Divine Appointments and Answered Prayer

Today I had a friend come visit me at school. It was sort of spontaneous. I had invited him to come to the Latino Ministry with me on Sunday, but he ended up not coming because his parents were greatly opposed to the fact that our church is not Roman Catholic. I was greatly bummed out by this fact because I really wanted him to hear from God.

However, after he told me he could not come on Sunday, I told him we would need to get together sometime this week. That happened to be today. I had no idea what he had planned for the few hours we were going to spend together, but I had a plan in mind: tell him of the great love Jesus has for him.

My team from my Leadership in Ministry class met today for a time of prayer. We prayed for my friend during this time. And I also prayed for myself. I wanted to get my motives straight. I didn't want to share the Gospel with him for my own glory, but to bring glory to God. I didn't want to have any selfish motives. I also knew I couldn't do it on my own.

God answered our prayers.

I don't know how it happened, but somehow some aspect of "religion" came up when we were talking, and I mentioned how I don't like classifying myself as religion. This was a very small window of opportunity, and I took it. It's what many like to call a Divine Appointment. God orchestrated this time with my friend today, and He allowed the conversation to lead to spiritual matters. I took that opportunity (with slight hesitation, I must admit). I was scared at first because I had no idea how he would respond. However, God gave me the boldness and I went for it. We talked about religion, faith, and what it really means to be a Christian. The conversation lasted for about forty-five minutes, praise God. I was doing most of the talking, but my friend was listening very intently. I shifted the conversation from basics to the gospel about halfway through. This is what I wanted to really get through to him.

As I was explaining the story of the gospel to my friend, I could tell he was intrigued. Growing up in a catholic family, he knew the basics. However, he still believes that salvation must be earned. He argued that just like trust must be earned by others, so must our forgiveness from God be earned. I continued to explain how salvation is a FREE gift from God. And boy, was he listening. And just when I could see the words had hit  his heart, he built a wall. He said, "How'd we start talking about religion? Why are we talking about this? Let's talk about something else. I don't want to talk about this anymore." I didn't try to push him.

I was so very glad God had spoken to my friend through me. I know it wasn't by my own doing because verses were flowing out of my mouth. It was like I wasn't even the one talking at times. Yet, I was a bit disappointed that he closed up right when the truth was hitting him. But I can find hope in that because I could see in his eyes that it DID hit him. Just when it was starting to make sense, he shut it out.

I had told him on Sunday that I wanted to give him something. After our "religion" talk, he asked me what it was I wanted to give him. Because he had just shut out that topic, I told him to wait. Before he left, I slipped a copy of Surprised By Faith in the backseat of his car. For some reason, I felt like I shouldn't hand it to him directly. I followed that prompting and discretely placed the book in the backseat.

Not much later, we got hot chocolate in the CLC on campus. In his car, my friend had on what he called "urban" music. There was a lot of profanity and inappropriate language. I had mentioned that I like to listen to some Christian rap and Spanish reggae. So while we were drinking our hot chocolate, he asked to see my ipod, and he was listening to parts of each song that I had, some in English, some in Spanish. This, too, gave me hope and reassurance that our conversation earlier had an impact on him.

I also know our conversation had meaning because he asked me about five other times, "How did we start talking about religion?" He never said any more than that, but no more was needed. I knew that he was still thinking and processing through what I had said (rather, what the Holy Spirit said through me).

I know he has a lot to deal with right now, but that is why I felt I needed to share the gospel with him. He needs Jesus in his life. I ask that for all who read this, please be praying for my friend. I know God will work a miracle in his life, but not by my own strength or somebody else's strength, but through the power of God.

I thank God for the opportunity he gave me today to present the gospel to my friend. I do believe this was a Divine Appointment God set up in advance. But I know that it would not have gone as well as it did if I had not prayed beforehand. I give all glory, honor, power, and praise to my King and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Spanish Plan

I need to be learning Spanish faster than I am right now. At this rate, it'll take me forever to feel comfortable reading, writing, listening to, and speaking Spanish. I have the willpower in me to do it. I have the people around me to do it. Right now I think time and confidence are the two things stopping me. I don't have as much time as I'd like, and my confidence I can learn Spanish correctly at a faster pace is virtually nonexistent. I know it needs to be done. There are several ways I can improve, little by little. I can be like a two-year-old, listening to whatever I can and speaking the few words I pick up. I can be like a first grader learning to read. Reading things out loud and being corrected by people. And I can be like a college student (hey, shocker!!) and study the grammar, rules, and larger vocabulary by memorization. Then I can be held accountable by the dozens of people I see on a weekly basis who speak Spanish.

It's not impossible. It can be done. I just need the motivation and persistency to achieve my goal. What is my goal exactly? Good question. I need to take time to write down my specific goal and plan of action, then get to it!

First Love

First Love
Avalon


I used to be the one who would long to hear Your voice
A child who sought to win his Father's heart
But as I carried on, life's got a hold on me
Now here I am a son so far from home

Tell me when did I loose my first love?
Where did the fire and passion go?
Burn in me Your holy fire give me back my lost desire
And restore in me the love I felt for You

Can I remember how it felt?
When they looked into my face
And they saw the love of Jesus in my eyes
When I looked back on my life
And questioned where I've been
Can I really say I've done my best for You?

Tell me when did I loose my first love?
Where did the fire and passion go?
Burn in me Your holy fire give me back my lost desire
And restore in me the love I felt for You

Oh, where did I go?
Oh, I'm lost and I'm alone
Oh help me please
Lord lead me home

Father take me back let me start again
Lord I've failed and fallen in my pride
Lead me back to You where my life began
Revive in me the yearning that has died

Tell me when did I loose my first love?
And where did the fire and passion go?
Burn in me Your holy fire give me back my lost desire
And restore in me the love I felt for You
Oh, the love I felt for You

Restore in me the love I felt for You
Restore in me the love I felt for You
Restore in me the love I felt for You

Grr-ness

Ever since I came home from Peru, I've felt rather weird. I don't know how to describe it in a word besides "grr-ness" because when I think about how I've been feeling, I just want to say, "grr." It's so frustrating that I've been feeling this way.

