So...it's been well over four months since I posted anything. You probably think I fell off the face of the earth. Well, rest asssured, I am still here. The last months have been wonderful. Some days, I must admit, I feel useless. All my life, I've been on the go. Always doing something. So when I have a few days where I have nothing on my calendar, I begin to question if I have missed the mark. Was there something I was supposed to do today, but I wasn't listening close enough? Was there someone I was supposed to minister to, but I was too selfish to notice them?
But God has reassured me over and over that what He asks is to rest in Him. To dwell in Him. To abide in Him. And when the time comes, He will make things abundantly clear. I believe this is something we all must learn. We live in a world that moves way too fast. We go from one thing to the next without even looking up. Stop and smell the roses? I didn't even see the roses? Oops...
Take time to just be. Time to "Be still and know that He is God."
So let me quickly catch you up on life in Bogota.
In addition to working with Sparrow International/Impartiendo Esperaza, I have also joined up with an organization called UrbeMorphosis. The desire of the UrbeMorphosis team is to take Jesus to the streets and to the nations. The main avenue of this effort is through a movement called "God in the Streets." Much of the draw for people is through music, mostly hiphop. We've spent time in schools, community centers, churches, and literally in the streets. We are currently working to start a Hip Hop "school"in a local community center. This is an excellent way to get young people off the streets in a safe environment doing something constructive. As we work with them, we share the love of Christ in our actions and our words. There is also an annual God in the Streets Festival that, in Bogota, takes place in September. This year, it will be two weeks and include music of all genres, What a perfect venue for God to change lives. And who doesn't love good music?
I was blessed to have my daughter, Tori, join me here for 6 weeks. Just after her college graduation. We had a different but wonderful Christmas and New Year's here in Bogota. It was definitely different here for a couple of months because the schools are out for two months and many people go on vacation. So for the month of January we spent much time siteseeing and just relaxing.
At the end of January, Sparrow International brought a mission team to spend a week loving on and ministering to children here. We visited the girls home in Tenjo, another institution in Chia that houses abused and abandoned children, two CDA schools, two homes of CDA families, and another institution in La Mesa. It was definitely a hard but wonderful week. Several of us got sick with different ailments. I was fortunate enough to vomit for the first time in about 20 years... Then on the final day of the trip, the bus hit a pothole that sent people flying. And Tori and another young lady had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out because they had hit their head extremely hard. Thankfully they were okay.
The last month and a half, I have spent much time studying, reading, praying, and preparing for the work ahead. There still have been times of ministry as well, just in smaller portions. God is stretching me and growing me. He's reminding me that He has a plan and a purpose and when the time is right, He will make it known. He desires more than anything that we dwell in His presence and abide in His love. Then when we do, His love will flow in and through us to everyone we meet.
Just the other day, I met a young man on the bus. He spoke a little English and was curious as to where I was from and why I was here. What a perfect opportunity to share the Gospel! And in a round about way, I did. Because his English was limited, I had to speak to him in Spanish and I did not have my cheat sheet with me. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much he was able to understand or how clear I presented the truth of Jesus Christ. But I noticed several other people listening. Despite my inabilities, I am praying that God uses what I said anyway. And I am now preparing better for the next time. I have to stop being afraid. And I have to be aware and watching for God's guidance. There are opporunities around us everyday, but we have to pay attention. We have to be outward focused. It's not about me."If you want God to do a new thing, you can’t keep doing the same old thing. If you want to experience the miraculous, you need to unlearn every assumption you’ve ever made, save one. God is able." --Mark Batterson
God, break our hearts for what breaks yours. Help us to have your heart of compassion for others and let them see Jesus in us. Open our eyes. Open our hearts. Open our minds. All for your glory!
