and complete.

What is "real ministry"?   I believe it's knowing exactly who our Master is, and fully submitting to His will, and teaching others to do the same.  More than that, to truly know Him, and to grow closer to Him every day--and help others to grow closer to Him as well.  The encouraging thing is, our Master is also our Father and He loves us, wants his best for us, and will walk with us and help us the entire way.  

A Quick Update

There have been so many things on my mind lately.  There are many different transitions we'll be taking in a short time, and I'm excited to see what God is going to do in this next part of our ministry here.

Currently, we are hosting a couple from the States as they do recording for an audio Kriol Baibul.  We have been blessed to record with 2 different folks here in Barunga and have finished recording the book of Titus (Taidus).  It went well.  Jim and Mary Alice have put in a lot of work to make the project go well.  We have appreciated their flexibility (when world views collide) and their kindness.  They have been very hard at work recording, and when they aren't recording, they are editing like mad!  :)  May God bless them for their dedication.

We are also looking ahead to moving our family to Katherine in December.  We are planning on moving before the new school year so our kids can start at a school in Katherine.  There are many reasons for this transition: Alice and Bethany being the only "English as a first language" speakers in their class in Barunga, a slower pace--which is necessary with an ESL program but not too helpful for our girls; a lower view of education we've noticed in the community,  there are consistently children wandering during school hours because they simply didn't want to come to school.  We would really appreciate your prayers as we take this next step.

We have been looking at housing in Katherine and the cost to rent in Katherine is approximately 4 times the amount we are currently paying in Barunga.  In order to meet this cost, I have been working with an autistic boy over at the school every day, and have committed to helping him through December.  Trenton is 5 years old and his grandma is one of the church leaders in Barunga.  It has been a very challenging job, and Trenton has tested me many times.  However, this has also been an opportunity to get to know the kids in the community, and to build relationships with the teachers as well.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve and share Christ through my life.

We have been attending a small church plant in Katherine for several months on and off (depending on what's happening in Barunga) and are looking forward to further involvement with that group of people.  We are excited to see what God is going to do through this new church.  We have several ideas for indigenous ministry through this church, but ultimately God will direct our path.

Thank you all so much for your constant prayers and support of our family throughout our time here in Australia.  You are each a blessing to us, and we praise the Lord for each of you on our team.  If you have any questions about what's next with us, or any other questions, please ask.  God bless, yumob!!

Motorcycles for Cam

Here's a common sight here!!

Look close and see if you can see the fish with the rainbow tails!

Bye, Cam!  I love you, dude!

Thailand (from a Mullet's eye view...)

The course hasn't started yet, but a group of us went out to see the Sunday night market.  It was a lot of fun!  I hope you enjoy the pics. :)  Thank you so much for your prayers for me and this group as we go through this course.

This was the first group we saw playing on the market.  The drummer was using pots and jugs of different sizes.

This group had some more traditional type instruments.  Very neat!  Can you name them? ---If you can, help me out! :) 

This man and wife were a neat pair.  He played, and she danced.

The market was full of lots of people, it was actually difficult to stay in our small group of 4 people without being separated by many other people. (Though this picture doesn't really communicate that very well!)

When I saw this sign, I just laughed!  As you can tell, the lady needs to "powder her nose".  There's also no question what the guy needs to do!

Liche fruit peeled is great for making fake eyeballs.  (This pic is for Alice, Bethany, and Cameron.  Daddy misses you!!!)

2 years later...

It's hard to believe our family has been in Barunga for 2 years now.  So much has happened.  Our kids have grown, our relationships have deepened, and our hearts seem to have enlarged a bit as well.  There have been many things in the past 2 years that we have been blessed and challenged by.  Hopefully this blog has been a blessing to folks who have wanted to keep up with what we've been doing.   Here's a "Last two years" picture summary.

Just beginning to get our feet wet....  :)  This was our first weekend in Australia!

Fellowship with the church ladies on a Sunday evening!

Teaching a lesson at a Baibul Study workshop! (Sabi Mowa Blanga Godwei)

Tuesday afternoon Baibul study with the church ladies!

