Dana’s Avenue

Sorry for the delay in posting on the blog!  Our internet has been out for a few days and the provider has been a challenge to work with.  It’s finally back on now though so I’ll be able to post something here soon…  I’ve come to the conclusion that God is slowly preparing us for the mission field.  I’ve heard that in most places having water, power, and internet at one time and having any one of those all day long is almost unheard of and working with our providers is a dream compared to most places in the world…so…….I’d like to say I learned my lesson this go around so I was sure God wouldn’t test me in this again.  I may have learned a little of what He was teaching me but I was pretty frustrated in the midst of the situation so I’d say there’s another test coming at some point.  And we never really arrive anyway, right?

On a side note, we met with our realtor today, Rob McGuirt from Remax.  He was so nice and helpful and was a pleasure to work with already!  (I’ll post more about our experience a little later…)  As it relates to me learning a lesson, he shared something he read in a devotional recently.  It said that to get fine wine, the grapes have to be crushed.  That really helped me to remember to hang on during the trials, the time of refining, or how it feels - the time of being crushed - so that I grow and am made into what He wants me to be.

No doubt it is hard but as a wonderful lady at JAARS told me recently, “He is faithful!”  That, indeed, He is.  I praise Him for all that He is and has done - and not only what He has done for me but just what He has done, period.  I mean…..look around!  He created everything, preserves it, keeps it going, AND has a plan for it that He accomplishes…without growing weary.  I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll rely on Him!! 
We’re walking out to our Honduras team reunion now.  Have a blessed weekend!

Book List

I found this survey on Angela Hunt’s blog, http://alifeinpages.blogspot.com and thought I’d share.
Name . . .  

1. One book that changed your life: SO MANY! Victory over the Darkness by Neil Anderson (and the Bible of course!)
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: Only one?! Bible
4. One book that made you laugh: Hip to be Square by Hope Lyda
5. One book that made you cry: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
6. One book you wish had been written: A girl’s coming of age story, Christian style
7. One book you wish had never been written: Every Geometry textbook
8. One book you’re currently reading: A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot
10. One book you’d like to to write: A girl’s coming of age story, Christian style – “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~Toni Morrison
What’s on YOUR list?  

So why did we choose to serve in VMS and what is it anyway?

            Vernacular is heart language.  It is the language that speaks to your heart and how your heart expresses itself most naturally.  Imagine your first language is English and you learn a second language, say, Spanish.  You study in a school and are immersed in a Latin American country so you become extremely fluent in that language.  When you are alone and want to spend time with the Lord would you reach for your Spanish or English Bible?

            The Bible is so deep and cuts right to the inside of us.  It’s important that everyone in the world has the opportunity for the Word of God to transform their lives.  When the Word is presented to someone in a language they barely understand or one that is not natural to them, God remains a mystery.  We want to get the Bible to people in a way they can understand it. 

            That’s why media is so important.  Approximately 67% of the world lives in oral societies.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are illiterate although many are.  Some people grew up with a strong oral tradition and this is how they choose to communicate and pass down important information.  Still others simply learn better and are more impacted with different forms of media outside of reading.  Many people can read and they do read for work or trade but the idea of reading on their own is outside of their realm of thinking entirely.

            VMS uses various media including story telling, video, audio, drama, music, and still pictures.  What is selected depends on that people group and their culture.  For some, the Jesus video brings Him to life and many times tribal people have responded with awe that Jesus speaks their seemingly insignificant, minority language.  If a culture is very musical, Scripture and other spiritual material would be set to their music. 

            The VMS staff doesn’t make these decisions or do this work alone.  They work closely with the translator in that area and with the people in that group to determine what is best for them and how to meet their specific needs.

            There are many benefits to providing the Word to people in a way that speaks to their hearts.  The gospel is clearly presented and it gives people the chance to respond immediately.  Some people will never read so they have the same opportunity to know God’s Word that the rest of us have.  There are many people that hear the Scripture, see its truth, and want to know more about God.  This motivates them to learn to read so they can study it for themselves.  These new skills of reading and writing open doors for them in society and those opportunities pass from generation to generation helping the entire community and its future.

            Now that you know what VMS is, it’s probably obvious why we decided to go this direction.  God was instrumental in leading us here and we rely on Him to simply use us, as this is all His work.  He knows His people and how to get them to respond to Him.  He simply wants relationship with each and every one of us and is relating to each person exactly where they are with the use of VMS.  We praise Him for this tremendous show of love He has for each individual and are honored to be apart of His work.

Jonathan and I bought an RV from another missionary member on Friday night.  This will be our new ‘Home Sweet Home’ for our time of preparation for the field.  We’ll be spending the next week or so getting the house ready and putting it on the market then we’ll set up the RV and move in.  As I went to bed Friday I felt good about our decision and was excited.  

I woke up the next morning, walked into the kitchen to make coffee and that’s when it hit me.  I realized I wouldn’t be here enjoying this house much longer.  Living in an RV has certain challenges as well so a few aspects of life will be a little harder.  My heart was so heavy and the tears came when I told Jonathan about my feelings. 

So I got my cup of coffee, sat on the couch to have my quiet time and just couldn’t seem to quit crying.  I started thinking about how the disciples left everything and followed Jesus and about Abraham and how he was told to simply go to a land God would show him.  My plan was to read one of those stories to encourage me to press on but my Bible opened to the Psalms so I thought praising God would be more appropriate.  Recently I’ve been going through the Psalms slowly one at a time and sometimes lingering on one to let it sink in.  I picked up where I left off and read through Psalm 33 and 34.  These Psalms were wonderful for where I was that morning and the longer I praised God the more my spirit was lifted. 

