Bangladesh Swirly

Dad asked the family to caption this. After my brother captioned it "Bangladesh Swirly," yeah, no one else attempted to do better. Maybe he can relate. *giggling softly* I wish I knew where this picture was found. Amazing.

BANGLADESH SWIRLY

Status of Flood Victims in Pakistan - The Mission Exchange

The Mission Exchange announces the August 2010 Global Issues Update:  Status of Flood Victims in Pakistan

Complex global challenges impact Great Commission activities at every level. No matter how connected and motivated you are as an individual Christ-follower, church or mission leader, you can't be an expert on everything.

The August 2010 edition of Global Issues Update addresses the Status of Flood Victims in Pakistan with Anthony, a disaster and relief expert based in Europe. Anthony has been the Director of Crisis and Relief for Frontiers International for seven years. He has a long history with disaster relief in this area of the world, having been engaged with the 2004 tsunami, the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, as well as Iraq, Kosovo and Lebanon. He is communicating regularly with people on the ground in Pakistan and well positioned to share about this tragedy.

By some estimates as many as 20 million people in 50% of the country have been affected by monsoon rains and extensive flooding. The death toll of approximately 1,600 from the initial flooding is expected to rise exponentially in the face of food shortages and the lack of clean water. The elderly and the young are most at risk. One estimate suggests as many as 300,000 infants and young children are at risk of death in the next few weeks from dehydration and water born disease.

Response to this tragedy has been slow. The church in North America, still engaged (and rightly so) with ongoing commitments to Haiti, has yet to rise to this challenge. We hope this timely downloadable webinar resource will help you speak up on behalf of the millions of Pakistani families who have lost everything in this disaster and are more concerned about staying alive today than rebuilding for tomorrow.

Global Issues Update is a bi-monthly (6 times per year) downloadable webinar that focuses on big picture issues impacting the world of missions. Because of the urgent nature of this edition of Global Issues Update we are offering it for FREE to everyone. Please distribute this widely in your circles of influence.

Natural Disasters

Today is World Humanitarian Day. No wonder I feel overwhelmed with the devastation around our globe. Here's a little something from ReliefWeb:

Russia and Pakistan events are the two with which I feel most connected. My brother just spent two and a half weeks in Russia and told us of the widespread impact of the fires. And I have family in Pakistan, experiencing the flooding firsthand. There is potential for disaster anywhere we go. There's also potential for prayer wherever we are. Will you pray with me for our globe?

Fires in Russia - Did you know that July was the warmest month ever in Moscow, Russia, since the beginning of modern meteorological records, which is about 130 years?!

Floods in Pakistan - More than 1,600 people have been killed, while 14 million others have been displaced and affected as a result of the devastating floods in Pakistan. Yeah, it hasn't stopped raining yet. You know who's been sending aid? China, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Australia, Czech Republic, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, USA, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Ireland are among some of so many more. As of today over 400 million dollars has been given and more has been pledged (OHCA, Aug 19).

Minister Power of Ireland said today, "The floods in Pakistan are the greatest humanitarian challenge facing the world today but we should not forget that there are many other humanitarian crises which need our attention."

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May the Lord use our prayers and the hands of His people to bring aid to the victims of these disasters. Beyond this, may He use our prayers and actions to bring hope to them - hope found only in Jesus, the Calmer of the Storms.

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, 

and the ends of the earth your possession. - Psalm 2:8

Am I a missionary?

As I've written before here, Josh and I have been asking questions of ourselves concerning our missionary call. What is it?


If I were to define missionary with a typical circular dictionary definition, I would use one sent on a mission. It seems to me that the Bible doesn't focus much on what we know of a missionary today. You know, someone who leaves there home to spread the Gospel to people who need it. Sure there are plenty of characters who fit that image, but I think the Bible focuses more on various "missions" on which Christians were sent. God called all kinds of people out of their normal routine to go on various missions, and then, they would return to their homes and routines. So is a missionary only a missionary when he or she is on a mission?

I think it's easy to get caught up in defining who a missionary is and what a missionary does. I fall into this. *guilty* I've been talking about being a missionary in training for about 5+ years now. What if I never go overseas? Did I miss my calling. Did I misunderstand my missionary call?

