What does that mean, "missions work"?

That is the question that was posed to me Monday by our pediatrician's nurse.  We were at the doctor's office getting the kids the last of their needed shots for our trip when she started asking what we would be doing in Uganda.  When I told her it was for a missions trip she asked "So what will you be doing there?  Mostly missions work?" I answered "yes" and then she made me pause, "what does that mean, "missions work"? I hear people say it all of the time but I don't really understand what that is." I must have stammered out something that satisfied her and I have no idea what I said, but her question has stayed with me ever since.  What do I or you or anyone else mean when they say, "missions"?

I think lots of different people have lots of different definitions to what "missions" entails.  

For some it means telling people the plan of salvation.  For some it means living missional.  For some it means being a missionary.  And for others it means reaching out to people of a different faith.  

There's another idea that has plagued me for the two years that we have been working towards Uganda…"you can't just jump on a plane to go do missions overseas and become someone who is missions minded, doing missions begins at home".  For two years I've struggled with wondering if I'm being missional enough at home to warrant going to Uganda to do missions.  I've tried to get involved in various missions organizations and have looked for opportunities to support other missionaries…not so much because I felt led to do so, but because I felt like my going to Uganda wouldn't be justified unless I had some kind of home missions opportunities to put on my imaginary missionary resume.  I was desperately trying to create some good works to validate my call.  

The bad thing is…my body rebels agains good works.  Not that I don't like doing good things, I just don't like the legalistic, earn your way to heaven, kind of thinking that has been the thorn in my side for way too long. The one that God has slowly been chiseling out of me and replacing with grace, grace and more grace.  Anyone who knows me could guess which brother I've always identified with in the prodigal son story.  

I shop at Aldi's Grocery Store about once a week.  It's a super cheap grocery store in our city where you pay a quarter to get a buggy and bag your own groceries with bags you bring from home.  I always say that it's a type of missions field because there are always people from every walk of life, every language and I'm sure, every religion shopping there.  I love it!  I always end up making a connection with someone when I'm there.  One day it was the sweet elderly man who dropped his cane, my son picked it up and the man bought us candied apples we enjoyed all the way home.  Another day it was the woman trying to get her 4 small kids in the car while her buggy rolled away in the parking lot.  We ended up laughing over how hard life is with several kids as I retrieved it for her and helped her get her groceries into her trunk.  It's not handing out tracks or making a gospel presentation, I don't have to force it or plan for it, but it sure feels missional.  

Today it was a young girl at wal-mart that was buying hundred of dollars of stuff, realized she lost her debit card while checking out, found her debit card after several minutes of frantic searching, had her card declined several times, borrowed the cashier's cell phone, and called the bank to get money transferred to cover her purchases.  She never really apologized but you could tell she was embarrassed as she whispered "it's been the worst day".  I told her it was fine, that I was in no hurry and then told her I hoped her day would get better from here as I left.  She gave me a smile and a sincere "thank you" as she collected her things.  It wasn't until I got to the car, 28 days before we leave to go be missionaries, that it hit me…I AM a missionary at home. 

I believe that whenever you follow Jesus' example, whenever you strive to be like Him, you're "doing missions".  Whenever you love on someone the way Christ would have loved on someone, you're "doing mission work".  Whenever you live an open life, willing to share the gospel whenever the opportunity arises (even if it doesn't), you're living a "missional" life.  

My husband and I often tease about how much we don't fit into society's view of what a "missionary" is.  I'm a terrible house keeper.  I love 80s rap music.   I lose my temper with my kids.  I lose my temper with my husband.  I lose my temper with myself.   I love to dance. I don't homeschool (though I haven't ruled it out).  I joined my first bible study a couple months ago.  I'm definitely not crafty (though I REALLY try).  I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Vine.  I love to buy cute short dresses but also love a cute maxi skirt.  I do wear my hair in a bun, but because I'm a dancer, not because of my conservative style.  I've made a billion mistakes and I'll make a billion more before the end of the week. I'm a mess. I've definitely not attained the level of holiness needed in order to be called to do mission work. 

The more and more I review my imaginary missionary resume, the more and more I see how unqualified I am, how unqualified my family is, for what He is calling us to do.  And He keeps reminding me that it's not OUR qualifications that justify our call, it is Christ in us that justifies our call. And it is our willingness to display Christ in us to those around us that makes us all missionaries, whether we're at Wal-Mart or halfway around the world.  


