Category Archives: Christian Life

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October 7, 2014

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Christian Life, General Baptists, International Missions

Life in Saipan

Lori and Robbie Myers are missionaries on the island of Saipan. 

Lori and Robbie Myers with their son, Reagan

Lori and Robbie Myers serve General Baptists on the island of Saipan along with their son, Reagan.

Needless to say, there’s been a bit of a learning curve this past year as we have gotten used to life on this island.  Some things have just made sense and haven’t taken too much adjustment.  Others, however, have gone on my ‘Believe It or Not!” list, and I thought I would share a few of those experiences with our friends and supporters back home.

First, there’s the thing that we had to adjust to early and often, because it hit us right away and continues to affect us most days.  Saipan is an island, and the main industry (overwhelmingly) is travel.  Vacationers tend not to look at their watches much-there is such a thing as “island time” and we are on it!  This is a multi-layered reality.  First and foremost, it affects the demeanor of the people who live here.  The majority of islanders are so pleasant and wear a smile 99% of the time.  I LOVE that about the people here!  On the other hand, if you are a stickler for people being on time, this might not be the place for you!  With my fibromyalgia pain making me take extra time to get ready most days, this is a terrific development!  Events start when they start, people arrive when they arrive.  I love island time and island people!

However, there are things here that make me realize how very spoiled I was all my life without realizing it.  Some of these things I will never take for granted again.  For example, who enjoys a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles?  No one!  This might make you feel better about your next trip, though:  When we arrived in Saipan last year, one of the first things we needed to do was get driver’s licenses.  Many things are discounted if you are a local resident, and after I saw the grocery and other prices, we wanted that as soon as possible.  We were sent to the courthouse, where we waited in line to go through security and a metal detector.  Once we got through, we went to the appropriate office, paid, and got a receipt.  Then we went to another building-which was unmarked-where we were to show our receipt, surrender our Missouri licenses, and get our new ones.  However, you just have to hope you get there are the right time of day, because they have to close periodically to let their copy machine cool down!

Living in a place that is so diverse is exciting in many ways.  I love making friends from so many parts of the world, and learning about their customs.  There is such a variety to food here, too.  There are Chamorran, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, (and more!) cuisines available.  Along with my severe fibromyalgia, I have unfortunately developed almost superhuman senses of taste and smell, so I cannot enjoy it quite as much as I once would have.  Buying groceries and eating out in restaurants each present their own challenges.

Packaging and presentation in the grocery stores are also different.  It seems no part of an animal goes unused.  You have the option of chicken beaks and feet in packs.  Also, beef intestine, entire beef tongues (which are huge), pig heads, pork intestines, hooves, fish heads-it all took some time to get used to.  I also had to adjust to the plastic drawstring bags (with the drawstring end not fully closed) of pork chops, short ribs, etc.  That would never get by at Kroger!

I have to cook according to what’s available.  Expiration dates are only suggestions here, it seems.  The produce selection is often made up of things they would have culled from most U.S. grocery stores.  The first two or three times I shopped for groceries, I left the store crying because I couldn’t find much that I recognized, and when I did find something, I couldn’t afford it!  The $10 gallon of milk, $7 orange juice, and $30 bag of frozen chicken breasts was daunting!

But eventually, I figured out how to shop here, what to look for, and which stores to shop at for certain items.  It often means I shop every day or every other day, and visit four or five places instead of buying everything from socks and nightgowns, to chicken and lettuce, to deck chairs and Christmas decorations from Walmart!

There are so many more new experiences and differences we have had to adjust to, but the best thing is that we have met so many wonderful people who have big hearts!  Yes, it’s been difficult at times, being so far away from our family and friends, but I am so grateful to God for His perfect plan for our lives and for our part in His kingdom.  I did not expect any of this at my stage of life.  What a loving, amazing God we serve!  I cannot wait until next summer, when we are back in the states on furlough and can share more of our experiences and ministry here on the island of Saipan.

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September 25, 2014

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Christian Life, General Baptists, International Missions, National Missions

Updates from the Mission Field

Read the articles below to catch up on what is happening in General Baptist missions, both internationally and here at home.

By Carl Nichols

Last month, National Missions hosted our first in-house assessment for future church planters, and boy, did we learn a lot!  I speak for the entire advisory team when I say we are so excited about the future!  We will soon be releasing an update with an introduction to our newest church planter slated to plant in Bonita Springs, FL in late 2015 or early 2016.

October 26th will be National Missions Sunday, and we will be receiving an offering.  All of this offering will help fund the Go Project to launch 15 churches in the next five years, like our newest plant in Bonita Springs.  (To read more about the Go Project, click here)  Thank you so much for your faith in our team. Keep your eyes open in the coming weeks for more information and updates.

