Healing and Comfort from the Body of Christ

 The Gospel Coalition - The Gospel In Colombia - Here is a great article about how the gospel is spreading in Colombia.  Clink on the link above (The Gospel Coalition - The Gospel in Colombia) to hear about how Colombian churches are reviving a true evangelical Christian walk in the hearts of their congregations.  This is very true of my church here.  I have met many people here who claim to be Christian, but having lives truly changed by the gospel is still in progress.  This helps to know how to pray for the hearts of the people in this country.

Body of Christ here in Colombia
1. My teacher aide, Erica, was such a blessing from God these past few weeks.  Teaching without a voice is REALLY complicated and stretched my teaching ability and methods.  Learning to communicate without my voice included having the students help say things out loud for me or writing on a mini-white board to explain directions.  This was quite comical to me and my students, to say the least.  What really helped save my voice was a version of co-teaching with my aide, Erica. I re-designed lessons where they were so structured into a powerpoint that I had to point and have her read what was on the board.  We worked really well together and this method helped get us through the day.

Erica also was such a blessing with keeping my classroom running because she has been with me for the past 3 years.  All of the routines and details that no one else would know (or it would take forever to explain to someone else) were kept in place which made the students feel secure coming back into their classroom from Christmas Break.  Having her help made it feel as normal as possible for the kids.   One of the many blessings of the body of Christ here at El Camino!!!

2. Our literacy coach in elementary, Glenda, ended up subbing for me many times these past few weeks.  Her servant heart was a blessing for me who has trouble asking for help at times when I really need it.  She offered to teach lessons for me before I even reached out and asked because she saw that there was need.  My first day back after a few sick days, I still had very little voice.  By the end of the day, I had none.  Feeling overwhelmed at what to do, Glenda came in at that exact time and offered to teach my social studies lesson (which has a LOT of talking and story-telling.)  After teaching for a few days, the school nurse made an appointment for me to go see a doctor.  By the time I got back to my room to start getting sub plans ready, Glenda was already looking at my science and writing lesson so that she could teach for me.  Another blessing from the body of Christ!!!

3. Rosa is our community care person at El Camino.  Her job is to make sure the missionary teachers are comfortable, help them with apartment repairs and other situations, paying bills, and taking us to medical appointments to help us translate and navigate the world of Colombian health care.  What a blessing that she went with me this past Thursday morning to my appointment!  The whole healthcare system is different here and I would have been lost without a guide to help me.  She also helped get me the right medicine so that I can start to feel better.  The doctor diagnosed a sinus infection and laryngitis caused by reflux.  The medicine for the sinus infection is very expensive, but the doctor was able to get some from the lab (probably free samples that drug suppliers give to hospitals) at no cost to me.  What a provision from the LORD that I have the medicine that I need at very little cost.  Another blessing from the body of Christ!!

4. My roommates, Becky and Annie, have been really sweet and offered to cook dinner without requiring me to help at all.  Maybe it was because they didn't want to get sick, but it was really sweet of them to allow me to join them without anything expected back in return. :-0

5. My students have been super sweet, quiet and obedient knowing that I didn't have a voice.  They were incredibly flexible with many changes as we started back at school.  After having been gone for 3 weeks for Christmas Break, their normal teacher and normal routines were not there.  Having me gone for 2 days, then back at school but not being able to teach, many different subs, then me gone for 2 more days was a crazy start.  Erica told me that they really miss their teacher and I can't wait to finally be back with them (100% ready).  I am so proud of how they handled these crazy days and am so blessed by all of my compassionate students.

They sent me this picture while I was sick one day, just to say hello :-)

Learning to discern how to keep serving when I felt this way was a challenge.  Knowing that there are not many substitutes available, I felt like I would be letting the ministry team down if I didn't keep going and come in and work.  God is really teaching me about LETTING THE BODY OF CHRIST HELP YOU and not feeling guilty that you need that help.  There were other teachers also getting sick, and I thought that because I only lost my voice and didn't feel sick being at school that I should just deal with it and try to teach without it.  However, everyday that I continued to go to school was a day that I was not resting my voice.

Psalm 34 - 

Taste and See That the Lord is Good

"I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them."

As I have been recovering at home, I had had more time to spend reading God's Word.  This morning, I came across Psalm 34.  As I came to verse 7, I realized that a friend had sent me this verse earlier this week in an e-mail when I told her I was sick.  God willing, he brought this verse to mind again this morning. As I read through the whole psalm, it brought great encouragement to me.   There is nothing truer this week to me.  I have felt the LORD encamping around me (whether through the body of Christ or time to relax and just get rest), I am so grateful that the LORD hears and cares about each of his beloved children. :-)


Prayers/Praises:
Please pray that I would be fully recovered by this Monday!

