The Contentment Tree

For the last few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about Christmas. I have been nostaligic about Christmases past, excited about Charlotte's first this year, and uncertain about Christmases to come.



I have really been struggling with the materialism of the holiday. I love gifts! In fact, gift giving and receving is one of my "love languages." But, I feel gifts have become a distraction from the real "reason for the season." Just look at the Black Friday madness this last week- people trampling over one another, using waffle makers as weapons, and even using pepper spray to get stuff we don't really need. As Steven Colbert puts it, Christmas has become a "consume-icaine."



Today as I was decorating my Christmas tree,I was thinking about what Christmas will be like next year without a house full of decorations, crowded mall shopping, cyber Monday, gift-a-thons, party overload, and long to-do lists.



Then it happened. The tree fell over- fully decorated.



And we do not have one of these new fancy trees that are pre-lit and easy to assemble. No. Our's is 7 years old and cheap. You have to put every branch in its hole and put every strand of lights up. Decorating our tree takes hours. And just as I finished, I tried to move it a little and it fell. And bent the base that was already bent and repaired from last year's falling of the tree. This year, it was beyond repair. The harder I tried to fix it, the worst it got.



So I threw it in the trash.

And I put our ornaments on the tree we already had in the living room. This year, we are having what I call a "Contentment Tree." And I love it.



This Christmas, I am praying that I can learn to be content with less. For after all, it is the holiday in which we celebrate the King that was born in a barn. Now that trully is being content with less!



"What self denial! What self abasement! What self emptying! He, whom no infinitudes can hold, is contained within infant’s age, and infant’s form. Can it be, that the great ‘I AM THAT I AM’ shrinks into our flesh?" -Henry Law.

This is the reason for the season.

Money and bugs!

(bugs in the operating room- yes they are inside!)

It has been scary long since I have blogged which is kind of ironic because it is that time of year again for scary things…. Like money and bugs.

I was going to write a blog giving an update on our fund raising status and give some more specific details about our budget, but then I was looking through some pictures from our trip to CAR a few years ago and I saw them- the many pictures of the big scary bugs that live in our future hometown- and I wanted to share them with you. So I thought I would combine the two terrifying subjects: money and pictures of bugs (and other critters)!



Before we get to the gory details, first some good news- we have $27,205 in gifts and monthly commitments! We are already at 18.14% funded! And this is without some pretty big verbal commitments added in. God is good!

STM WORKING BUDGET for Josh & Lori Shinar
Language School 4 months, CAR 2 yrs
Prelim

PREFIELD
Processing fee 400
Passport 90
Photos/Document. 75
Visa Costs
Physical 0
Immunizations 500
Supp.ltr/Prayr cards 258
Prep. Allowance 225

Total 1548



METE (Missionary evangelism and training)
Travel 1333
Meals/Housing 400
Program/Material 200
AM Travel 0
AM Room/Board 0
CHE Travel 600
CHE Room/Board 1000
CHE Registration

Total 3533




TRAVEL
Air Fare 3000
Extra bags 600

Total 3600



IN-COUNTRY COSTS 4 mo lang school

Rent ($375/mo) 9000
Utilities ($95/mo) 2280
Cell Phone ($30/mo+$100) 1780
Internet ($60/mo) 1540
Transportation 2500
Hospitality/min ($100/mo)2400
Documentation 2400
Misc 1000
Mission Conf/Retreat 4000
Visit other Mission Site
STM Resupply 800

Total 27700



LANGUAGE STUDY
Language Study 20000
Travel?
Extra Bags

Total 20000




OTHER
Salary $1000/mo 28000
Child Supplement 2800
Cost of Living
Social Security (15.3%) 4710
Return Salary 2200
Return Social Security 340
Insurance-Family 19240
Return Insurance 1450
Newsletter 450
Med.Care (deductible) 1200
Misc. 300

Total 60690

RETURN COSTS
Return Air Fare 3000
Return extra baggage 400
Physical Exam 100
Reentry - Travel 500
Reentry - Other 175

Total 4175


TOTAL 2.25 YEARS 133371
Total per year 59276
Total per month 4763


(snails- gross, but also our dinner!)

We have a working webpage and our support letters are in the mail!

If you have read our blog, than you know we are going to Central African Republic (CAR) for two and a quarter years. Going wasn’t a hard decision. When it comes down to it, Jesus laid out a pretty simple religion for us- love God and love others. For us that means going to CAR. Deciding to go was easy. Paying for it however, is a real challenge.