 

From Jessey and Brittany Vemula, missionaries in India

This is a personal story of an Indian woman who was brought to Christ through the work of the Lydia Sewing Center in Siddipet.  This year’s Ed Steven’s Day offering is helping make stories like Pushpa’s a reality in India by funding not only the sewing center, but mission work out in the community, and food and clothing distributions also. 

Pushpa is an India woman from Irkod village, which is eleven kilometers from Siddipet.  She was brought up in a Hindu family.  Pushpa, who is 25 years old, has three older siblings.  She joined the Lydia Sewing Center at the beginning of this year.  She had to walk the 11 kilometers from her hometown to train, and was rarely afforded the opportunity to travel by rickshaw.  There are devotions every morning at the Lydia Sewing Center, and after hearing these, she decided to give her life to Christ.  However, when she chose to become a Christian her life here became much harder.

update from India

Pushpa with Alan Motley, short term mission trip participant, this past summer.

Pushpa started attending church, and even told her siblings about Christ. They came to church with her and also became believers.  However, their father was not pleased with this.  He told them that if they didn’t come back to Hinduism, they would not get their share of the Mango orchard he owned.  Pushpa and her siblings stood strong and refused to convert back to Hinduism.  Since they refused, their father signed over the property to his nephew.

Pushpa and her siblings pray for their father’s conversion daily.  As her pastor, Jessey has conducted prayer meetings and talked with the father, but to no avail.  Pushpa and her siblings, however, remain faithful to God in this time of hopelessness.  The situation is helped by the fact that Pushpa received free training at the Lydia Sewing Center and received a sewing machine.  She and her family are using the sewing machine to bring in extra money.  She is very thankful for the help she received from the Lydia Sewing Center.  Currently, she is preparing to follow Christ’s example in baptism.  Please remember our sister Pushpa and her siblings in your prayer.  Most importantly, pray for their parents who have yet to accept Christ into their hearts and lives.

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August 19, 2014

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Christian Life, General Baptists, International Missions

The Journey

By Patti Thornton

The journey to El Paso, Texas was almost as long as the flight to the Philippines, and seating space in the two cars that burned up the road between small town Missouri and the desert city was about as spacious as a standard airline seat.  But the comparison ends there; we didn’t have to pull the shades to fool our bodies into nighttime rest, and we slept overnight in a horizontal position with real pillows and a shower shared by just a few in a roadside hotel.

Still, it was a long drive.  It was fascinating to watch the landscape change from the green, rolling hills of southwest Missouri, to the endless flat-ness of Oklahoma, to the sandy, stark brown-ness of southern Texas.  And every town we passed through was home to a myriad of churches.

On Monday, we crossed the United States border.

mexico 1Geographically speaking, El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico are no different.  With the exception of meticulously watered landscapes of affluent homes and businesses in Texas, sightings of green in the brownish-grays of sand, dirt and concrete are rare.  Honestly, there is very little change in culture as you cross the Rio Grande from a mostly Hispanic population in an American state to that of Mexico.

But there IS a difference.  The further we drove into Mexico, the more obvious it became; both economically and spiritually.  The Bible Belt’s church on every corner was replaced by Tienditas (small convenience stores) as the subdivisions of the United States gave way to the “colonias” of Mexico.

Pastor Pedro and Elida Quezada have been trekking across the border almost daily for years.  With hearts swollen huge with love for a people of few resources, opportunities, or churches, they have been watching the ripe sheaves of harvest wave in the wind of a swollen field, desperate for harvesters. the people of Juarez make the journey to a small stucco house for worship

Not only does Pastor Pedro successfully pastor a packed house of dedicated workers at Agua Viva General Baptist Church in Juarez, but  this church has planted another ministry further into the city that meets in a borrowed stucco home smaller than most of your garages.  There, in the midst of a colony of such homes where no other church exists, residents (mostly children and women) follow the sounds of worship music to activities in the front sand yard as if the Pied Piper had beckoned them.  And there, ministry happens.

Stumbling over language barriers, our small team of seven (bolstered by two when Sid and Wilbur joined us as driving, packing, hauling, praying, fixing companions extraordinaire) was privileged to worship, play, craft, dispense school supplies and snacks, and huddle closely together as a sudden storm chased all 80 or so of us inside the small house.

Our team was unique in its makeup.  Of the seven of us, only one had never traveled outside the U.S. With three former missionaries and two repeat MVP teamers along, there was plenty of experience to go around.  And that experience validates our excitement for the ministry potential in Mexico.the long journey to Juarez was well worth the time and effort for the WM MVP team

There are many opportunities for you to partner in this ministry that crosses geographical borders, as well as other burgeoning ministries within our denomination that speak to the  relevance of Hispanic ministry in these times.  Start listening as the Holy Spirit calls harvesters to gather.

If you would like to know more about the many ways that you can partner with General Baptist mission efforts in Mexico and all around the globe, visit www.generalbaptist.com or call 573-785-7746.