Please pray for the marriages of the El Camino families to be lifted up to Jesus, centered on Him, and strengthened by His love.  I often hear of parents fighting or separating, which breaks my heart.  Pray for their children, who endure hearing their parents fight and the emotions that come with them divorcing and separating.

Blessings,
Carrie

Blessings of the Body of Christ

Oh, what a blessing it was to be with the body of Christ at the Orchard Evangelical Free Church while I was home!  To be welcomed back in the life of this church for three weeks was just what I needed.  Even when I had problems with receiving my prescription medications on the last day before I left on the plane, there were so many who prayed and expressed their sincere belief that God would work it all out.  While I did not fly back with the exact prescription I would have liked, God provided a different medication to get me through until June :-)

So, allow me to share 3 opportunities I had while home to experience rejuvenation and refreshment from the body of Christ at my home church in Chicago!  With such encouragement, God has readied me for the next 6 months of ministry here at El Camino.  Bring on the students once more!!

1. Awana Club

What an encouragement for me to have the opportunity to actually visit IN PERSON the Awana Club at my church who supports my ministry in Bogota.  These precious kids were such a blast to hang out with, had LOTS of questions for me, and were so willing to pray for me and my students.  Many of them are my former Sunday School or Awana students, so it warmed my heart to see them again.  During the night, I told them a prayer request I had for one of my students.  They could relate to this student and were so excited to pray for her.  A mom later told me that she had just prayed with his son and put him to bed.  All of a sudden, her son jumped up and exclaimed, "We didn't pray for her!"  Confused, the mom asked who her son was talking about.  He told her, "Miss Bergmann's student!  We forgot to pray for her!!"  Love their excitement and enthusiasm for praying for the gospel to spread in Colombia.

2. Leadership Community - I was able to attend a Leadership Community even at my church while I was home.  Our pastor used John 10 where Jesus talks about the Good Shepherd and shepherding his flock.  We compared this to the qualities that we should have as ministry leaders and the flock that God has given us to shepherd.  The one quality that stuck out to me the most is that a shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him.  The Good Shepherd has ESTABLISHED ROOTS where his sheep are.  In verses 4 and 14, John says that the sheep follow him because they know his voice and because the sheep and shepherd know each other.  This cannot happen if in ministry we are constantly moving around.  How will ever know who we are ministering too if we always move on to something else?

These past three years, I have had a hard time feeling like I have established roots somewhere.  Being caught between 2 worlds (in a good way) has made it difficult to feel like my heart is fully in one place or another.  But, these words from my pastor are words to meditate on and really ponder as I think about continuing in ministry here.  I am grateful that I have had 3 years of establishing roots here in Colombia and we will see, through prayer, if those roots are to go even deeper :-)

Pumpkin Spice Latte and the book of James on my plane ride home for Christmas :-0

3. Women's Retreat - I was able to attend a women's event that focused on the Fruit of the Spirit.  We were given an hour and 1/2 of quiet time to reflect on the fruit in our lives and where their source is truly from.  Time to reflect on which fruit were present in our lives and which were not.

I ended up getting blasted on how much I need to grow, but so grateful that it is Christ in me that is growing me each and every day as I seek his Word.  At first, I was uneasy coming out of my quiet time.  Was it just me that was lacking some fruit in my Christian life?  Then, listening to what the other women were sharing and then talking to a friend the next day at church, my friend said that she got blasted, too.  Praise God for time with these women and for the chance to encourage one another in faith.

Let me end by sharing a song that has been an encouragement to me lately and I hope it is for you, too!

Oceans - by Hillsong

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find you in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

I will call upon your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise my soul will rest in your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and you won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

What stood out to me is the last few lines.  It's a truth that I need to remember over and over - that if we trust God, if we desire to follow him, if we desire to surrender our whole lives to him and follow him deeper than we ever have, then MY FAITH WILL BE MADE STRONGER because MY SAVIOR IS WITH ME!!!  Hearing this song recently just deepened my belief and desire to go out among the water (with crashing waves) where my trust has no boarders or limitations because Jesus is worth going anywhere to follow.

Pics from Christmas and New Years with my family :-0

Prayer/Praises:
I have been sick with a really bad cough and head cold, which caused me to miss 2 days of school this week.  Most of you who know me know that I NEVER take a day off of work.  Please pray for healing soon, as I am still battling the last of a nasty cough and would love to be able to teach my class on Monday.  SO thankful for all of the El Camino teachers who stepped in to teach for me while I was gone.  Also, my students were very sweet the one day I was able to teach them because they knew I was not feeling well.

I will be leading a bible study on the book of 1 John with some of the teachers from El Camino this semester.  Using Kay Arthur's method of inductive bible study, I am truly over-joyed to share with my friends here in Colombia a bible study technique that was taught to me and really helped me grow closer to the Lord.  Pray for our group that will be meeting on Thursdays.

Please continue to pray for my decision for next school year.

Blessings,
Carrie