Recording the Luk DVD in Kriol!  :)

Cameron, Alice and Bethany REALLY getting their feet wet in our yard during "The Wet" season.

Making new friends "langa riba" (at the river)

Our faithful pooch, Olie.  He's a goof, and we love him.

We had a special visit from Cheri's "mum and dad".  :)

Cheri teaching a lesson at another discipleship course!

Here's our Kriol Team, "hard at work" planning for the next year of ministry.  

And a Sunday service during the discipleship course in Barunga!

A family getaway to Nitmiluk National Park.  This is a great place to remember we are a family and we love each other! :)

A short trip to Melbourne for AuSIL meetings, and then a fun train ride for daddies and kids... Poor Cheri only got a women's "pamper party". :(  :)

Below is a pic from the song writing workshop we had last week in Barunga.  It went really well, and people wrote 4 new songs using Kriol Scripture--and more in the works! :)

Here's a better picture of our team: (L to R) Rachel, John, Jenna, "Angelic" Margaret, me and Cheri, Alice, Bethany and Cameron!

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support of our family as we continue to serve here in Australia.  We are looking forward to what he will be doing in the future as well.  May God be glorified in our lives as we serve Him together.

"What was he wearing?"

A couple of weeks ago we went to the "Katherine Show"--rodeo/stock show, and had a bit more excitement than we were anticipating.

There were SO MANY PEOPLE at the fairgrounds, and booths of various games and rides and everything else that goes with the fair.  The line to get in was about 1 city block long.  For those of you in CO, it resembled the line at 6 pm at Casa Bonita.  Praise the Lord Cheri bought our tickets online! :)

We went to several exhibits as a family, including a horse jumping show and polo crosse game.  It was cool to see those guys in action on their horses!  The whole time we were watching the show, the kids were asking to go to the ferris wheel.  So, after a few shows, we headed over that direction.  Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs.

As we were walking away, it occurred to us that we didn't hear Cam, so we started looking around--casually at first(at a quick pace) and then the panic which every parent feels started to kick in after about 5 minutes of searching, and seeing a TON of children and adults, but no Cameron!

By God's grace, a police officer was walking past us at that very moment, and we told him what our situation was.  For some reason, when I woke up that morning, and Cam was getting dressed, I thought, "Memorize what he's wearing."  I didn't think of it again until...  I described Cameron to him, what he was wearing, etc. and he told me he would radio the other policemen in the fairgrounds to start looking for him.  In the meantime, I started walking up and down the rows of booths and looking at the hundreds of kids/adults everywhere.

As I walked I prayed, "Lord, please let me find him!  Please let him be safe.  Please watch over and protect him."  Thoughts were going through my mind, horrible 'what if's'..."Where could he be?  What if someone has kidnapped him?" and all the worse thoughts of what might happen...  My pace quickened and my prayers were as fervent as ever, looking and praying, looking and praying.

After about 15 minutes of searching, by God's grace I saw Cameron hiding behind one of the stalls, just barely out of regular view.  He was standing there crying,  poor boy.  When I reached him I said, "CAMERON MULLET!"  and scooped him up, and hugged him tight.

"I couldn't find you!" he sobbed.  Praise the Lord I found him.

Sitting back from the whole situation, I thought, "Isn't that just like us and God?"  I think it is.  When we go astray and can't seem to find Him, I believe He is actively seeking us out and will not give up until his lost son or daughter is found.  He loves people just like I love Cameron; and I know his heart shouts for joy when we turn and find him--just like my heart shouted for joy when I found my precious little boy.

Check out Luke 15. (the whole chapter!)

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."  Luke 15:7  

Not there yet...

It's hard for me to believe my oldest daughter is already 7 years old.  It seems like only yesterday she was born, and in seven years so much has happened in her life:  She's moved over 12 times, had open heart surgery, learned to ride a bike, ...  Before I know it, she'll be driving.  --But I don't want to think about that right now.  :)

It's odd, because it seems like just yesterday I was saying, "I wish I was seven!  Second graders are so old!"  Time really goes by quickly.  My life will be coming to a close before I know it, and when I look  back I hope to have lived a life that is pleasing to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Something I've been thinking about a lot has been my lack of ability to "live right" and truly follow Christ.  I feel truly inadequate, desperately sinful and hypocritical.  I understand it's a journey, and God is daily working on me and making me into the person I am created to be, but I seem to throw a bunch of "spanners in the works". (Aussie for "mess things up"...)

