Praying for the Bridge Believers

This morning, I woke up and began to pray about everything going on in our lives right now.  Nothing is easy about this season of life, but a lot of it is so good.  When I checked my email, I received an update from a missionary family in Indonesia that I like to keep up with.  I wanted to share it with you.  It really makes every single struggle I have seem so minimal.  

(I'm going to include their contact information in case God leads you to contact them or support them financially.)  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indo Window —The Pearl of Great Price

Stephanie and I are getting ready to go lead our English club on a Monday afternoon when Andi calls and asks if he can drop by.  He’s one of our national partners and wants to give me the latest on what is happening on “Bridge Island” and to process some decisions we need to make as a team as to how to respond to some persecution that has broken out there.

As I wrote in our last update, this unreached and Gospel-resistant island has recently experienced a breakthrough.  At our count 25 families in the last few months have become followers of Jesus, totaling over 200 people with 94 of them baptized so far and growing.  There have been miracles and healings and it’s something totally unprecedented that I know of among this particular people group.

Recently a fanatical sect of Shia Islam (most Muslims in Indonesia are Sunni) burned down a Muslim boarding house in one of the villages there that they thought was deviant to true Islam.  While on their rampage, this mob heard some rumors of a group of followers of Jesus living there.  In this village were indeed seven families totaling 42 people in this growing movement, all believers for just a few weeks.  These families were tipped off to the approaching mob and fled, just having with them the clothes on their backs.  The mob arrived and broke into their homes, found New Testaments, and in a rage burned down each of their seven houses. 

One of the new believers named Mr. J, against the urging of his friends, went back to his house to defend it.  The mob arrived to burn down his house and he fought back by slashing one of the assailants with a sword and injuring him.  The police later arrested Mr. J and are holding him in prison right now, they say for his own safety even though he had a legal right to defend his home.  He has heard that as soon as he gets out there are people in this sect waiting to get revenge on him.

The seven families, many of them fisherman who have their own small boats, fled to a different island about a half hour away that is known as a hiding spot for people fleeing the law, in debt or on the run from someone out to get them (revenge is a very common cultural trait of these Bridge people).   Over the next few days they set up makeshift tents out of tarps and were helped out by other followers in the movement.  Since most of the men work as fisherman, they are able to catch fish for their families to eat every day, selling some to be able to buy rice which is the main staple in their diet.

As you read this these 42 people are still living on this rugged island which has no electricity or any infrastructure of any kind.  Andi tells me one of their biggest complications is there is no electricity so they can’t keep their cell phones charged and have to severely limit use, a challenge when they need to communicate with one another.  They turn their phones on just to text each other and then turn them right off again.  Andi and I kick around an idea to buy and bring them a generator when he goes to visit them this week.  Poro, whom I also wrote about in our last update, is with them now providing spiritual leadership for them in their ordeal.  Andi will join Poro there and see firsthand what is going on and how to help.

Andi also tells me that this experience has not intimidated these new believers but they have been sharing the Gospel with other inhabitants of this “city of refuge” island.  All of them want to go back to their homes, their land, their way of life.  But in the meantime they are being bold fishers of men.

I remember when Andi  and our other national partner led a CPM (Church Planting Movement) training for four leaders of these Bridge believers.  They warned them that there could be a steep price for following Jesus, and they answered that they understood the cost and were willing to die for Jesus.   We were touched by their sincere response and it reminded me of the pearl merchant Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:45-46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  That training was just a couple of weeks ago.  None of us imagined that the persecution would start so soon.  But they still say the kingdom of heaven has been worth the high cost.

I’m so riveted by Andi’s latest report and humbled to know of these saints who have paid a dear price of following Jesus even in their first few weeks of becoming believers.  My life is so comfortable—even as Andi tells me these stories we are sitting on my front porch enjoying a nice breeze together.  Soon Stephanie and I will be greeted by friendly children eager to learn English.  I’ll go to bed later tonight in my cozy home while these fellow believers will be sleeping under trees and tarps.

