From Fear to Faith

As soon as I got back to Lima at the end of August, I joined a spinning class that is offered at a park near my apartment.  I've never been to a spinning class in the States, so I'm not sure how this one compares, but as I'm cycling, I frequently think about how the class relates to the Christian life.

As we listen to various renditions of rock music from the 80's and 90's, our instructor shouts instructions and encouragement.  There are three positions that we rotate between - "siéntate" (sitting), "segunda" (standing), and "tercera" (standing and leaning forward).  She lets us know when to change position, when to speed up ("escápate"- escape), and when we should "aumentar la resistencia" (add resistance).

During the times when we're supposed to be cycling at high speeds or with the highest resistance, doubting and frustrated thoughts creep in as I struggle to do what I'm told.  I don't trust that the instructor knows what's best.  I don't trust that when she says, "ocho más" (eight more), she's actually counting and will let us quit after eight more.  I think about ways that I can keep my resistance low and make it look like I'm working harder than I am.  I wonder what the others around me are doing.  Are they "cheating" or are they working hard?  I think to myself that I would work hard and give 100% if I knew what was coming next.  I want to know that if I give 100%, I'll still have some left for the rest of class.

And isn't that exactly how we treat God sometimes?  He is our instructor; our perfect instructor.  He knows without a doubt what's best for us.  He knows what trials we must go through in order to be more like Him and in order to accomplish His purpose for us.  He knows exactly how to get us in shape, but we resist.  We try to find an easier way out, a way with less resistance.  We don't trust that He knows what He's doing.  We want to know what's coming next, and we try to control the situation and determine what's best for ourselves.

Just like ignoring the spinning instructor and taking short cuts prevents us from getting stronger, and may even injure us, ignoring God has serious consequences, too.  We don't grow to be more like Him, and we choose ways that lead us into sins that hurt us and others.

When I become overwhelmed by the future and what it might hold, fear starts to creep in.  "What will I do next year?" "What if God calls me to the mission field abroad forever?" "What if he doesn't?" "What will I do when something happens to my family?"  "What if I never get married?" "What will this year bring?"  Fear leads to insecurity, desperation, lack of hope, and many other harmful feelings.  But Jesus' words to the ruler of the synagogue in Mark 5:36 speak to all of these fears and their manifestations, "Do not fear, only believe."  

God is faithful, and even if the future seems uncertain and scary, we can trust completely in our God who created us, redeemed us, and daily renews us.  Even if we don't know what we'll have to do next or go through next, we know that it is for our good and that God will not abandon us in our time of need.  May God give us the faith we need to follow Him wherever He leads, no matter the amount of resistance or how fast we have to go or how long we must endure.  We need not fear; we must only believe.

"Do not fear, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

May-July

Worship Wednesdays

There have been times since my arrival to Peru that I really wondered about the work we were doing here. Were we in the right place? Were we doing the right things? Were we wasting time doing one thing when we should have been doing another?

And that's the way it is in the life of any Christian I think. We wonder if our Christian witness is doing anything. We regret not saying something more or wish we would have done things differently. And that's why I've found so much comfort from 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

We also remember what Jesus told his disciples in John 4:36-38: "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Sometimes we are the sowers and never see the harvest, and other times we see the harvest and didn't have to labor sowing.

Praise be to God when we get to be a part of the sowing and the reaping in the ministries God has called us to! That's exactly what happened last Wednesday, July 6, in Lunahuaná. We had our very first Wednesday Worship there, and we were all truly blessed to be a part of it!

Anthony picked up the rental vehicle at 6 a.m., we loaded up the van, and then went to pick up the Eisold family. The Walls will eventually come as well, but since Sarah will be giving birth to their third child any day now, they stayed home this time. We arrived in Lunahuaná at 9:30, and we started canvasing and inviting people right away. While Katie and I canvassed, the others got things set up at our worship location, Hotel Las Brisas. Once that was done, we broke into three groups and continued canvassing the valley. Sandi and Annalise went with me, and they were great helpers. Annalise listened to what I said a few times and then started inviting people herself without any hesitation. She was great!