This is the part I hate the most. I hate asking for money! When I was little and had to sell Girl Scout cookies or wrapping paper, I only sold to my parents and I never won the bike. They refused to buy 250 rolls of paper with penguins on it! I can feel the embarrassment and panic rising just thinking about going door to door to convince someone to buy sunblock! I hate it so much that Josh and I were bound and determined to pay for all of this on our own, but this was pride speaking and not God. We have come to learn that we must humble ourselves and allow God to use others as well to minister to the people of CAR for this is not “Josh and Lori’s mission.” The word “missions” actually comes from a Latin word that means “the act of sending!” We are being sent to Central African Republic by God, but also by you.

2 Corinthians 8 talks about the Macedonian churches that begged Paul for the privilege of sharing in the service to the Lord’s people. They pleaded with Paul to let them give him money for his mission! They gave as much as they were able and some even beyond their ability.

You don’t have to beg us for the privilege of giving us wads of cash, we will gladly let you support us! (In addition to large bundles of cash, we also accept checks, all major credit cards, and live animals).





In all seriousness, we know that times are hard and not many people are looking around for places to throw their extra money. We are trusting that God will provide for us and we are also trusting that He will bless your generosity. I am not talking about a “Health and Wealth” Gospel in which I con you into giving to our ministry and then promise God will bless you with even more money, a big house, or a new sports car. I think God’s blessings are far more unexpected and satisfying.

I love The Message’s version of 2 Cor. 9:8-11:

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

“He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.”

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

God gives to us extravagantly so that we can give recklessly to others so that all can give praise to God. And in the end, we are all wealthy!

Did you know that most missionaries get more of their support from individuals rater than from churches or organizations? We need to raise 80% of $150,000 before we can begin language school and go to CAR. While any gift is appreciated, having regular steady donations (monthly donations), even in small amounts would help us budget and help us focus on the work God has called us to rather than money.

If you did not get a support letter and want one, let us know! Send your address to lorishinar@gmail.com

Please don’t make us sell smencils door to door

Costco

Costco

This blog is going to take a short detour from the series of blogs on the most common questions asked by you to talk about a monumental event on our journey to Central African Republic- my most recent trip to Costco.

I pulled into the Costco gas area, got out, put my membership card in the reader and it said, “Your membership has expired. Please see an associate inside the store to renew.” After I got in my car with the empty gas tank, I realized this was a first- the first thing we would not renew because we probably won’t be here a whole year.

Slowly we are letting go of our American ways to prepare for a life abroad. We will no longer buy our paper towels in bulk and once in CAR we will no longer be buying paper towels or any other disposable items. Did you know most missionaries take plastic ziplock bags with them to their country of service and wash and reuse them over and over?! I am beginning to realize that we are moving from a life of overabundance and convenience to a life of just enough and work to live.

We won’t be shopping here…

We will be shopping here…

We won’t buy our gas here…

We will buy it here…


Life is about to get interesting!

Africa: questions about the "country"

Who is the president of Africa? What is the capital of Africa? What do they speak in Africa?

Yes, these are real questions! I have been asked these many times!

If you read these questions and thought to yourself, “Yeah, who is the president?” Than this blog is for you.

First of all Africa is a continent, not a country! There are 47 countries in Africa (53 if you count the independent island nations of Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Madagascar, the Comoros, the Seychelles, and Mauritius). Wait, as of July 9th there are 48/ 54 countries (Southern Sudan just became its own country- The Republic of South Sudan)! We are going to the Central African Republic (CAR)!



Each country has its own government. There are muli-party democracies in which political parties control the government, some countries have equal power between the executive and legislative branches, there are parliaments, some governments are run by the military, and yes there are presidential systems. CAR is a presidential Republic and François Bozizé is elected president of the country. There is also a Prime Minister of the Parliament that is chosen by the president. The Prime Minister is Faustin-Archange Touadéra.


President Bozizé


Prime Minister Touadéra

Now that you know Africa is comprised of many countries, there are also many capitals for those countries! Bangui is the capital of CAR!

And every country speaks a different language, usually MANY languages. French and Sango are the official languages of CAR, but there are 70 other languages spoken in CAR! We will be learning French, Sango, and Fulfulde!

So now you know that Africa is not a country and that every African country is very diverse. Now you will not be like the lady that once told me her necklace was from Africa and when I asked what country, she looked at me like I was stupid and slowly repeated, “Africa.” :)

An on"going" question

So this next question may not be the most popular one, but I have been asked it more than once, and I consider it rather amusing- “Where will you go to the bathroom?”


