The Great Discipleship Experiment

Every Christian has their own passions and callings, and for me, discipleship is one of my 'things'.

I could point to Jesus' instruction to 'make disciples' as my text, but my passion really comes from two places - firstly, my own long-burning desire for someone to 'take me under their wing' and demonstrate an interest in my own journey of faith, and secondly, an amazement at how, when I've done this for younger girls, I've learned and grown immensely and have been filled with joy.

I try to read and think quite a bit about the discipleship process - what it means, what it looks like, what it could be in our current day American context. I have been encouraged and challenged quite a bit along the way by bloggers Seth Barnes and Mark Batterson as well as the book "Transforming Discipleship" by Greg Ogden.

During one of my late-night conversations with myself, I considered how Jesus did discipleship - living life with his disciples. Walking together, eating together, doing ministry together. In our culture it's so difficult to see people more than a couple of hours a week. Which is better than nothing, but a difficult context in which to really transform lives.

My mind turned to the empty bedroom in the back of the house and wondered if there might be someone looking for a mentor, willing to seek God together through the ups and downs of life. Though I prayed about it for months, the answer was pretty clear.

So, two weeks ago, one of our graduated high school students has taken up residence in that bedroom. We do devotions together in the morning, sing worship songs at night, and talk about anything and everything in between. We discuss books, life, ministry, the past and the future.

The goal of all this is to provide a context for discipling, or mentoring, in a way that just can't be done in that 'once a week' meeting. My prayer is that this student will see firsthand what it looks like for two imperfect people to chase after the Lord wholeheartedly, and be inspired to do so herself for a lifetime.

Faces I Will Never Forget

I have fallen in love with these people... especially the children! Here are a few of the faces I can never forget...




Pedro, father-in-law to Pastor Antonio






Lucia and her sister




Domingo


Pastors Angel, Gary, and Antonio

National Autism Resources - New Website

I am excited to announce the launch of my friend Bonnie's new business!

She has put together an internet site called "National Autism Resources" to supply parents with resources and learning tools. The site is a specialty resource for parents of kids with autism, but there are many toys and learning tools that would be fun or helpful for any families!

Please check out this link and pass it on to anyone you know that might benefit from these resources!

http://nationalautismresources.com/

A Worthy Challenge

The following is an excerpt from a post by my friend 'Brother Eugene', a full-time missionary to China. It's definitely worth a read and some thought. His perspectives as a missionary to unreached peoples are worthwhile. Even if you don't read the whole thing, skim to #3 and consider the Hudson Taylor quote.

What isn't being done for the lost by Christians in the West

That is the question I want to try and answer in the next few paragraphs. My goal is to encourage you to examine yourself to see if there is not something more that love for God and your fellow man would constrain you to do in regards to reaching the lost around the world.

1. We are not becoming "all things to all men, that [we] may by all means save some". There are innumerable opportunities throughout the world, from London to Lhasa, for Christians to work and live and share the Gospel. There are opportunities for almost every kind of entreprenuer imaginable, and for every profession under heaven. But we rarely take advantage of these opportunities.

Here in Asia's Highlands, for instance, there are hundreds of completely unreached towns and cities where it would be easy for a foreigner to come in and start up some kind of business. But it just isn't happening. The opportunity is UNDENIABLY there, but the takers are so few. Out of the millions of Christians in places like America, you would think that at least a few thousand could heed the call to go to these completely unevangelized places... especially with so many opportunities available!

2. We are not willing to leave our lives of comfort and relative safety behind to help fulfill the Great Commission. Many are willing to take short-term vacations, but few are willing to decidedly take up lifetime residence in a strange country that speaks a strange language...and making that place your real home for life, in order to share the Gospel with the people there. This was the norm in ages past, when the modern missionary movement began.

