The story continued from yesterday:
We chose to embrace the differences, to learn from them, and to allow God to use the new experiences to make us into who He wants us to be...
Our only Sunday in Belize was full of new experiences for us. In the morning, we attended an English-speaking church service with many Spanish-speaking attendees. The Spanish-speaking group sat together on the veranda of the church, and listened as Jadine, the missionary we were staying with, simultaneously translated the English sermon into Spanish. It was a unique experience, and opened our eyes to the the need for Spanish ministry to the Spanish-speaking community in Belize. Because Belize is officially an English-speaking nation, most of the missionaries there speak English- leaving few people able to effectively minister to the Spanish-speaking immigrants.
After the morning church service, our missionary hosts took us to eat lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Chinese restaurants are very popular in Belize, unlike Mexico, so for many people in our group, it was their first time tasting Chinese cuisine. It was a delicious meal, and everyone enjoyed it. After lunch, we stopped by a local supermarket to buy more candy and marshmellows for VBS, which was scheduled to start in Las Flores at 2 o'clock.
When we arrived at the Community Center in Las Flores around 1:30, there were already kids waiting for us. We quickly set up our puppet stage and all our props while some of the guys made balloon animals and went to the streets to remind the kids to come to the VBS. We did VBS in Las Flores Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, at the same time each day, and were very surprised by the turnout. Over the course of the 3 days, we had the chance to share the Gospel with between 80 and 90 children. The theme of our VBS was a pirate/sailor theme called "Looking for Treasure." Each day our kids (Uriel, Claudio, Uriah, Keyli, and Aislynn) dressed up like clowns to do their skit, sing "Jesus is My Superhero", and help us lead the ever-popular "Sailor Dance." After the songs, we did a daily object lesson (which involved plastic bottles, a candle, popping balloons, and a surprise box) followed by a fun game (Chubby Bunny and the Limbo). After the game, I would tell the Bible story and teach the memory verse, which was reinforced by a puppet show and a funny skit with Holly the Pirate and Noe the sailor. At the end of each class, we taught a song that went along with the daily theme, and before the children would leave, we would give out candy, balloon animals, and do face painting. They were 3 very fun days! The kids enjoyed it, and many of them prayed to ask Jesus into their hearts. We hope and pray that the seeds that were sown will continue to grow!
The greatest blessing we received while in Las Flores was the chance to invest into an ongoing children's ministry at one of the local Christian churches. We met a lady named Ruth, and through talking with her, learned that she and her husband Alfredo work with the children at the church. They have a very hard time getting teaching material in Belize, so our team felt led to give her almost everything we had brought with us. We were able to leave the balloons and face paints with her, as well as the puppets, pirate costume and props, and the scripts for all the puppet shows and pirate skits. We wish we could have given her so much more, but we know that God will bless and multiply the little that we were able to give. Ruth and Alfredo are planning a special event for the children of Las Flores for the end of September, and I know our whole team will be praying for them as they continue to plant and water seeds in the hearts of those precious children!
When VBS ended on Tuesday, we knew our time in Belize was also coming to a close. Everyone felt a little sad, and several people said they wished that they could stay longer. Tuesday evening was spent de-briefing with our hosts, saying thank you and goodbye to our new friends, and getting our things packed and ready to go. We were scheduled to leave the house at 5am- Craig would drive us to Belmopan, and we would go the rest of the way in public transportation. I reminded everyone that night that the adventure wasn't over yet- but I had no idea just how true those words would prove to be...
8/04/2011
8/03/2011
Mission Trip!!! (Part 3)
The story continued from yesterday:
Only 4 full days in Belize, and we were already falling in love with the places and the people...
After just a few days among the Belizean people, we all began to realize how many things we take for granted in our daily lives. So often we complain about our problems instead of realizing just how very blessed we are. It was a refreshing experience to be there, living life, and truly depending on God. In comfort it's very easy to depend on our own abilities. In unknown territory, when you don't understand the language, the money, the food- you find yourself turning to God much more frequently. When we turn to God, the things that He does in and through us are amazing. He not only takes care of all our needs, but He surprises us with extra special blessings a long the way.
One of those extra special blessings for me happened on the Saturday we were in Belize. The morning we spent preparing for our VBS that would start the next day, but in the afternoon, Craig Fritzler took us to see the ruins at Xunantunich. I was excited at the chance to see something so important to Belizean culture and history- and it was beautiful. We were all a little amazed by the beauty- even the kids were quite impressed. Suddenly, Noe said, "Look! There are monkeys up in that tree!" Now, anyone who knows me will know that I have always loved monkeys (I used to collect stuffed monkeys when I was young), and I have long dreamed of seeing monkeys in the wild. I probably had mentioned that I hoped to see some, and my girls kept asking if we would see monkeys while we were in Belize. After talking with the missionaries, I realized our hopes of seeing monkeys were slim- in 5 years, the missionaries had only seen monkeys 2 or 3 times. So Saturday morning when Keyli asked me once again if we would get to see monkeys, I tried to tell her not to get her hopes up- it wasn't very likely. Imagine my surprise when Noe saw the monkeys in the trees above! It was a special treat for me and the kids. We watched several howler monkeys playing in the trees for probably 20 minutes, and we even got to hear one howl (sounds like a jaguar or some other big cat). The kids were so excited, and it was a highlight for all of us. I think it was one of God's many extra special blessings for us!
