Fixing

 

Yesterday I could only watch a little of the news of the killings in Texas. My heart kept breaking as I listened and knew I needed to stop watching it. I use the phrase often in this day and age, " I can't fix this". Truthfully, I believe the fix will come when the devil and sin is done away with. Even if they took all the guns away, people would find a way to kills. Killings is nothing new, from the very beginning, the very first killing was brother killing brother.

I do not hide my mind on issues or try to run from them. Except to find a place to think upon while I put Band-Aids on the brokenness of my heart. I don't wish to go to heaven before my time to get out of this troubled world. I don't usually debate with others on the world issues because I can't fix it. All the laws laid down has not stopped people from killing each other. Since the beginning brother killed brother even though there was no guns then. It's a heart issue, so we need a heart fixer.

What I do for my broken heart is take it to the only one who can fix this, and someday God will. Someday He will say, enough is enough, go Jesus, my son and get our family and bring them home. I have been working on a new world without sin and the devil, all will be fixed

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of the good news of salvation offered to mankind by grace through faith in the finished works of Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a message not only of eternal life but one that encompasses the total plan of God to redeem mankind from the ravages of sin and death, from Satan and the curse that is upon all the earth for eternity. Do you know Him? If you died today where would you spend eternity?

I Can't Take A Heart That's Broken
Make It Over Again
But I Know A Man Who Can
I Can't Take A Soul That's Sin Sick
Wash It White As The Snow
But I Know A Man Who Can
Some Call Him Savior, The Redeemer Of All Men
I Call Him Jesus, For He's My Dearest Friend
If You Feel That No One Loves You
And Your Life Is Out Of Hand
I Know A Man Who Can
I Can't Walk Upon The Water
Calm The Dark And Raging Sea
But I Know A Man Who Can
I Can't Cause Blind Eyes To Open
Or Make The Lame To Walk Again
But I Know A Man Who Can

Tara's Story

 Posted on May 11, 2022 by Wise Hearted

Today I was reading some of the things again about our missionary journey. When I says ours that includes our two children. Tara was in 10 grade and Jared was 6 grade when we sold our house, most of our things, packed 19 duffle bags and raised our support in a few months and heading off to Bolivia, South America. It was a rough start for us since we were going to be high school guys dorm parents which meant our daughter had to go into the high school girls dorm. Jared could stay with us which made it easier for him. The story Tara will tell in this post is my favorite thing I love about her, her being real in the face of hardship. If we do not learn to trust God for them while they are still at home with us, having them go and leave us with an empty nest is so much harder. This story shaped Tara’s character for her future.

(1994)  How different it feels to be completing our third year at the MK school in Bolivia.  Our daughter was in the 10 grade and our son in the 6th grade when we went  to the field. We were warned how hard it would be, especially on our teenage daughter, to take her away from the familiar to the unfamiliar.  Nothing could have prepared us for the months of crying and depression that came as a result of our move overseas.  Like a child with an open, bleeding wound, she told us, I know it is God’s will that we are in Bolivia, but Gods will still hurts me.  All the fears of what this move could do to our daughter filled our minds those first few months.  Thoughts of going back to the states and returning to a ministry there kept crossing our minds.  Daily we prayed, Please God, do something,  ease her hurt. Replace it with your love. You can read what took place, as she tells it in  her own words.

      As I sit in the dorm, I look back over the past three years.  God has done a tremendous work in my life.  When Dad told us that we were going overseas, I wanted to run away.  I was just stepping into high school.  I was on the cheerleaders team and liked a boy.  Everything that a teen could want I was getting.  But Dad’s decision tore my life apart.  Soon my anger turned to my parents, then to God. I stopped praying and having devotions because I felt like God had hurt me.  All though missionary training and language school as my parents went through the New Tribes Mission training program, my heart was hardened to what God wanted my family to do.

   When we stepped into the Miami airport I knew it was my last chance to run. I even prayed for the plane to crash, or for a hijacking just so we would not have to go.  Well, nothing happened, (only a few air pocket, and soon we arrived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  From the beginning I hated Bolivia. Not anything particulate, but the whole country. I DID NOT WANT TO BE IN BOLIVIA!!

