Purpose Asia

Psalms 103:13-14 NIV As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. I don’t know about the rest of you, but there are days, especially lately, where I reach the end of the day bone tired. Not the well-earned, honest-work kind of tired. It’s the sapped-dry, reached-my-limit, culture stress sort of tired. The kind that comes in times of severe mental and emotional stress, intellectually demanding tasks, or uncertainty. Times like we’re walking through right now. As I was spending time with the Lord this week my heart and mind were pulled back to a Psalm I memorized with my brother in a time I had more sapped-tired days than good ones. It was Psalm 103.  It’s a poem written by David, all about God’s compassion - both to sinners, and to just plain-old frail human beings. The origin of the word “compassion” is the Latin word “compati” which literally means to “suffer with” (Oxfo...

Many people have asked me about my Wycliffe ministry, how I ended up working with Wycliffe, and what I'm doing in Papua New Guinea. So, per your requests, I've put together a video to share about what I do and to answer some of your questions. This video will give you a little bit of a window into my Wycliffe ministry to the people of Papua New Guinea and why I'm passionate about people having access to God's Word in a language that speaks to their heart. Please feel free to share this video with friends, and don't hesitate to contact me via my Wycliffe Ministry Page: https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/3DF2D8 Or connect with me via my blog: https://www.purposeasia.blogspot.com I would love for you to join my team!

I wrote this piece back in 2018 when I was trying a new method of meditating on God's words. I had a couple of friends bring these verses up over the last week or so. I thought I would share this with you to encourage your hearts that our God is greater than what we can see. “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”  Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT I walked among the dry barren trees as they crackled in the hot wind. Not a leaf was in sight and the dust puffed under the soft tread of my bare feet in a wispy cloud skittering over the dirt and away into the distance. My fingers traced the crackling vines on t...

Happy Sixth Anniversary! Can you believe it? Six years ago in March, I started my journey towards Papua New Guinea! I thought the best way to celebrate and share the joy with you would be to do a "six years in review" photo journal post. Thanks for taking this journey with me, the people of Papua New Guinea, and especially with God! Enjoy dear friends!  Note: I attempted to post this in March, but had issues with the photos. Hopefully they will cooperate now. ;)   Orientation and initial training feels like it was a thousand years ago, instead of six. Last year I was able to visit the Wycliffe headquarters again and reconnect with many people there. The above picture was taken for me by Mark Borland and was the picture for my first prayer card (2014).    Papua New Guinea was an unknown country for me. I'd been to the other side of the island before, but I'd never set foot in the country of Papua New Guinea. I felt a bit like Abraham, obeying ...

     Pink and white plum blossoms open their delicate faces towards the brilliant blue sky. Crocuses stretch out of the dark brown earth and daffodils nod their approval, as a sun-warmed breeze blows the scents of flowers and earth past their little assembly. Spring is gently beginning to assert itself; creeping over the ground in little clusters of green stalks and flower buds wrapped and ready to burst, running its fingers over the trees as tiny shoots and new blossoms shake themselves loose from the hard, stiff bark. I’ve always loved Springtime, but this year, maybe because it’s my first time seeing Spring for 3 years, it’s having a much more profound effect on me. God is using Spring to remind me of His deep love and faithfulness that is as constant and trustworthy as Springtime, and as reliable as the rising and setting of the sun.      It’s funny how easy it is to lose sight of the ever-present and incredible faithfulness of God, even whe...

Art Credit: Aardman Animations You may not know this, but sometimes spoken American English is very different from the spoken English used elsewhere in the world. In fact, since moving overseas, I spend more time around those who use what’s known as Commonwealth English, than those that use American English. You can image my challenge then when I came back to the USA and was all mixed up. It was once again “ground beef” not “mince”. Someone was wearing “pants” instead of, “trousers”. You go to “college” not “University” or “Uni” for short. And you take a “vacation” instead of “going on holiday." I felt like I was in an episode of that silly claymation series Wallace and Gromit when Wallace wails to his dog, “It’s the wrong trousers, Gromit!” Some days, my English is not the only thing that seems and feels different. I struggle to remember things that should be innate to me as an American and I either don’t remember or it takes me a long time. However, it does remind me of a sp...

Gossamer cathedrals drape from post to post, festooned with crystal dew drops. Mist curls up between tall spires capped with a cacophony of greens. Across my path sprawls a riot of orange sentinels, nodding their heads at me in the morning gold. Life. It drips from every leaf and petal and stalk and fills the blue air with its heady perfume.  Today I was listening to the Psalms as I got ready for work and my heart and mind were arrested by Psalm 8. “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place. What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them w...