I felt this quote from The Missionary Call to be quite freeing and inspiring:

“As you examine your heart for evidence of a missionary call, look for a burden to fulfill the Great Commission and obey the Great Commandments that is guided by a Great Compassion.” (Sills, p.58)

So Josh and I have been doing this. We want to step away from the expectations of who a missionary is and what a missionary does. We want to examine our hearts to understand better the burden God has placed there. What are we compassionate about? What are the gifts He's given us? In what environments do we thrive?

We want these answers not just to prepare us for work overseas, but to guide us and our ministry for our entire lives. Right now we're in Minneapolis, not Africa. Our gifts weren't meant only for overseas ministry. What are they and how are we using them right now? I think that might have something to do with being one sent on a mission.

Since 2009...

My aunt got me started on the tradition of writing in a birthday journal. Since I just turned 24, it was time to write again. This is a bit of it. Since 2009...

• I've prepared to leave the country long-term and not gone.
• I've resigned from an organization and joined another.
• I've surrendered marriage and been given a husband.
• I've had many vaccinations and not needed their effect.
• I thought I was done at SIL-UND and was blessed with another summer taking literacy.
• I've said "goodbye" to my 4 siblings and gained 7 more.
• I've said "goodbye" to 2 nieces  and 1 nephew and gained 2 nieces and 6 nephews.
• I've grieved leaving my parents and gained another set.
• I've talked about moving from "home" for a mission field and seen my parents move to Alaska, a mission field.
• I've given my car and other earthly possessions away and have been given them back.
• I've taken leave from graduate school and have begun helping a husband through school.
• I've studied my identity and calling and gained a whole new set.
• I've prayed about a host family and have begun hosting my brother.
• I've prayed about a partner in ministry and have gained a partner for life.
• I've prepared for the village and moved to the city.
• I've worried about safety and have been given a protector.
• I've done pre-field counseling that turned into premarital counseling.

I've walked with the Lord.

I've seen His hand on my life.

I've been encouraged and affirmed.

I've been provided for.

I've grown.

I still love people.

I still want to be a missionary.

I still want to do Bible translation.

I just gave it all up to marry a man 

who wants to give it all back... and more!

Good thing that God does what He wants. 

His way is way better anyway!

When we walk with the Lord...

Someone mentioned this song at work the other day. It has a special place in my heart because of Summer 2007. It was my second summer at SIL-UND, and I was taking Package B. In the midst of the most academically difficult times in my life, this song was continually on my heart. I thought of it daily as I walked to and from class. I recognize this was a significant time in my life as the Lord softened my heart toward Bible translation work. I don't remember singing this song much as a kid, so it was surprising when I just couldn't get it out of my head. I felt quite ministered to. The Lord gently pounded this message into my head, particularly the first verse and chorus. Please pray with Josh and and me as we seek to bring the light of His Word to those who do not yet have it in the language of their hearts.

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will;

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Chorus:

Trust and obey,

For there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, 

But to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, 
not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, 
not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.


Not a burden we bear,

Not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss,

Not a frown or a cross,

But is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove

The delights of His love

Until all on the alter we lay;

For the favour He shows

And the joy He bestows

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet

We will sit at His feet

Or we'll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do,

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

You Better Take Squatty Potty 101

If you don't know what I'm talking about, or have never used one, or have never successfully used one, check this out. It will help you out. You might need it. Squatty potties are moving west.  Check out this article my dad just sent me.

Shopping Center Bosses Bow to Muslim Activist and Install New ‘Asian Toilets’… (Daily Mail)

For centuries, the great British loo has been a matter of envy to the rest of the world. Thanks to the efforts of pioneers like the legendary Thomas Crapper, we have long since led the world in comfort and hygiene. Now, however, that could be about to change. For most of us, the squat toilet is nothing more than a staple of horror stories about old-fashioned French service stations or the exploits of adventurous backpackers in far-flung parts of India. But this basic form of plumbing, also known as a Turkish toilet or Nile pan, could be coming to a shopping centre near you – and all in the name of cultural sensitivity.

