Christmas

This was my first Christmas away from home and I totally expected the worst: miserable homesickness, lame celebrations, loneliness, and maybe some food poisoning thrown in for good measure. I'm now here to say that it was far better than I asked or expected. But for your perusal, here's a bit of what Christmas looked like here:

Christmas baking: as a team, we alternated which house with an oven to use for baking each day. I'll have you know that we successfully navigated many substitutions or alterations in the recipes to fit with the food items available here. One example would be peanut cookies-- we started by roasting and peeling the paper off several cups of peanuts! Jess even made lasagna, but she had to start by making ricotta cheese and lasagna noodles. Despite the challenges, we produced a lot of amazing food!

Lessons in carols: on Christmas Eve we got together and sang carols, interspersed with Scripture readings. It was a beautiful time of remembering the reason for celebration this season. And, true to form, the power went out just as we started. No candlelight service though, seeing as we had five kids age five and under running around.

Christmas morning: I stayed over with some friends, and we baked cinnamon rolls for the morning. Family tradition lives on!  The cinnamon rolls were delicious, despite the fact that I decided not to make cream cheese for cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon rolls!

In the afternoon, we got together at Tom and Megan's house for food, gift exchange, games, and a Christmas movie. We also got the kids to act out the Christmas story, which was the cause of much laughter and picture taking.

The angel (atop dad) gives good news to Joseph

Shepherds being contained while the staff and sheep are neglected

Shepherds visit the mother and baby

Finally, at 10:30 in the evening we called it a day, caught a taxi back to the airport town, and settled down for a good rest. 

Now it's the day after Christmas and I'm making a game plan for the week: setting goals for language learning, planning house improvements and cleaning projects, and catching up on things neglected during the Christmas rush.

Praise: for a wonderful Christmas! I thank the Father so much for the people He brought around me here, and for the opportunity to catch up with my family at home through video chat. Also, we now have covers for the furniture that is falling apart, and shelves in the kitchen!

Pray: our plumbing has still not been fixed. It's been 2.5 weeks now, and I'm very ready to be able to shower and use the toilet in our house. Also, because of the plumbing issues, we still don't have a solution for getting water into our upper cistern. 

Welcome to Africa

I'm experimenting with a new form of blogging: handwritten. So here it goes:

Settling in

Hi everyone,

It's been awhile since I last updated, so here's a bit of news to start off with:

-- homestay went well. I learned a lot of language bits and pieces then, but now have to assimilate it into my general vocabulary. The family I stayed with was super hospitable, and they made sure that I experienced a lot during my time there. We climbed a hill, had a picnic, visited a mineral spring, got water from a fresh water spring, cooked, made flower necklaces, visited a bakery and an aluminum pot making place, and a variety of other things.

-- I'm now settled into my home with Jess. It's a second story suite, with rooftop access. We have water issues, which you can read more about on Jess' blog.

-- language learning is now my full-time job. I'm working with language helpers to acquire phrases and vocabulary, then practicing in the community. It's a fun challenge, and some people have started greeting me by name.

Now let me tell you about our burn barrel.

See, trash is a problem here. The standard solution is to toss the trash in the rivers, woods, and ocean, but we didn't feel comfortable with that solution. So we're composting, recycling aluminum (for the people who make pots), and burning everything else. But how to burn in a safe way?

Jess asked around and found out that we could buy old fuel barrels from the airport. So we walked over there, accompanied by a language helper and a strong man (thanks Jeremy) and started asking who we could buy a barrel from. One person sent us to another person, that person sent us to the next person, until finally someone directed us to check in the tower. So we climbed the control tower at the airport to talk to the controller!

He talked with us for a bit between communicating with planes, then came down the tower with us to bring us to the big boss at the airport. The big boss explained that the governor wanted all the used fuel barrels, but he'd make an exception and sell us one.

So we had our barrel!

We tied it into the back of a taxi to get it home, but how to get it on the roof? The front door was too narrow, so we couldn't carry it up the stairs. Well, our clothesline is sturdy, let's tie it with that and pull it to the roof. Oops, the clothesline broke and onlookers below scattered quickly. One would think they'd have been further away, seeing as how three white people were trying to get a 50 gallon barrel to the roof.

