Thanksgiving Vigilia

Last night was a thanksgiving vigilia. Once a month on a Friday night the church meets together for a time of prayer and worship from 8pm to 1 or 2am. Last night was our last for 2010 so we had a time of giving thanks to God for all he had done this year in our lives, everyone gave a short testimony of what God had been doing in their lives.

The testimonies included stories of marriages that had been ripped apart for various reasons, couples who had decided to split up, and the work God had done in this last year to renew those marriages and give each spounce a desire to work it out. Many marriages in our church have been under attack but God has been doing a huge work of restoring those broken relationships. But there is still a lot of work to be done. So lets keep praying!

Others told of how God had provided for them through this last difficult year, jobs were lots, companies gone bank rupt, families died, best friends and boy friends murdered, yet though it has not been an easy year God has been with them through it all.
Other still going through trials thanked God for the fact that He is teaching them and transforming them, even though they dont really know what He is doing right now.
And one lady gave thanks for her life she has had a brain tumor for 5 years and had lost some of her sight but gives thanks everyday for the life she has and the gift of each day.

It was such a great time of sharing and giving thanks and prayer. We are praying for a ministry we have in a park near the church with high school students that God would do a work in the hearts of those students and bring them to himself.
For a new location for our church, we need more space and it would be great if it was ours, and we did not have to set up and tear everything down every sunday morning.
For the marriages and the future marriages in the church that God would protect them and that He would be the center of each relationship.

I could have gone to the beach over thanksgiving weekend, but I did not want to miss out on the blesssing of being together with my church at the vigilia.

thankful heart is a happy heart

Yesterday Diego asked me if I was happy in Venezuela. It got me thinking of the things I am thankful for. The answer to his question was yes I am happy in Venezuela. I know it is where God has called me so I choose to be happy. Sure there are days I get frustrated with the traffic and how long it takes to get "simple" things done like depositing a check at the bank. Sure my life would be really different if I were to live somewhere else. I might have more freedom and more earthly possessions and a better paying job but when I think about what Gods purpose for me in life is those things don't matter.
I am happy because I know God is really changing me and growing me in different ways. He is revealing a lot areas that I have believed lies about Him, like the idea that I need to earn His love. I do things out of obligation and not love, and then I grow distant at times because I am afraid He does not love me because I am not doing enough. The thing He is reteaching me is you can not earn His love, its free there is nothing you can do to make him love you more or less for that matter. Easy to say but sometimes hard to get that from my head to my heart.

He also taught me to be ok with the church I was going to say love, but I have to be honest if I really really loved the church the way God does then I think my actions would be different. Sure I am part of two ministries and I go to a Bible study and the woman's meetings and the nights of prayer(sometimes). But do I call people up during the week to ask how they are doing? Do I pray for the members of the church, or even ask them what there prayer requests are? Do I worry about them and think about them often. Not really. Sure I have a few close friends that I call and talk to and pray for. But there is still something missing. I don't miss my body parts, we are body I should feel way out of touch and out of place not being more connected but I don't. During the week I am worried about work, my kids, my coworkers, (who also part of God's body) but I am not investing much time in them either. I want to be totally independent and not need anyone but that is not God's plan for us. He made us to need one another. So maybe lack of growth in some areas is because of lack on connection with the body of Christ.
All this to say I am so thankful for the global church and I am still learning to love the local church. But I am grateful for lessons being learned. And I am happy.

my purpose in life

I went to a singles retreat two weekends ago and at the retreat they said before you can find a spouse you have to know what God's purpose is for your life. At first I thought oh my goodness the purpose of my life well its really open I mean I don't know any details. I have no idea how long he will have me stay in Venezuela,I don't know how long I will teach preschool for, sometimes I feel like I don't know anything. After talking to my pastor and his wife they reassured me that I did know God's purpose for my life to Know Him and Make Him Known. I know its the motto from my university but that is the purpose of my life. The details of when where and how will all fall into place as I follow God. For now I know that God has called me to Venezuela to get to know Him better through many different circumstances and taking off cultural glasses or maybe trying on some new ones. And to make Him known by teaching His word to students at the school, talking to taxi drivers, talking to people at the gym and in the bus and in the hair salon, working together with believers in a local church to reach the community.

Sometimes I struggle because I don't feel like a missionary. I guess because I am teacher and not a church planter I some how feel what I do is much less significant than what others do and so I am not really a missionary. But what is it that missionaries do? Go and preach the good news that is what I do everyday. I get to spend 7 hours a day with my flock and then go out and try and reach other lost sheep. Now I have to admit I am still working on listening to God guiding and sharing with more people. I don't take advantage of every situation to make Him known like a I should, but I am asking God to help me be bolder but also to give me more opportunities.

So what am I doing in Venezuela. Getting to know God better and trying to introduce Him to others so they might come to know him and keep getting to know Him more and more each day.

Update on life here:
Three more weeks until Christmas break.
One more week of VBS after school, we ran a club for 6 weeks for Elementary school kids to search for truth on a truth trek. It has been really good, pray that the truths the kids have learned would not stay in their head but would settle down deep in their hearts and transform their lives.
December 2nd is the Christmas concert at school, the gospel is clearly presented through the songs during the concert pray for all the non believing families in the school that they might come and hear and understand God's great news.
December 4th is the Christmas party at church it is a great opportunity for people to bring friends and family and introduce them to the Lord, we eat and dance and have a great time together as a family and the pastor always gives a word. So pray for all the details of that.
Our church is praying for a bigger location we rent on Sunday mornings a little house pray for a more permanent and larger location.
I travel to PA on December 19th pray for safe travels. My parents are coming back down with me to visit on December 31st. Pray for safety I have been told we arrive at a really dangerous time, pray for God's hand of protection over all of us.
Thanks for all your prayers and support. I am really in need of money. I have only raised $500 this year and I really need to raise $500 a month to help cover my expenses. So if God puts it on your heart to give I will be very grateful. I hate money I wish it did not exist it complicates life. But well we have it and I have to be honest I am great need. So please pray about supporting me. I know God has called me here and I know He will provide. Click on the link on the right side bar to give financial donation.