Missionaries

It's an interesting concept that has a completely different connotation for me than it used to: being a missionary. Growing up, most of the missionaries I encountered were ones that visited our church when they were on furlough, and, to be frank, I found them to be different, disconnected, even odd. I had little understanding then and never got to know any of them well, but my guess is that those were actually probably pretty accurate descriptions. I mean, don't you have to be uniquely different to heed the call to move to a different country, give your life to people very different than yourself? You would get disconnected from your "homeland" in many ways--you'd have to.

I'm not claiming to really know what it's like to be a missionary at all. I've just been faced with thinking about it because my brother and his wife, Jared & Stacey Nikkel, are about to become missionaries in Haiti. Lord willing, they'll move in June 2009 with their two children (ages 6 & 4). I never thought I'd know and love missionaries so much and be connected so closely to these "odd ducks" willing to exchange one culture for another very different one. God is surprising, isn't He?

The journey in receiving and discerning this call has been one I've had the immense privilege of being part of, from intentional times of listening and discerning prayer together more than a year ago to creating brochures, logos and t-shirts for the cause of fundraising and launching them on this new path. I have been significantly touched by the work God has done in the heart of my brother Jared. I wish you could all hear his testimony, but the fact is that none of you would hear it like I do, like his little sister who has known him almost 30 years, fought with him, laughed with him, been tortured by him, ignored him--you get the idea. The change is deep, lasting. I know that because it's not just words; his actions are following. You don't move to Haiti with your wife and 2 young children on a whim. I'm so proud of him. So thankful to God. So sad to see them go.

So I'm not sure if any of this is making sense, but I hope you're starting to see the mixed bag of emotions this is for me and for our whole family. This process that started nearly 2 years ago for Jared & Stacey has drawn us so much closer, and I'm so thankful for that. Yet now they will physically be far away. I see the vision God has given them, the passion they have for Haiti. That makes me so excited to be part of the campaign to get them there. I love working with Stacey on projects, getting to talk with her often, using my gifts in communication to play my small part in this Kingdom advancement. But in the end I will say goodbye to my family, who are also my friends. I will miss a sweet and hilarious niece and nephew.

Don't get me wrong. This is the right thing. They've heard clearly, and they are obeying God's call. Other family members and I have been there to hear with them. We know they're called to this. And in all honesty, I never would have thought of it, but they are the perfect people. Only God has such an imagination. He sees that Jared & Stacey are his "secret weapons." He knows that they are willing to take risks, they have a crazy variety of skills, they both are great at filling in wherever there's a need, they don't have a lot of preconceived notions. (He knows more than that, but I'm not Him...) Is there sacrifice? You bet there is! But when God is driving, you know you're on the right road. And thankfully He's right there in the car to work through the pain of the sacrifice. And amazingly enough, He is also right here at home to work through it with those left behind.

This is a long post. I'm sure I've lost a few along the way. I wanted you to have some background because we are right in the middle of fundraising and preparing to send them off in June, so I will likely be using my blog to tell about those opportunities as well. Their ministry is called Many Hands for Haiti. God certainly works in mysterious ways, and I would love to get Jared & Stacey's story out to as many as will hear it. Watch for more information!