Though they have paid so much and I have paid so little for the Pearl of Great Price, I can join them in prayer.  You can too and we ask for your prayers for them.  Pray for the other 20 families to be hidden and protected from this mob.  Pray for justice.  Pray for Mr. J now in prison.  Pray that the seven families could return to their homes without fear.  Pray for the four main leaders of their movement and for Andi and Poro visiting them this week.  Pray that all of them will continue to be a light in a very dark place.  Pray for our small team to know the wisest way to respond.

Thanks so much,

Mike O’Quin

P.S. My latest blog post, marveling at the rich soil of Java and how our hearts can be the same: http://www.faithactivators.com/soil-on-steroids/

Support Information

Thanks so much to those of you who gave extra in November and December…that really helped us out!  We couldn’t do this ministry at all without the support of friends and churches, as we live 100% off your generosity. All gifts are tax deductible and much appreciated.  You can give on-line by visiting: http://www.hopeinthecity.org/give/. 

Or you can make out a check to "Hope for the Nations" with a note attached saying the support is for us.  Then send to:

Hope for the Nations

4407 Monterey Oaks Blvd.

Building 1, Suite 120

Austin, TX 78749

Phone: 512-892-4673

http://www.hopeintheciety.org/nations/

Signing up for monthly automatic debit: accounting@hopeinthecity.org

Our Contact Info:

Indonesian Address

Jl. Tidar Utara #23

Malang, JATIM 65146

INDONESIA

Phone: +62-341-581-900

Cell: +62-81-334-967-714

U.S. Address

6414 Wareham Lane

Austin, TX 78739

Skype: mikeandstepho

Secure email: mikeo@gomail.asia

Business Projects: www.PresentationElevation.com and www.ClarionCreative.org

Blog: www.FaithActivators.com

Carrying the Roberts' Genes Along

My dad's mom, whom I lovingly knew as Meme, passed away this past August at the age of 92.  At her funeral, relatives passed around a photo of her and kept saying how much I looked like her.  I never really thought I resembled her too much, but I think I have to agree with them now.  Check out this old photo of her when she was younger, and the photo I snapped of myself today when I was playing around with my camera phone.  Now I know where I got my skinny lips from!

Less is More

28 weeks pregnant... I survived the second trimester.  Just one more to go!

I haven't blogged about the launch of Church@The Square yet, because quite honestly, I haven't felt much like writing or doing anything else lately.  The birth of the new church is so exciting and there is so much to tell.  However, having a sick gallbladder takes a lot out of me, and I've been carefully rationing out my spurts of energy to take care of Bryan, Abby, and our home.  


Lately, I have really been struggling with the constant physical down days where I can't accomplish much more than being pregnant.  I mean, technically, even at rest, I'm doing a lot- I'm nurturing our son and giving him a chance to develop well before he meets the outside world.  If you know me, I am so task and goal oriented that I don't like to slow down... I have to right now.


Today is one of those days where I woke up sluggish and the funk hasn't went away.  I sat in my recliner this morning and was praying.  I was thinking about how frustrating it is not to be able to pull as much of the weight with the church plant or with our business as I would like to do right now and was feeling pretty helpless.  That's when this verse came to mind.


Matthew 5:3 (The MSG) "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule."


I'm definitely there.  I don't have anything more of me to give right now.  I have a willing heart but an unwilling body.  God knows.  God cares.  If He has chosen not to heal me right now, it's so I can learn a greater lesson.  Maybe, I need to be reminded right now in this huge life transition that it doesn't take more of me to accomplish something great.  It takes less of me and more of Him.


I can't run around wide open as I'm used to doing pulling all of the little details together, but I can be still and pray and watch God work everything out in His way.  I don't think I will ever like being sick.  It stinks.  I need to remember that God is accomplishing His purpose in me, through me, and around me- not because I have so much to offer- but because He does.  God is good like that.  He shocks the world by using the weakest, most useless vessels to show how amazing and capable He is.