The vast majority of missionaries today, even long-term workers, do not become like the people they are seeking to reach. Most of the time, we are simply not willing to give up our 'identity' as an American/Canadian/Peruvian or other nationality, in order to truly become Chinese/Malaysian/Pakistani, etc... and be able to share the Gospel in the most effective way possible. We sacrifice effectiveness and fluency in understanding the language and culture, for the comfort and security of keeping our own national identity and speech.

3. We are not willing to look at the spiritual state of the unreached people groups of the world, and make our life decisions based upon the obvious need and the clear call to "Go and Preach". All too often, we seek to justify ourselves and claim to not have been "called" to missions. But it was Hudson Taylor who said that we should rather ask God if he is calling us to stay at home. What would be the problem if we all (or even 50% of us) decided to be missionaries? Would God not provide for our needs and open doors as never before?

I am not speaking primarily of the traditional missionary model where you have to raise so much money before you can go and all you do is sit around and talk to your neighbors about Jesus. I am speaking primarily of missions following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. We need people who are willing to work hard and start companies, and share the Gospel everywhere that they go. If unbelievers can build companies and create successful businesses around the world, and all for personal gain, how much more should we Christians be able to do that with our hearts focused on giving glory to God and seeking and saving the lost wherever we go?

Guatemala Mission Trip Video

G-Dub put together this video for our presentation in church last Sunday. It includes both still pictures and video clips from our time in Guatemala, and features music by "The Amoeba Singers". Hopefully the video gives a sense of the flavor of the place and the ministry we did. Enjoy!

Reflections

The past month has been a whirlwind... hospital visits, our church's children's day camp, an unplanned trip down south for a funeral, then two weeks out of the country on a mission trip. I haven't really had time to think, much less process what I'm thinking! Nonetheless, this time has been so significant to me that I do want to try and sift through it.

The main theme of the past month has been, God is in control. And, just as importantly, the power of prayer. Through the ups and the downs, God has been there, helping us through by His strength.

It's strange, how as a missions team we've encountered one trial after another. Every time, God has given a way through. Whether it be airport hang-ups, illness, paralysis, or just God giving us something different than we expected, we were able to face and overcome all of our tests. Though it's been tiring to continually encounter one obstacle after another, I believe that our faith has been strengthened by seeing God answer prayer after prayer.

I had planned to spend the few weeks before the trip really preparing - studying Spanish, teaching dramas, preparing children's programs. That was all scrapped when we were called to be at the sides of our loved ones. And you know what, it's probably better that way. Instead of relying on our own pre-conceived notion of what we were going to do, we had to continually seek God and be open to His leading.

Consequently, the ministry we ended up doing was much different than what we'd initially expected. God led us to ministries of encouragement and strengthening of the church, while simultaneously giving us a crash course in spiritual warfare.

I can't imagine having gone on this trip with a different team - each person had a special and significant role in the team and in ministry. It was clear to see God working in and through each of us, and it was a joy to feel like we were a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

It's been a dream come true to see God fulfill what's been on my heart for over two years - to equip youth to minister as well as see God working around the world. In the midst of so many answered prayers, I am now seeing even more seeds being planted for the future. I can't wait to see how these experiences will fit into the larger picture of our lives.

Home, Sweet, Home!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that after a four hour van ride, a five hour flight, a nine hour layover, a one hour flight, and a one hour drive, the team has arrived safely back at home!

Please continue to pray for the team over the next few days as we transition back to life in America, and begin sharing our experiences with family and friends. May God receive all the glory!

Now, With Pictures!!

With a little spare time this morning, I journeyed down the hill into the gringo part of San Pedro, and came across an internet cafe I used to frequent on days off when Katherine and I were here in 2006. It features inferior hardware, but a much faster connection to the internet, not to mention a full coffee bar. So, I spent the last 40 minutes or so uploading photos for all of last week's posts, and sipping a very nice cappucino. Not a bad way to spend a morning, if you ask me.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy the photos!

And pray for Bryan, as he is currently preparing a message to preach in church tonight. His theme is, "What does it mean to take up our cross?," with applications from the Sermon on the Mount. Should be a challenging sermon, to say the least.