Next plan? Carry it up the neighbor's stairs and pass it over to our house from there. The houses were close enough that it worked pretty well. Mission accomplished!

Next project? Getting the top off. One step at a time though, right?

Post-homestay

This is going to be a super short update also. You can read a little about my homestay experience here.

I have another couple posts coming shortly.

First week on island

After a week in the islands, here are a few reflections, notes, and random thoughts :

- sweat has become the new normal. It's not a question of whether you sweat, but how much.

- the contrast here between beauty and dirty poverty is dramatic. The ocean and palm trees are beautiful, but the garbage along the coast isn't.

- islanders are very friendly. Each day as we go on language walks it's amazing to see the happy reactions. May I always be excited to see new people.

- with more physical challenges, I recognize anew my need for the father's daily support.

- cold showers are no sacrifice

- rundown roads serve as decent substitutes for speed limits.

- I'm super grateful for my team. The whole "when one is down another picks him up" bit is really neat.

This week we'll be living in host homes to better learn the local culture and bond with our new people. I'd appreciate being lifted before the father, as I expect it will be physically and emotionally challenging.

Of packing and surprises

My sister and I successfully surprised our parents with bringing her and baby Joseph for a visit before I leave. There's lots to the story, but I'll tell it in brief. Hehe.

The setup: I told my parents that I needed to catch up with a friend after a meeting on Wednesday night. "You know how things go with Kami... it'll probably be late," I said. I did go catch up with Kami. I picked up a carseat from her, visited for a little while, then headed for the airport at 10:30 PM.

Arriving at the airport about 1 AM, I met my sister and nephew, situated them in the car, and proceeded to drive through incredibly dense fog all the way home. Joseph alternated between sleeping (post-feeding) and wailing (any time he was returned to the carseat while awake). It was during one of those stops that I posted this status update :

 We arrived home at 5:15 AM, and Joseph was asleep. So we parked, brought things inside, and situated R and J in the boys' room upstairs. Papa heard us come up, but thought it was just me making all that noise. Haha, riiight.

That produced this update.

As it turns out, my parents are surprisingly trusting people. Neither the early morning return, nor the status updates, nor the box of diapers in the garage gave them pause enough to consider they might have surprise "guests". They didn't discover their grandson in the house until several hours later when he came out to play. It's been a really good visit. I've gotten lots of 10 week-old snuggles and play time, mixed in with packing and goodbyes.

In other news, my packing is pretty well complete.  I have a guitar, two duffel bags, and  a small backpack.  See?

 If all my luggage arrives in good shape, I'll be delighted!

In the next day I'll be saying a couple more goodbyes, collecting baby snuggles, doing a few last errands, and soaking in the gorgeous Autumn weather.

This week I'll be traveling.
 --> Tuesday I fly to Georgia for checkout with AltLink
--> Thursday I board my first flight of 3 international ones.
--> Saturday (home time) I'll arrive in the islands
--> Sunday (home time) I'll take a boat to Clove Island.

The following week my team and I will be having island orientation, then it's on to language learning! 

Do pr@y that all of the traveling goes week, that transitions occur smoothly, that luggage arrives safely (and on time!), and for all the details that still need to be dealt with.

Until later,
~Abby

Getting ready for culture shock

Aside from the physical tasks related to getting ready for Africa, there's also the mental/spir'tual side of things. And a big part of this is being ready for culture shock.

Culture shock: the emotional, psychological, and physical impact of learning to live in a new culture, that threatens unconscious assumptions and challenges a person's ability to flex to a new way of life. 

The following is a list of various "symptoms" of culture shock. Take note though, it's not an exhaustive list:

- Homesickness
- Boredom
- Withdrawal (excessive reading, excessive use of electronics, only wanting time with other Westerners)
- Excessive sleep
- Excessive eating
- Irritability
- Exaggerated cleanliness
- Relational tension
- Chauvinism
- Stereotyping nationals
- Hostility toward nationals
- Loss of ability to work well
- Unexplained weeping
- Psychosomatic illnesses

As you can see, it tends to manifest itself in various forms. From personal experience, I tend to withdraw, to be overly cynical, to be irritable, and to be excessively tired.