I haven't gotten more than a half a dozen good nights of rest in the past two months. Most things don't really even seem enjoyable to me. I have no motivation to do homework, hang out with people, talk with people, even spend time with God. I think I hit a spiritual and emotional slump. And it's such a weird feeling and I want it to go away.

At first I thought I wasn't sleeping well and feeling this way because there was so much I still had to process from the trip and talk through and make sense of. Yet it's been two months and I still feel this way. I've thought about the idea of it being depression. Yet I don't want to automatically jump there.

I am the kind of person who always thinks. I'm always thinking about something. Yet there have been several times in the past two months where I can't think about any one particular thing. Why? Because I have a million different thoughts flooding my mind that I can't even pick one to think about specifically. If I try to find something to think about, it branches off into another ten different ideas, which each branch off into another ten other ideas. This is so overwhelming and exhausting that I usually just give up. My thoughts then just run like crazy, jumping from one thing to another with no logical connection. For this reason, I find it very hard to write lately. I usually don't even know where to start. I'm surprised I was able to sit down to write this.

Talking to my friends in Peru make me sad because I miss them like no other. Yet I need to talk to them. I would go insane if I didn't. When I let my thoughts wander, they usually fall to my friends. I miss hugging them just because I could. I miss talking to them face to face. I miss laughing and goofing off together. I miss failing at Spanish with them. I miss going out to eat together.

My one "safe place" for my thoughts and emotions is my music. I can put on Point of Grace, 4HIM, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Spanish worship, or anything else I have in my library and have a song fit exactly how I'm feeling. My music speaks louder than words so often because the music itself (not just the lyrics) contains to much emotion that I can't physically express or write down. Yet it frustrates me to know that I can't share these feelings with someone else because they're too internal.

I know God has me here for a purpose. I have a reason for being here at this moment. Yet I so look forward to the day when I can see my friends again. Smell the diesel from the busses, see, hear, and think Spanish, and view the gorgeous cities of Lima and Callao. Half of my heart is still in Callao. It's been there for three years now, and I miss that part of me. I know I'm no Peruvian nor no expert on the culture (or language!). Yet I know it feels like home. That is an undeniable feeling that I can guarantee will never fade. Peru will forever be a part of me.

Peru Wrap-up Video

Where you go, I'll go. Where you stay, I'll stay...


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You,  Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy, no
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord



God, you know my heart. This is where half of my heart is.

Peru Wrap-up from Nate Anderson on Vimeo.

Proverbs 2: The Benefit to Wisdom

Verses 1-5 tell us how we can understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. This is a clear answer to anyone who asks how to seek the knowledge of God. And I myself have been asking this question. I want to fear the Lord and have this knowledge. These verses say, "If you take my words to heart and treasure my commands within you, if you pay close attention to wisdom, and let your mind reach for understanding, if indeed you call out for insight, if you ask aloud for understanding, if you search for wisdom as if it were money and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and you will find the knowledge of God" (GWT). Verse six says where this understanding and knowledge come from: from the mouth of the Lord. This gives me so much comfort. I can stop seeking out things of this world for answers. Though I never really realized just how much I seek things of this world, I know that I do. Though I don't greed money or popularity or other things like that, I still try to find answers through non-biblical things. But these first few verses tell me that I can stop searching elsewhere. I just need to turn to God and He will speak this understanding and wisdom.

Verse twelve really speaks to me because of what I know of evil. It says, "Wisdom will save you from the way of evil, from the person who speaks devious things." I know all too well the power of evil. But this verse brings a promise that wisdom will save me. Evil has no power over me.

Verses 20-22 end this chapter with a charge: "So walk in the way of good people and stay on the paths of righteous people. Decent people will live in the land. People of integrity will remain in it. But wicked people will be cut off from the land and treacherous people will be torn from it."

What I love about Proverbs is the clear difference between righteous people and evil people. From the wise and the foolish. Within those last two verses, it outlines the vast difference between the "decent people" and the "wicked people." I don't know how anyone can read through Proverbs and still have a question about what may be right or wrong. After reading this passage, it is clear where I can get this understanding, knowledge, and wisdom I have been so longing for.

I had a huge wake-up call on Sunday. I realized that my priorities are not right. I oftentimes put God on the back burner when life gets busy with school, work, and even ministry. Yet I have had this hunger to grow closer to God. I had felt stuck for a long time about how in the world I could ever get close to God. But on Sunday it hit me: spend time in His Word and in prayer. If I just spend time with Him and draw near to Him, He will draw near to me. And that is what I so desire for my life.

New Focus

I think I need to refocus my life on what's important. I'll be graduating soon. I need to turn my focus to my ministry. I get so distracted with life that I can forget about God and His ministry. I do things on my own strength. I rely too much on my plans and ideas. But tonight at dinner Colossians 3:1-2 came to mind: "Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Too often I set my mind on earthly things. Like work, school, trying to learn Spanish, friends, family, etc. Yet at the same time, I know my passion is on things above and God's work through ministry. I haven't been fully living out my passions and desires. This past weekend showed me what I really do love. Though I'm an English speaking American, I love spending my time with the people from the Latino Ministry. Going to the home Bible Study Saturday night was unbelievable. And church today and then afterwards going to the chinese buffet with some people was exactly what I feel like I've always been missing. Not just the laughing, joking, and trying new foods, but the discussions we have. The serious things we talk about. The advice they give me. The care they have for me and each other. It's unbelievable.

I know I still have so much to learn and I have a lot of growing to do still in my faith. I always will. But now I have such a strong desire to reach a higher level of spiritual maturity. I want to reach the pont where God is my number one ALWAYS. Where my mind and heart are on heavenly things, not on earthly things. Where I live every day to bring glory to God and show the love of Jesus to everyone. I want to REALLY study the Bible to the point it changes me from the inside out that brings about real life changes. I want to live and breathe Jesus.

