Owsleys in Brazil Blog

Extravagant Worship

It is a huge pleasure to be able to participate in the life of the student body at SAU through my class and small group Bible study.  Another inroad has been via the university’s chapel services.  Every Monday I rush over to the church after class so I can find a seat before all the students begin packing the place out.  I enjoy the enthusiasm of the students as they enter and the anticipation o f a dynamic service.

The chapel band is composed of an extremely talented group of students who are a joy to observe.  The drummer plays with a look of glory on his face.  The violinist is so at one with his instrument that it seems to be an additional appendage to his body.  The guitarist, in his exuberance, often jumps a foot in the air as he plays. (I’m not sure how he does this!)   Some-times I get such delight out of watching the band that I forget I’m there to worship Jesus.  Then I close my eyes and change my focus. 

While I don’t want to give glory to the band that is due to the Lord, I imagine He is pleased to receive their gift of uninhibited worship.  This is one instance when a teacher can learn from her students.  May I worship Him with reckless abandon.

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams - Part Two

After our fourth son was born, I breathed a little prayer of thanks and said, “Lord, you must know I needed boys.”   Believing that the Lord gives us the desires of our heart, I assumed that I’d get my girls someday as daughters-in-law or granddaughters.  But the Lord so sweetly fulfilled those desires long before my boys were old enough to marry and become fathers.

When Andrew turned three I felt the Lord nudging me to start a ministry for young girls out of our home in Petrolina (NE Brazil).  Although I felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for my own four young children, I obeyed His prompting and invited pre-teen girls over for “Girls’ Club”.  What a joy to share  with them about our potential to be women after God’s own heart.  The rewards reaped from those classes can’t be calculated by earthly standards.

Now the Lord has given me the desire of my heart once again as I lead a small group Bible study at the university.  Fifteen darling girls meet with me each week.  What a thrill to work with young women who are hungry for God.  Once again I’m humbled that He would give me the desire of my heart long before I expected to receive it.  Praise Him for His loving-kindness!

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams - Part One

I learned early that God sometimes “ruins” my plans to give me something much better than I could have planned for myself.  A prime example happened years ago when He closed the door for me to be a missionary in China and then opened the door for me to go to Brazil.   Marrying the wonderful Dan Owsley was much better than my original plan to be a spinster missionary!  And after I reached Brazil I saw how the Lord had uniquely prepared me to live and work there.

When we left Brazil recently it was with heavy hearts.  Leaving our ministry, our friends, our home, and the boys’ wonderful school were all challenges.  I had been offered a job tutoring 1^st graders at the American school and I felt heartsick about giving it up since teaching is what I love to do most of all.  Little did I know that the Lord has something bigger for me. 

As we searched for possible places to live in the U.S., the Spring Arbor community seemed like a natural choice.  We were familiar with the town and had many friends there.  I hardly expected to be given the privilege of teaching a class at Spring Arbor University.   But here I am in the middle of my first semester feeling blessed that I can work with a handful of students and help them to improve their writing skills.  I laugh when I think of how much I thought I was giving up!  Truly the Lord knows what’s best for us.

Life Margins

I’ve written before about our busy ministry schedule and how the Lord slows us down at times.   Ironically, now that we are in the U.S. for rest, I am having a harder time than ever saying no to many wonderful opportunities.  The Spring Arbor community offers a plethora of prayer meetings, bible studies and fellowship groups.   Not only do I want to “take in” and grow, I want to “give out” and minister to others.   How do I balance that with teaching a class and caring for my family’s needs?

While sorting out various options my son Steven sent an e-mail asking if I’d be “floor mom” in one of the men’s’ dorms.  “You wouldn’t have to do much,” he said. “Just pray and bake cookies.  And besides, these guys are all my best friends and will probably stand up with me at my wedding”.  Talk about an offer that was hard to refuse! (But refuse it, I did.)

