Yucatan 4

Yucatan 4

How do you translate the Yucatan back to everyday life??

Driving miles and miles...

Limited water...

Limited bathroom facilities....

Dirt and grime...

Rain, rain and more rain...

Blistering Sun, sun and more sun....

Free roaming dogs, chickens, turkeys....

Houses made of bricks, sticks and palm fronds...

Rocky, productive soil....

People, curious, waiting .....

Soccer balls...

Language barriers...

Smiles, tears...joy...prayer requests...

Surrender....to the King of Kings....

" What good thing do I expect God to do?" I have no idea .....what His plans are....He is sovereign over all....but I know that He desires that none of this is wasted...He desires that all come  to Him breaking down barriers of seeming wealth or poverty....coming to Him humbly, seeking His kingdom, His forgiveness, His salvation...He is no respecter of wealth or not, nor position or not, tatters or not, grime or not, great houses or concrete 12x12 or mud huts,

He wants our hearts no matter from where we come .....Thank YOU, Jesus....that you have drawn these Mayan people ...and people from all over the globe....that You continue to draw ....that You draw me, ever so sweetly, gently...opening all of our eyes to Your glory day by day...

James 2:1-9 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 

Yucatan 2....

Yucatan 2.....what price a salvation?

We had the privilege of attending a local church for their services on Sunday  morning in a "local" town...I say local, everything is at least an hour and a half away from our Eco motel.

But, today the sun is shining, no rain in the forecast...different tests today...

Beautiful music in Spanish, Mayan, English...the Word spoken in Spanish, translated into English. Praise comes in all languages...just as the Word....

After the service, We are divided into groups, each assigned a translator, given paint, and yard equipment as well as a destination to a local widow's home.  There, we are to paint the front of the house or an interior wall, clean up the yard...my team painted the front of the house a bright blue, pulled weeds, racked gravel...in the intense 12-2 heat of the day...I loved doing this, but really struggled with the heat for the next few hours...trying to cool down...

But, the price was small as the local pastor was able to lead the widow to the Lord as we worked.as her family listened nearby..so for the price of some paint and some cleaning, one soul was entered the kingdom...

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

We later drove to a small village where most of the people turned out in the square for a beautiful, night of games, plays and the film...many showed their hands in acceptance of the Gospel of Christ...

" What good thing do I expect God to do?" 

His Word is strong...reaching to the lost in all nations, from the mud huts to the glass skyscrapers of the cities...nothing can thwart Him...He reached this widow in her cement block house with a can of paint and a yard rake....He loves....

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 

Thank YOU .....

Yucatan 1

Yucatan 1....What good thing?

 One of the first devotionals we had we we started this short stint into this path in the Yucatan peninsula was from the following scripture....

Jeremiah 3:40-41

 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. 

 

Each day was started with a devotional and breakfast with a briefing of the day ahead, then a long bus ride to a designated little town or village to  set up equipment, pray, walk around with invitations inviting the Local residents to activities in the town "square". The activities included games for the children, Bible stories, handing out of toothpaste, tooth brushes, coloring books, a showing of the Jesus Film in their language, an invitation to accept Christ, and  a dvd of the Jesus film.   Sounds pretty simple .....but the planning for each event is immense...I was there just for the event itself and not the planning, nor the logistics, nor the follow up, nor the prayer that has gone Into this. Small part of God's kingdom ....

The first night, we arrived in a small town with a population of about 500. The rain was coming down In torrents, not part of the "plan"... The town "square" was a huge pad of concrete, where locals were playing  basketball.  A small building was offered for the movie showing. So the equipment was almost unloaded , but the man in charge of school building arrived with permission to use a room about 20 x 40, with some chairs. About 200 

 came to presentation , 75  raised their hands to accept Him...in a totally changed venue..pouring rain, crowded into a school building.

So my question to myself was, " What good thing do I expect God to do?"

It reminded me of the crowded home that Jesus visited...people packed into every corner..as well as waiting on the outside listening intently to the words spoken by Jesus ... Not wanting the miss A word  or even a touch....and. Along came some men whose faith wanted to help their friend...they torn the roof apart so that they could lower their sick friend down into the midst of the crowd to be healed, to get their friend to Jesus ...Jesus touched their lives in a miraculous way...and the man walked away a changed man, not only walking, but saved...

Just like these men, the obstacles didn't stop them...for the team, the rain didn't stop them, God opened doors to call the villagers to a vacant building  to hear His Word spoken to them in their Mayan, native language...healing their souls, changing hearts, planting seeds....

That was one good thing.....for me...each team member from the youngest 8 year boy who is giving out soccer balls to we older ones and all in between have their "good thing"....to remember, to think on...

Thank YOU....

Building houses...

Building homes....

My husband and I started building a new home from scratch 30 years ago this year...we had searched far and wide for a piece of ground, purchased it, hired a contractor, developed and drew our own plans....it was definitely a family affair....from the two year old pounding nails to the high schooler designing and building his own cabinets, the girls in-between selecting their own wall coverings and colors, dipping boards in a preservative solution, sliding rough cut boards through a lathe to create the size and shape we wanted....

We were blessed and were able to build two new homes, remodel one and just paint the others...each having their wonderful separate memories both good and bad...

Now, I look at my adult children. Each has either remodeled or built homes of their own,,,with similar challenges both good and bad...from no show workers.., to delayed deadlines, to wrong paint or carpeting, broken pieces, flooded floors.....you name it....