Almost every verse spoke to my situation but the one that really struck me was Psalm 34:10b, “Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.“  What I had lost sight of is what constitutes a “good thing”.  Having a washer, dryer, and dishwasher aren’t the good things God promises me when I seek Him.  HE is the good thing and is sufficient to meet all my needs.  What I really want out of life is peace, joy, love, and fulfillment, which only come from God…….not ease, comfort, and luxury, which are temporary and never really satisfying. 

At church today I was so filled with joy, I was giddy.  God has transformed my heart from the heaviness I felt yesterday morning to the gleefulness I feel today.  Nothing at all in my situation has changed - only my focus and where I’m placing my trust and my hope.  He is so good.  I exhalt Him, magnify Him, and praise Him at all times, in all circumstances.  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul boasts in the Lord!  He has delivered me from my fears, saved me from my troubles, and answered my cry.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.  ~Ephesians 3:20

As we walked out to go to class today the coolness of the morning surprised me.  I’m already wearing jackets, lighting pumpkin candles, and noticing every red leaf.  This is my favorite season - I love it.  I’m soaking it up since I don’t know how many more falls I will be able to experience. 

When I first moved to Arizona and then California I noticed depression sneaking up on me every year about this time.  Finally, I realized I was missing fall: the crispness in the air, the changing colors around me, lighting fires at night, and snuggling on the couch wearing a sweatshirt, drinking hot apple cider. 

Knowing this about myself is important when planning to live overseas and possibly (most likely) in a place where I will once again face the grief of watching this time come and go with no change in the world around me.  We’ve been told to take things with us that will help at certain times of the year.  (For some people that could be Christmas, Easter, Spring, etc.)  So somehow I’m going to take my candles and pictures with me.  Last year I bought fake fall leaves from Michaels that I just might lay out all over my yard there……probably not the best way to make friends with your neighbors…..  They’ll think I’m crazy enough already without me giving them more evidence to work with. 
Happy Fall-ing.  ;-) 

Do you want to exercise your right brain for a while?  I found this cool link on Angela Hunt’s blog a couple months ago.  When the site comes up just move your cursor to create.  Each time you click the mouse button, the color changes.  :)   www.jacksonpollock.org  Enjoy!

Right now it is late Sunday night…..wait…..did I just say it was late? Okay. It’s 7:30pm Sunday night. If feels late. Our second week of VMS training (seventh straight week of training so far) begins tomorrow. Jonathan and I are a bit fatigued at this point but we know it’s temporary and the Lord is our rest. We would REALLY appreciate your prayers for the following:

• to have endurance and energy
• to get good, sound sleep at night
• that we would look to God to be our strength
• for God to provide focus and a positive outlook as we press on
• oh - and for us to pass our tests this week!

Today’s Sunday school lesson was on perseverance and the Christian walk being like a race. How appropriate.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.                   ~Hebrews 12:1-3

Well, here we are at the end of our first week of VMS training and in much need of some down time which I don’t anticipate having much of this weekend at all. We have a test - um, I’m sorry, they call it a reflection - on Monday that we need to study for along with some reading homework. I also have domestic duties that need attending to. The only reason I’ve been able to go this long without doing laundry is the season change. All of my summer clothes are dirty but it’s getting cool enough that I can start wearing long-sleeves. Eventually though everything’s going to be dirty and I’m going to be forced to tackle that job. The house really needs to be cleaned too but in my best Scarlett O’Hara impression…Fiddle dee dee, I’ll worry about that tomorrow. 

Overall, I think training will be good and we’ll learn the concepts and skills needed to get God’s Word to people and watch Him work to transform lives as only He can. We just have to make sure we keep our eyes on why we’re doing this and not get bogged down in terms such as sociolinguistics, azimuth adjustment, diglossia, or in all the many TLA’s (Three Letter Acronymns) thrown around. It all comes down to the people who need to be reached and allowing God to use us as He demonstrates His love.

Tonight we had a potluck with all the VMS trainees and staff. At our table were a few veterans who told stories about lives they saw absolutely transformed when they got the Scriptures in their own language. All the lies they believed were replaced with Truth and they were brought out of the darkness into His marvelous light. That’s what it’s all about and through the fatigue we are grateful for this opportunity from God.

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great Light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.
~Matthew 4:16

We just went through five weeks of Intercultural Communications Course. That training was intensive with loads of information. The work itself was six days a week and outside of class we had reading and homework. ICC training ended on Friday. Today is Monday and the beginning of Vernacular Media Services training. Instead of being half-days of class and half-days of homework like ICC, it is full-days of class and evenings of reading and homework. The information accumulated over the last month hasn’t really had time to settle and I could feel it today as more and more data went in. So here I am at home trying to absorb the many pages of reading we have to get done. I literally feel like my brain is full. Is that possible?

Our Inter-Cultural Communications course is now over. We learned so much through this experience and are grateful for it. I have realized how thankful I am for the organization we’re in. I couldn’t imagine just packing my bags and “going” with no preparation at all. Training with people who have years of missionary experience really helps us to know what to expect and plan for.

We’ll spend Saturday resting from the five weeks of training, letting it all sink in, and resting our minds so they’ll be ready when we begin our VMS training on Monday. We pray that the Lord will make our Saturday off seem like a week as far as the amount of refreshing and rejuvenation.

The VMS training is three months long ending on December 15th. The first few weeks are instructional. The last weeks of the class will be filled with various projects. I’ve heard the training is a lot of fun so we’re both really looking forward to it. We’ve been building up to this time for about a year now and it’s great to know we’re finally here. We’ll be learning about the area we’re so passionate about and getting to put our hands on the equipment and watching God’s Word come to life for those who can’t read.

Thank you for joining us through our journey and praying for us. For more information on what VMS is, see the article on the front page of our website: http://www.jonathananddana.com/.

God bless!