"And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another… "       1 John 3:23 

Burnout

Before the holidays I felt like once we got past them I would be able to start really investing some time in getting ready for this trip.  In my mind I had decided that we would have one more big fundraising push to get the last of the $1,500 or so that we needed to meet our goal & the rest of my time would be spent purchasing supplies, finding suitcases, getting the kids shots, etc.  Just really doing the last minute things we need to do before we leave.

Now two months later, I can be honest with you & say that I haven't done any of those things.  And I haven't really felt like it.  One of my friends called it "Africa Burnout" and I guess that is what it was.  Not that I was burned out on wanting to go or the mission that God has called us to, but that I was burned out on trying to make everything happen the way I wanted it to.  I was tired of trying to think up new ways to fundraise that wouldn't continue to look for support from our core group of supporters (who I'm sure were feeling some "Africa burnout" in their wallets!) but would cast a wider net.  I was tired of trying to think of every little thing we might need while we were there & what I might be forgetting.  I was tired of trying to live in two worlds, one here full of electricity & ample water & grocery stores on every corner and trying to decide what I need for the one there with spotty solar power, precious water that needs to be conserved at every opportunity & a grocery store 1 1/2 hours away.  I know seasoned missionaries are laughing at me right now, this is so what they deal with on a daily basis!  But that is where the Father of Deception found me & started whispering…

 "If you can't deal with it now, how can you ever think you could deal with it when you are there?"

"you'll never make it"

"your fundraising has stalled because no one believes in what you are doing"

"once you get over there you are completely on your own"

"are you sure God wants YOU to do this?"

"You will probably mess it all up"

To say I was discouraged is putting it mildly. But slowly, God kept pulling me back to his promises…

"When you can't walk anymore, you will be carried"

"You are sealed, to live is Christ & to die is gain"

"You are loved"

"I am still good"

"You have been called"

"You are forgiven & set free"

And he has used so many people to minister to us, love on us & lift us up at just the right times!  

So finally, with a little bit of trepidation, last night we looked at our fundraising, added everything up & came to a total.  We were $390 short.  Amazing!!!  With no fundraising done in months & 69 days to go until we leave we only had $390 to go!  Wes & I were both blown away by what God had done through people we love.  

Wes quickly put up a Facebook post to share our excitement with our friends.  Within minutes we had two friends offering to donate towards the balance!  Within seconds we received our newest funds update from African Children's Mission…we now only had $60 to go!!  With what we have received to date plus the promised funds from our friends we have not only met our fundraising goal, we've exceeded it!!!  There were other items that we wanted to add to our budget but didn't because we felt like we were already setting such a high goal. Now we will be able to add those items in as well!  I cannot begin to tell you how excited, humbled, in awe of our creator, in awe of the goodness of our friends & family and thankful we are for this gift.  

The awesomeness of seeing God work in the most amazing ways, the incredible feeling of knowing there are people that believe in what you are doing so much that they would share their hard earned money to make it happen, these things make the burnout soooo worth it.  

We really cannot wait to come home in July & share everything that God did because of the gifts & prayers of faithful people that supported us!  That will be such an amazing day!!

Maybe someday I'll learn to lean on God first & not try to control everything myself.  I do it all the time.  And every time he is faithful to come through, even at the last minute.  I would like to say that I have such great faith that I never doubt, never believe he needs my help, never think "maybe it won't happen" but that would be a lie.  Maybe someday I'll remember to glorify him with every bump in the road so he won't have to go to such lengths to get my attention!  I'm so hard headed! Until then I'll be thankful for his grace & mercy in rescuing me just when I think all is lost, and putting people in my life that are truly his hands and feet…I'm sure I'll need to be reminded again, but right now I'm off to go get the kids their shots! 

"Praise the Lord, all nations!  Praise him, all peoples! His love for us is strong & his faithfulness endures forever.  Praise the Lord!" Psalms 117

God's Into Details

I love to be reminded about how much God is involved and concerned about the details of our lives.

 {The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives}  I love this New Living Translation of Psalm 37:23!  It not only speaks to God's sovereignty, but also to His intimate concern for our lives. 

