Well, yesterday marked 1 month on the ground in Guatemala. I find it hard to believe it has already been that long. And I truly love serving God where He has me.
Wednesday I had the privilege of sitting in on an EdT intern meeting... and the Director of EdT, Joel, walked us through the II Samuel 9, the story of David's kindness to Mephibosheth.
...You will want to take a moment to read the chapter in order to understand my reflections here. It's not too long.
In this story, David asks one of Saul's former servants, Ziba: "Is there anyone from Saul's family that I can show God's kindness to?" This is remarkable. "Is there anyone from Saul's family that I can show God's kindness to?" David is at the height of his prosperity and power, with the ability to do whatever he wants. And he seeks to "show God's kindness" to the family of an enemy. And not just any enemy, but one who sought to kill him relentlessly.
...When was the last time we asked within our communities: "Is there no one left to whom I can show God's kindness?"
The only family member to be found in Saul's family is Mephibosheth, who is lame in both legs. (The story about his injury is found in II Sam 4.) Ziba appears very opposed to honoring Mephibosheth, seems to dub him unworthy of the kindness David seeks to extend. Nonetheless, David has Mephibosheth brought to him. David tells him that in honor of his father Jonathan, he is giving back all the land that Saul owned, and that the servant Ziba and his family will care for it, and that Mephibosheth will always eat at the King's table.
...Have I judged someone unworthy of God's kindness? On what criteria? From whose counsel?
But there is more to the story.... Mephibosheth does not say: 'Finally! someone recognizes the injustice of my circumstances!" Instead, out of his humility, he replies: "what is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me??"
...This story really hits home after seeing a dead dog lying on the carretera (highway) the very same afternoon. It's pitiful-- even revolting-- imagery.
What is more, the Bible says Mephibosheth was living in Lo-Debar, which translates 'no harvest'. Everyone knew nothing good came from Lo-Debar. No one wanted to reside there. Bottom line, it wouldn't be the first place one would want to extend charity, grace, or kindness.
Yet the story doesn't end there either. A few chapters later David is forced to flee for his life because his son Absalom wants the throne. Ziba the servant comes to visit David while he's in hiding. He tells David that Mephibosheth did not come; that he has betrayed David to support Absalom. When hearing this, David transfers all the land into Ziba's name. After the commotion has settled and David returns to the throne in Jerusalem, he confronts Mephibosheth on betraying him
(ch. 19). Mephibosheth responds:
"26 My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, 'I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.' But Ziba my servant betrayed me. 27 And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you. 28 All my grandfather's descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table."
It's also mentioned that Mephibosheth neither trimmed his beard or his nails until David returned to Jerusalem. He was indeed loyal. David in turn offers back the land he had given to the deceitful servant. But Mephibosheth does not even care-- he merely desires to be once again in the presence of the King.
What do we most desire-- to fellowship with the Lord and be in his presence (at His table!), or ___(something else)___?
My work here in Guatemala is in Lo-Debars. Someone recently asked me: "What good can come from there?" regarding a particular context we minister in. Yet there is another Lo-debar in the scriptures. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which was regarded as a worthless place. In John 1, one of Jesus' own disciples says: "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" The Lord seems to have a way of revealing his grace and purposes through the people of Lo-Debars. Mephibosheth had his priorities right... the most important thing was being in the King's presence. He knew he was a 'dead dog' unworthy of honor and inheritance. Each day I imagine he rejoiced as he fellowshipped with the King. When the King was not present, he neither shaved nor bathed and wept for David. And through all this, he was lame in both legs. Life wasn't perfect. But he was given a seat at the King's table.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Ministry visits!
This past week was exciting and encouraging. I am beginning to visit with ministry leaders whom we are hoping will join our network. We offer grassroots leaders theological and leadership training seminars, encouragement, and resources (as able). Since I do not have my own transportation yet (Lord willing I will be mastering the stick shift pronto, its just that the hills into town still make me a little nervous!), I have been finding rides from friends and family from the church here. They have been a wonderful blessing.
I am also encountering the challenges of language and location... sometimes I miss comments and subtleties, and finding the ministries is sometimes a little tricky. I find myself at times doubting my capabilities in communication and relating to others. It is a process of learning not to trust in my own strength...and I'm seeing how God fills the gap and is shown strong in our weakness.
