Find The Road Walking. SEptember 11, 2017.
I asked Joaquin if he'd want to come to a Bible study if we would start one for the boys from the neighborhood. I was surprised, honestly, when the 12-year old told me straight up, "No, I don't really like that kinda thing."
I sat across from a devastated and troubled Angel, picking at his plate of fried rice with chicken. He'd left his house, hated his mom and was convinced his mom didn't love him. I told him the door was always open if he wanted to come and read the Bible together and dig into that truth more. The door is still open.
I've texted Maria Jose a number of times to invite her and her family to our nearby "missional community" group, to help plug her and her family more into the church outside of the church, but they haven't come once yet.
But Joaquin this week, after a morning workout with the boys from the neighborhood, lit right up when I asked the group about what's worth chasing after in life. "Justice! Peace! Right Living! Love!" He comes faithfully to almost every Toros function and is happy to serve water, retrieve balls, or help out in a drill. He'll show up early to help cook food or load the car for Sigo Vivo. After having been at Sigo Vivo a number of times, he had to go to the "volunteer training" so he'd know what he was getting into. He came back full of life for what they and Pastor Rudy had talked about; how God's great love for us is the only fuel for us to love on the street kids, and that God has the same love for us and for them. Not bad for a 12 year-old.
And this week Angel was at Sigo Vivo, side by side with Cesar (a street kid), starting up a conversation, opening up a relationship. He also recently initiated a conversation with me just to see if I needed help prepping for the Toros' banquet. I listened to him share at a Toros "Heart of a Champion" session about how he felt his strongest passion and gift in life was a new one he'd just found in Sigo Vivo for helping street kids who have nothing.
Maria Jose, well, let me take you back just a little more. A number of months ago she had a huge blood blister on her palm. Come to find out it was because in a meeting with some of the youth from her church, they had told her that if she had enough faith, she could hold a lighter under her palm and not be burned, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Well, it didn't work. That kind of ignorant abuse of doctrine (and bodies) is far too common in churches. That same church later shunned her family from the church after seeing pictures of them on Facebook taking part in an apparent "abomination," dancing (gasp!) at a Quinciñera where there was also alcohol (the nerve!).
So, churchless, just graduated from high school, workless, unsure of going to university or seminary, and a little distraught, I brought Maria Jose to McDonald's (keepin' it real Guatemalan) to meet my friend Taty, who if you recall the story of Sigo Vivo, was also booted from her church, also has a heart to serve (like Maria Jose), and had studied at the local seminary. So it was like a blind date for them. I think that was 6 months ago. Since then, Maria Jose has spent many weekdays walking the streets of Guatemala with the Sigo Vivo Street Team, visiting the "puntos" where the street kids hang out, showing them week in and week out they are loved by God. On Sundays, she goes to Sigo Vivo Street Church with some of her family, and this week even led the service.
Isn't this just so neat? These are people who "don't fit" or didn't feel like they belonged in the mold of church and Bible studies. And now these are disciples; or at least near-disciples. They relate to God differently than the average church-goer. And here they are, not just reading about Jesus or studying God's kingdom, they are living it and being agents of it. Perhaps they aren't the type that find the road by looking at maps. They find the road walking.
Honestly, folks, what's going to teach you more? Spending an hour reading a parable or two and discussing what it means with some other folks, or spending an hour next to someone who doesn't look, act, live, or smell like you and trying to wrestle out what life is about together? I love that these three people are looking at Sigo Vivo, at the Toros football team, and at boys morning workouts and thinking "THAT'S THE KINGDOM OF GOD! I WANT SOME OF THAT!" There is action there, there is love there, there is relationship that blossoms to discipleship there.
There is certainly a place and a necessity for studying the Bible, and for being a part of a church community. I treasure them. But I love that these three are breaking my mold, and it might even be more Biblical. Jesus didn't invite his disciples to come to church with him, he invited them just to come and walk and see what he did, come and see what ministry is like. They got their hands dirty and their minds all mixed up real quick seeing what Jesus did, who he hung out with, and what he said. Then with all that mixing up and being puzzled, they engaged in "rabbinic discussion" (asking lots of questions) to figure it out. The rubber hits the road first. That's exciting! That's risky! And then the questions and truths come out and are immediately applicable to the sticky situations (a.k.a. ministry) that they are finding themselves in. It's a wonderful contrast to the Bible studies and church groups I've been in where we get together and talk about things and everyone's heming and hawing about how they really want to put their faith into action. My college pastor made a nifty shift in the church motto not long after starting there. It had been "Knowing. Growing. Going." But so many Christians get stuck in the growing part and never get to going, they never think they're ready. But we are ready folks, and going is so often a key part to growing.