Last week was a tough one for our family.  Nothing major.  It just began our month long pace of an over-scheduled, over-extended life.  (If you need me any Monday, Thursday or Friday this month, I'll be at a football game. I hope my family doesn't expect to be fed!) In addition to our schedule craziness, we were helping a mission team from Hunter Street Baptist Church in Birmingham prepare to leave for Uganda, and all the logistics that entails, while watching with heavy hearts as they boarded a plane to somewhere we long to be. On top of all of  THAT we got a lot of disappointing news for our family and people that we love.  

But in the midst of all of this God kept wispering over and over again that He loves us, that He is moving mountains on our behalf and that like the disciples who were told to wait in the upper room for the Holy Spirit, we were being taught lessons in our waiting and would be overwhelmed by the power that would come upon us. 

Over and over again throughout the week, God sent people or experiences into our lives to remind us of His care.

One day it was a friend I went to kindergarten (KINDERGARTEN!!!) with and haven't seen since but have kept up with on Facebook, that emailed me out of the blue that he would be spending the next two hours praying for us at his church and wanted to know what specific things he could be praying for. {humbled}

Another day a high school friend we haven't seen or talked to in 16 years contacted us out of the blue wanting to donate to our trip. {overwhelmed}

Then two families from our Sunday School class contacted us just days apart to make final plans for two different fundraisers they were each planning on our behalf. {grateful}

On Saturday, while unloading luggage for the HSBC team at the curb of the airport, a stranger came up to us and asked where in Uganda we were going (my father-in-law was wearing his Muzungu shirt!).  Turns out he runs another organization that works in Uganda, reminding us that everywhere we go God is pointing us to Uganda. We had no reason to be sad that we weren't going on THIS trip because we ARE going! {such a God thing!}

To cap it all off, I was unexpectedly reminded of God's HUGE answer to a prayer.  Friday we celebrated our son, Wyatt, who has epilepsy, making it to ONE YEAR SEIZURE FREE!  I think our whole family had tried to purposefully forget what the date of a year seizure free would be, but God didn't want us to miss it!  Wyatt may have a seizure today, he may have one next week, but God still answered our specific request for one year without seizures. {awed by our Creator!}

I could go on for pages and pages telling you every way He reminded us of His promises just in those seven days. Thank you to each of you who allowed and continue to allow God use you to minister to us! There were several other bible verses, daily devotionals, sermons, emails, texts, facebook messages and conversations where God used His word and His children to encourage us, lift us up and renew our strength.

{But those that hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31}

Lord, help us to remember to place our hope in you.  None of this depends on us.  Thank you for loving us enough to not only be involved in our everyday lives, but also to give us a way back to you through the death of your son. We are so unworthy.   

P.S. Stay tuned for more details regarding upcoming fundraisers!  They will each involve something great for you while also  helping us reach our goal of Uganda! 

Blooming Where You Are Planted

Our current bible devotionals have really been speaking to the importance of service. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared for us beforehand.

A real way God seems to be speaking to us right now is through service where we are.

So many of our prayer team members have spoken to us about being open to wherever God wants us to serve, even if it is right here in Hoover, Alabama.

In addition, active service here at home has the potential to expose challenges, issues and blessings that we may not have even considered in our preparations for a life of overseas service.

You all know we've asked you to be in prayer for our children as we consider this route for our family. Especially Katie Mae, our big hearted yet resistant one. One of our prayer team members suggested talking to KM about the children in Uganda and how we want to go to serve them and help them to know they are loved. So Wednesday night, on the way home from church, I broached the subject again. I told KM how much she would love the children there, that they have so little and yet are so beautiful and so full of joy. After some discussion, she asked if she could do something to help them even before she gets to actually meet them…

She and Ashley decided they would like to start a clothes drive, asking their friends to donate their clothing for these precious Ugandan children. They want to run the whole thing themselves, from collecting clothing to contacting teams who are heading over and asking them to take the donations with them. Ashley even asked if they would be able to tell the kids to let their parents know the donations would be tax deductible!! :) They decided to make an announcement at First Priority at school this week and start working on a slideshow so that their friends can see the kids they are helping. Talk about service! Talk about some proud parents! Please pray that God will use this opportunity to continue to soften Katie Mae's heart towards going to Africa, or wherever God might send us.

Our Sunday School class has tried to get people together many many times before to serve at Jimmie Hale Mission…this time you can bet Wes will be going!

We are continuing to pray that God would show us other areas to serve where we are.

It is such a crazy thing to see how much God is talking to you when you actually stop to listen. Have these giant billboards been there all the time pointing our way but we are just usually too busy to see them? We are definitely savoring this journey and this walking with our Savior.

