We have prayed, filled out applications, gotten references, prayed, attended a Cross-Cultural Orientation, gone through interviews, prayed, updated passports, filed for work permits and are now officially Global Serve Missioinaries with the Church of the Nazarene! Look, we even have our own web-site: http://web.nazarene.org/goto/Goossens. We still have to wait for the work permit to come through and then apply for our entry visas before we can book our tickets, but things are definitely coming together.
Yay God! We have started our list of prayer partners! (If you want to be added to the list shoot me an email and I will do so agaggleofgoossens@hotmail.com)
Yay God! We have started to receive donations from people wanting to partner with us and with the plans God has for the people of the South Pacific and Melanesia!
Lord, help us to align ourselves with your plans and your timing. To not only give of ourselves when asked but to also accept help and blessing when they are given to us!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Worries and Prayers...
A verse that I have tried to live out more and more each day of my life is Philippians 4:6. The Message Bible puts it this way, "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Recently I was chatting on Facebook with one of the Missionaries already serving in PNG and she gave me the Pidgin version of this verse:
“Olgeta hevi yupela i karim, yu mas putim long han bilong Bikpela.” (Pidgin)
Recently I was chatting on Facebook with one of the Missionaries already serving in PNG and she gave me the Pidgin version of this verse:
“Olgeta hevi yupela i karim, yu mas putim long han bilong Bikpela.” (Pidgin)
All of your problems, you have to put them in God's hand. He will hold them for you. (Translation)
I love the word picture this creates. I see the hands of Papa God cupped together, big enough to hold the entire world, ready to hold my worries and problems for me. I can't imagine a better place for me to put every single worry, those that feel so heavy I can hardly stand to those that are a flittering thought that passes through my head. I put each one into those very same hands that created the heavens and earth and watch those hands shape my worries into some of the most beautiful and amazing chapters of my story.
When we do things like become self-funded Mission Corp Missionaries and prepare to move our family to the Regional Field Headquarters in Papua New Guinea it creates many opportunites fo me to practice shaping my worries into prayers and handing them over to God. As is always the case He has been so faithful in this process:
We were able to sell our travel trailer in the middle of a cool, wet Pacific Northwest fall for full asking price (Go God!). We received a reimbursement for a medical procedure that had been denied twice in the pre-authorization process. That reimbursement was enough to cover all of the travel expenses to attend our required Cross Cultural Orientation in San Diego (Go God!). Some friends made the first pledge toward our travel expenses to PNG, an overwhelming gift that greatly encouraged us when we needed it (Go God!).
There are still issues that we are trusting for and waiting to see how our amazing God will provide for:
The process of getting Randy's work permit approved through the PNG dept of labor. This process has been known to take many months, the field office is currently waiting on 5 other permits that are much farther along in the process. Also there is the process of getting entry visas for each of our family members after the work visa is approved.
We are seeking to find the right fit for the property management of our home and our duplex. This is complicated by the fact that our rental has Section 8 tenants and many property managenent companies will not accomodate this.
The task of packing up our household and making repairs to our home is at times overwhelming. We need wisdom, strategy & energy in this. Also the sale of both of our cars at the just the right time before we go.
The funding of our work in PNG. As self-funded Missionaries the Church of the Nazarene provides the support system and structure that allows us to go. They will also provide a home for us to live in. We need to raises support for our travel expenses to and from the field ($12,500) and our monthly ministry related expenses ($1,570). This includes utilities, on-site travel, food, living expenses and insurance. All donations to these needs are Charitable Donations for tax purposes and can be sent to the Port Orchard church of the Nazarene. We are working on establishing the web-site that will allow for the processing of automatic monthly support.
Our support network is crucial to the work we will be doing. We are praying for people who feel a call to be involved in what God is doing in the South Pacific/Melanesia region and in our participation with this ministry. Prayer support is primary, it encompasses all of the other needs and concerns that we are dealing with. It opens the channels for Papa God to move mightily on our behalf when we agree together. Please let us know if you are willing to be one of our prayer partners so we can be in communication with you on a regular basis and share the needs and breakthroughs of our ministry.
Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you, it feels good!
I love the word picture this creates. I see the hands of Papa God cupped together, big enough to hold the entire world, ready to hold my worries and problems for me. I can't imagine a better place for me to put every single worry, those that feel so heavy I can hardly stand to those that are a flittering thought that passes through my head. I put each one into those very same hands that created the heavens and earth and watch those hands shape my worries into some of the most beautiful and amazing chapters of my story.
When we do things like become self-funded Mission Corp Missionaries and prepare to move our family to the Regional Field Headquarters in Papua New Guinea it creates many opportunites fo me to practice shaping my worries into prayers and handing them over to God. As is always the case He has been so faithful in this process:
We were able to sell our travel trailer in the middle of a cool, wet Pacific Northwest fall for full asking price (Go God!). We received a reimbursement for a medical procedure that had been denied twice in the pre-authorization process. That reimbursement was enough to cover all of the travel expenses to attend our required Cross Cultural Orientation in San Diego (Go God!). Some friends made the first pledge toward our travel expenses to PNG, an overwhelming gift that greatly encouraged us when we needed it (Go God!).
There are still issues that we are trusting for and waiting to see how our amazing God will provide for:
The process of getting Randy's work permit approved through the PNG dept of labor. This process has been known to take many months, the field office is currently waiting on 5 other permits that are much farther along in the process. Also there is the process of getting entry visas for each of our family members after the work visa is approved.
We are seeking to find the right fit for the property management of our home and our duplex. This is complicated by the fact that our rental has Section 8 tenants and many property managenent companies will not accomodate this.
The task of packing up our household and making repairs to our home is at times overwhelming. We need wisdom, strategy & energy in this. Also the sale of both of our cars at the just the right time before we go.
The funding of our work in PNG. As self-funded Missionaries the Church of the Nazarene provides the support system and structure that allows us to go. They will also provide a home for us to live in. We need to raises support for our travel expenses to and from the field ($12,500) and our monthly ministry related expenses ($1,570). This includes utilities, on-site travel, food, living expenses and insurance. All donations to these needs are Charitable Donations for tax purposes and can be sent to the Port Orchard church of the Nazarene. We are working on establishing the web-site that will allow for the processing of automatic monthly support.
Our support network is crucial to the work we will be doing. We are praying for people who feel a call to be involved in what God is doing in the South Pacific/Melanesia region and in our participation with this ministry. Prayer support is primary, it encompasses all of the other needs and concerns that we are dealing with. It opens the channels for Papa God to move mightily on our behalf when we agree together. Please let us know if you are willing to be one of our prayer partners so we can be in communication with you on a regular basis and share the needs and breakthroughs of our ministry.
Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you, it feels good!
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