Okay, so admittedly things are becoming a bit more routine around here as I approach week 6, so it is becoming more challenging to find ways to be out of my comfort zone. Even though things have become more routine, I do have a story to share with ya'll that really exemplifies what stepping out of your comfort zone looks like.
So last week, at the end of the working week (Thursday) we went out to another poverty stricken area that we serve called the Cadereyta. That was my second visit, and the past visit all I did was do construction type work in the church there. The goal for this day, however, was purely to do an outreach of food, clothing and other random things we obtained throughout the past month. So when we arrived, the captain for the day asked me to walk through the town and invite people to said outreach. Now, at this point I was pretty confident in my Spanish, BUT having never passed through the town in the slightest, I was immediatley nervous. Nonetheless, I stepped up and walked blindly though this town doing something I had NEVER done before, invite complete strangers to an outreach IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Every other time this kind of opportunity arises, there is usually a leader of some sort from the town that leads us through and helps out a ton. No luck this time, haha.
So despite my anxieties it ended up going really well, as I recruited some of the little boys to help me (funny story, I asked one of them to invite a specific house, and he told me "I don't know them, that would be embarassing." It's hard enough for the Mexicans to do it haha). The coolest thing that happened, and what I think is such an image of how God rewards us when we step out is that one of the gentlemen I spoke with ended up inviting me, and one other group member in to chat. Sadly I forget his name, but nonetheless it was just SUCH a blessing to meet him, his wife and five children and just chat about life a little bit. He spoke a little bit of English which was nice, and by the end he even offered us a coke. The best thing though, while I did enjoy this a lot, is that I know that the lady that was with me, Judy, who spoke no Spanish, absolutely loved it. I can't imagine she ever thought that she would end up in a complete strangers home in a very impoverished part of Mexico chatting it up. It actually ended up being the highlight of her week. I was just so glad that I could be an instrument for God in that way, and it was just so cool to see the hand of God deliver on such a step out of both of our comfort zones.
I will write more pretty soon. Love you all!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Race Day!
Okay, so I did it! All 10 Km and no walking at all. I kind of can't believe it. I kept waking up last night thinking to myself, "What are you doing? You hate running! Why would you EVER run for like an hour?"
So if you haven't seen my facebook update, I finished all 6.2 miles in 55 minutes and roughly 30 seconds. That averages out to just a hair under 9 minute miles. For not really training at all I am pretty pleased with the result.
Just to entertain ya'll I'm gonna give you a quick timeline of the day/race.
So to sum up the race itself, I started super slow, ran fast, crashed, and finished hard =) Thanks for all your encouraging comments! I want my bike back. Hasta Luego.
So if you haven't seen my facebook update, I finished all 6.2 miles in 55 minutes and roughly 30 seconds. That averages out to just a hair under 9 minute miles. For not really training at all I am pretty pleased with the result.
Just to entertain ya'll I'm gonna give you a quick timeline of the day/race.
6:00 - Wake up, stumble around in the dark.
6:15 - Pound a banana and Nature Valley bar.
6:20 - Say goodbye to one of the staff members returning to states =(
6:30 - Get in the car with a bunch of Mexicans and listen to my iPod. I chose chill music. I wanted to have relaxed muscles haha. The hardcore music was post race.
7:15 - Arrive at Parque Fundidora.
7:20 - See the start line packed with racers. I got wicked nervous at this point.
7:25 - Acted like I was stretching, but knew that it wasn't doing me any good since I didn't warm up at all.
7:30 - Start! (This was super anti-climactic. It's like this big count down, but unless you're in front you kind of just stroll up to the start line.
7:30 - 7:40 - Still had the nervous pee feeling, and my body was practically screaming "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
7:55 - My body is finally warmed up. I lengthened my stride and took off. It felt awesome to be passing people all over the place.
8:15 - I'm like 3 Km away from the finish. My body started to hurt.
