Top ten reasons to live in Sentani

We finally arrived in Sentani! We’ve been here about six weeks and have been getting settled in. We thought we’d share with you in pictures some of the reasons why we already like living here. Every place has its joys and its challenges and Sentani is no different. Here are some of the joys of our new home. Enjoy!

1. Everything in town is within a 20-minute drive.

2. Fun teaching new friends how to make American food. Waffles!

3. Fresh papayas picked from our yard.

4. Warm evenings on the porch.

5. Lunch on lake Sentani.  We had grilled fish fresh from the lake!

6. Our daily walk around our neighborhood at dusk with lots of friendly greetings along the way.

7. Fun tropical plants growing in our yard and many more plants to attempt growing…guava and banana trees are next on the list!

8. A good challenge of making food from scratch…yogurt, peanut butter, pickles, miracle whip, granola, bread etc.

9. Tropical fruit smoothies.

10. Fresh fruits and veggies from the market.

Preparing for goodbyes

I have a really hard time leaving people and places I love.  As I have been preparing my heart for this next big change, I’ve been overwhelmed by the enormity of packing our whole life into four bags and going to a new country, job, home, school and way of life far away from so many people we love.  I admit that a lot of tears have been part of this transition.

I brought this to our wonderful God and He just melted me like He always does.  He sat with me and wept with me because He understands what it’s like to be far away from loved ones.  He is far away from so many people He loves so deeply who don’t know how deeply they are loved or who don’t hear Him in their busyness.  That must grieve Him so deeply.  I am so grateful that we can look together with God toward the ultimate goal of being together with ALL our loved ones in heaven someday.

As I continued to sit with God, He overwhelmed me by two more amazing truths.

He reminded me that we are not going so far away all alone.  He is going with and will be working through us…we won’t have to do anything in our own strength!  These verses speak such beautiful and reassuring truth.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6 NIV)

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)

He is with us.

God also reminded me of all of His saints who are with us as we seek to be used by Him – the faithful people we have been privileged to know and the army of people who have committed to pray with us and partner with us financially.

This Christmas a dear friend challenged us:

“Listen to a life.  Take time, make time, to hear people’s stories.  Ask questions.  Be curious.  Try to notice where the divine is working in people’s lives.  Watch for it.  It is often subtle and quiet, a gentle whisper.  But it is there.  God is always working. Always speaking.  Listen closely, you and someone you love might just get to hear the voice of God together. Wouldn’t that be a fresh re-experiencing of the coming of Emmanuel, God with us!”

Here are some of the amazing lives we have been able to hear this last year:

• A friend who is quitting her job for a year so she can devote her time to encouraging missionaries.
• A prayer warrior who committed to give beyond what she thought she was able because God surprised her by telling her she could.
• A pastor and counselor who knows Christ intimately and encourages, challenges and listens carefully to every person God brings to him.
• The wife of a service man seeking to love her neighbors and raise her child to honor our God.
• A wife and mother who is working full-time and aching to be home with her children….trusting God with her deep desire.
• A friend who bought a home in a challenging part of town to join into life with his neighbors and wait for God to work in and through him.
• A praying grandma with children and grandchildren near and far…finding ways to love each of them and encourage each of them toward growth.
• Friends who have adopted children from overseas and are pouring their lives into them.
• An 89 year old man who finds so much delight and joy in cutting squares of fabric to make blankets for children who need them.
• Two friends struggling through school so they can bless others through nursing and social work.
• A mother of two girls who is asking God to direct her as she models how to be a woman of God.
• A nurse who brightens up her office with a sticker chart for the staff.
• Two friends just married, hearts longing to work overseas, but waiting for God’s lead.
• A man and his wife earnestly and creatively seeking ways to be used and be obedient to God as pastors, parents, speakers, writers and humans.
• A friend who is patiently unsure of where God is leading and is so willing to follow wherever it is.
• A prayer warrior couple who support, encourage and love every missionary that comes through their town.
• A mother who is praying for her child who has chosen to not accept Christ’s love at this time.
• Friends who are earnestly seeking how to honor God with their finances.
• Friends who are a beautiful example of living in contentment, expectant for what God has next.
• A missionary friend returning to the US and seeking God through all of the unknowns.
• A teacher who daily loves her little second graders and pours her heart into them.
• A nurse who gives financially any chance she gets…thanking God for the ability to give.
• A friend who is purposefully entering into the lives and struggles of her coworkers.
• And many, many more people who are willingly being used to glorify our God.

We have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity, prayers and passion for what God has called us to.

I am so grateful to God for the reassurance that we don’t go alone….none of us do.  God who is almighty and whose love is unfailing is with each of us and we are together as His team.  Whatever He has called us to, we never serve Him alone.

Thank you for reading.

Trip Pictures

We are in the middle of our trip around the US.  We only have one more week in Pennsylvania and then we are heading back to Oregon.  Here are some pictures of our trip so far.  We have also updated our Picasa Album (Click on the link to the right).

