Peanut
Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
I am
thinking a lot lately about how Jim and Elisabeth Elliot went to the mission
field in the 1950's. With the few attempts at contact with the tribal focus of
the Aucas, the 5 men (Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and the others) met their Lord and
Saviour. And all they got to share, before the spears were launched, which took
their lives? A few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
We know from
the subsequent history, that though these five men were martyred, it was Rachel
Saint (Nate Saint’s sister) and Elisabeth Elliot whom God used to "break
open" a pathway for the gospel to penetrate to the hearts of the Auca
Indian tribe.
A few PBJ
sandwiches, 5 martyrs, and two women. In the great stories we shall all rejoice
in around the throne of Jesus one day, the mysterious way in which God oft
times uses the inconceivable for the advancement of His glory, the story of
these five will be one of multitudinous chapters therein.
Many a
missionary launch was secured by those impacted at this kind of love and
radical obedience for the glory of the One who initiated the only true and
first love. My husband and I are one of those of whom this story impacted to
serve among M*u*slim UPGs.
Milk
William
Borden set sail for an unreached Muslim people group in northwest China. In the
1920's, William was one of the leaders of the Student Volunteer Movement which
had also impacted his own life to become a sent one to the ethne. To the dismay
of many in upper society, William was from the privileged tiers of the
Vanderbilts, Gettys, Hearsts, and of course, his own family wealth of the
Borden Dairy family.
A note from
Bible.org...
In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate,
graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip
around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave
Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, “I’m
going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.” When he made this
decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: No Reserves.
Turning down high paying job offers after graduation from Yale University, he
entered two more words in his Bible: No Retreats. Completing
studies at Princeton Seminary, Borden sailed for China to work with Muslims,
stopping first at Egypt for some preparation. While there he was stricken with
cerebral meningitis and died within a month. A waste, you say! Not in God’s
plan. In his Bible underneath the words No Reserves and No
Retreats, he had written the words No Regrets.
Pre-field
equipping, along with goodbyes were fresh on the mind of one yielded to go to
the "ends of the earth". With the clear thought of the reality of a
most likely one way course which lay ahead, for most missionaries of that era,
he set sail. Christ was worth every bit of this cost. This great mystery of how
God uses the inconceivable for the greatness of His glory, again, was played
out in the life of William Borden.
"No
reserves, no retreats, no regrets"...
Jake
Jake and M**
met at a Perspectives Course in 2009. Jake had just lost his first wife to
cancer. As he walked through that grief process, the Lord rekindled a passion
to recommit his life to Christ, at all levels. A friend suggested he explore
what God is doing in history past, and to discover what still needs to be done
for God's glory to be declared and demonstrated among the ethne.
M** had been
a single parent for most of her kids' growing years. M** was very
faithful to walk with Jesus, as well as to cast vision for UPGs. Her role as
the Perspectives Course on World Christian Movements coordinator led her to yet
another semester of classes.
Jake and M**
met and married in 2009. In 2011, they sensed God was leading them to be ones
who are sent. Jake, had amassed a highly comfortable lifestyle, complete with
loads of accumulated possessions. Having considered the great gain of following
Christ, no matter what the cost, they set their course. They joined Beyond in
2011. We took them on a survey among the UPGs which they subsequently came to
minister among.
Jake and M**
had spent their first 2 years, 2013-2015 with us as their DMM Hub coaches and
trainers. They spent another bit of time strengthening their language
acquisition and were then ready to land and live in M/BGees UPGs from 2016-
2017.
More
traction they were able to make for the launch of cascading movements to Christ
was due to the laser focus and faithful trust in the Father to do so.Traction
for training, coaching, and further development of local Indonesian partners
was something which we observed them to do well.
And yet,
after just one year in pocket there, with few else in that small missionary community
who have committed to alignment of all that they engage in for the launch of movements, the Lord would take Jake home. Again, another
mystery.
This is
where prayers come in....we are believing God to raise up 100 new recruits to
Beyond for DMM focus among UPGs in the next year alone. Would that God launch a
ripple of eternally impactful affect from the home-going of Jake?
In all of
this, the reminders of Jim Elliot's words echo..."He is no fool to give
what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." Amen and
Amen.
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