8:25 - Went numb when I started "sprinting" to the finish. Pretty sure I forgot to breathe for about 100m. I just about puked.
8:30 - Get handed my wooden medal and a bunch of food/drink items.
8:30 - 9 - Act like I'm stretching but I'm really just eating that food that I just got.
9-10:30 Leave, eat a ton of delicious tacos, shower, and head to church.
11:00-12:00 - Church. I don't have a clue what was said in the sermon. I do remember singing Te doy gloria (I give you glory). It's such a great worship song.
12:00-3ish - Sleep, and I mean hardcore sleep. I drooled.
3:00-4:00 - Pool recovery time =)
4:00-5:00 - Sleep
5:00-Now - Skype and blog time...
So to sum up the race itself, I started super slow, ran fast, crashed, and finished hard =) Thanks for all your encouraging comments! I want my bike back. Hasta Luego.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Picos y Valles
As I sit here to write this blog post, it feels as if it is the first time in a while I’ve had a chance to just stop and catch my breath. This past week was just a whirlwind of terribly efficient chaos. I look back at what so many dearly refer to as “McCollum week” and am just so grateful for how Mr. McCollum has partnered with this ministry, sharing the love of Christ through everything from soccer camps to handing out gospel tracts with sweet pictures for the children. During this exciting week I had the privilege of leading another bible study, only this time I had 6 soon to be high school seniors who are still very much seeking out God and His will for their lives. What I had an opportunity to discuss with them and with several others is exactly what I wish to share with you all.
One day I felt God leading me to ditch the pre-pared study for a more radical approach. I decided to stop dancing around by asking shallow questions and just asked these guys about what it is they struggle with in their faith. I got a lot of great answers which I won’t share here, but regardless one of the answers steered us into a discussion about the differences between faith at home and Mexico. It really got me thinking about a lot of different things, especially the “peaks and valleys.” Something I learned about this week is that there are so many people who look to missions trips for their spiritual high, and depend on it. They almost count on it to pluck them out of the hole that they have dug for themselves. Now how can that even slightly be okay? I mean I admit that I have been there before, but what is so different about Mexico and serving orphans that would make it something we should rely on to “pick us up in our faith?” ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. The God that empowers those in missions is the same God that empowers us at home. Allow me to take a look at the American life for a moment and point out just what I pointed out to these young men.
1) One of the guys said something along the lines of “Oh, it is just so easy to focus on Christ when you are serving orphans/those who are just in a place of so much need. You are constantly reminded of what you are doing and how God is present.”
Hmmm…to that I say “there aren’t needs like that surrounding you at home?” I mean, yes, you aren’t venturing into impoverished areas every day, or loving on the orphan child but let’s think about this on a different level. The impoverishment in America isn’t necessarily in the lacking of physical things. It lies deep within people, where so much anxiety, depression and hurt reside. There are hurting people all around you every day; all you have to do is ask God to open your eyes to it and break your heart for what breaks His. He will certainly show you. Be ready.
2) “It’s just so easy to focus on God here. We have set quiet times and are surrounded by Christians. It’s so much easier to be a Christian here.”
Okay, so you have set quiet times…it’s just a terrible statement that points out how much discipline we often lack. There is, and always should be time for God each day. All you have to do is get yourself in the routine. I bet if you find a time, and devote yourself to using it for 3 weeks the habit will stick. Dealing with the other part, I will admit that there is some truth to the statement, but at the same time should you not be encountering like-minded Christians (or at least be seeking them out) as you endeavor to bring light to the dark places? By no means are you alone…I mean at the very least the best way to deal with that struggle is to fellowship in the church setting. Again, it becomes more of a discipline thing…No one ever said being a Christian was a cakewalk.
Okay…so those may not be the kindest words in the world, but if you are feeling convicted you may want to ask God why you have that conviction in the first place and hear Him out. Stop rationalizing your excuses. The devil is the King of lies and doesn’t want you to stop rationalizing.
