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By pwdiane, May 18, 2013

Recently I had the joy of having some dental work done, my first crown.  For the price I paid for that crown, it should have diamonds and rubies and sit on my head, not in my mouth!  Anyway, upon leaving the office, the dentist instructed me to gargle with salt for the next 3 days to prevent any infection.  When the time came to do my salt rinse, I decided not to take the salt shaker from the kitchen table since it would remain in the bathroom for three days.  Instead, I grabbed a salt shaker from the cupboard which we use for picnics.  I headed to the bathroom, poured some salt in a cup of warm water and began to rinse my mouth and gargle.  I spit out the first mouthful with skepticism.  I picked up the salt shaker and examined the label.  Hmmm…let me try again.  I took a second swig of my salt water and started to rinse my mouth.  But again after a few seconds…nothing.  I spit it out.  I must not have added enough salt.  That’s the problem.  So I poured more salt in my cup and stirred really well.  Finally I was ready for a good salt rinse.  I sipped, swished, gargled, spit.  Nothing…again.  I checked the container a second time.  It clearly said “salt” on the container.  I poured some in my hand.  It looked like salt and felt like salt.  But it did not taste like salt.  My salt had lost its saltiness!

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By pwdiane, September 21, 2012

Serving outside your home culture is exciting . . . unless it isn’t.

In the early days on the field we run on dreams, ideals, apprehensions, and adrenaline. That intoxicating mix makes every day feel like a new adventure. Emotions run the gamut from energized and enthused to terrified and confused. But whatever the day holds, we are not bored. There are so many good things happening that we cannot imagine not feeling thrilled that we play a part in this divine drama.
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By pwdiane, April 2, 2010

It all began with Isaiah 7:9b, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (NIV) This verse kept sticking in my mind. In the Message Translation it reads, “If you don’t take your stand in faith, you won’t have a leg to stand on.”

So what does this have to do with cross cultural workers? Everything! Our faith is tested frequently as we live in cultures not our own. Our reasons for what we say and how we act are questioned. Attacks to our faith come from within and without. And we often don’t have the support we came to rely on in our home country.Two people and their difficulties with faith have challenged my stand in faith.
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By pwdiane, August 14, 2001

“How’s your faith?” It was a question someone asked a friend of mine recently. I found myself with a cliche answer, but later I really did think about it. I do have an on-going relationship with Jesus, but the needs of those I’m caring for sometimes seem almost overwhelming. It did cause me to think about how to keep my faith fresh and alive.

We can get caught up in the activities of daily living and the urgent demands of those around us and can let our devotional life take a backseat. It takes time and effort to stay connected to our Lord and Friend.

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