Southern Baptist

The two Alaska mission trips are supported by the Southern Baptist Convention. According to the SBC doctrine of faith, making disciples is the duty of every believer and should be continuously practiced through verbal witness and Christian lifestyle. One belief that might be controversial is the idea that the office of pastor is for men. I also noticed heavy emphasis on the male gender in their written statement.

What does all this information about the differences between Protestants and Baptists mean for me? I expect to be surrounded by short-term missionaries of the Baptist persuasion and want to relate to them in a way that creates unity in our efforts to show people who Jesus is. I want to be prepared to answer the pre-Christians who ask whether or not they’ll go to heaven if they’ve not been baptized. I want to be prepared to talk about how the Nicene Creed relates to the Bible.

What other questions might arise that I should be prepared to discuss? Is it even possible to prepare ahead of time and also be genuine and authentic when relating to pre-Christians?

Protestant or Baptist?

I know that Protestantism is one major division of Christianity as is Catholicism – Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglican are the other two. I know that several denominations exist within Protestantism and found there are only a few doctrines common to them all: justification by grace through faith and not through works, the priesthood of all believers, and the Bible as the ultimate authority. Some similarities between Baptist and Protestant exist as well: the virgin birth of Christ, the Bible as the sole authority, and salvation through faith in Christ.

Historically, the Anabaptists (from whom the Baptists came) existed centuries before the Reformation from which Protestantism emerged. Doctrinally, several tenets set Anabaptists apart from Protestants: (1) baptism by immersion rather than pouring or sprinkling; (2) baptism as a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership; (3) baptism as necessary before taking part in communion; (4) Baptists reject organizational oversight; (5) Baptists adhere to the Bible alone as compared to those who adopt creeds, catechisms, and other written doctrines; (6) strict separation of church and state.

Based on history and doctrine, it could be said that Baptists are not Protestant…but then again, it could also be said that they are.

Sperling’s Best Places to Live

Sperling’s compares two cities and their major life quality factors. The data comes primarily from government organizations.

_______________G.R.____Nome___U.S.
Unemployment_____13.8%____12.9%____8.5%
Household Income___$41k_____$69k____$45k
Spending in Schools__$7k______$10k_____$6k
COL: Groceries_____105%_____119%____100%
COL: Health_______100%_____155%____100%
COL: Housing______46%______69%____100%
COL: Utilities______91%______160%____100%
Percent Religious____53%______49%_____50%

The income difference may be attributed to the lower percentage of production type jobs in Nome (9.87%) as compared to Grand Rapids (21.77%) as well as the higher number of management type jobs in Nome (14.59%) as compared to Grand Rapids (10.07%). Further, the cost of living index in Nome (106) may drive up annual wages as compared to Grand Rapids (83).

Education factors are relatively the same (number of students in the classroom, number of students getting college degrees) given the amount spent per pupil. That Baptist’s were listed apart from Protestant’s means I really have some studying to do.

Musher or Missionary

I really don’t know why the Iditarod is known as “The Last Great Race on Earth.” Even a Google search netted little in explaining the name. Were I to hazard a guess, the name may reflect the extreme conditions and the distant location of the race. But there is another Last Great Race on Earth and there are some surprising similarities between the two.

Mushers are driven to finish the race first.
Missionaries possess a sense of urgency (Luke 16:26).

Mushers go to Nome.
Missionaries go to remote places (Isaiah 43:5-7).

Mushers experience extreme conditions – frozen rivers, desolate tundra, windswept coasts, long distances, and subzero temperatures.
Missionaries experience extreme conditions (Matthew 14:10) – exposure to deadly viruses, unsafe drinking water, financial poverty, and threats to personal security.

Mushers command their dogs toward the finish line.
Missionaries are commanded to tell everyone about Jesus (Matthew 28:19).

Are you a musher or a missionary? Before you answer the question, I’d like to point out one of many major differences between the two races…in the Iditarod, only one person can win!

The Last Great Race on Earth

The Iditarod compares to few other competitions in the world. The race covers the roughest and most beautiful terrain – mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra, and a windswept coast – between Anchorage and Nome. Mushers cover 1,150 miles leading teams of 12-16 dogs in temperatures far below zero. Contestants finish the race in anywhere between 10 and 17 days.