Well, probably somewhere out here


Maybe next to this guy

Definitely here


But usually here

(Not this actual one, but you get the point.)

Halo or Horns?

More answers to your questions….

“Wow, you are going to Africa! That is great! I could never do that.”

Okay, so that is not a question, but it is by far the most popular response we get when we tell people what we are doing. To be honest, it is this response that makes me hesitant to tell people about becoming missionaries. It makes me so uncomfortable. Non Christians look at me like I am a weird religious do-gooder and Christians look at me like I have a halo above my head.



This makes me uncomfortable because I am neither of these. In fact, I am far from it! To be honest, I am a terrible person. I am prone to negativity and laziness. I care too much about material things. I find gossip enthralling. I overeat when I am stressed. I am bad at keeping up relationships. I am horribly impatient. I am very judgmental. And this is just the beginning of a very long list. Trust me; there is a greater chance of seeing horns than a halo!


But for some reason, God has a plan for me in Africa. He is funny that way. He often uses scum buckets like me to do cool things. Take for example these losers that the Bible talks about:
• Jacob- put goatskin on his arms to deceive his dying father and steal from his brother! Yet God used him to father the tribes of Israel (God’s chosen people)
• Moses- had such a temper that he smashed the tablets that were written by God and he made the people drink them! Yet God used him to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
• Noah- got drunk and exposed himself to his kids! Yet God used him to build a big boat to save humanity and animals.
• Paul- was the most notorious Christian killer! Yet God used him to spread Christianity around the world.
• And it wasn’t just the men! The three women named in Jesus’ genealogy- Tamar- seduced her father-in-law, Rahab- was a hooker, and Bathsheba- although married, gave into a lustful affair!
• God even used an ass- literally an ass as in a donkey- to get His plan accomplished!



So if God can use liars, anger management attendees, drunken exhibitionists, murderers, seducers, prostitutes, adulterers, and asses, I guess he can use Josh and I and you too!

So to answer your question or um comment, yes it is great!

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).


And yes you can because He can!

Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. (1 Timothy 1:15-19 The Message)

The "cons" of taking Charlie

You're taking baby Charlotte to Africa?! Yes.

Aren’t you scared?! Yes.

Pregnant women have lots of crazy dreams. For instance, when I was pregnant I dreamt that I gave birth to a fork which I promptly swaddled and rocked lovingly! I sincerely loved that piece of silverware.

I also had a dream that a band of rebels abducted my baby in Africa. They ripped her out of my arms and sped away in a truck. I woke up and my face was already drenched with tears. I can still see their jovial faces mocking me. I can still taste the dust from the road in my mouth. I can still feel my empty arms and the overwhelming pain in my chest.



I can still be brought to tears when I think of what could happen to my sweet little girl in Africa. It was just a dream, but the fear is real.

In our last blog, I talked about all of the positive things about taking a child around the world. This blog is about the other side- the darker side. I hate writing this. I hate thinking about it. Yet, I do all of the time.

Below are a list of “cons”/worries for our daughter-
• Malaria- it is not a question of “if” she will get it, but “when” she will get it
• How to educate Charlie- there are no schools for little kids and we may have to send her to another country for boarding school when she is in high school
• How do you pack years of clothes for a growing child?
• Loneliness- will there be other kids like her, will the local kids accept her?
• Will she be socially awkward when she comes back to the States?
• Driver ants- they kill whatever is in their way- even a large cow or a small child

• Rape- which can be prevalent in Africa, especially of children
• Healthcare- where do we take her when she is sick or when she needs immunizations?
• What will we feed her?
• How we will balance ministry with her needs?
• Potty training her to use a hole in the ground and a western toilet
• Being kidnapped and held for ransom or sold into the sex industry
• Missing out on being with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins
• Illnesses- such as African sleeping sickness
• Will she hate us/ resent us for her upbringing?
• Will she turn against God because of her upbringing?
• The traumatic experience of being evacuated from a country because of civil unrest in the country
• Will she ever get used to being different and stared at?
• I could probably go on and on…


When I really look at this list, most of these worries are typical mom worries- will my child be safe, healthy, and accepted and will I raise him/her well? Some days, I want to lock my arms around my baby and never let her go. I do not want her to leave my embrace and face this scary world- whether it be in Africa or America.

