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Visited by the Kindness of God
In a world full of influencers showcasing their latest adventures, New York Times bestsellers that promise to make you rich, and a culture that elevates celebrity, what about all of us living ordinary lives? Are we missing out on what God has for us? The story of God visiting Mary and announcing that she would…
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Friendship: The Relationship that Halves our Sorrows and Doubles our Joys
Have you ever thought about what the Bible has to say about friendship? This past month, I was honored to preach at Haven Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on the topic of friendship from the book of Proverbs. It is an encouraging message!
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Overcoming the Commodification of Time
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, a venerable physician discovers a potion of youth. He gathers a group of elderly friends and administers the liquid to them as part of an experiment. He cautions them at the outset of the study: Before you drink, my respectable old friends,” said Dr. Heidegger, “it would be well
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Vlog: Reverse Culture Shock
After living for over two years as medical missionaries in Papua New Guinea, we transitioned back to the United States. It has been quite the adjustment!
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There and Back Again
Reflections on two years in Papua New Guinea as medical missionaries, and our return to the United States.
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Vlog: Completing Two Incredible Years as Medical Missionaries in Papua New Guinea!
Reflecting on two wonderful, challenging years as medical missionaries in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, and an update on our upcoming return to the States.
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Vlog: Saving Babies in PNG!
It is a great honor to help save lives every day. Being a medical missionary is a hard but meaningful adventure!
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Vlog: “Dawn of Civilization Trip” – Italy, Greece, and Egypt in 3 Weeks!
This past October we paused our medical missions work in Papua New Guinea and went to a “Restore Conference” in Europe. We traveled from Papua New Guinea, to Italy, to Greece, and then stopped in Egypt on the way home. We called this our “Dawn of Civilization Trip”. Enjoy the video!
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Books of 2024!
A list of the books I read in 2024!
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Memorize Scripture to Change Your Life
Memorize Scripture to Change Your Life!
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Vlog: Joy – Stories of Medical Missions in Papua New Guinea
Stories of medical missions in Papua New Guinea
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Vlog: Summiting Mt. Wilhelm – Papua New Guinea’s Tallest Mountain!
Earlier this month I went on an adventure to summit Papua New Guinea’s tallest mountain! It was majestic and wild. Check out the video! “Restore us to our truer, wilder stories oh God.”
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Vlog: Orphanage Visit!
This year, the Sixth Grade Girls group at our home church, Haven Church, raised money to bless children in Papua New Guinea. Their generosity allowed us to provide food, school supplies, and school fees to a beautiful local orphanage. The real hero of the story is the wonderful mama who, along with her family, has
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Vlog: Wild Emergency Medicine in Papua New Guinea!
Our best Vlog yet. Genae’s brother and professional videographer @evanlanier recently followed me through the hospital here in Papua New Guinea. Check out a typical (and never routine) day of missionary emergency medicine “plus”!
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Vlog: Our Family’s Week on a Remote Island Off the Coast of Papua New Guinea!
In April, we took a much needed escape to a remote island off the coast of Papua New Guinea. We lived with a PNG family on an island with no electricity or running water. It was part cultural experience, part vacation, and all adventure! We had a wonderful time and learned more about this special
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Two Roads to Contentment
In Brennan Manning’s powerful book, “Abba’s Child”, he recounts Flannery O’Connor’s short story The Turkey about a young boy named Ruller. Ruller feels down about himself because nothing he does amounts to much. One day, while meandering through the woods, Ruller spots a wounded wild turkey and thinks of how proud everyone will be of him if
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Vlog: The Worst Delivery!
Stories from the hospital, reflections on moral injury, and the blessing of lamentation.
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Patience in Well-Doing
In truth, if we know how to look, we find evidence of human dignity all around us, in the valiant efforts ordinary people make to meet necessity, to combat adversity and disappointment, to provide for their children, to care for their parents, to help their neighbors, to serve their country. Life provides numerous hard occasions
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Vlog: Day in the Life of a Missionary Mom in Papua New Guinea
Many of you have asked about what life looks like for Genae and the kids here in Papua New Guinea. Well, here you go!
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Vlog: He Will Give You Himself
What about when the boy is not healed? When, listened to or not listened to, the prayer goes unanswered? Who knows? Just keep praying, Jesus says. Remember the sleepy friend, the crooked judge. Even if the boy dies, keep on beating the path to God’s door, because the one thing you can be sure of
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Is It Worth It?