   It was like that for the first semester. Then during our second semester, my sophomore class went on a camping trip.  We had to hitch a ride on a passing truck to get where we were going.  Sitting next to me on the truck was a Bolivian baby girl.  I’m known for loving babies and kids,  so started to play with her.  She kept smiling and laughing. Then it suddenly struck me, “Tara this little girls is why you are here”.   “Who is going to tell this child about Christ when she grows up?”  Right then, I knew why God had called my family to Bolivia.  I will never forget that little girl’s face and the need she had for a Savior.   Tara Draper
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We have shared that story many times with those taking their children overseas.  It is risky, no matter their age. One must count the cost of serving God this way in those kinds of locations.  No matter the location of your body, you must deal with your own children.  Tara was not in sin, she was just plain homesick. Oh, she was mad at God , we told her, that is ok, He can handle it.  Our hearts broke with every tear she shed.

I have been told there  are a few children that look forward to a move, but let me say,  this is extremely rare.  If you don’t believe me, just ask, wait, that is the wrong word, ” tell” your teen,  we are moving!  Even if that child struggles in school socially, they at least know the rules and know the players. There is some safely in that.  In our passion to go, we forgot at times it was not their passion.  Missionary kids, MK”s as we call them will say good-by to more significant people by age 18 than the average person will in a life time. 

We ask her to start the second semester of school and if she still wanted to go home at the end of the semester, we would go.  I think this gave her hope which left her heart open to hear what God was going to do through that little Bolivia girl on the truck.    

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.” 
― David Platt, 

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Another Life to Give

I am sitting in my warm cabin in Northern Minnesota, watching another blizzard drop a few more inches of snow as I search through my pictures for this one on the left.  

God has given us the privilege of living in several place but none so different than the 2nd biggest island in the world, Papua New Guinea and now northern Minnesota. 

In Papua we lived right on the Bismark sea, on the equator which produces hot steamy and often times rainy weather.  Perfect place for insets   to grow which as soon as the sun goes down they begin to make their  noises.  You would think something so small could not make much noise but you get couple million doing what ever they do to make noise it can be deafening and made me never want to walk into the jungle at night,  and to be honest not even in the day time.  At night you had to sleep under a net to keep them off of you.

We came back to states in 2011 to take up the role of Member Care reps for the mission we serve with, Ethnos360. We are getting older by the day so we had to start thinking and doing something about who will care for us when we need help.  Thats how we landed in Mn.  right across the driveway from our daughter and family. 

Back to Papua and the heat. I struggle bad with heat rash for the first year almost and finally we put a small air con in our bedroom.  Between several showers a day and the air con at night my rash finally went away.  I was determined to not give up for I knew God wanted us there.  

Now in Mn. the discomfort is cold, and snow, brutal winters that keep one my age, 75, in the house day after day.  In Papua, even with an air con the weather made you want to be outside with the people, learning about their life. it was a primitive place compared to Bolivia, SA where we served first. 

Two different cultures, but the heart is the same and it act out the things of the heart in whatever culture you live in.   Evil comes out of every heart in everyplace all over the world.  Thank God, good come out too.  And a heart with Jesus living in it will strive to be like Jesus no matter where they live.  That heart will love beyond measure, forgive what ever, go that extra mile for others, give all they got to make sure others hear about the saving grace of Jesus.   

Ever thought about serving God overseas?  When that question was presented to us we were in our 40's and we took a huge leap of faith and enter mission training.  My sweet Mom was upset we were taking her Grandchildren away.  She would say to me, Betty Jo, there are lost people right here in the United States, why would you want to go overseas?  I would come back with, you are right Mom, there is also a church on every corner to get the gospel out but not in the places we and others were going to.  No bibles in the language they speak at home, most could not even read or write in their heart language. The task seemed impossible but we knew God wanted us involved beyond giving for others to go. We were in our middle 50th when we went to Papua.  

My husband and I have had a wide world of experiences and each one has taught us so many truths about people, God, life in general.  We always say, if we had another life to live, we would do it again.  

Our support center in Papua New Guinea.  

                                                          Our front yard in Mn.