Anyways, so outside of getting a little fired up about those things and pointing out some ways that faith in the US and faith in Mexico are not all that different, I just want to draw a picture of faith that came to me; a picture that illustrates the peaks and valleys we all experience. Take a look at my poorly hand-drawn diagram.
So diagram A is a faith that is dependent on experience, not on a relationship…it is a faith that waits to go on a missions trip, or attend a Christian camp or go to church on Sundays just to “get our spiritual high.” All too often do I see people do this only to return home and bounce right back into the same problems they had before. Where is the growth? It is nowhere to be found, or at the very best is marginal. This is a stagnant Christian…
Diagram B is a relationship with Christ. It is of a person who truly abides in Christ and experience’s His joy and shelter regardless of the trial. It is this person that grows. It is the person that sees a problem, seeks to align themselves in their problem with Christ and totally rely on Him. It is these that by persevering produce a crop in their own lives, and more importantly, in the lives of others. (Luke 8:15, if you read this notice how it implies that perseverance is necessary. We don't just reap crops by doing nothing).
So most likely after all that I’ve said I have stirred one emotion or another. If you are defensive, and thinking to yourself, “What does he know? It is SO hard to come back to the states. God just isn’t as present.” or "He's just on a spiritual high right now, just wait until he gets back." Let me tell you something that is incredible, even awe-inspiring. When you confess that Jesus is Lord and that He died on the cross for your sins, His Holy Spirit rushes into your heart, and goes with you wherever you are. This Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort, Truth, Wisdom, and many more things. How awesome is it that God gifted us with that!? I can tell you very honestly that God is absolutely with you EVERYWHERE and through EVERYTHING, and that all too many have fallen to the lie that God does not speak to us, and does not care about our hearts. He does, period. He loves you more than you can even understand. I encourage you to diligently seek this out in your life, and ask God the hard questions about your faith. Dig in. Get out of your comfort zone, and let God take you higher than you have ever been before. He is always with you and He never changes. What a promise…So to conclude...this is the kind of faith I want, and that I want others to have. I fully intend to pursue it for myself and can only hope others follow me. Please keep me accountable.
One day I felt God leading me to ditch the pre-pared study for a more radical approach. I decided to stop dancing around by asking shallow questions and just asked these guys about what it is they struggle with in their faith. I got a lot of great answers which I won’t share here, but regardless one of the answers steered us into a discussion about the differences between faith at home and Mexico. It really got me thinking about a lot of different things, especially the “peaks and valleys.” Something I learned about this week is that there are so many people who look to missions trips for their spiritual high, and depend on it. They almost count on it to pluck them out of the hole that they have dug for themselves. Now how can that even slightly be okay? I mean I admit that I have been there before, but what is so different about Mexico and serving orphans that would make it something we should rely on to “pick us up in our faith?” ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. The God that empowers those in missions is the same God that empowers us at home. Allow me to take a look at the American life for a moment and point out just what I pointed out to these young men.
1) One of the guys said something along the lines of “Oh, it is just so easy to focus on Christ when you are serving orphans/those who are just in a place of so much need. You are constantly reminded of what you are doing and how God is present.”
Hmmm…to that I say “there aren’t needs like that surrounding you at home?” I mean, yes, you aren’t venturing into impoverished areas every day, or loving on the orphan child but let’s think about this on a different level. The impoverishment in America isn’t necessarily in the lacking of physical things. It lies deep within people, where so much anxiety, depression and hurt reside. There are hurting people all around you every day; all you have to do is ask God to open your eyes to it and break your heart for what breaks His. He will certainly show you. Be ready.
2) “It’s just so easy to focus on God here. We have set quiet times and are surrounded by Christians. It’s so much easier to be a Christian here.”
