The Journal of Seek The Lamb
September
2009
Free Nuggets of Gold!
Read on for details………
“I’m learning something new all the time,” said the husband married for 18 months.
“I’m
learning when to keep my mouth shut” said
the husband of 20 years.
The
realities of living with a woman are evident for both men. Change is necessary
for the marriage relationship to grow; Change on both sides, so that the union
will be mutually beneficial.
Life
is all about growing, and changing. In
the process, we become different in the way we look, and the manner in which we
look at things. We see it in our kids and we see it when we look in the mirror.
The
Bible describes this process in detail.
Jesus says in the “Sermon on the Mount”
“Therefore
you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew
5:48.
Here is the Greek word for “perfect” is τέλειος - “Teleios”,
which means according to the Dictionary of Biblical Languages, “mature in one’s behavior”
Maturity is a goal of all followers of
Jesus, or at least it should be. Maturity means leaving childish things behind,
and growing in understanding and responsibility. Here is how a famous teacher named Paul once
described it to his friends:
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Eph 4:21-24
We
all need renewal in our thoughts and attitudes.
Knowing that is the first step in seeing that “maturing” take
place. If we are serious about walking
out this process of maturity, then the Bible says that God will instruct us in
“His Ways” and then present us with
circumstances where we will learn the benefits of growing up and doing it His
way.
Much
of God’s practical instructions are included in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs
1 offers us a series of reasons why these divine proverbs are included in the
Bible:
To
know wisdom and instruction,
To
discern the sayings of understanding,
To
receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness,
justice and equity; Prov. 1:2-3
My
Key Word Study Bible has an interesting note for the Hebrew word (muwcar) translated “instruction” in Verse 3:
Instruction
and discipline come primarily from the father or a father figure such as a
teacher, and usually are conveyed orally or may come via the rod (or
consequences). Those who are wise receive instruction but fools reject it. The
reception of instruction brings life wisdom and the favor of God. However
rejection brings death, poverty and shame.
What
a profound insight!
This
year has been a year of challenges for me personally, and I have received
“instruction” from the Lord. Here are a few things that I have learned:
1)
Even if what I am saying is correct and proper, the manner in which it is
expressed has a lot to do with how it is received. I have discovered the
principle that communication is both expressing and listening. Both skills have to happen if thoughts are
going to be conveyed successfully. I have to communicate in a manner that the listener
will actually hear what I am saying. This is a huge lesson for me!
2)
Raising children is a great responsibility.
Even though both parents are involved, ultimately the father is held
responsible for the teaching and training his children. This mandate demands understanding of each
child as well as the mom. A successful father is one who can gently but firmly
guide his family through emotional times to the goals that God sets for our
parenting.
3) I am instructed to undertake ministry
projects that demand the participation of the Holy Spirit. If we can figure it out, and ourselves
provide for every need, then probably God is not a part of it, and the fruit will
be minimal. God wants us to plan big, so
that he will have to do his part for success to occur.
4)
I am not responsible for the success of God’s projects. He is.
All I am responsible to do is my
part. For example I am not the one who
does the fundraising for our school project.
The Holy Spirit does. All I do is
my part- write the newsletter, and let the needs be know. And take care of how
the money is spent. These past months, I have agonized over the monthly budget,
fearing not having money to pay our teachers in Nicaragua. But I finally
realized that He is the responsible party.
We all have to just do our parts.
5)
My life is a series of choices based on my value system. Since I became a
follower of Jesus, my values have changed. Amazingly, I have now placed relationships above accomplishments. It has not always been that way. For example in the first week in
September, I have set aside the writing of this newsletter and the meeting of
my established goal to have it in the mail by the eighth of the month, so that
you all could have opportunity to read it by the 15th,
get your child sponsorship checks in the mail by the 20th,
so that I can wire transfer the money to Nicaragua by the 25th,
in favor of spending time with family and friends. It was my birthday on the first, and then
Laura’s brothers and parents all arrived for the Labor Day weekend. This past
week has been filled with very significant discussions with family members and
ministry partners. It was obvious that God had a definite agenda in place. So I
can comfortably enjoy the moments without getting stressed out over a
self-imposed goal. I’ll be a few days late getting the newsletter in the mail,
but God is in charge, and He will take care of it (refer to #4).
6)
More than ever, I need to work with people whom I love, and who love me. Life is too short to have stress in ministry
relationships. This is the #1 reason that missionaries return from working in
full time ministry. It is the conflict
in their relationships with their team members.
I have experienced that. No more!
Fortunately my current ministry teammates are ones who I love dearly- and I
think they love me. That makes THE difference in long term working
relationships.
7) My wife and my children are worth all
the attention and care that I can give them.
At the end of my days, it will be them that I will be thinking
about. I must enjoy them each day, each
moment. I am still putting this one into
practice.
These
are some of the nuggets of gold that I have mined this year. I offer them to you so that you will not be
forced to learn the hard way.
Change
is a natural part of human life. We will always have the opportunity to move
ahead with God as his spirit works within us. The question is “Are we willing”?
