Dwelling...lessons learned from the field...

Lessons learned from the field....
It seems as though the months passed in the blinking of an eye and yet as a family and personally we've learned so much in this season. We continually are amazed by God's immense grace and His limitless love!

One of my favorite books in college was A Chance to Die by Elizabeth Elliot. The book recounts the story of Amy Charmichael, a missionary to India who fearlessly served their children for 53 years. God had done some specific work in my soul before stumbling onto this book but as I turned the pages God confirmed time and time again His call on my life.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; withut him nothng was made that has been made. In HIM was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:1-5 & 14

As I sit in my sister's living room, glad to be among family I find myself lost in thought. Pondering words like restoration, redemption, forgiveness....And as I think about this season I can't help but find peace in John 1:14....He, JESUS, became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Among our hurts, our brokeness, our filth, our hopelessness He both dwelt and brought the promise of future grace. And as such we each have a chance to die, a chance to let go of what this crazy world has to offer and to hold on tight to JESUS!

Last week we received a new little one in our family. He was an unexpected gift and brought with him unexpected challenges. God has used this little one in my life personally in ways that surpass what I could pen here. Enrique is six. As we walked into his room to meet him for the first time it was clear that he was not adjusting well. At that moment I didn't have a word to describe was my eyes were seeing but later upon praying intensely I believe that the Lord revealed the the word fear. As we talked with Enrique he spit on us, attempted to bite us and growled. I had never, never experienced anything of the sort. The next day during worship our team played a song and as they played I watched this little one be radically transformed. He came running over to me and said..."Hey, this is my song...this is my song....that guy up there is singing my song." Fear left and peace flowed freely as the band sang. I asked Enrique at that point, "how do you know this song?" to which he replied, "I was watching t.v. one night and heard this song on the God channel and I knew that it was just for me."

I am continually amazed at the God we serve. He knew that little Enrique was going to join our family if only for a time and he prepared a special gift to help him to be at peace through that song. Gifts that only our loving Father could give...so many things that God has taught me through Enrique this week.....

I am so grateful that Jesus came and dwelt among us....so grateful for the promise that a day is coming where injustice will cease, mourning will turn to perfect JOY and suffering will end. I am grateful for the beautiful ways that God weaves our lives together as a community of faith and for the honor of standing in HOPE with the children of Casa Bernabe.

The longer we serve the more I feel the Lord impress on my heart that this is a long term commitment to raise the next generation of God-fearing, passionate young men and women in Guatemala. Amy Charmichael served fearlessly and passionately for 53 years in India. She was confident of the call on her life and passionate about glorifying God in and through it.

Please pray with us as we evaluate the last six months and look forward to 2010.