That afternoon, after leaving Xunantunich, we stopped by the outdoor market in San Ignacio. After browsing for a bit, we all ended up at the other end of the market by the river. We were all drawn to the water, probably because we were so hot and sweaty, and as we got closer, we saw many children and families bathing and swimming. Our kids almost immediately began peeling off socks and shoes, and the little ones stripped right down to their underwear to wade in the water. The clear-looking water was irresistible, and before long, we all went in. Some of us got soaked, and others just waded in to our knees, but we all had fun. It was a refreshing, very Belizean experience!
Have you ever felt like there's a certain moment in your life that defines you, that provokes you to become all you were meant to be? I think we all have many moments like that over the course of our lives...and this mission trip to Belize was one of those moments, for our whole team. There's something really unique about being in a different culture, surrounded by the unknown. You begin to compare life as you know it to the new way of life your are experiencing for the first time- and it takes your breath away. Living, even for a few days, in new conditions, opens your eyes to a whole lifestyle that has always existed, but one that you never knew about. As you breathe it in, you have the choice to either reject it or embrace it. Looking at the Belizean people, hearing their laughter and seeing their tears, sweating in the humidity, eating their food and shopping in their stores, we realized that though Belize is completely different from Mexico, we are all the same. We all need love, we all need compassion. We all NEED a personal relationship with God to experience true joy and happiness. We chose to embrace the differences, to learn from them, and to allow God to use the new experiences to make us into who He wants us to be...
Only 4 full days in Belize, and we were already falling in love with the places and the people...
After just a few days among the Belizean people, we all began to realize how many things we take for granted in our daily lives. So often we complain about our problems instead of realizing just how very blessed we are. It was a refreshing experience to be there, living life, and truly depending on God. In comfort it's very easy to depend on our own abilities. In unknown territory, when you don't understand the language, the money, the food- you find yourself turning to God much more frequently. When we turn to God, the things that He does in and through us are amazing. He not only takes care of all our needs, but He surprises us with extra special blessings a long the way.
One of those extra special blessings for me happened on the Saturday we were in Belize. The morning we spent preparing for our VBS that would start the next day, but in the afternoon, Craig Fritzler took us to see the ruins at Xunantunich. I was excited at the chance to see something so important to Belizean culture and history- and it was beautiful. We were all a little amazed by the beauty- even the kids were quite impressed. Suddenly, Noe said, "Look! There are monkeys up in that tree!" Now, anyone who knows me will know that I have always loved monkeys (I used to collect stuffed monkeys when I was young), and I have long dreamed of seeing monkeys in the wild. I probably had mentioned that I hoped to see some, and my girls kept asking if we would see monkeys while we were in Belize. After talking with the missionaries, I realized our hopes of seeing monkeys were slim- in 5 years, the missionaries had only seen monkeys 2 or 3 times. So Saturday morning when Keyli asked me once again if we would get to see monkeys, I tried to tell her not to get her hopes up- it wasn't very likely. Imagine my surprise when Noe saw the monkeys in the trees above! It was a special treat for me and the kids. We watched several howler monkeys playing in the trees for probably 20 minutes, and we even got to hear one howl (sounds like a jaguar or some other big cat). The kids were so excited, and it was a highlight for all of us. I think it was one of God's many extra special blessings for us!
That afternoon, after leaving Xunantunich, we stopped by the outdoor market in San Ignacio. After browsing for a bit, we all ended up at the other end of the market by the river. We were all drawn to the water, probably because we were so hot and sweaty, and as we got closer, we saw many children and families bathing and swimming. Our kids almost immediately began peeling off socks and shoes, and the little ones stripped right down to their underwear to wade in the water. The clear-looking water was irresistible, and before long, we all went in. Some of us got soaked, and others just waded in to our knees, but we all had fun. It was a refreshing, very Belizean experience!
Have you ever felt like there's a certain moment in your life that defines you, that provokes you to become all you were meant to be? I think we all have many moments like that over the course of our lives...and this mission trip to Belize was one of those moments, for our whole team. There's something really unique about being in a different culture, surrounded by the unknown. You begin to compare life as you know it to the new way of life your are experiencing for the first time- and it takes your breath away. Living, even for a few days, in new conditions, opens your eyes to a whole lifestyle that has always existed, but one that you never knew about. As you breathe it in, you have the choice to either reject it or embrace it. Looking at the Belizean people, hearing their laughter and seeing their tears, sweating in the humidity, eating their food and shopping in their stores, we realized that though Belize is completely different from Mexico, we are all the same. We all need love, we all need compassion. We all NEED a personal relationship with God to experience true joy and happiness. We chose to embrace the differences, to learn from them, and to allow God to use the new experiences to make us into who He wants us to be...
