Entering Holy Week

Last week was one of the longest of my life. I taught evangelism in the mornings, and I loved doing it. But at the same time I came to have a greater appreciation for sleep and rest. God actually has been talking to me about the value of life and taking care of ourselves while valuing caring for others. Like Oswald Chambers says:
“My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?”

This week all of the students and almost all of the staff are going to the intense camp called NIKO. Ana Cristina and I will be staying at the base to work on Esperanzas de Vida. And seeing as it’s also Holy Week, what better time to get fed from God and really dig into his word? I’m really looking forward to it, I’m even excited about reading Numbers :) Sometimes God just really wants to be with us, you know?

And now for the long awaited ministry update: Ana Cristina had her appointment at the embassy for her visa last week, and she was denied. That’s right, rejected. It was a sad couple of days for us. And so this week we will be forming our plan B. It looks like I will be going to the states by myself in April and May to receive training from Living Alternatives and meet with some churches. Second semester we plan to do some intense investigation in Medellín and next year pull away from the base and focus all our energies in the ministry.

We will have to start with the counseling and emotional support aspect (seeing as we’re counselors and not at all medically inclined) and building a team. The vision is to be able to support women depending on their needs and their crisis: financially, emotionally, relationally, and medically. This includes working with their families and the father of the baby, teaching parenting skills, offering a home in circumstances where it would be best for the woman to live with us during her pregnancy, and someday having our own clinic for the medical side.

Please continue praying specifically for the ministry. It’s a bit difficult when our plans have to be changed, but we are still doing everything we can to learn and make the most of the opportunities we do have.