He's going once, & going twice.
He's going ~ & almost gone!
But the Master comes, & the foolish crowd
Never can understand
The worth of a soul & the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand. Myra Brooks Welch.

So what is an aspiring young missionary given to read? This is a sample of what OM sent out for Liddy. As I will seriously read package labels if there is nothing else round I took a bit of a squizz. I will probably get round to reading most of these ~ or at least speed reading them as I'm not the one going on the mission field.


The first foray into this unfamiliar territory revealed the story of a family who answered a call to the Middle East. They were psyche~tested [Liddy found hers a hoot], trained, financially supported~ in short from beginning to end they only got yeses until the very moment they set foot on foreign soil. They never left the airport. They returned home on the next plane. I read gob~smacked. How do you get so far & not realise this is not for you? How to you get so far, spend all that money, sell all your possessions then never even leave the airport? Whoa, Nellie! Reality check time.


Now having traveled in foreign lands I know culture shock is very real, even when the culture is very similar, even when the new country speaks your language, even when you have chosen to go & spend time there. It can be a serious slam dunk but only a raving lunatic expects a foreign country to be just like home. Just how different it will be depends on which country & which culture. What's more, Liddy is a person of very decided ideas; a person not easily dissuaded once her mind is made up.


Thank you Lord for all those soccer meets ~ you know, the ones where she had to stay with strangers overnight in unfamiliar surroundings where they did things differently & ate strange food. There were so many of them, year after year. She adjusted after the first one when she lost a spot on the State team because they didn't think she'd manage away from home. And the year when she did so well she was changing schools every other month so she could attend training sessions. Her first plane trip on her own up to Cairns for state trials. All the team mates who weren't white, Anglo~Saxon, protestants. Little things. Small helps. Preparation for something none of us foresaw all those years ago.


Several of the books are about living the reality of Christ. One tells personal testimonies of Christ's intervention in the lives of His people. None of them are about evangelizing per se. I know Lid believes in the testimony of friendship. She lives it. It's one reason why she wanted long term mission as opposed to a short mission. She has the single eye of so living for Christ she draws others to Him. And she can play soccer. I should really like to be a fly on the wall the first time those Chilean kids see Lid go into action on the soccer pitch! She loves her soccer. She & God have battled that one out between them ~ much to my amusement.

"Fight with Him if you like, " I remember telling Liddy, " but you won't win." She chose to fight anyway. She didn't win ~ but she's ok with that. It is better like this.

Walking the Tightrope.

"A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. William Arthur Ward"

It's a fine balancing act; a foot in both worlds; a journeying in the mind before the first step is taken; a series of steps across a gawping abyss because however exciting this is the stark truth is that for all this to take place we must lose Liddy. We are already practising.


Next month Liddy heads off to Melbourne. By plane. On her own. For a whole week. If I refuse to drive her to the airport [because we all know how much I love Brisbane traffic & unknown locations] will she stay home peaceably? Would I want her to? I looked into the faces of the 2 Aussie missionaries who escaped the devastation of Haiti & thought, "That could be Liddy." It sends my heart lurching about like a hooked fish. I want to bail God up & tell him, " That's my girl you're sending out there. You take care of her, hear." I want to lay down all these conditions & have all these assurances when there are no assurances about anything in this life & I remember all too well God's admonition to Job: " Where where you when I laid the foundations of the world?"


So we are practising for the big one with a series of little ones: trips up to ma's; overnighters with church friends; trips to Melbourne. Thinking ahead because Liddy won't be here for her birthday; her 21st. A big one. Do it early. Christmas. She won't be here for that either. Thinking about what she will need to take. Planning presents around that. Early. Getting used to the idea of Lid not being here but halfway across the world. A whole new dimension of trust. Setting up these blogs because there's the whole time zone thing & long distance phone lines are a pain in the butt. Knowing the cat will go into meltdown. And Ditz.


Can't hold her; wouldn't if I could. I have known for so many years that God has laid this calling on her heart & He also let us know she would go sooner rather than later. Liddy was thinking later but I saw her playing soccer with all these kids & I knew it would be very soon. It is right. It is not forever. Not yet. I see the gift blossoming & blooming, bursting to explode in the full power of its gifting but the heart has all these little hair roots & tender fragile tendrils that object to being uprooted & transplanted.


The worst part is I know Liddy's fine now. She's caught up in getting it all together, making her liaisons, organising her prayer support, her financial support, getting to know new people ~ all things that she's really good at. She always was a bossy child. It's some night in Chile after a rotten day when it's going to hit just how far away from home she is, when she needs that hug from mum that I can't give; that's when the loneliness will hit. That's when she will need to stay strong, rest in the Lord, just hang in there.


