Today seems almost apocalyptic in its binary and chiasmus, reminiscent of both Revelation and the quasi-prophecy of science fiction. Today, time is a palindrome, and no matter what worldview you take, the ending digit is the same as the beginning.
Ten years ago we thought the world was ending. Maybe we were right. We just didn’t realize it would take this long! Society was already toast; it’s just been pushed down for another round—again. Don’t mind the smoke and charred crumbs; it’ll hang in there on the hotwires until flames make somebody pull the plug. Movements seem controlled by unseen forces working in the shadows. America’s prosperity is a facade, the papery farce of Obama’s billions seems like a desperate exhalation, the last burst of bubbles before the drowning reflex makes us gulp for air and fill our lungs with water.
Yet people want to hope. “Things will come around,” I hear them say in the grocery line, or at church, or on the 12:00 news. “Just give it a year or two!” And they are right, things will get better, we are prisoners of hope! But things will also get worse, for we are prisoners of sin and its curse (Rom 7:14, Isa 42:7). We flounder for power, for something to hang onto, some sense of control in a rogue world. We seek it in knowledge, popularity, politics, wealth, business or pleasure, but we are left unsatisfied. What our hearts really long for is Christ, “The Desire of all Nations” (Hagaii 2:7). I tell you that the only sure hope I have ever found is “the hope of the gospel,” of “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” the Creator of all things “that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible” living in you! (Col 1:23,27, 16). That is why “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16). I used to wonder how I could believe? Was just saying “I believe” enough to make it true? How does one believe? The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Imagine Jesus Christ the Verb of John 1:1, Creator of worlds (Heb 1:2) inside of you, recreating the synapses of your mind, rewiring you to truly hear his voice, giving you new thoughts, new motives, and new actions! God has ever wanted to give to us His hope and power. Is that good news or what? It is literally the reason we’re still breathing. It is the reason I do what I do.
In about three weeks I will be returning to Bolivia to teach for another school year, Lord willing! I’m really excited about this opportunity to continue to serve, grow, and learn to trust God more. Classes don’t start until the beginning of March, but I have been invited to a mission conference in Colombia on February 15-21. I planned to fly there directly to avoid backtracking and cut down on cost, but I can only be outside of Bolivia for 90 days total during a year, or I lose my resident status which would mean buying another visa and a lot more paperwork—and yes, you do have to buy a lot of the paperwork. Sometimes you even have to pay for someone else to do your paperwork for you!
I’m excited to see what God is going to do this next year. I know we have a church to build for one thing. The mayor of Yata has already donated the land. The simple health care, weekly visits, prayers, Bible studies, and community service that the school has been providing for the last few years are finally reaping a harvest.
Enrollment is up from 40 to about 70 for this next year. That means we will have a lot of new students who have not yet heard the good news! Many of our students arrive having never even held a Bible in their hands before, let alone having read it. I’ve been praying for them already, that the Holy Spirit will prepare their hearts to receive the truth.
Another idea I believe the Lord laid on my heart for this next school year is a colporteuring program. This school year we have classes on Sunday and one day in the middle of the week is designated as outreach day. There will be a number of different projects, from health clinics to house raisings. I would like to train some of the older students who are willing to do door-to-door colporteur evangelism. The biggest hurdle right now is our book supply. I’m hoping to find a supplier in the country in order to avoid large shipping fees and the hassle of clearing customs. (Customs officials will sometimes impound imports and demand large sums of money for their release.)
The last couple months I’ve been trying to find some work to help sponsor myself through this next school year. I obtained my substitute-teaching permit for Butte county and have been registering with the various school districts, but so far they haven't needed me. I did get another part-time job in addition, but work has been slow. But the Lord is good, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to be involved in church activities and some local bible studies.
Two days ago I had the privilege of going to Weimar, CA with some friends to attend a Hispanic youth congress on the mission and direction of the Adventist Church. It was absolutely incredible! I gained a whole new perspective on the work here and I witnessed God's power first hand as I visited people door to door on Sabbath afternoon. I also had the chance to do some networking. More on all that coming soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment