The Name on Everyone's Lips (and it's not Trump)

Propped against the wall of our dining room is a large picture frame. Though we moved in months ago, we still have things we need to find the right spot for. (Can you relate?)

At the centre of this collection of photos - taken in Senegal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Mali, Ethiopia, Liberia, Chad - is a photo of Christ the Redeemer statue, which I took 23 years ago, on a trip that would change my life.

There's a reason why this photo in the centre of this collection, which Storly and I wanted to place in a central spot in our home to help us remember the world - not our little world, but God's big world - and with that, for me to remember the people in these photos, to remember hearing their stories, connecting with them in the middle of the bigger stories of war, hardship, poverty, violence, loss, survival, help, provision, hope, and redemption.

I took this photo of Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro on July 24th, 1993, during my first mission trip, with fellow students from Aston University. It was a month-long, God-directed, life-transforming, eye-opening, faith-stretching trip to Brazil, to work alongside local missionaries with World Horizons, a ministry working then with street kids and developing a missionary sending centre to train and send missionaries from Latin America to places and people unreached with the Gospel.

By the time I finish writing my memoir, this trip to Brazil and its impact on my life will take up a few chapters, for sure.

Obrigado, Brasil (Thank you, Brazil)

But for now, I've loved watching coverage of the Olympics from Rio this summer. There were plenty of controversies before and during the games: raw sewage in the outdoor swimming area; forced evictions of residents of the poorest slums, the favelas; the Zika virus; security concerns; doping; and then, Lochtegate, and more. And plenty of stories of athletes who have triumphed over great adversity, injury, poverty, discrimination to succeed in their chosen sports. Inspiring!

I've loved seeing reporters from our local TV station, Indy's Channel 13 and their stories from around Brazil. Loved telling our girls as we all marveled at the gorgeous views of Rio and of reports from the favelas, "did you know I've been there?" and then sharing with them some of the stories, the good, bad and the ugly, from that trip. The energy, the diversity, the rich culture, the struggles of life in Brazil, particularly for the poorest, for the kids living on the streets. I've loved being reminded of the place Brazil and its people have played in my own story. And of the lessons God taught me there.

The Name on Everyone's Lips

And I've loved hearing the words "Christ the Redeemer" coming out of the mouths of news reporters and sports commentators. Seeing the images, the inspiring photography and panoramic views of Rio that include the Cristo Redentor statue as the icon of Brazil, the central image used in TV segment intros, online banners and other media elements that branded Rio 2016.

From a distance, and up close, the statue is mind-blowing. But nothing compared to the One who is the Christ, the Redeemer. Our Redeemer.

The International Olympic Committee has predicted that half the world's population, more than 3 billion people, watched some part of this summer's Olympics, with growing numbers of people around the world now watching online and on mobile devices.

As the media has moved on to the drama (groan...) of the US Presidential elections, I wonder how many people around the world heard the words "Christ the Redeemer" for the very first time as they watched the Rio Olympics. I wonder how many people asked themselves, asked a friend, or typed into a google search "who is this Christ, the redeemer?"  The Rescuer.

If that's you, take a few minutes to watch this video below.

Now that the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics are in the history books, I pray that many people who have seen the statue and heard the words Christ the Redeemer as they've watched the coverage will seek and truly find this Christ who is our Redeemer, our rescuer.

The Smokies: Reminders of Haiti's Potential

Our summer travel route took us from home base in Indiana to North Carolina, Alabama and Florida, and back to home base, about 2,121 miles over 18 days.

A few days’ vacation in a log cabin in the beautiful Smoky Mountains in Tennessee before all our meetings began was a much-needed break.

The Smoky Mountains are just breath-taking. And they reminded us of Haiti—the jaw-dropping beauty, the mountains-beyond-mountains-beyond-mountains, the potential of Haiti, if not always today’s reality for every Haitian.

We hiked.

We jumped over rocks. 

We asked strangers to take pictures of our family. 

I asked our younger one to stand here and there, turn, so I can take photos. 

We spent time thinking not of the tasks waiting on our desks, but of our dreams and 'what if's', knowing we serve Almighty God who can do the impossible.  

And I, for one, did not want to leave. 

Set Apart for Service

At the end of June, we stood before other missionaries and guests at One Mission Society's International Conference, and said these words as we were officially commissioned: 

By God’s grace and for His glory, I will live a surrendered and pure life, growing in Christ-likeness as I serve Him and others in the carrying out of the Great Commission.

It was explained to us this way by OMS Human Resources leader, Tommy: "This is a sacred moment. It is a setting apart for service as was first done in Acts 13:1-4."

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.  Acts 13:1-4. New International Version (NIV)

Four Charges: 

In addition to our verbal commitment, One Mission Society President Bob Fetherlin gave us four charges, which he explains this way:

• To put on your oxygen mask before helping someone else put on theirs – This is about taking good care of our own souls, ministering out of healthy, Christ-centered being. I urge you and others to nurture your souls through regular intake of the Scriptures along with prayer and other spiritual disciplines.
• To be a part of the Royal Order of the Towel – This is the idea of being a servant, following the example of Jesus who washed his disciples’ feet. He did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
•  To follow the example of John the Baptist, who is described in John 3:30 as saying, “He (Jesus) must increase, I must decrease.” We are to live to be forgotten so that Jesus can be remembered.
• To enthrone Christ as Lord in our hearts – Lordship implies full ownership. If Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all. This involves all-out obedience and full allegiance to him.

This commitment, and these charges, are not just for those of us with OMS, but are appropriate for every follower of Jesus. If that's you, read through them again and ask yourself if this is a commitment you're making, too. 

For us, we've now made these commitments publicly during the service, and here in the blogosphere. As we strive, with God's help, to live out these commitments, we'll need grace when we fail, encouragement to keep going. The part that struck me the most (because though I know it to be true, I did not expect to hear it here) was the first charge, about taking good care of our souls. We were exhausted, overwhelmed, needing rest. (Thankfully, we had already booked a few days' vacation, something we have not done for a long time.)

Perfect Timing: 

For most people who become missionaries with One Mission Society, and for others in full-time ministry, this kind of commissioning happens earlier on in launching out into your role, almost as the final stepping stone before beginning in your ministry role. For us, it came after many years of serving the Lord and the people of Haiti through 4VEH. 

We'd been scheduled to be commissioned during a regular chapel service at OMS headquarters a few times over the last couple of years, and for various reasons, it kept getting postponed. And we got a little cranky about it. If this was an important step for us, why was it being postponed each time? 

After the second or third postponement, we stopped even mentioning it to people, not wanting to have to say it's postponed again. 

In God's great providence, being commissioned during the International Conference was better than we could have imagined. Because people who've played a key role in our journey to this point were already gathered together at the conference. We were honored, blessed and deeply moved to have this crowd of witnesses pray over us, in British, Haitian and American accents. Past and present leaders of OMS in Haiti, leaders from OMS-UK, and OMS-USA, people who have shared their wisdom, experience and friendship with us over the years. 

We're so thankful for these people, including the one who was so moved to tears that she could not pray out loud over us. She's the one who responsible for sending Storly to the U.K. to study. To the place where he and I would meet and fall in love. Talk about playing a key role in our journey!

Hannah and Esther had a fabulous time at conference, too. Here they are with the rest of the kiddos practicing one of the songs they learned about being a light in the world.