"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)

If you are feeling pretty useless or helpless today, thank Him.  You might be exactly where you need to be to finally be useful in His Kingdom.


It's not about us... it is about Jesus.


"In Him we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:28 (NIV)


"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

Final Decision: Today's Update from My Appointment with the Surgeon

So, the last few days have not been too fun.  Wednesday, I met with the surgeon to discuss whether or not my gallbladder needs come out now or after Pax is born.  He decided to order more tests.  Thursday morning, I had more ultrasounds of my gallbladder and a fatty meal test.  The ultrasounds showed nothing unusual, but the fatty meal test sent my gallbladder into painful spasms within minutes.  As a result, I was miserable for the rest of the day and had a rough night.

This morning, we met with Dr. Bailey, the surgeon, again for follow-up.  He consulted with Dr. Sams, my obgyn, to get his feedback.  Though Dr. Bailey's diagnosis is that I have a dysfunctional gallbladder that needs to come out, both Dr. Sams and he agree that the gallbladder surgery's risks outweigh the benefits at this point.  Even though I am in pain all of the time, especially at night, it is safest for Pax if we can postpone surgery until after delivery.  I understand, because Pax kept kicking the ultrasound probe out of the way yesterday when they were trying to take photos of my gallbladder.  It's scary to think about him doing that with a scalpel.  As soon as Pax is delivered, my gallbladder needs to come out. Obviously, it is in not working if a fatty meal of any sort sends me into a gallbladder attack.

Here's what I am asking our prayers warriors to pray for:

1) Pray that my gallbladder does not become infected.  If it does, we'll have to do a risky open surgery that is dangerous for Pax and me.

2) Pray that the gallbladder attacks will settle down and that I won't be in pain so often.

3) Pray that God gives me the grace and peace to endure the next 3 months.  My gallbladder has only been in crisis mode since Thanksgiving, but it feels like it has been an eternity already.  I am really ready to feel comfortable again.  Chronic pain is exhausting and frustrating (as many of you know that suffer with it from other issues).

Our doctors' final decision:

No surgery for now unless I begin running a fever.  Stay on a bland, gluten free diet for 3 more months and control the pain with medication as needed.  Expect to schedule surgery soon after Pax's delivery.

January Update

Since I know I have a lot of people following our pregnancy and praying for us, I wanted to give an update tonight.

Backtracking a bit, since the week of Thanksgiving, my gallbladder has been giving me some trouble.  The week after Thanksgiving, I had my first gallbladder attack, and it has gone downhill since.  I've been trying to manage the frequent gallbladder attacks with a strict gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, nut free, egg free, low fat diet, but my gallbladder has continually become more dysfunctional as time has went on.

Two Mondays ago, I ended up in the ER because the pain was so severe.  When they did an ultrasound, they were unable to find any gallstones or any evidence of infection, so they sent me home with a strong oral pain medicine.  Since then, my obgyn has been closely monitoring me, and the game plan was for me to just tough it out until Pax could be safely delivered in April.  Since I have been continuing to lose weight pregnant, not gain weight as expected, there has been some reason for concern.  So far, all of my labs and ultrasounds have indicated that Pax is healthy and is not being negatively affected by any of the health struggles I have had.  I believe it's because so many of you have been praying with us that God would keep him safe during this pregnancy.

This past Friday night, I had an extremely severe attack where the pain was no longer manageable with the strongest oral pain medicine I could take while pregnant.  Upon talking to my obgyn, I began an all liquid diet for Saturday and Sunday to try to avoid more gallbladder attacks.  Unfortunately, I've never completely recovered from the attack Friday, and I have been much sicker than I was before.  I still don't hurt as much during the day as I do at night, but my energy level is really lagging and I just don't feel good.

Today, my obgyn referred me to a local general surgeon, and he wants me to reconsider operating now- not later.  The plus side of me being so small this pregnancy is that they may be able to do a laparoscopy still even though I am crossing over into my third trimester.  Until today, I had understood that a laparoscopy was no longer possible.