Oh, and Molly did great the other night. In fact, Pastor Antonio has already used her story to teach and encourage others at a youth conference he attended yesterday. Molly not only encouraged the church, but gave the Pastor another arrow in his ministry quiver.

God is good.

Another Afternoon at Domingo’s

By Karina and Rachelle

Yesterday, everyone was really excited to be able to visit Domingo again. Since we knew there were a lot of kids in the area where he lives, we decided to create a little program to entertain the kids and teach them about Jesus.

When we arrived in the little courtyard outside of their house we saw Domingo sitting up in his wheelchair with his uncle by his side. It was so amazing to see him outside because the last two visits he was lying in his bed, facing the wall, and you couldn’t really see him face to face. We gave his family some fruit and milk and handed him some presents. He was so shy when we first got there, but he was still really happy when we gave him some presents that would keep him entertained. Also, Jean got to show him how to use the stretch band Ariel brought to strengthen his arms and it was so cool to see his uncle help out.

After a while of visiting we asked the neighbor girl, Lucia, if she still had the children’s Bible we had given her on our last visit and she ran to go get it. Katherine asked her to pick her favorite story and read it aloud to us. The story she picked was about Adam and Eve and their fall from the Garden of Eden, and it ended up being perfect for what we had planned next.

First, we brought out some bubbles to help the kids get over their shyness. All of their faces lit up as we blew bubbles and played with them.

The second thing we had planned was to share with them the story of the Wordless Book Bracelets. Rachelle felt led to share the salvation story of the bracelets. She used her own bracelet to share the story as Katherine translated, and at the end we gave each of the children their own bracelet. Even the adults wanted one! When Katherine and Rachelle reviewed with the kids about what each bead stands for, we were able to use Lucia’s story about Adam and Eve to explain how sin came into the world.

We ended with some Spanish children’s songs and gave each of the kids a little bottle of bubbles. Pastor Antonio also asked us to pray blessings for each of the kids, and we also prayed specifically for Domingo and his family as well. Pastor Antonio also used the opportunity to preach to the adults that had gathered there.

Being there yesterday was an amazing experience. It allowed us to share the love of Jesus Christ with a bunch of young kids and their parents.

Pray for Molly

She´s preaching tonight!

I lost my voice due to nasty cold, so Molly is stepping up to the plate to share what God taught her through her ordeal in the hospital. Her theme is God´s incredible faithfulness. Pray that God speaks through her in a powerful way, and that we´re able to invite Domingo´s family to attend.

Thanks, and love to you all.

Sorry we don´t have pics for you. Our local internet provider is having some difficulties with their satellite DSL. You´ll have to use your imaginations!

Adventures in Children´s Ministry

By Ariel

Every Sunday morning, Pastor Antonio’s church holds a children’s service similar to our Sunday school. This past Sunday, it was our job to lead it. We weren’t exactly sure how much time we had, how many kids would be there, or even how much we were expected to do. So we planned a tentative program that included songs, a bible story read in Spanish, a skit, a memory verse and games. We weren’t sure how much we could do or how much we couldn’t do, so we just had to put it in God’s hand and trust him to work through us despite our lack of knowledge.

On the truck drive up, we went over our program once more and we were all feeling unsure about what might happen. As we were driving up to the church, we could see already at least 30 or so kids, ages ranging from 3 to 12, sitting patiently in somewhat of a circle waiting for us. We got there and prayed quickly and brought out balloons to play with as we waited for even more kids to arrive. Which they did. Soon we had about 60 kids waiting for us to begin. I have to say, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and had to remind myself that God was with us and in control.

We sang songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and “I Have a Friend Who Loves Me” in Spanish, and the kids sang along with us. Then I read the story of Jonah out of our children’s Spanish Bible and about halfway through, one of the members of the church began translating what I said in Tsutujil. After the story, we had to take a moment to write out the memory verse in Spanish and have someone translate it into Tsutujil. That took a while, but to my great joy, the kids were being amazingly patient. Finally, we were able to recite the memory verse with them in Spanish and Tsutujil. Then we did a mini skit of the story of Zaccheus the tax collector. After, we played games like charades, Simon Says, and Hot Potato until we ran out of ideas. After about 2 hours, we were done with our program.

