Let Jesus Do The Work!

Those who know me well know that I am not very good at journaling. When I do journal, it usually lasts a few days before my commitment wanes.  Well, on this mission trip, one of the minor miracles is that I managed to keep up my journal entries from beginning to end.  OK, so I did not exactly write an entry each day, but four entries in eight days is kind of a minor victory.    

In this final update, I would like to share one of my journal entries.  It was written on the third day of ministry with Iglesia Nueva Jerusalen. Unlike my previous two updates, this one will have few photos and more text. It is a very personal entry written at a moment when I was feeling quite vulnerable - a perfect time for God to do His work on me.  So, I hope you do not mind having a read...
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Tuesday, July 30 (Day 3 during Siesta)

"Let Jesus do the work!"

Sobering words uttered by my translator, David, last night as an entire family walked into the church at (what we thought) was the end of the evening meeting.

Just moments ago, I had been sulking at the fact that, due to some possible miscommunication, most of the adults of the church had left right before we were getting ready to start "I am Second" groups. Besides the fact that I continue to doubt the effectiveness of the "I am Second" groups that I was leading, I also began doubting the work we were doing and why God had brought me here. Spiritual warfare, no doubt, and one of my recurring sins: self-pity.

Then, with Claudio's car engine with humming in the background, ready to take us home, in walks the family who had accepted Christ earlier in the day at their home. They brought two more family members, eager for them to hear the Gospel they had just heard during the day. As they walked in, the few church members scrambled to pull up enough chairs. Everyone greeted them as they settled in.

Three Cruz family members had accepted Christ earlier that day

David and I looked at each other, and immediately, David spoke to Martin and his daugther, Alvira. Both of them had just been trained on "I am Second". David asked them if they would be comfortable leading a new family through an "I am Second" study. Alvira agreed without hesitation.

As David walked by me to get some materials for the group, I frantically said to him, "We can't do 'I am Second' groups!  Some of them have not even heard the Gospel yet.  Let's get the Cube and have them share the Gospel first.  Maybe we should... (blah, blah)"

David stops me and said, "Don't worry!  Just let Jesus do the work!"

Yep, God uses this "loco" Sucrean (according to Enzo) with dreadlocks and chains, plus an awesome-looking cross tatoo to tell me: Dude, chill out.  I know what I am doing here!

There is no doubt God's main lesson for me so far on this trip is to teach me to trust Him and wait on Him. PATIENCE - that was a recurring message He impressed upon me prior to the trip. And here, in the outskirts of Tarija, in a sandy plain at the foot of the Andes mountains, with a landscape that mirrors Tatooine, His lesson is unfolding.

Snapshots of the area where we worked in Tarija

You have your way of doing things and expectations of how the trip should go, but my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Just "sit back, relax and see me work."  Something I had been exhorting my team and myself was being served right back in my face.

After hanging around for a few minutes to make sure the "I am Second" group was well on its way, I reluctantly got in Claudio's car to head back to the hotel. As I sat in the backseat, I wondered how things were going back at the church. Would the new family feel welcomed?  Did they feel intimidated by studying God's Word with other Christians right away? Would the non-believing family members wonder what was going on? Oh, I wish, the church leaders (specifically, Jhonny, who had led the three family members to Christ) were there to oversee everything. Well, at that point, all I could do was pray and say, "Jesus, I will let you do the work."

This morning, as we headed back to the church, I noticed that the driver was one of the few brothers who was at the church last night. I asked David to ask him, "How did it go last night?"  

The driver gave his reply, and David, with an excited grin on his face (well, as excited as David gets) translated it saying, "It went very well. The other two family members also accepted Christ."

Jesus said that when He is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself (John 12:32). God is faithful to His promises and He answers prayers.  He just does not do it on our agenda or timeline, but His.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you love every person and do not want any person to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Do your work in the church at Nueva Jerusalen as you are at every site in Tarija and all around the world.
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One struggle that many of us who go on a missions trip deal with afterwards is whether the church will continue the good work that was started after we leave.  God reminded me through this experience that He was in Tarija before we arrived, and He will continue to be there after we depart.  We just had the privilege - and it truly is a privilege, not a burden nor a sacrifice - to be in the city for a week, to witness what He is doing there and to partake in His amazing work in one of the areas.