8/02/2011
Mission Trip!!! (Part 2)
The story continued from yesterday:
The price he (the taxi driver) asked for was OUTRAGEOUS...but we were SO tired of travelling...
I will be straight to the point: we took the taxi! The price the guy was asking was crazy, so we did manage to haggle down the price a little bit. Still, we paid too much, but I think we were tired enough that it was well worth it. Just an hour later we were in Belmopan, meeting our missionary hosts Craig and Jadine Fritzler. In all , it had been a 32-hour trip from Michoacan to Belmopan- and everyone did fabulous. Even the kids did so much better than we had expected- God was definitely pouring out mercy and patience all over us. We opted to shower before eating (which speaks volumes for how dirty we felt, considering that we hadn't eaten all day),and then went with Craig to Spanish Lookout, right in the heart of the Mennonite community, for pizza, burgers, and ice cream. Our 16-year old Vicky was feeling homesick, and 4 of the 6 kids had eye infections, but ice cream can work miracles. We suddenly felt refreshed, and were ready for work to begin the next day.
The next 3 days we went to work at Belize Bible Center, the Bible school where classes are scheduled to begin on September 6th. The whole team went ready to work- the guys taking care of the carpentery and the plumbing, and the ladies doing various jobs including spreading gravel for the driveway, transplanting plants from the Bible school land to the front entrance, and cleaning the church in Belmopan. We wished we could've done so much more, but we worked hard and saw results. The most impressive accomplishment: the guys were able to completely finish the bathroom of the Bible school- very neccessary considering the classes will be starting there in a few more weeks! We are thankful that no one was injured or dehydrated while working. In fact, the only out of the ordinary incident occured when a tarantula was spotted- one of the girls took off running and slipped on the new gravel driveway (thankfully, she was not hurt).
Wednesday and Friday evening we had the chance to minister to some of the local people. On Wednesday evening, we had a special service for the Spanish-speaking people at Step of Faith Church in Belmopan. Criag and Jadine pretty much let us take over the service, and we had the chance to share some of the things we had prepared especially for the trip. We started out with some worship songs- I played the keyboard and sang and 10-year old Uriel accompanied me on the drums. Then the kids (Uriel, 10; Uriah, 6; Claudio, 4; and Keyli, 4), dressed in their clown outfits and wigs performed their skit and the song "Jesus Is My Superhero" in Spanish. After the song Kary, Vicky, and Pablo shared their personal testimonies with the group. Going along with the theme of the testimonies, all the adults in the team performed a drama about God's great love for us. Noe preached the sermon of his life, and I think that everyone was touched. During the prayer time, prophetic words were given, and it was a beautiful time with our fellow believers. We count it a privilege to have met each and every one of these people. Their culture is so different but OUR God is the same!
On Friday afternoon, Jadine took all of the ladies (the men were still working at the Bible school) to another village to minister. Once there, Kary "set up shop" and began to give free haircuts to all comers. Everyone was a little shy at first, so I went with Vicky and a young Belizean woman named Celeste to invite more people to come. In all, Kary did about 25 haircuts in a few hours- the most memorable for me was a little 4 or 5-year old girl who wanted her hair cut like Dora the Explorer. When she saw her new haircut in the mirror, her smile lit up her whole face! While Kary cut, the rest of talked and played with the kids, and talked with the women who were waiting in line. It was an unconventional way to minister, but we connected with the people and had a great time just loving them. Only 4 full days in Belize, and we were already falling in love with the places and the people...
The price he (the taxi driver) asked for was OUTRAGEOUS...but we were SO tired of travelling...
I will be straight to the point: we took the taxi! The price the guy was asking was crazy, so we did manage to haggle down the price a little bit. Still, we paid too much, but I think we were tired enough that it was well worth it. Just an hour later we were in Belmopan, meeting our missionary hosts Craig and Jadine Fritzler. In all , it had been a 32-hour trip from Michoacan to Belmopan- and everyone did fabulous. Even the kids did so much better than we had expected- God was definitely pouring out mercy and patience all over us. We opted to shower before eating (which speaks volumes for how dirty we felt, considering that we hadn't eaten all day),and then went with Craig to Spanish Lookout, right in the heart of the Mennonite community, for pizza, burgers, and ice cream. Our 16-year old Vicky was feeling homesick, and 4 of the 6 kids had eye infections, but ice cream can work miracles. We suddenly felt refreshed, and were ready for work to begin the next day.
The next 3 days we went to work at Belize Bible Center, the Bible school where classes are scheduled to begin on September 6th. The whole team went ready to work- the guys taking care of the carpentery and the plumbing, and the ladies doing various jobs including spreading gravel for the driveway, transplanting plants from the Bible school land to the front entrance, and cleaning the church in Belmopan. We wished we could've done so much more, but we worked hard and saw results. The most impressive accomplishment: the guys were able to completely finish the bathroom of the Bible school- very neccessary considering the classes will be starting there in a few more weeks! We are thankful that no one was injured or dehydrated while working. In fact, the only out of the ordinary incident occured when a tarantula was spotted- one of the girls took off running and slipped on the new gravel driveway (thankfully, she was not hurt).
