Straightening the record: My post on the cost of Australia

Not so long ago a very dear and close friend was kind and brave enough to write me the following email:  

Dear Claire,   

Hello.  How are you?  I hope this is still your email address.  It has been a long time since I’ve gotten to talk with you or see you, but you and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers.  … Every once in a while I look at someone’s blog, and they have other people’s blogs linked to their sites, and sometimes I’ve taken a peek at your site and it’s been really nice to see photos of your kids and you and Darren there.  God bless you!  There is one little thing that I wanted to ask you about, and it’s actually really difficult for me to do so, because for one I haven’t really been keeping in touch with you, so it may seem odd that I suddenly write you with this, and the other because I don’t know the full story and I could be dead wrong in bringing this up.  But I figured I’d rather go ahead and write you then let it be something I wonder about. 

On one of your posts I read about your trip to Australia.  I know you’ve been planning that trip for quite a long time now, so I was happy to see that you had been able to go and have so much fun!  In one part you mention what looks like the cost of the tickets to Australia and then expenses while there, etc.  It was quite a large amount of money, and I felt a little well, odd, that those amounts were posted for all to see. I could have gotten it really wrong, and maybe that’s not really the amount you spent, or I don’t know.  It’s just that I feel that if anyone on the (mission) field were to hear of it, they may be offended, especially if they are struggling or in a 3^rd world country where an amount like that would go a super long way.  

I hope I’m not being offensive in bringing this up.  I’m not trying to judge and say that spending that much was wrong per say, just that some people might not understand unless it was explained. (When we worked together) I’ve always felt like I could talk with you openly and I really enjoyed our times together, so I hope you’re not offended by me writing you with this! 

By the way, you’re kiddos look very happy and cute and I really like hearing the funny things they’ve said and done! I’ll wrap it up here, but please know that it’s with a lot of love and prayers sent your way! Yours in Him, 

* 

I was so grateful that I had such a good friend, whom was willing to tell me when I had “spinach between my teeth”.  The post referred to was something I had written mimicking the famous USA TV advertisement by Mastercard that lists things money can’t buy as “priceless” and then says “for everything else, there’s mastercard”. The cost of things were exaggerated and probably sprung from the fact that Australia and the cost of living there came as quite a shock to Darren and me and to our pocketbook.

 Anyway, since this note from my friend I have found out that only a few of the people who read my blog “got it” and the rest of them had the same questions this good friend had: “Were those real amounts of money you spent?”  I know, and have been taught all my life that finances are always a sensitive topic. “Dad” (David Berg) rightly said that when disclosing finances people will always think that you either have too much, or too little. (Of course in this case we neither had this much or spent this much.)

The post was meant to be cute or funny, but I guess it wasn’t:-)

The opinions of my colleagues in missionary work around the world matter to me because their sacrifices to reach others with Jesus love matter very much to me. So it’s therefore important to me to be able to clarify and explain this post.  Below is the email I sent to my friend in reply to hers: 

Hi (dear friend),  

Thank you for your note. It was good to hear from you. I have been following the news of (your family) and praying for you often. I’m thankful for how many answers to prayer the Lord has brought and the answers He’s working on. God bless you for being such fighters, the Lord must really know that he can trust you and depend on you to entrust you with such a big fight. I admire how close you’ve stayed to Him, and I continue to pray that He’ll show you and your family His love in a very personal and special way.  Thank you for your question about my blog post. I really appreciate that you wrote me and asked. Yes, the post was meant to be a joke. I purposely exaggerated the price tags on everything way out of proportion thinking that it would be clear that I was imitating and spoofing the commercial / ad by Mastercard. And, I was of course, exaggerating how much it costs and how much work it was for us (saving & saving and saving in time and money for a long time and years) being a big family, to have a family reunion & to travel anywhere. And I’m sorry it wasn’t clear, and I’m glad you mentioned it because I wouldn’t want to be a bad example, and I am very concerned, as you mentioned that someone on the field, or someone facing the faith-life struggles that each of us do face as part of our discipleship and living for the Lord instead of the world — might be stumbled by.  We did have to save up, for five years actually, to go to Australia. It was the first time that Darren’s parents & much of his family had met me and the grandkids. His dad and mom and brothers and sisters have actually wanted us to visit for a long time (for weddings or family reunions), but we weren’t able to do it because of finances for many years, much to their disappointment, but we faithfully set aside what we could every month in order to be able to make the trip and visit them.  

…But still, blogs can give a one-sided picture … I probably made a good mistake there with that post, and I’m glad you mentioned it, because if you had that question and it wasn’t clear to you, others probably did too!  I’m praying about what I can do to clarify it. Let me know if you have any ideas, &/or I’ll be praying about a post to clarify it. Thanks for being so sweet and understanding in your note. I sure love and appreciate you and feel honored that you would be honest with me and write me about it. Thank you!! I love you, and will continue to think of you and your family in my heart and prayers.  Love,Claire 

Thank you for listening everyone, and for your understanding. And I do pray for the Lord’s supply of all of your needs, as well as for your work, and extra to enjoy the life He’s given you. There’s “only one life”.