So how do I prepare for that? I make a plan for self-care:

--> Figure out what helps me to rest and rejuvenate
--> Take a break before I'm completely drained
--> Spend time with the Father regularly
--> Determine ahead of time what coping mechanisms are acceptable (music, journaling, a nap) and what coping mechanisms are not acceptable (sleeping in, avoiding people completely, technology).

In addition to that, I try to consider possibilities: what do I know about Clove Island? What inconveniences might I deal with? What problems could I run into? When I can consider these as potential threats to my equilibrium ahead of time they have less opportunity to blindside me later. An expected inconvenience is still inconvenient, but it's not a surprise.

And then I determine that, anything which blindsides me also cannot upset me. It may perplex, annoy me, confuse me, frustrate me, or otherwise interfere with my preconceived notion of how life should be, but it will not make me give up or take out my problems on other people.

They say that palm trees are especially resilient in the midst of hurricanes because they have the ability to flex with the wind instead of staying rigid. This is my desire with moving to a new culture: that I would flex, shift, and adjust, but never break.

And finally, I have to view this as an adventure. As G.K. Chesterton said

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." 

Now it's your turn: what tips do you have for dealing with cultural stress? Ideas for self-care? Leave a note in the comments!

What prep looks like

It's been barely a week since I transitioned from support raising to full-on Africa preparation. Hard to believe really; it seems more like a month.

I've been busy finishing things up with work, making sure that things are ready to transition to a new person. I've also done a lot of sorting. There are clothes to get rid of, things to donate, items to store more efficiently. Everything is examined by these two criteria:

     1) Is it something worth taking with me?
     2) Is it worth storing for 2.5 years?

If the answer is no to both of those, the final question is: discard, or donate?

Fortunately, this process has been simplified by the fact that I've gotten rid of a lot of things with each transition back and forth between college, home, and Central America. Sorting as you go certainly helps when it's time to pack your life into a couple bags.

So what do I still have to do?

-- Sort some more. Still things to go through and deal with.
-- Buy some last items. If you want an idea of what I'm still needing to get, you can look at my Amazon wish list.
-- Sell my car. Anyone want to buy a 2006 Hyundai Sonata? It's got 176k miles on it, but drives beautifully.
-- Pack. There's a lot you can fit into two 50lb duffel bags and a daypack. But still. Prioritizing?
-- Commissioning service: save the date! October 20th at 4 PM. Email me for further details.
-- Spend time with friends and family. Anyone down for a coffee date before I jet?
-- Thank you notes. Yes, I'm still working on those. It's really neat as I write notes to old friends and new ones to think about all the different people our Father has brought alongside me to help and be part of this whole venture.

There are so many more things that I could say, but I'll leave those for later posts. Questions or comments? Feel free to respond in the comment section. 

And just for all y'all's benefit, a picture of me, trying to be a not-so-jolly green giant:

100%

I've got so many words, but very little order to them.

100%.  Fully funded.

Wow.

A million thanks to everyone who has been, is, and will be a part of this. You individually and collectively rock.

PTL, I'm Africa bound!

2 Days

It's pouring down rain outside, and today I'm sitting inside, nursing a mug of rooibos tea, supplemented by honey and lime. I had a cold this last week and lost my voice. Last night I had a meeting with friends in the Portland area, and by the end of it my voice was gone again. Tonight I've got another meeting, then another couple tomorrow. Please, please pr-y that my voice holds out a couple more days.

I've got 90% of my monthly support now. With two days to go until the deadline, it's tight. But we serve the G-d of the impossible, don't we?

I put a "shoutout" on Facebook this afternoon, asking if anyone had a question I should answer on my blog. This is the one that came in:

How has my homeschool experience played a part in where I'm at today? 
Man, that's a big question! I was homeschooled all the way from birth to highschool graduation, then after that I went to college. [And yes, the transition went well, I got good grades, and graduated.]

For me at least, homeschooling was an all-encompassing thing. My family studied together, worked together and played together. So I came out of highschool with a really strong support network. That may seem like a small thing, but according to experiential education theory (which was something I dealt with a lot in college), a person is able to go further out of their comfort zone in one area if they're secure in another area. So I suppose it's given me more freedom to stretch my limits (like going overseas, learning a new language, etc.), without reaching the panic point.