We visited our very dear friends and cousins, Vance and Marlise and their kids.  This is Vance, Brendon and the kids having fun being tall.

Loved spending time with these very sweet kiddos!

Wycliffe USA Headquarters in Florida where we had our Equip training.

Sharing at Equip.

The Wycliffe Discovery Center.  If you are ever in Florida, we would highly recommend this museum!  You can hear story after story of how Bible translation has changed lives and impacted societies.

We found a very cool, large leaf plant!  Brendon said it is an Elephant Ear plant.

Brendon found an alligator head to contend with.

We spent the day in Washington DC on our train ride up to Pennsylvania.  This is one of the huge pillars on Union Station.

A brand new calf on the Yoder farm in Pennsylvania.

Mom Yoder made me this very special cake to celebrate my 30th birthday!

We visited some dear friends in North Carolina and spent many hours on the trampoline.

Thank you for reading along on our journey!

Grateful

In my last post, I shared my plan for living well in the midst of change.  Well, this week I forgot a crucial part of my plan.   I was unprepared for a surprise change.  Brendon’s very special Grandpa Beachy went to heaven on Thursday.  I was so glad I had been able to meet him while he was still here, but sad that we wouldn’t be able to see him during our upcoming visit to Pennsylvania.

Our two-week training for our trip to Indonesia started yesterday.  Brendon and I weren’t sure what to do, but finally decided that I should come to Florida to start the training and Brendon would go to Pennsylvania for the funeral and then come down to the training afterwards.  I was sad about this decision.  I wanted to be in Pennsylvania with Brendon, but I didn’t want to miss the beginning of training and I didn’t want to go to the training without him.  I wish I had shared my sadness with God and asked Him to show me the grace He had for me in that moment, but instead, I forgot about looking for the grace God had for me.  I remembered again on the airplane across the US as I was reading my Bible, but I have to admit, I moped a little and had a lot of pity for myself before that.

I am reading through 1 Chronicles right now and of all the places to find encouragement to be grateful, I would not think to look in 1 Chronicles.  But, God is so faithful to gently remind us of His truth even in unexpected places.  Today I read about the Levite’s responsibilities in 1 Chronicles 23:30 “They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord.  They were to do the same thing in the evening.”  So, it is now evening and I would like to stand and thank God by naming some of the gifts and graces God has given me this last week.  He has truly been my stabilizer.

A wonderful visit with Megan, a dear friend from high school

A warm evening

brownies

Rest

Hugs from my little second cousins

Drinking pretend tea and eating pretend cake

Looking up what a tiger looks like, so Lisan could color the picture “correctly”

Watching soccer practice

Seeing redemption and love where there had been pain

Looking at pictures of Ethiopia from the perspective of my six-year old cousin who lived there just one year ago.

Lunch out on the pier…we saw dolphins in the distance

Boogie boarding in a warm ocean with Vance and Marlise, my wonderful cousins

A small voice, with hand held out, “Will you go to the water with me, Brendon, please?”  Brendon unable to say “no” to such a request even though he was cold. J

Burying little hands and feet in the sand

Little hands and feet emerging from the sand in wriggly joy

Watching Brendon boogie board with my little cousin.

The earnest declaration, “Aunt Patti gave me cookies, because she loves me.” 

Encouraging and truly inspiring talk with Marlise

Time with dear friends

Silliness and snorting-laughs while playing games

Tired muscles lying in bed

Little hands holding mine

Jumping waves

An aisle seat on all flights…lots of bathroom trip without feeling in the way!

A mom who loves me enough to be sad along with me when we left Oregon for this trip

Kind strangers

Encouraging e-mails from my mom

Airline employees with accurate information

Seated by a lady my age who had never flown in her entire life…viewing it through her eyes

Air conditioning

Breathe taking sunset

Long hot bath

A good thought-provoking story to snuggle up with: The Giver

Exercise videos…I know it sounds silly, but in unknown places they are sure a blessing!

Calls from Brendon just to say “goodnight”

Long morning alone with God….so refreshing!

Salad

Quiet evening alone

peace

Other people who care deeply about the world

Laughter

Finding common ground

“Small world” connections

My slippers

Love across the phone

Reminder from 1 Chronicles to saturate my day with gratefulness and praise

Time to write this list

Grace, grace grace

I am so grateful to be reminded to stay aware of all the gifts God heaps on me every day just because He is so full of love and loves to give His children good gifts.  I hope you can be aware today of all the gifts He is heaping on you today.  Thank you for reading.

Peace, in the midst of unknowns and changes

Tomorrow morning we are flying to San Diego to begin our trip around the US.  We are flying down to San Diego, then across to Orlando Florida, then up to Pennsylvania and then back to Portland.  We are making a nice rectangle around the US.

