The hardest part, is waiting.

        As the summer teams start to arrive again, it is nice to see all the staff again at meal times. We eat most of our meals together when teams are here and then when teams are not here, we eat at home. We were reminded with the teams starting up again that the main reason that we eat together is not to save us money on our grocery bill but rather to have the interaction with the groups that are here. So it is a hard act to balance. Spending all day in the sites with the teams and then wanting to spend time with the other staff and your family, but yet, why are we here? Is it to be comfortable? Be around people that have a common interest and we know? Or is it to witness to the groups that come down? Which ever we choose, it is a good thing to think about.
    Sunday in church, we had a guest speaker that spoke on Matthew 26:58. As Peter was following the men taking Christ to Caiaphas, "Peter followed at a distance" and then stopped at the courtyard. What makes us "follow at a distance"? Why do we sometimes stay just far enough away from Jesus that maybe he won't notice the sin we are committing. Or maybe we are embarrassed of the way we have been acting towards others or a situation. There could be a multitude of reasons. Our Pastor in Shipshewana has a plaque on his wall that reads "If it seems like you are far from God, guess who moved" How true that is. I have also heard it said that we are all just as close to God as we truly want to be. If we say that "I just want to be close to God," there are many ways to do that but they all have to be intentional. Reading the bible, engaging in a Bible study, praying, spending time around other believers, etc. But it is all up to us individually as to how close of a relationship we have.

      I was reminded today of our new staff who are in the process of fundraising, attending Missionary Training, or Language School. As we anticipate them arriving, I am reminded of our time "in the waiting". There was a song out by Greg Long many years ago and some of the lyrics are: I want a peace beyond my understanding......It seems the hardest part is waiting on You, when all I really want is just to see Your hand move........And I would add MOVE NOW!! It is hard to wait though. Waiting to sell a house, waiting for the right person to marry, waiting for the right job and needing to work at your present location for now, waiting for a car to get repaired in a garage, waiting for the results to come back from a medical test, waiting on a red light when everyone else around you is driving right on through, waiting on an adult child that is not walking in the Lords way, waiting on that little stupid circle thing on our computers, while it sits there and spins, or as in the case of many of us in the mission field, waiting for the donations to come in and hit our account so we can move to the mission field and begin the work that God has called us to do there. His timing is ALWAYS best. ALWAYS!! (Dave and Megan, April, we are all praying for you in this waiting period of your life).
        I close this post praying for all of those "in the waiting". May you receive the Peace of God in the waiting. Mike.