Virtue’s testing point

From The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis:

Screwtape weighs his options:

Now this is a ticklish business. We have made men proud of most vices, but not of cowardice. Whenever we have almost succeeded in doing so, the Enemy permits a war or an earthquake or some other calamity, and at once courage becomes so obviously lovely and important even in human eyes that all our work is undone, and there is still at least one vice of which they feel genuine shame. The danger of inducing cowardice in our patients, therefore, is lest we produce real self-knowledge and self-loathing with consequent repentance and humility. And in fact, in the last war, thousands of humans, by discovering their own cowardice, discovered the whole moral world for the first time. In peace we can make many of them ignore good and evil entirely; in danger, the issue is forced upon them in a guise to which even we cannot blind them. There is here a cruel dilemma before us. If we promoted justice and charity among men, we should be playing directly into the Enemy’s hands; but if we guide them to the opposite behaviour, this sooner or later produces (for He permits it to produce) a war or a revolution, and the undisguisable issue of cowardice or courage awakes thousands of men from moral stupor.

This, indeed, is probably one of the Enemy’s motives for creating a dangerous world — a world in which moral issues really come to the point. He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty, or mercy, which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.

Wars, rumors of wars, disease and pandemics, natural disasters…sounds like the worries of our world today. Add random senseless shootings and suicide bombers.

Praise God for those brave men and women of the armed forces who we remember especially today. And the everyday heroes that few of us hear about — but of whom God is intimately aware — who stand tall in the face of danger.

May God grant each of us renewed boldness and grace to stand tall, to unashamedly proclaim the Truth, to reach out to even the unlovely and reflect His love, recalling that we are actively engaged in warfare — spiritual warfare.

Times are dangerous. But I know my Defender, my Shield, my Protector. And armed with the Sword of Truth, in the full armor of God, I stand ready for His marching orders.

Ministry cohorts

We are so thankful that tonight we had a fabulous time of fellowship and prayer with a fellow missionary, Jim Baker. He and his wife (and their children) lived in Kyiv for years before being called back to the States last winter. Their ministry hearts are still in Kyiv though God has assigned them an even larger field in which to work.

Jim is currently here meeting not only with his Kyiv team in ministry (through the Evangelical Free Church), but he is also reuniting with like-minded missionaries from other organizations…enter Ukraine Medical Outreach. We were so encouraged by reports of life in the States and abroad, how God is working in them as well as through them. He and his wife have a passion for working with folks affected and/or infected with the HIV virus. We have many mutual friends who are also laboring in this field. It was inspiring to hear the stories and pray for God’s leading in future ministry for these co-laborers.

Thank you, Lord, for time with this humble man of God. May you continue to bless him and use him mightily in your service.

Reagan: Tear down this wall

And then 20 years ago today…the wall came down.

Attention: Budding photojournalists

World Next Door is looking for interns to travel to Ukraine next summer to photograph and blog about various ministries in Ukraine. The main connection will be with Mission to Ukraine in Zhitomyr.

This looks like a fabulous opportunity for anyone who loves travel, missions and photography.

So, hopefully Harrs and Huntingtons will see this post. Not to mention Lena and Stepasha. Not sure how this would work for nationals!

Contact World Next Door for more information about this internship. And/or contact me for more information about Ukraine!

No hospital visitors

Okay, this flu-panic quarantine has just hit a little too close to home. No worries — Jim and I are fine.

BUT, I was not allowed to visit my little orphan friends at the hospital today. I am so thankful that Kristoslava is still able to be in the room with these precious ones. The six-month-old little boy has been there for several weeks now, but a new patient was admitted a couple of days ago. Less than a week old. Left by the mama.

Pray for patients admitted to any of the hospitals! No visitors can cause very lonely days.

And also pray that this quarantine might be lifted before the guesstimated three weeks.

