Happy Trees
We’ve recently moved into a house where the previous tenants’ tastes were….unique. Ranging from sliced river rock countertops, to the stained glass aquarium scene in the bathroom, to the 8 foot tall solid wood twirling dolphin statue adorning the front yard, there are numerous features which have evoked comments from our visitors like, “Well THAT’s interesting,” or my personal favorite, “I’ve never seen THAT in a house before.”
felled dolphins
As much as we could appreciate the bold statement of the dolphin statue, we could not foster a deep enough appreciation for the colonies of termites and carpenter ants it was hosting. It was promptly introduced to our friend “Chainsaw Charlie(not his actual name)” and painstakingly removed from the property. That very day, one of the neighbors stopped by to tell us how much they appreciated us removing the longstanding eyesore from the neighborhood. Just as I was patting myself on the back, thinking I had done a good turn and garnered some neighborhood favor as the new family on the block, another neighbor stopped by. He lamented the disappearance of the twirling dolphins which had graced the view from his front bay window for the last 15 years. I tried to excuse the offense, explaining the problem of the termites and carpenter ants. He forlornly agreed that the deed needed to be done for prudence’s sake, but wished I could have admired it in its original pristine form. Of course I agreed outwardly, while violently protesting inwardly the notion of such a gaudy display in any yard, no matter how pristine. At the same time, the truth is that what attracted us to the house in the first place were these quirks which made the house an original in the midst of so much cookie-cutter monotony.
A couple of weeks ago I sat down for a conversation with Alex Kocman from The Missions Podcast. We had a rather impromptu interview about missions and how it might be easier than you think to be a missionary. That may be a somewhat counterintuitive topic for a missionary, but I like to roll that way. You can view/listen to the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQDcUjanrw
I didn’t have the questions he would ask in advance and we had only a cursory chat prior to sitting down to record, which was not a format I found great pleasure in, as evidenced by my deer in headlights posture for most of the interview. I did nevertheless manage to surprise myself looking back over the conversation, with a few of my own off-the-cuff comments, revealing to myself things I hadn’t given voice to previously. Namely, that one of the best things about being a missionary is the opportunity to grow in unique ways. I compared it to growing out into an odd-shaped tree. It’s probably the reverse culture shock speaking, but we’ve become keenly aware that we find it relatively difficult to fit in wherever we go. Whether in Czech Republic or Kansas City, it doesn’t seem like we resemble the other trees around us. That isn’t a right/wrong or good/bad analysis, it just is. I only hope that the shape we’re taking is something more akin to an amusing bonsai or maybe one of those cute miniature citrus trees rather than twirling dolphins, but I wouldn’t want to deceive myself, lest we fall prey to a “Chainsaw Charlie” ambush.
Trees have emerged as an apt analogy for our upcoming season of ministry. We are going to be apple farmers, or at least that’s the word picture that’s making the most sense for me right now. Missionaries are apple trees. When you plant an apple tree, you expect that it will grow apples, and in the vast majority of circumstances, they do! When missionaries are sent to foreign fields, they bear fruit. We invest much time and energy into getting missionaries to their respective fields of service. We put a lot of time and energy into planting apple trees. Planting apple trees is one way to increase your apple harvest if you’re an apple farmer. However, anyone with an orchard can tell you, planting more trees isn’t the only way to increase a harvest. By giving more care and attention to the trees already established in the orchard, you can also significantly increase your yield of fruit. Apple trees will grow apples, but they will grow more apples if they are pruned, fertilized, watered intentionally and cared for well. We’re excited to come alongside our fellow missionaries and serve them well in this capacity. Our goal is to multiply the multipliers!
If you’ve been following our ministry and you’d like to partner with us in responding to Jesus’ Commission to make disciples of all nations, we’d love to hear from you! We’re currently on furlough and will likely be traveling through your part of the country in the near future. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a time to fellowship over a cup of coffee or tea!
Perhaps you’re of a kindred spirit and would like to partner with us minus the fellowship. That’s OK too! If you’re a fellow funny bonsai or twirling dolphin statue, or a faithful and steady oak, we invite you join this orchard of oddity as we bear fruit for God’s glory together!
Current support needs:
-$1200 monthly committed support
-Reliable used vehicle
-Children’s education expenses
