Yeah, you knew that was coming, didn't you? What can I say? I couldn't resist! :)
The LORD is great and greatly to be praised:
There was a wonderful time of refreshment and fellowship for the Xtreme Team women here in Guatemala this past weekend as we traveled to beautiful Lago Atitlan, a couple hours north of Antigua. We spent time in prayer and just got to know one another better, and we are all in awe of how the LORD has constructed this team so perfectly. I am so blessed to lead these ladies!
Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers:
These are the same as last week's, with one addition.
1. Pray for the Guatemalan Bible study, that God would bring the women to salvation and that He would use the new leaders, Ginny and Kerri, to bring Himself much glory in the study.
2. Pray for the Xtreme Team women, for unity and growth in the LORD during this time of training. Also, pray for that we would have the ability to learn the Bible stories quickly and well.
3. Pray for a great movement of God among the indigenous peoples of South America. Pray that He would prepare the hearts of a people who have no inkling about the One True God and that He would send forth laborers into those harvest fields.
4. And please pray for my parents, Garry and Denise, who are understandably apprehensive about being unable to communicate with me for the next few months. Pray that they would "be anxious for nothing" and that His peace, which passes all understanding, would guard their hearts and minds (Phi. 4:6-7).
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
I leave in a few hours going to Peru, and it's a little hard to process all the emotions I have (my counselor friend, Amy, would be proud of that statement! :)). This has been so long in coming that it's hard to believe it's finally happening.
I realized not too long ago that I need to blog about my call to join the Xtreme Team, and I intend to do that at some point. But for now, suffice it to say that the IMB's process is LONG. It was two years ago this very month that I officially applied to be a career missionary, but the call has been there for even longer.
So now that it's finally here, what am I thinking? Oh, somewhere in the neighborhood of a million things. Excitement, definitely. Anxiety about getting everything done before I leave. And, underneath it all, there's a certain level of fear.
On Friday, I will will leave Lima (big city, lots of people and civilization) for Puerto Maldonado (big jungle, lots of animals and insects). I will live there in the jungle for the next three months, washing my clothes and myself in the river, boiling and filtering water to drink, eating... hmm, I really have no idea what. What could possibly be frightening about all that? :)
You know, honestly, I think the most difficult part might be the lack of communication with my parents and with family and friends back home. As I make phone calls today that I won't get to make again for the next three months, as I grieve yet again in saying goodbye to people I love with everything I have within me, and as I wave goodbye to people here in Antigua who have become so very dear to me, there's a part of me that tries to tell me that it's too much pain and grief, that it's not worth it.
But the LORD reminded me of this passage a few weeks ago, and it hasn't left my mind since:
"Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.' Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God'" (Lk. 9:61-62).
I don't want to look back. Instead, I want to be fit for His service so that He can use me to accomplish His will. I want to see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. More than anything, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant," when I cross the finish line. And, yes, it's absolutely worth it.
So if I don't respond to your communication for about three months, please don't be angry or concerned. I will look forward to reading and responding when I'm out of the jungle. And please remember to pray, even though I'm incommunicado!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Leaving La Antigua
My time here in Antigua is coming to a close after four months, and I will be moving on to Peru next week. This will begin the next phase of my missionary work: Xtreme training. More to come in the next blog, but for now, I'd like to summarize my time in Guatemala.
Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers:
1. Please pray for God's continued work in the Bible study with the teachers here. Pray that the Lord would impress His Truth deep into the hearts of these women and that they would come to know Him as Redeemer and Lord. Also, pray for wisdom, courage, and language skills for Ginny and Kerri, as they take over the teaching of the study in about two weeks.
2. Please lift up the women who will be participating in Xtreme Team training (Misty, Amy, Lori, Leah, Elaine, Maridith, and I). This training will be physically, spiritually, and emotionally intense. Pray that our hearts and our bodies would be up to the challenge, and beg God for team unity. Satan particularly enjoys attacking this area, because he knows that he could destroy the effectiveness of God's people if he initiates strife between them. Pray that we would love and encourage one another as we begin our ministry together.
