midpoint

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

By His grace I have made it to the halfway mark. Now it seems like the months are counted down rather than up. The first six months have been filled with much reflection on who I am in Christ, His purpose for bringing me back to Mexico, and what His desires are for me. God has really stretched me, challenging me to grow in His love and grace, and teaching me how to trust in Him. In this process He has given me amazing people to mutually encourage me – family and friends back home who have stayed involved, friends here who have shared in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ, and authors (such as Oswald, Piper, and so on) who provide insight and exhortation. It’s been a delightful first half.

In recent weeks I have been challenged in my commitment to the Camino community. It’s been frustrating not understanding the morning service messages. So, I stopped attending service two weeks ago and it’s been bittersweet. I use Sunday mornings to listen to sermons online so that I’m fed, but I miss the fellowship with the church. But beyond this, I realized that there is a deeper issue at hand. You see, I have had a pattern of complacency in my life and relationships. And as I prayed and reflected more on what was really going on underneath the frustration, I quickly saw as God revealed to me through His Word and Intercessor that my natural self was deflecting back to its comfortable ways. And I know through experience that this is what backsliding looks like. And I refuse to backslide. I don’t want to be a builder who has started and quits halfway. I want to keep building because I know that it is for God’s glory, not my own which will fade.

The building of ICLS is a continuing process. As we discern God’s vision for the school and work to carry out the mission, we pray for the team’s growth in quality, in numbers, and in finances. Everything we do and need we depend on faith in our Father God who provides. Though we lack in some areas, God has been gracious in teaching us how to work together, to go beyond ourselves in meeting the needs of students, and in growing our faith.

In thinking particularly about the next six months, my personal goals are to persevere through trials (which are so trivial in comparison to so many others), to grow in faith, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5), as well as an instructor of language. It’s been such an exciting journey walking with Christ, in knowing Him more, and in discerning His will for my life (Romans 12:2). As I continue to trust Him, I am filled with joy and peace, so that I may overflow with hope by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). My prayer is the same for you, too. Amen.

the grace of God

Yesterday while waiting for friends to pick me up, I went across the street to the corner store for a bag of Hot Cheetos. Instead of enjoying my chips back at Camino, I sat on the white-painted metal benches in front of the store. These benches are always there and I have probably only sat on them once while waiting for a friend to buy something. As I was eating the delicious, taste-bud, satisfying cheetos, the man who was sitting on the other bench woke up from his nap and started talking to me. The first thing he said, of which I understood, was the word "lastima" which means shame. He stated in a question that the sight of him, an old man with a scarred up face sleeping there was shameful. In my limited Spanish I just told him no - as in no it isn't lastima. He started to tell me that his parents had passed and he had no one. He started crying. And when he pointed to the scars on his face, making comment on them, he cried even more. I didn't understand everything that he was saying, nor was it necessary. All I knew was that he was hurting and lonely. I told him, Tiene usted Dios (you have God). But he just stared at me in silence and more tears welled up from his eyes. I don't think those words really soaked in the first time. He spoke more and I listened while looking into his eyes so he knew that he had my attention. I told him again Tiene Dios. Usted es un hijo de Dios (you are a child of God). And then I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to ask him to come with me across the street to Camino. The Alpha team had an event and I knew I would find someone there to minister to him. Well, while he was crying I got up and told him, Ven, ven conmigo. Vamos a la iglesia cruza la calle alla. And he stared at me, confused. First he slightly refused and then said, but "I have been crying." That didn't matter to me. I called him hermano (brother) and told him again come with me, and I reached out my hand to him. He got up and we crossed the street where I found Rhona and explained to her the situation. While she went to get another man who would talk with him and counsel him, I went over to the man, his name is Polito, and told him my name. I stretched out my hand to shake his and he called me hermana. I started crying with him as he said I have a sister now. And I assured him, tiene una hermana, soy su hermana.