Okay, so you have set quiet times…it’s just a terrible statement that points out how much discipline we often lack. There is, and always should be time for God each day. All you have to do is get yourself in the routine. I bet if you find a time, and devote yourself to using it for 3 weeks the habit will stick. Dealing with the other part, I will admit that there is some truth to the statement, but at the same time should you not be encountering like-minded Christians (or at least be seeking them out) as you endeavor to bring light to the dark places? By no means are you alone…I mean at the very least the best way to deal with that struggle is to fellowship in the church setting. Again, it becomes more of a discipline thing…No one ever said being a Christian was a cakewalk.
Okay…so those may not be the kindest words in the world, but if you are feeling convicted you may want to ask God why you have that conviction in the first place and hear Him out. Stop rationalizing your excuses. The devil is the King of lies and doesn’t want you to stop rationalizing.
Anyways, so outside of getting a little fired up about those things and pointing out some ways that faith in the US and faith in Mexico are not all that different, I just want to draw a picture of faith that came to me; a picture that illustrates the peaks and valleys we all experience. Take a look at my poorly hand-drawn diagram.
So diagram A is a faith that is dependent on experience, not on a relationship…it is a faith that waits to go on a missions trip, or attend a Christian camp or go to church on Sundays just to “get our spiritual high.” All too often do I see people do this only to return home and bounce right back into the same problems they had before. Where is the growth? It is nowhere to be found, or at the very best is marginal. This is a stagnant Christian…
Diagram B is a relationship with Christ. It is of a person who truly abides in Christ and experience’s His joy and shelter regardless of the trial. It is this person that grows. It is the person that sees a problem, seeks to align themselves in their problem with Christ and totally rely on Him. It is these that by persevering produce a crop in their own lives, and more importantly, in the lives of others. (Luke 8:15, if you read this notice how it implies that perseverance is necessary. We don't just reap crops by doing nothing).
So most likely after all that I’ve said I have stirred one emotion or another. If you are defensive, and thinking to yourself, “What does he know? It is SO hard to come back to the states. God just isn’t as present.” or "He's just on a spiritual high right now, just wait until he gets back." Let me tell you something that is incredible, even awe-inspiring. When you confess that Jesus is Lord and that He died on the cross for your sins, His Holy Spirit rushes into your heart, and goes with you wherever you are. This Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort, Truth, Wisdom, and many more things. How awesome is it that God gifted us with that!? I can tell you very honestly that God is absolutely with you EVERYWHERE and through EVERYTHING, and that all too many have fallen to the lie that God does not speak to us, and does not care about our hearts. He does, period. He loves you more than you can even understand. I encourage you to diligently seek this out in your life, and ask God the hard questions about your faith. Dig in. Get out of your comfort zone, and let God take you higher than you have ever been before. He is always with you and He never changes. What a promise…So to conclude...this is the kind of faith I want, and that I want others to have. I fully intend to pursue it for myself and can only hope others follow me. Please keep me accountable.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Invisible...
So as you have probably figured out by now, I love music, and often feel God moving through it. Just last night we began singing a new song called Break Through, by Tommy Walker. I posted all the lyrics and highlighted what really stuck out to me.
Break through, break through all my doubts
Break through, break through all my fears
Break through That I may worship You
Break through, break through all my pain
Break through, all my guilt and my shame
Break through like only You can do
You are brighter than my darkest night,
Stronger than my toughest fight
Just one touch from You, my King, my Friend
And I’ll never be the same again
The lyrics about being stronger than my toughest fight quickly brought my mind to some scripture I had read early that day (or maybe week, I can't remember for sure) from 2 Kings chapter 6, which tells us a story about Elisha capturing the Syrian army against all odds. What strikes me the most is the part that says:
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Verses 16-17)
What a great picture of our God being SOOOO much bigger and stronger than our strongest fight! He can send an army of fire to protect us! That image of have an army of fire surrounding me in my struggles just overwhelmed me last night, and yet again reminded me to not put God in a box. We serve a truly great and glorious God.