Another thing that I think can be traced back to homeschooling would be good research skills. In my family, if we had a question for which the parents didn't know the answer, they'd say "look it up!" So we did. And we'd search until we figured it out. That's helped me with a lot of things in this process of preparing for life overseas.

So that's a partial answer. Like many other tools, homeschooling can be used in a variety of ways. My parents were successful with it, and I'm thankful for the experiences I had. I know, however, that it's not possible for everyone, and that each person needs to do as the L*rd leads. Ultimately, it is our willingness to follow Him no matter what that determines where we go in life.

The elephant story

I've got 6 days to go, and I'm at 78% of my monthly support, and 100% of my one-time expenses covered!  This means I'm still looking for $460/month in support.

With all of the occasions I've had to talk lately, I'm running a little low on words. But I recently rediscovered the following book excerpt, so I'll copy it down for consideration.

“There is an admirable air of humility about the statement that the truth is much greater than any one person or any one religious tradition can grasp. The statement is no doubt true, but it can be used against the truth when it is used to neutralize any affirmation of the truth. 

How does the speaker know that the truth is so much greater than this particular affirmation of it—For example, that “J'sus Chr-st is the truth”? What privileged access to reality does he have? 

In the famous story of the blind men and the elephant, so often quoted in the interests of religious agnosticism, the real point of the story is constantly overlooked. The story is told from the point of view of the king and his courtiers, who are not blind but can see that the blind men are unable to grasp the full reality of the elephant and are only able to get hold of part of the truth. The story is constantly told in order to neutralize the affirmation of the great religions, to suggest that they learn humility and recognize that none of them can have more than one aspect of the truth. 

But, of course, the real point of the story is exactly the opposite. If the king were also blind there would be no story. The story is told by the king, and it is the immensely arrogant claim of one who sees the full truth which all the world’s religions are only groping after. It embodies the claim to know the full reality which relativizes all the claims of the religions and philosophies.”

-          --The G0spel in a Pluralistic Society, Lesslie Newbigin, pages 9-10.

Is it darkest before the dawn?

As I was wandering through a graveyard* the other day I told G-d, "If you're closing this door, you're really gonna have to slam it in my face instead of making things really difficult. 'Cause things getting difficult isn't going to stop me." The conversation continued and eventually I left for home.

And then my support increased by 20%.

Two weeks from my financial clearance deadline, I've still got $765 to raise in monthly support. But things are picking up, and it's neat to see how it all is pulling together.

Oh, and when I mentioned in the last post that my support target might be higher than I thought?  It turned out to be lower. I'm still aiming at $2,085/month, but my one-time costs are actually $167 less. Surprise!

This weekend I'm holding a fundraising dinner. In case you haven't seen the details on Facebook, here's the scoop:

-- Time: 5:30-8:00 PM, Saturday the 21st
-- Place: Willapa Harbor Community Center, South Bend
-- Cost: by donation!
-- Food: Chili, cornbread, coleslaw, and Abby's famous brownies!
-- Silent auction items in abundance, all donated by local businesses!
--> Delivery available. Call 360-942-8600 (and no, that's not my number) 

So come on by, grab some food, visit with old friends and meet some new ones. It's going to be a good time!

Until later,
Abby

-------
* Yes, I do some of my best thinking/pr-ying in graveyards. Maybe I should write a post about that sometime.

Living in the tension

How do you walk on a tight rope? There's the hard way... teetering along, seemingly miles from any support. Then there's another way... with each hand on a friend's shoulder. 

"That's cheating!" you say.  No, not really. It just makes the show less about the skill of the tight rope walker and more about the support and teamwork involved in attaining success. It takes commitment though, walking alongside someone for a long period of time.

Crazy Horse Monument: great vision, even greater determination to see it through

Sometimes life is less about showing off your balance and more about sharing the tension. This afternoon I was contemplating all of the things I'm trying to balance:
-- work
-- support raising
-- planning a fundraiser
-- making phone calls
-- personal life and friendships

As it turns out, this isn't a solo venture. I appreciate all of you standing with me in this endeavor, creating success with me. 

