Meet Mary.

  She’s a missionary mom to 4 precious kids including a set of twins and amazing wife to husband, Nathan. She’s a cooking phenom in the kitchen and lover of all peoples. She loves spending time with her family and loves the Lord with all her heart. On the rare occasion when she has 2 minutes to herself, she doesn’t mind stepping in and writing a guest post for The Farm Wyfe. Thank you, Mary, for sharing your heart with us today!

By Mary Stanley

I’m guilty, that’s for sure! Guilty of so many things of course, but today I’m talking about being guilty of something in particular–taking for granted the beauty and the blessings of assembling in my home church as a body of believers. Now, just to clarify, I haven’t been guilty of this act lately –no, being on the mission field, thousands of miles away from your home church, you don’t have that privilege. But back when I lived in the states (5 years and what seems like a lifetime ago), I definitely took my home church for granted.

I don’t know about your church, but at mine, when you walk through the doors (no matter if its the main front doors or the back route) you’re immediately greeted with smiles and a handshake or a hug. If you have little kids, you bring them to their assigned rooms where they are also welcomed with loving arms and greeted by other kiddos their age. 

  And then you walk into the auditorium and look around for your seat. Thinking back, I loved this time. Glancing around you see so many beautiful and familiar faces –an usher helping a newcomer find a seat, the little old lady on the second row with her beautiful white hair and wrinkled skin smiling and chatting with those around her, the sound crew in the back making sure things are set and ready for the service, the preteen boy coming up to give you a hug (the same one you taught in Sunday School a “couple” years ago when he was in kindergarten). 

Yes, this brief time of fellowship is so sweet. It’s family. And then the music begins and you are able to sing praises and worship the one true God as a body of believers. There is nothing like being able to raise your voice, joining those around you and bringing praise and words of thanksgiving to our Savior, preparing your heart to receive the coming message. 

And then Pastor takes the stage, this huge man with a heart of gold, and brings a message from the Bible. Sometimes it’s encouraging, other times it’s convicting, a lot of times it’s enlightening, but no matter what, it’s always the Bible and when you leave this beautiful place called church, you are filled!

  Now here on the mission field, things are very different. There aren’t churches on every corner, or churches anywhere, besides the Catholic Church on the town square that has a traveling priest visit every few weeks. We are in an area of the world classified as “unreached” and in the moments of loneliness common to long term missionaries, it definitely feels just that…unreached! 

To be a Christian here is almost unheard of, or was before we moved in. Many of the villages we work with have never seen a Bible, some of them due to the fact that there aren’t even Bibles made in their native tongue. And most of them have no idea of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Last year, my adventurous husband was off on a mountain trip about 4 hours away in a village called Xanica with some friends. They were carrying Bibles in their hands and a man stepped out from a walkway and excitedly asked him, “Are you a Christian?” It turns out, this man had gotten saved years previously while working in another country. He had returned to Xanica and led his family to the Lord and they have been living the best they knew how, all on their own in their faith. To make a long story short, we now have regular fellowship with this sweet family and Ruben now travels here once a month to attend the seminary classes my husband teaches. He is excited about learning and sharing his faith with his community, now that he is also able to grow in his faith. Oh for the days when together we can open a church in that small mountain village!

  As Americans, we will never know what it’s like to live years, or possibly an entire life, without a fellowship of believers we can grow with and share in our times of trials and tribulations. But that is real life for a huge part of the world. I can’t even imagine! I love this ministry God has brought us to. I love the people we meet and the places we go. I love the look on someone’s face when they get to hold a Bible for the very first time and treat it as the precious gift it really is. Or seeing how captivated a grown adult is when hearing stories I grew up learning in the states like “Jonah and the Whale” or “Daniel and the Lions den.” Nothing can replace those moments and I wouldn’t change a thing about where God has placed us (except maybe opening up a chick-fil-a!) But being here has taught me to truly cherish my home church and the rare occasions when we are able to be together with them. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

  And I want to encourage you to do the same! On Sunday morning, look around at those familiar faces and say a quick prayer of thanksgiving that God has allowed you to meet with them. And then think about how you can encourage and love on those around you!

Warmly,

Mary
If you’d like to learn more about the Stanley’s, you can follow them on Facebook at Stanleys2Mexico.