The ministry visits are exciting... I get to see leaders in action, and they also have many stories to tell and lots of vision for where their ministry is headed.
This past week I met with Martha, who runs a colegio (private school) for pre-kinder through 6th-graders. In two small rooms in the school, they are currently housing 15 orphans who also attend the school. Martha also has children living in her own house that come from such circumstances. Things are tight financially, and she and her family have learned to trust Jesus for every day's provision. Martha is proactive in seeking out that provision - in the last few years she has won an award from Avon for being an agent of change in her community. Her trust in the Lord, humility, and heart for children are a beautiful testimony of Christ's love.
I also met with Pastor Avelino this past week. He is running two lunch programs for 190 children in neighborhoods of high risk and extreme poverty. Each lunch is accompanied by a Bible lesson and encouragement for the children. Each day kids are receiving encouragement- to hope for a future outside their difficult circumstances, being reminded that Jesus loves them. This program has been going in his neighborhoos for almost 18 years, and 9 years ago they began things in a second neighborhood. Each child brings a tupperware and glass, and many children take their lunches to-go, perhaps because it is shared with other members of the family. A few of the children enrolled in the program are physically or mentally disabled. In these cases, Avelino and his church have taken on the responsibility of taking the children to therapy, and in some cases purchasing a wheelchair or other necessities. Recently, Avelino's wife has been diagnosed with cancer and the doctors say there is not much they can do for her. However Avelino's own family's struggle has not kept them from sharing God's hope with the community. Their brokenness and fear has allowed them to identify even more with the people they are serving. Pastor Avelino is indeed a river of God's grace in a difficult place.
Photos of Pastor Avelino (with the kids) and his wife (serving the food):
I am also encountering the challenges of language and location... sometimes I miss comments and subtleties, and finding the ministries is sometimes a little tricky. I find myself at times doubting my capabilities in communication and relating to others. It is a process of learning not to trust in my own strength...and I'm seeing how God fills the gap and is shown strong in our weakness.
The ministry visits are exciting... I get to see leaders in action, and they also have many stories to tell and lots of vision for where their ministry is headed.
This past week I met with Martha, who runs a colegio (private school) for pre-kinder through 6th-graders. In two small rooms in the school, they are currently housing 15 orphans who also attend the school. Martha also has children living in her own house that come from such circumstances. Things are tight financially, and she and her family have learned to trust Jesus for every day's provision. Martha is proactive in seeking out that provision - in the last few years she has won an award from Avon for being an agent of change in her community. Her trust in the Lord, humility, and heart for children are a beautiful testimony of Christ's love.
I also met with Pastor Avelino this past week. He is running two lunch programs for 190 children in neighborhoods of high risk and extreme poverty. Each lunch is accompanied by a Bible lesson and encouragement for the children. Each day kids are receiving encouragement- to hope for a future outside their difficult circumstances, being reminded that Jesus loves them. This program has been going in his neighborhoos for almost 18 years, and 9 years ago they began things in a second neighborhood. Each child brings a tupperware and glass, and many children take their lunches to-go, perhaps because it is shared with other members of the family. A few of the children enrolled in the program are physically or mentally disabled. In these cases, Avelino and his church have taken on the responsibility of taking the children to therapy, and in some cases purchasing a wheelchair or other necessities. Recently, Avelino's wife has been diagnosed with cancer and the doctors say there is not much they can do for her. However Avelino's own family's struggle has not kept them from sharing God's hope with the community. Their brokenness and fear has allowed them to identify even more with the people they are serving. Pastor Avelino is indeed a river of God's grace in a difficult place.
Photos of Pastor Avelino (with the kids) and his wife (serving the food):
Friday, January 29, 2010
Adjusting to Guate...
Well, the adjustment is beginning, and thanks to the Lord his grace over me!
Culturally...
I am getting used to greeting everyone with a kiss when I enter a place, and the little catch phrases are starting to come back to me. Language has come very naturally this time around, though I could use a bit of prayer because my formal 'you' (Usted) form of speech is a bit rusty... and I want to be able to be polite!
Physically:
It's been beautiful weather, but you still gotta bring a sweater with you, and nights are chilly.
