To consolodate our efforts, Adrienne and I decided to create another blog. This will be a mutual effort and will include a few useful new features. http://www.weirinpng.com/ is your new home for all things us!
Caleb
In a few months, this blog will shut down and be deleted.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
Looking ahead
The recent Holiday is now past, and hopefully all the bad jokes about eating too much are gone too!
Adrienne, Ben and I had a good weekend trip to Charlotte for Thanksgiving. My brother Carson flew in from Biloxi, MS for the long weekend, and we picked him up from the Charlotte airport. Carson is in training with the Air Force and we surprised my dad with his arrival home for Turkey Day!
Adrienne, Ben and I had a good weekend trip to Charlotte for Thanksgiving. My brother Carson flew in from Biloxi, MS for the long weekend, and we picked him up from the Charlotte airport. Carson is in training with the Air Force and we surprised my dad with his arrival home for Turkey Day!
Thanksgiving is about looking backwards, to what has already been provided for you. Now that examining the past is past, we are hitting December head on. We are looking ahead at the craziness that is to come!
The coming month will bring: Packing the house, quitting my job, moving out of the house, moving in with the Toomey's, cleaning the house, packing the crate, delivering and shipping the crate, and travelling for Christmas! Obviously, your prayers and encouragement are desired!
Updates to continue!
caleb
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saved by Grace (and other small things)
Many thanks to our friend Michelle who posted this quote here!
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 lays it all out:
“Every last one of us has a natural propensity toward works righteousness. All of us desire to save ourselves. We love Jesus, and we’re grateful to Jesus for dying on the cross for us… and that was real cool… thank you, Jesus. However, what we really want to do is; we want to find some things that the Bible tells us to do and we want to do it either out of fear or pride. If it’s out of fear, we’re going: “see God, I did this… did you see that? I really hope it’s good enough for you… I really do.” That’s the kind of person where every negative thing in life that happens to you, you’re sure it’s because you weren’t good enough. Let me just put a footnote here… something goes wrong in your life and you immediately start going and looking for what you did wrong to deserve it? Here’s the problem with that kind of thinking: that means that you actually think that you were worthy of the goodness that you received before. Help you if you think that! So if it’s not out of fear then it’s out of pride, and here’s the pride part: pride says: “I went to the bible, I found what I needed to do, and I did it.” So you can come into heaven, walk through the gates and say “I am pleased that Christ died on the cross for me. Here are the works that I have added to make His sacrifice sufficient.” - Voddie BaucomThat is a powerful peice of writing. To think that one could add anything to what has already been done for you... and yet I am guilty of it on a daily basis! If you believe that you are separated from God by your sin, and you have asked for Jesus to pardon you, then IT IS FINISHED! There is nothing for you to do except worship!
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 lays it all out:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."So what is the point of doing "good things"? Good works are done in response to what has been done for you. They are a demonstration of the fabulous gift that you have been given, and that's no small thing!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Consequences
The following is a story from the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) taken from PNG's leading newspaper, The Post Courier:
The Post Courier newspaper says it has spoken to someone who witnessed the murder of four people in the jungle outside Goroka in the Eastern Highlands yesterday.
The eyewitness said angry villagers murdered four elderly siblings they suspected of using sorcery to kill a young woman who died during childbirth on Sunday.
The paper said the three sisters and a brother were "executed" and their bodies thrown off a cliff after someone told the villagers they had seen the siblings eat the young woman's heart.
The provincial police commander Augustine Wampe has told the ABC the murders have not been reported to police.
The belief that unexplained deaths are the result of sorcery is widely held in PNG.
Fear is at work in that place.
From our western perspective, this story is foolishness. "Those poor, uneducated people," we think. We see the enormous holes in logic this story presents. Sorcery? That stuff is all smoke and mirrors. "Someone" told the villagers... Who is someone? Why aren't they named and taken to task for their accusations? Then there is the angry mob. They believed this accusation? They believed it so much they killed 4 people? Why didn't the villagers let the police look into it? What is wrong with them? Why do they act this way?
Fear is at work in that place.
The predominant worldview in PNG is Animism. (Click here for a good definition) People who live with this worldview have certain presuppositions that affect all they do, say, and think. At the core of Animism is Power. Power is the ability to control life. Animists are constantly seeking it. The are not seeking power for themselves, but rather they are seeking where the power lies. For them, all is connected, both in the seen and the unseen worlds. If all is connected, then one needs to find out where the power is so one can align with that power. Whether that power is "good or bad" is immaterial. You only seek to keep the world at bay.