Christians need to understand that bearing the cross does not in the first place refer to the trials which we call crosses, but to the daily giving up of life, of dying to self, which must mark us as much as it did the Lord Jesus, which we need in times of prosperity almost more
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Vlog: Road Trip in Papua New Guinea!
A few weeks ago, we took a through-the-mountains Papua New Guinea road trip to the coastal city of Madang! Check out this short vlog to see what a PNG road trip is like…
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To Be Loved
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24 This is the man I want myself to be but
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Vlog: A Day in the Life of a Missionary Doctor on Call
Check out the video below!
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Adventures in PNG Vlog!
We spend a lot of time working in the hospital and at home, but we have still had some time for some fun adventures in PNG! Our favorite was spending a week in a village called Kawi. Check out this month’s Vlog for some adventures in PNG!
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Stories and Service
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of
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Vlog: A Glimpse Into the Medical Work
It is one month since we left for PNG! Below is a glimpse into the medical work we have been doing during our first few weeks here. Check out the video!
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Our Journey to PNG in Video!
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That Time I Lost a Baby in an Airport in Papua New Guinea: Reflections on Our 10,000 Mile Journey
One week ago, I looked out the window at white Wisconsin snow clinging to oak trees like a robe. This morning, I see mist rising like a spirit above verdant mountains in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. In one week, God has brought our family of eight nearly ten-thousand miles to the other side
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Preparing for PNG Vlog!
Check out our first video explaining our preparations for PNG! We leave on April 5th!
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One Month to PNG!
Hi – it’s Genae…normally Jake is the writer, but I have a lot on my mind lately 🙂 I can’t believe that I’m finally saying this – we have our plane tickets!!! We officially leave for Papua New Guinea on April 5th, 2023! We will arrive on Good Friday, and our first weekend there will
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Books of 2022
2022 READING LIST 2022 The changing of years is always an apropos time to reflect on what I have learned in this past season. To that end, here are the books that I (Jake) read in 2022, organized by category. Take a look, and maybe you can find your next book to start off 2023!
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Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
This past month, I (Jake) had the opportunity to speak to two groups of Cru college students about what it looks like to live with an eternal perspective. There are few things I enjoy more than getting to preach to college students and worship with them – I am always refreshed by their energy and
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A Bearded Child, A Djembe, and Faith
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2 Many of Jesus’ disciples, then as now, would die for their faith. That
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The Treasure of Giving Up Control
I recently had the opportunity to preach at our local church. My message was on two short parables: the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value, from Matthew 13. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his
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An Accident and an Epiphany
Three weeks ago, we had a painful family accident. It was an atypically warm Wisconsin day – nearly forty degrees! – and our dear friends B.J. and Colette were visiting. Genae had to take Milo to an appointment, so the rest of us decided to cart our collective horde of children to Carson Park in
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Re-thinking “Missions”
What is a Missionary? Recently, I talked on the phone with a dear friend, and shared about God leading us to Papua New Guinea. He told me, “When I was younger, I knew that someday I would either be a missionary myself or someone who supports them.” Something about the dichotomy of this statement unsettled
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Our Journey to Missions
Genae and I met while traveling the world on a year-long Christian mission trip called the World Race. We have always had missions and adventure in our blood. In 2011, we journeyed to eleven countries throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Australia. We saw God miraculously open deaf ears and blind eyes in Mozambique. We
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Death as a Compass for Life
Re-posted from August 31, 2021 Recently, I have been asking myself a question: “What percent of my life have I finished?” Am I 35% done? Am I 90% done? There is no way to know how many of my allotted days on earth I’ve completed; but the question still bothers me. Do I have a
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How We Became Debt-Free Within One Year of Graduating Residency
Re-Posted from June 19, 2020 On June 30, 2019, I graduated from my residency program in emergency medicine. On June 16, 2020, less than one year later, we made our final student loan payment. It felt incredible to finally say, “Good riddance!” to over $172,000 of student loan debt. This blog is about how we
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views of Samaritan’s Purse or World Medical Mission. Photos from patients are used with their permission or their parent’s permission. Names are often changed for the sake of privacy.