Proverbs 1: Listen to Wisdom

Events from today have really inspired me to read through the book of Proverbs. I have before, but I've never taken the time to really see what it's saying. I don't have a specific plan of action I'll be following, no schedule to stick to. I just want to go where the Holy Spirit leads me. I will be going through chapter by chapter, but other than that, there's no real structure. My prayer is that I can draw closer to God and allow Him to change me through this time of study.


I'm using three different translations for my study: TNIV, NASB, and God's Word Translation (I'll refer to it as GWT for simplicity reasons). On occasion I might use BibleGateway for a commentary. But I don't want to rely on man's understandings but rather let God speak to me directly from Scripture.


1:2-3 - The GWT uses the phrase "to understand deep thoughts." I feel like this is a great way of describing what the book of Proverbs is. Deep thoughts for us to ponder and to bring about a change in our lives. The GWT also says "to acquire the discipline of wise behavior." The TNIV and NASB say "to receive instruction..." Again, the word "acquire" to me feels like it's not simply instruction, but something that brings about change. It's amazing how this is exactly what I'm wanting for my life right now, and within the first few verses, this is what the book is all about. I want my life to reflect Christ and I want to listen to wisdom.
1:6 - this verse talks about understanding riddles. From what I remember of Proverbs, it contrasts those who are wise to those who are foolish. And there are some who won't understand what is being said and taught. I want to be one of those who can understand such "riddles."
1:7 - "but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (NASB, TNIV). I feel like I've done this plenty in the past, and I want to change so that I listen to instruction and crave wisdom.

1:10 - This verse talks about not letting sinners entice you and lure you in. Though it's easy to say, "I won't let sinners control me," it happens to us all. We get sucked into gossipping, complaining too much, cheating, lying, etc. Through the influence of nonChristians in our lives, we wind up sinning when we didn't want to.
1:15 - "Do not even set foot on their path." Not even setting foot on their path seems to me like even being associated with them in their sin is unwise. Avoid getting involved with anything sinful and evil.

1:23-28 - Here God is warning what will happen if sinners do not repent; He will laugh and make fun of them. He will not answer when they call, nor will they be able to find Him. This is a scary thought. That God Himself will do these things. However, in verse 23 He says that for those who repent, He shows love. I feel like this shows the nature of God being both loving and just, that He cannot stand sin. Verse 25 says, "You ignored all my advice. You did not want me to warn you"(GWT). This seems like our very nature as humans. We think we can do what we want; we don't care about the consequences; we live independently from God. But we can clearly see what happens when we live that way.
1:29 - "because they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord." This verse explains God's actions. And it is also a frightening realization of what could happen if we choose to ignore God's wisdom and if we don't fear Him.

Spiritual Gifts and Personality Types

I took this spiritual gifts and personality type questionnaire last year in my Intro to Ministry class, and we're using it this year in our Leadership in Ministry class. As we were reviewing it today in class, I realized just how accurate it is. My combination of personality types and spiritual gifts seem to really match who I am. I feel like it's a clear way of describing who I am and how I act and why. Because I am a combination of two personality types, some things cancel each other out. Other things don't apply to me because of the other personality type I am, but overall everything is very true of me.

Spiritual Gifts

Evangelism

Christians with the gift of evangelism feel compelled to win souls. They seem to have the ability to communicate the gospel very effectively. Their concern for witnessing to a lost and dying world is evident. They desire to be involved in ministries to reach people for Christ. The gift of evangelism motivates them to want nearly every message they hear to include the gospel and an invitation to trust Christ. Missions and outreach are important to them. Always being ready to give an answer to every person is their goal. Conversations seem to often turn toward eternal values. The worth of souls and the task of evangelism are most important to the evangelist’s motivation. In a word: Dynamic            Overuse: Zeal            Goal: Build disciples, not statistics

Abilities: Comfortably share the gospel with results

Opportunities: Visitation, outreach, missions

Warning: Don’t think everyone should be as dedicated to evangelism as you are

Reward: Protecting others from poor decisions

Serving/Ministry/Helps

When you think of Christians who serve faithfully behind the scenes, you think of those with the gift of serving/ministry/helps. They are interested in blessing others to serve the Lord. They love to help others. Motivated by a strong sense of need, they feel like “someone has to do it.” Caring and concerned for others, they find themselves doing what no one else likes to do. They tend to do whatever called for. Flexible, they adapt to many challenges. They simply enjoy helping others and meeting needs. Often truly selfless, those with this gift like to be involved. In a word: Selfless            Overuse: Takes on too much            Goal: Be a servant, not a martyr

Abilities: Serving behind the scenes

Opportunities: Nursery, Sunday School, ushering

Warning:  Don’t become weary in well doing

Reward: Knowing you make a difference doing what no one else may want to do

Mercy

Christians with the gift of showing mercy demonstrate genuine sensitivity to suffering. They are compelled to help people reduce pain. They are concerned more with the person, than the reason for the suffering. Focusing on the feelings of those who hurt, showers of mercy desire to minister by “being there” when people really need them. Sympathizing and/or empathizing are their specialties. While others may care more about why, what, when, or how, those with the Showing Mercy gift are interested in “who” needs tender loving care.            In a word: Caring            Overuse: Too sensitive            Goal: Wise insights, not foolish responses

Abilities: Giving sympathy and/or empathy to the hurting

Opportunities: Hospital, benevolence, counseling

Warning: Don’t be a sucker for everyone

Reward: Knowing you helped those who no one else would help.