First running in 1973 and later achieving worldwide acclaim, men and women from all walks of life compete: fishermen, lawyers, doctors, miners, and artists. Each musher has his or her own story, his or her own reason for going the distance. This year, my story will become intertwined with the story of those so dedicated to this legendary race.

Mission Trip Preparation: Domestic

Preparing for a mission trip isn’t as simple as packing your bags and getting on a plane. To be most effective, I imagine a great many topics should be studied.

1. Geographical region (climate, land, natural resources, industries).
2. Culture (literacy rates, living conditions, life span, employment, education, history).
3. Religious beliefs and practices.
4. Denominational differences between the sponsor church/association and my own beliefs.
5. Unusual things to pack (mosquito nets, medicines, etc.).
6. How to engage others in conversation that is meaningful to them.
7. How to listen. How to be present.
8. How to respond to people whose life is marked by major tragedy.
9. How to tell my salvation story.
10. How to share the Gospel message.
11. Bible verses that might be useful in a ministry situation.
12. Indigenous response to missionaries.
13. Prayer, fasting, and meditation.

The work of increasing my knowledge in these areas is exhausting and I’m afraid of all the topics I don’t know that I should be learning more about. Please share your mission trip experiences. Share your biggest surprises and your best advice by responding to this blog post using the comments feature.

I know the Holy Spirit is the best guide to bring me into relationship with the people I’m serving and that I need to set aside all that I “know” so that he can do that.

The Spirit will guide me into all truth (John 16:13).

Alaska Missions Pre-Training

One of the many projects I’ll participate in while in Nome is the Mushers’ Banquet. The banquet is held after the Iditarod race and tickets cost $65 each. I read that more than 2,000 people attend – that’s more than half the entire population of Nome (3,576). To participate in this part of the Iditarod ministry, I was required to obtain an Alaska food handling certification (http://alaska.state.gegov.com/foodworker/).

I’m supposed to make sure hamburger is cooked to at least 155° and chicken to at least 165°, and that food is stored below 41° or above 135°. When washing dishes I’m supposed to use three buckets – water, cleaning solution, and sanitizing solution. I also learned that 30% of people don’t wash their hands after they go to the bathroom and that over 5,000 droplets take flight when I sneeze. And, I can sing the Happy Birthday song twice while washing my hands. You’ll be glad to know that I passed the test, but frankly…I’m a little surprised I’m still alive.

Everything that lives and moves is food for us (Genesis 9:3-4).

Spiritual Forces

The book Serving with Eyes Wide Open describes the Western church as no longer the trendsetter for the worldwide Christian church. The largest Christian communities are in Africa and Latin America, not in the United States. Livermore presents a snapshot about core beliefs in what is now known as the Majority World church.

For example, the majority world church believes that we live in a dynamic, spiritual universe. They are quite aware that the world is inhabited by a host of spiritual forces that influence human life in numerous ways. This belief leads majority world Christians not into despair but into a heightened awareness of the need for vigilance against an active, dangerous spirit world. The spirits are seen as literal, personal, and organized forces of evil. They contend with these supernatural forces every day, whereas Americans rarely give a thought to these forces.

The text highlights an area of potential difference between my beliefs about the supernatural and those of perhaps the Baptist church, other denominations, or the native people inhabiting the Nome area. A question came to mind when reading this book. Do majority world Christians lack faith to overcome the supernatural forces and live their daily lives in the relative peace Americans experience? Or do Americans lack faith that supernatural powers exist and live their daily lives more subject to them because of a lack of vigilance?

“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’” (Mark 3:11).

Nome, Alaska

Nome is a small bush village located on the Bearing Sea, on the south coast of the Seward Peninsula. The village is 539 air miles from Anchorage (no roads lead to Nome), 102 miles south of the Arctic Circle, and 161 miles east of Russia. The temperature ranges from -20° to +20° F during the month of March. The sun rises around 6:30 a.m. and sets around 7:30 p.m. during that month. The population is 3,576, 46% of whom are female. The average age is 32 years.

