Ice Road Trucker Missionary
- As I pulled down the storage shed door, “I wondered if I would ever see any of my belongings which held so many precious memories – again?”
- This is what it must have felt like for the early missionaries who packed their belongings in their coffins and said Goodbye to family members, heirlooms, friends, etc.
- Not only did I say goodbye to stuff that day, very soon I would say goodbye to my sons, their wives and my grandchildren. I was off to Alaska – The Last Frontier!I remember the moment years ago when I sang so emphatically:
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“Lord, here I am send me to the nations.” Little did I know that would be to many nations– all in one state!
- Alaska Facts You could fit Florida in to Alaska 10 times! One-fifth the size of the Lower 48, Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.
- Alaska is also far-flung: 5.3 times wider (east to west) and 3.2 times taller (north to south) than Florida. From north to south, Alaska measures 1420 miles, the distance from Denver to Mexico City, and east to west 2500 miles, the distance from Savannah, GA to Santa Barbara, CA. Florida has 262 times more people per square mile.
- If Florida’s population density were the same as Alaska’s, only 64,996 people would live in Florida rather than 17,019,068 (based on 2003 data). Alaska has 8 times as much inland water (in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers) as Florida. In fact, Alaska has 3 million lakes over twenty acres big. Alaska has more than 50% of the entire U.S. coastline, or 6,640 miles. Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline!
On numerous occasions when I shut storage doors; I knew that someday I would return, unpack and set up a home where food, fun, Bible studies and laughter would eventually be shared again with family and friends. The past few years in Pensacola have been joyfully shared with family and dear friends, however I was never able to unpack and set up camp.
It has been a little like the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites had to move on when the cloud by day or the fire by night prompted them to follow. So in planning for this change, I felt a shift as I shut the door – it was different. All of the makings of a home; furniture, dishes, sheets, blankets, curtains, decorative pillows and cooking utensils were now gone and I feel a new season ahead! As my friend Debby calls it, “You are a tramp (I prefer the word “traveler”) for the Lord!”
I am also saying goodbye to family, friends, my church home, and a climate that is very palatable year round. The comforting peace of the Lord has helped me through the emotional – letting go of these precious moments in order to say;
“Yes, Lord, I’ll go…. Send Me! I’m excited to meet and greet my new friends and family!
The nostalgia of this moment reminds me of the words to the song Elvis would sing, “Memories pressed between the pages of my mind.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord say to me,
“It’s enough.”
I questioned, “Your grace?” He said,
“Yes, My Grace is enough but Jesus’ sacrifice is enough to carry you on through the next season, rest in Me and in the provision, purpose and power that I will provide for you.”
“I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their minds I will write them,” Hebrews 10:16b
HE HAS ALREADY PREPARED THE HEARTS AHEAD!
Jesus sacrifice contains the provision and the grace for what I need for the journey ahead.
A few months ago I received two very confirming words:
1) I would be a mother to the nations, and
2) I would be fully satisfied finding the treasures God had planted in the people and the path ahead. Isaiah 54:11b-12 says;
I’ve been asked several times from friends and family… What is a crisis and trauma care missionary and how will live?
What is a missionary? mis·sion·ar·y ˈmiSHəˌnerē/
We are all called to “GO” – The Word Missionary is not a scriptural word, but is used to explain how the disciples and others followed Jesus’ command to “Go” and make disciples. As a believer and disciple of Christ, we are all under the same mandate. The method of our “going” may look different, but whether it is here in America or a foreign field, the mandate to share the gospel, teach God’s Word, and equip or mentor others is the same!
“The Lord Jesus did not express His commission as a desire or a wish or a premonition of what might happen in the future. He spoke it as a command. He ordered, “Go . . . make disciples . . . baptizing . . . teaching”. These words were not an option to be considered among other options by those to whom He spoke. He here was presenting His marching orders for His disciples which were to be obeyed, no matter what the result might be. And failure to obey these orders would rightly bring into question whether one truly was a follower of this Master.” David Merck: Pastor
Missionary – noun
a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.
synonyms: Evangelist, apostle, proselytizer, preacher
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of a missionary or a religious mission.
“missionary work”
So, my commission is to go where God says to go and do what He tells me to do. This is a daily, hourly and even sometime minute by minute process. Crisis and trauma strikes when we least expect it, or even sometimes in the middle of great men and women of God who are working hard to follow God themselves.
It is important working in the midst of caring, to self-care. Please pray that I will take my own advice! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!
Scriptures Regarding Mission Work
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Thank you again for all of your support
Marlene
Cinderella Released
from ashes to beauty….to declare His glory!