I want my life to be a blessing to my Lord, and to the people I interact with.  I want to practice what the Bible says, not just say what the Bible says.  I don't want to look into the Mirror, and then walk away and forget what I look like.(Check out James.)  When it comes to the final day of judgement, I know I will not be able to hold my head high.  Christ is my righteousness.  Apart from him, I am nothing.   With his help, I can do the impossible; whatever the "impossible" is.  "With God, all things are possible."  He who began a good work in me will be faithful to bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

So, what can I do?  Simply cling to him, trust him, and take it a day at a time--because before I know it my days will be finished.

Who needs a gun...

...When you've got a Cruiser?

I was asked by my "brother" to give a ride to him and his family from Barunga to a neighbouring community.  It was dark out, and the community was about a half an hour down the road.
  Driving in the evening/twilight time in the Northern Territory is not always a good idea.  It's during that time, and during the night, when the wallabies and kangaroos come out of the bush to eat, and sit by the road.  However, since I have driven many times at night here, I was okay with it.
  On my way home from the community, a kangaroo jumped out of the bush, and smacked the side of the Cruiser.  It wasn't a large kangaroo, so there wasn't damage to the car, but my thought was, "I wonder if I killed it?"  So, I hopped out, and there it lay, "finished".  I thought about just driving away and forgetting about it, but then I remember how many times indigenous friends from up here have said, "We hit a kangaroo, and so we chucked it onto the roof, took it home and cooked it up!"  The kangaroo wasn't mangled, just "finished".  So, I chucked it onto our roof, and drove the 15 remaining minutes back to Barunga.
  As I was driving past my "Nana's" camp, I told them what had happened, and asked if they wanted the kangaroo.  They told me yes, and thank you!
  We unexpectedly ran out of bread today so I drove over to the shop to pick up some more, but it was closed.  I was about to drive home and simply tell Cheri I had no bread, but then I thought of Nana Jocelyn.

I went over to her house, and she asked me what I had come for.  I explained that we ran out of  bread, and asked if she had any.  She came back with 2 loaves of bread!  She also told me that they had cut up the kangaroo, and were going to cook it today or tomorrow.

  We are deepening our relationships with folks.  When I asked for the bread, and she gave it, she said, "I know I can ask you for things too."

"...in all my remembrance of you..."

Some songs are dangerous to listen to while you're living far away from your extended family and friends.  They should almost be illegal.  I was listening to one such song just the other day, and thinking of "home".  It was "Faith My Eyes" by Caedmon's Call.
   I know we probably won't be returning to the U.S. soon; there is still work to be done here, and I'm glad and honoured to be a part of doing it.  I couldn't imagine doing something other than what God has given us to do here.  And yet, I think of home.  There are things I miss; specifically people I miss.  I think about my family: nieces I've never met, our kids growing up far from their family, other friends growing and having life experiences without us, and it's hard.  We know this is where God wants us to be, no question.  But sometimes I feel lonely.
   However, God has given us many friends and family here too.  We have been able to build strong friendships which will hopefully last the rest of our lives.  When we return to the States, I know we will be eager to come "home" to Australia and we'll be thinking of our "family" here.  We have been adopted into the kinship system, so I have more sons and uncles and aunties and grandmas than I know what to do with!
   Two specific men have been a special blessing to me: my indigenous brother, and my indigenous father.  Both of them are learning to follow the Lord and obey His Word, and they have been an encouragement to me.  My "dedi"(father in Kriol) lives in another community about 3 1/2 hours from Barunga, but he and my mami have come to many of the workshops we have done in the last 2 years.  He's a calm man with a gentle spirit.  Before he became a believer, he was one of the "serrimonimen" (traditional ceremony leaders) for his people.  After coming to the Lord, he decided it wasn't right for him to continue with the ceremony he led, so he stopped.  This was not looked on favourably in the community, but he stood firm in his faith.  He is a man I respect and look up to.
   My indigenous brother is another man I respect.  He is a new believer, and has shown true interest and desire to grow in his faith.  He left a life of alcohol after his Christian grandmother passed away.  He came to our house and asked to pray to dedicate his life to Christ, like his grandmother had trusted Christ.  He has continued to prove his conversion through constant attendance at church(even though he is the only man other than myself) and Baibul study.  Many times he has come to our house to pray and have Baibul study.  He is currently spending time living near my indigenous father, to grow in his faith and remove himself from tempting situations.
   I was especially encouraged when he made the decision to go and stay with my dedi, because then he has an indigenous man who lives here to help disciple him and grow him in the Lord. :)