A gold strike on Anvil Creek in 1898 transformed an isolated stretch of tundra into a city of 20,000 prospectors, gamblers, claim jumpers, saloon keepers, and prostitutes. By 1902 the more easily reached claims were exhausted and taken over by large mining companies with better equipment. Since the first strike, Nome yielded $136 million in gold. The gradual depletion of gold, a major influenza epidemic, the Great Depression, a fire that destroyed most of the city, World War II, and perhaps the weather conditions all influenced Nome’s population.

Today Nome is made up of 59% American Indian; 37% Caucasian; and 4% Hispanic, Black, and Vietnamese people. The religions most prevalent in the area are: Christian, Agnostic, shamanism, and Russian Orthodox.

Alaska Missions

The first week (March 19-25) of my mission trip to Alaska will be in Nome with Alaska Missions. They are the mission mobilization arm of the Chugach Baptist Association in Anchorage. They target regions of Alaska to break down barriers to the Gospel with a servanthood evangelism approach.

Specifically, I will be working in the Iditarod outreach with tough jobs like caring for the musher’s and their dogs, serving at the musher’s banquet, senior adult ministry, village visitation, and Bible-in-a-bucket distribution. Watch this short clip to get a feel for the woman who leads the mission and the work we’ll be doing while there.

Brave Communication

I attended the first in an 11-week series at my church called Brave Communication. The website describes brave communication as about being prepared. It's about being gentle and powerful. It's about getting the love and grace I have in my heart, out. It will empower me with a new mindset and practical skills that enhance my everyday in-the-moment connection with friends and strangers, and keep me from panicking, avoiding, or attacking in the midst of conflict. The series seems like the perfect complement to the beginning of any mission journey.

One of the key messages was that we need to connect with people relationally before delivering content messages that might feel threatening. I was thinking about evangelism opportunities and how tempting it might be to simply ask a few connecting “get to know you” questions and follow immediately with “do you know Jesus” content. Might this approach feel a lot like judgment on the part of the receiver. I wonder if finding a few people to get close to over the course of the week would be wise and then perhaps at the end of the week, through that developed relationship, talk a little more about content. Whatever the case, I’m so thankful to have time now to ponder the possible approaches to the wonderful opportunities that I’ll experience while on this journey.

On a side note, I commented that the material seemed to be similar to a book called Crucial Conversations and somehow word got back to my pastor. I was invited to share additional material from this book with participants. At first I thought GASP! but then I had to smile because I could see God working on that transformation in me again. How could I say no?

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Mission Trip #1: Alaska

Using the database at shorttermmissions.com, I found 42 domestic opportunities to serve during spring break. God bless our alphabet system, Alaska was at the top.

Rick and I dreamed of going to Alaska together. The day finally came that we made our decision to go – to celebrate my doctoral graduation and to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We began reading travel books and looking at maps to help with decisions about when and where to visit. But he died before we could go.

Participating in my first short term mission trip in Alaska is a bittersweet opportunity. But are my motives pure? Am I choosing this trip to glorify God or to selfishly fulfill some leftover dream? Must the two motives be mutually exclusive? Is God big enough to orchestrate my mission purpose and my unfulfilled dreams into one situation?

I truly believe God is giving me the desires of my heart in a way that is even more amazing than I could have imagined for myself. Isn’t that what we should expect from our big and loving Creator? Have our expectations of Him become so human-like that we question even the good things that happen to us? But can I endure this journey without Rick? I'm sure I will have moments of heartache but I believe my good God wants to make the mission trip a wonderful, transformational moment in my second year journey.

Even the highest heavens cannot contain my God (Chronicles 2:5-6).

Choosing a Mission Trip

Short term missions is the venue through which I believe breaking down walls, building compassion, and showing grace can occur simultaneously. With this purpose in mind, I prepared to find a short term mission trip using the questions posed by my cousin as a guide.

1. You could go on a mission trip close by or far away. If you have never been on a mission trip before, consider close by first.
2. You could go on a mission trip alone, with a small group, or a larger group. I think a group of 8-12 is a nice amount and allows for a good team dynamic, which is an important part of the experience.
3. What mission interests do you have? A particular kind of ministry? A particular location? Look for something that fits that.

Adding to this guide, I knew that multiple trips meant that I would need to spread them out over the course of the year so as to avoid any negative impact on my family and my work. But still I wondered…how would I recognize the right trips?

If I trust in God he will give me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:3-6).

