Our place this past week...

So this past week, the kiddos started school.  This adventure has been one that both Vicki and I have been saying, “okay Lord, this is in your hands” as this is new territory for us (homeschooling).  So what did we do?  Well, each kid has their own desk with their name on it; they have been jumping into reading, language arts, math, science, and Bible.  We took two field trips (on the first two days of school!); and having a blast!

 FIELD TRIPS:  First day we went on a hike on a mountainside to the Pump House One to change the oil in the pump.  This fresh water spring, which has been dammed up to allow a collection of water to exist so we can get water at the base is tucked into the mountain side and proved to be a beautiful hike!

The second day found our little tribe heading to Iximche, one of the Mayan Ruins in this beautiful country.  God truly blessed us with GOREGOUS weather, an easy route to the place, AND an English speaking guide so we could get a more deep and rich tour experience. 

The kiddos are enjoying school so far, but dearly miss their classmates.  Vicki has done a wonderful job of getting things started, but is looking forward to some extra assistance with the formation of this.

Me?  Well, this Wednesday I leave with four other pastors for Coban, Guatemala until Saturday to meet with some other pastors in the discipleship program. This flight leaves early Wednesday morning and the drive back is about 6 hours.  For these four days, Vicki will be a single mom, I will not be able to speak any English, and both are ready for why God has placed this experience on our plates.

This past month I have been able to witness a new Church dedication, have a meeting with pastors about joining forces (a 12 year prayer finally answered), and continue to build relationships and infrastructures here within the ministry.  A lot of cleaning has been taken place…..little nooks and crannies and ministry approaches.

This place away has led me to really focus on one word: place.  What is a place?  Do we really think about place?  When people ask about where we are, the easy thing is to say is Guatemala….yet what does that entail? It does not mention about our place on the staff.  It does not mention our place with our family.  It does not say anything about how and where we are living.  It does not touch the daily routine of life in another country.  Can’t drink the tap water and we only have 3 hours of battery power for the base before the lights go dark and we need to fire up the generator.  It does not tell any of the stories that have been shared in the kitchen among friends….stories all spoken in broken Spanish.  Guatemala.  It tells someone one location on this earth.  It does not address anything about what it is doing for our souls and the connection to our Creator for an eternal presence. 

Place.

What is your place in this life?  What is your place in the Kingdom of the Lord God?  Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven…..

Eternity starts now, NOT when we pass on into the next life.  Our place is in the center of God’s Will.  His Will does not commit us to one location, but to one place….in His hands. May you find yourself today saying, “okay Lord, this is in your hands”.   There is no better place to be.

Dios te bendiga,

~Justin

Gathering of Pastors in La Bendecion

12 years of prayer led to this meeting!

Mission Base in La Bendecion

In San Rafael for church dedication!!!!

new pastor friends

Caleb by Pump House One on first day of school: Field Trip # 1

Field Trip #1 hike

going for a hike?  Then we need a stick...

Caleb and Grandpa fixing Duke's dog house.....or horse house?  :)

Gemelas!!!!

Tour Guide at Iximche

Naomi taking pictures at Iximche (notice what camera she brought)

Iximche (field trip number 2!)  a VERY fun day...well worth the drive

Promise me you won't Judge!

As I sit and type I initially hear uplifting music to refocus my soul.  But, in the background I hear little voices playing together.  Before, I tell you what they are playing you have to promise me not to judge my parenting.

 <<< PROMISE? > > > 

They are playing Zombies and Hunters.  It is a game they have created.  They have used their imagination to make a fort complete with curtains for the windows, girls after my own heart.  They have created the guns out of scrap wood, cut them out with a jigsaw, sanded, and painted these weapons.  They have even gotten out the paint and painted each teams faces with different color paint.  Can you go back to this time of imagination in your younger years?  Can you see it?  Can you feel the excitement?  I hope so. 
I hope you can also bring yourself back to that child like imagination of our HEAVENLY FATHER.  HE is so mysterious and grande to a child.  When did I lose that awe of my creator?  I need to remember that excitement and invite others to enjoy the wonder with me.

As one of the kids is a leader and is coordinating the play today, I think of our leading and coordinating.  God, you have divinely gifted each one in our family, whether its immediate, extended or church family.  Please allow me to see people as YOU see them.  May I remember to include them in my play and daily walk.