So, though I feel homesick and think of all the family and friends we're missing back home, I am also blessed with this new family God has given us here.  Each of you are also part of our family, if you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord.  Until we see you all again,

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart..."
Philippians 1:3-7a

My Favourite Part. :)

As with every job anyone has, there are things I love doing, and other things that "aren't my favourite". Well, the last few weeks have been filled with several opportunities to do exactly what I really like doing. :)
  It has been rather busy, but also enjoyable.  My favourite part of ministry here in Australia is having opportunities to sit down with people and read/study God's Word, and learning to speak Kriol.  One morning after the Barunga Music and Culture Festival, we were visited by Ivan, my indigenous brother, and he asked us to pray with him.  After praying together, he stayed for another 3 hours to do "Bible reading".  PRAISE GOD!  Please keep him in your prayers.  He has been a huge encouragement to me, and I have seen that he is genuine in his faith.  He has been faithfully attending the Kriol Baibul Study, and has expressed an interest in becoming a pastor to his people.  If we can help to train him up and grow in his relationship with Dedi God and Baba Jisas (Father God and brother Jesus), YAY!  As I have spent more time with him, it has been a blessing to get to know him a bit more, and walk this road with him!  Thank you all so much for your prayers for him, our family, and for the men and women of Barunga and the surrounding communities.
  We are currently hosting TWO Jamaicans now.  They are both sleeping in the downstairs flat.  Kris-Ann has been with us for 2 weeks now, and Monique just came home with us yesterday.  They are both here to learn Kriol, and help people to study God's Word as well as find out how they can best use their gifts in this ministry.  Please pray for their adjustment to this culture and environment.  Pray we can be a blessing and help them in this part of their journey.
  We just returned from an indigenous leadership camp, training the church leaders and others in preparation for Yangbala Kemp (Youth Camp) coming in July!  It went well, and it was a blessing to spend time with my indigenous father.  He is a strong Christian man with a heart to share Christ with his family and community.  When Cameron saw him, he said, "Is he my grandpa?"  I told him yes, of course, so every time Cameron saw this old man, he would yell out, "HI GRANDPA!"  It was a blessing to me and to my "dedi" too.  Kids are a blessing.

  Thank you all so much for your prayers and support of our family and this ministry.  You are a blessing to us;  it's a pleasure and joy to serve with you!

                 In Christ, Jared

PS Here's some pics of life. :)

Bethany lost her 1st tooth! :) She's currently working on losing her 2nd!

This was a picture I liked of Cheri teaching a lesson at the discipleship course in Beswick.  The women enjoyed using the puppets, too!

This was the "pup tent" at one house in Beswick during the discipleship course.(SMBG)  Cameron and Bethany both loved holding the puppies.

On June 12th, Cheri and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary with a 12km hike through Nitmiluk National Park, and then dinner out.  I'm looking forward to spending another 88 with my Cheri Dear! :)

Picture update from the Mullets

Much has happened in the last couple of weeks, and I figured a good way to share was with some fun pictures! :)  I hope you enjoy them all.  Thank you so much for all your prayers and support of our family as we serve here in Australia.  It is a blessing to be a part of this ministry. :)

On June 12th, Cheri and I will be married for 8 years!  :)  Time flies when you're having fun.  Lord willing, we'll be allowed another 88!

