Beads, Volcanos, and Airplanes

"We don't know the truth!" "We're waiting for you to tell us the truth." This is how the Pal people of Papua New Guinea responded to the questions of "Do you know how old the ground is? When the sun was born? How about the moon and the stars?" The missionaries to the Pal people use these questions to help show them that the Bible alone has the truth about the origins of the earth and the origins of them. One of the missionary writes, “We then pull out the 6,000-bead timeline and watch their eyes grow wide .... We say, ‘God has told us what happened at the beginning. God has told us about the middle. And God has told us about the future, all in His Word. And we’re going to share with you God’s Word so you can know it, too.’” By the end of the year, the missionary team, the Hostetters, Claasens and Fachners, intend to finish the lessons, which climax in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Please pray for the Pal people - that they would come to the lessons and understand the message. Pray too, for the missionary team - that they would have wisdom and strength to see this task through.

I will be in South Dakota soon to visit with churches and individuals!! Here is my schedule: - September 21 - Kadoka & Belvidere (morning services) and Community Bible Church, Murdo (evening service) - September 28 - Okaton (morning service) I will be around during the week for visits, meals, Bible studies, etc. If you want to get together and hang out, email (just hit reply), call (406-320-2968) or catch me at one of the services!  I recently heard PNG described as being "notoriously difficult to get around in" and with very few roads, air travel is a necessity if you want to get anywhere fast. After the loss of a plane in PNG last month, the need for new Kodiak planes is heightened. God has provided, through the gifts of His people, the finances for not one, but TWO Kodiak planes!! Praise the Lord! Click here to watch a video about the important role aviation plays in the tribal church planting effort! Mt. Tavurur, near the town of Rabaul in PNG, erupted on August 29th. New Tribes doesn't have any personnel who were in danger from this eruption, but as you can imagine, many local citizens were affected. Please keep the people of this region in your prayers!   Pre-field Progress: I have sent my Entry permit application and passport to the PNG embassy for approval. This is the last of my pre-field documents!! Please pray this this is processed quickly.

He likes to be asked....

I have been reading The Chronicles of Narnia books recently, for the first time. I know, I know...I'm a bit behind the times. About halfway through The Magician's Nephew, we read that Digory and Polly are traveling with Fledge, a winged horse, to get an apple for Aslan which will be used to plant a tree that will protect Narnia. After a day of traveling, being tired and hungry, they have this dialog which blew my mind:

"Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals," said Digory. 

"I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him," said Fledge.

"Wouldn't he know without being asked?" said Polly.

"I've no doubt he would," said the Horse (still with his mouth full). "But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked."

This part was so convicting to me. You see, I had just been thinking about a friend who is flying through her support raising. And I mean flying. It seems like every time she sends out a newsletter, her support is up! Don't get me wrong, I am super excited about her success in team building. But I was frustrated. "Doesn't God know that I need support too?" "Isn't He aware that I can't go to Papua New Guinea until I have a partnership team?!" "When will He bless me the same way He is blessing her?"

John 14:13-14 says, "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."

James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask."

Now, I must stress that I am not a "name it and claim it" believer. I don't think that just because we demand something (or even ask politely) that God is obligated to give it to us. But there are promises here that God will provide the things we need and in some way, the things we ask for. 

So maybe I need more partners to go to Papua New Guinea. God knows that. But am I asking Him? Am I beseeching Him daily to work and to move as only He can? Am I bending my desires and will to how He will work in His wisdom and His timing? Am I waiting to see how He is going to accomplish this huge task? No. I was just complaining that I wasn't seeing results of my work. Shame on me. 

A few more verses, this time from James 5:

"Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name o the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

I see so clearly here a simple command: pray. Look at where your life is at and then pray accordingly. And He will answer! My new prayer has become, "God, I don't know how you are going to raise up my team, but I believe You will. Please help me to remember Your faithfulness as I serve You."

Its Not About You

This article was such a good reminder!! I know that I definitely get the wrong idea that it is about me, when in reality, it is all about Christ.


Here's the link: Its Not About You

Melanie's Memo - February 2014

One month closer to PNG!

