Sunday, April 22, 2012

Willingness v. Will

“That delight—in God—is the thing that brings desire in the heart to do good, and desire is beneath everything. If there is no desire to do God’s will, then the doing of God’s will is just outward conformity, and God doesn’t appreciate it at all.

Now desire is more than just willingness. I once worked for the Foreign Missions Fellowship, which is a group of collegiate kids who are considering going to the mission field. You know, every time I would talk to some Christians in college, their big cry about the mission field was, ‘Well you know, I’m willing to go. I’m quite willing to go to the mission field. Very willing to go. Willing. But I need a call from God (or some such thing) because I don’t feel as if I’m sent to the mission field.’ Well, I’m telling you that passive willingness is not desire. I was willing to go to the mission field a long time before I willed to go to the mission field. And it is the desire of the will that God wants.

Desire is the putting of my will into God’s concern. It’s not a passive, sitting back in your easy chair, folding your arms sort of thing, which says, ‘Well, I’m willing, if God would only give me a good swift kick and send me.’ That’s willingness all right. But God doesn’t want willingness, He wants will! He wants your will put behind those desires.”

-Jim Elliot: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You, pg. 25
I recently read this quote and it resonated strongly with my own life. Since I was in 3rd grade I have been saying I want to "do" missions. Or, at least, that I am willing to do them. Granted, missions may look different in 3rd grade than it does for me at 24, but I think that Jim Elliot nailed it. God doesn't want our willingness, He wants will.

For me, missions started small.  It started back at square one, with Pastor Doug asking me what it looked like to "love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind... and love my neighbor as myself." At 20, I wasn't satisfied with my canned answer to that question. At 24, I'm still working it out. I had to re-learn what the Gospel means* and its practical implications in my life. I went from there to loving my family, my classmates, trying to share the Truth of Jesus Christ in those relationships, and letting Him affect certain relationships in my life. After that, it was being a part of GotLife, doing local missions projects and slowly, slowly, being pushed outside of myself and further into the world.

Once I started to grasp what it meant practically to be saved, it started to change everything. Being saved wasn't just a future event (ie: I am saved from Hell) but also something that daily could (and did!) make a difference in my life. I have already been accepted. I have already been forgiven. I have already been adopted. I have already been made righteous. As Michael Kelley says, it's "already, but not yet." I already have these things... but they are not yet fully realized and manifested in my life. But they are there. And they should begin to impact my life and my attitude and behavior.

When we are delighting in God, and desiring what He desires, then that naturally will push us towards missional living. We aren't "going out" because of obligation, but because time with Him is aligning our will with His will. And His will, is for the nations to know Him and worship Him.

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol Him, all you peoples."
-Ps. 117:1

 ________
* I highly recommend the book What is the Gospel? which tackles this in a very solid and succinct way. It's one of the books I have referenced most concerning the Gospel... aside from the Bible. :)

Friday, April 20, 2012

E-Day [part ii]

[From the Thai Ministry of Education]
Just a quick update on our "Embassy visit" situation (for those of you who have asked!). When Claire and I went to the Embassy last week they told us we needed two more items: a letter from the Thai Ministry of Education (which John Lapos promptly provided us with) and another background check. The Embassy said the background check could take 4-8 weeks, and the Virginia State Police said 2-4 weeks. We were hoping for two weeks... But great news!

Our background checks were both in our respective mailboxes yesterday afternoon. That's less than one week. Praise God! I know that many of you have been praying specifically about this, thank you. We are trying to schedule another trip to D.C. next week to take care of getting our visa. So, expect a [part iii] sometime next week!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Thailand Benefit Dinner

Wow. I don't know where to begin... Tonight was incredible. So many people poured so much time and energy into making this evening happen. It was beautiful, and I was completely humbled and blown away! Weeks ago, when Pastor Doug mentioned we were going to have an "Italian Benefit Dinner" my first thought was that it would be mass-produced boxed spaghetti and Ragu sauce. Maybe some re-heated meatballs if we were feeling crazy.

What I did not imagine was hand-made pasta, rolled and punched into over 1,200 raviolis, from-scratch sauce, hand-assembled salads and authentic dipping sauce (and dozens of different home-made cakes). Here is the man behind the event... meet Ralph Mattera. He and his wife, Gradye were my Sunday School teachers my senior year of high school. They have such a huge heart for the Lord... you only have to meet them once to know that. He and his team invested hours and hours... and hours and hours preparing and prepping for this evening. What a testimony to his love of the Lord and his love of missions.

Ralph Mattera adding some parmesan to the ravioli. 


My mom (& dessert)! She helped prepare and serve at the dinner.

There were about 360 people who walked through the Fellowship Hall of Spotswood this evening and enjoyed a truly authentic Italian meal, complete with scenery from Italy projected on the wall and an Italian soundtrack. Tonight alone, God raised over $2,200 for our trip to Thailand! That is two months of living in Thailand (each!) or our plane ticket home! So many people gave generously to help support us... I feel truly honored and humbled that God has allowed us to do this, and has placed us in a church with such a heart for missions.

A snapshot from the evening.