Vicki

Ps~ we have had family here and truly enjoyed each moment.  That’s the cause of the radio silence :_)

PPS ~ I also have a non-functioning camera otherwise I would have blessed you with a photo of the kids playing.  I think the camera has gone on and needs to be replaced.  

The Alma Matters

 Learning a new language can be a difficult thing, trust me I know first hand of this.  Having received the call to move my family to Guatemala to serve and work has been a wild adventure.  Throw in the aspect of not fully comprehending the language and you have a memorable experience.  Little by little we are picking up the language, the expressions, and the understanding of why things are said the way that they are here.

One word that has truly stuck to me is Alma, or Soul.  All through the Scriptures, the authors mention the presence of our soul.  Yet, looking at our world today, we do not spend much time thinking or dwelling on our soul.  Our heart can lead us into some crazy fun places.  Our mind can make us think critically and deeply.  Yet, the third aspect of what Christ says is the greatest commandment (see Matthew 22:34-40), is often not carried out.  I believe that we do not fully engage the soul out of defiance, rather out of ignorance.  To truly know what it means to love the lord our God with all of our soul, means we need to know that our soul is a part of us.  Our soul….that part of us which will never be buried below the ground.  Our soul, the link we have between the here and now, and the eternal.  Our soul.  That fire in our chest, that inner peace, that spirit within.  We need to care for our soul, but way too quickly, we try to simply cure the soul.  There is a difference.  To care for the soul means we are not looking for a quick fix.  Care for the soul is time consuming.  When we are not familiar with the language of the soul, we try what we think is best.  Good intentions, poor results. Like learning a new language, we need to take the time to examine, we need to surround ourselves with people that are familiar with its ways, and we need to want to learn and grow.

How is your soul?  Does it even matter to you?  Proverbs talks about guarding our hearts, because it is the wellspring of our life (Proverbs 4:23).  In Romans, it talks about how our mind, when renewed will reveal the way and will of God (Romans 12:1-2).  Yet, in Hebrews, it mentions that Hope is what exists as the anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19).  At its very core, our souls long for hope in a land and time where it is hard to find.  When we live with Hope, we find that the Alma is alive and it matters.  May your hope be in the Hope of all Hopes…..Jesus Christ.  Take the time to care for your soul, not cure it.  Surround your self with people who are familiar with its ways.  In doing so, we will then be able to love the lord our God will all of our heart, with all of our mind, AND all of our soul.  Learn the language of the Creator and find that your Alma will be well and all things will be well with your soul.

~Justin

Reality

Reality is we have been in Guatemala for almost 2 months.  The routines have been established, if you can do that with kids.  We rise early with the noise of the team, do breakfast with morning coffee.  Then we send the team off, usually with one or two kids on the days adventure.  The rest of the tribe stays behind to complete tasks and play games or hold babies.  Our hours pass at the same rate as they always have; yet now I feel an eternal pull.  What we are doing with Christ will change peoples eternity if they allow the Holy Spirit domain in their life.  Why could I so easily push that tug aside at ‘home?”

Reality is we are here to stay.  Most days one of us is still sorting through that reality.  Now that all of the newness has faded and the comments of ‘what are you doing?” have stopped.  We are faced with a certainty that we are where God has called us, yet we desire to be ‘home’ with family and friends.  Having fun and making memories, as tradition would have it.  BUT, we know that our blessings will continue at our new calling.  We ask that you pray for peace and a continued assurance.

Reality is that at the end of the day we desire one thing:

At the end of the day I wanna hear people say

My heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart

When the world looks at me, let them agree

That my heart looks like Your heart, my heart looks like Your heart

Thank you Chris Tomlin for putting it so simply.  

I get to listen to people’s heartbeat, rate, and rhythm almost on a daily basis, yet I don’t want my heart to sound good, I want my heart to look like God’s heart.  The only way that I can ‘figure’ out how to accomplish that is to allow the Holy Spirit to have reign in my life.

Another song we sing here often puts it this way

“Sometime He calms the storm and other times He calms His child.”

My prayer is that today HE will calm HIS child and that I will work with Christ so that others will say my heart looks like HIS!

How are you MARKED

So, you are probably shocked to find a second post in one day after a week of silence.  I hope that you are sitting down.  This summer has been filled and looking at the calendar, the fall is not slowly down either.