February has brought some exciting changes:

• I am now an official, legal, real-deal missionary with New Tribes Mission. I am so excited to be at this stage. It has taken a long time to get here! 
• I have become a Premier Designs jewelry consultant! Starting in March, I will be scheduling jewelry parties that will provide people with some beautiful jewelry and provide me with some extra income!
• Speaking of income, I am about 28% of my monthly goal of $3,638 (I'll let you do the math :) and have about $500 in special gifts to be used for one-time needs. I also have had about 4 new donors in the last month! Praise God! I am always so humbled by the gifts of friends and families. Thank you for being a part of my ministry through prayer and giving!!

Upcoming appointments: 

Here are my upcoming speaking opportunities:

• February 23 - Joliet Baptist Church, Joliet, MT (I had this church scheduled for last week but had to reschedule due to some unobliging weather.)
• March 2 - Buffalo Community Bible Church, Buffalo, MT
• March 16 - Trinity Baptist Church, Billings, MT

I have also contacted several other churches who are willing to have me come, but a date hasn't been set. Please be praying for me and that pastors/churches I will be contacting! Also, if you would like to have me come speak at your church, youth group, Bible study, Sunday school, etc. I would love the opportunity

New prayer card I got made!

Fear Not

I just saw this on the NTM page. It is such a good reminder!! Missionaries aren't Super-Christians. We are just normal people. We have fears too! Check this article out and see if your fear is on here and then read about how God is sufficient in providing an answer to those fears!! Here's the link: http://usa.ntm.org/fear-not

Be Strong and Courageous!!

When I think about raising a support team to get me to and keep me in Papua New Guinea, I have many emotions. I recently found out that some people stuff or deny that they have emotions. I clearly never knew this was an option. I have emotions about everything!!

While I was at the training center, some of my friends and I did a study/class/group thing called Developing a Discerning Heart (DDH) which gave us tools to determine the source of our emotions. Emotions are like flashing lights for wrong beliefs. So the other day, I was trying to sort through some emotions I had in regards to my deputation: fear, panic, notenoughness (it's a word :), feeling like the task is impossible....

I am scared.

Scared of the fact that I have to raise my support or it won't get done. Scared that it all rests on me. Scared because even though I have people behind me, encouraging me and coaching me, I sometimes feel really alone in this task.

I am scared because I know that if it is all up to me, I will fail. 

There! I said it! I will fail. Failure is never something I have approached with gladness. I have a lot of pride stored up in the fact that I don't often fail (but that's a whole other blog post...) So when everything is boiled down and and out in the open, the truth remains that if I do this in my own strength, it's not gonna happen. 

But I think I am in good company. I have been reading in the book of Joshua and I was really struck by how huge Joshua's task was. He had seen how hard it was for Moses to lead Israel and he himself had been on the chopping block a time or two. He had to have understood how insufficient he was for the job. I think that's why people kept telling him to "be strong," "be brave," "be courageous." 

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 - "Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, 'Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.'”

Deuteronomy 31:23 - "Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: 'Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you.'”

Joshua 1:1, 5, 7, 9 - "After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said...'No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous...This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:16-18 "They [the people of Israel] answered Joshua, 'We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!'”

I also noticed that in each of these instances, regardless of who was talking, the reason given for being strong and courageous was the fact that God would be with Joshua. Moses and God both told Joshua that He would not fail Him. We as believers have that same promise: 

So as I have been thinking through all of this, I began to understand that I am scared about support raising because in those moments of panic, I am not believing that God really is with me. I am not trusting in His promise to not fail or abandon me. I am trusting in my own strength and abilities, incredibly feeble though they may be. 

If I don't find my source of strength and encouragement from the same place as Joshua, I won't make it. I must trust that God really can do what He has promised: that He will provide, that He will not fail me. Abraham got this: "Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous." (Romans 4:20-22)

I'm Done!?!

It's official!! Well, almost....

On December 20, 2013, I became an official graduate of New Tribes Mission's Missionary Training Center. it was a great night of celebrating our accomplishments, our futures, and giving God all the glory. i also had to say goodbye to many people who have become close friends. Saying goodbye is not at all fun, but I am thrilled to see where God will take my friends and how He will continue to use them in ministry.

I will become an official member of New Tribes Mission on February 1, 2014. After so many years of working to come to this point, it is very surreal to me.

Here are a few pics from grad and the last couple of weeks of school:

We actually had taken this picture a couple of weeks before grad, but I thought I'd include a class picture.

Look! I graduated!! :)

The girls in my e-linc (small group); sometime in the beginning, we got labeled the "Fab Five."

Janel, Me, Grace, Cassy, and Katie

My e-linc at our Christmas party

We are crazy. :)