Monday, April 22, 2013

April 21, 2013 What Does A Missionary Do?

Someone asked me... "So what exactly does a missionary do?"
I think the answer is more like, "What doesn't a missionary do?"
In the last few years I have: 
planted fruit trees and vegetables, 
taught the Bible in the prison, 



baked cakes for two weddings, 



bought a prosthetic leg, 
watched as a friend slowly died of cancer, 
wrote a book on being Falsely Accused 
For Sale On Amazon.com



been a wonderful hostess even when I was too tired to move,
been invited to the Ambassador's house for an afternoon party,
been hugged by the president of Honduras who was later ousted,



sorted pills for medical brigades, 
broke my leg, 



played taxi driver to other missionaries, 
gone to junkyards to find replacement mirrors for a car after they were stolen,



held a dying baby, 
given away 2,200 wheelchairs,



done without a washing machine for 2 weeks, 
broken my arm, 
failed miserably in my war against cockroaches,

hosted open air crusades, 
hosted missionaries for the night, the weekend, the week and more
had a Bible study in my home for almost a year,
bought chicken food, 
missed my mom and dad, 
taken human rights people to the scene of killings, 
saw the look on people's faces when I ordered 50 roasted chickens at once, 
made guava jelly, 
been a comfort to a survivor, 
changed a car battery, 
done without electricity for days at a time, 
returned a kidnapped baby to her mom, photo below



finally learned to squat to pee and not get myself wet, 
stayed up with people all night at the hospital, 
dried tomatoes, 
watched a baby be born, 
hugged a policewoman as she cried about her family,
learned how to tell whether my upset stomach is amoebas or worms or just an upset stomach, 
dug 4 wells, 
preached at a funeral, 
watched a pastor give his adulterous wife chance after chance to make it right, 
collected rain, 
closed down an orphanage because they abused children, 
been cursed for having done that,
reaped a harvest of guava at my farm, 



learned to cut above the knot (helping in surgery), 
learned that bees like perfume, 
learned that I do not like raw clams, 
sorted used eyeglasses, 



learned to carry my own toilet paper all the time
had a telephone stolen, 
wasted nothing, 
hauled a coffin to a small town, 
bought building supplies, 
jump started a car, 
had a car battery stolen out of a locked car,
made some wonderful new friends,

 

 


balanced check books, 
delivered flyers door to door, 
driven a horse trailer, 
made 200 cupcakes for the gang, 



faithfully gone for a manicure and pedicure every 3 weeks,
missed my children and grandchildren, 




learned how to put together adoption dossiers, 

lost a friend of many years, Joan Anderson,


left to right Billy Anderson, Joan Anderson, Teresa Andrews Searcy, Michael Searcy

caught a bad guy trying to sell rocket propelled grenade launchers to me of all people and had him deported back to the USA where he was from, 
studied my Bible and then studied it some more,
designed a home, 
hosted 48 eyeglass teams,
lost a camera, 
taught two dogs who were trained to kill to be submissive to me,
gave advice to an Army general, 
taught a Honduran mother how to make cinnamon toast, 
built a church, 
hosted medical teams, 
made 10 gallons of coleslaw at once, 
broke my toe, 



bought eyeglasses for the needy, 
taken friends to get their hair dyed, 
rescued children who had been sexually trafficked, 
stayed healthy except for a few breaks, 
broke the news to a mother and sister that their son and brother was killed,
written a sermon on why Christians should get involved politically, 
missed my parents 60th wedding anniversary, 
filed charges against a corrupt police officer, 
am on a first name basis with the pharmacist because I buy so many meds all the time for people who are in dire need,
learned how to get rid of planters warts and would you believe it is with superglue and prayer? you just smother them to death, no surgery needed
rescued children from gangs, 
had Christmas with no Christmas tree for the second time in my life,
rescued a kid from suicide,
took almost a million people to the doctor, (evangelistic-ly speaking)
taught someone to drive,
lived well, 
served well, 
aimed high, 
loved better, longer, stronger and even when people don't deserve to be loved I have loved them anyway,
forgiven even when it was hard, 
and followed Jesus.

What do I still want to do? (not in any order)

I want to:

learn to make pine needle baskets
like these shown in a photo by Mercy International


have more revelation of the Word of God,
learn to make the lady fingers, 


Lady Finger photo credit

get to the point that I experience the presence of God all the time,
take a painting class, 
go to Greece,

 


finish my book on the Grace of God,
build a small cottage at the beach and decorate it English cottage style, 
learn to make a crazy quilt,



Crazy Quilt photo link

host a television and radio Bible teaching program once or twice a week,
fall in love with someone who loves me as much as I love them,
get a fish farm up and operational, 
receive the gift from God to be able to have His healing power flow to cure cancer, 
learn to bake 50 different kinds of bread, 



find Christian homes for 2,000 orphans,
learn to churn butter, 


How To Churn Butter Link
see India (especially the Taj Mahal),
make 5 kinds of cheese, 
make a wood fired oven for artisan bread, 



live to be 120 years old,
build a windmill, 
visit Israel and stay for a while,
owe no man anything,
take beautiful photographs,
ride an ostrich,
complete my home, 
visit Egypt,
learn to fly a helicopter,

I live an interesting life and look forward to new experiences every day!
The only thing which would make me happier is if my parents, children and grandchildren were close to me for me to love on all the time.

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