Ball Bulletin

2009-04-23T03:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely in Fiji this past Saturday morning. After some restful time at a hotel (which meant lots of swimming for the children!), we were off to New Zealand on Monday for BMW’s South Pacific area conference. Thank you bringing us before the Father. He has provided the strength needed thus far to meet the tiring circumstances that all this travel has presented.

The primary topic of the conference as well as BMW’s vision and heartbeat for the next 10 years and beyond is prayer. Dr. John Talley has traveled here with his wife along with Paul Seger, our general director, to present this vision to the missionaries serving in Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, and Fiji. As the Word of God has been preached, the Holy Spirit is expanding our understanding of this great privilege we have in prayer. I have personally been challenged, seeing ways to transform my prayer life, and to ensure that the content of my praying is in line with the Scriptures. Thus far, we have looked at 1 Tim 2:1, Col 1:9-14, Eph 1:15-23; 3:14-19. If you have time, I would encourage you to look through these passages.

With that said, I would ask that you pray for us. We are all running on empty physically, and in some ways, emotionally. That’s not to say, God is not providing what is needed. He is as I mentioned above. However, I ask you, dear friends, to pray as Paul did for the Colossians that God would “strengthen us with all might, according to His glorious power, for all longsuffering and patience with joy” (Col 1:11). It is our desire to please God in our weakness, to be a testimony of His grace, to show the love of Christ to others. We can only do this through Him, with His strength. Pray that the Father would grant this to us, that we may complete this time of travel well.

Lord willing, we will arrive in Labasa, Fiji, on Sunday, April 26. As you can imagine, we are looking forward to that date.

Internet access has been quite sparse since we arrived in Fiji and even as we have been in New Zealand. We will try to update you as much as possible.

A Look Back

2009-02-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Our deputation began in November of 2007 when we returned from Fiji. In a real sense we hit the ground running. We had been preparing for this for so long, with friends and family members eager with us to find out where God was sending us. Now that we knew God wanted us to be in Fiji it was as if we had a small army of people helping us get there. In the first days of deputation Mike was busy filling out questionnaires from different churches, scheduling meetings, developing brochures, prayer cards, and our display. Almost instantly our life made a drastic change. The roots we had put down, although temporarily, were pulled up, the church we attended so regularly with friends was only visited occasionally. It was as if overnight we were heading to the mission field thus entering a new phase of life.

Without those numerous special answers to prayer I could not have endured our full schedule. God’s faithfulness to me during the years while Mike was in seminary and the kids were so small reassured me now that He would not lead where His grace wouldn’t follow. There were many days of battling my will and accepting His. The children were usually eager for the adventure but every Sunday would say, “do we get to go to our church today?” Most often the answer was no, but God was always faithful. When our spirits got low He always provided a special treat, like a night in a motel or new friends for our children. I remember once at the end of a tough weekend and just before arriving at a new church I asked God for just someone to say that it would be alright. After the evening church service a lady I had never seen before approached me with out-stretched arms. She hugged me and said "you are doing a good job, God will take care of you, it will be alright.”

This year God has blessed us with opportunities we could have never imagined. We had the privilege of visiting 15 states and seeing friends and family we had not seen in many years. We were able to participate in 5 missions conferences and 2 summer camps. We were able to see the snow in Chicago, the sand hills of Nebraska, the alligators of Louisiana, the dolphins of Florida, and see the autumn colors of the Carolinas.

The only thing we have had to offer the Lord was obedience and even that has been flawed and often failing. But His grace endures and He is so merciful to always give above and beyond our greatest dreams. Our heavenly Father always provides the strength to go on especially when our strength is gone.

Now at the end of 15 months of deputation our hearts are overflowing with sweet memories and precious friendships. Our departure date is set for April 16, 2009. There is so much to do to pack and prepare to move, yet as we look back on all that God has done we are strengthened in faith and eager to see God's work in Fiji.

The Father's Nearness

2008-12-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to think that the time of our departure for Fiji is almost here. Well, close but still several months away. After being on this journey for more than 10 years a few months doesn't seem like that long.

Currently our preparation for Fiji is learning to trust God with every detail of our lives and to pursue Him with all of our hearts. It is such a joy to be in a position to depend on Him. We would have it no other way.

Today was a great day here in our home. God put a song in each of our hearts by His grace and truth. As we share the living Word with our children and apply His truth to our own lives God makes our joy to abound.

A friend and I are memorizing Psalm 46. I was so refreshed today by the truths of river that flows out from His throne. Symbolizing the pleasure and refreshment that He provides (Ps. 36:8, Rev. 22:1-2). Are you eager to live in the eternal warmth, light, and goodness of heaven that He has prepared for us? Today I saw a beautiful picture of a balcony overlooking the sea, possibly from Cyprus or Greece. It was decked in flowers and had a place to sit alone and bask in the sun. I thought "I could really draw near to God there." Then I realized how unlike my Savior that kind of thinking is. He did not need to sit on beautiful balconies away from the needy people to be near His Father. He continually served among them while abiding in perfect fellowship with His Father. Before the cross, wherever He was, whatever He was doing He was in perfect unity with the Father. I have so much growing to do. So often when the neediness around me grows I get distracted from my Father's nearness. Yet that is when I need Him most. May God give us all the grace to realize His nearness no matter where we are or what we are doing. I thank God for His mercy and His promise to always be at work using every situation to conform us to His image.