It’s almost my birthday. Just a couple hours to go! How exciting! I’ve invited about 50 people to my party, but seeing as my friends at the base have to plan it I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself or them into. It will be a day full of surprises. The only two things I can really be sure of is that I know that I will be making my own chocolate cake and I will be wearing a peach colored shirt.
I have many hopes for this year.
°I hope to get our ministry, Esperanzas de Vida, projected, financed, and everything ready for us to leave the base next January and start serious classes and counseling with young pregnant women.
°I hope to get better at piano and singing.
°I hope to understand more in the book of John.
°But really I hope I learn to be a consistent type of person where I have loving relationships all of the time, in the stressful moments and happy moments and downright heartbreaking moments. (that goes for God and people)
Coming soon.... I can promise more details about our ministry after our meeting with the leaders and I can promise some great photoage after my birthday party. And this week is missions week at my church in the states, so I will look forward to talking with you all on Saturday! Think of your crazy little America having an even crazier day down in Colombia tomorrow!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Life Theme
“You are my strength when I am weak. You are the treasure that I seek. You are my all in all.”
I don’t know what it would take to be able to say that every moment of ever day, but there are those times when you really know God and don’t want anything else aren’t there? I hope those times start to last and the distraction become less and less prevalent.
My life has a theme. A theme in all of my teaching, it’s the lens through which I read the Bible, it’s my approach to life. To me, everything pretty much comes down to relationships and helping people have healthy relationships with people and God. And it’s heartbreaking to see so many broken relationships. People don’t understand who God really is and therefore don’t trust him. People are hurtful. People have enemies, manipulating friends, tension in their marriages. And I don’t think anyone expected the bumps they find in their road. That’s also the reason I love to teach about God, the reason why I’m a missionary living in Colombia. I really believe knowing God and living like he taught could change everything. Those are just my musing recently.
Now for the Esperanzas de Vida update: Today Ana Cristina and I leave for Bogota for a week. We are attending a conference about creating new projects for ministry. I think it will be kind of intense, we have to presenting our project the last day. But it is a God send that this is available right now, because even though we know about counseling and loving people, we have no idea when it comes to all the logistics of starting a new ministry. Cristina is also still in the process of applying for her visa so we can visit the states for more training. Please pray that her interview at the embassy will go well.
Besides that, life is always an adventure. My best friend just got a motorcycle. And keeping to his promise, he let me be the first to drive it. It was fun, maybe a little stressful for him. Today I have my second less: where the break is and how to use it. Have a wonderful weekend... I’m signing out to go spend some quality time with Jenkins.
I don’t know what it would take to be able to say that every moment of ever day, but there are those times when you really know God and don’t want anything else aren’t there? I hope those times start to last and the distraction become less and less prevalent.
My life has a theme. A theme in all of my teaching, it’s the lens through which I read the Bible, it’s my approach to life. To me, everything pretty much comes down to relationships and helping people have healthy relationships with people and God. And it’s heartbreaking to see so many broken relationships. People don’t understand who God really is and therefore don’t trust him. People are hurtful. People have enemies, manipulating friends, tension in their marriages. And I don’t think anyone expected the bumps they find in their road. That’s also the reason I love to teach about God, the reason why I’m a missionary living in Colombia. I really believe knowing God and living like he taught could change everything. Those are just my musing recently.
Now for the Esperanzas de Vida update: Today Ana Cristina and I leave for Bogota for a week. We are attending a conference about creating new projects for ministry. I think it will be kind of intense, we have to presenting our project the last day. But it is a God send that this is available right now, because even though we know about counseling and loving people, we have no idea when it comes to all the logistics of starting a new ministry. Cristina is also still in the process of applying for her visa so we can visit the states for more training. Please pray that her interview at the embassy will go well.
Besides that, life is always an adventure. My best friend just got a motorcycle. And keeping to his promise, he let me be the first to drive it. It was fun, maybe a little stressful for him. Today I have my second less: where the break is and how to use it. Have a wonderful weekend... I’m signing out to go spend some quality time with Jenkins.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Jenkins
Now we are two weeks into a new school! This class is amazing. The kids are pretty young, but they have really open hearts, they want to be apart, they want to grow. One moment that really blessed me happened the first week of classes. There is a student named Deimer. He’s a good guy, low voice, fun to be with but he’s not the outgoing, attract attention to himself type. In one of the classes the students had to go by themselves to write down a conversation with God about some stuff from their past. Deimer came back and asked the teacher, kind of nervous like, if he really had to read it out loud to the class. You could tell he would if he had to, he wouldn’t avoid it, but it would be tough for him. Well, the assignment was personal, not to be shared with the class. But the spirit their of being willing to do whatever it takes to grow and be closer to God is what I love about this school.
