12 Stones - Remembering all The Lord has Done

I was reading a blog today written by an adult MK and she was talking about all the transitions, moves, and goodbyes that a missionary family, specifically an MK experiences. It got me to thinking back and reflecting on our “mission trip” (as a local MS paper put it when we left for the field in 1999, over 11 years ago)
In August we will have lived 12 years on the mission field. While we have only moved 3 times in those 12 years, there have been many changes and adjustments due to our mission work, and lots and lots of sad goodbyes, though I prefer to call them “see you laters”.

We moved to the mission field (Russia) when our oldest son, Reagan, was 12, our son Bryan was 10, our daughter, Grace was 6 and our youngest son, Caleb was 2. Michael and I had been married a little over 14 years, and we were 33 and 34 years old.

We left a very close knit large family on both sides. They were very supportive and encouraging about our call, which to this day has been a real blessing in our lives. All total there were 2 sets of grandparents, one living great grandparent, 10aunts and uncles and 14 first cousins, a score of other relatives and not to mention loving church members/friends that we and our children left behind.

I can’t even tell you how many people saw us off at the airport our first time leaving Jackson MS. The tears could have filled up a small pond, I’m sure.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was most definitely sick. I thought it might be nerves, but it ended up being a stomach virus. It began on the plane and lasted through a couple of airports/layovers, and several walk-by throw up visits to garbage cans all along the way. I left Mississippi with dreams of leaving a mark on the world; and that I did, in every airport terminal along the way. It was the first of many times my “missionary halo”, as I like to call it, would be stripped off and thrown down. Yet somehow, we succeeded in making every connection, and after a long hot ride in an un air conditioned van, we ended at our home for the next 5 weeks, the international learning center. After a couple of days, I was feeling better. Our oldest would battle bronchitis the entire 5 weeks, and our other children would also catch every virus humanly possible, and each were given no less 14 vaccinations to prepare us for whatever else we might face when arriving to our field of service. Somewhere along the way maybe after 3 or 4 times, our kids would realize when we picked them up early on Fridays from class, that the weekend would be tainted by fever and irritability from shots and somehow after the first or second shot, the cute little balloons and stickers didn’t mean much. We laugh now and say our ILC experience was just the culture shock we needed to prepare for overseas living. Despite all that, we were so excited and not the least bit hesitant or unmoved from the passionate call to go to Russia. We were being prepared and trained and we were excited. It was so encouraging to meet other like minded people/families.

We and our children bonded very quickly with other missionaries and other MK’s. I mean really, who couldn’t relate to a group of adults/kids who had all the same shots, sold their homes, all their belongings in garage sales, left behind everything “normal” they had ever known, as well as their culture, language, family/friends/church, packed everything they had left to their names in black footlockers, which had to weigh less than 70lbs each, and a back pack, not having a clue where there were going, where they would live, what they would eat.

Though we only moved 3 times, which is minimal for most missionaries, we had many changes, transitions, and the worst part goodbyes. I calculated that out of 12 years, we returned back to the states a total of 8 times, equaling right at 2 years. 1 yr and 4 months of that time was stateside assignments (formerly known as furloughs). In our first 1 year STAS, we shared in 50 churches and over 52 times, including conferences and GA/RA camps as a family. We went to Disney World, had vacations with and spent a lot of time with both sides of our family, taught our oldest how to drive. The kids played summer sports, attended camps, and all 4 kids homeschooled that year as well. It was amazing, and crazy, but after a year, we were all ready to return to the field. 4 months of the 1y 4 mo time, we used our yearly 30 day vacations, one for Christmas after being on the field 2 yrs, 30 days for Bryan’s wedding, and 30 days for Reagan’s wedding, we took every opportunity to share in churches during those days. 4 months of that time was spent in the states for security/safety/visa reasons (our family refers to that time as “exile”). During exile we were unable to speak in churches or contact friends/relatives, other than minimal visits with immediate family or to stay in the same place for very long. 2 weeks after returning to the field, my daddy had a massive stroke, so we took our 30 day vacation to return for last days with him and his funeral.

Right at the 12 year mark in August, we will be returning to the states again, this time to leave our third child, Grace for college. I am doing a new Precepts Bible study - Joshua (conquering your enemies) right now (I highly recommend it , by the way) I read again about the 12 stones placed in the Jordan river by a leader from each of the 12 tribes … Why?? So that when their children and future generations of their children asked what they meant, they were to remember and tell them of all the things God had done (if you don’t know then read Joshua 4:21-24, so all the people of the earth would know the mighty hand of the Lord and fear the Lord God forever.

I cannot begin to tell you all the Lord has done in my life, my family’s life, and the lives of others we have met along this journey. I have only done 3 lessons, but I already see how the Old Test and the journey of “the sons of Israel” and mine match up (at least spiritually speaking) I can tell you briefly that He has fought lots of enemies (seen/unseen), He has loved me without fail, shown grace /forgiven me, and given me grace to forgive, He has rolled away His reproach from me, dried up waters before me so that I could walk across on dry land (protection and provision) He has given me peace, wisdom, kept all of His promises, allowed me to see His mighty hand at work, and through every trial, He has never forsaken me. He is my life, my shield, my protector, my redeemer, my defender. He wants to be that for every person He created. I pray that every person reading this has begun the journey, and remembers to pass on all the Mighty hand of the Lord done in your life to your children/others.

1. Creation (my birth)
2. Slavery (recognize and admit I was born a sinner, a slave to sin)
3. Liberation (accepted Jesus death as payment for my sin, repent and believe at age 12-- there is that number again )
4. Journey (study, pray, grow, persevere, obey, love, serve, give, live for Him, tell others)
5. Taking possession of the land that God promised (eternal home in heaven with Jesus, my Jesus)