White Robes and Heavenly Culture

February is Missions Month at Brookhaven. As long as I can remember, February has always been Missions Month! I love it! During high school especially, February was a very formative month in affirming my call to missions, and in expanding my heart for all nations and cultures. This year, our theme verse has been Revelation 7:9
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language [my favorite part!,] standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
Yesterday morning, as our congregation was reading the verse collectively and aloud, a beautiful illustration developed in my mind. It was a picture of a small gathering – friends from Mexico, Ecuador, Cambodia, Mozambique, Uganda, etc. – dressed colorfully in their appropriate cultural attire, worship Him. It was a beautiful depiction of not only God’s creativity, but of how God is Savior and Father of all mankind!


Then, as our reading continued, we reached this:
“They were wearing white robes…”and I paused. White robes? We’ll ALL be in WHITE ROBES?? And I realized… it won’t be about who we are and where we’ve come from, but about HIM! Our culture will be Heavenly when we are united in His return! I can’t even imagine what a day of rejoicing it will be!

With a passion to see
Christ glorified in Cambodia,
Jewel

Two More Reasons WHY

Contemplating and meditating on these two verses today:

"If you want to think one year ahead, plant rice.

If you want to think 10 years ahead, plant trees. 

But if you want to think 100 years ahead, give education to people."

[Ancient Chinese Proverb]

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

[Romans 10:14 NIV]

Love love love,
Jewel

Scripture is Alive & Active

As I was reading Psalms this morning, this reference reminded me of a very special moment that I spent with Him - Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, Creator of Me - on top of a mountain in Siem Reap, Cambodia two years ago.  I am thankful for that moment - a moment I hope that I never forget - and I am thankful that God's Word is truly alive and active TODAY.

Eternally Grateful,
and in Love,
Jewel

Mourning and Thanksgiving

Declared by Prime Minister Hun Sen, today is the official day of mourning in Cambodia for the tragedy of the 375 lives lost during the stampede at Monday's Water Festival activities. Ironically, today is also Thanksgiving in North America. I'm not torn between the two -- between mourning and being thankful -- because I know that we can be thankful in all things. However, my heart is heavy today for those who died without knowing their Savior.

I'm thankful for friends.

Left: Pastor Poleak and family; Right: Ladies from the WBI

[Some of the best friends I could ever ask for.]

I'm thankful for family.

Left: Greg, Resie, Aleeyah, and Esher Fernandez; Right: Vandy and Tess

I'm thankful for passionate and dedicated missionary partners.

Tim, Tiffany, and Katie Gallant

I'm especially thankful for the incredible man and partner in ministry that God has blessed me with.

Titus

God, thank You for calling me to Your people in Cambodia. Thank You for the joy that comes from knowing and serving You. Thank You for entrusting me to Your work, and for empowering me to do Your work. Thank You for showing me love, that I may share it with others. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

Isaiah 42:6,7 --
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

Love love love, Jewel

1 Corinthians 13 for Missionaries

If I speak with the tongue of a national, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal.

If I wear the national dress, and understand the culture, and all forms of etiquette, and if I copy all mannerisms so that I could pass for a national but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor, and if I spend my energy without reserve, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love endures long hours of language study, and is kind to those who mock her accent; love does not envy those who stayed home; love does not proudly exalt her home culture.

Love does not keep a record of how many times the praying monks wake her up, how many times the market vendors and motorcycle drivers overcharge her, how many times the weather frustrates her, or how many near-accident experiences she will have on the motodop or tuktuk.

Love does not boast about the way we do it back home, does not seek her own ways, it is not easily provoked into criticizing her new culture; does not think evil of this new culture.

Love bears all criticism about her home culture, believes all good things about this new culture, confidently anticipates being at home in this place, and endures all inconveniences.

Love never fails, but where there is cultural anthropology, it will fail; where there is contextualization, it may lead to syncretism; and where there is differences in culture and language, communication will break down; for we know the culture only in part, and we minister to only in part.

But when Christ is reproduced in this culture, then our inadequacies will be insignificant.

When I was in the States, I spoke as an American, I understood as an American, I thought as an American, but when I left the States, I put American things behind.

Now we adapt to this culture awkwardly, but Christ Jesus will live in it intimately; now we speak with a strange accent, but He will speak to the heart.

And now these three remain: Cultural adaptation, language study and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

Love love love, Jewel

Mission: Isaiah 61:1-3