Reflections on why we think we're here

(Dawn) Well, here we are reaching over the 3 month mark. My friend Melissa Ramsey from Medical School e-mailed me some questions that I thought I would answer on the blog in case others were interested. It's true that Lynn and I feel God planted this trip overseas in our hearts and then miraculously made it happen. It's true that we came out of obedience mixed with excitement to medically serve and some how to share our faith in Christ as we live everyday life within a new community. I guess that makes it a mission all though I am not entirely comfortable with that word. I must be the biggest chicken missionary that has ever been but I am finding comfort that Moses and some others were too. We have shared details about our medical work here which in general has been a very different system and harder to function in than what we expected compared to the US system. Lynn especially is pain stakingly and slowly developing programs to improve the lung cancer and sleep disorder treatments in the 4 hospital system we are working within throughout an area bigger than East Tennessee. This is the bulk of the "mission" which is primarily medical relief to an understaffed, underfunded public health system. Our side job is settling into a Christian community which consists of fragmented isolated churches with 50 to 150 members each. We have done a tour around town and been to churches ranging from Anglican to pentacostal and everything in between. We have 2 different pastors and their families that we are especially fond of spending time with and are making an effort to be a source of mutual encouragement to as they serve congregations here full time. We also have a sprinkling of other Christian friends from the church hunt. We have settled into a very small church that has a heart to follow God and a love for the scriptures but is really struggling in building the infrastructure of a church. We have realized we came to New Zealand burned out on church after working for 5 years in a start from scratch church plant with the last year being especially draining as the church plant transitioned into a new phase trying to say goodbye to Cory and praying for a new pastor. So here we are enjoying not having the formal church responsabilities we had back home. With that said, Lynn has been asked to be on a church board so he is serving again in an administrative role. I have been asked to facilitate a woman's bible study and am praying about how to fit it around the work schedule. We have a nice little church community at work such as my confidant the lab manager Viv, the librarian Gayle (also a fellow American), and Lynn's Catholic nurse Linda who are great to talk about Christ with us. They each have so much to teach us as they share about their different experiences and their faith in Christ. One coworker is a decendent of the Maori that worked with the original European missionaries and has a beautiful heritage of Maori culture mingled with faith in Christ. One friend is living proof that our kids may actually remember these things we are telling them as she has returned to a faith she had as a child after spending many years in an abusive marriage. One coworker just always has a kind and gentle spirit with an encouraging word to remind us how loving God is. You know one of those Christians that just makes you feel good to be around because they are not harsh or judgemental or negative EVER. They make the hospital environment brighter for sure. We have a growing love for the community we are living in around the schools the kids attend. Remember they have been in school since we left and never got a break. We have met many interesting families and continue to talk at ballgames, have playdates, and share evening meals with families that we don't think have any faith. They are lovely warm hearted people with fascinating life stories. We need prayers that hearts would be interested to ask and be open to see who Christ really is and what Christianity is about. It is perceived here as judgemental and old fashioned where we have found Christ forgiving and loving and life sustaining with peace, purpose, and hope. Then there is you! We have been overwhelmed with the e-mails and comments we get regarding the blog. Unless you are my mother, the fact you are even reading this surprises me! Your comments have been at times touching, encouraging, humorous and always enjoyable. Several people have commented on how God is working in their hearts through cyberspace. I pray that the blog would encourage us and challenge us all onto "love and good deeds" as the bible says. That would be an amazing thing to thank God for.