Yes, the numbers from this trip are astounding (Praise God!)  And as a "numbers person", you may think I would want to dwell on those more.  However, the most precious rewards are the nuggets of wisdom that God dispenses, after breaking me from my wretched habit of self-reliance and over-planning, that allow Him to do His work on me and grow my faith in Him.

Prayer Request

I started my support letter for this trip describing how Bolivia is like my Narnia. I would like to close my updates with a quote from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In this final scene, Aslan informs Lucy and Edmund that they would no longer be returning to Narnia. Lucy and Edmund are sadden by this news and the prospect of having to perpetually live and survive in their "real world", England:

“It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” 

My final prayer request for this trip is that I would learn to know God by His name in my "real world", Austin, Texas.  That by knowing Him for a little in Bolivia, I may know Him better here. Please pray for me and hold me accountable to this.

Thank you for partnering with me in this amazing experience and indulging in my banter. I hope this has been as much of a blessing to you as your prayers have been to me. May God bless you and your loved one!

Hermanos y Hermanas en Cristo

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" (Psalm 133:1)

There is no better way to see this verse in action than in the mission field. God put a team of 50 North Americans and 50 Bolivian ministry partners together to serve 19 churches and areas in Tarija. In this second update, I provide photos and blurbs of the many wonderful "hermanos y hermanas en Cristo" (brothers and sisters in Christ) with whom I was blessed to serve. 

Team Tarija

Our team of 100 campaigners included 50 North Americans from Alabama and Texas, along with 50 Bolivian ministry partners from Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Sucre, La Paz and Tarija.

Team "Texas"

Thirteen of the brothers and sisters were from Texas.  We traveled together, served together... 

...and had fun together, too. 

Team Nueva Jerusalem (aka "Team Awwwwesome")

Before the trip, God repeatedly impressed three words on me: LOVE, PRAY and WAIT. Those were three key lessons that He wanted me to learn about during this trip and they were embodied in the three team members that I had the privilege to serve with at Iglesia Nueva Jerusalem in Tarija.  

Meet Courtney.  Officially, she was one of our "Bolivian" ministry partners.  In actuality, she is from Virginia, USA.  She came to Bolivia because of her passion for the Latin American culture. I learned from her how to wholeheartedly LOVE on the beautiful people of Bolivia.  

Say Hello to Lacey.  She is from Alabama and, from the moment you meet her, you cannot help but be impressed by her infectious enthusiasm and indomitable spirit.  "This is awwwwesome!" was one of her catch phrases (and the inspiration for our team name) and aptly describes her attitude about everything our team encountered.  This young lady is also a person of PRAYER.  Every morning, she spends quality time with the Father and it is quite clear that she is in close fellowship with the Spirit as she serves, ministers, and shares the love of Christ with every person around her.

The dude on the right is David. He is from Sucre, Bolivia. Don't let those cool dreadlocks and his boyish charm throw you off, this young man loves God and has a passion to see Christ preached everywhere in his beloved homeland. While he has a very laid-back demeanor, he always answers the call when needed. Through him, I learned what it means to WAIT on God and trust in His purpose and timing.  Don't worry! Just enjoy who God is and His blessings because He is in control.  

Our team embraced every opportunity to serve and we became like a well-oiled machine as we served more and more together. Here, you see David and Courtney leading worship at one of the evening services. They did this "on-demand" - with no advanced notice and little time from preparation.  And they did an awesome job!  We also did "on-demand" children's program, discipleship lessons, counselling and preaching.  Praise God for my teammates' flexibility and heart of service. 

Of course, our team also had a lot of fun!

And we did not take ourselves too seriously...

We forged strong bonds and everlasting friendships with one another.

God is amazing! He put together four people who are as different as four people can be in terms of background, temperament and personality. Yet, we were united in Christ and functioned as one effective team on mission for Him. There was never a word of complaint nor any hint of conflict during our five days of ministry.

