Can you believe it? Another year come and
gone! So many things have happened that one’s mind reels…and yet, so much is
yet to be done. Millions have never heard of the Babe of Bethlehem…of the Child
born to die so that all may live.
As we look over the past year, we are
grateful that we could have trained so many trainers…that we could have
multiplied so many multipliers. There is an excitement growing in the Anglican
Province of Southern Africa as clergy and lay folk alike rediscover the simple
method of making disciples who are equipped to make disciples. Even though we
have reached into 13 of the 28 Dioceses in the Province, there are 15 more that
have not been introduced to the first module of the LEAD training. The words of
Jesus echo in our ears: The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.
We are also grateful for every partner in
this ministry…those who have faithfully supported us, prayed for us, encouraged
us, laboured with us, and simply been there for us. Everything we do is dependent
on teamwork…we simply couldn’t do this without you. You are very much
appreciated.
So, across the miles…the oceans and
borders…Louise and I want to wish you the happiest of Christmases and pray for
the Lord best blessings for the new year.
Teenagers are teenagers no matter where you go in the world. There will be boy-girl drama, family problems, girl fights, and school issues. And while living in a different country and culture can be quite overwhelming at times, doing youth work here is like slipping back into an old pair of shoes. It feels natural and familiar.
This past week, we had 150 teenagers flood our campus for our yearly December youth camp. I registered campers, printed name tags, coordinated small groups, led an afternoon of team-building games, and supported our student leaders. Every day I went to bed more tired than the day before. But every day I also went to bed knowing more and more why we do this camp. It all came to a head mid-week when we had something called “family time” where all of the leaders got up on stage and the campers could ask us questions about life. Simple enough but it quickly turned very real.
“What challenges did you face as a young person?”
I thought back to my time in high school as I looked out at the crowd of faces that earnestly wanted to know the answer. “My biggest challenge as a teen was not resisting temptation to do things I should not be doing like having sex or drinking. My biggest challenge was loneliness. I felt like I did not have friends and that the ones I did have did not really know me. I became depressed and no one knew. That time also translated into an attitude of very low self esteem that I am still trying to heal.”
One girl off to the side of the auditorium raised her hand, “How did you combat that low self esteem?” I could see in her eyes that it was not just a question. She knew what it felt like to not believe she is beautiful or capable.
“I know what that feels like. To be so low that you feel like you could never believe in yourself. I remember a specific day when I was 20 years old sitting by a lake in the States and I thought to myself, ‘I can’t go on thinking so little of myself. I know in my head that God thinks I am worthy and beautiful and just plain awesome, but I just do not believe it myself.’ But you know that you change your patterns of thinking by the things and people you have around you. So I decided to just swim in these truths that I did not believe and maybe just maybe it would sink in. So I wrote ‘You are Beautiful.’ On a note card and placed it smack dab in the middle of my mirror so that I would have to see it every morning. And you know what, it slowly worked somehow. At first I would look at it and say ‘yeah right.’ But the next day I would be like, ‘yeah right…?’”
The session went on with question after question. How do you deal with anger towards a mother who was never there for you? What do I do if I feel crippled by depression? How do I relate to my family that has such an unhealthy dynamic? As I sat on that stage, my heart just broke. These teens are hurting and have the weight of the world on their shoulders. And after that night they go back to their hard realities. But the thing that we ARE able to offer is reassurance that they are not alone and a hand to walk along with them even after camp ends, whether that is physically us or directing them to supportive communities.
All Saints Anglican Church Jakarta would like to welcome a new Vicar and/or Associate Minister to their team. They are a vibrant evangelical church, planted in 1819, serving the English speaking Christian community of Jakarta, Indonesia. Their ± 300 members come from different countries, cultures, and denominations, yet together they serve Christ and each other by “knowing and making known the love of Jesus”.
Key responsibilities:
To lead and pastor one of the two Church centers and the congregations who meet there.