I’m not exactly sure how much the kids got out of our time with them but I trust that God will work in their lives. All the kids were incredibly patient and loving, and they will forever have a special place in my heart. I will continue to pray for them even after I leave Guatemala and I hope that they will continue on the path of God.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

By Karina

It is such a different experience to have church four times a week! And it’s also a lot of fun.

My favorite times are singing up on stage (something I’ve never done before) and getting to play with the kids after church. It’s so much fun to look over at all the kids in their colorful little chairs and know that you will get at least one playful little smile from them during the service. You don’t even need to know the same language because just showing them you care with a big smile on your face means the world to them. They love it when you tickle them, chase them, hug them, spin them around, make funny faces and say funny things to them.

This week I have definitely found a little kid that I would absolutely love to pack in my suitcase and take home with me. His name is Miko. He looks about two or three years old and he only reaches up to your knee. The first time I met him, he came up to me and all he wanted to do was give me high fives. He loves to slap anything with his hands and has the sweetest smile ever!

The kids here are so sweet and loving and I never want to forget about them.

My New Friend

by Rachelle

Friday morning, our group headed out for more prayer ministry in San Pablo. As we prayed for and encouraged Domingo, the paralyzed boy Molly has written about in an earlier post, I looked outside to see Gary talking with a group of neighborhood children.

I walked out to join him and found myself making fast friends with a little girl named Lucia. She lived just down the way from Domingo and his family.

I learned she is ten years old and attends the Catholic church in town. She speaks Tsutujil, the native language, but also can read and speak Spanish. She became my Spanish teacher and I was able to translate a few words into English for her. She is a sweet little girl with a big heart for her sister and family.

We had promised to come back to visit Domingo’s family with some necessary supplies, so I told Lucia I would be back tomorrow.

Because she is able to read Spanish, Gary had the idea to bring her one of the Spanish children’s Bibles we had brought along with us, so she could read Bible stories to her family. So, I wrote her name in the Bible and a little note, “Jesucristo te ama,” which means “Jesus loves you.”

When we went to visit Domingo on Saturday, I had the joy of presenting her the children’s Bible. I will never forget the smile on Lucia’s sweet face. She lit up as soon as she saw her name written in the front of the Bible and thanked Gary and I again and again.

Lucia’s smile gave me joy through and through, and I will always remember hearing her read the beginning to the story of Jesus´ birth in Bethlehem. I look forward to visting Lucia again this week and am excited to hear her read us more stories from her children’s Bible.

COINCIDENCE?... I Think Not

by Molly

(For those reading this who may not know, Molly is the girl we blogged about below who overcame temporary paralysis by the hand of God to be on this trip. The blessings keep on coming. - Gary)

Yesterday morning, in a spontaneous prayer meeting with Ariel, Karina, Bryan, Rachelle and myself, one of the prayers put on our hearts was that each of us would find our reason for being here. We know that it is God’s will that each of us is here, but we have been anxious to see how God would use us.

Our plan for yesterday morning was to visit families that attend the church and pray with them in their homes. Before we reached the church, Pastor Antonio asked if it would be okay if we visited a family that did not attend the church and were not Christians. We said that would be fine, of course, and he then led our group to the house of Pablo.

Pablo began to share with us about his grandson Domingo, who had fallen and now is paralyzed from the waist down. Upon hearing this, my heart broke for Domingo. I was overcome with emotion as I watched this twelve year old boy lay on his bed with no feeling or movement in his legs, knowing that just two weeks before I was in the exact same condition. I knew almost exactly what Domingo was going through.

Coincidence?.. I think not.