Support raising: I thought I hit 50% of my monthly support this week. Just got an email today that indicates my goal is higher than I thought. Please pr-y. I'm getting discouraged and frustrated. If you're part of a small group, or have some friends you think might be interested in hearing about my anticipated work in Africa, let me know. I'm open almost any evening during the next three weeks.

As I was driving through town in my car today, a Rascal Flatts song came on, and the chorus was inspiring:

'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend 'till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off, 
Then you stand.
-- Stand, by Rascal Flatts

This post has been brought to you by Abby-- scattered, frustrated, and busy... but still standing.

September, and Choices

Sometimes inspiration comes from unusual sources. The other night, as I was relaxing with a TV show, I was stopped in my tracks by this comment "... because choices are sacrifices. You inevitably give up something you want for something you want more." Reaching for a pen, I quickly scribbled down the words... and then proceeded to be distracted from the show because of all the thoughts it inspired. My choice to go to Clove Island is a sacrifice. Some aspects of sacrifice I'm aware of, other aspects I'll discover along the way.

But on the flip side, choices reveal priorities. In the list of "things Abby wants out of life," some things shuffle to the top. And they should. But as higher priorities shuffle to the top, other priorities are of necessity sifting down lower. And sometimes that involves a measure of grief as I loosen my hold on one priority in order to grasp another. Anyway, enough self-analysis for the moment. :) I'm sure you've also made decisions along those lines before.

Me and my nephew: Joseph

August was a busy month, filled with travel and making connections away from home. I was able to roadtrip with my older brother and a friend; visit a couple friends from college (Andy! Jennah!); visit my sister, brother-in-law, and their new baby; and then took the train back from Cali and got home this last Sunday evening.

Now that I'm home, I've jumped into planning a fundraiser and making more connections in my home state. Do pr'y that the connections I made while traveling will bring forth fruit.

My support deadline is at the end of the month, and I've still got quite a bit to raise. Please pr'y that the funds would come in. If I'm not at 100% by the end of the month, I won't be able to go to Clove Island. So if you're considering partnering with me financially, now is a good time to make that decision.

In related news, I've put together a video packet for friends to share with their ch_rches. It's a basic intro to me and the ministry I'll be doing on Clove Island. If you're interested in sharing it with your local congregation or small group, shoot me an email. I'd be glad to send it your way! 

Well, that's all for now. Here's hoping that September is a most wonderful month, filled with stories of G-d's working.

As August Begins (a newsy update)

Hard to believe that it's August already! Around home, August has historically been a very busy month. This one will be no exception to that pattern. With my sister and brother-in-law expecting #1 any time now, the family is all making plans to be in California to meet the new addition. Besides that, brother #1 is moving to Michigan for grad school and brother #2 is returning to college in Alberta.

Then, of course, there's me. I'm finishing up one job next week, getting things situated for taking a break from another job, making phone calls and finding places to speak, making a movie to share at places I can't speak in person, working on my outbound checklist, getting vaccinations... and the list goes on.

Oh, and support raising.

Support raising.

I've got two months until my financial deadline. Two months to see G'od work in raising funds. Oh I'm doing my part. But it's going to require more than that.

Some words today caught my attention. Charles Bridges said,

"Unbelief looks at the difficulty. Faith regards the promise."

There's more to this quote that was also worth addressing. But right now I'm just looking to the promises. There are so many to choose from:

-- "I'm with you, even to the end of the age."

-- "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
-- "You will do even greater things..."
-- "But you will receive power when the H-ly Sp-rit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

And in the end, it's not about the promise itself... it's about the nature of the One who has promised. So I rest in that, and work, and trust.

Departure Date Announced

I just got word this week of my official departure date:

October 29th for Altlink headquarters to check out.
October 31st I leave for Africa
November 1st, Lo'rd willing, I'll be there.


This means I have 2.5 months left for support raising and 3.5 months left on this continent. Yay!

Hypocrisy Kills

Hypocrisy kills.

Have you really considered that before? I think, perhaps, this is due to the deceitful nature of hypocrisy. It proudly proclaims that the desired outcome has occurred. Whether effectual in deceit or not, the mask of hypocrisy shields the hypocrite from handling reality. 