Break through, break through all my doubts
Break through, break through all my fears
Break through That I may worship You
Break through, break through all my pain
Break through, all my guilt and my shame
Break through like only You can do
You are brighter than my darkest night,
Stronger than my toughest fight
Just one touch from You, my King, my Friend
And I’ll never be the same again
The lyrics about being stronger than my toughest fight quickly brought my mind to some scripture I had read early that day (or maybe week, I can't remember for sure) from 2 Kings chapter 6, which tells us a story about Elisha capturing the Syrian army against all odds. What strikes me the most is the part that says:
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Verses 16-17)
What a great picture of our God being SOOOO much bigger and stronger than our strongest fight! He can send an army of fire to protect us! That image of have an army of fire surrounding me in my struggles just overwhelmed me last night, and yet again reminded me to not put God in a box. We serve a truly great and glorious God.
Monday, June 22, 2009
As promised...
Hi ya'll! Here is the super cute video that I mentioned yesterday. It's the kids from Imperior de Amor singing for us after we had finished working for the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GIbgE1TbHY
Today was a pretty simple, yet fun day, as I got to lead two other men in building a picnic table for a children's home called Bathesda. I 1) almost decided to walk of with super cute Mexican kid, and 2) ended up getting a ton of sun again and of course I failed to put on sunscreen...The tan-o-meter is putting me pretty darn close to Mexican right now, haha (I just had a conversation with a Mexican about this, and they actually admited that I was pretty close). K, well that is all for today. Not a long post for once. God bless!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GIbgE1TbHY
Today was a pretty simple, yet fun day, as I got to lead two other men in building a picnic table for a children's home called Bathesda. I 1) almost decided to walk of with super cute Mexican kid, and 2) ended up getting a ton of sun again and of course I failed to put on sunscreen...The tan-o-meter is putting me pretty darn close to Mexican right now, haha (I just had a conversation with a Mexican about this, and they actually admited that I was pretty close). K, well that is all for today. Not a long post for once. God bless!
Ayyy! El Fuego!!!
Remember how I was talking about chaos yesterday? Get this- today during worship a couple of guys across the street who were probably a bit drunk dropped a cigarette into the grass around their feet, and before they knew it, a huge fire had broken loose. By the time we noticed it, the flames were up above the 10 foot concrete wall surrounding the place. When we got there, and asked them if they had it under control, they said, “Oh no, we’re fine” as the fire quickly spread away from the single measly hose. We quickly dismissed that, grabbed hoses and buckets, and extinguished the very out of control fire. Needless to say it was kind of chaotic and quite the mid-worship experience.
As for the rest of the day, it was very low key. I went with my group to a church service at the local orphanage Casa Hogar Douglas (CHD) and it was AWESOME! I just loved w
orshiping totally in Spanish and sharing in a powerful message. After the service the group served food to the orphans and care givers before heading back to campus for a pool party with kids from another local orphanage called Bathesda. The party was a lot of fun for the kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the pool with some of my favorite girls that live on the campus (Lupita, Ashley, and Brendis). I feel so blessed by them, especially when I get to legitimately hang out with them. That was pretty much the end of the work day for me...nice and low key.
SOOOOO, I am in the process of uploading a super cute video to YouTube for you all. It should be finished by tomorrow so I will post that link then. Until then, you can enjoy this goofy picture of what I like to call my “tan-o-meter.” That is my degree of tan after two weeks in the awesome Mexican sun haha.
Recuerda, somos más que conquistadores. =)
As for the rest of the day, it was very low key. I went with my group to a church service at the local orphanage Casa Hogar Douglas (CHD) and it was AWESOME! I just loved w
orshiping totally in Spanish and sharing in a powerful message. After the service the group served food to the orphans and care givers before heading back to campus for a pool party with kids from another local orphanage called Bathesda. The party was a lot of fun for the kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the pool with some of my favorite girls that live on the campus (Lupita, Ashley, and Brendis). I feel so blessed by them, especially when I get to legitimately hang out with them. That was pretty much the end of the work day for me...nice and low key.SOOOOO, I am in the process of uploading a super cute video to YouTube for you all. It should be finished by tomorrow so I will post that link then. Until then, you can enjoy this goofy picture of what I like to call my “tan-o-meter.” That is my degree of tan after two weeks in the awesome Mexican sun haha.