Although at the time, I could not see all the reasons for me being in the hospital, God had a plan to use me through that experience. I was able to feel for Domingo in a way I couldn’t have before.

What’s more, we just happened to have a physical therapist on our team. Jean, Katherine’s mom, stepped up and offered to teach Domingo and his family some necessary stretches to prevent stiffness and further injury to his legs. Then she asked about his upper body. The family said he had not been exercising his upper body because they had no exercises for him to do. Jean offered to send them an elastic stretch band for exercising his arms as soon as we arrived home. Just so happens, Ariel had thrown an elastic stretch band into her bag at the last minute just before we left for Guatemala.

Let me ask you again. Coincidence?...I think not.

I was then given the chance to share with Domingo. As I waited to talk to him, Karina, Ariel, Rachelle and Bryan began to pray that the words that I would speak were of God and would be an encouragement to Domingo and his family. I said what was on my heart and Antonio followed with a scripture reading. Then, as a group, we all prayed out loud for the family.

Today we will be returning to visit Domingo and his family and will be bringing them some supplies.

It was such a blessing to see how God answered our prayers and we can’t wait to see how He’s is going to further answer them in our future ministry work. We continue to pray for Domingo’s healing and his family’s protection and we ask that you will join us in our prayers.

Ministry Day One

At Pastor Antonio’s suggestion, we are starting our ministry efforts out with three days of home visits to some of the newer families in the church, to pray for their needs and to encourage them. We believe that other ministries will grow our of these prayer visits.

Yesterday was our first full day of ministry, and it was a joy. We headed out into the pueblo of San Pablo after lunch, and during our trip from here to there, it started pouring down rain. This made our trip extra entertaining, since we were standing in the back of a pick-up as the rainstorm commenced. The wetter we got, the harder we laughed. And we made a memory that will last a lifetime.

When we arrived, Pastor Antonio shared with us the history of his church, La Iglesia de la Vida Real. He told us about how the church went through multiple struggles with buying land, but at every step of the way, God provided for their needs. Now, the 2.5-year-old church owns its property debt free and is in the middle of constructing a church building that will house a school on the first floor and the sanctuary on the second. The church building’s very existence is evidence of the power of God.

Then we journeyed back out into the rain to begin our family visits. Through narrow rock-strewn alleyways, muddy with rain, we made our way to various mud-brick homes. Wood-burning fires wafted smoke into the air, and the smell of it mingled with the rain. Sometimes, we crowded into a small one or two room dwelling. Other times, we stood under awnings in outdoor kitchens as mothers and daughters prepared tortillas and soups for their family dinners.

The people we encountered were strikingly open with their struggles and needs. Elena, a mother of four daughters, told us through tears that her husband mocked her cruelly for going to church, but she knew she was doing the right thing by bringing her girls to learn about God. She feared that her husband might leave them. Another family told us of their son’s illness, how his eyes would become cloudy from time to time and his vision would dim. I can’t imagine showing up on someone’s doorstep in the US with a team of missionaries offering prayer and being welcomed with such transparency and vulnerability. May we aspire to be more like our Guatemalan brothers and sisters.

Our evening concluded with our first church service in San Pablo. After a couple of songs and a reading from Scripture, Pastor Antonio turned things over to our team. The girls started things off with Great is Thy Faithfulness and Come, Thou Fount, accompanied by Bryan on guitar. Then Karina got up and shared a testimony about Soccer Day Camp, and how God rewarded her obedience to Him. Several “Amens” rose up from the congregation as she spoke. Then I preached a sermon from Jonah 1 about the storms of life, and how God uses them to get our attention, to compel our obedience, and to strengthen our faith. The girls wrapped things up with a final song, and afterward, Pastor Antonio asked anyone suffering as illness or infirmity to come forward so that we could lay hands on them and pray for their healing.

Today, we´re headed back into the pueblo to do more of the same. Even as I type this, Molly, Bryan, Ariel, Rachelle, and Karina are in the room next to mine praying for the families we met yesterday and those we’ll meet today. We all have a feeling that God will do something great today.