This evening could not have happened without the awesome volunteers who came to help-- our college group, friends, relatives and small group showed up in style to help bus tables, wash dishes, engage guests and serve joyfully. God has blessed Claire and I with some incredible friendships. Friends who love the Lord and desire to serve Him and His people. (They've been so faithful to help with so many of our fundraisers, and not just this one, but others such as the Natalie Grant concert this past March!) But here are a few of the folks who stepped up to help this evening:





Tonight was also a neat opportunity for Claire and I to connect with people and have the chance to talk with them about what God is doing in our lives through our church! I am so excited we had this time to show some of our "eternal family" the impact that our God and His church has had on us... and also hear the God-stories of our brothers and sisters.




And, last but not least! We had a special guest this evening... Supot! Supot is our Thai tutor. He came over from Thailand a month or so ago, and has been meeting with us weekly to help us practice our Thai before we leave. Claire blogged about our most recent "Thai tutoring" lesson on her blog (click here to read it!).
Supot and I... posing for a pre-dinner picture!

For everyone who came, supported us, and gave: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I am excited for the day you are able to see the impact your life made in Thailand because of the investment you've made in our lives. You have truly loved us not just with "words or speech, but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
For everyone who served: From Jenn doing all the "paper"-preparation, Jared and publicity, Lauren coordinating volunteers, Candice taking all these awesome pictures, the Matteras overseeing and preparing the food, Bob coordinating the dinner, Doug picking up all the loose ends, planning, and making tonight seamless, to the servers, the hosts and hostesses, and the cheese-sprinklers... (the list goes on and on!) Thank you. 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Support Letters

I have a confession.

I hate writing support letters. There is something incredibly uncomfortable (and awkward) about asking people for money. Am I excited about people knowing what is going on in my life? Absolutely! Do I need people to support me financially and in prayer intentionally over the next year? Yes. So, why is it so hard?

If you've ever tried writing one, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's this balancing act of giving enough information to relay vision, without being so verbose you lose your audience. It's being persuasive, but not pressuring. It's being excited, but remaining clear and focused. It's hard.

I want my friends and family to support me because they are excited about what God is doing in my life, and what He will do in Thailand over the next year through Claire and me. We are an extension of Spotswood (and the global Church) in Thailand. We don't just want to be "sent", we want to be partnered with. We don't just "want your money"-- We want you to be a part of this.

God has already been at work providing in unexpected ways. I have been so humbled by middle school students, friends, adults, co-workers and church-family who have approached me and generously given their money and time towards Thailand. God is a more-than-capable provider.

So, this is me, stepping out on a limb-- and doing something uncomfortable (one of many things, I am sure). I've written, stuffed and stamped my support letters, and the first batch is going out this week!


If you are reading this and would like to receive a support letter... please just comment in the box below (or email me) and I'll make sure you get one.

Thank you for your prayers and your support!

<3, Liz

Thursday, April 12, 2012

E-day! [part i]

Today was the big day! E-day. Embassy-day. After days (well, hours at least) of careful preparation, Claire and I each had a neat folder of copious paperwork to present to the Thai Embassy. We had our passports, bonus passport pictures, visa application, letter of recommendation from the BSC, bonus letter from Thongchai about the BSC,  transcripts, a background check done through our church, teaching certification, teaching recommendation letter from our TESOL tutor, TESOL certification, resume, bank statement and cash payment.

After a smooth trip to D.C. (which, in itself is a miracle!) we eventually found ourselves at the Thai embassy. There may have been some detours along the way, but we hit the 9-1:00pm window. Happy as organized little clams, we waited our turn and presented the receptionist with our compilation of paperwork. She was not nearly as proud of it as we were. She hadn't heard of the BSC and wanted a copy of the BSC's registration from the Ministry of Education... And a different background check. After we got home I went on the website referenced to get more information on the Ministry of Education. This is the front page:

[click picture to enlarge]
Needless to say, my Thai tutoring is going no where near this well, so I just closed my browser and we passed the question onto John Lapos-- our awesome POC in Thailand. (But seriously... please look at this picture. What in the world. Graphic designer friends: please apply to work for Thailand)

While we were hoping to get our work visa today, there was so much good that came out of this trip. For starters, my long-lost wallet (a month and a half and counting...) was found! Claire's car had swallowed it in one of our previous adventures, and there it was waiting for me, wedged between the console and passenger's seat. Yay!

Also, the pile of things we had to compile has inspired me to make some kind of "Going to Thailand" spreadsheet for future sojourners. There is a lot to keep track of and multiple time-lines to be aware of. I think that having some kind of master-list would be helpful for people wanting to do this in the future. It's my new project!

 And lastly, it's my Spring Break this week-- and every break needs to be celebrated with some sort of trip. It was nice to not have to work, and to talk about Thailand with, perhaps, one of the only people who isn't bored by my verbose ramblings on the topic. :) 

For those of you who prayed for us, and for today, thank you! I know that God has a plan that is bigger than ours, and that He is always working out circumstances in our lives to maximize His glory. My prayer is that He would continue to give us patience and joy as we persevere in what He has called us to do.

As the Thai would say, "Mai pen rai" (no worries)-- God is still in control!

Stay tuned for the "E-day [part ii]" post in the next 2-4 weeks.

PS: Today marks our "2 mo." mark before D-Day: Departure Day.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

TESOL: check!

Check it out. That's a lot of exclamation points! I'm just waiting for Tutor David to grade a couple more assignments and email me my certificate. Today is a happy day. So glad to have this box checked and behind me!


[x] TESOL certification