When you think of the word Christian?
- Do you think of people who sit in a church, keep the pews warm, and
look down their noses at anyone who does not live up to their standards?
- Do you think of someone who embraces a lifestyle dedicated
to intimacy in and with the Father, provoking extreme obedience,
manifesting in radical stewardship, here "...on earth as it is in heaven."?
This is something I have been wrestling with for a long time. I first
went to the missions field when I was just 15, and served in Chihuahua,
Mexico for two weeks. The scriptures that came to my heart then, and
have not left me were Luke 9:3 "And He said to them, "
Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics." and the Rich Young Ruler from Luke 18:18-30, and Acts 2:44-47 "
And
all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they
were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the
proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple
together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food
with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were
being saved."
What
do those mean? I know that that is how the early church was, and that
Jesus was giving instructions to his disciples. But for me, now for 13
years, these have been the scriptures weighing heavy on my heart. By
19, I was was ministering among the subcultures. I had no drivers
license, worked odd and end jobs, as long as they would keep me, and
giving from the little I had to those in need. That summer to winter, I
lost 5 friends, three to car and motor cycle accidents. Depression and
PTSD from that and another event my 20th year, became my closest
friends. I had bought a house when I was 24, to fix up and become a
safe haven for at risk youth... but lost it 6 months later due both my
house mate and I glossing our jobs. On the bright side, I gained a
husband out of it, for a friend had come to help, and we grew to love
each other..something neither of us were looking for.
Robby and I have never owned our own place. In fact, now 3 years
married....our largest place is our small 1 bedroom apartment here at
college where we have a bedroom, bathroom, living room, dinning room,
and kitchen of our own. Normally, we have had only a bedroom and
bathroom, and we have never been unhappy with either little or much. We
were married just as the economy fell apart, and jobs have not been
easy to come by. We have lived in 8 states since we were married, and
traveled to many more, some for jobs, some for ministry. At 26, I
finally got my drivers license and a truck. A year later, Dad and I
swapped trucks... my 1984 F-150 for his 1997 Dodge Dakota, and Robby and
I headed out to Dine Bikeyah as missionaries to them.
Now here I sit, 9 months later, wondering still... how is this suppose
to look? Which type of Christian am I: one they hate or one who draws
others closer to Him? I am still not sure, and the search continues.
~
Traveller Gal, out!
I got home from my 60 plus mile journey to work and back, and delightful smells greeted me at the door. Robby had me take a long hot bath, as the eve is cold, and put on fresh clothing. In the mean time, he put finishing touches on our feast... I am so proud of him. He really out did himself!
We can see the Red Rock mountains and our church from our back yard. It is so much, and I am still in shock. A family, a home, and we have not been here that long... I hope we dont have to leave... or if we do... that we can come back. ^_^
Aidan an Lindisfarne lived in the years 600 to 651AD in Ireland and then in Northubria. He was first a monk on the Isle of Iona, and devoted himself greatly to pray and studying of word. After a failed attempt by another missionary to reach the Northubrian Anglos, Aidan pointed out respectfully some ways ministry could be done among the Northubrians, and thusly he was sent as a missionary among them.
Why
would a nice American woman do this for a whole day? Because there are
100's of Millions of Children around the world at risk of injury,
infections, and sole transmitted diseases that they cant afford to
treat. Why? Because they cannot even afford a simple pair of shoes! I
don't have a lot of money, and live below poverty level myself. But I
can do this to raise awareness for these children.
Last
summer, I traded my beloved 1984 Ford F-150, Tsalagi, with my Dad, for
his 1997 Dodge Dakota called "Gypsy Dakota". Thursday, I went out to pick up food for
our weekend trip to Toh Di'neesh Zhee (Kayenta), but "Gypsy Dakota" would not
start. I checked the connections, but they were tight. I jumped her,
but she did not jump. So now, we have to get a ride in to the shop and
prayerfully, they honor the warranty, and trade us batteries.
In
my journeys, my husband and I settled for 14 months in Chicago, doing
inter-city and homeless ministry. We dwelt in an old 1920's hotel in
Uptown Chicago, and were a short walk from Graceland and Saint Boniface
Cemeteries. It is well worth touring on foot the cemeteries, to see up
close and personal the lasting monuments of Chicago's history and
periods of architecture. If shopping is your thing, check out the
Unique and Salvation Army thrift stores and the shops of Little
Thailand, Little India, and Chinatown. Lakeshore's bike paths are a
joy, and the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is free, is a blast, but for two
travelers with a heart left in Dine Bikeyah, Shikaakwa is no place to
stay for long.
It
is this dreamy little mountain town is where I have settled down for a
time, as my husband attends college here. Flagstaff is the home of NAU,
as well as some small private colleges, like the one where my husband
attends. I love going downtown and shopping at all the unique shops,
with bicycle shops and camping stores everywhere around town, and about
as many antique shops to explore, I adore this town!