One more note. Sorry for not having more pictures. We are trying to lay off of the cameras for a couple of days to keep from seeming like tourists. But rest assured, we will have many pictures to share with you in the days to come.

Thank you for your prayers. We couldn’t do what we’re doing without you.

Our New Home

On the way to the house from the airport, our driver suddenly pulled off the road and asked us if we´d like to see a view of the lake. "Of course!" We walked up to the overlook, and as each person caught a view of the lake, framed by volcanoes, you could hear them gasp one after another. We couldn´t believe this amazing locale would be home for the next two weeks! (We´re actually staying in the little village you see at the foot of the volcano in this picture)

We´re now settled in and looking forward to our first day of ministry. This afternoon, we´ll be visiting with new families in the church to greet and pray with them. Later in the evening, we´ll be leading a good portion of the worship service.

I am happy to report that the entire team is in good health and good spirits. Even 25 hours of travel didn´t wipe the smiles off our faces. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Keep checking back to get team updates and pictures!

ps - God has even been answering our prayers for the weather - we didn´t get a drop the whole four hours we drove with our luggage strapped to the roof, but as soon as we got settled in to take naps, the skies opened up and poured! Today is beautiful as well! (Thanks, Joy!)

Overcoming Obstacles

by Karina, Molly, Rachelle, and Ariel

So we made it safely to Guatemala with plenty of bumps along the road. The first bump came as a shock. We were informed at the airline check-in desk in LAX that all the minors were required to have a notarized letter from the parents to leave the country. This was the exact opposite of the information Katherine had received from the State Department that said such letters were not necessary for students 16 and over with their own passport.

Thankfully, God provided us with a woman named Monica, the airline’s front desk attendant, who made it possible for us to slide through the sketchy set of rules. However, when she checked our tickets, she told us that without our luggage stickers there was no guarantee that our luggage would switch to the correct airline and make it Guatemala. After a few phone calls they were able to get the baggage numbers allowing us to not have to pick up our baggage from the domestic terminal and bring it all they way back to the international terminal to get checked in. We were so thankful for Monica´s help, we made her a quick gift, a page out of Ariel´s coloring book.

After a long layover in LAX we were finally ready to board our last flight when another set of problems occurred. Bryan Vale, who brought his guitar along, was told he would have to check in his guitar and pay an additional $100 fee. Molly luckily had enough room in her backpack to carry Bryan’s backpack inside to avoid the fee.

Everybody was finally in the boarding dock and had given their tickets to the ticket attendants when Karina was stopped and told she had not given her official ticket to the ticket attendant. She knew she had given the man everything she needed, but the woman at the counter was convinced that she had lost her ticket. Gary stayed with Karina as the rest of us boarded the plane, arguing with airline staff and trying to get things straightened out. Finally, God pulled us through and the airline lady found Karina’s ticket.

But through all the figurative and literal bumps in the road, God smoothed everything out, showing once again, He is faithful and is always in control.

Airport Worship?

by Molly, Ariel, and Rachelle

What do you do when your flight doesn’t leave for ten hours, the check in desks for the airline won’t open for another three hours, and everyone is tired and anxious? Why, you grab Bryan Vale and his guitar, some sheet music, and burst out into praise music, of course!

So, for the next two hours, that is exactly what we did. All throughout the airport terminal, echoes of “Mighty to Save”, “How Great is Our God”, and all other possible worship songs could be heard.

People, occasionally, would stop to listen, even sitting near our group to watch us praise the Lord. Though they may not have understood completely what we were doing, or even knew what the words to the song meant, they could see from our smiles and our closed eyes that there was something different about our group and the songs we sang. Not for show, but for adoration, to praise the One who created us to be unique.

This experience was not only amazing, but uplifting. It isn’t everyday that one gets to sit in an airport terminal and praise God through song. He gave us these gifts of music, and we ended up using them, by singing with a lone guitar in the middle of Los Angeles Airport.