Whoever loses his life for Christ's sake, will find it

I wrote this letter to a loved one, and thought I should share it with more people....because concerned friends and family in America and in Tonga ask us regularly why we are living in Tonga instead of the America, a.k.a Disneyland =)  On the other hand there are some sweet but misguided friends who put us up on a pedestal of holiness that we can't even touch.  SO can I just throw out this disclaimer first?  'Osi and I are missionaries, but we are also just average Joe normal people, we don't have extraordinary talents or holiness. That being said, here is why we do what we do. 

'Osi and the Discipleship students have started their 3 month outreach.  They have been living in the village of Kolomotua, Vautu'u, and Patangata doing community service, door-to-door ministry, and outdoor evangelism programs.  But every few days he comes home to check on us, bring us food, and sleep overnight.  I know its a little bit of a sacrifice, but honestly we have been praying for this opportunity to work with the Discipleship students for years now, and it has been AWESOME to see them fall in love with Jesus, and catch a fire to live for him, start sharing with other people and making disciples of their own....so it multiplies, get it?  =)  

That's what Jesus told us to do "Go and make disciples" and it totally makes sense.  The world would get saved SO much quicker, and be nurturing mature Christians if we were multiplying disciples rather that merely evangelism.

So I am ridiculously excited to be doing this with 'Osi.  The students came over to our house last night, and we were eating bread and butter and tea on the porch sharing stories about all the great ways God is opening hearts and opening doors in the villages.

Tongans make the BEST missionaries, and this place here in YWAM Tonga is the only campus we know of that is sending out missionaries. Besides the Mormons, lol  they are sending out missionaries by the Bushel.

I just think its sad that so many of us Christians just don't  get it.  God has amazing plans for our life, but so often we settle for less.  Maybe we're scared that if we really surrendered our life and future completely to Him He would  tell us to go live in the bush in poverty, nursing aids orphans or something, and that scares us.

So instead we Sing  on Sundays  "Your all I want, You're all I ever needed...."  But we LIVE as if our aim in life is to make ourselves as comfortable and happy as possible here on earth. 
And the world says that is our Right and the natural thing to do.  And if at the end of our life we have a spouse and kids and a house and a good job with benefits or whatever, and are thin and beautiful.... then we are "successful".

But Jesus said "Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."  

When I was 16, I had just returned from the Mexico missions trip that opened my eyes to see the rest of the world does not live like we do.    And I remember driving my nice new car over the Camano Island bridge during this georgeouss sunset, and I was thinking how incredibly blessed I was.  What a life of privilege I was born into!

And I was talking to Jesus, out loud, ( because thats what I normally did while driving  =)  remember how our parents made us wait a year before listening to the radio??

And I started, spontaneously praying the same prayer David did in 2 Samuel 7:18-22
"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?...What more can David say to you? For you know your servant...  How great you are, Sovereign LORD!  There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears."

I told Him that I was so in love with Him and SO THANKFUL for everything he's done for me, that I would follow him to the ends of the earth and back.  Just whatever and whenever He wants....

And you know, he was right.   When he said.   "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ..."
  In losing my life to Him, I really found it.  =)

Its really good.  I know we don't have alot of "stuff".  But its good.....

We are so honored, and humbled to be used by God out here.  And I know at the end of our life we can look back and see that it counted for something.
We won't regret giving up the temporary comforts we could have had in America.

He is worth it.