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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Cameron Townsend---Wycliffe Founder

We have been reading a missionary book on the life of Cameron Townsend to the kids at night as part of their curriculum for school. How timely that we are studying missionaries this year! Our theme for studies is "Cultures and Countries," a very appropriate year of school for us while we are here in Russia.

So, we are about half-way through the book and we have covered 19 years of Cameron's life so far. John looks at me last night and says this and we are both amazed that so little has happened of the whole picture of Wycliffe Ministries(as we see it) in 19 YEARS!!! You know, that's a LONG time!!!! Cameron started out as a Bible salesman, then had a heart to start teaching a specific Indian language, then started translating the first 4 chapters of Matthew, then the NT, then he started doing "camps" in the states for linguists to learn and go down to Mexico and evangelize as linguists. His first purpose had changed many times before doing "Wycliffe" camps. At his first camp, he had two graduates, the next camp 5 grads...and that's where we are now. Don't laugh at small beginnings nor be discouraged when your beginning purpose changes.

John and I sometimes get ancy over here thinking...we haven't "done" much for the kingdom of God...and now we have a bit of perspective. TWO Months ONLY have gone by...we can rest assured that God is not finished nor is he confined to such a short time period. God's plan is sooooo much bigger than ours. We might think we have to complete something this year, and yet, God may think---this is just the start of what I will do.

When we had been here in Russia for about a week, we were at a prayer meeting where a lady shared that she felt God saying something like this---"Just give me some time to do things"...we want God to do things so quickly and right now, that we don't sit back and just know that He will be exalted in the end, even if it takes years to get there. I am reminded of the many times my dad would talk about leaning on the Lord and resting in Him, I think it was based off of a Watchman Nee book he was reading and re-reading entitled Sit, Stand, Walk. I have often thought that I should be resting in Him and then I start to think...NO, I should not always be resting! Well, maybe we should rest more in Him, doing only what He prompts us to do and not all the "things" we think are "good" to do at the time. He will perform His will and I want to see it be done ---even if it takes a good many years to see what it is. We may not even see it in our lifetime...who knows? Only He does!

So, Sit back, listen, and obey His voice---resting in the knowledge that He will be exalted while we rest in Him "Be Still and know that I am God and I will be exalted among the nations." Psalm 46:10

6 comments:

Nina in Portugal said...

Amen and Amen...

Patty Wysong said...

So many times I try to impose my timeline on God, and it just does NOT work like that! What a great reminder, Karen!

THANK YOU so much for helping me celebrate like this! It's been one blessing after another--THANK YOU!!
Huggles!

Mary said...

I guess we won't know the impact we've made here till we get to the end of the book.(-:

Elizabeth said...

So true, His timing is much different!

Jon and Robin said...

It's frustrating when you see something in your heart, but not in the world around you. But if you can see it, you can have it.

Don't forget what Hab. 2:3 says about the vision God gives you: "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come..." BK gave us some great advice when we were just getting started. He said to not try to accomplish a lot in the first year or two on the mission field.

Stonefox said...

I found you on Patterings. This post was encouraging. I live overseas too, and I ask myself the same thing "Am I doing any good at all?" But I've been here 6 years! But the truth is that it takes time, and even when we can't see the good that "we" are doing, HE is working, and His work lasts forever. One day we will see it and understand.