We are on team 6 out of 7 for the summer.  As the team is out on a Medical Clinic along the coast (can you say H.O.T.!!!!), I find myself at the base while my nurse of a wife is in her element.  I enjoy these times as it allows me to try to catch up with the administration work, hang with the kids, swing down to the orphanage, chat with the guards and learn more Spanish.

But what was laid on my heart today, was something that I felt compelled to share with you.  Markings.

As I look at my legs and see bug bites galore, I am reminded that we can get marked in our lives.  Bites, scars, dents, bruises, etc.  Some are short term and some are life long.  Each one tells a story.  Good, bad, and even ugly...they make us who we are today.

Last year when I was in grad school, I was in a group required to write a student leadership curriculum.   We started with a concept from a professor and one of his books.  We simply feel in love with the truth that he offered and we ran with it.

What are the markings of a Christ follower?  How can those markings tell a story of who you are and who Christ is?  How can you allow those markings to be long lasting?

Here is our suggestion:  A Christian is truly MARKED, when they embrace four characteristics into their entire life.
LOVE.
GOODNESS.
FREEDOM.
WIDSOM.

Do you have these battle scars in your life?  Would you say you are marked with these?  How can we allow Christ to brand our hearts, minds, and souls so that these four traits marinate the fiber of our speech, actions, thoughts, and way of life?

So as you prepare for a new day tomorrow, may you be marked by Christ.....not just for a moment, but for a lifetime!

This summer in Guatemala, we are seeing people EMBRACING these markings!!!!  Are you?

~Dios Te Bendiga
~Justin


https://sites.google.com/site/markedstudentleadership/home

Justin's chair of choice just before lunch....this time a team member joins in the fun as well!

So what do you do all day?

Caleb on a building day

WORSHIP!!!!

As a youth pastor, I would hear these words often.  Now that the family is in Guatemala and we are still doing youth ministry, AND missions.....we.....still hear these words.

a team member praying for the family...

Dan and Vicki at a medical clini

How do I answer this?  Hmmm....well we have our tentative schedule for the day and even for the week.  We picked up team six for the summer from the airport.  They will be going on two medical clinics the next two days and then on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be building five houses and dedicating them to the families.  That is the plan, but we know that our days do not always go according to plan.  Today as we waited for the team to arrive, two of our vans were parked on a road waiting for them to arrive and the parking police sneaked up behind and placed a boot on the back van. Normally that means going to court before a judge to pay the fine and becomes a two to three hours process.  These cops said that the fee could be paid on the spot.  Not according to our plan, as it delayed us, but we were able to pick up the team "on time".

    So what do I do.  I do whatever needs to be done.  I drive vans, help build houses, take notes of what needs to be done and then e-mail the people in the states to see that things get done, I dream, I plan, I fix, I parent, I lead the teams, I do devotions, lead the staff, and whatever else needs to be done.

As a family we try to pitch in with what needs to be done.  Doing this in a 3rd world country has its ups and downs.  There are times where tears are shed, in the work, the hard work produces much sweat, and even sometimes we see blood.  This means for us to pick up this, we need to let go of something.

In Matthew 8 Jesus is once again teaching and he instructs his disciples to sail across the lake.  Before they take off, a teacher of the law comes to him and says that he would follow Jesus anywhere.  Jesus replied " foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head".  I used think that that was an odd response, but let us ponder that.

Do you have a favorite chair in your living room?  How about your bed, do you miss it when you travel?  Ever heard of the phrase "home sweet home" or "there is no place like home"?  What are holes for foxes and nests for birds????  home.  There is something comfortable about home.  If we follow Jesus, we need to offer up our comfort to Him.

Yet another teacher said to him, "first let me go and bury my father and then I will follow you".  Jesus said "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead".  Harsh Jesus......harsh....or is it?  Did you pick up on the two key words from the teacher of the law?  First and then.  What are our datebooks, calendars, iphones, and tasks?  How would you feel if I took your calendar and took over your schedule?  Feel out of...control?  Why does the first have to be there?  We need to give our comfort AND control over to Jesus and then we can do what he says......"follow me"....a path and a person.  What more do we need.  What more do we need to do?  Follow Jesus and your day will be fine and filled with wonders, even if those wonders were not on your calendar originally.

what path is God taking you on today?

~Justin