Our "baby" is officially 4 years old!  Man, they really grow up fast.  :)  Cam's favourite gift was his skateboard, and Lightning McQueen helmet.  He likes to wear his helmet any time he can, including at the dinner table and to bed.

We just completed a short discipleship course in Beswick, 30 minutes drive from Barunga.  This is the Bible overview lesson.  Ivan and I are organising the books of the Bible on the poster board.  I really enjoy helping people become more familiar with their Bibles, and helping them to see the value of God's Word!  

Kris-Ann is one of 2 new team members of ours!!  She's been staying with us for the last couple of weeks, and is adjusting well to life in Australia, and in Barunga. :)  

    Thank you so much for all your prayers for our family, and for this work God has blessed us with.  You are a blessing to us.  Keep praying!  :)  God bless!

What's the BIG Deal?

    The BIG Deal no matter where one lives and works, whether it's in your home country or half-way around the world, is to bring glory and honour to our risen Lord!  How do we do this?  In so many ways, such as staying in tune with His Spirit and worshipping Him on a daily basis -- staying in the Word, in fellowship with other believers, in prayer, in song, etc. --  by being always ready to share the faith with anybody we come into contact with, with "gentleness and respect." -- by confessing your sin and turning from it -- by loving and serving our neighbour, (or our family members) out of love for Christ -- by cleaning toilets, housing people, giving away food, adopting orphans into your home, caring for the elderly-- by loving Christ so much that it shows in the way you give respect to all people and do not slander them even if you disagree with their views; wives, by not disagreeing with your husband in front of your children, etc; By following Christ and being obedient to Him, if it ever comes to it, to the point of death: obedience and respect to the government God has established over you, unless they try and make you renounce your faith, or something dreadful like that, then being committed so wholeheartedly to Christ, that a jail or death sentence on this earth would be counted as joy.
    How HARD is it to live the Christian walk, to walk the walk and not just talk the talk?  Quite hard!  But that is why He has given us His Spirit to live in us, and teach us, and guide us, and convict us in the way to go.  That is why He has promised us that He shall never leave us, never forsake us!  What a blessed promise that is, and we know we can trust Him always!  We know that nothing on this earth can separate His children from His love: not trouble, sickness, nakedness, persecution, death, demons, nothing.  (Romans 8) Remember, that as a believer, if you come down with cancer or something horrible, and God does not choose to heal you completely, that does not take you out of His great love for you.  If your child dies, God loves you just the same as if your child was still living.  We don't know why certain circumstances will happen in this life, but we do know we have a loving God whom we can trust to carry us through, and strengthen our faith. If you do not heal from a disease, it does not mean your faith is weak.  It might just mean your faith is growing stronger by the day, for you are learning to rely more upon the Father.

    I don't know why I just wrote all that.  I was supposed to be writing about Ivan.  Recently, God gave me an opportunity to bring Him glory by helping one man in our community come to know Him personally.  It was such a blessing, I love doing that, and it's neat to know that God allowed me to be home (Jared was gone), and allowed me to talk and pray with him.  We had not met him before, and he came of his own accord to our house in order to pray and follow Christ.  It was the highlight of my day and brought such joy and happiness to my heart to know that I had a new brother in Christ.  That's the BIG deal.

"There is a friend..."

"...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24b

The theme for this past month as been friendship: discovering new friends, and also enjoying the "old" friendships. :)  Relationship building is key to living in a new culture, to adjusting well and being able to "stick it out" in the hard times.  As we have lived here in Australia, and in Barunga specifically, the friendships we are building are a blessing.

Since we are living in Barunga, sometimes it's hard to separate life from work, and work from life.  I find myself saying, "How can we best show people we care about them?"  "Am I just a book salesman?"  Where is my heart?

The answer may not be surprising for yumob, (y'all in Kriol) and it wasn't an epiphany for me much either.  I was simply reminded in a big way where my heart lies: with the people.  There is no greater joy for me than to sit with folks and simply get to know them.  I like learning from them, and if I can help them/teach them, I enjoy that as well.  I enjoy enabling people to do what the Lord is calling them to do; and I really get excited when I am able to watch them apply it to their lives!