It’s kind of like planting an artificial flower over the top of a real seeds. Everyone sees the flower and thinks it’s real. Then it starts to fade in the sun and they realize it’s fake. But in the meantime they haven’t been caring for the seeds in the soil. The fake flower required so little care… it hardly seemed to matter whether you watered it or not. But without the life-giving water, the real flower seeds shrivel and die.

Hypocrisy kills. It kills relationships when it claims perfection and then acts out of imperfection. It kills personal growth because the work of maintaining and improving oneself seems superfluous when one can skate by on appearances. It kills honesty, integrity, and a true sense of self. 

Is it any wonder that we detest hypocrisy in others?

But when given the choice, how often do we choose the hard truth?

This is one reason why I’m going to Clove Island. It’s easy enough to send Truth out, a book, a pamphlet, a short-termer. But when the Word became Flesh and lived among us, it meant something more. Dedication, integrity, a stubborn commitment to real life— He lived an example for us of what ministry (service) looks like. And the story doesn’t end with us. It continues with us. It’s for the “uttermost parts of the earth,” right? Of course right. 

Support raising "fun"

With summer underway, I am freshly invigorated to push forward in support raising. To be honest, I kinda hate the process, because it's a whole lot more comfortable to earn my money as I go rather than raise it ahead of time. But hey, the Apostle Paul said that a worker was worthy of their hire, and I've got to find some way to support myself during my 2.5 years on Clove Island. With the L0rd's help, I will have the money to go by the deadline (October deadline for November departure).

What does this mean in practical terms?

-- I have to connect with people. Churches, social groups, individuals, home meetings, whatever it takes, I have to share the vision of my future work and develop partners who will support me in prayer and finances.

-- In order to connect with people, I need help. Do you know a place where I could speak? Cold-calling pastors is a super difficult thing, which can be made easier by you, the local parishioner! Give me a connection, mention my name to the leader person (pastor, small group leader, organizer, what-have-you), tell them about this amazing person who's got a heart for the unreached, who needs help to get there.

-- Do you know of anyone who loves to give, and wants to invest their resources in a dedicated individual who will stewards resources well? Point them my direction. Giving information is located in the "support info" tab above.

-- Please pray: this is a hard process, and it's easy to get discouraged. Pray that G'od would remind me of my calling, that I would make the time to do the support raising, and continue to communicate the vision well. He is faithful, and we can trust Him... but sometimes that active faith thing is difficult.

-- Do you have additional ideas? I'm a one-woman team, and it's a little much to be the organizational instigator, primary motivator, and idea person. So if you've got ideas that could help (and maybe the time to help me make them happen?), let me know. Please.

Well, that's it for this update. If you'd like a prayer card mailed to you, send me an email: abby.turner113@gmail.com with your address. Or I can attached a digital version in a reply.  Also, want to sign up for my newsletter? There's a spot on the right side of this page where you can do that. Just click on "subscribe to my newsletter" and follow the prompts from there. 

Sun, or Rain?

 

It's another week, and this one started out with sunshine. Sun? Yes, the amazing, rarely-seen-in-April-for-long-periods-of-time sun. Sometimes when I'm looking out the window at yet another rainy day I start thinking of Africa. Will it be sunny all the time? (well, I know there's the rainy season and the dry season) How intense will the rainy season be? Will it rain non-stop, or only once a day? Will I like warm rain, or will it be strange to my Pacific Northwest self? Will I be homesick when there's no rain? Will the streets flood? Will my clothes mold from being damp all the time?

 

Of course, most of these question remain yet to be answered. Other questions come to mind too, regarding food, temperature, how easily I'll learn the language, what sort of friends I'll make, how I'll stay in touch with family and friends, and more.

 



But the Go'd I serve is faithful. He knows my needs. He knows my desires. He knows how far my faith can hold. And He desires the best for me. So why should I not trust Him? Why should I fear the unknown when He is not just beside me, but going before me as well.

"It is the L_rd who goes before you.

He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.

Do not fear or be dismayed."

(Deut. 31:8)

 

Yesterday I shared about my upcoming trip in a local assembly of believers. They were very welcoming and supportive. Just the sort of place to start out in the support raising. =)  Please continue to lift me up to the Father, that I would present my plans and vision well and that the right people would come alongside me in support.