Thank you for praying,

The Wilbanks Fam

Compassion: Okujjanjaba

I can't find a word

in lu

ga

nda (a language spoken by most Ugandans, along with Swahili and English) for "compassion". "Okujjanjaba" meaning "to care for another" is the closest synonym I could think of. This

quote was read to me today by one of my professors at Birmingham-Southern. It REALLY hit home, especially the last paragraph. Please pray that during this journey, we will truly embrace the principle of compassion and extend it to those we encounter both at home and those that we are

striving to serve in Uganda.

Thank you!

The Wilbanks Fam

It has been said, “He who lives for himself alone lives for the meanest moral known.” Compassion extends us. It extends our scope of positive influences beyond our immediate situation. Any success is hollow without it.

The literal definition of compassion is “to feel with.” It means living with the knowledge that your life is as important as mine, your dreams as valid, your children as precious, your pain as real. Compassion gives us a more valid view of the world by taking us out of its center. Every person you see has stories, and every person you see has a few that would break your heart. We deserve each other’s respect simply because we’ve survived all we have and kept going anyway.

Compassion fuels kindness, gentleness, and patience. It helps you realize that everybody else is doing the best they can, just as you are. That makes it easier to give other imperfect people the benefit of the doubt. Compassion is also an invaluable aid in accepting others as they are and allowing them to be different from us.

Follow your compassion where it takes you, even though some people are bound to disapprove. Perhaps your cause isn’t theirs, or the suffering that pierces your soul doesn’t seem real to them, or they’re simply so involved with their own concerns that little else matters.
Save some compassion for them, too.

~Victoria Moran

Answering Questions

As we consider the mission field, there are many questions that immediately spring to mind…

1) What about Wyatt's medication?

2) How do we get insurance?

3) What about safety for us and the girls especially (as young American women in a foreign country)?

4) What about our children's education?

5) What exactly will we be doing?

6) How will this impact our children?

And a million others! For every question that has presented itself, it has lead to two or three more! Thankfully, there have also been many answers.

We found a lot of good advice at Ask A Missionary including information on fundraising, insurance and homeschooling. We also have exceedingly used our best "phone-a-friend"s for missionary work, Wayne & Mary Daniel and Maggie Josiah to answer lots of Uganda specific questions. For homeschooling, this site has been incredibly helpful and has gotten me really excited about what opportunities are available for the kids' education overseas! Also, as I finish school soon, I will be a certified teacher. This will be a huge aid to overcoming legal challenges with the children's education.

All of these resources have really helped answer questions 2 & 4…but what about the most important ones, 1, 3, 5 & 6?

Because our son suffers from epilepsy, we are exceedingly concerned about his healthcare in Uganda. We have learned that we do have several options regarding his medication. First, frequently doctors will do bulk prescriptions for people overseas. This is a possible option for us as we could get a 6 month or yearly prescription for Wyatt to take care of his antiepileptic medications. Another possibility is that you can frequently get US medications at Ugandan pharmacies. Many of the missionaries currently with ACM do this for a variety of health ailments. We also plan to meet with his neurologist to discuss our plans and the risks involved. The most important answer to managing Wyatt's health comes from God. He is the Great Physician and we have faith that He will provide us a way around any obstacle, even this one.

Regarding safety, we have learned that the Ekitengaala Ranch is extremely safe. Safety is actually one of the few things that missionaries with ACM truly worry about. Now the creepy crawly things I mentioned in my previous post…that's another story! We trust that God will protect us as needed, though we covet your prayers in this area as well.

As far as what we will be doing as our mission work, this is yet another area where we are stepping out on faith. Wes truly feels a calling to fulfill the need for technical training for the Ugandan young men. With the basic electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning skills that Wes can provide as a Certified Contractor, these men would be able to acquire some marketable skills that are needed so desperately by Ugandan businesses and people. I currently see my role as mainly one of support for Wes and the ACM community but especially the women and children of Uganda. I have a tender heart and love for children that I believe will be of great use to these people with so little. I also hope to utilize my love of dance in some way that God has yet to make clear. Please pray for God's direction in this area as He truly knows the needs of His people much better than we do.

