This world

1 Corinthians 9:13.. "You are still worldly.."

Why do we care about the latest movies are the famous celebrity gossip? We are not of this world nor it's deceiving media.
Why do we spend hours a day painting our faces, straightening our hair, or primping as if we have nothing worth while to do? We need not desire the things this world deems "hott" because we have been granted the indescribable beauty of being created in Christ's image.
Why do we waste our money on clothes, shoes, or the latest gadgets? Do we not know that our money is not our own but Christ's who believes in sacrificing and giving to others above self? He will provide for us our needs and daily bread.
Why do we rush around stressing out, neglecting our family and friends who mean the most to us? Do we not know that everything not of God is meaningless and success will soon fade. God created us to invest time and love into relationships every day.
Why do we gossip behind each other's backs, complaining or grumbling in secrecy? Do we not remember that every person we encounter is our brother or sister that we are to edify. Our job is to help them discover more of Christ through us.
Why do we hate? Why do we judge? Why can't we love?
Do we understand that without God this is impossible- but with the Spirit of Christ living in us- our lives can be transformed.

So may our prayer be every day "More of you and less of me God" because living both for the things of this world and the things of God is simply not possible.

Homesick for Heaven

I want to start by asking you when the last time you were homesick was? If you are young, maybe a college student who has experienced traveling the world alone, or a fellow student missionary- it might have been a recent experience. If you haven't encountered homesickness recently think of one thing you really miss or anticipate happening. I want you to grasp all the emotions of looking forward to something with all your heart. Waiting, hoping, and dreaming...

Now I want to ask you when was the last time you were homesick for heaven?

Kenny Chesney recorded a song titled "Everybody wants to go to heaven." The lyrics of the song say that everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to go now. Honestly that song really bothers me because as much as I'm ashamed to admit it I find alot of truth in that song in my life and probably many people identify with not dreaming about going to heaven tomorrow but instead making plans for our life in the future and hoping we have time to live on this Earth.

There's a few big problems I can see with that. One of them is that we are too consumed with worldly things. God calls us to be unconcerned about this world. He says this world is not our home but only a temporary dwelling place. 

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 says ⁹ What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; ³⁰ those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; ³¹ those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away!

Another problem is that if we are so consumed with the world right now, when will we get ready for Christ's coming? Will we be ready in time? Especially because Christ is coming soon!

"In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus describes a parable that relates to the kingdom of heaven. The parable essentially describes 10 virgins that were going out at night to meet the bridegroom. They all took lamps, but five didn’t bring extra oil, while the other five were prudent enough to bring extra oil. As the night progressed, the lamps of the five who didn’t bring extra oil burnt out and they had to go buy more. However, at that time, the bridegroom showed up and the five prudent virgins went into the wedding feast and the door was shut. The point of the parable is then told in Matthew 25:11-13:

“And later the other virgins also came , saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ “But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

(http://alivewithchrist.com/everybodywantstogotoheaven/) 

The problem with the five foolish virgins was the fact that they did not prepare themselves. Whether it was carelessness or ignorance, when it was time for them to enter the wedding feast, they were not ready. Christ’s intention with this parable was to describe two attitudes people can have toward heaven. Some can wisely strive to always be right in God’s eyes, and some can foolishly put God on the back burner and live life on their terms for the time being. The major issue with the latter scenario is that we don’t know when our time is up on this earth. Sure there are average life spans, and the availability of great health care, but it’s still a tremendous risk to depend on those “odds” and leave your life in eternal jeopardy. Being honest with yourself, if your life ended today suddenly, would you be as ready as you need to be? How would you change your life if you knew your life was ticking down, and if you knew it was going to be shorter than normal? Are you ready?" 

So often I forget how close Christ's coming really is! This past week at the English school I teach at in Pucallpa, I got a nice reminder that He really is coming soon. The kids had their morning chapel and the pastor was saying that the students' didn't have time to keep living as they wanted. They needed to get their lives together. They needed to give them to Christ today to transform them. Then the pastor called for baptism and 8 kids chose to be baptized into the family of God! Later that day, I helped Miss Carmen our English teacher, pass out our English finals and on the bottom of every test she had wrote "Dear students, I enjoyed the year with you and love you very much. Jesus is coming soon! Please never forget that! Get ready."

And it hit me, am I ready? Are you ready? Because we are in the last days. We are the church of Laodicea: the lukewarm church that is not prepared for the coming of Christ. We have wars, terrible wars, terrible earthquakes, tragedies, and shootings-- and yet now is the time when the message that "Christ is coming soon" is not commonly preached like it was 100 years ago. People are sleeping. People have given up on God. And I'm ready to go home! This world has so many needs. Kids are dying over here in Peru because they are malnourished or have fevers. I'm ready for them to be fed and taken home. I'm tired of going to visit the dying paralyzed guy who lays in pain on His bed. I'm ready for Jesus to take Him home and give Him feet to run again! 

My prayer is that God transform my heart and yours as well and give us a genuine longing and homesickness for heaven- that our eyes might rise above on eternal things- and we can share the good news with others that "Jesus Christ is coming soon!" because I truly believe He is.

