Frigid Wisconsin

While I'm home again after another foray into a very cold and snowy Wisconsin. The snow sure does make for pretty scenery though. I was at Holmen, Wisconsin on Sunday, February 17th. I was slated to speak in the Sunday evening service, but the area received around 9 inches of snow throughout the morning and early afternoon. That made for a rather small crowd on Sunday evening.

On Monday, I drove about 30 minutes east to Sparta, Wisconsin where I stayed through Thursday. I enjoyed getting to know my hostess, a single lady with two cats. She collects flamingoes. I never dreamed that flamingoes came in so many shapes, sizes, and uses! I spoke in a church there on Wednesday evening.

I had planned to leave first thing Thursday morning, but the cold overnight (around 15 below zero), apparently did a number on my car. But the pastor very generously spent his time and energy getting it running again. I left Sparta around 2pm and arrived safely in Springfield to greet another snow storm. This has been quite a winter:-)

Overall, the trip had some unexpected turns, but, as always, the Lord was faithful. It never ceases to comfort me that He not only knows the future but controls it as well.

As an additional encouragement, I got a call Wednesday night from a pastor in Georgetown, IL. That church voted Wednesday evening to take me on for support. That increase brings my support level to 59%.

South Carolina

As expected, February is developing into a very busy month. My few days away at the beginning though were both enjoyable and profitable and helped to provide spiritual strength for my schedule. Last week, I enjoyed being in my home church for the services on both Sunday and Wednesday. I had planned to speak in Schaumburg, IL on Wednesday (February 6th), but that meeting was cancelled due to a forecasted 10 inches of snow. Thursday morning, I started for South Carolina. I stopped overnight in the Cincinnati, Ohio area to go to the Creation Museum. That was very impressive and informative. I would highly recommend a visit.

This week I have had the privilege of being part of a mission conference at Heritage Bible Church. I and the other missionary wives spoke to the ladies on Saturday morning, then I presented my ministry in the Sunday evening service. It has been enjoyable, although a bit daunting as Heritage is a very large church, at least 5 times larger than any of my previous churches. But the Lord gives grace whether I am speaking to many or to few.

On Friday, I will head back to Illinois, then leave Saturday for Wisconsin. A case of extremes, as I go from warm South Carolina to frigid Wisconsin:-) But I'm excited to see the Lord at work there as well.

Home Again

It's good to be home again for a few days. I have been gone the past two weekends, first to Wisconsin, and most recently in eastern Illinois. I spoke in three churches and met many kind people. It is a blessing to see the Lord at work in ministries in so many places. I've been doing quite a bit of driving beside the flat, empty fields of Illinois. It's amazing how even their barrenness has its own sort of beauty.

I'm taking a couple of days later this week just to get away. It's easy in my busyness to forget the reason behind it, and I wanted to just spend some time with the Lord and catch up on things. February is shaping up to be a very busy month, but I'm excited to see what the Lord will do.

Keep praying that the Lord will accomplish His perfect work in me and get me to New Guinea in His time.

Snowy Trip

Well, I had rather an interesting trip to Wisconsin. As planned, I drove to northern Illinois Saturday evening and had a wonderful time with the pastor and his wife as well as a missionary couple that was speaking in their church the following morning. I attended that presentation Sunday morning and then left immediately for Waupaca. 4.5 hours later, I arrived without incident. This was a church of about 100-150 with many kind people. I spent the night with a lady in the church and enjoyed fellowshipping with her.

The fun started the next morning. It had snowed a little during the night, but the roads were pretty clear. I was about 15 minutes south of Waupaca when I encountered a snow plow clearing the shoulder of the state route. I swung out a little bit to go around him and encountered the unplowed snow covering the center line. I can't completely describe what happened next. I only know that I fishtailed a good bit and then spun completely around and ended up in the snow on the far side of the opposite lane, facing back toward Waupaca. I am very grateful for the Lord's protection in that the car did not flip (as I fully expected it to), and neither I nor the car were hurt. I called 911 and they sent a wrecker to pull the car out of the ditch. I was back on my way in about 30 minutes. I had another bit of a scare when I got on the interstate though. Going over 50mph caused a severe vibration throughout the car. I was a bit concerned and so called my dad and brothers to solicit advice. We finally determined that I had probably gotten snow in my rims by sliding sideways into the snow bank. As I continued to drive, the snow melted and the vibration disappeared.

So, all in all, it was a rather eventful trip. I'm headed back up to Wisconsin this weekend and am praying for a bit more boring time. I will be speaking at one church on Sunday morning and in another church about ten minutes away for a 1:30pm service. (They adjusted their service because of the Packers playoff game that evening. They're passionate about the Packers in Wisconsin! Good thing I'm not a Bears fan or I'd never get any support up there:-)

Anyway, I'd appreciate your prayers as I continue on the deputation trail. Please join me in praising the Lord for His gracious protection.