Wednesday and Friday evening we had the chance to minister to some of the local people. On Wednesday evening, we had a special service for the Spanish-speaking people at Step of Faith Church in Belmopan. Criag and Jadine pretty much let us take over the service, and we had the chance to share some of the things we had prepared especially for the trip. We started out with some worship songs- I played the keyboard and sang and 10-year old Uriel accompanied me on the drums. Then the kids (Uriel, 10; Uriah, 6; Claudio, 4; and Keyli, 4), dressed in their clown outfits and wigs performed their skit and the song "Jesus Is My Superhero" in Spanish. After the song Kary, Vicky, and Pablo shared their personal testimonies with the group. Going along with the theme of the testimonies, all the adults in the team performed a drama about God's great love for us. Noe preached the sermon of his life, and I think that everyone was touched. During the prayer time, prophetic words were given, and it was a beautiful time with our fellow believers. We count it a privilege to have met each and every one of these people. Their culture is so different but OUR God is the same!
On Friday afternoon, Jadine took all of the ladies (the men were still working at the Bible school) to another village to minister. Once there, Kary "set up shop" and began to give free haircuts to all comers. Everyone was a little shy at first, so I went with Vicky and a young Belizean woman named Celeste to invite more people to come. In all, Kary did about 25 haircuts in a few hours- the most memorable for me was a little 4 or 5-year old girl who wanted her hair cut like Dora the Explorer. When she saw her new haircut in the mirror, her smile lit up her whole face! While Kary cut, the rest of talked and played with the kids, and talked with the women who were waiting in line. It was an unconventional way to minister, but we connected with the people and had a great time just loving them. Only 4 full days in Belize, and we were already falling in love with the places and the people...
8/01/2011
Mission Trip!!! (Part 1)
So, I have been really lousy about blogging lately...in large part because these last few months have been filled with details and planning in preparation for leading our very first team on a foreign mission trip. I know I have written about this before, but just to refresh, this was a long-awaited dream-come-true for me and my husband. Part of our vision for our ministry here in Mexico has always been to awaken, teach and lead a mission-minded revolution- eventually we hope to see this area of Mexico involved in Praying, Giving, Sending, and Going where missions, both local and worldwide, is concerned.
We began to plan this mission trip more than 2 years ago. A missionary family to Belize was sharing with us about how many Spanish-speaking people are in Belize and how little ministry they receive, being that Belize is technically an English-speaking nation. Belize receives many missionaries each year, both long-term and short-term, but very few of these speak Spanish. The Fritzler family invited us to come with a team of Spanish-speakers and minister to the Spanish speaking community in and around Belmopan (the Belizean capital). After months of praying, fundraising, and having people sign up for the trip only to later back out, our team of 13, 7 adults and 6 children (representing 4 different churches), was confirmed in January of this year. Since the middle of January, we began to meet together weekly to pray, plan, prepare, and minister. Monday, July 18th, was the first day of the trip that would change our way of looking at life, and consequently change our lives forever.
Today I'll probably only have time to talk about our trip from Michoacan to Belize (it took 32 hours!), but I will continue blogging this week to share the highlights of our trip with you, as well as the many things we learned on the journey. Some of the details will be boring, but I know some people who wanted to hear all about the trip, so feel free to read as much or as little as you want!
Monday, July 18th, we all met at the church at 7:30am. We left at 8:00am sharp, in two different vehicles, for Guadalajara. During the two-hour trip, one of the vehicles had some problems running, but thankfully, we all made it to the airport in a timely fashion. Everyone was pretty nervous- we were all double- and triple-checking to make sure we had all our papers (passports, IDs, etc.), and the adults were concerned with the inevitable flight to Cancun. Besides my family, only one of the adults had ever flown before, so everyone else was pretty overwhelmed when we walked into the Guadalajara International Airport and the check-in process began. The line was LONG, and when we finally got up to the counter, I was amazed when they didn't ask for ANY identification for anyone in the group (must be a Mexico-thing). However, we made it through check-in and security with no problems. Before we boarded the plane I made sure that everyone had taken their Dramamine, and then it was time to fly! I saw several of the adults hanging on quite tightly to their seats during take-off and landing, but we had a smooth flight, and everyone was quite proud of themselves for having survived their first plane ride.
We landed in Cancun around 4:00pm, and the fun began. Navigating a large airport while taking along 9 suitcases, several backpacks and purses, and 6 children (5 of whom are under the age of 7) can be quite interesting- especially when it is hot and humid. Aislynn lost her shoe (which was later recovered), and Keyli and Claudio (both 4) were crying because they didn't want to walk so far. It was a little daunting, but we managed to make it through the airport to the bus terminal, and on a bus headed for Cancun's main bus station. Upon arriving at the bus station we bought our tickets for the bus trip that night, left our luggage, and walked across the street to McDonald's. There we enjoyed the air conditioning while we ate dinner and let the kids play for a few hours. When we returned to the bus station we still had several hours to wait for our 12:30am bus. It was SO hot (no air conditioning in the bus station), and we were all so tired. We played with the kids as much as we could (with balloons and card games), and I even took my kids to the bathroom for a sink-bath to help cool us off and to pass the time.
