Dear Friends,

Last week, I helped co-lead a discussion for the discipleship school’s movie night.  We watched End of the Spear, a movie that tells the true story of five missionaries who were killed while trying to reach the Waodani, an indigenous tribe in Ecuador known for its violence, and of their wives who returned to the same tribe, eventually bringing many of the Waodani to Christ.  It is a powerful story that has inspired many people over the years.  I am one of them.

I knew the basic historical facts of this story, but I found something extremely powerful in being faced with the real choices made by real people going into such a difficult situation. I was challenged by one moment in particular, which revealed both the extreme resolve and deep love of the men going into the jungle to meet the Waodani.  As the pilot (Nate Saint) prepares to leave, his young son asks whether he will use his gun in self-defense if the Waodani attack.  Nate replies, “We can’t shoot the Waodani.  They’re not ready for heaven.  We are.” 

I was deeply touched at how simply and perfectly Nate Saint viewed this fact.  Yet I found myself hoping that God never would ask me to go into such a setting, where martyrdom is not only possible, but likely.  Later in the story, however, when the women return to the tribe and meet the people who killed their husbands, one of them has the chance to share the Gospel in a simple and beautiful way that the Waodani would understand.  Suddenly my outlook changed.  I thought, If I had a chance to do that—to share the beauty of the Gospel with people who have never heard it before—that would be amazing…  and more than worth it.

I feel like God is beginning to lift a fog that has been clouding my mind for the last few months.  There have been times in my life when I have truly lived with my heart and mind set on things above and recognized the Kingdom of God as a present reality and the truest thing in my life.  While I have been doing all the same activities, that awareness had begun to fade.  I feel that God is calling me back to that intense focus on his Kingdom, his presence, and his power. 

So instead of sharing a story this month, I want to simply share my heart and ask for your prayers.  What everything really comes down to for me is that I adore God, and I love people.  I do not want to ever be distracted or turned away from those things.  I want to live a life where I pour myself out for the sake of those who do not know Jesus and who are striving to know him more.  I want to remember how desperately we need God, and I want to be willing to sacrifice anything to bring people closer to him.  I want God to continually break my heart for others and to keep my mind on him rather than myself.  I want to live a life that is defined by the Kingdom of God, rather than get so easily caught up in the stuff of the world.  I want to hear from God at every moment and be so filled by his Spirit that those I encounter meet God through me.  I want to magnify my Lord and rejoice in God my Savior.  All the rest falls into place after that. 

As always, I have some practical prayer requests on the reverse, and I would so greatly appreciate your support and prayers.  To those of you who have helped me financially during the discipleship school (which ends on December 1), thank you so much.  While I had barely more than half my regular income to live on, somehow I have not gone into debt.  I genuinely consider this a miracle, because I have actually had more expenses these three months than usual.  So thank you so much to those of you who helped provide financially and to those of you who prayed for God to provide; I do not know what he did, but somehow, he has yet again taken care of me financially.  (By the way, if any of you struggle to trust God with money, I would encourage you to contact me.  I may not be able to prove to you that he is trustworthy, but I could share a few stories that I believe would stun you.  God is so faithful, and sometimes hearing others’ stories helps us to act on trust that we do not yet feel.  When we do so, he will prove himself.) 

So, thank you, and may I encourage you to renew (or make for the first time) a commitment to seek God with everything you have—to ask him to teach you how to live constantly in his reality, rather than be defined by this world.

Take hold of the life that is truly life!

Molly S. Waggoner
 

• First and foremost, please do pray that God would renew my ability to “practice his presence” and call me back into that constant, intimate relationship with him.  When I get distracted, I want him to snap me back to what matters so that I can live a life that makes a difference… a real life.
• For the last few months, I have mentioned the fledgling plans for a new ministry on the West Bank.  We need a great deal of prayer for this venture, specifically that we would have our hearts set intently on God with regard to the people there.  We need his love, his perspective, and his plans.  So please pray that God would give us vision, bring the right team around us, and use the ministry to reach many people on the West Bank.  
• My employment situation is still unsure.  The higher-ups within my department at Target are considering adding a full-time, permanent position that I could fill—doing the same work I do now, but with added responsibilities.  I have explained that I will need to be able to leave for missions work on occasion, so I am trusting that if God wants me to have the job, the decision-makers will allow me that flexibility.  Otherwise, I will need to find other temp work.  Please pray that God’s will would be done and that I would know how to proceed. 
• I have a new goal in raising support: to be fully supported by March 2008, when I expect to go to New Zealand again.  This is a difficult task, and I feel like I often hit dead ends.  Please pray that God would provide new supporters and opportunities to speak about what I am doing in missions.  I feel like I have new desires almost every day that I simply cannot put into practice until the time currently occupied by work becomes available. 

Thank you!
MSW