I have built a home on my own since my husband passed away as well...same challenges, but this time, I had  to meet them without his help...I was so glad I had had the previous experience. It made me stronger, less apprehensive, more understanding and less dramatic ...."this too will pass" and "in six months this will be done and forgotten"....even when the deadlines loomed closer and closer..

I am glad God is building my next home...His schedule is just right, no broken pieces, not flooded floors, no crying babies, no extra contractors....only eternal pieces, the right plans, beauty unlimited, promises kept...

Thank YOU

Psalm 127:1a Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.....

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 

You know the way to the place where I am going.” 

They story....

The story....

In the 1990's my husband,  a group of teen boys and  couple of other adults went to Mongolia to show the Jesus Film to various outlying nomadic encampments. They were the finishing up showing the film in that country...

They drove old Russian Jeeps,  lived in tents, generally roughed it. The film was a reel to reel type using a big projector and a generator to run it...

Their returning pictures show big grassy valleys, high rugged mountains, rutted roads, nomadic camps, with sheep, goats, small Mongolian horses, camels, and smiling, welcoming Mongolian people...

They showed the film in Mongolian and Kazack...with the only common word being "oh"....they showed it in town walls, tent walls, gerr walls...wherever they could...it made a lasting impression on hundreds and maybe thousands of lives...the government showed it on television over and over agin...ministries were started as people wanted more and more of Jesus...

When I think of the cumbersome projector compared to the projection we have 20 years later, it it amazing..now we can watch any Jesus film in any of the 1300+ languages on our watch or phone or Computer, using solar power...

Groups like my husband's have traversed the globe, but there are still more people who have not seen the life of Christ on film...groups are continuing  to be sent out to show the film in communities around the world...reaching remote villages in the mountains, deserts, forests and plains of the world...it not only touches remote lives but the lives of the people who take it...each more tender to God's working and word in their lives...

Our favorite picture from that trip was a group of people holding the Mongolia book of Luke, and the book is shining..literally shining...like a star...and people are smiling..with their homes, mountains in the background...the grassy plains stretching as far as the eye can see...waiting for the Word to go forth into all the world...

Thank YOU...for touching lives, our lives, my husband's life, with Your vision of sending forth Your Word in this small trip amongst thousands...

Isaiah 55:8-13 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. 

As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.

 As the rain and the snowcome down from heaven,and do not return to itwithout watering the earthand making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

You will go out in joyand be led forth in peace;the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,for an everlasting sign,that will endure forever.” 

Wander....

Wandering....

1.

to ramble without a definite purpose orobjective; roam, rove, or stray:

to wander over the earth.

2.

to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually;meander:

The river wanders among the rocks.

3.

to extend in an irregular course or direction:

Foothills wandered off to the south.

4.

to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.

5.

(of the mind, thoughts, desires, etc.) to takeone direction or another without conscious intent or control:

His attention wandered as the speaker droned on.

6.

to stray from a path, place, companions,etc.:

During the storm the ship wandered from its course.

7.

to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray:

Let me not wander from ThyCommandments.

Our Bible study is just starting a study of Hosea, by Jennifer Rothschild...

I have to admit that each time I read it, I am brought to tears, like reading Jeremiah or Lamentations.  They have always struck me the same way...and this year of elections, even more so...

Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to our own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all. 

I am Gomer, I am Israel...prone to wander...but God has bought me with His unfailing love, His Son  paid the price..God paid the bride price...

Hosea 2:19-20 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness,and you will acknowledge the Lord. 

Not only me...but our nation. We have broken His commandments like Israel...we were supposed to be founded on God's word...

Hosea 4:1-2 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,

because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land:“There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. 

Right down the line, the Ten Commandments and the new Commandment that Jesus gave us...

-no faithfulness 

-no love

-little acknowledgment that God is in the land

-cursing 

-lying

-murder

-stealing

-adultery

So back to wandering....Lord help me, us to find the right path...not to wander ....not to deviate, not to go astray...but help me to follow You..to follow Your Word, to listen to Your voice calling me, to be humble before you that you would heal my heart, heal our land...

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? Let them realize these things.Who is discerning? Let them understand.

The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them. 

Lavish....

Lavished....

Lavish...it just sounds extravagant, luxurious, generous...

I have a huge bathtub that I rarely use..I feel like it is too good to use...it takes almost a whole tank of hot water to fill...and I can totally immerse myself in it..and it feels sooo good when I do...totally warm, refreshing, comforting ...and there it sits, ready to enfold, delight me with its comfort...

Do I do that with the love, the gifts that God bestows so lavishly???

In the NIV translation, "lavish" is  only found a few times...these three having to do with God's great giving of His love...He gave/gives it lavishly...even when we may not deserve it...Grace...

God is the provider...lavishing his love, his forgiveness, his redemption...that we should be called His children...what a lavish gift...costly, generous, extravagant love...

thank YOU...

Yahoo, Oxford dictionary...

lav·ish

/ˈlaviSH/

verb

• 1.bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities upon: "the media couldn't lavish enough praise on the film"synonyms:give freely to, spend generously on, bestow on, heap on, shower with

adjective

• 1.sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious:"a lavish banquet"synonyms:sumptuous, luxurious, costly, expensive, opulent, ... more

Hosea 2:8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold—which they used for Baal. 

Ephesians 1:7-9 In him we have redemption through his blood, 

the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. 

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.