3. Finally, please pray for God to begin a mighty work among the indigenous of South America. He can open doors among a hard-to-reach people and can call workers into the harvest fields. Pray in particular for the work in southern Bolivia, as the team there is beginning to see fruit there. Pray for the eyes of the people to be opened to the Light of Christ.
Praises for the Lord's Work:
1. My Spanish evaluation from my language school turned out great, as I received a level of "advanced." That particular level has a lot of advantages, but the most important is that it lets me go directly to my ministry site after Xtreme training, rather than having to return for more formal language training. This is absolutely the hand of the Lord. Please praise Him for His magnificent work in this area!
2. The Bible study with a group of my Guatemalan teachers has gone wonderfully! We were able to talk today about what it really means to have faith, and I know that the Lord is speaking His Truth to their hearts. And Claudia, in particular, told me that she is grateful that we have introduced her to God's Word. What a joy it has been to participate in God's work there!
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
How do I even begin to summarize my time here? I've spent the last four months in Guatemala, and it's hard to know what to say. So let me just list some amazing opportunities and joys that I've had here.
1. I climbed two volcanoes. Seriously, y'all, how many people can say that? Very cool. Just... very hard. And I think the last one might be the last volcano I'll ever climb. :)
2. I spent four months studying Spanish. And now I can understand almost everything if the people speak slowly enough (I know that can be a big "if"!). And I can communicate just about anything I want to. Once again, ALL the glory for that goes to the Lord. Believe me, I don't have any natural aptitude at language learning, and I'm well aware of Who deserves the credit.
3. I visited two other Central American countries. Costa Rica and El Salvador were both beautiful, and I enjoyed every minute.
4. I got to worship the Lord in another language and with people of another nation. Every week, I got a visual reminder of John's awesome prophecy of "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Rev. 14:6). Wow, don't you just want to be there already? Come, Lord Jesus!
5. I've spent time studying God's Word in two languages. For those of you who can read the Word in its original languages, I'm jealous. For the rest of us, though, it's amazing what you can learn from reading the Bible in another language. Let me just throw in a quick example. In Spanish, there are two verbs for the English verb "to be." The verb "estar" is used to translate relatively temporary states, like "I am sick." The verb "ser" is used for more permanent characteristics, such as "I am tall." Well, in John 14:6, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," guess which verb is used to translate, "I am." You got it: "Ser." The fact that He IS the way, the truth, and the life is a permanent characteristic. Amen!
6. I've developed amazing friendships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I was so blessed to be sent here with a group of 12 other IMB missionaries. When 8 of them left in January, they took a piece of my heart. As my friend Leah and I now leave the other three, it's a difficult goodbye once again. But I am so thankful to have had the support of going through this transition together.
7. I have shared Christ with people from all over the world. And in two languages! God gave me the opportunities to share with people from Holland, Germany, Guatemala, the US, and Belgium. Wow, when I write it out like that, it really is incredible. Thank you, Lord!
8. And my personal favorite: I got to be the first to hear when my friend Linda came to Christ. Our team planted so many seeds here, but I'm so thankful that the Lord gave us the opportunity to see this harvest. Linda was definitely a team effort, as almost every one of us talked to her about Jesus at some point. Her life has certainly been changed, and it will be exciting to see how the Lord uses her for His glory!
Thank you for walking through this journey with me. Please stay tuned for my next update early next week before I go to Peru. I'm so thankful for you!
Prayer Necessities for the Skimmers:
1. Please pray for God's continued work in the Bible study with the teachers here. Pray that the Lord would impress His Truth deep into the hearts of these women and that they would come to know Him as Redeemer and Lord. Also, pray for wisdom, courage, and language skills for Ginny and Kerri, as they take over the teaching of the study in about two weeks.
