Maytag Mania!

Bonnie Gouge, Regional Director for South America and Iberia
April-June 2016


“May I help you with something?” the clerk at the store asked with a smile on his face. 

 

“I certainly hope so. I am looking for a washing machine. Do you have any models that are top loading and agitating?” was my quick, well-thought-out response. 

 

“No, I’m sorry, we don’t carry that style of machine. Most of our machines are European-style front-loading washers.”

 

I should have just hit the replay button instead of looking all over Córdoba, Argentina, for a top-loading agitating washing machine, because the reply was always the same. “No, we don’t carry that style of machine. But you should try one of our front-loading washers!”

 

I really did not want to try one of their nice front-loading European-style washing machines. I wanted my Maytag, or something similar—something that would wash clothes the right way! I was looking for something that was familiar, that would do the job right. 

 

After all, everyone knows that Maytag is the best! I would have even settled for a Brazilian model—at least it was top loading and would wash clothes the way they were meant to be washed. I was facing enough changes as I moved after 24 years in Bolivia to Argentina; surely I could at least stay within my comfort zone when I washed clothes! But, my sojourn through Córdoba soon revealed that top-loading washers, be they Maytag or Whirlpool or Brazilian, just were not to be found! Finally, after befriending all the appliance sales clerks around, I realized that I would just have to step out of my comfort zone and plunge right into a front-loading washing machine.

 

Finally, after days of searching and researching, my front-loading washer arrived! Hurray! Now, to put it to the test. 

 

Front-loading washers are not made to facilitate meddling. No adding clothes after the cycle has started. No pulling out those blue jeans to see if the grass stain is coming out or if it needs an extra scrub. Just set it up and let it go, trusting the machine to do the work. And…much to my surprise, it did the work without my meddling. And the clothes were actually cleaner—old stains my Maytag couldn’t touch seemed to disappear in the longer tumble wash cycle.  

 

Imagine that—I found that the new and different actually worked! My personal comfort zone and my way of doing things are not always the best. I learned that I can trust the new and the different and allow God to bring something better into my life.

Washing machines, doctor visits, grocery shopping—change stretches your comfort zone. Pray for missionaries who are going through transition and making major life changes, whether new missionaries adjusting to the field, or missionaries returning to the USA. Ask God to bring them peace and blessings as they trust in Him.

An excerpt from: 

Who’s Got Your Back?

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By Bonnie Gouge, Regional Director for South America
July-September 2015

Do you ever wish that someone would just listen to your heart and hear your concerns? Don’t you want to know that someone “has your back?” Do you wish you had a mentor?

Scripture gives us many examples of mentoring and of learning and gaining wisdom from others. For example, Elijah was a mentor to Elisha. Paul was a mentor to Timothy. These older men poured into younger men, shaping their lives and helping them mature spiritually so that they were better prepared for kingdom work.

World Gospel Mission believes in its missionaries and wants them to succeed. When our new missionaries go to the field, a mentor takes time to be with them, helping them in their transition to the new culture, place, and language. Many times, we just listen. Other times, we lend a helping hand. We are often called upon to share what we have learned as we have served.

My husband, Ron, and I have worked with new missionaries in Spain. And that has not been easy since we do not live there. Thanks to technology, we can still connect with new missionaries in Spain through Skype. We work with them through a written mentoring program, but also spend a lot of time just listening, helping them process their new life in a new place.

As a mentor, I am keenly aware of my own inadequacies. I realize that although I have served for many years in a “foreign” country, I do not have all the answers. In many ways, I just “press on” as Paul writes in Philippians 3:12: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on.…” Our hope is that in spite of our mistakes and inadequacies, our experiences can help someone else grow and mature and maybe even miss some of our pitfalls, helping prepare them to reach out to their world for Christ.

Perhaps you never had a mentor to help you along your life’s journey, but I imagine there are younger people around you who could use a helping hand. Will you “have their back?”

PRAY: Is mentorship the next step in your journey in helping you grow deeper in your walk? Take time this month to pray and ask God to direct your path to the right person who can help you with this process.