Book review: "Found in Him" by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Between my Missionary Preparation Program at church, my agency (SIM) requirements, and the online classes I'm taking from Wheaton College and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, I have to read about a million books. (Seriously. Thank God for libraries!) I'm actually excited to read every one, though, and I'm still reading (or listening to audiobooks) for pleasure in my free time, so I just thought that maybe when I come across a particularly excellent volume, I could share my review. Here's a recent favorite:

This book contained excellent apologetics, not just touchy-feely self-help stuff but the real meat and potatoes of the Christian faith, and more specifically what it means to be in intimate relationship with God. It was theologically rich, and yet also emotionally satisfying; something I've rarely found in other authors as they tend to appeal to one or the other, head or heart. It struck deep chords within my woman's soul. Elyse understands what it means to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind" (see Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:36-40), and this book spoke to every part of my being. Highly recommended!
Find it on Amazon.com 

MissionsFest & Prayer Requests

I've had a busy month so far, and it's not letting up! It has been my privilege to be presented before the congregations of Wheaton Bible Church and Tri-Village Church, their sister church in Streamwood, as part of MissionsFest 2017. During this week I also presented my ministry before 4 small groups. This was the theme verse:

We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

--1 Corinthians 3:5b-7

This particularly strikes a chord with me as I am gathering my support team, because I may be going out to work in the field of Niger, planting seeds of God's love as I meet physical needs, but I can't go without being sent--by YOU! So thank you for your encouragement, enthusiasm and support!

Here are some things you can pray about for me and the hospital:

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Finally, if you're near Wheaton, MARK YOUR CALENDARS for October 30th!

From 5-8pm just mention "SIM" at the counter or drive thru and Chick-fil-A will donate back up to 20% to SIM! The address is 301 E. Loop Rd, Wheaton, IL. The COW and I hope to see you there!

Recalculating...

I've completed my week of pre-field training at SIM USA headquarters, and I have to report some recalculations in my plans for ministry at Galmi. All good news, though! I am no longer required to study French before arriving in Niger, since the French-speaking therapy assistant, Barnaba, has been accepted into school for additional training. It is now more important that I complete 6 months of Hausa language study, in Niger, because the remaining apprentice only speaks Hausa.

Oumarou, on left, speaks Hausa and I will participate in his training at Galmi; Barnaba, second from left, is now in school in northern Niger! Please keep him in prayer

I now have the following timeline:
>>Ongoing: theology classes online
>>October-November: language learning class online (Wheaton College)
>>January 14-February 9: Cultural Training Institute in North Carolina
>>March 15-18: CMDA orientation for medical missionaries in Virginia
>>April?: depart for Niger; study Hausa for 6 months in Niamey

I need your support now more than ever, as each of these trainings require registration fees and some require travel. With your help and if it's God's will, I will be on a plane overseas by April!

So here is an update on my support raising:

I have currently received pledges totaling 68% of my monthly budget! THANK YOU to everyone who is giving and who has pledged to give!!! If you are interested in joining my team, you can click here to be taken to my SIM donor page. You may start your giving at any time, but as I mentioned above, it will make a big difference in registering for all of my trainings/ classes if you can start before the end of the year. Please pray about it and let me know if I can pray about something specific for you, too!

The Potter's Workmanship

Beautiful pots formed by hand by skilled artisans in a Nigerien village

While at SIM SendOff (pre-field training) in Charlotte this week, we were asked to consider the following passage of the Old Testament from Jeremiah. I thought I would share some of the wisdom and insights I gained as I reflected on it:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there [s]he was, making something on the two stone slabs.  But the vessel that [s]he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so [s]he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel." 

-Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NASB)

I imagined myself in the prophet Jeremiah's place as I meditated on the passage. Every sight, sound, and smell of that Nigerien village, which some of you might remember me visiting in February, came back to me. The dust in the air tickled my nose as I walked through the village. I had to duck to enter the door of the mud-and-straw hut of the potter. It smelled of donkey dung and it was humid and cool inside. Several of us crowded around to watch. I recalled the potter's leathery skin and her pop-bottle eyeglasses as she crouched on the floor and demonstrated her skills for us, and heard the THWACK of her paddle and her occasional shouts at the curious children to clear the doorway so that she could see by the bright light of the desert sun. 

One of the potters at work; she uses donkey dung to make the clay and water to mold it, beating the shape into being with a flat wooden paddle. She works by daylight since she has no electricity

Asking God what lessons He wanted me to take away from this object lesson, I reflected on the following:

• the potter/God makes beautiful vessels for her/His use out of the available materials; dirty things (like donkey dung!) have a purpose (see Isaiah 1:16 & Romans 6:13)
• when the vessel comes out imperfect or lumpy, the potter/God doesn't throw it away; she/He reshapes it into something beautiful again (see Colossians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
• the way to reshape it is by adding more water; in the Bible, water is the wellspring of life, or a symbol of the Holy Spirit (see John 4:10-14, Revelation 22:1-6)
• as the potter shapes the pot, she/He molds it firmly with her/His hands, and sometimes a good THWACK! (see Deuteronomy 8:5, Proverbs 3:11-12)
• the potter pulls off any unnecessary bits and tosses them away, until the pot is perfect (see John 15:1-3 for a similar analogy)

Pretty cool, right? Feel free to comment with your own insights!