OM's pretty experienced. They sent out a package of stuff & a lot of it deals with preparing for the bad times, the culture shock, for things not being the way you expect. Liddy's young & flexible. She should adjust really well. What's more, I know she's got something to give. She can make a difference. These are the good works God has prepared for her to do & He has gifted her & will enable her to perform those works He has prepared for her. Yep. It's still a tightrope though.

Ganeida.

Application Forms

I had previously wanted to attend a short term mission of 6months to South America when I was 17 but broke my collar bone instead. So when this opportunity {Chile} arrived I was lucky enough to have the door open and options available to chat with the Qld director whom I already knew. She and her husband had previously met myself and my family and after a lengthy phone conversation with her I was sent the OM commitment forms followed by the OM application forms.


It's at this stage that I need to state that mum had an altercation with a work college and submitted a formal complaint about the incident. I was asked to remain at home until the situation had sorted itself out! I was in no way worried about that, it gave me the time to concentrate and focus on the situation at hand. God knew I needed the time and we were all grateful in this household that I got the time.

Before I started filling the forms out I needed to make sure I knew what I was applying for. There were two options, a 9month stint in Chile with an Intensive Training Programme or there was the original 2yr commitment. A few e-mails were sent back and forth discussing this. Eventually the team (actually it was pretty promptly) in Chile was contacted and their opinion was sought. I was then asked to submit a resume so they could send it over. Yay we all concluded, family, OM and I that I am free to apply for the 2yr commitment!

I filled out the first 2 forms; the general med and the theological one before going back to work, 2 weeks after I should have returned! I also had to do a psyche analysis which is half completed, I'm awaiting a response from there so it can be completed. I also have to get a medical profile done, [shrugs] in which I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for. That took me a couple of months to get organised but there was all the Christmas/New yrs closures and it's so hard to get booked in locally which I need to do because that's where all my history is!

All this needs to be done and submitted before I can attend PFT (pre-field training) It is in Feb 22nd-27th I needed to confirm my booking by the 2nd of Feb. I have booked my hols in at work and also my plane tickets down there :s so please pray that everything would go according to God's will and specifically that everything runs smoothly. ¬ Lob

Commitment to Join Operation Mobilzation

As soon as I jolted all this down I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders. I had only recently been talking with God about something bothering me at the very core. I asked him to show me but was hesitant to actually want it knowing it was rooted in sin and not being able to let go. Praise the Lord for his great Love and might!

So "Nov 09" I took 2 weeks holidays frankly to look for another job. I stumbled across this link http://www.om.org/item/s2208 when the job search was going nowhere. Immediately I was discussing it with the family and the conclusion being was to seek further information. This in itself was huge for my father had never been really keen on the long term mission but rather the short term.I sent a response of and my family and I began to pray with little doubt this wasn't the time.

Every detail about this opportunity was in tune with the desires Christ had developed in me over the years. A few correspondences with OM Head Office Aus and the Qld Director came to the conclusion that I should submit a commitment to join OM form. The stance being; a vessel that is moving is easier than one tied to the dock! ie the first plan of action was this.

I then spent the next week and a half talking to members of the church. The youth leader of the Baptist church I attend with another girl, the home church members and other elders I knew from the previous church I had attended whom had being following this journey for as long as my family had. I had also made recently some christian peers in which I excitedly told them about it all. Trying to involve as many people as possible, to get the prayer coverage and to seek their wisdom! ¬Lob

Meet the team at home!

My Sister

My Dad

My Mum

I fully comprehend daily that if I do not have the Lord I have nothing. I however have been blessed in life with these three wonderful people. My mum and dad have been the Spiritual leaders in my life for 20yrs. For the past 10yrs they have been with me and watched daily as the Lord has grown my love for him and the passion for South American Mission. I can not leave them out from the journey, for praise in Christ is due in regards to the journey they also have to take.

For many years they have supported me and have helped direct this development, they have put aside their own fears, their own desires and sought to find the Lord's will. At times it has been challenging but if each one of us submits to God daily we are in God's leading. I introduce you to them all in the hope that you will also pray for them, that they continue their way in the Lord, that the separation whenever that may come about is easier when relying upon God. ¬ Lob

The Journey Begins

Colossians 4:4-5 - Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act to outsiders; make the most of every opportunity!

I've thought long and hard about how to start this blog, of the ways to make it more appealing, to showcase me. Many a time I have tried and failed, my attempts futile and unsuccessful, my pride was always getting in the way. I was focusing on what I wanted to see happen instead of what God wants. In no way can I take the credit for anything for it is Christ who equips the weak so that they can achieve his work! So today I ask the Lord to humble me and to have himself shine through with the words written within, to ensure that he is always praised.

I ask all who pass through here to keep an eye out, to pray on my behalf and those God puts across my path. May the journey of Mission begin here, let every man named by Christ be challenged to share their faith with no fear, to take every opportunity with both hands.

Side note: Mum will also be writing on here, we will sign of differently just to help. I will also try to link a prayer page as I will create another blog specifically for prayer points ¬ Lobstar