At 12:30am we left on the bus that would take us to Chetumal, the city on the border of Mexico and Belize. We were able to sleep a bit on the bus (it was air conditioned...yay!) and we arrived in Chetumal at 6am. At 7am we were all able to squeeze in the same van that would take us to Belize City. We went through Immigration on the Mexican side of the border, and once again in Belize. As we were riding the van through Belize, I was struck once again by it's beauty. Belize is a beautiful, tropical country, and being there with our group, after waiting so long for this, felt very surreal.
Upon arriving in Belize City, the plan was to take the local bus the rest of the way to Belmopan. However we never counted on just how confusing it would be to be in Belize City. I was trying to figure out how to get a taxi to the bus station, and all the Belizeans began speaking to me in English. I responded in English of course, but then our Mexican team would ask me what was going on...and I continued to speak in English. It took awhile to make my brain speak Spanish to our team and English to the Belzean people! We had to change our pesos to Belzean dollars near the taxis, and though I had a ballpark figure of the exchange rate, I was so tired that I could hardly think. I wasn't sure if we were getting robbed or not (thankfully, when I reflected later on the monies we were given, they were very honest with us)! Suddenly a big guy appeared and said he would take us all to Belmopan in his van (his taxi) so that we wouldn't have to take the bus again. The price he asked for was OUTRAGEOUS...but we were SO tired of travelling...
We began to plan this mission trip more than 2 years ago. A missionary family to Belize was sharing with us about how many Spanish-speaking people are in Belize and how little ministry they receive, being that Belize is technically an English-speaking nation. Belize receives many missionaries each year, both long-term and short-term, but very few of these speak Spanish. The Fritzler family invited us to come with a team of Spanish-speakers and minister to the Spanish speaking community in and around Belmopan (the Belizean capital). After months of praying, fundraising, and having people sign up for the trip only to later back out, our team of 13, 7 adults and 6 children (representing 4 different churches), was confirmed in January of this year. Since the middle of January, we began to meet together weekly to pray, plan, prepare, and minister. Monday, July 18th, was the first day of the trip that would change our way of looking at life, and consequently change our lives forever.
Today I'll probably only have time to talk about our trip from Michoacan to Belize (it took 32 hours!), but I will continue blogging this week to share the highlights of our trip with you, as well as the many things we learned on the journey. Some of the details will be boring, but I know some people who wanted to hear all about the trip, so feel free to read as much or as little as you want!
Monday, July 18th, we all met at the church at 7:30am. We left at 8:00am sharp, in two different vehicles, for Guadalajara. During the two-hour trip, one of the vehicles had some problems running, but thankfully, we all made it to the airport in a timely fashion. Everyone was pretty nervous- we were all double- and triple-checking to make sure we had all our papers (passports, IDs, etc.), and the adults were concerned with the inevitable flight to Cancun. Besides my family, only one of the adults had ever flown before, so everyone else was pretty overwhelmed when we walked into the Guadalajara International Airport and the check-in process began. The line was LONG, and when we finally got up to the counter, I was amazed when they didn't ask for ANY identification for anyone in the group (must be a Mexico-thing). However, we made it through check-in and security with no problems. Before we boarded the plane I made sure that everyone had taken their Dramamine, and then it was time to fly! I saw several of the adults hanging on quite tightly to their seats during take-off and landing, but we had a smooth flight, and everyone was quite proud of themselves for having survived their first plane ride.
We landed in Cancun around 4:00pm, and the fun began. Navigating a large airport while taking along 9 suitcases, several backpacks and purses, and 6 children (5 of whom are under the age of 7) can be quite interesting- especially when it is hot and humid. Aislynn lost her shoe (which was later recovered), and Keyli and Claudio (both 4) were crying because they didn't want to walk so far. It was a little daunting, but we managed to make it through the airport to the bus terminal, and on a bus headed for Cancun's main bus station. Upon arriving at the bus station we bought our tickets for the bus trip that night, left our luggage, and walked across the street to McDonald's. There we enjoyed the air conditioning while we ate dinner and let the kids play for a few hours. When we returned to the bus station we still had several hours to wait for our 12:30am bus. It was SO hot (no air conditioning in the bus station), and we were all so tired. We played with the kids as much as we could (with balloons and card games), and I even took my kids to the bathroom for a sink-bath to help cool us off and to pass the time.
At 12:30am we left on the bus that would take us to Chetumal, the city on the border of Mexico and Belize. We were able to sleep a bit on the bus (it was air conditioned...yay!) and we arrived in Chetumal at 6am. At 7am we were all able to squeeze in the same van that would take us to Belize City. We went through Immigration on the Mexican side of the border, and once again in Belize. As we were riding the van through Belize, I was struck once again by it's beauty. Belize is a beautiful, tropical country, and being there with our group, after waiting so long for this, felt very surreal.