I'm praising God for the way he's grabbed the attention of Joaquin, Angel, and Maria Jose. I'm praying for more. I'm praying that we live our lives in such a way that others might look toward it and see the kingdom of God in a way that helps them see God more truly and for who he is: A God of light in the darkness, of justice where there is none, of unconditional love, of common grace, and a voice of truth amongst lies. I'm praying that as we live, we make disciples by doing life together. Because doing life ought to be living for God's glory, investing in His kingdom, loving others, and showing others all that joy you got.
Strength in Christ ya'll. We love you and are so thankful for your support and prayers and texts and emails and messages always.
-AJ and Alaina
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people." So they left their nets and followed him. - Matthew 4:19-20
p.s. some bonus updates.
1) Jonathon (from the tutoring program) just started coming to tutoring 2 months ago, and this quarter he FLIPPED his grades like a BOSS! Pretty prouda this kid.
2) In Corazón De Amor Health Clinic, they're just finishing a new 3rd floor construction, which is opening up room for doing labs, storage for meds, office space, early stimulation for babies, and a future ultrasound unit! We've also been able to help with buying an autoclave and dental instruments for the clinic, giving people in zone 3 the ability to get tooth extractions, fillings, and cleanings that would otherwise be way out of their reality.
3) That one day when the two ladies from the diabetes class came back, and they had both lost like 30 lbs, are doing exercises, feeling better, had lowered their blood sugars considerably, and are more joyful for it!
4) Last piece of clinic news, we've been blessed by a great doctor, named Ricardo, who's been helping out on Mondays and he's helping out with our effort to do more education with patients who come to the clinic.
5) We love our church. Alaina's been helping with a women's leadership team to help teach and encourage discipleship amongst the women in the church. They did an event a few weeks ago about how to live by the Spirit rather than based on emotions. She's pretty great at making little take-home cards with verses and things.
6) We're about to jump into a series of workshops with in Bethania through a sponsorship organization called Clubhouse including themes like emotions, suffering, abuse and whatnot. These are heavy, but real for these kids. Pray for wise presentation of the material, and healthy connection and honesty with the kids.
7) We come home in 12 weeks. That's not much time. Might we push hard to the end, might God make his will here continue where we're at, even when we leave. And for direction and right priorities in what to do next!
8) In the world of American football, we're keeping the Toros growing with some hangouts we call "Corazon De Un Campeón" (Heart of a Champion), touching some God-centered themes with them. So far the conversations have been really good. Pray for more growth and more disciples!
-AJ and Alaina
thewestys.weebly.com
guatemala.team.org
I sat across from a devastated and troubled Angel, picking at his plate of fried rice with chicken. He'd left his house, hated his mom and was convinced his mom didn't love him. I told him the door was always open if he wanted to come and read the Bible together and dig into that truth more. The door is still open.
I've texted Maria Jose a number of times to invite her and her family to our nearby "missional community" group, to help plug her and her family more into the church outside of the church, but they haven't come once yet.
But Joaquin this week, after a morning workout with the boys from the neighborhood, lit right up when I asked the group about what's worth chasing after in life. "Justice! Peace! Right Living! Love!" He comes faithfully to almost every Toros function and is happy to serve water, retrieve balls, or help out in a drill. He'll show up early to help cook food or load the car for Sigo Vivo. After having been at Sigo Vivo a number of times, he had to go to the "volunteer training" so he'd know what he was getting into. He came back full of life for what they and Pastor Rudy had talked about; how God's great love for us is the only fuel for us to love on the street kids, and that God has the same love for us and for them. Not bad for a 12 year-old.
And this week Angel was at Sigo Vivo, side by side with Cesar (a street kid), starting up a conversation, opening up a relationship. He also recently initiated a conversation with me just to see if I needed help prepping for the Toros' banquet. I listened to him share at a Toros "Heart of a Champion" session about how he felt his strongest passion and gift in life was a new one he'd just found in Sigo Vivo for helping street kids who have nothing.
Maria Jose, well, let me take you back just a little more. A number of months ago she had a huge blood blister on her palm. Come to find out it was because in a meeting with some of the youth from her church, they had told her that if she had enough faith, she could hold a lighter under her palm and not be burned, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Well, it didn't work. That kind of ignorant abuse of doctrine (and bodies) is far too common in churches. That same church later shunned her family from the church after seeing pictures of them on Facebook taking part in an apparent "abomination," dancing (gasp!) at a Quinciñera where there was also alcohol (the nerve!).
So, churchless, just graduated from high school, workless, unsure of going to university or seminary, and a little distraught, I brought Maria Jose to McDonald's (keepin' it real Guatemalan) to meet my friend Taty, who if you recall the story of Sigo Vivo, was also booted from her church, also has a heart to serve (like Maria Jose), and had studied at the local seminary. So it was like a blind date for them. I think that was 6 months ago. Since then, Maria Jose has spent many weekdays walking the streets of Guatemala with the Sigo Vivo Street Team, visiting the "puntos" where the street kids hang out, showing them week in and week out they are loved by God. On Sundays, she goes to Sigo Vivo Street Church with some of her family, and this week even led the service.