There are many different relationships/friendships built here.  Some relationships have been everyday seeing the people here in Barunga, whereas some are "workshop" relationships.  If we go to a neighbouring community and meet folks there, but we don't see them too often.  Anyway, there are many different friendships built in different contexts.

I met William and Marjorie while at the Katherine Christian Convention(KCC) last weekend.  They were two of the original translators for the Kriol Baibul.  Something I really appreciated about William was his patience in helping me with Kriol, and his ability to laugh at the little things.  He speaks the Roper River Kriol, which is a "heavier" Kriol than the one spoken in Barunga.  When I first met him, we were talking, and I used a phrase I learned while in a different community, and he laughed, and corrected me.  He would say, "Lagijat na."  "It's like that."  But I had learned at the other community they shorten it to, "Lat na."  So every time he saw me, he'd say, "Lat na!"  and then laugh.  Of course I'd say it back to him, and we'd both chuckle.  His heart to see God's Word in Kriol encouraged and inspired me in the work God has given us here.

Guy is a Christian man living in Barunga.  I have been able to sit with him at his house once, as well as see him on several occasions in the community and chat.  He is a blessing to me, and has given me the okay to come and visit him any time.  He stays very busy with work, and family as well.  He is a hard worker, so he's depended on by many people.  Please pray for me to be a blessing to Guy.  His wife, Beverly was also a member of the Kriol Baibul translation team.

Building relationships is THE ONLY WAY in indigenous society.  Relationships are everything.  There have been times when I've just been baffled by what strong ties our indigenous friends have to each other, and the responsibilities/obligations which come from those relationships.  When a relative (whether through blood or simply by skin name) asks for something, they give it.  Giving gifts is a common way to start and also continue a relationship.

For example, when we first arrived in Australia, and were at the Yangbala Kemp (Youth Camp),  there were a TON of flies!  It seemed there was no possible way to get away from them.  And they weren't polite, traditional "American" flies who just buzzed around, and landed on the table to be swatted.  These were the "fly-in-your-eyes, mouth, ears..." type of fly. I noticed our indigenous sister with a fly-net hat.  I said, "Cool hat!"  She took it off and said, "It's yours."  I was a little embarrassed, because I didn't mean to take it from her, but she explained, "You are my brother in Christ.  I want to give you this hat.  It's okay."  I'm still learning, but it seems to me that gift giving and receiving is a normal part of life.  It doesn't have to be anything large.  It could simply be tea or milk or sugar, but a gift shows a relationship.

As we continue to live here, and deepen our relationships with folks, please pray for wisdom and discernment in how to help them in the most important relationship of all: with Jesus Christ.

The Green Dress

  During the last couple of weeks, our family was blessed to go to Melbourne for Wycliffe meetings with misho's (missionaries) all over Australia.  It was encouraging to hear the reports from the different language groups represented, as well as to experience a new part of Australia.  

  For those of you with limited Australian geography under your belts, Melbourne is located WAY SOUTH, in Victoria(one of the states)...  We are in the Northern Territory (NT)  WAY NORTH.  It would be like going from the top of Minnesota down to El Paso, TX--except the weather would be switched.  It's tropical in the North, and colder in the South.

  The time in Melbourne was a blessing for us.  The kids (A, B and C) were being taken care of by a kind nanny named Robin, and they loved her!  She did a great job.  Having Robin with the kids freed Cheri and me up to go to meetings.  

  

In the mornings, I (Jared) was blessed to lead the praise music part of the conference, and was blessed to share with everyone Psalm 1, which I put to music(after David, of course!).  It was a blessing to sing God's Word with a bunch of missionaries, many of whom already had the Psalm memorised.  The gentleman who was doing the morning devotions walked us through John 17 each morning.  It was very encouraging and also challenging as we listened to how Christ prayed for us, and how we are to respond.  

  

There were so many reports given, and plenty of business talk, which I won't go into here. :)  

However, the report given by our Director is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.  As she was sharing with our organisation, I could just feel my heart sinking.