Can you imagine living like this? You would constantly be searching both the known and the unexplained to make sure you are not "offending" the current power. And the power is constantly shifting, moving, affecting you and everything around you in new ways. You can never really know if you are aligned with the power that will be most beneficial and keep you from the most harm. Living in fear is the only available response! But I believe that there is hope, for God is the source of all power.
Your worldview affects EVERYTHING. Your expectations of how your world functions are based on these many underlying presuppositions that are both taught outright, and learned through culture. Do not think you are immune; that you have it all figured out. The way you think is just as twisted, just as far from the Truth. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
There is only one way to be free of fear, to know the truth, to be made whole. There are consequences to the way you think, just as there are consequences to the way "they" think. So know what you believe. Question it, challenge it, test it, just as you question what an animist believes.
FOUR MURDERED IN SORCERY ATTACKS
By PNG correspondent Liam Fox
Four people in Papua New Guinea have reportedly been killed in the latest sorcery attacks in the country's highlands.
The Post Courier newspaper says it has spoken to someone who witnessed the murder of four people in the jungle outside Goroka in the Eastern Highlands yesterday.
The eyewitness said angry villagers murdered four elderly siblings they suspected of using sorcery to kill a young woman who died during childbirth on Sunday.
The paper said the three sisters and a brother were "executed" and their bodies thrown off a cliff after someone told the villagers they had seen the siblings eat the young woman's heart.
The provincial police commander Augustine Wampe has told the ABC the murders have not been reported to police.
The belief that unexplained deaths are the result of sorcery is widely held in PNG.
Fear is at work in that place.
From our western perspective, this story is foolishness. "Those poor, uneducated people," we think. We see the enormous holes in logic this story presents. Sorcery? That stuff is all smoke and mirrors. "Someone" told the villagers... Who is someone? Why aren't they named and taken to task for their accusations? Then there is the angry mob. They believed this accusation? They believed it so much they killed 4 people? Why didn't the villagers let the police look into it? What is wrong with them? Why do they act this way?
Fear is at work in that place.
The predominant worldview in PNG is Animism. (Click here for a good definition) People who live with this worldview have certain presuppositions that affect all they do, say, and think. At the core of Animism is Power. Power is the ability to control life. Animists are constantly seeking it. The are not seeking power for themselves, but rather they are seeking where the power lies. For them, all is connected, both in the seen and the unseen worlds. If all is connected, then one needs to find out where the power is so one can align with that power. Whether that power is "good or bad" is immaterial. You only seek to keep the world at bay.
Can you imagine living like this? You would constantly be searching both the known and the unexplained to make sure you are not "offending" the current power. And the power is constantly shifting, moving, affecting you and everything around you in new ways. You can never really know if you are aligned with the power that will be most beneficial and keep you from the most harm. Living in fear is the only available response! But I believe that there is hope, for God is the source of all power.
Your worldview affects EVERYTHING. Your expectations of how your world functions are based on these many underlying presuppositions that are both taught outright, and learned through culture. Do not think you are immune; that you have it all figured out. The way you think is just as twisted, just as far from the Truth. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
There is only one way to be free of fear, to know the truth, to be made whole. There are consequences to the way you think, just as there are consequences to the way "they" think. So know what you believe. Question it, challenge it, test it, just as you question what an animist believes.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Fear of the Future
Caleb here:
As we are over all but one major hurdle (overseas Visa) in preparation to go, the reality of the next three years is setting in.
The fact of the matter is, most of our future plans are not really that "exotic" for me. We are going to a place I've been before. We will be living in a town with all the trappings of home. We will probably get a car if one becomes available. The language will even be familiar to me. So even though we will be far from family and friends, I am not stepping totally out of my comfort zone.
And that's the rub, as they say. My comfort. I have realized that the only thing I fear about our future plans is the upcoming Pacific Orientation Course (POC). And what I fear most about POC, is the weeks we have to spend in the "village-living" phase. My comfort level is sure to suffer greatly, and therefore I will suffer greatly.
I work hard so I can be "comfortable". I am beginning to realize how much I value it. I have often used this turn of phrase: "I am a professional relaxer!" I always meant that I am good at relaxing and stepping away from the cares of the world. But looking at that saying now, I might be saying that I am constantly seeking my own comfort.
While I am certain I am not alone in this sentiment (certainly Adrienne must be experiencing these same apprehensions about our future plans), these feelings are usually followed by the twinge of doubt. Not doubt that what we are doing right or true, but rather doubt that I am prepared, or doubt that I can handle it, or doubt that my motives are pure, or doubt that I really want to give up my comfort at all...