Personality Type

“S” Behavior (Passive, people-oriented)

Descriptions: submissive, steady, stable, security-oriented, shy, servant, specialist

Basic Motivation: Stability and support

Desires: an area of specialization; identification with a group; established work patterns; security of situation; consistent familiar environment

Responds Best to Leader Who: is relaxed and friendly; allows time to adjust to changes; allows to work at own pace; gives personal support

Needs to Learn: Change provides opportunity; friendship isn’t everything; discipline is good; boldness and taking risks is sometimes necessary

Abilities: Support, serve, specialize, finish what others start, work behind the scenes, do what needs to be done

Opportunities: On call whenever needed, hospital visitation, encourage new members, office, keep records, telephoning, counseling

Warning: Shyness hinders your opportunities to do great things for God. Be more aggressive and assertive. Be careful, people may take advantage of you.

Reward: Believing God’s promise that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you, step out and try the difficult. You may be surprised what God can do.

Leader Style: the sweet, steady, and stable leaders. They seldom demand anything. They are friendly and loyal, but tend to be too nice. They need to be more aggressive and assertive. Overly sensitive to shortcomings, “S”s need to be more confident. They hate to take risks. They often miss opportunities because of their caution. Reliable and relaxed, they are more reserved.

Follower Style: don’t make quick decisions. They like leaders who are understanding and gentle. They want to establish a relationship with a leader who will be around for a long time. “S”s are concerned about service and stability. When it comes to sensible and slow judgment, “S” followers feel right at home. They like familiar and low-key environments.

Under Pressure: Becomes subservient, insecure, fearful, weak-willed, withdrawn, sympathizer, sucker.

Sources of Irritation: Pushiness, instability, inflexibility, anger, disloyalty, insensitivity, pride, discrimination, unfairness

Needs to: Be – strong, courageous, challenging, aggressive, assertive, confrontational, enthusiastic, outgoing, expressive, cautious, bold.

“C” Behavior (Passive, task-oriented)

Descriptions: Competent, compliant, cautious, calculating, careful, contemplative

Basic Motivation: Quality and correctness

Desires: Clearly defined tasks; details; limited risks; assignments that require precision and planning; time to think

Responds Best to Leader Who: Provides reassurance; spells out detailed operating procedures; provides resources to do task correctly; listens to suggestions

Needs to Learn: Total support is not always possible; thorough explanation is not everything; deadlines must be met; more optimism will lead to greater success

Abilities: Analyze, improve, discern, calculate, follow directions, do the right thing.

Opportunities: Finance Committee, long-range planning, office, record information, research, teach, organize, order curriculum

Warning: Due to your cautiousness, criticism comes easy. Don’t always be pessimistic and hard to convince. Increase your faith in God and trust those you follow.

Reward: Ministers need competent people to fulfill their visions. You can be a great blessing if you continually look at the possibilities, rather than impossibilities.

Leader Style: competent and compliant. They go by the book and want to do everything just right.  they are thorough and detail-oriented, but tend to be too informative. “C”s need to be more positive and enthusiastic. They answer questions people aren’t asking. When optimistic, “C”s are extremely influential. They should not concentrate on problems, but focus on potentials.

Follow Style: “Consumer Report” type followers. They analyze each decision. They love research and development. “C”s are quality oriented followers. They don’t like quick or costly decisions. Picky and precise, they follow with their minds, rather than hearts. “C”s seldom respond positively at first. They often want time to think about their decisions. Once convinced, they follow best.

Under Pressure: Becomes moody, critical, contemplative, negative, worrisome

Sources of Irritation: Incompetence, disorganization, foolishness, dishonesty, inaccuracy, wastefulness, inconsistency, blind faith, false impressions

Needs to: Loosen up, communicate, be – joyful, positive, tolerant, compromising, open, trusting, enthusiastic.

Behavioral Blend: S/C

“S/C” types are stable and contemplative types. They like to search and discover the facts. They like to weigh the evidence and proceed slowly to a logical conclusion. They enjoy small groups of people. They do not like speaking in front of large crowds. They are systematic and sensitive to the needs of others, but can be critical and caustic. They are loyal friends, but can be too fault-finding. They need to improve their enthusiasm and optimism. They are motivated by kind and conscientious opportunities to slowly and correctly do things.

Combining Personalities with Spiritual Gifts

“S” Type with Evangelism

Sweet and soft type Christians with the gift of evangelism are the most gentle witnesses. They steadily share the gospel. They don’t like to force issues. They tend to be too nice. Scoffers often waste “S”-evangelists’ time. Knowing they will go the extra mile, some people take advantage. Avoiding confrontation, these stable types prefer “friendship evangelism.” But their motivation to win souls often overcomes their natural reluctance to speak out. “S”-evangelists enjoy bringing people to Jesus without a lot of fanfare.

“C” Type with Evangelism

Cautious and compliant type Christians with the gift of evangelism are the most thorough witnesses. They like to go point-by-point, convincing people to understand every detail. They try to have an answer for every question. But they can overwhelm with too many facts. “C”-evangelists are often more concerned with the task, rather than the person in need. As competent individuals, they need to be more flexible and friendly. “C”-evangelists can turn doubt into a fascinating opportunity for Christ.

“S” Type with Serving/Ministry/Helps

Steady type Christians with the gift of serving/ministry/helps are every church’s dream – the backbone of ministry. If anything needs to get done, they faithfully serve without recognition. They are not bossy, but should be more assertive. People take advantage of “S”-servants. They should be more aggressive in seeking help. Always sensitive to the feelings of others makes them sought out. But sometimes they solve problems for those who may need to feel the pressure of their irresponsibility. “S”-servants are the most stable servants.

“C” Type with Serving/Ministry/Helps

Competent type Christians with the gift of serving/ministry/helps are detail-oriented. They don’t like loose ends. If anything needs to be done right, they are prefect for the job. “C”-servants tend to be difficult to work with. They can be too picky. They need to be friendlier and cooperative. Often feeling like they are the only ones who ever do anything, they need to appreciate others more. Positive attitudes and enthusiasm are recommended but difficult for “C”-servants. They can be the hardest working and compliant servants.