To work as part of a Ministry Team (and for the Vicar, to lead this team)
To disciple the church members and evangelize other English-speakers in Jakarta
To further develop their small group ministry
To strengthen witness in the English language schools and this community
For the Vicar, to lead the church in the further development of the church land
Essential qualities:
Strong English (first language) speaker and must be an ordained Anglican Priest
Ability to work as part of a team
Extensive Leadership and pastoral experience, cross-cultural and multi-denominational skills
Willingness to come to Indonesia through a mission agency such as SAMS (USA or Canada), CMS (Australia, New Zealand or the UK), Crosslinks (UK).
Sometimes I wonder whether my prayers are too small, or whether it’s my faith in God that’s too small. The Lord gently pointed this out to me as I landed at Entebbe last week, after a wonderfully relaxing (though not as academically productive as I’d hoped) home assignment.
I had picked up a some kind of respiratory thing mid-November, and while my prayer requests before travel always include safe and uneventful travel, I assumed I wouldn’t enjoy my flights for being a bit congested.
How wrong I was. Not only was I not congested, I had no seat or row mates for either flight… meaning I could almost get myself comfortable and rest. This, in and of itself, is a miracle. I only had a two-hour layover in Amsterdam, so that was blissfully short.
My last concern for my trip was a suitcase I was bringing for a friend who had just delivered her first baby. Missionaries live for having people schlep things to them, and Leah had sent me with a bag, and then had things sent to me while I was in Virginia. I had heard of stories of people having things taken from their luggage at the exit x-ray machine at Entebbe, and I was fervently praying that would not be the case, especially for the things for Leah’s sweet baby girl.
When I had retrieved al my luggage and saw the line at the x-ray machine, my heart fell, knowing that I’d have to put all my luggage through. I was praying for the Lord’s protection over everything, and headed over that way.
When I got to the line, one gentleman blew right on by, right in front of me. The two attendants were surprised, but didn’t stop him. That must have emboldened me, because I asked the male attendant, “Do I go this way (pointing to the x-ray machine), or that way (pointing to the door)?” Now, the answer is patently obvious. I’m already in line. Americans are quite good at queuing up in lines. But no harm, no foul, right?
The man peered at me for a second, then asked, “Do you have a drone?” Did he just ask if I had a drone? WHY on earth would he ask if I have a drone? I must have given him an odd look as I replied, “No…” because he asked me again. “Do you have a drone?” This time, I answered him more confidently, “No! I’m a musumba (shepherd, priest); basumba (plural) do not have drones.” And I sailed right on out, with all my items intact.
As I was thanking God profusely for His provision, He gently pointed out how He had taken care of everything on my trip… my health, rest, lack of seat mates, the x-ray machine, and asked if I really believed He could do all that. I had to confess that I didn’t.
I mean, I did, in the sense that yes, I know God can take care of these things, and I trusted that He would, but did I confidently believe that He would? Not really. So He showed me how small my faith was. And in my rejoicing, I repented.
This past hurricane season was a rough one throughout the Caribbean as I’m sure you’ve heard. Hurricane Maria is the one who inflicted the most damage to the Dominican Republic, but thankfully we didn’t have the significant damage that many of the other islands suffered. Thankfully God moved hearts to make gifts to improve housing this past year and we’ve assisted 9 families so far to improve their living circumstances. The projects have ranged from minor repairs, to partial or complete new roofs and even a new home. Jan has a new home now, pictured here with before and after shots. He invited a neighboring family to shelter with him during the storms that hit this fall, as they await their turn for assistance. There are many families still living in leaky and insecure structures needing assistance. Should you feel drawn to help with this project, please send a check to SAMS with “Donahoe Project”in the memo line and 100% of your gift will go towards improving housing for people in need in my community. Please pray for discernment in which families to help and to what extent.
At the university this year, I have had a total of 9 classes with about 180 students. Most of the classes have been in the neurology tract and have been a mix of the old and new curriculum students. We are 3 years into the new curriculum and there are notable improvements with the students’ understanding and abilities. God has continued to shape my teaching style, to which many students seem to respond well. Please pray for wisdom with my teaching.
I am very grateful for your support and that God has given me the opportunity to be a part of these ministries.
May you have a very Merry Christmas and may God fill your 2018 with amazing blessings!