My stomach is not behaving... I managed to get some amoeba thing going on but they assure me with these particular meds it will be gone in 8 hours.
I am excited about the opportunities I have to walk from place to place, it's good excercise and a great way to observe the people and culture around me.
Spiritually:
God is faithful, although I am being pushed out of my comfort zone regularly! I am sure this will continue as I start visiting ministries the coming week.
My primary responsibilities in the next 2 months will be as a 'ministry liaison' between the grassroots (local) ministries and Estrategia de Transformacion(EdT). This means I meet weekly with ministry leaders, find out what their vision is for ministry, and how they're making it happen. It will also include coming to particular events and observing/participating to see what's really happening, as well as encouraging them in their work however possible. Out EdT network offers them leadership and theological training, and seeks to connect them to other grassroots ministries as well as partner them with organizations abroad. The end goal is self-sustainment for each of the ministries in the network.
I begin these visits on Monday, Lord willing. I am learning to drive stick-shift (thank you to my VERY patient boyfriend for the help with this!) and will be more mobile once I master the klutch and don't need to request rides from friends.
As for housing logistics, I will either be living in Pinula with a host family or in San Cristobal (sector of Guatemala city) with a few American gals. Both are reasonable options, and transportation will be the deciding factor.
Tomorrow night I will be going to a funeral for a pastor, "Azucar" (pronounced ah-SOO-kahr, meaning Sugar) who worked in a rough neighborhood here in Guate. He hosted a church in his home, and campfires in the street for the children on the weekends, among other things. He was loved by everyone in the community. He was shot unexpectedly and the community is devastated. His ministry was part of the EdT network and thus we are coming alongside them in their pain. Attendance at the funeral is expected to be max-capacity, and also presents an opportunity to share the beautiful hope that Azucar and many others can have, even in death.
Blessings to you all, and thank you for your prayers and support.
Kim <><
Culturally...
I am getting used to greeting everyone with a kiss when I enter a place, and the little catch phrases are starting to come back to me. Language has come very naturally this time around, though I could use a bit of prayer because my formal 'you' (Usted) form of speech is a bit rusty... and I want to be able to be polite!
Physically:
It's been beautiful weather, but you still gotta bring a sweater with you, and nights are chilly.
My stomach is not behaving... I managed to get some amoeba thing going on but they assure me with these particular meds it will be gone in 8 hours.
I am excited about the opportunities I have to walk from place to place, it's good excercise and a great way to observe the people and culture around me.
Spiritually:
God is faithful, although I am being pushed out of my comfort zone regularly! I am sure this will continue as I start visiting ministries the coming week.
My primary responsibilities in the next 2 months will be as a 'ministry liaison' between the grassroots (local) ministries and Estrategia de Transformacion(EdT). This means I meet weekly with ministry leaders, find out what their vision is for ministry, and how they're making it happen. It will also include coming to particular events and observing/participating to see what's really happening, as well as encouraging them in their work however possible. Out EdT network offers them leadership and theological training, and seeks to connect them to other grassroots ministries as well as partner them with organizations abroad. The end goal is self-sustainment for each of the ministries in the network.
I begin these visits on Monday, Lord willing. I am learning to drive stick-shift (thank you to my VERY patient boyfriend for the help with this!) and will be more mobile once I master the klutch and don't need to request rides from friends.
As for housing logistics, I will either be living in Pinula with a host family or in San Cristobal (sector of Guatemala city) with a few American gals. Both are reasonable options, and transportation will be the deciding factor.
Tomorrow night I will be going to a funeral for a pastor, "Azucar" (pronounced ah-SOO-kahr, meaning Sugar) who worked in a rough neighborhood here in Guate. He hosted a church in his home, and campfires in the street for the children on the weekends, among other things. He was loved by everyone in the community. He was shot unexpectedly and the community is devastated. His ministry was part of the EdT network and thus we are coming alongside them in their pain. Attendance at the funeral is expected to be max-capacity, and also presents an opportunity to share the beautiful hope that Azucar and many others can have, even in death.
Blessings to you all, and thank you for your prayers and support.
Kim <><
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Travels!
Greetings!