2. Please lift up the women who will be participating in Xtreme Team training (Misty, Amy, Lori, Leah, Elaine, Maridith, and I). This training will be physically, spiritually, and emotionally intense. Pray that our hearts and our bodies would be up to the challenge, and beg God for team unity. Satan particularly enjoys attacking this area, because he knows that he could destroy the effectiveness of God's people if he initiates strife between them. Pray that we would love and encourage one another as we begin our ministry together.
3. Finally, please pray for God to begin a mighty work among the indigenous of South America. He can open doors among a hard-to-reach people and can call workers into the harvest fields. Pray in particular for the work in southern Bolivia, as the team there is beginning to see fruit there. Pray for the eyes of the people to be opened to the Light of Christ.
Praises for the Lord's Work:
1. My Spanish evaluation from my language school turned out great, as I received a level of "advanced." That particular level has a lot of advantages, but the most important is that it lets me go directly to my ministry site after Xtreme training, rather than having to return for more formal language training. This is absolutely the hand of the Lord. Please praise Him for His magnificent work in this area!
2. The Bible study with a group of my Guatemalan teachers has gone wonderfully! We were able to talk today about what it really means to have faith, and I know that the Lord is speaking His Truth to their hearts. And Claudia, in particular, told me that she is grateful that we have introduced her to God's Word. What a joy it has been to participate in God's work there!
Inquiring Minds Wanna Know (Bonus for the Readers):
How do I even begin to summarize my time here? I've spent the last four months in Guatemala, and it's hard to know what to say. So let me just list some amazing opportunities and joys that I've had here.
1. I climbed two volcanoes. Seriously, y'all, how many people can say that? Very cool. Just... very hard. And I think the last one might be the last volcano I'll ever climb. :)
2. I spent four months studying Spanish. And now I can understand almost everything if the people speak slowly enough (I know that can be a big "if"!). And I can communicate just about anything I want to. Once again, ALL the glory for that goes to the Lord. Believe me, I don't have any natural aptitude at language learning, and I'm well aware of Who deserves the credit.
3. I visited two other Central American countries. Costa Rica and El Salvador were both beautiful, and I enjoyed every minute.
4. I got to worship the Lord in another language and with people of another nation. Every week, I got a visual reminder of John's awesome prophecy of "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Rev. 14:6). Wow, don't you just want to be there already? Come, Lord Jesus!
5. I've spent time studying God's Word in two languages. For those of you who can read the Word in its original languages, I'm jealous. For the rest of us, though, it's amazing what you can learn from reading the Bible in another language. Let me just throw in a quick example. In Spanish, there are two verbs for the English verb "to be." The verb "estar" is used to translate relatively temporary states, like "I am sick." The verb "ser" is used for more permanent characteristics, such as "I am tall." Well, in John 14:6, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," guess which verb is used to translate, "I am." You got it: "Ser." The fact that He IS the way, the truth, and the life is a permanent characteristic. Amen!
6. I've developed amazing friendships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I was so blessed to be sent here with a group of 12 other IMB missionaries. When 8 of them left in January, they took a piece of my heart. As my friend Leah and I now leave the other three, it's a difficult goodbye once again. But I am so thankful to have had the support of going through this transition together.
7. I have shared Christ with people from all over the world. And in two languages! God gave me the opportunities to share with people from Holland, Germany, Guatemala, the US, and Belgium. Wow, when I write it out like that, it really is incredible. Thank you, Lord!
8. And my personal favorite: I got to be the first to hear when my friend Linda came to Christ. Our team planted so many seeds here, but I'm so thankful that the Lord gave us the opportunity to see this harvest. Linda was definitely a team effort, as almost every one of us talked to her about Jesus at some point. Her life has certainly been changed, and it will be exciting to see how the Lord uses her for His glory!
Thank you for walking through this journey with me. Please stay tuned for my next update early next week before I go to Peru. I'm so thankful for you!
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