Upon arriving in Belize City, the plan was to take the local bus the rest of the way to Belmopan. However we never counted on just how confusing it would be to be in Belize City. I was trying to figure out how to get a taxi to the bus station, and all the Belizeans began speaking to me in English. I responded in English of course, but then our Mexican team would ask me what was going on...and I continued to speak in English. It took awhile to make my brain speak Spanish to our team and English to the Belzean people! We had to change our pesos to Belzean dollars near the taxis, and though I had a ballpark figure of the exchange rate, I was so tired that I could hardly think. I wasn't sure if we were getting robbed or not (thankfully, when I reflected later on the monies we were given, they were very honest with us)! Suddenly a big guy appeared and said he would take us all to Belmopan in his van (his taxi) so that we wouldn't have to take the bus again. The price he asked for was OUTRAGEOUS...but we were SO tired of travelling...
6/01/2011
What I Learned at Kids' Camp
Wow, there is so much to write...I hardly know where to start. But I do know one thing. If I don't write now, I may never write again!
So, it's been a long time since I've posted regularly on this blog. I've missed sharing with you, but what can I say? Doing 8 ministry events in 7 weeks leaves little time for much else...so blogging had to rest along with the piles of clean laundry that I was neglecting to fold (and the only reason there was any clean laundry in the first place was because my husband did it)! Today we finally had a break. With the help of my amazing family we actually managed to get that laundry folded and put away...and something about the new, uncluttered feel to my bedroom inspired me to blog tonight. I guess I will try to recap, a blog at a time, some of the things that have transpired since I last wrote.
We held a 24-hour Kids' Camp at the church at the end of April. It was crazy- 30 kids to 2 adults- but we were determined to make it happen, and it was so much fun! The theme of the camp was "Conquering the Land" based on the book of Joshua and the story of the Israelites conquering the Promised Land. The first story that I taught was a story that I had heard many times before...the story of the 12 spies that Moses sent into the Promised Land the first time around. The people of Israel were ready to enter the land that God had promised to them, but Moses sent 12 spies to investigate first. When the spies returned to the Israelite camp, 2 of them were confident that God was with them and would give them the land that He had promised. An overwhelming 10 of the spies were actually scared. All they saw were a powerful people with strong, fortified cities, and they forgot that God was ever with them. Because the people of Israel chose to listen to the opinion of the 10 spies instead of listening to the 2 that were trusting in God, God told the Israelites that they would wander in the desert for another 40 years. This story has always resounded strongly to me for several reasons, but tonight I will just mention one. The power of the majority. Peer-pressure. It's a little amazing and at times scary how we can be persuaded to do something that we know is wrong and justify it by saying, "Everyone else is doing it!" We allow popular opinion convince us to adopt new philosophies and ideals instead of following the Word of God. The voice of the two spies is drowned out by the 10, the voice of Truth is dulled by the roar for pleasure and convenience. The message works for anyone, any age, any job. The kids at the camp heard it and were challenged to be among the 2 spies...often the minority, yet the ones who will be able to look at the circumstances and still say, "God is GREATER, and He is with me." I was challenged once again not to be swayed by popular opinion, or to allow other people's concerns dictate my actions. The majority isn't always correct.
Apply this truth to your life. No matter the circumstances, God is GREATER. People will try to tell you that there is no hope. That you don't have any other choice under the circumstances. The general consensus seems to be that we are in control of our own destiny. If it makes you happy, if you want it, do it. Go for it. There's nothing more important that your happiness. Your convenience. Your desires. Instead of believing that you are IT, the you are the be-all and end-all to everything, that the only things you can accomplish are because of your talents and abilities, believe that God is GREATER and that He is with you. Allow God's Word to challenge your thinking, and believe that the impossible to you is possible with Him. I'm sure the Israelites felt just sick when they realized that their unbelief was the reason they were wandering the desert for another 40 years instead of in the beautiful land that God had prepared for them. What kind of blessings could my unbelief be keeping me from experiencing? I would much rather be reveling in God's blessings than wandering the desert. God, please help me to be among the 2 spies...to believe that you are GREATER and that you are with me, no matter the circumstances!
So, it's been a long time since I've posted regularly on this blog. I've missed sharing with you, but what can I say? Doing 8 ministry events in 7 weeks leaves little time for much else...so blogging had to rest along with the piles of clean laundry that I was neglecting to fold (and the only reason there was any clean laundry in the first place was because my husband did it)! Today we finally had a break. With the help of my amazing family we actually managed to get that laundry folded and put away...and something about the new, uncluttered feel to my bedroom inspired me to blog tonight. I guess I will try to recap, a blog at a time, some of the things that have transpired since I last wrote.