My departure is scheduled for tomorrow...Jan. 25!! I'll be traveling from about 10am to 10pm.. (Grand Rapids to New Jersey to Texas to Guate, for you frequent flyers).
I am spending the first 5 days in Santa Catarina Pinula where I interned this past summer, and being work on Feb. 1.
Please pray for my travels on Monday, and the adjustment as I enter a new culture and context!
I am very excited, but I also know that it will be a completely different experience than this past summer, and that there will be a lot more responsibilities on me (and learning required!). It sounds like my first week of work will be mainly ministry visits with other members of the EdT staff. This would be great, because I can watch, observe, and learn a little more. My goal as I enter Guatemalan communities is to 'be a sponge' and understand as much as possible. I do not presume to have answers or solutions. In the language of Estrategia de Transformacion(EdT), I'm entering into conversations. With an open heart. I believe it's what we're called to.
Thank you again to all who have supported me with your prayers, financial help, and encouragement. This opportunity would not be possible otherwise! I'm still in need of financial support, and currently a few churches are still in the process of deciding whether they are able to partner with me at this time. Pray that God gives me peace in regards to his provision, means and timing!
In his steps,
Kim <><
My departure is scheduled for tomorrow...Jan. 25!! I'll be traveling from about 10am to 10pm.. (Grand Rapids to New Jersey to Texas to Guate, for you frequent flyers).
I am spending the first 5 days in Santa Catarina Pinula where I interned this past summer, and being work on Feb. 1.
Please pray for my travels on Monday, and the adjustment as I enter a new culture and context!
I am very excited, but I also know that it will be a completely different experience than this past summer, and that there will be a lot more responsibilities on me (and learning required!). It sounds like my first week of work will be mainly ministry visits with other members of the EdT staff. This would be great, because I can watch, observe, and learn a little more. My goal as I enter Guatemalan communities is to 'be a sponge' and understand as much as possible. I do not presume to have answers or solutions. In the language of Estrategia de Transformacion(EdT), I'm entering into conversations. With an open heart. I believe it's what we're called to.
Thank you again to all who have supported me with your prayers, financial help, and encouragement. This opportunity would not be possible otherwise! I'm still in need of financial support, and currently a few churches are still in the process of deciding whether they are able to partner with me at this time. Pray that God gives me peace in regards to his provision, means and timing!
In his steps,
Kim <><
Monday, January 4, 2010
2010!!
Well, this year is the beginning of many new things for many people... graduations, careers, weddings, babies... many of my friends and family members have exciting things going on.
I anticipate this year being one of extensive growth and change... I will be serving in full-time ministry beginning in February for at least a year!! I share in EdT(Estrategia de Transformacion)'s vision for community transformation among the least, last and lost.
I hope to explore the meaning and fruits of such ministry in this blog in the months to come. This may include prayer requests, theological reflections, and stories. My assumption is that you are reading this blog because you support my service in Guatemala. May I take a moment to say - Thank you for doing so!! The Lord has used his people to make this possible!
I thank God that he has given me the opportunity to fulfill one of my largest dreams... to serve in foreign missions in Latin America. Although I am only beginning this new chapter of my life, I can see that as I obey God's leading for my life, he also blessed me with deep joy. I pray that I can be as Jesus' disciple Mary, who chose the "one thing necessary". By seeking first the Lord, to truly find the desires of my heart fulfilled, and to honor him with my life.
I anticipate this year being one of extensive growth and change... I will be serving in full-time ministry beginning in February for at least a year!! I share in EdT(Estrategia de Transformacion)'s vision for community transformation among the least, last and lost.
I hope to explore the meaning and fruits of such ministry in this blog in the months to come. This may include prayer requests, theological reflections, and stories. My assumption is that you are reading this blog because you support my service in Guatemala. May I take a moment to say - Thank you for doing so!! The Lord has used his people to make this possible!
I thank God that he has given me the opportunity to fulfill one of my largest dreams... to serve in foreign missions in Latin America. Although I am only beginning this new chapter of my life, I can see that as I obey God's leading for my life, he also blessed me with deep joy. I pray that I can be as Jesus' disciple Mary, who chose the "one thing necessary". By seeking first the Lord, to truly find the desires of my heart fulfilled, and to honor him with my life.
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