My Second Year Purpose

I practiced telling my second year story to a few friends who encouraged and supported me in this journey. My cousin, a full time missionary in Guadalajara, raised some practical questions, which led to the internal dialogue…why missions? My response was three-fold.

Through missions I will have the opportunity to break down walls. I will practice being authentic, genuine, and open in that somewhat non-threatening environment. Where I would typically have chosen to respond in a closed manner, I will instead choose to face the risk of judgment or rejection by responding with openness. How many people can only know God’s unconditional love by first bringing down their defenses?

Through missions I will have the opportunity to show compassion. I will choose missions that expose me to the hurts and needs of others. For example, I will develop relationships with people in ways that demand expressions of empathy and consideration. I trust God to bring me to the right places at the right times to show kindness. How many people need to know God’s compassion delivered without strings attached?

Through missions I will have the opportunity to show the grace of God. Have you ever thought you knew what God’s grace was but then truly experienced it and realized what you thought you knew was entirely insufficient? Through the death of my best friend, God’s grace was made real. I long to show His grace rather than serve my own interpretation of fairness. How many people need to know God’s amazing favor rather than the man-made justice of their current situation?

Why missions? To break down walls, build compassion, and show the wonderful grace of God.

“I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13b).

My Second Year

As I contemplated these disturbing truths about me, Jesus’ heart for me, and this depiction of my second year, I felt a little mortified. Many people are gifted with these qualities, they come naturally. But for as long as I can remember I lived in the intellectual world, NOT the relational world. Intermingle this work with the ongoing work of grief and healing and the floodwaters began to rise. How did all these expressions fit together? Oddly, in only the way the Spirit could move, my Bucket List came to mind.

Three, long-forgotten dreams were on that list that had yet to be accomplished. Those three things were essentially set aside as they never quite aligned with Rick’s heart. Sometimes I prayed that God would unite our hearts on these three things and I guess he did. Setting aside these desires never once troubled me. Never. Please do not hear that Rick held me back in any way. As a matter of fact, I am quite confident that I could never have gotten as far as I am today without all that he gave and taught and loved. My life will become his legacy.

One particular item from my bucket list almost screamed at me – short term missions. Short term missions perfectly aligned with the message of restoration, hope, and transformation delivered by these many friends. Actually, all three remaining items on that bucket list fit. This realization, this connecting of the dots, excited me. Was this it? Was short term missions my second year?

Who knows why this purpose has come at this time but I cannot remain silent (Esther 4:14).

The Beginning of My Second Year 2

The shoulder of my first to my second year was worrisome. I wanted, no…I needed, to have some sense of future. I felt an urgency to capture a vision for my life that went beyond next month. I needed to have some assurance that what I lost with Rick, our plans for our happy future together, could be recaptured in a way that was at minimum satisfying. I needed hope, beauty, and I needed to reclaim the peace that was so steadfastly present during my first year. I knew that I knew that God had good plans for me and that I would have joy again. But how?

I wrestled with words from the Holy Spirit that both broke me down and built me up. But the real longing was to recapture a sense of purpose for my future. Without fail, among many words, the Holy Spirit revealed that my second year would be a transition, a graduation, a parting of the waters, a new season, filled with radical change (of the inner me), a transformation, that the work would be foundational and not completed, that it would be joyful, that God would be faithful, that I would have dreams and visions, and that I would use some gift for ministry.

Many wise counselors help give shape and meaning to God’s plans (Proverbs 15:22).

The Beginning of My Second Year

The hardest part of hearing all these messages seems not in acknowledging those less than glamorous truths about me but instead in acknowledging the truth of Jesus’ heart for me. The Holy Spirit gave words like pleasure, pride, love, beautiful, valuable, gifted, strong and mighty, precious, and intimate. Jesus feels this way about me? About me?

Intimacy. Intimacy requires breaking through walls, unmasking, exposing, and being vulnerable. Intimacy fosters trust, love, and security. Intimacy is a sense of having a special, unique bond that joins two people together, a sense of oneness and unity. Even these words pale when compared to the actual sense of intimacy between two people.

Rick and I shared this kind of intimacy. With him I could let all my junk hang out and he still loved me. When his junk hung out, I loved him even more. There is something about being willing to share your vulnerabilities that builds intimacy. Every experience together strengthens that relationship. But, for me, this intimacy is no longer possible. The sense of confusion that comes with not having this piece of our relationship is astounding and indescribable. It’s like a piece of me died too. I find myself turning one way, and then another, looking for that inner connection that comes in intimacy with my husband.