Prayer Request

I hadn't intended on posting again so soon, but I just got a message that I wanted to share. The next paragraph came from an email sent by Randy Smith, the missionary with whom I will be working. He is discussing the road that links us to the nearest town of any size where we can get mail, visit the bank, and buy supplies.

"The road is presently thoroughly closed. Our options for getting ourselves and supplies in and out of the bush have dwindled to the point that walking 25km to Nomane to catch a New Tribes airplane or paying SIL quite a bit of money ($380 to over $900 depending on how many of us are going and from what base the chopper is coming) are our best two options. Two days ago Brother Sailas and I flew into Nomane and walked home to Kiari. We saw first-hand the condition of the road. Two areas are especially bad and really cannot be fixed adequately without a machine of some kind. I am checking into purchasing a strong motorcycle or a four-wheeler for ferrying passengers and supplies b/t the Nomane airstrip and Kiari when the road is closed. Of course, we're still trying to get the airstrip moving ahead, but things move slowly in PNG. We are still waiting to see the new regulations that the CAA is supposed to be writing re rural airstrips."

The road has always been a challenge, but it has become more of a problem in the last year or so. I would appreciate your prayers about the situation. To get a little bit of an idea what the issue is, click here. Note especially the position of the rear passenger tire:-) This picture was taken just a few weeks ago, but the road was still passable at that point. It apparently has deteriorated even further.

Back on the Trail

Well, the holidays are officially over, the Christmas decorations put away (at least mostly), and it's time to get back on the deputation trail. Seriously though, I had a wonderful Christmas in South Carolina with all of my family (dad, 2 brothers and wives, & 5 nephews). Now, it's back to traveling again. Lord willing, I will be spending Saturday night and Sunday morning in northern Illinois at a church I spoke at last year, then I will head up to central Wisconsin for the evening service.
I got word yesterday from GFA (my mission agency) that my support level has been increased to compensate for rising insurance costs and the dropping value of the US dollar. Unfortunately, that means that my support level is now 55.5% instead of 63%. But the Lord isn't surprised, and He will still get me to the field in His time!

My Testimony

Hi! My name is Catherine McQuaid and I am a missionary on deputation to the country of Papua New Guinea.

I was saved at a very early age under my mother’s faithful teaching. In the early years of elementary school, I surrendered my life to the Lord for whatever He would have me to do. Then, a few years later, I went forward in a church service to publicly indicate that I believed God was calling me to be a medical missionary. As time went by, I wondered if my call had been only a childish dream, but the Lord continued to confirm His will as I grew older.

While attending college and majoring in nursing, I had the opportunity to spend two months with a mission team in Kenya, East Africa. While there assisting a medical missionary couple my eyes were opened to the many ways that God has molded me for this kind of ministry.

A few years later, I had another opportunity to spend two months on the mission field. I went to Kiari, Papua New Guinea and worked with Jon and Shelley Calhoun. Kiari is a small village of about 4000 people located in the central mountainous region of Papua New Guinea. In 2000, the Calhouns planted a church there as well as a medical outreach. As I assisted in the women’s and children’s ministries of the church and worked in the clinical ministry, the Lord began to grow in me a love and burden for the people of New Guinea. They live in what many Americans would consider extreme poverty, in huts with dirt floors and possessions scarcely more than the clothes on their backs. But their greatest need is not money, or better housing, or nicer clothing. These people need the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When the time arrived for me to return to the States, I did not want to leave. I began praying that the Lord would grant me the opportunity to spend my life ministering in Papua New Guinea. For the next few years, family responsibilities occupied my time. But in the summer of 2006, the Lord gave me peace about returning to New Guinea as a full time missionary with GFA.

The ministry in Kiari is currently under the direction of Randy and Elena Smith. While they are continuing the church’s ministries, they do not have any medical training and have had to temporarily close the clinic. I am excited about the role I believe the Lord is calling me to fulfill in this ministry. Opportunities to teach and disciple the women and children are abundant, and I looking forward to being involved in evangelism both through personal contacts and the church’s existing outreach ministries. I also plan to use my medical training to reopen the clinic outreach and minister to the numerous health needs of the people. Lord willing, I eventually hope to take medical evangelism trips into neighboring villages where the gospel has never been preached.

It is a blessing to see how the Lord has taken my childhood desire and brought it to fruition. There have been many challenges along the way, but He has proven His wisdom and faithfulness as He has accomplished His will for my life. Truly, as Psalm 18:30 states, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.”