The Greek word most translated into “worry” or “anxiety” in the Bible is merimnao- derived from merizo = "to divide;" and nous = "mind." Worry = having a divided mind. It is right to be concerned about our lives in Africa because it is unhealthy to live life naively. It is also unhealthy to think that I am alone with my concerns. When I think it is up to me to take care of my concerns, my concerns become worries or anxieties or phobias because instinctively I know that I am not in control. To counter act my lack of control, I try to be more controlling! If I give into my concern over not wanting Charlie to face the world and I keep her inside all of the time, she will become a scared recluse. I will inadvertently have done that which I feared the most- hurt her. I try to take control when I feel out of control and I am left with a divided mind and hence I worry.

The only way not to worry or have a divided mind is to admit I am not in control. Luckily, I have a God that is!

In Matthew 6:25- 34, Jesus says:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Having an undivided mind or a worry free mind means admitting that I am not in control, but that God is. God know what I need! God knows what Charlie needs.

So to answer your question- are you taking Charlie with you? Yes. Aren’t you scared? Yes, but God is in control.

Giving control over to God is easier said than done and let me tell you I am prone to worrying! But as a friend reminded me today, “God is patient with me!”

Your ?'s answered! What about Charlie?!

Get all of your questions answered right here on our blog! Well, not all of your questions- I have no idea where the socks go when you put them in the dryer or why Abba songs always get stuck in your head! In the next few blogs, I will attempt to answer some of the most common questions about our African journey because as the NBC public service announcements say… “The More You Know”…

In the last year, the most common question and/or concern has been- “You are going to take your baby to Africa?!”

By now, I am sure that most of you know that Josh and I welcomed Charlotte Claire (aka Charlie) into our lives on April 14! You can get up to date on all of her cuteness here and here!

Knowing that we were headed for a life of service in Africa, the decision to start a family did not come easy. And if you know my husband, you know that we analyzed, compared, debated, and maybe even made an excel sheet or two. There were some obvious pros and cons about taking a child to Africa.

The Pros-
If you have ever asked me the question of the day about taking my little one to Africa, you have probably heard me give you a list of reasons why it is a good idea. It goes something like this-
• There are billions of children born in Africa! The Unites States is not the only place to raise children.
• Bad things can happen in the US too- a friend of mine who has lived in several third world countries has been mugged one time- in Deerfield- a wealthy suburb of Chicago! Living in America does not guarantee an easy, safe life!
• Children are very important to our ministry. In Africa, having children means many things. For men it means that you will have more help at harvest time, that you are carrying on your family/tribal legacy, that you are virile, etc. For women, it means that you have social significance, that you have a secure future, that you are a worthy bride, etc. Having children means that you are blessed by God or the gods. Not having children means that you have been cursed by God or the gods. When Josh and I went to Kenya, people asked us over and over if we have children. When we said no, they responded: “We will pray for you.” It was like we had cancer! Charlotte represents that we have been blessed by God. If we did not have children, it would be hard for Africans to hear the Good News from us. They would think that we have been cursed and want nothing to do with us!
• Charlie will open many doors for our ministry. Every mom knows that when you meet another mom, you always have something to talk about- developmental milestones, the frustrations of temper tantrums, how to discipline, and so on. Hopefully our conversations about children can lead to more important ones about Christ and His love for us. And I pray that one day, she too will be able to share God’s love with her cross cultural friends. My mother-in-law already calls Charlie the “light in the bush!”
• Lest you think that we only had Charlotte so that we could use her to further our ministry, we think the experience will be amazing for her as well. She will experience the world first hand! She will likely speak multiple languages, see the wonders of the world, and learn to value diversity. She will grow up in an environment where the media is not her main influence. She will probably be less materialistic- being careful with what she has and mindful of what others do not, learning to content with plenty and in want. She will see that Christianity and ministry are daily things, not just reserved for one hour on Sunday. Hopefully, she will learn that God’s truths transcend cultures, denominations, and countries. Most MKs (missionary kids) say that they are thankful for their experience and many grow up to be missionaries themselves!

While I easily and happily rattle off this list of pros, I have a harder time opening up about the real downsides or cons to taking our little girl to a foreign country! In the next blog, I will bear my heart and talk about my fears, worries, and concerns of adding the “And Charlie too!” to our African story! Stay tuned!

Gotta hand it to them..

Gotta hand it to the Covenant, they got a pretty cool logo… seen here in the middle of my hand.