Joyce Meyers says that our relationships are nurtured in the margin of our lives.  If we are too busy our relationships begin to unravel (or they never happen in the first place!).   That nugget of wisdom has helped me to say no to requests like Steven’s because time is precious and I want to save it for interacting with loved ones, especially my MOST loved one, the Lord Himself.

Libraries and Grace

During our recent transitions I’ve had the opportunity to become acquainted with several libraries.  In California they didn’t want to give me a library card until they had seen my references.  But after that I was given access to an unlimited number of books for a three week period.   Late fees were a mere 25 cents a day.  Later, in Ohio, they reluctantly gave me a card, but only on the condition that I not check out more than two items at a time.  There was a hefty five dollar fine for anyone who, heaven forbid, returned a DVD in the book slot.   I could hardly wait to get to my Michigan library where I would not be viewed with suspicion AND most importantly, where I wouldn’t have to convince anybody I deserved a library card since I already had one.

It was an interesting opportunity to see various levels of grace at work.  The library in Fresno was gracious and friendly once I proved myself worthy of their trust.   The restrictions placed on me in Ohio made me feel unwanted.  (Aren’t libraries supposed to encourage people to read and read and come back for more?)  Later when I arrived in Spring Arbor I breathed a sigh of relief when the desk clerk recognized me and didn’t ask me to prove anything. 

Obvious parallels to the Church come to mind.  Are we warm and friendly only after we find out if someone is a “card carrying” Christian?  Do we hold people at arm’s length until they prove themselves?  I hope that those who walk into our churches feel that they’ve found a place to belong even before they believe in Jesus.   The truth is that none of us deserves a place in the Church. Only by trusting in the gracious blood of Jesus do we “get in”.  May we be generous and gracious to all who come through our doors so that they’ll want to become members of this great fellowship we call the body of Christ.

Lost and Found

Now I know how the woman felt in Luke 15 when she swept her house in search of a lost coin and danced for joy when it was found.  In our various transitions this summer we misplaced some crucial documents.  We suspected they were at Dan's parents' home in Ohio where we'd spent several weeks cleaning out their house after they moved to Illinois.  I had gone through thousands of Mom and Dad's papers, culling out the letters that were important to family history, and throwing the rest away.  Actually, I burned most of the papers in the ash pit at the back of the house.  I only stopped when the pit became too full and Dan's brother, Paul, told us he'd take the rest of the paper to the recycling center.

When Dan told me that some or our personal papers were missing, I had little hope that they had survived my house-cleaning frenzy.  Still, we called Paul and asked him not to remove any boxes of trash from the house until we had a chance to go through them.  Saturday we drove down to Van Wert with only a faint hope that the documents would turn up.

When we entered the house, one lone box of papers was sitting on his parents' bed.  I dumped it out and our documents were in the bottom!  If it hadn't been for the overflowing ash heap, Paul's advice, AND THE LORD'S GRACE we never would have found those papers.  

Valley of Blessing?

 

In Christian lingo a "mountain top experience" refers to something spiritually exhilerating, while a "valley" is used to describe the difficult times every Christian must go through.  How strange then to think of a Brazilian seminary called "The Valley of Blessing." I think their title has more to do with their geographical location than anything else.  Still, I've been pondering how the Lord blesses us during hard times.

 

Recently, Dan and I came to the U.S. for some needed rest.  We thought we'd "get well quick" and rush right back to Brazil, but it didn't happen.  When it became evident that we'd have to stay stateside longer, we suddenly had big decisions to make.  What to do with our house in Sao Paulo? Where would we live?  Where would the kids go to school?  Would they be okay switching schools for the third time in three years?  Where would we go to church?  Where could we get an affordable car?  Did Nathan have the right documentation to travel up from Brazil by himself?  On  top of these stresses we felt heartbroken about not being able to return.  How could there be any blessings in this valley?

 

As we daily prayed through our needs, making phone contacts, and asking advice the Lord began to supply in amazing ways.  Renters for our house in SP, plane tickets for Nathan (and folks helping him to get packed, get to the airport, etc.), a lovely home to rent in Spring Arbor, and a good used car are just a few of the answers He has provided.   What a privilege to experience His goodness even in times of trial.