"In indigenous society, giving and receiving is extremely crucial to relationship building."  She explained how important receiving and giving is.  That is the way society works.  

Oh dear,...

Our colleague was frustrated one day and said, "I just don't get it!  I just took some indigenous friends of mine to see their uncle in the hospital.  The first thing they did when they saw him in the bed was ask, 'Do you have any money for us?' "  This happened on more than one occasion.

From a Western point of view, this is very rude and seems almost heartless and selfish.  

Our director shared a different story of an old woman who was dying in the hospital, and she would not stop giving her things away!  Her family members would come in to the hospital room and she would say, "Do you like that green dress, dear?  Take it!"  She only had a little bit left, but she was still giving.  

Why?

In indigenous culture, when someone is giving, they are still alive.  Once they have nothing left to give their life is over--socially speaking--even if they are still physically alive.  Giving is what connects them to their people, and to their family.

Once I heard our director say this, I wanted to smack my head on my desk!  How many opportunities had I missed to start a friendship simply because I didn't understand the system?  Is it too late now?  Oh dear!

In answer to those questions:  1. Several  2.  NO!

  I'm so thankful for the wisdom of our director and for God's grace in teaching me this lesson NOW.  As one lady at the conference put it (after hearing my lament), "Be glad you've heard it now!  You're still young.  I'm 80 years old..."  So, praise the Lord for giving me a new understanding, and more opportunities! :)

 

Please pray for cultural sensitivity and understanding as we continue to serve here amongst these different indigenous communities.  God is faithful, and through your prayers, He chooses to work.  Thanks for praying! 

***We have given several times when people ask for things, and there have been times when we simply could not give what was asked, and we turned folks down gently.  It was simply an eye-opener to see a bit more of the indigenous mind-set/worldview. :)

Basic everyday life. (or every WEEK life)

"LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."

Isaiah 26:12

I came across this Bible verse the other day as I was reading. This verse was a good reminder to me that everything we are doing here isn't really because of us. God is the one who accomplishes his good works through us. He's the only reason our lives or any of the ministry bear good fruit. He has done it for us. He is the one who changes hearts and causes things to happen as they do. At the end of the day, I can't take any credit for the things God has done. We have just been blessed to be included, and get a front row seat to see it unfold.

In the past 2 weeks, here are some things that we've been a part of. Cheri had the privilege of sitting with one of the church leaders to translate a pamphlet on a day we would usually have Baibul study. The other ladies had all fallen sick. The day had the potential to be very discouraging, but God used that time.

I was able to sit down and write the rough draft to a pamphlet on the Body of Christ in Kriol. This was quite a feat for me, because I have a hard time sitting still long enough to accomplish stuff. Specifically when the thinking is difficult, and I'm by myself. If you think of me, please pray I would be diligent and focused on what I need to do.

I'm not much of a desk work type person--for those of you who know me, this is NOT a surprise--and it seems that much of our work right now is "desk work". I'd much rather be out with people, learning Kriol and interacting with them. I appreciate your prayers.

Cheri, on the other hand, is amazing. She is in the middle of her third pamphlet, and is very passionate and dedicated. She also relates well to all of the olgamen(older ladies) who come to our house. She is a blessing. I need to learn a lesson or two from her. :)

Thank you so much for your constant prayers on our behalf. We are blessed to include each of you in our lives and ministry. Without your prayers, nothing of eternal value will take place, no matter what we do. And, in the midst of everything, good or bad, we need to remember what Isaiah prayed:

"LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." To HIM be the glory, forever.

Family Time!

This is a skate park/playground in Katherine. I LOVE THE RAIN!

Here are some random pics taken by the kids and us. I hope you enjoy them! :)

Beautiful Bethy Boo! (She cracks me up. :) )

Cam's self portrait from the i-pod.

Classic. :)

This one is for you, Grandma!!

A self portrait of Alice, via iPod.

We have several more of this^^^ genre. If you're interested in seeing "Mr. Noisy", Mr. Bump, or any of their friends, just ask. (Thank you, ABC, for your excellent photography.)