As part of METE (Missionary Equiping and Training Event), we had a mini-cultural immersion experience on Devon Avenue in Chicago. This area of town is known as “Little India.” As the name insinuates, the area is mostly made up of Indian Americans. The local grocery store is called “Patel Brothers,” the clothing shops sell saris, almost every restaurant specializes in vegetarian cuisine, the book store has children’s tales about Krishna, and the music store features “The Ultimate Bollywood Soundtrack.” We felt like we were in another country! At one point, we were about to cross the street and I said to the girl next to me, “In this culture, you probably don’t wait for the cars to stop, you just push your way through” (like I have done before in Africa). To this she responded, “We’re still in Chicago!” Oh yeah, I almost forgot!







As part of the experience, we had to bring something back to share with the group. I decided to get a temporary henna tattoo and I wanted to “contextualize” (see previous post) the tattoo and decided to get the Evangelical Covenant Church logo at the center. Maybe it was the two weeks of getting “covenant-anized,” but I think the logo and its meaning is really cool.

If you live outside of the Chicago area or are not Swedish, you probably do not know too much about the Evangelical Covenant Church. We didn’t either until we started going to Paradise Valley Community Church and we researched the denomination to make sure it wasn’t a crazy cult. The more we have learned about it, the more we love it! I think the meaning of its logo gives a good taste of what makes the Covenant unique. Here is a short description…

The unique character of the Evangelical Covenant Church is expressed in the design of the Covenant logo. People united in Christ, people serving people in God's name, and people bringing people to Christ.
The basis of the design is symbolic of four people facing north, south, east, and west. Notice that each one's arms are outstretched, indicating the church's outreach in mission and service to the world. The four are part of the whole, yet their hands do not touch, symbolizing their unity in the freedom and evangelical warmth that characterizes the Covenant.
The geometric arrangement of the four figures results in a cross like pattern, representative of the center of our faith.
The circle symbolizes the unity and bond of fellowship which we call "the Covenant."

The Thai that Binds- a Lesson in Contextualization

Here it is-the post about the strings...

So at METE (Missionary Equipping and Training Event), we learned a lot about missiology (the study of missions). One of the main lessons was on contextualization- translating the Gospel in words and actions in a way that can be understood by a particular culture.

Sadly, missionaries in the past have been known for trying to accomplish the 3 C's- commerce (economic gain), Christianization (making the society Christian), and civilization (making the "other" more like "us"). Forcing a change in style of dress in order to attend church, restricting "church songs" to only European hymns, and forbidding native instruments in church are just a few examples of "civilization." Luckily, many Christians are now realizing that sharing the God News doesn't mean that we have to share (or force) our culture. Part of the Good News is that is for everyone, everywhere. It transcends cultures and at the same time redeems them.

Contextualization, while a new strategy for missionaries, is not new to God. In fact, we see many examples of God explaining His love to us in ways we can understand. For example, Exodus 40 tells us that the Lord instructed Moses to set up the Tabernacle- the tent of meeting. This tent was not original to the Jews, in fact it was customary during that time to set up tents for your god or gods. The God of the Bible did not shun or forbid that cultural practice, instead He took it and gave it new meaning. Not only would His tent be a place where you could meet to worship your God, it would be a place where He would meet with you too and His presence would be visible. And He would guide you and tell you where to go as opposed to the other religious tents that could be set up anywhere in an attempt to coerce the gods. God allowed the Jews to continue a cultural practice they were used to, but to do so in a new way that fostered a relationship with Him!


So back to the strings... In Thailand, a string tying ritual has been practiced for centuries by Buddhists and animists. In an effort to ward off bad spirits/omens and/or to express well wishes and bring positive energy, Thai people will tie a cotton string around each other's wrists. It is done when babies are born, when you get married, when you travel, or any important event. An event isn't an event without strings! When early missionaries came to Thailand, new believers were forced to sever ties with anything that could be associated with worshiping spirits. Literally, they had to sever the ties. No more string tying ceremonies. The missionaries thought they had been successful at getting rid of the strings, but little did they know that the new followers were worshiping in church the way the missionaries liked and still engaging in string tying outside the church. Imagine someone telling you that in order to follow Jesus, you cannot celebrate your birthday by blowing out candles. A birthday wouldn't be a birthday without making a wish- or tying strings!

The Thailand Covenant Church has adapted the string tying ceremony for use in the church. It is no longer done to conjure the spirits, it is now "used to symbolize the tying together of brothers and sisters in Christ as well as to "tie" a spoken blessing to the recipient." An event can still be an event! A Thai person can still be Thai and a Christian. Christ is relevant!

So back to METE... To end our training experience, we participated in a string tying ceremony of our own. As we tied strings on each other, we prayed over each other and blessed one another. For days, I had a physical reminder of being united with my brothers and sisters and their sweet prayers over me. It was beautiful!






More about the hand art later...