I
received a letter from a long-lost college classmate whom I have not seen or
heard from since 1973. He wrote this to
me yesterday:
I have heard or read interesting things about you over the years. I remember you as an F-16 pilot in the making. A military path. But, the road you have taken is more spiritual in nature than military, no? That's what I recall reading/hearing. I would not have predicted that you would go down that road. This means that either I did not know you as well as I thought I did , or you changed over the years, or both.
He’s
right! I have left some childish things behind. Maik
Do
You Want to Help this month?
Here
are some suggestions for you get personally involved in God’s plan for
education on the Rio Coco in Nicaragua:
1) Sponsor a Miskito Child. We
need many
sponsors for the 2009 school year. It is
only $27 a month, and it will provide education and special needs to a student
in Project Ezra.
2) Contribute to the building fund for
the Waspam Center . Windows, computers, desks, and paint are needed. We
estimate $6300 will allow us to move in!
3) Help Nutie & Tom build their home.
We have started making blocks and pouring cement columns. Much is needed to
finish this important project.
4) Join the support team of a Seek The Lamb missionary! Nutie & Tom Keogh, and
Laura & Michael Bagby receive no salary from Seek The Lamb and rely on
their personal support team to cover their living & ministry expenses. Your
gifts will go a long way!
All contributions are tax deductable, and Greatly Needed and
Appreciated!
Lamb
Bleatings By Laura Bagby
Birthday month!
Three
out of the six of the Bagby bunch celebrate their birthdays this month. We also have a couple of our very close
friends celebrating their birth this month as well.
Because
of the life God has called us to, we would not consider ourselves to be
traditional and we don’t really have many sacred traditions we actually “hold
on to”. It is probably why birthday’s
are so big in the Bagby bunch. We seem
to always do some particular things on a person’s birthday aside from the usual
gift giving, cake eating and blowing out candle thing. We try to take the time to celebrate the
birthday person’s life in words and blessings over them out loud. We also cut loose to our “birthday song” and go
crazy in dance first thing in the morning.
The whole birthday process usually takes a lot of time and preparation
before the actual day….the whole gift giving gig begins where we start asking
each other about possible gifts and what they will write on that ever precious
card.(which they hope to jerk some tears out from the birthday person…that is
always rewarding)
I
realized how much we have made birthday’s a tradition when one of my friends
planned a beautiful dinner on September the 1st
and I without thinking too much said, “that’ll probably work out.” I was not thinking out my equation very
thoroughly because when I got home, I mentioned the dinner and how nice that
was to be taken to dinner, etc.…
Well, my family looked at me like I had two heads and one of my wise children said,
That’s Poppy’s birthday….I mean his actual birthday.” Michael just looked at me puzzled like, “You are not thinking of going are you???” I just said that I didn’t think I was thinking clearly at the moment and that probably yes, it surely wasn’t a good idea for me to go….I thought to myself, “Yeah, what WAS I thinking?!” This is unheard of in our family. I concluded that truly I was not thinking (a common practice these days for me). Everyone agreed that my friend would totally understand which she totally did and we ended up celebrating my husband’s life on his “actual” birthday for lunch with family and our “extended” family of a few friends. I also planned a separate event personally with the birthday boy for the evening festivities. The whole day was beautiful and ever so meaningful. Michael thought so too. “
His
birthday caused me to think just how much a man of God of 58 accomplishes in a
life time. I began to reflect just how
miraculous this life really is for he is a man that has continuously reflected
upon God’s eternal plan in him and through him. He has never waned in his vision for the
Lord, his heart for people and the things he is called to do with his life as a
husband, a father, a disciple, a disciple maker, a fund raiser for thousands of
children and people along the Rio Coco (now going into our 25th
year). The Lord’s faithfulness is seen
through many avenues in his life….wherever we find ourselves in the world,
relationships are always being developed and he is pointing people back to the
Lord through bible studies or every day interactions. His boldness and intensity is embarrassing at
times, but he does get the job done.
This is what I both love and hate about him all in the same breath….Through
all, he has proven to be eternally effective and has accomplished more in 58
years than most do in an entire lifetime.
Our
Miskito friends have seen many “projects” come and go in their life time, but
God has proven to them that when God owns a project, He makes it happen and
uses the most unlikely people to accomplish it. Michael has been one of those unlikely, but
fervently faithful people to be used most significantly. Many of you have stood alongside of him and
have helped, supported and given generously
through his life. We are blessed
to partner with such quality.
As a missionary, he has done what many are presently attempting to do in causing a people group to live out the cause of Christ in their own culture with the resources they have. Our Miskito friends have come to a place where they are “owning” Project Ezra and thinking of ways to look among themselves for ways to provide rather than depending on “outside” help. They are coming to a place of looking to the Lord who indeed does supply all their needs. They are learning the essence of every person taking their positions in the Kingdom of God and each playing their own part as we play ours.
