Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah and Nineveh from the Bible's Old Testament. It's a story of how God told Jonah to go and tell the Ninevites to change their ways because their evil had "come up before" Him. It's easy to merely see the account as one about how God's truth brings about repentance and forgiveness for sinful people, which it is, but what about God's intent to change Jonah's heart? As Lana and I began to embark on our missionary journey with Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA) my brother-n-law, who is also preparing for missions in Africa, told us, "missions changes the heart of the missionaries just as much or more than the lives of those who will be affected by their ministry”.
Lana and I are finding this to be true in our own lives. Regarding the comforts of Air Force, I often explain to people the decision to transition from the active duty Air Force into the Reserves and follow God's calling to mission aviation was/is like a child holding on to their favorite toy with all their strength. Initially I reasoned, "I'm going to do 20 years on Active Duty to get the retirement and medical coverage, then we can do missions...it would be stupid to stop now!" Then I began to think, "Well, I can leave the Air Force, find a full time Reserve or Air National Guard job, and still fly the F-16. That will provide retirement and medical coverage still when I'm 43, but allow our family to settle down a little." Sound a little like Jonah's initial response when God told Him to go to Nineveh? He initially went the opposite direction...
Over time, God began to ease my grip on the Air Force, being a fighter pilot flying F-16s, a good paycheck, medical coverage, etc. He is still working on our hearts to continue putting areas of our lives in His hands that cause anxiety when we think of "giving them up" or "doing without" in the future as we transition to the Pacific. He has told us in Scripture not to be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6). Things like family being close, four seasons throughout the year, low humidity, fast internet, island fever, fresh milk and cheese (there are no cows on the islands), German bakeries, cheap gasoline (over $5/gallon on the islands), home schooling, etc. are some of the causal factors. Luke 12:15 says, "And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions"."
Lana and I were accepted as missionaries with PMA in September 2014, and since then we have started our missionary partnership building process to raise prayer and financial support. On November 14th, the title of the Experiencing God devotional was "God is faithful", perfect timing for us as we continue this journey and out faith in God that, "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24). God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to the Red Sea and it seemed as though the Egyptian army was going to recapture them as they stood on the bank of the sea. But, at just the right time God parted the Red Sea to provide a way of escape. God's faithfulness doesn't mean He's going to show us the plan years in advance. He may wait until what seems to us as the last possible moment so as to stretch our faith and even more, display His faithfulness!