Recuerda, somos más que conquistadores. =)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Chaos and Opportunity
So as many of you know, I changed my major from Entrepreneurship to Finance this past year for several reasons, none of which are relevant to this post. One of the things I have learned after switching over is a phrase that primarily relates to the state of the economy and trading on the stock market. That phrase is “Where there is chaos, there is opportunity.” I don’t know who said it originally, but I do know that its implications hold some truth both economically and spiritually.
At first I never really thought about it outside of an economic point of view, but the other day I began thinking about it from a different perspective. I decided to stop putting God in the box that I so often placed him in and look for Him in even the most odd and chaotic of places. For example, the other day I was working at an orphanage called Casa Hogar Douglas, which is just down the street, and I found myself in a discussion with the captain about the very broken pasts that many if not all of these kids have, and my mind went directly past all the powerfully bad things we so often focus on to the ridiculous potential that God has for these children, HIS children. Their broken lives are such an opportunity for Him to show up and show off. God really has a great plan for each and every one of them. I mean I can’t help but give praise, even amongst the direst of circumstances. There is just such an opportunity for God’s glory to shine through that it isn’t even funny.
While I never initially thought about whether or not this concept is biblical or not, it turns out that it can be found in the lives of some of our favorite characters. Lately I have been reading through 1 Kings, and I just recently covered a couple of stories about the incredible life of Elijah. The story that strikes me the most in reference to this is when Elijah, much like us, falls prey to his doubts and runs off into the dessert to hide from his enemies. After some angelic prodding, Elijah ended up in a cave after an incredible 40 day journey on only one meal. It is here that he is instructed to listen for God:
Isn’t it funny that God had Elijah go out into His presence (which was present the whole time, but He actually "passed by" at the whisper) but yet his small whisper is what we are intended to look for amidst all the other chaotic events? I just love how God does things that sometimes just don’t seem to make sense to us, but truly end up bringing Him SO much glory. What a comfort to know that God is always there throughout all things, and is in control of all things, even things like strong winds, earthquakes and fire! What a challenge it is to fight our human nature and seek out His still small whisper rather than focus on the negative…
In regard to that small whisper, I will just say that my past week was quite hectic, and there was certainly enough chaos to go around, which is a big part of the reason I haven’t updated my blog in awhile. Even so, I can truly say that God was still very present, and I am quite confident that He whispered to more than a couple of us during the week. Amidst the challenges there was great opportunity for growth, and we as a team, heard the whisper and embraced it. I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow interns and staff for our perseverance through the challenging moments.
Just to quickly recap the past week, I worked mainly at a children’s home called Imperio de Amor (IdA, or empire of love) where we began digging an L shaped trench which will serve as the footer for a wall on one side and a fence on the other. I know that doesn’t totally sound logical, but it would if you saw it. We also sealed a lot of the concrete roofs on the other buildings. The sealant goes on AND dries bright white which reflects the sun a lot. Let’s just say that I definitely got some sun while doing that sealing. =)
Outside of working at IdA, the group and I worked on campus a little bit and took our kids to a sweet place called Kidzania the other day. (I SERIOUSLY wish I had one of these places as a kid. You should check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidzania, http://www.kidzania.com/). Also of note, I finally got a chance to go on a good run, which ended up being 8.5 miles long. I will admit that I was certainly sore the rest of the day, and the following days. As of yesterday, I am officially signed up to run a 10k on July 5th. There is no backing out now! It should be pretty exciting, especially since it’s my first long race ever. If you want to read a little about the race you can go here: http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/euamexico10k.html.