Isn't this just so neat? These are people who "don't fit" or didn't feel like they belonged in the mold of church and Bible studies. And now these are disciples; or at least near-disciples. They relate to God differently than the average church-goer. And here they are, not just reading about Jesus or studying God's kingdom, they are living it and being agents of it. Perhaps they aren't the type that find the road by looking at maps. They find the road walking.
Honestly, folks, what's going to teach you more? Spending an hour reading a parable or two and discussing what it means with some other folks, or spending an hour next to someone who doesn't look, act, live, or smell like you and trying to wrestle out what life is about together? I love that these three people are looking at Sigo Vivo, at the Toros football team, and at boys morning workouts and thinking "THAT'S THE KINGDOM OF GOD! I WANT SOME OF THAT!" There is action there, there is love there, there is relationship that blossoms to discipleship there.
There is certainly a place and a necessity for studying the Bible, and for being a part of a church community. I treasure them. But I love that these three are breaking my mold, and it might even be more Biblical. Jesus didn't invite his disciples to come to church with him, he invited them just to come and walk and see what he did, come and see what ministry is like. They got their hands dirty and their minds all mixed up real quick seeing what Jesus did, who he hung out with, and what he said. Then with all that mixing up and being puzzled, they engaged in "rabbinic discussion" (asking lots of questions) to figure it out. The rubber hits the road first. That's exciting! That's risky! And then the questions and truths come out and are immediately applicable to the sticky situations (a.k.a. ministry) that they are finding themselves in. It's a wonderful contrast to the Bible studies and church groups I've been in where we get together and talk about things and everyone's heming and hawing about how they really want to put their faith into action. My college pastor made a nifty shift in the church motto not long after starting there. It had been "Knowing. Growing. Going." But so many Christians get stuck in the growing part and never get to going, they never think they're ready. But we are ready folks, and going is so often a key part to growing.
I'm praising God for the way he's grabbed the attention of Joaquin, Angel, and Maria Jose. I'm praying for more. I'm praying that we live our lives in such a way that others might look toward it and see the kingdom of God in a way that helps them see God more truly and for who he is: A God of light in the darkness, of justice where there is none, of unconditional love, of common grace, and a voice of truth amongst lies. I'm praying that as we live, we make disciples by doing life together. Because doing life ought to be living for God's glory, investing in His kingdom, loving others, and showing others all that joy you got.
Strength in Christ ya'll. We love you and are so thankful for your support and prayers and texts and emails and messages always.
-AJ and Alaina
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people." So they left their nets and followed him. - Matthew 4:19-20
p.s. some bonus updates.
1) Jonathon (from the tutoring program) just started coming to tutoring 2 months ago, and this quarter he FLIPPED his grades like a BOSS! Pretty prouda this kid.
2) In Corazón De Amor Health Clinic, they're just finishing a new 3rd floor construction, which is opening up room for doing labs, storage for meds, office space, early stimulation for babies, and a future ultrasound unit! We've also been able to help with buying an autoclave and dental instruments for the clinic, giving people in zone 3 the ability to get tooth extractions, fillings, and cleanings that would otherwise be way out of their reality.
3) That one day when the two ladies from the diabetes class came back, and they had both lost like 30 lbs, are doing exercises, feeling better, had lowered their blood sugars considerably, and are more joyful for it!
4) Last piece of clinic news, we've been blessed by a great doctor, named Ricardo, who's been helping out on Mondays and he's helping out with our effort to do more education with patients who come to the clinic.
5) We love our church. Alaina's been helping with a women's leadership team to help teach and encourage discipleship amongst the women in the church. They did an event a few weeks ago about how to live by the Spirit rather than based on emotions. She's pretty great at making little take-home cards with verses and things.
6) We're about to jump into a series of workshops with in Bethania through a sponsorship organization called Clubhouse including themes like emotions, suffering, abuse and whatnot. These are heavy, but real for these kids. Pray for wise presentation of the material, and healthy connection and honesty with the kids.
7) We come home in 12 weeks. That's not much time. Might we push hard to the end, might God make his will here continue where we're at, even when we leave. And for direction and right priorities in what to do next!
8) In the world of American football, we're keeping the Toros growing with some hangouts we call "Corazon De Un Campeón" (Heart of a Champion), touching some God-centered themes with them. So far the conversations have been really good. Pray for more growth and more disciples!
-AJ and Alaina
thewestys.weebly.com
guatemala.team.org