“S” Type with Showing Mercy

Sensitive type Christians with the gift of showing mercy are most loving. They are sweet servants always ready to help. They specialize in times of suffering. “S”-showing mercy types may be so concerned that they miss opportunities to teach lessons. They can also be fooled by insincere cries for help. They may need to be more assertive with those who use their pain as excuses. They should be more demanding. They may need to share truth, rather than always listening. When people hurt, “S”-showing mercy types shine.

“C” Type with Showing Mercy

Compliant type Christians with the gift of showing mercy are extremely concerned about others. They see needs no one else sees. They tend to know exactly what to say. They are careful not to miss opportunities to help, but can be critical of those who don’t get involved. “C”-showers of mercy may try to analyze why people hurt. Their conservative care is often appreciated. They need to be optimistic. Enthusiasm and inspiration are often lacking. “C”-showers of mercy are competent individuals who care about the sufferings of others.

Peru 2011 in Review

This is the Peru trip in review written by two women from my church. Check it out:

Peru 2011 in Review

I Will Follow Christ; It's Only for the Weak

I Will Follow Christ
Bob Carlisle, Clay Crosse, Bebe Winans

The twelve of you walked on the earth together
The father was a brother to you all
The teaching that you heard was the Living Word
The wonders and the miracles you saw

There were times of awesome inspiration
There were times you didn't understand
And when He had to go and you felt alone
It must have been so hard to see His plan

I think about the way you carried on
In the face of persecution you stood strong...

I will follow Christ
I will run the race
Fighting the good fight
Standing on my faith
I will wear the name of Jesus
I will give Him all my life
As for me no matter what the sacrifice
I will follow Christ

Now I don't have to look across the ages
His voice is speaking in my heart today
His Word is like a flame consuming all my shame
His life a shining star to show the way

I will follow Christ
I will run the race
Fighting the good fight
Standing on my faith
I will wear the name of Jesus
I will give Him all my life
As for me no matter what the sacrifice
I will follow Christ

I behold Your life and see the man You want me to become
Living like someone whose heart belongs to the Kingdom
That was sealed on Calvary
I will show the world what I believe

I will follow Christ
I will run the race
Fighting the good fight
Standing on my faith
I will wear the name of Jesus
I will give Him all my life
As for me no matter what the sacrifice
I will follow Christ


Only for the Weak
Avalon

Some say it's rules and regulations
And trying to always be right
No room for mistakes in the choices we make
For only the strong survive

But it's not about perfect performance
Or resolution of will
It's all about surrender
Giving up
Being still

It's only for the weak
For the faint of heart
Those driven to their knees
Those who live with scars
There's power from beyond
Were certain where it's from
And that's our source of strength
Before we follow Christ
We need to be advised
It's only for the weak

He welcomes the worn and weary
All who are wounded by sin
And just as we are, we can fall in His arms
Rest and find shelter in Him
Seems like each day is a battle
With burdens and struggles to face
Only in our losing
De we really see how much we've gained

It's only for the weak
For the faint of heart
Those driven to their knees
Those who live with scars
There's power from beyond
Were certain where it's from
And that's our source of strength
Before we follow Christ
We need to be advised
It's only for the weak

The Father always starts
With a willing heart
Open to how He moves
As His Spirit is poured
He will do so much more
Than we dreamed He could do

It's only for the weak
For the faint of heart
Those driven to their knees
Those who live with scars
There's power from beyond
Were certain where it's from
And that's our source of strength
Before we follow Christ
We need to be advised
It's only for the weak

Crossing Over

I'm reading this book called Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail. In the prologue the author explains the story of the Chávez brothers. I was stunned after I read this and I wanted to share it:



It is five o'clock in the morning on Saturday, April 6, 1996. Two weeks before Easter, two more weeks of Lent before the Passion. The sun will soon break over the Temecula valley. The moon is a little less than half full, dipping low into the southwestern sky. The stars have dimmed with the approach of the sun. Only the planet Jupiter is visible, and it is just about to fall into the leaves of a stand of avocados on the south side of Avenida Del Oro. It is a clear and dry morning, and although it is early spring, the temperature is already seventy degrees; it will reach into the nineties at midday.

Avenida Del Oro (in California) is an east-west rural two-lane road of pitch-black asphalt and a bright solid yellow dividing line that runs for several hundred feet across the intersection with Calle Capistrano. Here, Avenida Del Oro falls into a steep gully along a long, sharp curve, the kind that creeps up on you and causes you to instinctively hit the brakes as you come to the bend. Calle Capistrano is a smaller road that runs north toward a few residences and orchards. The point at which the two streets join is precisely the bend in Avenida Del Oro's curve.

Deck lights glow amber from a ranch house high up on a hill to the east. There is no breeze. Occasionally there is the sound of an avocado falling, at first slithering through the branches, then hitting the thick bed of dry dead leaves below with a loud, brittle crash.

At five-fifteen the eastern sky is pale yellow. Shades of dusty pink rise into blue-greens and finally into deep blue at the zenith and in the west. A 1989 GMC truck, blue with silver trim, equipped with a camper shell of darkly tinted windows, speeds westward down Avenida Del Oro. Twenty-seven people are inside, twenty-five of them in the camper and two in the front seat. All are undocumented Mexican migrants.

The reason the coyote (A person who smuggles Latin Americans across the US border, typically for a high fee) is on this isolated rural road is the inauguration of the U.S. Border Patrol interdiction effort known as Operation Gatekeeper. In 1994, a massive new steel wall was built along several miles of the border running east from the beach at Tijuana. After the Border Patrol claimed success with Operation Gatekeeper, it followed with similar measures in Nogales, Arizona (Operation Safeguard), El Paso, Texas (Operation Hold the Line), and McAllen, Texas (Operation Rio Grande). Consequently, the Mexican coyotes, not to be outdone by gringo technology, have chosen more circuitous routes through rugged terrain eastward. These new routes are extremely dangerous. Dozens of migrants have died of exposure in the torrid heat and bitter cold of the Colorado Desert since 1994. There are hundreds of such crossings between the beaches of Southern California and the Gulf Coast of Texas, and the cat-and-mouse game between the coyotes and the Border Patrol is never-ending.