From next week, shoppers in Rochdale who push open the cubicle door expecting the reassuring sight of a modern, clean lavatory could instead be faced with little more than a hole in the ground. Bosses of the Greater Manchester town’s Exchange mall have installed two as part of an upgrade costing several thousand pounds after attending a cultural awareness course run by a local Muslim community activist.

A familiar sight in parts of the Middle East, and still sometimes seen in France and Italy, the toilets require users to squat above them, rather than sitting. With one in ten of Rochdale’s population of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, centre managers say they have been told some members of the local Asian community prefer them for cultural reasons.

If you look up this article and review the comments, you'd think the world is coming to an end. I, on the other hand, think it's a great idea. Having grown up in Bangladesh, I can say with credibility that there are perks to this.

5 Reasons For Squatty Potty Usage (according to me)

1. You don't have to sit on it. Seriously, we already step in it when people miss. Who hasn't sat on a wet toilet seat in a public bathroom? And no, four squares of TP do not help. You'll never need these.
2. It's way easier to clean. The toilet and yourself. I think its silly that we take paper, smear, and then treat rashes. Wouldn't you rather give yourself a mini-wash? Refreshing.
3. It's way green. We're all about going green right? Say goodbye to plumbing issues.
4. Better for you. I have to admit that my knees don't like the squatting much, but a chiropractor just told me that sitting is terrible for your back. This article said this: "Why do we in the Western World suffer so many cases of colon cancer, constipation, diverticulitis, IBS, prostate/uterine disorders and other diseases that other countries do not? The answer may well be in whether you use a squat toilet or not."
5. Kid friendly. Though you may think this is debatable, I think a hole is way better for kids. My mom used to stand us up on the porcelain thrones. Way less fun.

To make a fair argument, I must express the negatives I see. First, I already mentioned, it kills the knees. But with the added exercise, maybe I wouldn't such bad knee problems. Second, it's way easier to loss your chapstick. You really have to hold on to your stuff and your clothes. Third, I'm left handed.

Squatty Potties, welcome to the west.

Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself... 

as part of your equipment have something to dig with, 

and when you (want to) relieve yourself, 

dig a hole (in the ground)... and cover up your excrement.

(Deuteronomy 23:12-13)

The Missionary Call

Thanks to our friend Anna and her cabin, Josh and I were able to get away to Bemidji, MN for a weekend. We took a stack of projects with us, but the most productive thing we did was read and discuss this book: The Missionary Call - by M. David Sills. We've been directing a large portion of our thoughts, discussions, and prayers on what the Lord might have for us next year after Josh graduates.

We asked questions like these:

• What is a missionary call? Does everyone have one?
• What are the means God uses to call a person?
• Is there a difference between a missionary call and an assignment?
• What is the purpose of missions?
• What does God command and promise regarding missions?

Then we asked questions of ourselves:

• What does our missionary call look like?
• What are we compassionate about?
• What would an assignment look like?

I think some of our finding will be topics for some following blog posts. Stay tuned and comment with your thoughts on a question or two.

In the meantime... I would highly recommend going to Bemidji.

“...to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, 

so that they may turn from darkness to light 

and from the power of Satan to God, 

that they may receive forgiveness of sins 

and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” 

Acts 26:17b-18

World Maps & Clocks

Here's a population clock to see lostness growing as the population increases. I wonder how accurate this is. How could anyone ever measure this? Oh well... it's still sobering.

 On another note, here's a clock on CO2 emissions, birth rate & death rate simulation. Kinda cool, though I don't agree that global warming "is almost without a doubt the most important issue to face our generation, and quite possibly any generation in history. " And why do they say "almost" and "without a doubt"? Whatever. I think the map is cool.

 I love maps and numbers. Have you seen anything like these?

Mamihlapinatapai

Mamihlapinatapai (sometimes spelled mamihlapinatapei) is a word from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "most succinct word", and is considered one of the hardest words to translate.^[1] It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start."

The word consists of the reflexive/passive prefix ma- (mam- before a vowel), the root ihlapi (pronounced [iɬapi]), which means to be at a loss as what to do next, the stative suffix -n, an achievement suffix -ata, and the dual suffix -apai, which in composition with the reflexive mam- has a reciprocal sense.

1. ^ Matthews, P. (ed.). 1992. The Guinness Book of Records 1993.

I love linguistics.