Here we go…again! Tonight we’re setting out on an epic cross country trip to visit friends and family that we don’t see often. Over the next 6 days and 3,000 miles we’ll be driving to Missouri to visit friends from our “Training Days”, then on to Wichita to share in a couple of Sunday school classes, before heading out across Colorado and Wyoming on our way to Missoula, MT. We would love to know that you are praying for us during this marathon trip.
Some (obvious) specifics are:
That our car would run as well as it has to this point (or better)
That we would have the patience to be cooped for that long
That Greyson would be his regular charming self for that long
That our time with our friends and family would be honor God
and further His Kingdom
We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We’ll let you know how everything went when (or if) we make it.
I quit my job yesterday. I slept in this morning, and I haven’t shaved in days. This afternoon I’m going out to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Next week I’m moving out of my house to go live on the road for the summer.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think that I was going through some kind of midlife crisis. The truth is, these are all just steps (except for sleeping in and not shaving…those are just signs of my laziness) that I need to take in our journey toward Indonesia. After working full time this past year, I am leaving gainful employment so that we can spend the summer months with family and dedicate more time to getting ready for November.
And my class M motorcycle license is also for Indonesia (although I MIGHT find some use for it here while the weather is nice). Since millions of Indonesians get around on scooters, I was encouraged to get my motorcycle endorsement so that we can get around the same way. I can’t wait to become a hardcore Vespa rider!
DISCLAIMER: By posting this video I’m not saying that I approve of everything about Radiohead or MTV. But I do like the message. And it got me thinking about this quote…
Is missions an option–especially for superwealthy countries like America? The biblical answer is clear. Every Christian in America has some minimal responsibility to get involved in helping the poor brethren in the Church in other countries. God has not given this superabundance of blessings to American and Canadian Christians so we can sit back and enjoy the luxuries of this society–or even in spiritual terms, so we can gorge ourselves on books, teachings cassettes and deeper-life conferences. . . . God is calling us as Christians to alter our lifestyles, to give up the nonessentials of our lives so we can better invest our wealth in the kingdom of God. - K.P. Yohannan
I’m thinking about things today. I bought a bunch of clothes yesterday. And I am busy writing up little yellow stickers to put on all of our mounds of junk to hopefully sell at our yard-sale extravaganza at the end of this month. That in and of itself is not wrong. But it is a focus issue. So often do pretty things get in the way of my current involvement in world and local missions; I am too busy with maintaining and enjoying my things to pray for others; I don’t want to wear plain inexpensive clothes, or give up my Duncan Donuts trips so I can give to others.
Are you like me? Do you cycle between guilt about all of the things you have (especially after watching a movie like this), or apathy and a lack of interest in other people’s suffering? What small steps would God have me do to move beyond both of those reactions (because neither of them are right), and use all of my things for His glory? I don’t know yet. What do you guys think?
Because you all have been very kind and very good…I’m going to write TWO posts this week. Or maybe it’s because I have been lazy, and haven’t written in awhile… Whatever the reason may be, I wanted to share this wonderful Indonesian spice cake recipe. I don’t know if it is a very common thing in Indonesia, we’ll just have to ask Becky or Dana. Beware it is loaded with everything bad for you and nothing good for you, unless you consider cinnamon to be heart healthy.
Spekkuk Bumbu
INGREDIENTS All ingredients should be at room temperature 2 cups sifted cake flour (don’t use self-rising flour), plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), plus more for greasing
1 2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sifted confectioners’ sugar (for garnish, optional)
PREPARATION
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 3-1/2-inch tube cake pan (or — my preference — use a nonstick pan of that size, and don’t grease and flour it).
2. In a medium bowl, resift the sifted flour along with the baking powder, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and salt. Resift the flour mixture one more time, then set it aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the softened butter until it is soft and very pliant, about 1 minute (or about 4 to 6 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon). Gradually add the sugar, and beat on high speed until it is pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes (or about 6 to 8 minutes by hand).
4. Beat in the 4 whole eggs by hand, one at a time, until the butter and egg mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (or 5 minutes by hand).
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture in 3 equal parts, beating on low speed or stirring with the wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and the flour is well combined with the butter and eggs. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks and the vanilla, and continue to beat or stir until they are well mixed into the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it until the surface is even.
7. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. This cake will nearly double in size as it cooks.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and set the cake on a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. If necessary, run a thin knife around the perimeter and the inner rim of the cake to help detach it from the pan. Invert the cake, turning it out upside down onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
9. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and sprinkle the top with sifted confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
found on Epicurious. Visit the page for more information and history.
“I’ve learned to hold everything loosely because it hurts when God pries my fingers from it.” Corrie Ten Boom
A painful little lesson about the ”temporariness” of things. Greyson is learning quite well though; he didn’t cry, he just shrugged and looked for something new to play with. Oh how I could learn from him. I am never so resilient.
“God called unto him and he said, Here am I” Exodus 3:4When God speaks, many of us are like men in a fog, we give no answer. Moses’ reply revealed that he was somewhere. Readiness means a right relationship to God and a knowledge of where we are at present.We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. The man or woman who is ready for God and His work is the one who carries off the prize when the summons comes. We wait with the idea of some great opportunity, something sensational, and when it comes we are quick to cry - “Here am I.” Whenever Jesus Christ is in the ascendant, we are there, but we are not ready for an obscure duty.
Readiness for God means that we are ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, it makes no difference. We have no choice in what we want to do, whatever God’s programme may be we are there, ready. When any duty presents itself we hear God’s voice as Our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with all the alertness of our love for Him. Jesus Christ expects to do with us as His Father did with Him. He can put us where He likes, in pleasant duties or in mean duties, because the union is that of the Father and Himself. “That they may be one, even as We are one.”
Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready when God has called! The burning bush is a symbol of everything that surrounds the ready soul, it is ablaze with the presence of God.
Yesterday on a balmy day, we drove down to our small local ice cream shop to buy Grey his first ice cream cone. It was a classic place: fading sign, baked and peeling vinyl booths, worn counter with a jolly old man behind it. Grey saw all of the new people to look at and talk to, and got excited. He used his big blue eyes and constant chatter to charm a free vanilla cone out of the ice cream scooper man. Then the two ancient regulars, the old ice cream scooper, the helpful grandmother, and Michael and I all turned to watch our cute little boy enjoy his first ice cream; all the way down to the tip of the cone. It is so much fun to see things through the eyes of a little kid.
We were encouraged to get some updates from our classmates in the last couple of days, and wanted to share with you the things God is doing through this unique (and crazy group of people)…won’t it be exciting to look back on this in a couple of years and see what is happening then?
Kris (and MaryJane) and Brad (and Rebecca) recently visited the tribal group they hope to work with in Brazil.
Brandt and Emily are half way through Indonesian study in Indonesia.
Aaron and Amy are almost finished with French study in France and are visiting their future country of ministry as I write.
Ryan and Sarah are working on getting their visas for Papua New Guinea.
Tim and Karis are settling into their ministry in Brazil.
Ryan and Lisa and Mike and Karen are in Mexico learning Spanish.
Brian and Sherri are finishing up their French study in Quebec and are getting ready to leave for Guinea.
John and Janalyn are half way through Indonesian study in Indonesia.
Jon and Kimberly are almost finished with Spanish study and are planning their future ministry in Bolivia.
Jeremy left for Indonesia recently.
Al and Girlie have finished language study and are ready to move into the tribal group that they are going to work with in the Philippines.
Naomi and Cori are very close to finishing Indonesian study and is praying about where to work in Indonesia.
Katie finished Pidgin study and is planning on moving into a tribe in Papua New Guinea.
Jenny (along with Kent) and Amy are getting ready for Mozambique.
Josh and Heidi are settling into Mongolia and beginning to learn the language.
Grant and Sarah are settling into their ministry in Australia.
You may have realized that I haven’t listed everyone (though it may feel like it). For one reason or another (like us) they aren’t ready to leave yet. Please pray for everyone above, and for our fellow missionaries who don’t yet have enough money, or need to finalize other things (like visas) before they can leave.
How will our world be affected by the people I listed above?
I woke up hungry. I wake up hungry most mornings , but Saturday morning I was hungry. “How long has it been? Let’s see…noon to midnight, plus seven and a quarter…” I had starved for less than 20 hours ! A personal record, sure, but not that impressive, really. “I can do this Michael! I think.”
At the same time, a few miles away at Macungie Baptist Church a dozen or so middle and high schoolers were also waking up hungry. They were part of World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine and they were starving themselves to raise money for hungry children. Amy and I had the chance to hangout and talk with them about spiritual hunger and eternal starvation Friday night. To empathize with them (as they empathized with hungry children) I decided to starve a little myself. I didn’t do too well.
After 23 hours without food (do 5 calorie bullion cubes or hot chocolate count?) I decided to stop starving. The irony here is quite sad, of course, but my not eating wasn’t really helping anyone. What our new friends at MBC were doing (volunteering at the Rescue Mission, collecting sponsorship money, learning about world hunger) was helping. And as they starved there way through Saturday, I hoped those kids would realize that much of what we have here is luxury that millions of others don’t share (including an eternal hope if they do starve to death in a day and a bit…which seems unlikely until you wake up really hungry).
DOUGH (thanks to my gorgeous grandmother) 2 c flour
1 T yeast
2 T sugar
2 T oil
2 t salt
2 1/2 c lukewarm water
Mix this well and then add enough flour to make a good consistency, approximately 2 1/2 c of flour, but may need more or less for a good texture. Shape into a round pizza shape. Sprinkle with cornmeal or flour. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, until the top of the crust feels dry to the touch. Top with Alfredo sauce, two cups of mozzarella, and 1 head of broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces. NOTE: I use half whole wheat flour, and half white with 2 T of wheat germ.
ALFREDO SAUCE (thanks to the lovely Katie Shelton) 1 c milk
1 T corn starch
1 c butter
1 clove of garlic
1 or more c of parmesan cheese
pinch of salt and pepper
pinch of parsley
Heat milk on med-low. Add corn starch and mix until smooth. Add butter and garlic and bring to a boil. Stir in parmesan and rest of ingredients. Continue boiling until semi-thick. Let cool down and serve. NOTE: I doubled the amount of garlic, cut the amount of butter in half, and used only about 3/4 c of parmesan (because I was being stingy) and it still tasted really good, not as amazing, but good.
Making this pizza the other night had me thinking a lot about consistency. For one reason or another, I have been having some trouble with consistency. My bread is either too dense, too tough, too oily, or it just doesn’t rise right.
In my daily life I have been having some trouble with consistency also. I have a hard time following up on appointments and chores, I have become an awful letter writer (as you all might be able to tell since you haven’t had a newsletter, card, or even an email from us in quite awhile), and I lack consistency in my daily personal devotions. I think it is because I don’t put enough value on these things. As I sit here Easter morning and think about the need for consistency and dilligence in all of my relationships, I am reminded of God’s love for me. He loved me enough to send His son, and He loves me enough to pursue a great relationship with me. That gives immense value to my relationship with Him. As I reflect on His love for me, and His forgiveness for my lack of consistency, I am overwhelmed and grateful. Thank you Lord. Thank you for this new and beautiful Easter morning.