Truly, how good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) dwell in unity!

Prayer Requests

• Spiritual Protection - We experienced spiritual warfare during the entire trip. THANK YOU for interceding on our behalf; it was definitely felt. The spiritual battles, however, did not end after we left Bolivia.  It continues and will likely even intensify once we get home. So please pray for each of the 100 campaigners. Pray that the Spirit will cast out any doubts and skepticism in us and affirm what He did in Bolivia will continue to grow and bear fruit in the days, months and years ahead. Pray also that team members will overcome any letdowns after this "mountain-top" experience (literally and spiritually).
• Physical Healing - Praise God that only a few team members got physically ill during the trip and were feeling a lot a better by the end of the campaign. With a team this large, this was truly a blessing. Thanks for your prayers! It is not uncommon for campaigners to get sick after the trip once we've settled back into our daily routines and relax our bodies. So please pray for everyone's physical health in the days and weeks to come.
• Living out the Gospel - Please pray that this lifestyle of relying on God at every moment, sharing His love and Good News, and making new disciples does not end with the conclusion of the mission trip. Please pray that each team members will continue to live this out every day and be intentional about building relationships with those in their circles of influence.  

Serving the Bolivians

They say that "pictures say a thousand words."  So instead of writing a long account of what God allowed me to witness and experience during my mission trip to Tarija, Bolivia this year.  I thought I'd share photos of the wonderful people I met, places I visited and activities in which I participated.

In this first update, let me share about the local church we had the privilege of serving in Tarija. 

The local church was named "Iglesia Nueva Jerusalen" (Church of New Jerusalem).

The church was located in Barrio Nueva Jerusalen, a relatively new neighborhood on the outskirts of Tarija with a landscape resembling that of Tatooine.

My team and I had a chance to meet a lot of friendly, hospitable and amazing people from the church.

Rosio was one of many adorable neighborhood kids that came to see us almost every day at the church.  She brought her puppy, Escot.  Rosio and Escot even went door-to-door with us on two of the mornings (Rosio had to go to school in the afternoon.)

The local church members were so ready to share the Gospel with their neighbors.  Once we trained them on the Evangecube, they were off and running, going door-to-door each day.

God allowed us to witness several professions of faith, like the Cruz family. Victorino, Fabiola, and Lordes heard the Gospel and accepted Christ on Monday afternoon.  They then brought two more family members to the evening meeting and they made professions of faith as well.  The entire family continued to come for discipleship on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  

Gina accepted Christ, too, after my teammate Lacey shared the Gospel with her on Monday morning. Lacey and the team followed up with Gina and her sister, Myra, at their home on Wednesday and Thursday.

We also witness professions of faith from a local policewoman, Daisy (upper left), several young boys working at a construction site (bottom two), and had the opportunity to bless a young 9-year-old girl, Jobana, and her entire family (upper right).  Jobana was on bed-rest because of a disability in her legs.

We were fed very well by the loving church members.

One of the church members, Santiago, was a tailor, and he made new clothes for each of us!

We felt so blessed to serve and have fun with the local church members.

Even though we had to say goodbye for now, we know that we will see our dear brothers and sisters someday again.

Prayer Requests

• New Believers - Please pray for the growth of the new believers, such as the Cruz family, Gina, Daisy and the young boys. Please pray that they will continue to be discipled by the local church and feel welcomed into the body of believers.
• Continued Ministry - Please pray that the local believers will continue the work of sharing the Good News and discipling new believers. Please pray that they will be salt and light to their community.  Please also pray for the precious children, like Rosio, in the church and community.  Pray that they will catch the vision of sharing God's Word and making disciples from their parents and leaders of the church.
• Church Site - The church building is less than a year old and they have had to halt construction for now because of lack of funds.  According to the pastor, most church members are living paycheck-to-paycheck so are not able to contribute much to the building fund.  The church is praying and hopeful that God will provide the funds in His timing. Please pray that God will honor the church members' faithfulness.  

To finish this entry, here is a photo of Escot with the EvangeBall.  Thank you for praying for the Bolivians!