I love visiting friends and family and I love meeting new people (which we will be doing a lot of in the next couple months)!  However, I am not naturally good at living in transition; change has always been a challenge for me.  If any of you know my life story, you would think that I must be VERY good at transition and change, but the truth is, both of those words can easily get me off-track and anxious.  I am the girl who went to college kicking and screaming because I didn’t want things to change.

As I’ve been preparing for this trip before God, I’ve remembered some truths I hope to hold onto throughout this trip, so I do not miss any opportunities God might have for me through these next months of transition and change.

First, I want to continue my gratefulness journal I started a few months ago.  Noticing and verbally receiving the gifts God lavishes on me every day will keep my perspective on God and His goodness and it will also keep me living right now, instead of worrying about the next transition or change.

Second, through many of my transitions I have held onto God’s promise: “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth, these are the things I will do, I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)  He was so near when I first started teaching in Indonesia and felt like I had no idea how anything worked in the new land I was living in.  I was blind and He led me.  I know He is with Brendon and me now as we begin our string of changes.   Not only is He with us, He is going before us to smooth out the rough places and light the way just in front of our feet so we will know where to step next.

Third, Brendon and I have committed to help guard each other’s daily, quiet, perspective-changing time with God .

And last, I want to remember:  “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God, and the God of peace who transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7)  I love this verse!  It is a very practical step by step process for how to trust God with our anxiety!

So, as Brendon likes to say,” here we are on the brink of the future”!! J

Do you have any other verses to remember or strategies that might help us live within change and transitions well before God?  We would LOVE your input!

Thank you for reading.  Knowing that you’ve read this and are “with” us encourages our hearts.

I am a packrat.

Hello, my name is Naomi and I am a pack rat.  Seriously, I just have the hardest time getting rid of stuff!  As many of you know, we are in the midst of packing for a move to Indonesia.  When a person is going to move to Indonesia, there is a lot of “stuff” that needs to move on to other homes or simply be thrown away.

I have agonized over the special jewelry box my mom gave me when I was 10 and the lamp my brother gave me.

Here is a window into my pack rat thoughts, “The lamp IS broken, but maybe we could fix it…besides, Joshy gave it to me!  I don’t really have much jewelry, but mom gave it to me and it was so special and I loved it!” 

I began to realize I place the same value on gifts that I place on the relationship with the person who gave the gift to me.  I am sure my brother and my mom (both non-pack rat people) would shudder if they knew that I was being weighed down by the “things” they gave me to bless me.  I realized I was holding onto things as a way of holding onto relationships, but in the end, I was spending more time on the gift from the past than on my present relationship with the one who gave the gift.

I sat there among my boxes of un-sorted “special things” and had to stop sorting as this truth about myself began to sink in.  How often has God given me an amazing gift and then I began to hold on to the gift and spend more time with the gift than with the Gift-Giver?

I read a book recently called, “One Thousand Gifts” written by Ann Voskamp.  Ann made the very simple statement that, “We can only love God in this moment…we can’t love Him in the past and we can’t love Him in the future.”  The gifts we are given by God and others are meant to bless us but are not a blessing when they stagnate a relationship and keep it in the past.

As I continue packing, sorting and living I pray God will give me the grace I will need to let go of gifts that are not for now, so I can have more time for the relationships I have now and experience the gifts those relationships and God have for me today.

DEBT-FREE!!

Today has an air of celebration for Brendon and I.  Last night we paid off my student loans that I have been working at paying off for four years!  It truly is amazing how much I feel a physical weight lifting off me!  We are going to celebrate by doing something special together and we feel like exclaiming it to the world!

It got me thinking.  A year from now, when we haven’t had to pay on our loans every month, I wonder if we will continue to feel this celebratory?

As I was thinking about how good God has been in helping us pay off these loans and all the surprise gifts we received, I remembered another debt that God helped us pay off.  In fact, this is a debt that we were incapable of paying off ourselves!

God is just and set up the world in a just fashion.  Sin can only be paid for by death….DEATH.

We don’t talk about sin that often in our culture, but it is to our own destruction that we don’t.  We see the affects of sin everywhere we look.

•  Parents who divorce because they just aren’t happy cause deaths in their hearts and in the hearts of their children
•  Talking about a co-worker behind their back causes deaths in our hearts and in the hearts of those who listen.
• All forms of jealousy completely kill any joy we might have had.

All of these small deaths add up inside of us and create a heaviness surrounding our lives.  These small deaths are just the beginning of the HUGE debt we will have to pay at the end of our lives…death and separation from God’s goodness.

But, the good news is, thanks to our very good God, this heavy burden of sin we carry can be lifted and completely paid for!  We can be debt-free daily!!  We can live in celebration of that fact!!  Jesus paid our death penalty by dying himself in our place!

“For God so love the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him (Christ) will not perish, but have everlasting lives.” (John 3:16)

That is a debt free experience that is definitely cause for celebrations and for exclaiming to all of our friends!!

I want to live today and every day with an air of celebration because I am debt-free before my very just and good God!