Time to Love

As many of you know, I spend a considerable amount of time in Guatemala working with Iglesia Galilea. Soon I will be returning there for three more months to pick up the construction projects that we worked on while I was there earlier this year. While some of the work is getting close to completion, there are other projects coming up to replace them as soon as they are finished. When you work with people that have a vision for making disciples of their nation, the work does not end until everyone has had the chance to respond to the call of Jesus to come and follow Him.

While I am excited to get back to work, I will also be missing some great people in Morris. While I am passionate about the work in Guatemala, I am also passionate about the work we do at CYC and the kids that we serve. Leaving them is difficult because they have become such a big part of my life.  God has used to teach me so many things that I believe are crucial for the success of any ministry. and the truths that I have learned from these kids are important for the work God calls me to everywhere. I would like to share a little with you about these things.

For many years I have worked with kids in the Morris community. I have shared in their victories and cried through their defeats. I have had them open up to me about very personal things. Often, we are the only adults that they share any deep things about their lives with. I have heard about family lives and situations that I never thought any kid should have to live through. My heart has experienced huge highs and crushing lows as I have shared with these kids. Many times, their circumstances have been far beyond my ability to reason or figure out and so I prayed about the best way to help and God began to show me a truth about ministry.

We can love people and work to help them out of their circumstances but there will always be another crisis. If we become firefighters helping people extinguish the fires of their lives, we are going to run out of water. Love for them and empathy for their situation is not enough to carry us. Life is to much and we are not up to the challenge.

The truth is ministry must come from a place of being seated with Jesus in heavenly places. He sits above their circumstances and sees the big picture in their lives. He can navigate through places that we cannot see. Jesus has a plan for healing and deliverance that my lead through difficult places. He loves us and the people that we love better than we, on our own, ever could. He has wisdom to lead people through the place that He desires and bring them out on the other side, leaving them healed and whole.

Our role in missions or any ministry is to harvest intimacy with Jesus. We need to spend so much time with Him that He fills our vision. The bigger our vision of God the more empowered we are when we step into the enemies attack. We will have more faith as He leads us into places of staring down the enemy are he charges in to attack. When we understand the strength of Jesus, we can stand with others in scary places and not fear for them or for the outcome.

The other thing we need to do is get familiar with the love of God for us. When we know and understand the love of God for us, we have something to give away. We can believe that God wants to change the circumstances of others. His love will transform lives, communities and nations. When we are secure in it, we can join Him in that work. When we are not, we try to manipulate circumstances or God to separate people from the things that are causing them pain. We often interrupt the thing that God is using them to make them free and more the person that He created them to be. We need to receive love first from God before we can really have it to give to others. Without God's love flowing through us, all of our help will be misguided and may even deepen the problems that we are trying to fix. We love because He first loved us.

I am excited about where God is leading but I am most excited that he is teaching me to live and walk in His presence so that I can bring His life into every circumstance. I have learned to be content in Morris or San Lucas as long as I am with Jesus. I know that I will be fruitful regardless of where I am because Jesus is there. Thanks for all of your support and prayers in this journey.

If you would consider supporting me financially, as well as in prayer, it would be greatly appreciated. Checks can be sent to:
My Father's House of Prayer
C/O Guatemala Missions
P.O. Box 679 
Morris, IL 60450 Checks can be made out to MFHOP.

Wet underwear

Fox River was here last week and I had a great time with friends. I have not been able to spend much time with the Marcouxs or Andrew for a while because at home we had so many conflicts in schedules that it is hard to get together. I was glad that they came and we got to work and hang out for a week. I was also grateful that they brought Dennis with them because I saw a spark in Tono's eyes that I have not seen for a while. Seeing someone with understanding of how things grow and working with him for the week was a blessing and an encouragement for my friend.

This week was an entirely different week for me. We went to Zapote to support a Kid's Alive/Oasis medical team from South Carolina.The first two days, I went and cleaned on the Food Machine because the panels had turned from white to green and brown.It is not the most glamorous job in the world but it needed to be done. By the end of the day I smelled like decayed plants, fish poop and sweat. I know that is an attractive picture but I got to ride home in the truck for 1 1/2 hours with 4 other people. They must of loved me. At least on the second day Rudy and Adolpho helped so I did not stink alone.

Wednesday and Thursday were different though. My job was to police the hall where people lined up for the clinic and keep them from trying to sneak in ahead of their turn. I did not have a lot of vision for this being a great experience but God had another plan for the day. Children were coming through with their families and had long waits to see the doctors and dentist. you cannot keep a 4 or 10 year old just sitting with nothing to do for 3 hours. As the day wore on, they grew restless and I started playing with them, chasing them in the confined space away from the "old people", playing with a beach ball and just being silly. By the end of the day I realized that I had an amazing day.

I love kids and those that know me know that they have always had my heart. Often, in a group, I would wonder away from adults and just hang out with the little ones. There is something about the simplicity of how they see things that I love to be around. it refreshes me and gives me energy. it also makes me pray that God will show us how to love and honor them in a way that they will be able to grow up different, without the cynical attitudes that the older generation has, to keep a childlike faith and hope alive in them.

God has taught me this week to look for signs of His life contacting mine each day and to be thankful whether I am in soggy underwear from the 95 degree temperatures, smelling like fish poop or if I am playing with children.Right now he is telling me that I need to be thankful for the 65 degree morning where I can sit with my feet up and relax with a cup of coffee. Soon enough, it will be time to get ready for the 22 people coming to stay with me next week and work on the school.

Remember to be thankful in all things. God is at work.

I will be here until April 15 and then returning to Illinois for a few weeks. I will return here to resume working with teams for the months of June, July and August.  I will need to continue to raise support for the work we are doing. If you would consider supporting me financially, as well as in prayer, it would be greatly appreciated. I need to raise about $4,500 for the last three months of this time. Checks can be sent to: My Father's House of Prayer C/O Guatemala Missions P.O. Box 679  Morris, IL 60450  Checks can be made out to MFHOP.