Boats and Jets

We'll, we have almost successfully crossed the Atlantic.  By the time you read this, we'll have arrived in Europe, but as I write this, the only land we’ve seen has been the Azores. I'll have to say, it has to this point been the perfect crossing.  Our waiter at dinner said he's never had so many days at sea without even a ripple and we told him half the world was praying for us!  Our dinner mates (who are also Christians) piped up and said the other half was praying for them! Aren't we egotistical, with so much going on in the world, to feel so blessed?  Seriously, I may have become a fan of these smaller, but more elegant-feeling boats. The Queen Elizabeth is not a Cruise Ship but one of the last true "Ocean Liners", made for smaller numbers, exquisite comfort and speed. The crossing is taking only 13 days. The 'entertainment' consists of High Teas, symphony orchestras and lecturers brought along to teach us things about astronomy, geology and the plant life in places we've never thought of. However, as I bask in luxury, I have on my mind the 'crossing' of the first Southern Baptist missionaries bound for Japan (around 1859, I believe) their names were Mr and MrsRohrer. Mid way across, the ship hit a storm and sank, taking all souls with it. Because the Civil War broke out right after that, there were no more missionaries crossing thePacific for tens of years, until nearer the 1900's. Of course, many of you know of our Baptist hero, Miss Lottie Moon, after whom the annual offering for missions is named.  She crossed the first time in the late 1800's when the Baptists started sending missionaries out again.  She went to China, and then proceeded to give her life to the people (literally, as she starved to death taking care of her people during a famine). And so continued the crossings until the early 70's when airplane travel finally became affordable.Before that, missionaries (as in, some of you who are reading this blog,) would leave the West Coast of America and show up in what was called "The Orient", several weeks later.  They brought with them all their worldly possessions, and many didn't plan on returning, at least not any time soon. We, as "Jet missionaries", always referred to the older ones as"Boat missionaries".  The transition from “Boat” to “Jet” resulted in a subtle change in the character of the call, I believe. We left the US (on a jet) in the morning of May 10, 1978, and just 12 or so hours later, arrived at our destination, Narita Airport, in Japan.  It was a rough trip, but probably nothing like three weeks on a boat.  Because we were the onlyCaucasian's on the plane, they placed us in first class (that was our one and only such experience). What should have been cause for jubilation, was actually a bit of a problem.  There were two large seats per row, separated by a centre aisle.  That meant that one of us was in the seat behind because the mission board had kindly bought a whole seat for Trevor who was only just three.  To add to the drama, the 'Smoking" section was just a centre aisle away from the other side.  As uncomfortable as we were, looking back I realise it was probably good practice for the fact that we would be exposed to a LOT of smoke for the next 20 years where four out of five Japanese men were heavy smokers. When we arrived, very bedraggled, we were told that Trevor had no visa.  (He was on my passport, including a cute picture of him sitting on my lap), but that didn't charm anyone at immigration.  I think I offered to GIVE him to the authorities after the gruelling flight, but they graciously refused and were finally able to give us some exceptions to allow him in. Back to my thread...........Having completed the Atlantic crossing, I have come to realise that the "Boat Missionaries" might have had an advantage.  Two or three weeks to rest and recover from the emotional trauma of leaving, perhaps forever, as well as the stillness, and even nourishment, to begin to prepare for the task ahead.   And also, I think, it gave you time to realise that this 'Grand adventure" you were embarking on was for the long haul. When you fly in, the culture shock you feel may make your mind and body entertain the thought of getting right back on the plane.  But with the boat trip, there would be no saying, "Oh, this doesn't suit me, I think I'll just go 'home'". No, that wasn't possible. And so those Boat missionaries had no choice but to dig in, pull up their socks so to speak and get to work…making new lives for themselves and figuring out how to do the 'thing'  they had come to do.  I think they were tougher than what we see these days, present company included! I'll have to say, we weren't by any means Boat missionaries when we arrived in Japan the first time. We were met at the airport by loving friends, taking away the drama of getting ourselves through the city.  The shocks we experienced were no worse than visa dramas, language issues and unbelievably crowded roads. I’ll take those over a stormy sea in a wooden sailing ship any day! I'll never forget my husband’s kind  and calm leadership as we got the key to an apartment and finally said goodnight to our hosts.  I was on the verge of tears, thinking,"What have we done?!?" But he just smiled as he kissed me good night, saying, "We'll talk about it in the morning" And we did.  We slept well and soon a missionary who lived nearby came and walked us down into the village. We discovered then that this monster city of 39 million people was actually a lot of small villages in close proximity. We didn’t have to get our heads around the whole thing … just the little shops and wonderful people right down the street. The shopkeepers were kind and thought Trevor was adorable, so we began to realize that we'd be OK. I guess what I'm saying today is ,"Don't Give Up!"  Don't let circumstances paint an unreal picture of what’s surrounding you today. Let God show you the Big Picture bit by bit. He knows what you can handle and when.  Be a Boat missionary. Use the time you have to prepare for the job ahead. One of Tony’s best spy novel heroes always says, “Rest is a weapon; use it wisely”. Remember that the best thing Elijah needed when he was at his lowest was something to eat and a little nap.  From now on, we should be more in touch with updates. We've got a lot to do here in Europe but will try to keep you posted Happy sailing,  Marsha