Farm Days

When entering K38 you think you are coming into a beautiful tropical paradise: lush mango trees, huge lemon trees, cows, baby horses, and tons of room to explore, run around, and breathe in sweet Peruvian jungle air. But then you wake up and realize you are at K38 to work.. not just to help clean around but to do MANUAL LABOR in the sun from 8-12 and 2-5pm again and your perspective changes just a little bit.

Welcome to the hard core jungle where the sun beats down on you making you shimmer and bugs enjoy nesting on your skin. There's huge wasps in the trees and many snakes waiting in their holes in the ground. In the first 3 hours I worked out there I got stung by 3 huge wasps! One of them left a two sore on my neck that is there right now. We also saw 2 snakes at the farm this week. That means I've seen 3 in Peru so far. Not as bad as it could be- but it definitely doesn't make me happy either.

When we finished the work, K38 was like a dream. I had my own bedroom and my own fan. I walked outside one morning and picked mangos off the ground. After searching through the mostly rotted or broken mangos, I found 4 descent looking ones. 2 of them were quite tasty. I finally learned why mangos cost so much money! Mangos are found in trees that are 50-100 feet up in the air. You have to wait for them to fall to the ground when they are ripe. Some of them break and some of them are devoured by the animals around or fleas. Therefore it is quite a job to find good, perfect mangos. Nevertheless Peruvian mangos are in abundance at every little store and outdoor supermarket and will outdo American mangos 10X any day.

We harvested cacao plants for our work, hoeing around at the jungle vines and rotten yucca trees. Cacao plants somehow make chocolate... I can't even imagine all the work that goes into that. Just harvesting the cacao is a nightmare= literal nightmare! I can't describe how miserable and hard it is to harvest and hoe everything down except for those little cacao in the heat of the day. It also gives you a real heart for the Peruvian manual labor workers. They are often working as hard as they can in the hot sun for less than one sole an hour (less than thirty-three cents)! It's just crazy to imagine living your entire life like that- working as hard as you can in the sun- just to get by and supply your families needs.

The farm was beautiful but I'm exhausted and so glad my time there is over for now. My hands have reacted again, swelling, turning red, and itching- this time I know the cause! I'm allergic to the huge lemons they have at K38. When the skin and lemon juice touches my skin it sets off a severe allergic reaction. I think I will be ok this time since I discovered it way faster than last time! The doctor gave me medicine like Cetirizina and Pretnizone. Please pray that my hands get better and don't fully react to the point where I can't move like last time.

I was excited to return back to K8 and see my other friends again. It's amazing how much I could miss them in only a few days. Katie Kat and I made these delicious homemade pancakes tonight and served it with nutella and peanut butter we got in a package from a friend. Here's the recipe in case you want to try:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

   IN THIS STEP:

    
   • How to Measure Flour

2. STEP 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).

3. STEP 3

   Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.

4. STEP 4

   For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).

5. STEP 5

   Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.
6. http://www.marthastewart.com/338185/basic-pancakes

Blown Away By God (And YOU)!! =)

I am so surprised, so joyful, and so in awe at God's work and at His people's willingness to give! I just found out that we raised $2700 for the Orphanage Kids' Christmas Project! The goal was $1700 but we beat that by $1000 thus we will be able to provide a wonderful Christmas for the kids at the orphanage as well as save a little money for orphanage- related causes we deem worthy of our help.

I want to thank each and every one of you that has helped in some way or another. Many of my fellow Sm's helped a ton by telling their family and friends. I know many churches helped raise funds and many families sacrificed so orphans could have Christmas. One of my good friends Malia made a video for the project. Becca's kind mom, Nina Dahlberg, donated 200 beanie babies! Without your help this would have never been possible! I'm really so amazed!

What started as a small dream, a hope that maybe we could do something to touch the lives of these orphan kids, has really became a reality. We raised enough money and now the Christmas shopping has begun. So far we have cars, journals, pens, markers, dolls, sunglasses, and soccer balls. We still have so much shopping to do- and we missionaries are really having fun playing Santa's elves! Next Friday we will have a big packing party where we will make all the bags and fill them with goodies. We will pray over each of the orphans, write them small notes with Bible verses, and bake them homemade cookies to slip in each bag. Then on Christmas day we will bring all the beautiful Christmas bags to the orphan kids and personally deliver them! I'm so excited to see their faces when they get beautiful things of their very own.

I've learned through all of this, that if you have a dream- you should pursue it. If there's a will- there's a way, and one person really can make a difference. It takes a little initiative to get going and you have to make the choice to put in a little effort to make a difference for someone else. That- and if you have God on your team- He can use you, no matter how small, to make a big difference in someone else's life.