In October, when Wes returned from Africa, we spoke briefly to our children about how they would feel about moving to Africa. Ashley, who has always had a heart for missions and tries desperately to be a stowaway on her daddy's trips, immediately answered that she would love it. She is our strong willed child so this was a great answered prayer for her to be so willing to go. Wyatt also responded with a resounding "yessss!!" and when we reminded him that there would be no T.V., no video games that he is so obsessed with his quick response was "who needs them? Those things rot your brain anyway!" Haha! Our only holdout was Miss Katie Mae. She has such a tender heart that we were truly shocked that she was one that didn't want to go, but she loves her friends at school and the life she has built here. Please pray that as God's will becomes clear that all of our children would open their hearts to it. We truly want this to be our family's journey, not just mine and Wes'.

Thank you all for your prayers, as you can see, they are desperately needed.

"let us love like we are children in a world, I know, is burning to the ground"

The Wilbanks Fam

Daily Struggles

One of our strongest daily struggles on this journey is patience. Both of us are Type A personalities and would be starting the packing process today if it were up to us! But we feel God telling us to wait on his direction, not ours. We feel God moving in a deliberate way and have already experienced so much growth in this process!

As is often the case when a believer is trying to put Christ before anything else, we have definitely felt resistance and attack, but we are so glad that God warned us of this beforehand! (see previous post)

The day after Christmas we began dealing with flooding, ceiling leaks & plumbing issues at our home. Somehow, we were still able to thank God that this happened when Wes was off work and not in Africa! I have dealt with extremely stressful issues with school and grades but continue to feel that God is using these circumstances to help me deal with issues with patience and arrogance. Wyatt has been sick and is still suffering from the after effects of Scarlet Fever. The girls have struggled with obedience in these beginning teenage years as I mourn the fact that my girls are so grown up.

There are sure to be many opportunities to praise God in the midst of a storm, but we strongly feel that all of these trials and triumphs are preparing us for the struggles we might face in the mission field. Our bible devotionals have been focusing on knowing and preparing for God to show you his will. One of the steps that we have taken to prepare our hearts to hear God's will for our lives, is to pray for Him to expose any habitual sins that we might have. Not only will this help us to hear His will more clearly, but it is part of the continual firing process to bring us closer to the children of God we were made to be.

A funny story…

Just before Christmas, Wes was surprised one night to see a mouse scurrying across the living room floor. Although our little terrier dog went after it, she missed and Wes couldn't find it again. Well…I found it a few mornings later, while staying home with a sick Wyatt, as it scurryied almost across my bare foot!! I called Wes, (whispering I guess so the mouse wouldn't hear me?!?) but didn't freak out! I never screamed, ran around or jumped up on any chairs (as I have done in the past!) even though I was scared and wanted that mouse gone! We missed catching it again but later found it had gotten stuck in a floorboard and died. God has a funny sense of humor! It was if He was giving me a little glimpse of what creepy crawly things I might encounter in Africa!

Please pray that we would continue to find God's blessings in the midst of struggle and not let the storm over take us. We pray this post finds each of you well.

"You are who You are, no matter where I am"

The Wilbanks Fam

First Steps

Our family is on a journey. We know God is driving and that our family of five are the passengers, but we aren't sure where this journey may lead.

In October of 2010, Wes went on his 4th mission trip to Uganda, East Africa with African Children's Mission (ACM). While there he works with orphaned and destitute children by sharing the gospel and helping to provide for their physical needs. These children are mostly AIDS orphans or orphans from the last Ugandan civil war. Their needs are so great but Wes usually leaves feeling like he has been blessed just as much if not more than the people he has gone to serve. Since his first trip in 2001, he has felt God pulling him to Africa. After this October trip, it was a pull he could no longer ignore.

As we began fervently seeking God's direction, we began a Charles Stanley Daily Devotional bible study together. As we vacationed in Florida over Thanksgiving break, our devotionals began consistently pointing to staying strong in the face of struggles. We really felt God speaking to us through His word and preparing us for the work ahead!

Through much prayer and study, we have begun this journey with God, wherever it might take us. Although we feel a strong pull to Africa and with African Children's Mission, we want to be completely open to wherever God is leading us. And we do feel him leading us. Wow, do we feel him leading us!!

Please pray for us as we begin this journey. Pray that we will be able to continue to exhibit patience as we wait for God's direction instead of following our own selfish desires.

We hope that this blog might serve to help others that might take this journey for themselves as well as give you a glimpse as to what we are dealing with and how best to pray for us, as we also pray for you.

"I want to leave a legacy…because we only get one life…."

The Wilbanks Fam