From Barrels to Action Packers

- November 19, 2014

This last week I packed all my earthly belongings into two giant plastic trunks (action packers) to send to North Carolina to be shipped by sea from there to my new home for the next four years in Papua New Guinea. There was a lot of wondering and worrying: what should I pack? What will fit? What will I really want in Papua New Guinea? How do you even begin to pack for four years in a foreign country? It was certainly a crazy time and I wish I could say I did it with grace, composure, and dignity. However, more often than not I was disheveled, stressed, frustrated and exasperated with a healthy dose of "this is really real and my emotions are like a Richter scale about now with a 9.0 earthquake registering." Packing certainly has brought home to me how close my departure date really is: in less than two months I will set foot on the soil of Papua New Guinea, my new home for the next four years. That's both heavy and exciting.

It made me think of all the missionaries that have gone before me and the sacrifices and commitments they made going to the mission field. Over the years missionaries have packed in everything from crates and barrels to foot-lockers and suitcases. Some of the very first missionaries packed their belongings in coffins knowing that their likelihood of returning home alive was very slim. They were committed. I remember hearing the story of one missionary working in Amsterdam asking another missionary working to reach remote Amazon tribal people with the gospel if she felt her work with the Amazons was worth all the suffering and hardship. The small missionary woman to the Amazon looked the other missionary straight in the eye and said without hesitation, "the Lamb of God is worthy." Many times in this process of preparing for long-term missions I've struggled with that statement. I've thought of all I leave behind, my fear of the unknown, and, and, and..... However, every time I come back to the fact that "the Lamb of God is worthy." I think of what Jesus when through to bring me life and rescue me from slavery to sin and I cannot help turning to Him in humility and brokenness to acknowledge that He is not only worthy but He has the rights to all of me.

Here on the bleeding-edge of preparations, the final steps before leaping off the ledge into the unknown river of what God has for me, I cling to the knowledge that God has called me and prepared me and I am eager and excited to continue walking in His plan for me. It may not be easy, but it is always good and I am excited. Like one of my favorite literary characters says when faced with an uncertain time, "But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something. That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for." The people of this world who have no access to the good news that Jesus came to set them free are worth fighting for and I'm nervous but eager to take the leap.

Christ Follower,
Meg

P.S.
Here's a few pictures from my packing adventures this last week.