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| Beautiful day in Sopo with my friend Mayra and her family :-) |
"Going back for year 2 - Why do I feel so connected to home still? My heart is still at the Orchard and their ministries wishing I could be apart of them. Sorrow fills my heart that I am not able to be a part of fellowship in the same way that I used to be. Fear grips me that they will no longer be my Christian family, as we would encourage and love one another. Hearing about all of the gospel being spread, especially through Women's Ministry and Children's Ministry, makes me long to still be a part of it all.
Dear
Lord, I fear my attachment to home is very strong - almost as if my
love for certain people is so strong that I love them more than Colombia
or more than obeying you. I'm excited to serve you here at El Camino,
but its like Satan is tempting me with everything I am giving up by
going to serve you another year. Should I have expected something
different? I knew following you is not easy and that there would be
sacrifices and suffering along the way. Giving up time with my family,
close friends, and loved ones. Teach me. Lord, through this. I know
you understand what it means to feel alone and to make sacrifices.Please help my heart to be in the right place. Help me to love you above all else. My fear is that my attachment to home is sinful in that is it a distraction/hindrance to your ministry at El Camino. Jesus, I know you are trustworthy in everything. So, I give to you my relationships back home. I confess my jealousy of how much they get to be in community with one another. Please remind me how much they care when I doubt our relationships. Also, please help me not to idolize them to a place where only you should be in my heart.
Jesus, I long for heaven, for your promise of no more broken relationships, where sin and sorrow are no more, and we all will be glorifying you for all eternity."
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| Fun in the High School Science Lab! |
1. Jesus commands us to "take up our cross and follow him." If you're going to follow Jesus, don't expect a comfortable life. Expect to suffer. Expect that there will be times when other disciples let you down, and disappoint you terribly, like they did to Jesus, and God will call you to love them still as Christ did.
Expect that God will lead you into painful experiences, in which you may feel like crying our, "My God, why?" as Jesus did. And you will not be able to figure out the answer. Know that God will call you to trust in the darkness even when you cannot feel his presence, as Jesus did.
In my Christian life, I have never really had to give up much in order to follow Jesus. And not to say that I have given up or suffered this year in worse ways than any brother or sister has, I LOVE it here in Colombia, don't get me wrong. But, this year has really challenged me with asking questions, "Is God enough?"
2. There were times where I was faced with my fear about my connections to family and friends back home. Times when I thought I was missing out on so much. Times where I doubted friendships would last. Times where I was faced with asking myself, "Would I follow Jesus if I was asked to give that up?" While there were lonely times where I didn't think I could take any more relationship sacrifice with people back home, God always remained faithful and showed that I can survive these times with Him by my side. With God, I was faced with my fear and realized that He was bigger than all of it. Again, I was brought back to these verses in 2 Corinthains 12:9 that says...
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
I am so thankful for these lessons, no matter how hard they were to go through. Who knows, these temptations and lesson may pop back up again, but they are always meant to bring me back into the loving arms of my faithful Savior :-)
Trip to Villa de Leyva - My roommates and I, along with another missionary family from ECA spent a few days in a small town outside of Bogota. It was so nice to relax, enjoy God's creation together, and to be refreshed by extra time in His Word. It was here that I re-read my journal entry and spent time reflecting on the lessons God is so graciously teaching me this year.
Prayers/Praises:
A team from ECA just spent a week in the Amazon, ministering to the medical needs and spiritual needs of the Tikuna tribe. Please pray for the seeds that were planted as they shared the gospel through VBS and caring/healing medical outreach. Hopefully we can have an update on my blog from my friend Mindy who went as nurse on the medical team!!
Refreshment for teachers and students over spring break - so that we are ready to finish out the school year strong!
For the hearts of my students to be open to receiving the gospel message even deeper than they have before - that they would experience Jesus in a new and fresh way this Easter.
Construction on the 3rd floor of El Camino is still in progress - pray for all who are involved in the decision process and that God's will would be done for giving our students a safe and secure place to learn :-)
Blessings and Hugs to you all,
Carrie
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