We held a 24-hour Kids' Camp at the church at the end of April. It was crazy- 30 kids to 2 adults- but we were determined to make it happen, and it was so much fun! The theme of the camp was "Conquering the Land" based on the book of Joshua and the story of the Israelites conquering the Promised Land. The first story that I taught was a story that I had heard many times before...the story of the 12 spies that Moses sent into the Promised Land the first time around. The people of Israel were ready to enter the land that God had promised to them, but Moses sent 12 spies to investigate first. When the spies returned to the Israelite camp, 2 of them were confident that God was with them and would give them the land that He had promised. An overwhelming 10 of the spies were actually scared. All they saw were a powerful people with strong, fortified cities, and they forgot that God was ever with them. Because the people of Israel chose to listen to the opinion of the 10 spies instead of listening to the 2 that were trusting in God, God told the Israelites that they would wander in the desert for another 40 years. This story has always resounded strongly to me for several reasons, but tonight I will just mention one. The power of the majority. Peer-pressure. It's a little amazing and at times scary how we can be persuaded to do something that we know is wrong and justify it by saying, "Everyone else is doing it!" We allow popular opinion convince us to adopt new philosophies and ideals instead of following the Word of God. The voice of the two spies is drowned out by the 10, the voice of Truth is dulled by the roar for pleasure and convenience. The message works for anyone, any age, any job. The kids at the camp heard it and were challenged to be among the 2 spies...often the minority, yet the ones who will be able to look at the circumstances and still say, "God is GREATER, and He is with me." I was challenged once again not to be swayed by popular opinion, or to allow other people's concerns dictate my actions. The majority isn't always correct.
Apply this truth to your life. No matter the circumstances, God is GREATER. People will try to tell you that there is no hope. That you don't have any other choice under the circumstances. The general consensus seems to be that we are in control of our own destiny. If it makes you happy, if you want it, do it. Go for it. There's nothing more important that your happiness. Your convenience. Your desires. Instead of believing that you are IT, the you are the be-all and end-all to everything, that the only things you can accomplish are because of your talents and abilities, believe that God is GREATER and that He is with you. Allow God's Word to challenge your thinking, and believe that the impossible to you is possible with Him. I'm sure the Israelites felt just sick when they realized that their unbelief was the reason they were wandering the desert for another 40 years instead of in the beautiful land that God had prepared for them. What kind of blessings could my unbelief be keeping me from experiencing? I would much rather be reveling in God's blessings than wandering the desert. God, please help me to be among the 2 spies...to believe that you are GREATER and that you are with me, no matter the circumstances!
5/10/2011
What Not to "Wear"
Tonight we had a meeting at the church...a rather frustrating meeting which seemed to revolve around a "dress-code" for those ministering in the church. All I could think was, "I can't believe how important this is to some people!" To me, as long as no one is dressing provocatively, or in a way that draws unnecessary attention to their body, there is no problem. I grew up with very conservative dress standards, and I went to school at a private school that had a dress code. When I moved to Mexico, I lived for two years on a ministry campus with a skirts-only dress code. I believe that dress code has it's place...and it's not in the church.
The story that keeps coming to mind is in the book of 1Samuel...the annointing of David as the future king of Israel. David seemed the most unlikely of all his brothers to become the next king...and I think the prophet Samuel was very surprised by God's choice. Yet God made himself very clear to Samuel in that passage: "I don't look at the same things people look at. People look at what is on the outside, at the appearance, and I look at the inside. I look at what is inside the heart." I don't think that God cares all too much about what we look like on the outside, or even so much about how we dress. He cares about the condition of our heart. He wants to know that we desire Him, that we are seeking after Him, that we want to love Him above all else. If our heart condition is straying from those things, He pursues us and draws us to Himself, wanting our love above all else. Whether we ladies wear pants or a skirt, our dress will not hide the attitudes that are inside of us. When I see a guy wearing a athletic shirt that proclaims the name of a certain sports team, I do not automatically judge him as idolizing that team. We can wear the holiest-looking clothes (I'm not exactly sure which clothes would be considered "holy"...maybe a long skirt and a buttoned-to-the-collar shirt) and have very unholy attitudes in our heart. Or we can wear sweats and t-shirts (the "uniform" around the house for busy moms like me) and be actively pursuing an intimate relationship with our Savior. The clothes...well, they are just clothes. They are just an "appearance"...not at all the real thing.
I will not contend with anyone who has different ideas for how Christians should dress. I respect other ideas and viewpoints...but I do think that it just distracts us from the real issue at hand. If my goal as a believer is to share the good news of the Gospel with everyone that I can, I must admit that I will be much more concerned with their hearts than with their outward appearances! If it ever came down to telling someone what NOT to "wear", I think I would advise against things like unforgiveness, judgemental attitudes, untruthfulness, or gossipping tongues way before I would think about the clothes. After all, clothes wear themselves out with time...but heart issues can have an eternal effect.