Return to Sender, Address Unknown

A popular bumper sticker a few years ago stated, “When you work for the Lord, the retirement benefits are out of this world!”  Right now I’m rejoicing in the fact that I have a permanent address in Heaven because I no longer have one here.

 

It's no secret that missionaries move around a lot.  It's part of the package.  For twenty years we've used Dan's folks' home as our main address so that our important mail didn't get lost in the shuffle.  But recently (at age 90) they moved into an apartment complex for seniors in a different state.  Suddenly we have no place to call "home" in the U.S.  Not only have we lost our unchanging mailing address, but we've lost the little corner in their upstairs closet where we kept our stuff.

 

None of the stored items really matter and we’ll probably find a corner of someone else’s closet to keep them in, but the idea of no longer having a U.S. address gives new meaning to the Lord’s words, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but I have no place to lay my head”.  Since Jesus knows how it feels I can surely trust Him to help us adapt to these new circumstances.  After all, the heading above these verses in Luke 9 is “The Cost of Following Jesus”.  We long ago counted that cost and know the price we pay to serve Him is small in comparison to the overwhelming blessings we receive from His hand.  Having a home in heaven is JUST ONE of many good things that are a part of our inheritance in Christ.  I’m sure looking forward to my final, never-to-change-again destination.

 

 

Spiritual Taste Buds

    In a recent trip to the ice cream parlor I saw a chocolate variety that included chocolate chips, M & M's, cookie dough and a caramel swirl.  Frankly, this is a flavor that would have delighted me in my youth, but at age 47 I thought it was just "too much stuff".  I would much prefer to enjoy each of those tastes individually.  I've read that taste buds grow weaker as we grow older, which is why many adults prefer the sharp flavor of bittersweet chocolate over milk chocolate.  Maybe that's why all those mixed up ingredients didn't appeal to me anymore.

    I've noticed another change in my tastes as I've grown older.  In years gone by our lives have been a hectic mix of child-rearing, ministry, multiple moves, deputation, and many other activities.  Each responsibility vied for priority status and we often asked the Lord to guide our schedule choices.  Nevertheless we've sometimes taken on "too much stuff" and have experienced burnout.  Initially it's an awful place to be, but then Jesus comes in to help and heal us.  Those other things lose their importance as we soak up His tender love and grace.  Through the trials we've learned that the only Person we want to live for is our wonderful Lord.  When the devil offers up a load of flavorful distractions, we heartily say, "Just give me Jesus."

The Christ Effect

We recently met a concert pianist who wow-ed us with his beautiful music and fascinated us with his life story.  He told us about studying at the famous Juilliard School and the intense pressure of going to school with the "best of the best".  Hundreds of international students who are the top pianists in their countries go to New York City only to find that they are just one among many.  Suddenly they have a huge identy crisis (called "The Juilliard Effect").  The school has a team of psychologists to help these young people deal with ego and self-esteem issues.

 

As our friend shared, I couldn't help but remember a family we knew when we were living in NE Brazil.  For years they'd lived in absolute misery.  When they had a little money they would drink themselves into a stupor, each in their own separate corner of the house.  One evening one of the brothers left the house in despair over his disentegrating marriage.  He walked by the Free Methodist Church where the lights were on for a board meeting.  Not realizing that it was not a regular church service, he walked in and asked for help.   Wisely, the pastor stopped everything and prayed with him.  Through prayer and counseling he and his wife came to know the Lord.  Then a brother was saved.  Then a sister-in-law.  Then a mother.  Then others.

 

As they began to grow in their faith they no longer felt like the "worst of the worst".  They got jobs.  Some went back to finish high school.   Others became leaders in the Petrolina FMC.  What a contrast from accolades based on performance to lives transformed by the beautiful grace of Jesus!  And what a privilege it's been for us to see the "Jesus Effect" at work during these past two decades in Brazil.