Tomorrow morning, I am scheduled for another ultrasound with a fatty meal test.  The point of the test is to throw me into a gallbladder attack, so they can verify 100% that it is indeed my gallbladder causing the pain and sickness.  I am nervous about the test, because the attacks I have had lately have been worse than labor was with Abby.  Please pray that if it is my gallbladder (as symptoms seem to indicate) that the test would be 100% definitive and that God would give me the grace to get through the pain and discomfort of the test.  My worst fear tomorrow is that the test would be inconclusive.

Friday morning, I follow-up with my general surgeon to discuss surgery options and what is safest for Pax and me.

This is all moving fast, so I would appreciate prayers for clear direction, clear answers, and wisdom.  Please pray for Pax's safety and my safety.  Please pray that God would give us all peace during the next few days.  Abby has been really concerned lately that I am dying, and it breaks my heart to hear a 3 year old ask such tough questions.  Obviously, I feel concerned about the safety of Pax through all of this.  Bryan feels the weight of everything.  We did just launch a church two weeks ago!

I don't like what is happening.  It does make me uncomfortable.  It does make me feel anxious, but I do know that God is sovereign and in control.  As much as I wish and pray for instantaneous healing, at this point, that's not been His will.  For now, we'll just continue to trust Him one moment at a time.  God is good.  His plan for me is good.  It may be painful, uncomfortable, and not my will to go through this, but it's still ultimately for His good and my good.  I will choose to rest in Him.

Thanks for the prayers.

Another Season Begins

Today, I cried like a baby in church.  They were happy tears, thankful tears.  This morning marked another season ending and another one that is beginning.

Nine months ago, I wandered into Mosaic Church grieving, scared, confused, and as broken as I have ever been.  The most fiery trial of our lives had begun, and I was seeking refuge for a Sunday in a nearby church where no one knew me while my husband faced fierce persecution back at the church we had been serving at for over three years.  I'll never forget my first Sunday at Mosaic, because it gave me hope when the world I knew was falling apart.  That Sunday at Mosaic, Dustin, the lead pastor, was teaching that the Gospel was the best thing that can happen to you, even if it ruins your life.  I sobbed on the back pew knowing that it was true but hurting all the same.  I saw the same Gospel that we were being persecuted for thriving and living around me as this church brought in people of all races, ages, and backgrounds into a packed out skating ring.  It was the most unconventional church I had ever been to, and I loved every minute of it.  We sang a worship song that had offended lead people at our other church, and I stood in awe as worshippers around me joyfully sang it.  As our ministry was ending in one church because of the Gospel, I saw another ministry thriving because of it.

Mosaic Church has welcomed our family into it during this transitional period.  Since Bryan has been an interim pastor at another church in the same city, I have been attending Mosaic to have a time of healing from our last ministry.  The staff and members of Mosaic have loved and served my family and me well this past year.  I will forever be grateful that God allowed me to be part of a congregation where no one knew me or my story and where I had the privacy and space to grieve and heal.   I couldn't be more grateful for their partnership with us now as we plant Church@The Square.  We are weeks away from Church@The Square's public launch service.  Sundays from now, Bryan will be finishing his interim time at his current church and will be plunging full-time into his role as the lead pastor of Church@The Square.  It's a huge leap of faith for us in every way, but we have anticipated this coming day with great expectation.

Today was bittersweet, and the service couldn't have been more custom fit for my last Sunday morning at Mosaic.  Dustin, the lead pastor was out of town, so Sean, the community pastor, was preaching in his place.  His message was about the Gospel and suffering through trials.  I think I cried the whole time he was speaking, because I kept thinking about how far God has brought my family and me this year.  God has been so good to us.  He has brought me from a place of desperate brokenness to a place of healing and joy.  Only God can turn your worst nightmare into your ultimate dream.  When Sean finished speaking, the worship band closed the service in the same song that started our trial.  At that point, I sobbed again.  This time, not in anger or grief as I had many months ago, but in complete praise to the God who is our Healer.  In what seemed to be the Gospel failing as we were rejected by a church, the Gospel was actually prevailing.  We were being released from a traditional church setting and sent out into a community that desperately needs to see the Church body working in a way that speaks to their culture.  Our "failure" in one ministry was really just the birth of another.

