The Other Part of My Team!

Many times in missions the men seem to get the glory. In a few rare cases, like Isobel Kuhn, Amy Carmichael, Mary Slessor, the ladies seem to stand in the spot light, but most often it seems that the great women seem to be content in the shadows and help their husbands to do what God wants. Ann Judson helped Adinoram to be the man that he was and his ‘team’ would have been incomplete without her. Maria Hudson was the helping hand that so greatly aided Hudson Talyor in his early years of the mission.

I was reminded again of the great blessing I have in my wonderful wife this week. Patty had to go in for a minor surgery this week. She went in Saturday, and returned on Sunday morning. A I sat outside waiting for her to come out of the ‘theatre’ many thoughts flooded my mind. I hope she was be fine, but what if? Then I started thinking how difficult life would be here without her. How much I love her and am thankful that God has allowed her to be here! Basically after the hour of surgery, when they rolled her out of the ‘theatre’ I was very happy to she.

The surgery went well, we are almost back to normal, and we even washed clothes by hand together today, since the water has been off for a week. It is good to have reminds. So today post is given in honor of my missionary wife.

The poem is for her. She read it and said that it was quite good.

Missionary Mother's Dilema
by Pam Griffis

The very first thing in the morning
I plan my schedule for the day.
I think I've got it all worked out,
In my neatly organized way.

Devotions first; Then Aerobics! (Of course!)
"Breakfast?", Did my hubby say?
Quickly fed and swiftly dressed,
I send the little ones out to play.

"Oh, I forgot today is wash day!"
As the generator starts to run.
I rush to gather the dirty clothes
I must hurry and get them done.

Above the din of the washer,
Shouts the voice of my 4 yr. old son.
"Mom, J.J. has to go potty!"
"And he broke my favorite gun!"

I settle the fight and dry the tears,
The clothes are finally hung out.
As I sit to type the culture file,
There is yet another shout!

"Hun, Awelalu brought sweet potatoes!"
I try to hide a frowny pout.
I really enjoy my chat with her,
Knowing that is what it is all about!

Lunch time comes all to soon.
"Where's desert?", the clan wants to know.
I could pull my hair out one by one,
But I don't want my feelings to show.

Dishes to wash, then rest time;
I am feeling pretty low.
I sit down to study language,
And a windy rain starts to blow.

I run to rescue the clothes off the line,
The kids wake up from their nap,
"Did you bake cookies yet?, they ask me,
As they climb up on my lap.

An hour later, the cookies baked,
Clothes folded and put away.
A sigh of relief and a "Thank you, Lord,"
Is all I am able to say.

When supper is over, baths and dishes done,
And our family pauses to pray.
When my little ones say, "Thank you for Mom,"
My frustrations fade quickly away.

Tomorrow will surely be better,
And if not, God planned it that way.
He knows what I need for my growing.
I am only to "rest" and obey

The Leper's Spot

I was reading in Leviticus today. Currently I am on the chapters that speak about leprosy. I never really appreciated these chapters until I moved to Ghana. In Ghana it is still a common disease. I can still remember the first time that I meet a leper.

My family and I used to live in a community called Bomso. Whenever we went to town we always passed the main intersection on the Accra road. And just like many intersection in Africa, there where beggars that stood at this intersection and begged for money. One man always seemed to be there, and I gave him coins off and on. Then one day as this man was putting out his begging bowl to me, I noticed that he was missing all his figures, and that they where covered in Gentian Violet (that is an ointment that people use here on infected wounds, it turns the skin a bright purple). All at once I realized that he had not lost his fingers in an accident, like I thought, but that he was a leper. I will tell you, that when that thought hit me, while my hands where touching his on the begging bowl, the feeling that raced through me was utter terror! I was overwhelmed! Leprous! I saw the man off and on after that, but the disease keep progressing, until finally I think that he had to join one of Ghana's colonies.

It is amazing how the Bible becomes alive when you live in a third-world country. I have learned a lot about leprosy since I have been here. Leprosy is a disease that attacks the nerve endings first, this happens long before the deterioration even beginnings. So that means that the leper does not feel any pain, he/she is just slowly consumed by the disease until it spreads so much that the person finally dies from infection. The person is a walking, living, corpse. The amazing thing is, even when the person is utterly unclean, and has to cry out and tell everyone, though people see the lepers misery, the leper does not feel any pain. The feelings have been burned out of him. When I thought about that this morning it was such a perfect picture of sin. We are infected with it, and it begins it work within us, slowly it kills our feelings. Before long we see the damage of this sin disease, and before long we are 'past feeling' as the Bible says, and walking in the world with our lips covered, saying "Unclean, unclean". We have become untouchable by man, we are broken, humbled, and alone. Sin, even after salvation at times seem to make us so unlcean. And in the words of Paul "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

As I thought about this sad reality, I read chapter 14 of Leviticus. Chapter 14 talks about how a leper was declared CLEAN! The Twi words to one of our hymns kept passing through my mind: Awurade, mahu! Se Wo tumi nkutoo, Besa kwata kuro... (translation: Lord, I have seen, it is your power only, that washes the leper's disease (spots)). When no one has the power to touch us, let alone heal us, He stretches forth His hand, and like every time in the gospels, he touches us. And with that touch we are healed.

God thank you for loving me enough to touch me with Your almighty hand! God help me to live as the cleansed person that you have made me.