People Who Find A Way to Help Those They Love

I was blessed lately when I saw this. This girl can cook and paddles up and down the river inside her own cooking pot. She uses her wooden cooking spoon as a paddle. She uses the little she has to get what she needs to help those she loves. And she does it with a smile. I guess there will always be work for those who hustle and are creative.

In my missionary experience, I meet a lot of people who promise to help us but never seem to get around to doing it. On the other hand, we are blessed greatly by people who sacrifice much and find creative ways to help. Out here on the field, far from home, friends and family, that help is profoundly felt.

It seems to me that if you really want to help someone, you won't allow circumstance to stop you. We didn't let circumstances stop us from coming to the mission field. I hope that someone who loves missions and missionaries might find a way to help us do the work of missions. And be happy that they did.

Got feet? Don't Compare, Go Out and Share

A man stood up in church Sunday and announced to everyone that he knew who had the most beautiful feet. He said that it was me because I had come to Puerto Rico to preach the gospel. He said it must be true because the Bible says: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"  (Romans 10:15)

Well, I thanked him, but I kept my shoes on. 

In fact my feet are a bit flat and get sore walking on the side walks and the cement or tile covered floors common to our island. We don't use carpet in the tropics, so walking about here takes a toll on your feet. I understood that he just meant to be appreciative of our efforts to reach them for Christ..

It is nice of someone to say that I have the best feet in the church, but I think we shouldn't compare our feet to see whose are the best. I think the people I teach have great feet, because they can carry the gospel to places I can't go. Instead of comparing them, I teach our people to use them.

Even the poorest people, without shoes can still have feet that are blessed by God if they are involved in his work. It is time we stood up and started using our feet to take the good news to those who need it. 

Got feet? Don't Compare, Go Out and Share

How many a sad story has begun...

Don't let this happen to you.

Yes, you may have a tax return coming and things are looking up, but remember your church, your missionaries out on the field and that little thing called a family budget?

Sure, get yourself a present for your hard work. But beware, some things you come to own, come to own you, and then your stuck. 

Don't worry. If you do the right thing, you won't miss out on any fun. You will be free to enjoy it when it comes along.

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard

The most enduring missionary success comes from hard work done slowly over a long time. Some talented folk have come to work here, but left when things got slow. But we find that slow work is the most fruitful kind of work on our mission field here in Puerto Rico.

I call the slow but fruitful method: "Plan Tortuga" (the turtle plan). It is where we steadily keep moving toward our goals and don't stop. It helps to have a thick shell also. Turtles aren't very flashy, but they made it to Noah's Ark on time by putting one foot in front of the other till they got to their goal.

Successful  missionary work is more about perseverance than talent. I'm betting it is the same where you work. It might be a t-shirt slogan, but it is a good one to have if you want to be a successful missionary:

"Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Fails to Work Hard"