A Border Patrol truck spots the GMC several miles south of the intersection of Avenida Del Oro and Calle Capistrano. What the BP agents see is a vehicle clearly overloaded, its fenders practically scraping the tires. From this point on, there are differing versions as to what occurred. The BP maintains that their personnel followed the vehicle at a discreet distance, with its emergency lights off. Lawyers representing the victims say that the BP wrecklessly and needlessly endangered the lives of the migrants by engaging in a high-speed pursuit.


For most of the hour-long ride up from the border, Benjamín, Jaime, and Salvador Chávez and their compatriots in the camper shell see nothing, not even one another's faces, because very little of the approaching dawn's light penetrates the camper's tinted windows.


When the coyote notices the BP truck in his side mirrors (he couldn't have seen much in the rearview mirror, given the dark glass and the twenty-five bodies piled like a cord of wood in the back), he speeds up, the tires screeching on the curves.


Inside the camper, panic rules. Those closest to the small window that looks in on the cab of the truck pound on it and scream at the coyote to stop. Several survivors recall that Benjamín Chávez shouted the loudest, a deep-throated yell. But it is to no avail. The coyote has been drinking. He has been snorting coke. He is hunched over the steering wheel, oblivious to everything but the BP truck behind him and the dark, winding road ahead.


Increasingly desperate, the migrants pop the camper's rear window open. They throw their small travel bags, their water bottles, and even a tire jack in the direction of the BP vehicle, but these fall harmlessly by the side of the road. They make dramatic hand gestures at the agents, imploring them to give up the pursuit, not because they want to avoid apprehension but because they want their driver to slow down. They are in fear for their lives.


The Chávez brothers, crunched against one another in the truck bed, see very little even when the rear window is opened. They are deep inside the camper, hemmed in by twenty-three other bodies. They only feel the lurching of the truck and hear the men's groans as they are slammed about on the curves.


The GMC hurtles down Avenida Del Oro at close to seventy miles an hour. About three hundred feet from Calle Capistrano, the coyote realizes he can't negotiate the curve and slams on his brakes. The realization comes too late.


There is  along skid, and the truck spins 180 degrees.


Then there is silence for a split second, as the truck flies off the road and turns over in the air.


And now a thousand sounds at once: the crumpling, the breaking, the crushing, and the snapping of glass, metal, plastic, and bone. The truck comes down roof-first in the ditch. Most of the bodies inside the camper shell spill out. Not all are completely ejected. Several are crushed underneath the mangeled chassis of the truck. A cloud of dust rises from the impact.


The sun crests the horizon in the east now. It is possible that one of the last things some of the migrants saw, for just a fraction of a second, was the yellow glow on the horizon. Or maybe some of them saw the dust from the crash hanging in the air and heard the silence of the desert return as the groans of the dying faded.


Benjamín, Jaime, and Salvador were crushed under the truck. They had departed their home in Cherán, an Indian town in the highlands of Michoacán, a few days earlier and were on their way to Watsonville, California, to their usual stint of seasonal work picking strawberries in the fertile hills east of Santa Cruz. The accident made headlines in the United States for the enormity of the tragedy (eight people killed, nineteen inured, many critically) and because just a few days earlier another incident involving Mexican migrants had attracted attention. A videotape reminiscent of the Rodney King footage had aired on the evening news showing Riverside sheriff's deputies beating unarmed Mexican migrants, none of them visibly resisting, by the side of a Southern California freeway at rush hour.


Over the last decade, the numbers of casualties at the U.S.-Mexico line have begun to look like the tallies from a low-intensity conflict in a corner of the developing world. A University of Houston study counted some three thousand deaths in the last half of the 1990s, a conservative figure. Many bodies, the researchers concluded, will never be found. The bones of these migrants are hidden in the sludge at the bottom of the Rio Grande and scattered across the open desert.

Racing a Mile a Minute

I have all these thoughts racing through my mind a mile a minute. I can't even begin to try to process each one because there are so many thoughts. And each thought is so complex and leads to another thought...I have so much to do and no time to get it all done. Because of how busy I am right now, I very rarely have time to just sit and process all that's running through my mind. The only real downtime I have is when I sleep. And that's exactly what my mind has been doing for the past two weeks. I have only gotten a few decent nights' sleep since I got home from Peru. Every other night I toss and turn all night as my mind tries to make sense of everything. If I do sleep through the nigh, the following day I'm disturbed, troubled, or confused about the dream I had. I can't seem to shake this. I'll go to bed by 11:00 and get up at 7:00 and I feel as if I'm running off of half that much sleep. I'm used to not being tired at night or getting little sleep, but this isn't the same. It's a completely restless night. It's hard then when I do get some down time to think. I'll feel so dead I end up sitting there feeling bombarded by all these thoughts. It's not only trying to process all I did in Peru. It's my classes, work, moving back to school, my future, and figuring out what God's plan is for my life. They all mesh together and many overlap and fall on each other. I find my escape in writing. But this is so big I can't even begin to start writing about all of it. So I feel trapped inside my own head with no easy way of escaping. Only once in the past two weeks has my mind been completely blank and I've felt relaxed. That was at Beverly's. As we were trying to talk though an issue, I didnt' know how to verbalize my thoughts. She tried a technique that allows my brain to sort and organize my thoughts (or something like that). I'm not sure exactly how it works. But for a moment, my mind was blank and I could relax. Before long, only one thought came to mind and that one single thought remained for about twenty minutes. When I left Beverly's and headed home, all my thoughts flooded back in.

Peru Recap

Just about a week ago I returned from my ten day mission trip to Callao, Peru. 203 people from Grace Church partnered with hundreds more from our sister church in Callao, the port city of Lima (the capital of Peru), working "hombro a hombro" or "shoulder to shoulder" telling people about Jesus.

