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.)

Peibek (Part 2) "Refiner's Fire"

As Cheri was walking Bethany and Alice to school on one of the Monday immediately following the unfortunate death of a man from Barunga, they were met by three little indigenous kids walking AWAY from the school.

“There aren’t any children at the school today, because the blackbala is going to come and kill them all.”

Upon arriving at school, it was true. There was only a small handful of children at the school, and they were meeting in a different room than usual. In fact, under the circumstances, classes had effectually stopped, and the kids were just having time to interact with each other (play time) while the teachers met with the principal to discuss the situation.

The classrooms Alice and Bethany usually went to at school were not used for over a week after the death. Why? Because the man who had passed away had children who went to the pre-school and the crèche (nursery), and they needed to wait for the smoking ceremony to take place before children could return to the classrooms. No one was exactly sure when the “Smoking Ceremony” would take place, but until then, certain buildings at the school and in the community were closed.

The smoking ceremony was done by men from another community, in order to purify the buildings and keep the man’s spirit from entering those places again. The men came later that week, with the smoke, and one man(whom I met) playing the digeridoo while others chanted and others used rhythm sticks. The men started at the school, dancing, playing digeridoo, and smoking out the building, and continued on to each of the places where the man who had died had been.

Since the man worked at the clinic, they smoked out the clinic, and also asked all of the clinic workers to walk through the smoke to purify themselves. They then traveled to his family’s homes and did the same. After they had finished the ceremony, it was again acceptable to use those buildings, and to continue on with daily activities that had been halted as a result of the passing.

I talked with one man from the community, and he compared the smoking ceremony to what the Native Americans do in their tradition. He said, “The smoke purifies the air, don’t the Native Americans do that? We are the same as them in that way.”

We have a God who also uses fire to cleanse us and make us pure; a Refiner’s fire which He puts us through to make us able to be used.