Our part has become serving our Miskito
friends by inspiring the involvement of others to come into our fold and
partnering with them in their dreams and visions. The roles have changed over the years as our
Miskito leaders & friends have become true followers of the Lord Jesus
Christ desiring to hear His voice and walk in His ways. I have had the privilege of watching my
husband (the birthday boy) disciple & impart all that he is and has to
these men who are now walking boldly in their gifting and calling. It is an inspiring miracle. Each month we continue to send at least $15,000
to our friends for the school project.
We are in the process of working on completing the awe inspiring Waspam
Discipleship Training Center and a supporting building in Sawa for teams. We desire to build an apartment on that
property for Tom and Nutie in Waspam.
Still,
without any visible means of support, but the ones by faith, we press on even
in a depressed economy. We do not live
by the world’s standard, but God’s and we choose to live according to His
economy and way. I have told Michael
that he could have been anything he wanted to be…president, doctor, lawyer,
Indian chief, yet with all of his capabilities, he chose God and whatever that
would bring….all he asked on the day of his baptism was that God would allow
him to travel….
Travel
he has and used in many parts of the world.
The Bible says that as we are going about in this world, “MAKE DISCIPLES”….he didn’t specify where,
Jesus said that “as we are going” we
ought to be about making disciples. I
celebrate a life that actually is doing what Jesus says to do….
In
the midst of change, travel, raising teenagers, discipling, bible studies,
counseling and building a coffee business to give more money away, I see an extraordinary life of a man given
over to God and His purposes. A true
life of adventure for eternity.
I
am blessed to say that my birthday boy is about the business of my Father in
all avenues of his life and though his life is vast and varied, he always
brings it down to the basics of living out his Father’s heart. It is with great joy that I celebrate this
life and acknowledge how much I love following him around. .
Top that one, Birthday Boy. Laura
A &
M
Coffee Club
Well
a couple nights ago me (Arielle) and
Moselle had some coffee but it was a
decaf and we made a mocha so our next project may be the A&M Mocha Coffee drink which will be
really good because I don't even like coffee yet!!
Did you
know that coffee is really good for you ? Well a study done by harverd showed
that if you drink Rio Coco Bean coffee you will have less Diabetes, fewer cavities and less chance of
colon cancer & Parkinson’s disease. Get the picture??? So we are offering
you long life and smiles on your face!
For
these and many more reasons you should join The
A & M Coffee Club. It is the best price for home delivery! And
we love to send our money to Nicaragua for the kids. A & M
The Bagby Bunch Corner
“A
rolling stone gathers no moss” wrote
the famous Roman poet Publilius Syrus, and neither
does the Bagby Family. After returning
from Nicaragua August 1, we hit the road to North Carolina two weeks later to
visit ministry partners and friends in Cary and Hendersonville. My brother Randy took our kids flying over
the beautiful Smokey Mountains! We also walked the Cowpens Battlefield, where
the Americans defeated a British force by completely surrounding it. You may
recall I wrote about this in the June CSC.
We had many significant encounters! We made progress in plans for our
coffee business.
We met new
friends and had many opportunities for encouragement. Here is one comment that
we received after our return: Tell
Laura that meeting her and having her pray for me changed my entire
relationship with the Lord. That was one of the most profound moments in my
life : )
We live for moments like this! Now we are making
preparations to fly to Maui this month.
It has been almost two years since our last visit, and we are so excited
about seeing many you! We will be
teaching a class on parenting Tuesday nights at Hope Chapel in Kihei, as well
as other studies during the week. We also hope to visit our friends on Oahu,
Kauai, and The Big Island. Our time in Hawaii is usually our busiest ministry
time of the year, and much of the support for the Nicaraguan school project
comes from Hawaii. We are not focused
fundraisers. We just want to give some of what God has given to us through our
experiences in Central America and the Middle East.
We figure that He is has a better strategy for meeting the needs of the Miskito Project, as well as our personal needs. We do our part, and He does His. That has been the way it has worked for these past 25 years. Even though I get uncomfortable sometimes as I look at the Seek The lamb checkbook, I have to fall back on His faithfulness. I only ask that He allows us to live within the means of His provision. Thanks to all you who are sensitive to His nudging, and who supply the funds for our 82 employees and 2589 students in Nicaragua and us volunteer missionaries. We really appreciate your faithfulness.
At the end of
August, there was a significant rain in Central America, and as a result, the
Coco River flooded at a very inopportune time, ruining the rice harvest. Up to 80% of the crop in our villages was
destroyed.
There will be many issues
with food over the next months as a result.
Truman will be looking for food supplies to assist those families most
affected. He is very good at finding
resources through his government connections. Pray for him, and that we will
have the funds to transport these supplies downriver. Laura & Michael
September
Arrows
Please pray for:
1) Teacher Salaries; We have 80 employees in Nicaragua who are worthy of their wages;
2) Finish the Waspam Center Construction: We need about $6300 to finish this building;
3) Nutie & Tom’s home: This needed building will serve us well in these next years;
4) Safe Travel for the Bagby Bunch & Open Doors in Hawaii.
We value your prayers! Please join us in asking God to meet all our needs!
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