Seeing my brother and sister for the first time in three years

Each day we went out into the streets, parks, hospitals, and barrios to share the love of Jesus with others. Our goal was not humanitarian, but evangelistic. Every night we held a larger scale performance or two at the church, which can hold up to 2,000 people. At each venue we would put on a mini performance of songs, puppets, clowns, dramas, illusions, and unicycles to catch people with their eyes, so they'll listen with their ears, so God can touch their hearts. After the performance, a pastor would share the gospel. He explained that God sent His son Jesus to earth to die on a cross for all of our sins so we can be forgiven and spend eternity with Him in heaven.

We would stress to the Peruvians that we are not "selling a religion," but offering them a free gift of salvation and a loving relationship with Jesus. The hunger for truth and love that these people had moved me every time. I had the opportunity to share with many people, each with a unique story. Katty and her four month old baby living in a very poor neighborhood, Juan, a 60-year-old homeless man, Fanny and her one month old baby in the hospital...

This was my second time in Peru for a mission trip and God worked in and through me in ways I never could have imagined. The highlight of my week was getting to know a man named José. A group of ten people, both Americans and Peruvians were going door to door when we met José on the street. After talking with him for only a minute or two, he invited us into his home. We learned he is a body guard and has recently killed three people as a result of his job. He told us he was not going to heaven and God could not forgive him for what he had done. Every night he would wake up sweating and seeing the faces of the men he had killed. After talking with him for over half an hour, explaining just how much God loves him and can forgive him, José agreed to let us pray for him. We gathered around him and we each laid a hand on him and began praying simultaneously for him. I could feel such a burden on his shoulders and a deep sorrow. I could see the pain in his eyes and the longing to be freed. My prayer was that God would open his eyes and soften his heart to God and that Satan's grip on his life would be released. And just that happened. While we were praying for him, José broke down and cried out to God for forgiveness and gave his life over to God. After praying with him, I could see peace in his eyes. He was exhausted from the experience, and his whole countenance changed. God did an amazing work in his life in those short 45 minutes. We were all crying by the end of our time together.

Over the course of the week, we saw over 3,250 people come to saving personal relationship with Jesus. This could not have been done on our own. With God's help, we were able to accomplish great things to bring Him glory. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to once again go to Peru to share the love of Jesus with the Peruvians.

While I was there, I was able to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. The relationships I've built over the past three years with some people really make them feel like brothers and sisters to me. And I look forward to continuing those relationships and building those that were started during my short visit. I had such a great time with my friends and will have many great memories I can always look back on.

Having fun with Mayra and Victor

with Luis

With my brother, Edher

For more information, photos, and video from my week in Peru, visit atgrace.com/peru11

Papa a la Huancaina

Tonight I made Papa a la Huancaina to go along with our chicken for dinner. Edher let me try it while we were at Canta Callao in Peru and I LOVED it! So I found the recipe online and decided I needed to make it. The recipe says to add peppers to the sauce. But I know next to nothing about peppers and my family doesn't really like spicy foods. One variation the recipe says is to add garlic instead of the peppers. So I did that. After work today I went to Rainbow and picked up the ingredients that I needed (things I normally don't buy at the grocery store). I had to boil whole potatoes (eight of them!), and that took forever! I had to peel and cut them afterwards. They were crazy hot (duh) so the skin was easy to peel off. But cutting them into rounds was hard because they kept crumbling. But oh well. Potatoes are potatoes. I used the blender to mix together everything for the sauce. I wasn't sure how thick or thin the sauce needed to be, but it turned out great. Instead of the peppers, I put in minced garlic. I wasn't sure how it was going to taste, but I do love garlic. I must say it turned out better than I thought it was going to on my first attempt. The sauce was great (though I missed the little kick Edher's had) and the potatoes were perfect. I felt like I had a little bit of Peru in my house tonight. You can find the recipe to this popular Peruvian side dish here: http://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/papa-a-la-huancaina-recipe

Details about my trip to Peru soon!