Looking ahead, we have three groups this week totaling around 60 people, so it should be a little bit lower key. I am excited to get to work and to get to know the group I am with. Yet again I can’t wait to see how the Lord will work this week, even if it means calmly sifting through the chaos to see it.
I will be posting some videos and whatnot from the past week here very soon. You're gonna love it!
At first I never really thought about it outside of an economic point of view, but the other day I began thinking about it from a different perspective. I decided to stop putting God in the box that I so often placed him in and look for Him in even the most odd and chaotic of places. For example, the other day I was working at an orphanage called Casa Hogar Douglas, which is just down the street, and I found myself in a discussion with the captain about the very broken pasts that many if not all of these kids have, and my mind went directly past all the powerfully bad things we so often focus on to the ridiculous potential that God has for these children, HIS children. Their broken lives are such an opportunity for Him to show up and show off. God really has a great plan for each and every one of them. I mean I can’t help but give praise, even amongst the direst of circumstances. There is just such an opportunity for God’s glory to shine through that it isn’t even funny.
While I never initially thought about whether or not this concept is biblical or not, it turns out that it can be found in the lives of some of our favorite characters. Lately I have been reading through 1 Kings, and I just recently covered a couple of stories about the incredible life of Elijah. The story that strikes me the most in reference to this is when Elijah, much like us, falls prey to his doubts and runs off into the dessert to hide from his enemies. After some angelic prodding, Elijah ended up in a cave after an incredible 40 day journey on only one meal. It is here that he is instructed to listen for God:
“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” -1 Kings 19:11-13
Isn’t it funny that God had Elijah go out into His presence (which was present the whole time, but He actually "passed by" at the whisper) but yet his small whisper is what we are intended to look for amidst all the other chaotic events? I just love how God does things that sometimes just don’t seem to make sense to us, but truly end up bringing Him SO much glory. What a comfort to know that God is always there throughout all things, and is in control of all things, even things like strong winds, earthquakes and fire! What a challenge it is to fight our human nature and seek out His still small whisper rather than focus on the negative…
In regard to that small whisper, I will just say that my past week was quite hectic, and there was certainly enough chaos to go around, which is a big part of the reason I haven’t updated my blog in awhile. Even so, I can truly say that God was still very present, and I am quite confident that He whispered to more than a couple of us during the week. Amidst the challenges there was great opportunity for growth, and we as a team, heard the whisper and embraced it. I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow interns and staff for our perseverance through the challenging moments.
Just to quickly recap the past week, I worked mainly at a children’s home called Imperio de Amor (IdA, or empire of love) where we began digging an L shaped trench which will serve as the footer for a wall on one side and a fence on the other. I know that doesn’t totally sound logical, but it would if you saw it. We also sealed a lot of the concrete roofs on the other buildings. The sealant goes on AND dries bright white which reflects the sun a lot. Let’s just say that I definitely got some sun while doing that sealing. =)
Outside of working at IdA, the group and I worked on campus a little bit and took our kids to a sweet place called Kidzania the other day. (I SERIOUSLY wish I had one of these places as a kid. You should check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidzania, http://www.kidzania.com/). Also of note, I finally got a chance to go on a good run, which ended up being 8.5 miles long. I will admit that I was certainly sore the rest of the day, and the following days. As of yesterday, I am officially signed up to run a 10k on July 5th. There is no backing out now! It should be pretty exciting, especially since it’s my first long race ever. If you want to read a little about the race you can go here: http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/euamexico10k.html.
Looking ahead, we have three groups this week totaling around 60 people, so it should be a little bit lower key. I am excited to get to work and to get to know the group I am with. Yet again I can’t wait to see how the Lord will work this week, even if it means calmly sifting through the chaos to see it.
I will be posting some videos and whatnot from the past week here very soon. You're gonna love it!
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