Cheapest flights

I have such respect for travel agents, and others who have the patience to search out the best possible flights from one place to another. I am going a little nuts as I try to find the cheapest way from Kyiv to Alborg Airport in Denmark. Part of our problem is that we have no flexibility in dates — we need to be there on Monday January 4 and we need to be on our way out on Saturday January 9.

Ukraine has this wonderful discount airlines here (wizzair) that flies into London and Oslo (among other cities in Europe). We were hoping to fly at least one of the legs on this airline. Then I found flights from Oslo to Alborg. None from the London Luton airport to Alborg. So far so good, eh!

I was feeling pretty clever working backwards. Researching which airlines serviced Alborg. (That in itself was a challenge for me…). And then trying to connect to a city that wizzair serviced.

How disappointing to discover that wizzair doesn’t fly to Oslo on the dates that we need! Ugh!

Back to the drawing board. Looks like SAS may be getting our money. With an overnight in Copenhagen on the way back. A sweet little 13-hour layover — a mini-break before diving back into our crazy ministry schedule!

Hope to make the final arrangements even tomorrow. (If any of you are travel agents feel free to look around the internet and let us know what you find!)

Biblical counseling resources

Just received notice of an incredible book sale: the CCEF Library of Classics. Jim and I have read the vast majority of these books (I think all but two) and heartily recommend them to anyone looking for a biblical perspective on everyday challenges.

We personally own two of each of the books that we’ve read so that we can always have one here for quick reference, and so that we can also loan them to others.

We’re talking half price. Order a set for yourself. Additional sets to loan. But order them now…the sale is only this week!

Zechariah

Jim and I recently began to read Calvin’s Bible Commentary on the book of Zechariah as translated by John King and published by Forgotten Books.

Some of you may recall that we are praying about opening a home for orphans who are HIV+ and our working name for the home is Zechariah’s House. Zechariah means the Lord remembers, and we know that He has not forgotten these precious children.

Jim and I look forward to digging deeper into this book. Pray for us as we peer more closely at God’s Word. That the Spirit might enlighten our minds to understand what we are reading. That we might be changed so that we, in turn, might be change agents.

And to God be the glory.

Orphanages closed to visitors

In addition to schools and cinemas (among other things though NOT including the National Opera House — the show does go on!), orphanages have been closed to visitors for the next three weeks. The fear is not that you will become sick from children at the orphanage, but that you might carry the germs of illness to them.

Besides regular visitors, this also eliminates potential adopting parents. Friends of ours had an appointment scheduled for today at the SDA, but were told that the meeting would no longer take place in accordance with the declaration of no public gatherings. THAT doesn’t make sense to me unless the government intends to halt all work everywhere. How can you not have private meetings? But, in all honesty, even those who would be granted a meeting and actually given a referral would not be able to visit the children for three weeks! The orphanage meeting gives the child and parents time to interact and have any questions answered regarding the child. The orphanage director, in my limited understanding, approves or rejects the process at this point. Yikes!

Please be praying for all of the families who are currently in Ukraine and suddenly find the process is on hold, or who are arriving in the next few weeks and will not be permitted to proceed.

Our friends are in a little bit different situation. They already know the children. BUT they don’t already know the orphanage director. Please be praying that a meeting “off the grounds” might be worked out! The director needs to voice approval before a court date can be set.

Thankful for a Sovereign God Who is not surprised by any of this. He is not caught off-guard at all. It will be interesting to see how He plans to use all of this to His glory!

Adoption Awareness Month

In conjunction with National Adoption Awareness Month, friends at adoption316 are giving books away throughout the month! Ramona and Connie are both adoptive moms with heart-warming, heart-wrenching, heartfelt stories to share of their journeys and the resources that helped them.

Jim and I met both of them this spring — Ramona in Huntsville, Alabama and Connie at the Tulsa Airport over Starbucks coffee.

If you or friends may find adoption resources helpful, please enter now to add to your library! And spread the word about their blog!