150 Names of Jesus

His Nativity Names

1.     Jesus – John 9:11

2.     Yeshua/Joshua – Matthew 1:1

3.     Jesus of Nazareth – Luke 18:37

4.     The Nazarene – Matthew 2:23

5.     The Galilean – Matthew 26:69

6.     Immanuel/God with Us – Matthew 1:23

7.     A Babe – Luke 2:12

8.     That Which Is Conceived in Her – Matthew 1:20

9.     The Child Jesus – Luke 2:27

10. The Boy Jesus – Luke 1:78-79

11. The Seed of Woman – Genesis 3:15

12. The Dayspring from on High – Luke 1:78-79

13. The Consolation of Israel – Luke 2:25

14. The Horn of Salvation – Luke 1:68-69

15. Her Firstborn Son – Matthew 1:25

His Royal Names

16. A King – John 18:37

17. Another King – Acts 17:7

18. King of the Jews – Matthew 2:2, 27:37

19. King of Kings – Revelation 19:16

20. King of Righteousness – Hebrews 7:1-2

21. The Prince – Daniel 9:25-26

22. The Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6

23. Prince and Savior – Acts 5:31-32

His Authoritative Names

24. Lord – Matthew 3:3

25. Lord of the Sabbath – Mark 2:28

26. Lord of All – Acts 10:36-37

27. My Lord and My God – John 20:28

28. Lord of the Dead and the Living – Romans 14:9

29. The Righteous Judge – 2 Timothy 4:8

30. Judge of the Living and the Dead – Acts 10:42

31. One Having Authority – Matthew 7:28-29

32. Governor – Matthew 2:6

His Sonship Names

33. The Son – Hebrews 1:8

34. The Son of Abraham – Matthew 1:1

35. The Son of David – Matthew 12:23

36. The Son of Joseph – John 1:45

37. The Son of Man – John 3:13

38. The Son of God – Matthew 27:54

39. The Son of the Living God – Matthew 16:16

40. His Only Begotten Son – John 3:16

41. The Carpenter’s Son – Matthew 13:54-55

His Cornerstone Names

42. The Rock – Luke 6:48

43. The Chief Cornerstone – Psalm 118:22

44. A Stone for a Foundation – Isaiah 28:16

45. The Flinty Rock – Deuteronomy 8:15

46. The Stone Cut Without Hands – Daniel 2:45

47. The Stone with Seven Eyes – Zechariah 3:8-9

His Apocalyptic Names

48. The Faithful Witness – Revelation 1:5

49. Lord of Lords – Revelation 19:16

50. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah – Revelation 5:5

51. The Amen – Revelation 3:14

52. Your First Love – Revelation 2:4

53. The Alpha and the Omega – Revelation 1:8

54. The Ruler over the Kings of the Earth – Revelation 1:5

55. The Lord Who Is and Who Was and Who Is to Come – Revelation 1:8

56. The Almighty – Revelation 1:8

57. A Male Child Ruling the Nations – Revelation 12:5

58. The Bright and Morning Star – Revelation 22:16-17

59. The Word of God – Revelation 19:13

60. Faithful and True – Revelation 19:11

61. The Name No One Knows – Revelation 19:12

62. The Faithful and True Witness – Revelation 3:14

63. The Firstborn from the Dead – Revelation 1:5

64. Him Who Loved Us and Washed Us – Revelation 1:5

65. He Who Holds the Seven Stars – Revelation 2:1

His Priestly Names

66. The Minister of the Sanctuary – Hebrews 8:1-2

67. A Merciful and Faithful High Priest – Hebrews 2:17

68. A Priest Forever – Psalm 110:4

69. The Mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5

70. The Redeemer – Job 19:25-26

71. The Testator – Hebrews 9:16

72. The Burnt Offering – Leviticus 1:3-4

73. The Grain Offering – Leviticus 2:1

74. The Peace Offering – Leviticus 3:1

75. The Sin Offering – Leviticus 4:3

76. The Trespass Offering – Leviticus 5:6

77. The Bird That Was Killed – Leviticus 14:6-7

His Isaiah Names

78. Man of Sorrows – Isaiah 53:3

79. Wonderful Counselor – Isaiah 9:6

80. Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6

81. A Tender Plant – Isaiah 53:1-2

82. My Strength and My Song – Isaiah 12:2-3

83. My Elect One – Isaiah 42:1

84. A Polished Shaft – Isaiah 49:2

85. A Sanctuary – Isaiah 8:14

86. A Shelter from the Tempest – Isaiah 32:2

87. My Righteous Servant – Isaiah 53:11

His Johannine Names

88. God – John 1:1

89. The Savior of the World – John 4:42

90. The Lamb of God – John 1:29

91. The Word – John 1:1

92. That Eternal Life – 1 John 1:1-2

93. The True Bread from Heaven – John 6:31-34

94. The Light of the World – John 8:12

95. The Door of the Sheep – John 10:7

96. I AM – John 8:58-59

97. The Way – John 14:6

98. The Truth – John 14:6

99. The Life – John 14:6

100.                  The Man – John 19:5

101.                  The Advocate – 1 John 2:1

102.                  The Propitiation for Our Sins – 1 John 2:2

103.                  The Resurrection and the Life – John 11:25-26

104.                  The Vine – John 15:5

105.                  The Good Shepherd – John 10:10-11

106.                  The Serpent in the Wilderness – John 3:14-15

107.                  Teacher – John 13:13

108.                  Rabbi – John 3:2

109.                  He Who Comes from Heaven – John 3:31

His Pauline Names

110.                  Our Peace – Ephesians 2:14

111.                  The Savior – Philippians 3:20-21

112.                  The Second Man – 1 Corinthians 15:47

113.                  Christ Our Passover – 1 Corinthians 5:7

114.                  Our Great God and Savior – Titus 2:13

115.                  The Head – Ephesians 4:15-16

116.                  The Firstborn over All Creation – Colossians 1:15

117.                  Christ Who Strengthens Me – Philippians 4:13

118.                  A Servant to the Jews – Romans 15:8

119.                  Him – 2 Timothy 1:12

120.                  Him Who Fills All in All – Ephesians 1:22-23

His Petrine Names

121.                  The Overseer of Your Souls – 1 Peter 2:25

122.                  The Shepherd – 1 Peter 2:25

123.                  Him Who Called You Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light – 1 Peter 2:9

His Old Testament Names

124.                  Shiloh – Genesis 49:10

125.                  The Friend Who Sticks Closer Than a Brother – Proverbs 18:24

126.                  The Fourth Man – Daniel 3:25

127.                  The Commander of the Army of the Lord – Joshua 5:13-15

128.                  The Fountain – Zechariah 13:1

129.                  The Sun of Righteousness – Malachi 4:2

130.                  My Companion – Zechariah 13:7

131.                  His Anointed – Psalm – 2:2

His Holy Names

132.                  The Holy One – Acts 3:14-15

133.                  The Just One – Acts 7:52

His Names in Hebrew

134.                  That Great Shepherd of the Sheep – Hebrews 13:20-21

135.                  The Author of Eternal Salvation – Hebrews 5:9

136.                  The Veil – Hebrews 10:19-20

137.                  The Author and Finisher of Our Faith – Hebrews 12:2

138.                  The Apostle – Hebrews 3:1

139.                  Him Who Endured Such Hostility – Hebrews 12:3

His Names in the Gospels

140.                  He Who Made Me Well – John 5:11

141.                  The Carpenter – Mark 6:3

142.                  A Prophet Without Honor – Matthew 13:57-58

143.                  The Bridegroom – Matthew 25:6

144.                  Fisher of Men – Matthew 4:19-20

145.                  A Ghost – Matthew 14:26-27

146.                  A Hen – Matthew 23:37

147.                  A Thief in the Night – Matthew 24:42-44

148.                  The Christ – Mark 8:29

149.                  The Christ of God – Luke 9:20

150.                  Good Teacher – Mark 10:17-18