I’m still learning the ropes at accounting. A good friend and I are co-pastoring three girls. They have lots to grow on, but again are willing to try. We’ve had a great time so far, I’ve also been surprised at how open they are within our group. I also have had the opportunity to help with some of the teaching these two weeks. It makes me really excited when I understand something well enough to help others get it too.
But now I must make mention of the newest addition to the base... my piano named Jenkins. Jenkins is a Yamah, weighted key, beauty. I am in charge of worship this semester, which was really a trial for my patience with a little keyboard that is really just for beginners. Because of a wonderfully generous gift, we now have Jenkins at the base. I can’t tell you how much it has blessed me to be able to worship through playing something that actually responds and makes pretty noises. But it changes worship too to have an instrument that can handle dynamics. To sum it up, the biggest blessing so far this year has by far been the gift of a piano. I am such a lucky girl!
I’m still learning the ropes at accounting. A good friend and I are co-pastoring three girls. They have lots to grow on, but again are willing to try. We’ve had a great time so far, I’ve also been surprised at how open they are within our group. I also have had the opportunity to help with some of the teaching these two weeks. It makes me really excited when I understand something well enough to help others get it too.
But now I must make mention of the newest addition to the base... my piano named Jenkins. Jenkins is a Yamah, weighted key, beauty. I am in charge of worship this semester, which was really a trial for my patience with a little keyboard that is really just for beginners. Because of a wonderfully generous gift, we now have Jenkins at the base. I can’t tell you how much it has blessed me to be able to worship through playing something that actually responds and makes pretty noises. But it changes worship too to have an instrument that can handle dynamics. To sum it up, the biggest blessing so far this year has by far been the gift of a piano. I am such a lucky girl!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Returning Tidbits
Tonight we have the opening dinner for a new school. Each semester always brings an amount of excited energy for me, because each one is so unique. I can never really imagine what the students are going to be like beforehand, nor how I personally am going to grow and be stretched.
We had staff meetings, and a lot of cleaning last week. I have three jobs as staff this year: accounting, worship, and pastoring girls (I'm one of three pastors). I also get to teach one day the first week of the school on Intercession. It has been amazingly affirming to see the staff help me developed my giftings. Although learning accounting has been like learning a new language all over again, there are so many words that weren't in my Spanish vocabulary before.
Today was my frist day back at my church, which I really enjoyed besides getting hit on! Some 40ish-year-old guy sat next to me, asked broad questions to find out if I was married to Jorge or not (Jorge and I go to the same church. He is our base director, much older than me, and a quiet, respectful kind of personality in public... who could mistake him for my husband?). Right before the end of the service he asked me for a piece of paper, and of course I gave it to him trying to be nice, not knowing he wanted it to write his phone number down for me and the best time to call him. So ladies: always watch out for the desperate middle-aged men that show up at your church, and don't sit alone!
As always, please pray for the process the new students are just starting. And please pray for wisdom, unity, and integrity among the staff. Happy New Semester!
We had staff meetings, and a lot of cleaning last week. I have three jobs as staff this year: accounting, worship, and pastoring girls (I'm one of three pastors). I also get to teach one day the first week of the school on Intercession. It has been amazingly affirming to see the staff help me developed my giftings. Although learning accounting has been like learning a new language all over again, there are so many words that weren't in my Spanish vocabulary before.
Today was my frist day back at my church, which I really enjoyed besides getting hit on! Some 40ish-year-old guy sat next to me, asked broad questions to find out if I was married to Jorge or not (Jorge and I go to the same church. He is our base director, much older than me, and a quiet, respectful kind of personality in public... who could mistake him for my husband?). Right before the end of the service he asked me for a piece of paper, and of course I gave it to him trying to be nice, not knowing he wanted it to write his phone number down for me and the best time to call him. So ladies: always watch out for the desperate middle-aged men that show up at your church, and don't sit alone!
As always, please pray for the process the new students are just starting. And please pray for wisdom, unity, and integrity among the staff. Happy New Semester!
Friday, January 11, 2008
2008!
Leaving on a jet plane, tomorrow. So much happened over break, but it just ended too soon, as normal happens with good experiences. Each semester is unique and a challenge, so I'm sure this one is going to be the same. I find that I will have a lot of responsibilities in the base and in starting our new ministry, Esperanzas de Vida. And in the midst of all of those things to be doing, my new years goal is to firstly focus on being. Like being the person I want to be, being in the right relationship with God. I think I've had that goal many times in my life, and have yet to accomplish it. But I will definately attempt to getting closer this year. But before that busyness and priority struggle begins, let's reflect on some of the most wonderful moments from the holidays.
-My sister invented this game called "Rachellium" for my Christmas present. It involves my dad trying to sound like a blow dryer, or even more complicated, a dying bunny (not dead, dying. I know, tricky). And my mom humming old Greese songs. It's wonderful and hilarious. Stilll learning the art of being a llama.
