We are so ready to start our first FULL week of ministry. We are entering into our fourth week of being here.I It seems like we have been here for a long time, but it also feels like we still have a lot of work to do! One of my goals while I am here is to pick up on some scripture memory that I started a while ago. Throughout the last week I have been saying it a lot, and something new stood out to me. Even though I have probably said it a million times.. it has never hit my heart this way before...
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Greetings.
Count it all joy my brothers when you face trials of various kinds
For we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.
Let steadfastness have it full effect so that you may be perfect and
complete lacking in nothing." James 1:1-4
Steadfastness that's the key! This past week we finished our last week of "orientation", and I think that it was really easy for the four of us to think that it was a little unnecessary. However, not only was it full of really useful information, I think that it helped shift my mindset. The first couple of weeks that we were here we were running off of "Honeymoon" energy. I don't think that there is anything wrong with it, because it is really productive, but it isn't sustainable. I have moved past the excitement of the first week or two and then I hit this past week. I no longer had that initial stamina that seemed supernatural, and I needed this week to know that it was gone. What do you do when you run out of Coffee (In a spiritual sense)? This week forced me to dig down and really begin to understand that task set before me! I can't finish this with a cup of coffee.. or even a pot.
I think this is what the book of James was trying to convey to us. We must learn to be balanced, and let our roots grow deep... deep ... and even deeper into Jesus. Because regardless of how strong that pot of coffee was, it will never be enough to run the race of life. It will never be enough to climb mountains. Don't you want to be perfect and complete lacking in nothing? I do. However, I also know that I am far from "lacking in nothing". So in order for my faith to be genuine and grow deep deep roots, it must be taken further than my pot of coffee will last.... And that my friends is why we can face all hard times, all defeated times, all stretching times with a confidence.We can be assured that is allowing our feet to be firmly planted in Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can provide any sort of stability in life, or overseas, or tragedy, or in overwhelming joy.
So all that to say, I am thankful for this last week. Even though it wasn't what I thought was best, it is what was best. It allowed my caffeine high to wear off and my roots to start growing through the soil in to the steadfastness that Jesus provides for his children. I am thankful that I can head into the next few months knowing that there are going to be some fabulous times, and some times when we feel completely overwhelmed and defeated. However, the steadfastness that we experience in him allows us to keep running, because it is never changing.
Here is a brief run down of our schedule this week, so that you can be praying in specific ways:
Monday- a day or preparation and planning our lessons for the week
Tuesday- We start Spanish classes, and we will be going to a village (VS) where we will hope to start some new work. We will be surveying and talking with the people in the village. Our goal is to train Advanced English Students to teach other students followed by a bible study.
Wednesday- Spanish, Girls home, and then we will be teaching English and having a bible study.
Thursday- Spanish, Teaching a health lesson, and English lessons downtown in a Quinta
Friday- Same as Thursday, just in a different Quinta
Saturday- Afternoon in a Quinta, and then hopefully we will get to go to a youth group and spend some time there!
Thank you all for your prayers! We are excited and expecting some great times this week! I am praying for God sized things to happen!
Psalm 62:8 " Trust in him at all times, O People Pour out your heart before him; God is our Refuge"
-Cayla
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