

We got to see our daughter, Lindsay, and 3 grandsons last week! It’s been a year since we saw them. They live in Galmi, Niger in northern Africa. They are just south of the Sahara desert and north of the equator. Of course, talked a lot about life in Niger. As I told my sister about Lindsay’s description of what life is like in Niger, I found myself focusing on all the problems. You know, the negative stuff. Things like it’s really hot there right now. Super hot. They have all lost weight, partly because of a lack of food they like…partly because the boys are growing boys—they simply need a lot of food…partly because they get a lot of stomach bugs and all the nastiness that goes along with that. There is no social life—they live inside the walls of the hospital compound with about 30 other families, but everyone works at the hospital and comes home exhausted, too tired to do anything but eat and fall into bed. And there’s a kind of spiritual darkness that’s really difficult. It all sounds so miserable. But is that the right perspective for me to have? Is that a godly heart attitude?
Jesus’s apostles suffered a lot. As the church was just getting started, they were thrown in jail for preaching the gospel (Acts 4:3, 5:18). They were brutally beaten (Acts 5:40). That’s horrible, right? But that’s not how the apostles saw it. When they were freed from prison after being flogged, they rejoiced that they had suffered for preaching about Jesus (Acts 5:41). That’s amazing! Just as Jesus suffered and died, they were now being targeted and mistreated by people who rejected what they were preaching about Jesus. And the apostles rejoiced!!!
As Rick and I were doing our morning study yesterday, I re-read some notes I had jotted down…on human perspective and God’s perspective. From my human perspective, all I see in Niger is misery. When I try to look at their situation from God’s perspective, my focus shifts—I focus on God. God chose them—our kids!—for this specific work in this specific place for His specific purpose at this specific time. God’s plans are always best for us, even when they are difficult. Instead of seeing all that’s hard, I have this opportunity to support our kids by encouraging them, seeking to see the joy in what they are doing, and praying for them in more specific ways—that God would protect them from stomach bugs…that the recipes I sent Lindsay will help her be creative in using the ingredients she does have a lot of. They do have enough food—it’s a matter of figuring out how to use what they have so that it’s tasty and filling. I can pray for God to provide Lindsay with another missionary mom on the compound—there are new missionary families arriving in August! And I can pray that more people will know Christ. Plus, there truly are many things to rejoice over. For one thing, the boys LOVE it there! They have a great school teacher and are making incredible progress in their education. They are immersed in learning the Bible! Stuart, our son-in-law, saves multiple lives nearly every single day working as a surgeon in the hospital. As he meets patients, he’s part of the team that introduces them to Jesus—people who would otherwise never know anything about Jesus. These are not minor blessings—they are life-changing blessings! This is the perspective I want to have, to rejoice as the apostles did, keeping my eyes on Jesus. If you need prayer or a Bible, let me know.