-Skiing by myself one day and totally marveling and God's work: snow capped mountains, sunsets over the Amazon, God's pretty amazing.
-About a 30 hour road trip with 5 people in the car :)
-Customs in Houston... enough said.
-Playing spoons with 3 generations of my family. I would never have survived without my cousin/teammate (no, spoons does not normally require teams)
-Seeing Steph's first impression of snow
-Team-Preaching with my Dad
-Mom's fudge.
So, with a load of good memories and good cookies to give me enegry for the new year, we're off to another foreign adventure. Happy 2008 all! Good luck with your goals for the new year!
-My sister invented this game called "Rachellium" for my Christmas present. It involves my dad trying to sound like a blow dryer, or even more complicated, a dying bunny (not dead, dying. I know, tricky). And my mom humming old Greese songs. It's wonderful and hilarious. Stilll learning the art of being a llama.
-Skiing by myself one day and totally marveling and God's work: snow capped mountains, sunsets over the Amazon, God's pretty amazing.
-About a 30 hour road trip with 5 people in the car :)
-Customs in Houston... enough said.
-Playing spoons with 3 generations of my family. I would never have survived without my cousin/teammate (no, spoons does not normally require teams)
-Seeing Steph's first impression of snow
-Team-Preaching with my Dad
-Mom's fudge.
So, with a load of good memories and good cookies to give me enegry for the new year, we're off to another foreign adventure. Happy 2008 all! Good luck with your goals for the new year!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
NEW HOUSE
I am excited to announce that our base does have a new house for the new year! It is in the same neighborhood as our old one, making moving much easier, and also meaning that we'll still have access to a good sized park in the neighborhood for those times when thirty people living in tight quarters need exercise or breathing space. We will be renting this house, but in the next couple of years we will still probably need to find something bigger if the base continues to grow as it has been. Thank your for all of the prayers during our frantic search. It is wonderful to have to time to move in and be ready for the new semester starting the middle of January.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Amazons
Well, we’re back from the ends of the earth. At least physically, but my heart and mind often find themselves wondering back to the breathtaking amazons.
Our team spent a total of four weeks in communities and almost four weeks in the city. Some of the time we were on the Brazil side (where they speak Portuguese) and other times in Colombia. In the city we did a lot of teaching in the churches and counseling sessions. In the communities it takes a bit more creativity to do counseling because it’s not really in their culture to open up that much or to tell strangers about their problems. We did a lot of work with youth, sometimes teaching, sometimes playing, sometimes doing small group style conversations. It was an amazing time!
But more than anything, us four girls grew personally. We all had our own giants to face. For example, Lorena is scared of preaching or public speaking, but she did it three times on outreach. Stephanie’s hardest thing to learn was that she herself is trustworthy and has authority to counsel and teach. My growth was discovering lies that I’ve believed for years and lead me to do things I know aren’t logical. We are different women now, more mature and yet more silly (you would be too if you spent two months hanging out with this group of girls!), with more integrity, and clearer plans for our futures.
I always tend to feel most connected to places where I have grown a lot, and the Amazons is no different. I miss the heat and the sunrise over the river. But I also miss the open style the people have of sitting around and talking, wanting to honor us with dinner invitations and gifts. I miss the youth who are so hungry to learn more but don’t find discipleship in the church. It is a beautiful, rich, and needy place. One day I hope to spend more time in the communities.
Our team spent a total of four weeks in communities and almost four weeks in the city. Some of the time we were on the Brazil side (where they speak Portuguese) and other times in Colombia. In the city we did a lot of teaching in the churches and counseling sessions. In the communities it takes a bit more creativity to do counseling because it’s not really in their culture to open up that much or to tell strangers about their problems. We did a lot of work with youth, sometimes teaching, sometimes playing, sometimes doing small group style conversations. It was an amazing time!
But more than anything, us four girls grew personally. We all had our own giants to face. For example, Lorena is scared of preaching or public speaking, but she did it three times on outreach. Stephanie’s hardest thing to learn was that she herself is trustworthy and has authority to counsel and teach. My growth was discovering lies that I’ve believed for years and lead me to do things I know aren’t logical. We are different women now, more mature and yet more silly (you would be too if you spent two months hanging out with this group of girls!), with more integrity, and clearer plans for our futures.
I always tend to feel most connected to places where I have grown a lot, and the Amazons is no different. I miss the heat and the sunrise over the river. But I also miss the open style the people have of sitting around and talking, wanting to honor us with dinner invitations and gifts. I miss the youth who are so hungry to learn more but don’t find discipleship in the church. It is a beautiful, rich, and needy place. One day I hope to spend more time in the communities.
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