I'm so grateful for all of you'll helping in this project! I'm just so happy and I can't wait to give the presents when all of the orphanage kids will be very happy too. We will be taking tons of pictures on Christmas day and maybe we can even make a video at some point filming some of the action. $2700 = only because of God's grace and power =)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Today I got snowflakes in the mail from my mom as well as a book I'm really excited to read. This morning I sported my blue snowman scrubs all around clinic. I just know everyone with their plaid scrubs that weren't $1 garage sale deal were totally jealous. Tomorrow we're going to the orphanage to bring the girls ice cream and were going to paint snowflakes for their rooms. Today we went Christmas shopping for our 89 orphan kids! We have so many presents people might mistake us for Santa's elves! We're blasting Christmas music every time we ride in our van and Arrie our energetic cheer leader is constantly opening up the window and yelling "Felice Navidad". The lights and trees are going up around town and just yesterday the nuns were marching by.. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas =)

Paralyzed man

Today we returned back to the house of the paralyzed man to clean his wounds. His wounds were so deep and we learned today that they were simply bed sores that hadn't been treated right. They are on his butt and treacherously painful to look at. He doesn't feel them apparently because he is paralyzed from the legs down because of a motorcar accident. He is only about 33 but he literally has no hope because he is stuck in a poor house, on a dirty hard bed for a long time.

I just don't think it is fair that a man so young should have to live like that, on a hard bed in pain, unable to move. I wish that there was some way I could send him to America because in America there is hope. Here in Pucallpa there is no hope for paralyzed people, and in our town of Puerto Carrera often little hope for healthy people that don't have money.

I can't help but think about the missionaries that are coming down to Peru later this year for a week or two. What if I had there plane ticket money? Instead of coming down to Peru I could send him to them and they could take care of him for 2 weeks?  What if I could send him to the states for a or a month or a year? What if I could get him the treatment he needed to be healthy and to have hope again? What if I could.. do something.. that would change his life forever?

It just makes me so sick and breaks my heart to see the poor, young man suffering like he is. He has so much potential for life. He used to be handsome. He used to be muscular. He has a strong faith in God. Why? I can't help but question God "Why did this happen?" "What's going to happen to him?" "Where is his hope?" Most of all God, "What can I do to help him?"

What if I had the faith to heal him? What if he had the faith to get healed? Would God heal him?

Mark 2:3-11
3 They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. 4 When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.5 Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 6 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, 7 "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins." 8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? 9 Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? 10 Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic), 11 "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."

James 5:15
And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:3-15
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Acts 19:11-12
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them

Acts 19 really amazes me. How did Paul receive so much power? He had so much faith so must trust in God. Paul was a missionary just like me. I really do believe that God wants to do miracles and reveal His glory even today. 

Matthew 17:14-20
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. ...

This is more how I feel. I pray  for God to do something and when He doesn't do it, I say what did I do wrong? How do I receive the power to heal someone in Jesus' name? How do I receive the faith to believe that Jesus will heal someone? I believe that it is us that is lacking not Christ, no not Him the least. But we don't have any faith- we are so lukewarm-- God transform our hearts. God transform my hearts. And please don't fail to heal my friend because of my own lack of faith.

I'll follow you around the world

There's these times in my mission experience when I am so overwhelmed with God's presence and joy and I can't imagine being anywhere else in the world. Tonight we were singing the song by Leeland for worship and it really just touched me. Sometimes I question How could I not serve others?  How could I not make some sacrifices? After all Jesus has done for me, I want to follow Him. I want to serve Him wherever He leads me.

Today was a great, long day. This morning we hung out with our sisters at the orphanage and then we went Christmas shopping for the orphans. This afternoon we had a huge clinic with 50 patients and then Allie and I were whisked away to "bathe a paralyzed guy". It turns out when we finally got to his house, this poor 34 year old young man who was almost skin and bones, had deep (DEEP)  wounds in his but.  Thus we need to return with cleaning supplies, gauze, and gloves to clean and fill his wound tomorrow. Then we will continue to doctor his wound for the next week as well as possibly provide some inspiration to him by doing a church service for him and bringing him some baked goods.

It's terribly sad not just because of the fact that he has paralyzed- but mostly because being paralyzed in a poor, third-world country like Peru means you have no hope. His father was the one to come get us and his father is severely handicapped. He has no money, no comfortable house, no money for medical bills, or therapy- thus what is his destiny? What hope does he have? It makes me terribly terribly sad. What can we do for this poor man? The man was reading his Bible when he came in and that makes me happy because God is the only hope this man has.

You live among the least of these, the weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away

All my needs You have supplied
When I was dead You gave me life
How could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll, I'll follow You into the homes of the broken
I'll follow You into the world
I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
I'll follow You into the world

Use my hands, use my feet to make Your kingdom come
To the corners of the earth until Your work is done

'Cause faith without works is dead
And on the cross Your blood was shed
So how could we not give it away so freely?

And I'll, I'll follow You into the homes of the broken
Follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God
I'll follow You into the world

Follow You into the homes of the broken
I'll follow You into the world
And meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God
I'll follow You into the world

I give all myself, I give all myself
And I give all myself to You
And I give all myself, yes, I give all myself
And I give all myself to You

And I'll follow You into the homes of the broken
I'll follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God
I'll follow You into the world

I'll follow You into the homes of the broken
Follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God

- Leeland