We're going south!


Well, After a month and a half of being here, I can say with confidence that we are learning and being stretched in large amounts. We are seeing God do some great things here and it a blessing to be a part of it! Aaron has been very useful with his maintenance and construction skills and I have been keeping very busy with office work and graphic design needs. We are also working with the preparations for the upcoming DTS in January which we will be on staff with.

Recently, we have been given the opportunity to join an outreach to the south of Chile and we will be leaving in only 5 days! This is very exciting for us and it is a good opportunity to leave the base for two weeks and let our heads breath and to get some clarity from God. Our first week will be spent at the YWAM Castro base located on one of the islands. Our second week will be spent in another city and we will be staying in a church. During our time in the south we will be working with churches, schools and demonstrating God’s love through practical work in the community.

Please pray that this would be an impacting time for both the people on the team and those that we encounter. Oh, and we need a special amount of prayer because did I mention that no one on the team speaks English except for us? That should be really interesting!

Well, in my attempt to learn the language here, I have been reading the gospels in Spanish. Granted it takes me like five times longer to read and it seems like 20 minutes pass before I can turn a page but it is interesting to me that through my snail like pace of reading Spanish, I am able to digest and think about what I am reading. It is actually very refreshing and I am seeing things that I normally would have passed over.

I was reading in John 3 the other day. It includes a portrayal between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well. In that day it was unheard of for a Jew to have any interaction with a Samaritan especially one with a loose reputation like hers.


Just looking at the way Jesus treats this woman and his interaction with her… I really see a side to God here that many people miss. I think a lot of people figure that God is all about sin management, but that is missing the point. And when Jesus converses with this woman who has made her way through five husbands and at the moment is living with a man that she is not married to we would expect Christ to say something about the consequences of her sinful lifestyle and that she must now repent of her deplorable deeds… But instead we see a Jesus that walks past all the barriers in this woman’s heart and understands what it is that she is really searching for.


Donald Miller says this of the encounter:
“In no way does Jesus judge this woman, stand over her and condemn her, or even mention the idea of sin; rather he appeals to the desire of her heart, pointing out the dehumanizing cycle of her life that has driven her through relationship after relationship, none of which gave her lasting fulfillment. In a sense, this woman was looking for importance and love through a man, and Jesus walks up and says what you really need is God, what I have is living water; and if you drink of it, you will never thirst again. It is interesting to me that he offers Himself to the deepest need of man, not a religion, not a formula, but Himself. He offers to her a relationship that is more than romantic, more than a balm for her heart.”

Anyways, it is something to think about and as for myself, I am comforted by the Christ I am rediscovering (very slowly, and in Spanish) in the Gospels.

Comments

  1. If you can question God through an open heart, God will guide your soul journey with confidence, make your earth path visable and render you peace eternally.

    I pray you both continue to journey well.

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  2. Soo excited for both of you!! Blessings and protection on your trip!!!

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  3. you guys look sooooo good.

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  4. thank you for updating, sarah. ya'll look great. also, the addition of another donald miller quote has reminded me that i should buy "searching for God knows what" since i gave my first copy away.

    have a lovely day in chile!

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  5. Gosh,
    It is soooo great to hear from you, finally!!! I was always wondering where you both were now. Barry and I were actually thinking of taking our honeymoon to Chile early 2007 but now we are not - but someday soon we need to visit you guys.
    It is so encouraging to hear how God has put you both there, such an answer to prayer I know. Barry and I also have those desires to move somewhere and do ministry - i would love to join back up with YWAM and I would love Barry to go thru a DTS!!!
    Love ya and miss ya, praying for you guys and also the schools coming up.
    Love Kari Hill

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  6. Random, I know, but is there a guy named
    Justin Vaughan on your base??

    Don't even ask... lol

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