Doubt has a funny way of sticking when all other lies fall away. When God's word cuts into the disbelief, takes away the jealousy, or snuffs out the hate, the subtlety of doubt can remain. There is a reason we often use the word "nagging" to describe doubt. It doesn't penetrate our soul as deeply as hate or jealousy or disbelief. It just taps you lightly, and can be a minor annoyance. But like the water torture bit (who knows if the Chinese actually used it or not), the constant repetition of doubt can become devastating if not met with the truth. Sooner or later, that light tapping becomes a 3 pound mallet, shaking your very bones.
I'm not at that place!
So what are the lies behind the doubt?
1. I am not strong enough to do this. This is a half-lie. God is strong enough, so I don't have to be. Or said another way: "I have been crucified in Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." Gal. 2:10
2. I have a right to comfort. "The chief aim of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." The Westminster Catechism. Not cold drinks, soft beds, and indoor plumbing.
3. My motives are not pure (insinuating God cannot use me). Got does not work with perfect humans. He glories himself by using the weak things, the broken things, and the foolish things (1 Cor. 1:20-25). He can work through me in spite of myself. All God asks for is humility and willingness (Isaiah 66:2).
As we are over all but one major hurdle (overseas Visa) in preparation to go, the reality of the next three years is setting in.
The fact of the matter is, most of our future plans are not really that "exotic" for me. We are going to a place I've been before. We will be living in a town with all the trappings of home. We will probably get a car if one becomes available. The language will even be familiar to me. So even though we will be far from family and friends, I am not stepping totally out of my comfort zone.
And that's the rub, as they say. My comfort. I have realized that the only thing I fear about our future plans is the upcoming Pacific Orientation Course (POC). And what I fear most about POC, is the weeks we have to spend in the "village-living" phase. My comfort level is sure to suffer greatly, and therefore I will suffer greatly.
I work hard so I can be "comfortable". I am beginning to realize how much I value it. I have often used this turn of phrase: "I am a professional relaxer!" I always meant that I am good at relaxing and stepping away from the cares of the world. But looking at that saying now, I might be saying that I am constantly seeking my own comfort.
While I am certain I am not alone in this sentiment (certainly Adrienne must be experiencing these same apprehensions about our future plans), these feelings are usually followed by the twinge of doubt. Not doubt that what we are doing right or true, but rather doubt that I am prepared, or doubt that I can handle it, or doubt that my motives are pure, or doubt that I really want to give up my comfort at all...
Doubt has a funny way of sticking when all other lies fall away. When God's word cuts into the disbelief, takes away the jealousy, or snuffs out the hate, the subtlety of doubt can remain. There is a reason we often use the word "nagging" to describe doubt. It doesn't penetrate our soul as deeply as hate or jealousy or disbelief. It just taps you lightly, and can be a minor annoyance. But like the water torture bit (who knows if the Chinese actually used it or not), the constant repetition of doubt can become devastating if not met with the truth. Sooner or later, that light tapping becomes a 3 pound mallet, shaking your very bones.
I'm not at that place!
So what are the lies behind the doubt?
1. I am not strong enough to do this. This is a half-lie. God is strong enough, so I don't have to be. Or said another way: "I have been crucified in Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..." Gal. 2:10
2. I have a right to comfort. "The chief aim of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." The Westminster Catechism. Not cold drinks, soft beds, and indoor plumbing.
3. My motives are not pure (insinuating God cannot use me). Got does not work with perfect humans. He glories himself by using the weak things, the broken things, and the foolish things (1 Cor. 1:20-25). He can work through me in spite of myself. All God asks for is humility and willingness (Isaiah 66:2).
Saturday, September 19, 2009
ICC Recap
Adrienne and I have had a few weeks to process our experience at ICC since returning to Raleigh over Labor Day weekend. The course itself did not allow much time for personal reflection, because of the intensity of the schedule.
As we have re-entered our life here, we hear one question more than any other from curious folks: "So, how was it?"
Between the two of us, this course was a very different experience. It is hard to answer that question when it is directed to us as a couple! However, we have managed to come up with a one-word answer: INTENSE.
Here are a couple of highlights and lessons learned:
1. Prior to ICC, Adrienne and I would say "we could never work together!" Now we can say, "we are learning to work together!"
2. Adrienne found a wonderful mentoring relationship that has made a huge difference in her ability to deal with pressure.