And the plan He has is a good one!

Today I was thinking of a lady who comes from my hometown. When she was preaching at her funeral (yes, you read that right), she talked about Jeremiah 29:11. I remember the way she paraphrased it:

"G-d has a plan for you
and the plan He has is a good one!"

As she stood in front of an overflowing auditorium she spoke joyfully of G-d's faithfulness and excitedly about the future. And she knew her future held an almost certain death from cancer. But it wasn't death that she was excited about... it was the party afterward in heaven! I'll tell you, she was an inspiration for more than a few.

But what about it? Can we trust Him to have a good plan? Even down to the details?

Sure, our brain says. We know His nature and character. But can we exude confidence in the Lo'rd when times get tough? We really only know in the tough times.

But this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope

The steadfast love [chesed] of the Lo'rd never ceases

His mercies never come to an end

They are new every morning

Great is Your faithfulness.

"The Lo'rd is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I will hope in Him."

Lamentations 3:21-24

What I've been reading, 1

First off, I've started support raising and such. If you've got a suggestion for a place I should visit or people to talk to, comment below. If you'd like to get my newsletter, click on the link to your right -->

Second, life is going well. I'm starting up a new quarter of teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) Tuesday. I expect it to be fun, as well as challenging.

Third, I thought I'd post some links to things I've been reading lately along with a few comments. For your enjoyment, here we go:

From Relevant Magazine: Why We Need More Women in Ministry:
This isn't your stereotypical "go women, conquer the world" sort of article.  Rather, it addresses the fact that women aren't feeling as valued in the church as they feel in their career or other areas of life. When we consider areas of ministry in the church we would be wise to encourage women to use their specific talents instead of automatically putting them on the decorating committee or in children's church.

Tentmaking: The Life and Work of Business as M_ssions, by Patrick Lai
Although I had to return it to the library before finishing it, this book has been really helpful in showing more areas I need to think about as I prepare to leave for Africa. If you're thinking of doing a "tentmaking" venture, or are supporting someone who's engaged in tentmaking, it's a relevant and very thorough resource.

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
What a story! You can watch the movie or see the Broadway play, but there's nothing quite as rewarding as reading the book. Hugo tells a 3-fold story of redemption: that of a convict, a prostitute, and an orphan. In addition to that he shows the contrast of a man caught in legalism and despair, who knows no escape from his destiny. The parallels to the Gospel are countless, and I continue to discover more.

Rachel Held Evans: Turning Hate Mail into Origami
Whatever people may say about RHE, she certainly has a gentle soul and a kind heart. The example she sets in dealing with her opponents is laudable. Could you turn your critics' words into works of art?

So there you go. I've read more than that, but those are some of the highlights. What have you been reading lately?

Clove Island

It’s been awhile since I posted here. Really there’s only one reason for that. In a space for news, I’ve had none to share. So you know what it means when I’m posting again? I’ve got NEWS!

We're calling it "Clove Island"

After 5 months as an appointee without a destination, I’ve finally got an assignment settled into wet concrete. So here’s the scoop on my plan: 

-          A small island in the Indian Ocean
-          Population between 250-300,000

-          M_slim people group

-          Teaching English

-          2 ½ years, starting November 2013

-          Vision: to introduce locals to Jesus and help start a fellowship of believers

Now to get going on support raising. I have until October to raise my entire outgoing (one-time expenses to get on the field) and monthly support. I'll give more details on the needs in future posts.

Do you feel called to partner with me in either prayer, relationship or finances? I’d be honored to have you on my home team!

-          Prayer: comment here or send me a note (abby.turner113@gmail.com) promising to pray.

-          Relationship: same as above, let me know your email address and I’ll add you to my newsletter list!

-          Finances: You can donate online at this link (www.altlinkpartners.org) or send me a check (written to AltLink so it's tax-deductible). Please also fill out one of the forms below and send it to me. AltLink doesn’t keep a real-time record of donations or pledges, so I have to keep my own records accurately.

Thanks, and keep watching this space for more info and updates!

Pledge card-- click on picture to view large