But wait, I just acknowledged that Jesus feels an intimate relationship with me. Can I allow Him to be that intimate lover of my soul? That ultimate lover of me? Can I allow him into the depths of who I am so that healing and transformation can overcome me? Is it possible to draw so close to Jesus that the difference between an intimate relationship with my husband and an intimate relationship with Jesus is indistinguishable? Maybe even…dare I say…better?

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

The Beginning of . . . What!

As I reviewed the various messages from the Holy Spirit – I wrote them down as they were revealed – I found that some very disturbing words described me far more accurately than I would have liked. Bless those who were willing to tell me the truth…but yikes! Detail oriented, judgmental, demanding, inflexible, perfectionist, independent, legalistic…oh…there are more, a lot more.

The last sermon of my first year was called, “Blessed are the Pure in Heart.” The message was about the vine and the branches. My associate pastor talked about being pruned. Blessed are the pure in heart (those who have been pruned), for they shall see God. He suggested that even the good gifts or skills may be pruned. The old self dies and a new boldness for Jesus takes its place.

Let God transform me into a new person by changing the way I think (Romans 12:2).

The End of the First Year and the Beginning of . . . What?

As the first year milestones passed, I began to feel the grey cloud descending again. What would year two bring? What would my future hold? Was I really going to be okay?

Have you ever had a word or message stick with you? Someone says something that causes you to stop and think, if only for a moment. You don’t usually give the first hearing too much thought but then you hear it again from another source in a slightly different way. The second time you think it’s a coincidence but you make a mental note just in case. When it happens again, you look around and wonder who’s been watching you. This is how my second year began to materialize.

Even as I write I realize how wonderful the Holy Spirit is to use patterns to get my attention. Patterns…the perfect way to get MY attention…he spoke my language.

“Speak, for your servant is listening” 1 Samuel 3:4-10.

My First Year

Through the wisdom of many friends and authors, I quickly learned that the work of grief was to be completed with intent. Therefore, my first year after Rick’s death was marked by that work. I wrote a story not about the beginning of our lives together, but instead about the ways I recognized the many firsts without Rick and the sweet remembering of our many lasts. I wrote the story of my grief journey, a journey that I would later understand to have been designed especially for me. Truly it’s a story of God’s amazing grace.

As I chronicled the many milestones – holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, traditions – throughout the first year, the writing gave me the opportunity to look back and to look ahead. These milestones were part of the before and were very easily identifiable. As such, I could see what the future would hold – which specific milestones were ahead – at least as it related to that first year. I can joyously look back and say that I had a wonderful year of fully experiencing the grief journey which transformed into something beautiful…healing. Such wonderful memories were captured in that writing and in the many other expressions of grief/healing throughout that year. I know a certain sense of grief will be with me always but I came to a place where I could step out of that shadow and into something wonderful.

He promised his mercies and compassion would be new every day (Lamentations 3:22-23).

My Story Begins 2

On that day, the canvas of my future was torn in two thus marking my life with a very distinct before and after. The “before” was very clear and it was beautiful. The before was tangible and witnessed by beautiful children and grandchildren, family, friends, and coworkers. The “after”…the after was grey, veiled, cloudy, undefined. The after was ethereal and elusive…unknown. I could scarcely imagine life beyond that evening let alone into old age. This purposeless wandering was choking me.

“But then the Lord answered Job out of the storm” (Job 38).

My Story Begins

On November 22, 2008 my best friend and husband of almost 20 years died unexpectedly. Those adorable curls, winning dimples, and that precious spirit are gone forever. Among the so many thoughts and emotions that go along with grieving was the idea that the picture we’d painted of our future together, the plans we had made, would never be accomplished.

Having this beautiful picture of what "will be" before our eyes was a driving force in our lives. Every decision, every action, every earthly hope was shaped by that image. Without it…I began to feel like a wanderer, a vagabond, a rogue, a drifter, a gypsy, a tramp, a hobo. Never had I imagined my young future apart from my companion and ally.

But wait…doesn’t God tell us that his plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11)?