MOVE REPORT #2

            I wish I could keep you current on all our happenings, but I can’t keep up with it all. Sorry they are a month late, but here are a few highlights.

I learned an easy way to make activated charcoal by burning dry woodchips in an old metal barrel. You just have to pay attention and smother the fire before your charcoal turns to ash. You can use a plastic garbage bag filled with water, which nicely seals off the barrel.   

            In mentorship class we have homework to develop a visual that will motivate local churches to more active evangelism. Josue and I were assigned the topic of local church involvement in global missions. We came up with an initiative called Operation Missionary Dispatch, and are quite excited about it. The idea is for every local church to S.E.N.D. a missionary to a needy field, (preferably to somewhere in the 10-40 window.) S.E.N.D. stands for Select, Subsidize and Educate Now Disciples for Dispatch.  We found inspiration in the following quote:

“The home missionary work will be farther advanced in every way when a more liberal, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the prosperity of foreign missions; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. It is in working actively to supply the necessities of the cause of God that we bring our souls in touch with the Source of all power.” {6T 27.5}  

You can watch our short promo video here.

Lyli is working on a project with Tanzi, MOVE’s resident graphic designer, describing the difference between being an entrepreneur and being simply an employee. And the third group is developing a plan for church-school home-schools that would function similar to a charter school where trained teachers check in periodically with home-schooling parents to teach them tips, administer evaluations, and make sure things are on track.

            This week was English week-of- prayer and my English students lead song service, shared memory verses, and sang "Keep on the Sunny Side." Our guest speaker was Lisa, a church planting missionary in Pederson, central California. The importance of mission… “We are in an abusive relationship with sin.” Like the foster boy her friend is caring for, satisfied with dog-food. The climax came Friday night with a powerful message on the everlasting gospel of the three angels’ messages.

            This weekend I felt a strange sadness and discouragement. Part of my problem was that I had to “batch” it while Lyli was gone to a mission congress at Montemorelos University in northern Mexico. (There wasn’t room for both of us to go in the four-seater mission plane.) But Sabbath morning I woke up late and missed my personal time with the Lord, and that didn’t help things either. I managed to make time to eat breakfast, however, and as I did so my conscience felt pricked on my out-of-order priorities.

I taught the adult Sabbath school lesson, and later, after lunch in the afternoon, I planned to prepare my Sunday afternoon Bible study with Enrique (you may remember him from my last report) but I was overcome by drowsiness, and lay down in the hammock. The next thing I knew, my alarm was ringing, and I thought I heard someone calling. Sure enough, the truck was leaving and the group was shouting my name.

The next morning I was dragging again, and it was all I could do to make it to the 6:00 staff prayer meeting. Afterward I was asked to drive the mission group to Chan Pine Ridge in the bus for the morning church work-bee. I haven’t driven bus since my time at Leoni Meadows summer camp, and never on public roads. I tried not to let the passengers see how nervous I felt.

“God, keep us safe” I prayed as I navigated the curves.  I also prayed for wisdom and direction for the afternoon Bible study, but for some reason I still felt hollow.

At the church we installed real toilets to replace the old squat pot, and another group started building wall divisions for the Sabbath School classrooms. After digging a 40-ft section of ditch, sifting sand, and mixing cement for the masons, I must have sweated out my dumpy feelings, because I began to feel more positive. We returned to MOVE for lunch, and then showered and headed back to Chan Pine Ridge for our afternoon outreach activities. The Ambassador club (think informal Pathfinders) did community service building speed bumps and cutting the grass, and I organized the rest of the adults into groups for visitation. Rondi and Jirah, two Filipino young people from the California group came with me. I found out that Jirah has been Adventist for only two years, and Rondi since he was 14. I prayed silently that God would give us an experience that would help their faith grow and inspire them to continued missionary service.

Our first visit was with Mr. Rogelio and his wife Luz. Mr Rogelio loves music. He was more than happy for us to sing, and he got out his guitar right away, along with a stack of songs. Many of them we know. I was the music stand as Mr. Rogelio strummed away enthusiastically. Since I held the music, when I saw a song on the rapture, I decided to skip it. But wouldn’t you know, after singing a couple more songs, Mr. Rogelio asked took the stack and began to shuffle through it.

“I want to teach you a song” he said.

“Which one are you looking for?”

“It’s called ‘The Rapture.’”

“Oh yeah, I saw that one in there. I think it’s at the bottom of the pile.”

For some reason I felt like he wanted to make a point with us on that topic and I began to pray as Rogelio sang. As I listened to the lyrics, a plan began to formulate in my mind.

“Thanks for sharing that song! You know, I appreciate that that song says that the rapture is the second coming of Christ…” I started with a piece of the lyrics that I could agree with.

“But you know, the part that says ‘I thank you Lord that I won’t pass through the tribulation’ made me think of a passage in Revelation chapter seven where John describes those who will be saved. Let’s see, we find it in verse fourteen. It says:  ‘These are they that have come out of great tribulation.’  If they came out of great tribulation that means they were in it and they came through, doesn’t it? Remember that Jesus said “I ask for these, not that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from evil.”

“But I am sure there is going to be a tribulation after the rapture.” Rogelio insisted.

“That’s interesting, I have never read about that in my Bible, but I would be interested to see it, where does it say that?” He admitted he doesn’t know, so I asked him to find it for me and show me next time we get together.

An impromptu Bible study ensued, covering the second coming and first-resurrection and the millennium and the second resurrection. I was sending up prayers between, and God blessed me with agility and clarity and the Bible passages sprang to mind one after another. Both Rogelio and Luz were very engaged and asked many questions. Rondi and Jirah were also very attentive, and I was thankful that Rogelio’s English is quite good so everyone could participate in the conversation. As the visit was coming to a close, I could sense that Rogelio was wrestling with conviction.

“You know the problem here in Belize, there are plenty of churches and Christians but there is no real love.”

“That is very sad, but it is just another sign that we are living at the end of time. Christ prophesied that that would be the condition of the world right before the second coming.” I quoted 1 Tim 3.

“Kody, but if I come to your church do I have to give up meat? I love my meat for every meal. Why don’t you eat meat?” I was surprised at Rogelio’s question because I have yet to invite him to church, but he is obviously considering coming! We have discussed the diet question before however, and so instead of repeating all my reasons for being vegetarian, I focused on the root issue of surrender.

“You know, we all have things that we love that we need to surrender to God. I don’t struggle with meat, but I have a real sweet tooth, and God has convicted me that I need to control my appetite for sugary desserts that harm my health. It is a small sacrifice really when I remember how much Christ has sacrificed for me!”

At this point Jirah spoke up and shared a wonderful testimony of her recent struggle to give up meat, and the power of prayer in helping her to overcome. The hour was late, and we had to excuse ourselves.

 “Wow, God really led that conversation” Jirah beamed with joy afterward as we speed-walked toward Enrique’s house. “I felt God impressing me to share my personal struggle with meat” she enthused.

“I’m so glad you did!” I replied.

My hollow emptiness was more than gone as I praised God in my heart for answering my prayers again in such singular fashion, in spite of my weak and wayward self.