Oceans

"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." 

This quote has been on my mind lately as I think about some big steps ahead for our family as we prepare to move overseas. It is sometimes scary to think of the family and comforts we will be leaving behind, yet our desire is to follow where the Lord is calling us. In order to do that we have to leave what we know, and go into the unknown. We can't see the whole picture of what God has in store for us in Indonesia, but we know that we have to keep taking steps of faith to see how God is going to work in our lives. Someone once told us, "God can't steer a parked ship" and how that has proven true in our lives.

Psalms 139:9-10 says, "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."This verse is such an encouragement that no matter where we are God is with us, and keeps us in his hands.

This all probably explains why Hillsongs Oceans song has spoken so much to my heart the past several months. The lyrics beautifully paint a picture of surrender and trust.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Is there something you feel God is calling you to step out in faith in and lose sight of the shore? 

While we have been traveling around during the support raising process our family was able to go to Cannon Beach in Oregon for the day. The boys had a wonderful time chasing the waves, and splashing in the water. Here are some pictures from the day.

The Gospel on Wings

 Liku and Dugwiru are Bible teachers from Mokndoma who feel a burden to reach other Wano tribes with the Good News. Two missionary families came to live with their tribe years ago, and brought them the Gospel which they now want to share with others. They are going through a teaching series in a very isolated community called Iratoi.Many of the tribes in Papua, including the people living in Iratoi, have animistic beliefs. This means that they perform very dark and demonic practices in order to appease the spirits.

Typically this would be a treacherous two week hike through the jungle for them to reach this tribe, but instead it is a couple hour flight with MAF. On average a one hour flight saves 5 days of ground travel worldwide, but in Papua the time saved is even greater because of the dynamic landscape there.

Here is a video link showing these men reaching out to their neighboring tribe.
Sharing the Gospel video

Jesus says in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Our prayer is that these people will come out of the darkness into the marvelous light of the Gospel as the truth is proclaimed in their land.

April Newsletter

We are so thankful for beautiful spring weather here in the northwest! Our family has already been on a few hikes the last couple weeks, and found some new spots to try this year as well. Check out our latest newsletter to hear more about what we have been up to, and a recent field story from Indonesia

If you are not currently receiving our newsletters by mail or email, and would be interested you can sign up on our webpage www.maf.org/cwhite or email us at cwhite@maf.org.

Also available on our webpage is our Bio information if you would like to know more about us, and there is a place to support our ministry through one time or recurring gifts.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you!

Common questions

We have been getting questions like how long until we leave... are we already in Indonesia.... and is this short term?

We are currently living in Spokane raising the support needed to move overseas. We are hoping to move to Indonesia January 2016. In order to do that we have to attend the final training scheduled for August-October. Before we can go to training though all of our support must be raised or at least communicated to us. Otherwise we will attend the spring training and move to Indonesia next July.

Once we have full support, and move to Indonesia we will be there for 3 and half years before coming back to the States for a 6 month furlough. Each term is 4 years, and we feel at this point that we will serve at least 2 or 3 terms, Lord willing.

We have also been getting the question of when someone should start supporting us. The answer is anytime, but really the sooner the better so that we can plan out the training and departure dates. Even if you want to just communicate how much you are intending on giving that is very helpful for us to know.

We rest in the promise that God's timing is perfect, and that he is directing us as we make our plans.  If you feel the Lord is directing you to partner with us please follow this link to our webpage. We would love to have you on our team! Please contact us if you have further questions.

Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

How is MAF serving in Papua?

A question that we are regularly asked is how MAF is specifically serving the Papuan people. MAF has been working in Papua for 60 years and has continued to meet the evolving needs of that isolated region of the world.

We fly into 150 locations from 5 bases. There are three C's that we focus on and funnel all of the flight requests through. They are Connecting, Caring, and Cultivating.

CONNECTING-We partner with over 600 organizations including local pastors and other missionaries. By flying into these remote villages on a regular basis we are also able to build relationships with the villagers.

This is a brand new airstrip in the village of Mokndoma. The local people worked very hard for two years to clear out jungle and level the ground for this airstrip to be opened up. There are two missionary families that have been living with this tribe for 9 years to share the gospel and disciple them.

This is one example of how we are able to connect with and serve other missionaries. With this new airstrip we can offer easier access to food, medicine, and building materials as well as help with medical evacuation needs. The villagers are also very excited to share the love of Jesus with their neighboring tribes and the airplane will help them do that.

CARING-Medical evacuations are a big part of how we serve in Papua. By meeting the physical needs of the people we are also provided with an opportunity to share with them the love of Christ. HIV/AIDS rates are 12 times the national average, and infant mortality rate is currently 18%. Even just day to day life can be dangerous in the jungle with infection, injuries, and childbirth.

CULTIVATING-MAF is committed to intentionally investing in peoples lives. Whether this is through discipling new believers, encouraging the local pastors, or training the national people in maintenance and administrative skills.

We are so excited to be a part of what MAF is doing in Papua!

If you would like to watch a short video on the new airstrip that was opened up in Mokndoma follow this link! Mokndoma airstrip

Treasuring the Word

The past couple weeks at our church we have been looking at the importance of Gods Word in our lives. I have been challenged by the teaching, as well as, a recent MAF video of a Papuan community celebrating Gods word in their own language for the first time.  Of the 250+ languages in Papua, this is only the 3rd full Bible translation.  Here were some of my thoughts regarding how we should treasure the word of God.

 Deuteronomy 6:4-7 calls us to constantly engage in Gods Word by ourselves and with others. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command to you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." 

Gods word is intended to bring change to our lives, and an increased fruitfulness as we pursue a relationship with God through his word.  I love the picture in Psalms 1:2-3 "but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." 

Do we really treasure Gods Word as the Psalmist describes here as delighting in the law of the Lord? I know I fall short in this so many times, and it is my prayer to have the words jump off the page and into my heart and not just my head.

 It is also so easy to take the Bible for granted with the variety of translations and resources at our fingertips, but I was reminded of how so many people around the world do not have the Bible in their own language.

Recently MAF was able to fly in Bibles to the Hupla tribe in Papua who had never had the whole Bible before in their own language. The New Testament was completed in 1994, but it took more than 20 years for the Old Testament to be completed to make up the full Bible. Below is the video link if you would like to take a few minutes to watch the celebration that took place in this village, and see the peoples excitement and emotion. It is so awesome to see the transforming work of the Gospel in this community!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lNzfDGWbD8

February Newsletter Update

Here is our latest newsletter update. If you would like to receive our newsletter updates by mail or email please contact us at cwhite@maf.org. Also, current and past newsletters are available for viewing on our webpage www.maf.org/cwhite