I am so thankful that God never abandoned us.  His silence during our persecution felt like He had forgotten us, but I know now that He was purifying and preparing us.  He was strengthening our faith- teaching us the endurance we would need to do something radical and out of the ordinary.  Though I grieved then, I rejoice now.  I look forward to our future at Church@The Square.  God is faithful.  He will accomplish His purpose for us in His time His way.  Here's to a new season of life as we plunge full-time into church planting.

1 Peter 1:6-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ⁶ So be truly glad.^[a] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. ⁷These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
 ⁸ You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. ⁹ The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Sunrise

Since we were traveling over Thanksgiving break and busy preparing for our trip before, I'm a little late writing a blog about the things I am thankful for this year.  But hey, better late than never, right?

This year has been one of the hardest years of my life, and it has been one of the best.  I can honestly say with complete joy that some of the most painful things we have been through have been used by God for our good and His good.  Months ago, I wasn't sure I felt that way.  It was just head knowledge that I was hoping would penetrate my heart in time.

Today, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy for the journey we are on.  This year I have been sanctified through fire, tears, illness, heartache, loss, and uncertainty. When I look back over the last nine months, I see how God has used a painful period to usher in a period of deep healing for me and our family on many levels.

After several possible miscarriages this year, one at Easter, one in May, and one in June, God answered our prayers.  Before scheduling an appointment with a fertility doctor to try to figure out why we were miscarrying again and again, I took a pregnancy test just to not feel foolish when we walked into his office.  To our surprise, we were pregnant.  Again to our surprise and joy, we didn't miscarry.  Not coincidentally, our son's due date is Easter Sunday.  Where we felt loss and sadness Easter 2011, God has brought joy and peace through another child expected on Easter 2012.

Leaving a church at the beginning of the year was something that neither Bryan nor I had foreseen.  What started out as a scary nightmare has turned out into the greatest adventure of our marriage.  We have been supported and loved by our families, friends, and our new church family.  Without either of us having a single full-time job in a tanking economy, we have had all of our financial needs met this year.  With our hodge podge of multiple jobs, God has provided for us so well that we have been able to stay debt free (besides our home), even with multiple medical problems rising, and we have been able to be generous with others in need as well.  God is so very good.  God's provision during this unusual season of our life has been needed confirmation that we are indeed planting His church- not ours.

I love our ministry at Church@The Square.  It is so refreshing to be part of a church that matches our personalities, gifts, and vision perfectly.  We love the simplicity of meeting in a "borrowed building" on Sundays so that our church resources can be funneled back into the Kingdom without as much overhead.  We love that our church body is made up of people all different ages, backgrounds, and races.  We love that people feel welcome when walking through the doors and are hearing the Gospel sometimes for the first time clearly.  There is so much more that I am excited about, but I'll have to save that for another blog all of its own.  Can you believe our launch is only a month away now???!!!

I am so thankful for Jesus.  What other god takes things meant for evil and turns them into good?  There are still things I don't like- don't understand.  I am so thankful that weeping only lasts for a night and that joy comes in the morning.  Like the Proverbs 31 woman, I can look at the future and laugh.  Though life is uncertain and at times very difficult, the joy we have in Christ is unshakeable and helps us overcome all things.  In Christ, we can look at the future and smile.  Even if things do not get better for us in this life, we know we have one to come as believers... a life where all things wrong will be made right and where peace will reign and night will be no more.  The morning is coming beloved Christian.  Take heart and be thankful.  Jesus will not let us down.  Close your eyes when you are discouraged and anticipate it.  The sun is rising.  Our Master's return is near.