Purpose Asia

A beautiful afternoon in the highlands Children play across the way in the little park. They call out to each other in Tok Pisin and laugh with all the gleeful innocence of childhood. The blue and maroon of their respective school uniforms flash brilliantly under the warm afternoon sun and the white clouds float by unconcerned on the gentle afternoon breeze. It's beautiful. God's hand splashed masterfully across every horizon that meets my eyes. How good He is. I'm amazed over and over again by His goodness. It's been a hard five months back here. They have been filled with struggle, sorrow, grief, pain, failure, frustration and spiritual assault. I would be lying if I said I've always handled it with grace and godliness (as much as I'd love to be able to tell you that). There have been times I have wanted to give up, to go home, to throw in the towel in defeat. I've seen ministry and work go through the roller coaster from mediocre to incredible to aw...

Banana leaf with morning dew The leathery flap of bats wings’ and the incessant chatter of the cicadas fill the night. Moths slap against my back porch light, the house creaks as a cool descends in the valley and the old wood shifts and shrinks into its familiar shape. Five months back in Papua New Guinea. It feels like a blink and forever all at once. Dirt roads and taro plants and banana trees seem normal to me now and my world of blinking lights and racing cars and grocery stores seems a million years away. Home is a strange word for me ever since leaving my family over 2 years ago to come to Papua New Guinea. It feels confining to me now, like a coat that has shrunk and my hands dangle awkwardly from its sleeves, now too short.   Dwelling place. Now there is a term I can understand. A place where you linger and choose to stay, that has a feeling of comfort and familiarity. This is probably much like the definition of “home” but a dwelling place is more broad ...