Rattins living Coram Deo

No, our life is not a daily exotic adventure... but every day brings the unexpected. My day is much like yours - feed the family, clean the family, toilet the family, get the family places on time, and somewhere in there try to make the right choices about my priorities. But in the midst of attempted routine, every day brings a flare for the dramatic.  You can count on nothing - will there be power? will there be water? will there be ink for the printer, petrol for the car, gas for the stove? will someone you're counting on to show up actually show up and show up when you are expecting them? who will show up at your doorstep right when your child decides to disobey? I can't even describe all the things that "go wrong" in a given day - it almost sounds unbelievably ridiculous some days.  No one would believe us. And yet these adventures are such a blessing, such a gift.  If I ever thought I was in control before, now I KNOW that I am not.  In the past, I may h...

We get to be on the front lines. Even in our role of equipping our Ugandan counterparts to minister, we're still much more on the front lines than our sending churches. We have the privilege of figuring out how to help that starving child and his family directly.  We have the opportunity to pick up the snotty child and share dirt.  We get to pray with that woman as her husband dies of AIDS.  We get to choose, quite literally, if we will eat meat this week or instead feed meat to the orphans under our care. For most of you who read my blog, you live vicariously through us.  And WE get the privilege of having a very direct effect on our community, on the community that you pray for, that you give financially for, that you teach your children about. What a blessing and immense privilege for us! I'm not saying it's easy to be on the front lines.  In fact, historically, missionaries have been so moved by the desperate situations that they face, that we have c...

You can see God's hand anywhere AND everywhere. But on the mission field, you find yourself more dependent than ever on God and his grace.  We have the privilege of seeing his work first hand.  His protection, his grace, his mercy, his providence, his blessings, his sanctifying processes... We have less things in our lives to distract us from seeing his hand.  We are totally immersed in ministry - as an entire family.  We try to have social events with people outside of our ministries, but most of our time is spent with our co-workers in ministry.  Most of our friends are our Acholi friends who minister with us.  Most of our conversations are about ministry and about how God is working.  As we talk nonstop about things of God, it becomes so very apparent that HE is a great God! There is nothing predictable about life here.  When there is power, we praise God! When there is water, we praise God! When there is not, we praise God... or seek to ...

Many missionaries around the world hire house help. WHAT?! It can be very uncomfortable, at least for Americans. How can I ask someone else to wash my dishes and mop my floor? How can I ask someone else to do things that I don't enjoy doing, like hanging the laundry in the hot sun and cleaning bathrooms? The reality is that hiring house help is often the right thing to do.  Here are a few reasons: 1) The requests for financial assistance are unending.  Not a week goes by that our gate man doesn't let someone in to ask me for money.  By hiring a trusted person to help in my house, I'm giving her an income and contributing to the local economy.  In some communities, it's almost expected that the missionary will hire someone(s) as a contribution to the community. 2) Discipleship happens in the home.  My helper is a born-again Christian and is eager to talk about things of the Lord.  She's interested in how we raise our children and train them, inst...

I've written about some missionary struggles.  They are not unique to missionaries, but will give you some ideas for how to pray for your missionaries. Now, the blessings... but WHERE to start? The blessings of obeying God are infinite and beyond our imagination... Being a missionary is about bringing people to God.  It's not about a project, although there can be projects.  It's not about numbers, goals, or accomplishments.  It's about people and relationships and, ultimately, relationship with God. So, I start with the people - these are the biggest blessing, for sure.  Josh's days are spent pouring into those that God has put under his leadership.  He has the privilege of equipping Ugandans to lead the ministries and lead their churches.  These men encourage Josh tremendously with their hunger for God and for the TRUTH of GOD's word.  I'm blessed to be able to serve them cookies and coffee when they meet at our home! We get to wor...

Death to self. We don't mind death to self.  We feel honored to share just a tiny bit in Christ's suffering. But chocolate cookies and lasagna... now that would be nice. A quick meal and a dishwasher... running water and electricity.  Running to the store and knowing that you'll find a desired ingredient.  Fast food for those days on the road.  A straight answer and a fair price. Somewhere to buy your food that doesn't involve fly-covered meat, open stares, haggling, and harassment... No animals wandering through the house, no snakes lurking in the tall grass... medical care available for your family, vaccines, quick answers, thorough tests... On a good day, these things mean nothing.  Just conveniences, luxuries! But on a stressful day, on a bone-weary day, on that day where all the children are falling apart at the same time... during that night when the house is finally quiet... but is too quiet... On those days, the missionary lifestyle can be a ...

Although there's a group of 700 people backing us from the USA (mostly), few of those individuals and churches can truly understand the daily stressors on the field.  There are currently around 6 missionary families in Gulu - the number changes monthly.  Each family is deeply involved in ministries - often very consuming ministries.  There are missionaries all over the world struggling with a similar issue: a sense of isolation. Missionaries sometimes feel isolated in their struggles.  Some missionaries struggle to find a Bible-preaching church or ARE the only source of Bible teaching in a given field.  Some missionaries find that their sending agency doesn't understand the issues on the field and gives them directives that they cannot follow.  Some missionaries struggle to find friends that they can confide in. Pray for your missionaries that they would trust in the sufficiency of Christ, that they would rest in the finished work of Christ, and that Go...