3. I found some spiritual peace when God forced me to reconcile with some past mistakes.
4. Adrienne found that she was more than able to handle a 4wd with manual transmission!
As we have re-entered our life here, we hear one question more than any other from curious folks: "So, how was it?"
Between the two of us, this course was a very different experience. It is hard to answer that question when it is directed to us as a couple! However, we have managed to come up with a one-word answer: INTENSE.
Here are a couple of highlights and lessons learned:
1. Prior to ICC, Adrienne and I would say "we could never work together!" Now we can say, "we are learning to work together!"
2. Adrienne found a wonderful mentoring relationship that has made a huge difference in her ability to deal with pressure.
3. I found some spiritual peace when God forced me to reconcile with some past mistakes.
4. Adrienne found that she was more than able to handle a 4wd with manual transmission!
5. She has also totally weaned herself from caffeine in preparation for the field.
6. I received insight on management basics which will greatly increase my effectiveness on the field.
7. As a family, we had a lot of time to spend with my parents, and with other friends in the Charlotte area.
8. Ben learned to "swim"!
9. We were constantly driven to discomfort. We learned a lot from that alone.
10. God is looking after us and has a great plan for us, even when we cannot see over the next obstacle in the road!
We are grateful to the staff of ICC. They gave themselves totally to this training. They invested in us, build relationships with us, taught us, and when it was all done, they said goodbye well. That last part was something we are learning to do even now. We are learning to say goodbye well. I certainly don't want people to say, "they were here, then all of the sudden, they are not!" Up until the day we fly out, we want to be part of your life. And know that even while we are gone, we will be thinking of you often, for where our heart is, there also is our home.
In Christ,
Caleb
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Intercultural Communications Course (ICC)
We've been here for 3 days and we are now experts on all things cultural, all things communicational, and course-al. But put them all together and we are stumped! It's pretty amazing how God grabs hold of you, shakes you, and your pride falls away. It's hard too.
Time for some honesty. When I first found out that we were going to go to this training, I asked, "What for? We are going to be serving in a missions center, surrounded by other missionaries. We aren't going to be out in the field!" And then, we got our hands on the book Cross Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer. It didn't take too long for me to realize that I was going to have a very rough time with this ICC.
I didn't think I needed any help. That is a tough attitude to let go. I'm still working on that, even now, as we are getting into the swing of things. More than ever I am realizing that if I want to be effective as a leader, I need to come to grips with my weaknesses and strengths. If I am going to serve others from many and varied cultures, I really need to understand those undercurrents of thought and culture that have made up my world-view for so long.
One of the first assignments we've been given is to write down the assumptions; the reasons for action; the basic thoughts that make us behave and think the way we do. They gave us 11 topics like money, family, grief, sex, anger, etc., and asked us to think to the very core of those topics and the attitudes behind it. It was a VERY enlightening experience. Those things that make up your culture heavily influence how you behave. Those behaviors that are perfectly normal for one (like eye contact during conversation) may be considered rude for another.
Awareness of the issues seems to be the theme so far!
Be praying for us as we are stretched. The emotional toll was very high very quickly. Please know that we are learning a lot, and bear with us as we are a little more difficult to get a hold of!
Caleb
Time for some honesty. When I first found out that we were going to go to this training, I asked, "What for? We are going to be serving in a missions center, surrounded by other missionaries. We aren't going to be out in the field!" And then, we got our hands on the book Cross Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer. It didn't take too long for me to realize that I was going to have a very rough time with this ICC.
I didn't think I needed any help. That is a tough attitude to let go. I'm still working on that, even now, as we are getting into the swing of things. More than ever I am realizing that if I want to be effective as a leader, I need to come to grips with my weaknesses and strengths. If I am going to serve others from many and varied cultures, I really need to understand those undercurrents of thought and culture that have made up my world-view for so long.
One of the first assignments we've been given is to write down the assumptions; the reasons for action; the basic thoughts that make us behave and think the way we do. They gave us 11 topics like money, family, grief, sex, anger, etc., and asked us to think to the very core of those topics and the attitudes behind it. It was a VERY enlightening experience. Those things that make up your culture heavily influence how you behave. Those behaviors that are perfectly normal for one (like eye contact during conversation) may be considered rude for another.
Awareness of the issues seems to be the theme so far!
Be praying for us as we are stretched. The emotional toll was very high very quickly. Please know that we are learning a lot, and bear with us as we are a little more difficult to get a hold of!
Caleb
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