Thankful Thursday

This week I have so much to be thankful for, but for the sake of blogging I am going to keep it simple and focus on one thing. But It may take a little explaining first. Sometimes I just get sick of the US, there is so much here, too much.

I didn't know this until I left the country with my hubby a couple years back and visited His brother and sister-in law in Papau New Guinea, Aaron and Lori Luse. They are missionaries through New Tribes Institute. Josh and I were considering becoming their partners and working with the tribal people. We didn't feel a peace about it though, but I find myself thinking about it often.

Although they live in the beautiful and biodiverse place on the earth (rainforest), things can be hard. Malaria is a constant threat, things break all the time (with no repair man), there is a lot of "black magic" and that sort of thing being used, there is always the risk of something, some kind of illness with no medical help, things not working right causing no water or no electricity, and the weather can sometimes be fierce with volcanoes, occasional light earthquakes and monsoon season with rough seas (which, they have to cross by boat to get grocery supplies).

So what am I thankful for? I am just thankful for Aaron, Lori, Avalon and Sierra. They are coming back to the states shortly so Lori can have their third child. We miss them greatly and they are true friends of ours!

But I am also thankful for the perspective that they bring. I sit her in my nice safe apartment, perfect temperature, with my internet that is very dependable, with friends and family just a phone call away and I search for houses to rent in the area. I worry about cleanliness, neighborhood, how many bedrooms it has, the size of the kitchen, the size of the yard, etc. And these people live in a hut. A hut only will last two years at the most before they must build another hut. Aaron and Lori have built more of a permanent home, but there is mold constantly and rusting and so many repairs.


All they have is God. That is who they depend on. But here in the US, there are so many other things to rely and depend upon. It is a constant struggle daily to keep my eyes on HIM. That is why I get sick of the US. Although, life in general may be easier, faith seems harder. But in the most remote areas of the earth where daily life is a struggle, faith is so easy, because all other things to depend upon have been stripped away. If you haven't had a chance to get out of the US, I challenge you to consider taking a missions trip out to see and experience what God is doing. Just a side note, we are all missionaries...you don't have to leave the US to have that perspective.

For more pics and stories please visit Aaron and Lori's link on the side of my page.