The story that keeps coming to mind is in the book of 1Samuel...the annointing of David as the future king of Israel. David seemed the most unlikely of all his brothers to become the next king...and I think the prophet Samuel was very surprised by God's choice. Yet God made himself very clear to Samuel in that passage: "I don't look at the same things people look at. People look at what is on the outside, at the appearance, and I look at the inside. I look at what is inside the heart." I don't think that God cares all too much about what we look like on the outside, or even so much about how we dress. He cares about the condition of our heart. He wants to know that we desire Him, that we are seeking after Him, that we want to love Him above all else. If our heart condition is straying from those things, He pursues us and draws us to Himself, wanting our love above all else. Whether we ladies wear pants or a skirt, our dress will not hide the attitudes that are inside of us. When I see a guy wearing a athletic shirt that proclaims the name of a certain sports team, I do not automatically judge him as idolizing that team. We can wear the holiest-looking clothes (I'm not exactly sure which clothes would be considered "holy"...maybe a long skirt and a buttoned-to-the-collar shirt) and have very unholy attitudes in our heart. Or we can wear sweats and t-shirts (the "uniform" around the house for busy moms like me) and be actively pursuing an intimate relationship with our Savior. The clothes...well, they are just clothes. They are just an "appearance"...not at all the real thing.
I will not contend with anyone who has different ideas for how Christians should dress. I respect other ideas and viewpoints...but I do think that it just distracts us from the real issue at hand. If my goal as a believer is to share the good news of the Gospel with everyone that I can, I must admit that I will be much more concerned with their hearts than with their outward appearances! If it ever came down to telling someone what NOT to "wear", I think I would advise against things like unforgiveness, judgemental attitudes, untruthfulness, or gossipping tongues way before I would think about the clothes. After all, clothes wear themselves out with time...but heart issues can have an eternal effect.
5/09/2011
Listen to Truth
These last weeks have been so busy, and when I get this busy I tend to make mistakes, especially in my thought life. In all the busyness, my focus starts to sway...and instead of keeping my eyes on the Author and Finisher of my faith, I start to look at me. It's not always a nice picture- I can see all my inadequacies and shortcomings, my failures and my errors in judgement. I start to look at myself and my own capabilities to get things done, instead of relying on His perfect strength and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It all seems to begin in my thoughts...I allow little thoughts to creep in, sometimes subconsciously, without even realizing it. Things like, "I can't do this anymore," or "This is too difficult, " or "Why me?" can start a pity-party in my heart that is anything but fun. It is then that I realize I have a choice. I can choose to stop the thoughts that go against what God says about me according to Scripture...or I can continue to listen to lies that go against Scripture and allow them to fester and grow within my mind and heart.
Last weekend, I was unfortunately choosing the latter over the former...and I was in a foul mood. We were getting ready to help out at a Kids' Camp, and quite frankly my attitude was anything but saintly. I was tired and wasn't afraid to mention that fact, several times, to anyone who was willing to listen. Suddenly it dawned on me (actually it would be more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention) the huge mistake I was making. I was choosing to listen to the negative thoughts that the enemy was throwing at me instead of taking a deep breath and listening to what God wanted to say to me. When I took the time to listen to God's voice, He reminded me that His grace is enough, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. He reminded me that what we were doing wasn't just another event, but it was another opportunity to share the love of Christ and the good news of the Gospel. He reminded me that He had plans for the camp that were greater then the plans that I had. I couldn't very well argue with the things that He was speaking to me, so I confessed my sour attitude and asked for Him to fill me. I asked for more of His strength, more of His patience, and more of His love. I asked Him to help me to close my ears to the lies, and to open them to the Truth. He did it all...and guess what? Kids' Camp was amazing! It was fun, refreshing, and all of the children that attended heard about God's great love for them. It was a blessing to my life...and I almost missed out on it because I was listening to lies instead of the Truth.
So, what is the Truth that we should be listening to? Here are just some examples:
Last weekend, I was unfortunately choosing the latter over the former...and I was in a foul mood. We were getting ready to help out at a Kids' Camp, and quite frankly my attitude was anything but saintly. I was tired and wasn't afraid to mention that fact, several times, to anyone who was willing to listen. Suddenly it dawned on me (actually it would be more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention) the huge mistake I was making. I was choosing to listen to the negative thoughts that the enemy was throwing at me instead of taking a deep breath and listening to what God wanted to say to me. When I took the time to listen to God's voice, He reminded me that His grace is enough, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. He reminded me that what we were doing wasn't just another event, but it was another opportunity to share the love of Christ and the good news of the Gospel. He reminded me that He had plans for the camp that were greater then the plans that I had. I couldn't very well argue with the things that He was speaking to me, so I confessed my sour attitude and asked for Him to fill me. I asked for more of His strength, more of His patience, and more of His love. I asked Him to help me to close my ears to the lies, and to open them to the Truth. He did it all...and guess what? Kids' Camp was amazing! It was fun, refreshing, and all of the children that attended heard about God's great love for them. It was a blessing to my life...and I almost missed out on it because I was listening to lies instead of the Truth.
So, what is the Truth that we should be listening to? Here are just some examples:
Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughter"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.- 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
- Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
- 2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
- John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
- Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
- Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
- Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
When I have thoughts that are contrary to what the Word of God says, I need to realize that I am listening to the wrong thing, and begin once again to listen to Truth!
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