Obedience /// Emma To PNG

PC: Alyssa Jean Studios  <3 

That 16-year-old girl clicks through pages and pages on Google, her heart longing for the African sun, searching for just the right mission—a way to get her hands dirty.

Her mama says again for 6^th time that week, “have you checked with NTM yet? I really think you should.”, but she dismisses the question quickly. She’s already checked, something to do with jungle, and languages, and translation, and unreached people groups.

So she ran, ran back to the safety of perfectly planned trip without a language to learn, a jungle to brave, a Bible to translate, or a people to reach. She simply wants to love on people, love on children, not to brave a world that she’ll never be able to unsee, or look into the eyes of a people that she honestly doesn’t want to reach.

She’ll gladly mix up some cement, scrub some laundry, or carry a load. But late nights and early mornings spent in learning a language, reaching a people, no.

It’s just not for her. Right?

A year later, the girl’s feet still haven’t stepped onto Africa’s dirt, her face has not felt the warmth of its sun, but that’s okay. 

She’s been learning, learning to do the hard and holy mundane in the here, the now. Safety, comfort, self, are not so important anymore. The art of losing oneself to be a servant is breaking down that selfishness, that pride, that she has grasped so tightly in a clenched fist.

She has held onto safety, and comfort, and self. But now she is letting that go.

In the pain and in the struggle, sanctification is happening.

Once again she’s clicking through pages and pages of a Google search. And finally, after still some more hiding, some more clicking on links that look safe, the girl goes to that mission page.

She knows what she has to do, what in obedience, must be done.

Yeah, she is scared silly, and sure, the thought of crossing the ocean to the jungle almost makes her sick, but obedience isn’t always easy. Sometimes it hurts.

A handful of days pass, and soon a $50 check and a stack of papers filled out carefully with numbers, and addresses, and testimonies, is slipped into an envelope and mailed off. And the waiting begins, the prayers rise, and the need to trust becomes clear.

And in the night, the necessity of trusting through obedience is engraved on her tender soul.

A couple weeks pass on the calendar, and one morning before the sun is barely up, the girl reads an email that holds the news--She’ll be needing a passport.

She is headed to the jungle, to the language, to the unreached people calling out for word of a Savior.

Obedience is breaking the walls of comfort down, letting in the light of the faithfulness of the Almighty.

And the girl realizes all at once, that what she had run from for so long, she now desired! With each new step in obedience and trust, a shift had been taking place in her heart. His desires were becoming her desires--Losing self to know a Savior.

And there was joy in doing His will!

There is still a journey ahead, pride to be humbled, clenched fingers to loosen, and a servant’s heart to cultivate, but the girl has stepped out in faith saying, “I will trust. I will go.”

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So there it is, out in the open—some fears, some hopes, some steps towards obedience.  Y’all have seen it.

I am so happy to announce that The Lord has given me an opportunity, this summer during June and July, to go to Papua New Guinea with New Tribes Mission for the Interface Mission program!

Interface is a 6-week college-level program designed to give participants a realistic look at tribal church planting. Through the Interface program I’ll gain experience and exposure to Bible translation, culture and language study, mission methods and communication, and support work—the entire process of making the Gospel available cross-culturally and establishing a functioning church. I will also be able to put my credits gained during classes each day, towards my future studies at New Tribes Bible Institute in 2017.

While in PNG I will be taking missionary training classes each morning, doing missions work alongside full time missionaries, and spending a couple of weeks out in the “bush” with a tribe, where a church has been planted!

Over the past year the Lord has been working in, and convicting my heart about how I must follow Him in obedience and trust Him through that! I’ve run from doing His will in the past, and am finally beginning to learn that it is when, instead of running away, we run to Him and to His will, that we find true joy and peace!

Honestly, the thought of flying halfway around the world to go live in the jungle for six weeks completely freaks me out, but I know that the Lord is with me and will never leave me. And that brings comfort and reassurance.

I am grateful for this chance to step out in faith and follow the Lord’s leading. I am learning to trust the Lord completely and wholly to guide and provide for this trip.

I’d like to ask you to pray with me concerning the following:

1. Spiritually—That my life will glorify God among a people of another culture, and even through my failings, the Lord will be glorified. I’m asking the Lord to help me grow and mature in Him. Please pray for wisdom and clear discernment for me as I make choices in the days to come while I’m preparing to go and while I’m overseas.

2. Finances—I’m trusting the Lord to provide the $6,000 needed to cover the expenses of my trip. Please pray with me that God will provide those who will partner with me on this.

3. Travel - That I will have a smooth transition from one continent to another, and I will not have any health or jetlag problems, so that I can serve the Lord in PNG to the best of my abilities.

Would you consider committing to partner with me by praying? I am so very thankful for and honestly cherish your prayers! If so, you will have a vastly important part in my trip, expanding the reach of the Gospel.

Thank you so very much! You are each a blessing to me!


xoxoEmma 


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Note: To help financially, you can give online at https://usa.ntm.org/missionaries/emma-schramm or call 866-547-2460. 

You can also donate by check. Please make check payable to New Tribes Mission.

US donations: 

New Tribes Mission 

1000 E 1st St, 

Sanford, FL 32771

Canadian donations: 

New Tribes Mission 

Box 707, Durham, 

ON N0G1R0

Include a note designating the funds to my Mission Trips account #997730. 

Thank you!