After lunch and a brief rest at the house where Katie and I used to live, I hit the streets canvassing again with our friend, Miguel, while the rest of the team went to Lúcumo (an annex of Lunahuaná) to hold children's ministry there. They sang songs, played games, and read a Bible story.

We all met back up at Hotel Las Brisas where we had a few kids waiting for us when we got there. Katie and Anthony led the children's ministry, Amiguitos en Cristo (Little friends in Christ), and I taught the adult Catechism and Bible class. We had 35 people in attendance for that hour, 14 adults & 21 children. Right after that we transitioned into the worship service for everyone. About 7 people left before the service, but 3 more trickled in later, giving us 31 people for worship. Pastor Mark did a great job with his first sermon in Spanish, talking about what it means to build your house on the Rock of Christ and His Word. We all participated in the service leading songs, prayers, and the Creed. We even had some of the people who came to our Thursday night Lunahuaná Bible study read the Scripture texts during the service. It was such a joy to see Katie's students, our Bible study family, and other friends Anthony and past short-term teams have made coming to learn more about God and worship with us! What a gift to actually SEE that our labor was not in vain and be reminded of God's faithfulness.

We said our goodbyes, packed up, and got back to Lima around 11:30 p.m. We were exhausted, but we can't wait to do it again on July 20. We'll be going there the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Thank you so much for being part of God's work in here through your prayers!

In everything we do, we remember the words of 1 Corinthians 3:7, "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." What a privilege it is to be working in God's fields!

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6

MOST Ministries Team 2011

I spent the past month busily preparing for the MOST Ministries eyeglass and dental team that came from June 12-19. They were such a blessing for me, for the Peru mission team, and MOST of all for the people of Lunahuaná.

Lunahuaná is a district, and within the district there are 9 annexes. I would compare Lunahuaná to a county and the annexes to the towns/cities within the county. Anthony and I worked with the Municipality in Lunahuaná to prepare for the Third Annual Eyeglass clinic and the first Dental Clinic, meeting with the local leadership, inspecting the facilities (checking for restrooms, water, electricity, tables, and chairs), and advertising throughout the area.

On June 12, when the team of 14 arrived from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, we picked them up at at the Lima airport at 5 a.m., and, after a slight delay with dental equipment, we were on our way to Lunahuaná.

We traveled to a different annex each day, one of which was on the other side of the river, and we had to cross two bridges made of branches to get there. Thankfully the locals helped us carry all the eyeglasses and dental equipment across. Even our municipality coordinator, Diana, who was 9 months pregnant crossed the river. (I said "was" because the day after the clinic ended, and two days after crossing the wooden bridge, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy!)

I don't remember the exact numbers, but we gave glasses to over 500 people and dental help to over 100. We distributed more than 700 pairs of glasses, as some people got two pairs, one for reading and for distance. Some of the people were in their 70's or 80's and had never owned a pair of glasses in their life. The expression on their faces when they could finally see was priceless! What a joy to be able to serve them in that way!

Not only were we able to meet the physical needs of many people in Lunahuaná through the team, it was an awesome opportunity to tell everyone about the Bibles studies for children and adults and worship that we will be starting in Lunahuaná on July 6. Anthony designed a pamphlet thoroughly describing the beliefs of the Lutheran church, which led to many conversations and opportunities for evangelism at the clinic. We also made a flyer with our schedule of events on every first and third Wednesday of the month, when we will be returning to Lunahuaná for Bible studies and worship.

MOST Ministries, Anthony, and I began planning for this clinic and scheduled the date back in October. At the time, we didn't know what great timing it would be, but God did. It was humbling, amazing and encouraging to see His hand in everything. From the date of the clinic and how it coincided with our move to Lima and the start of worship in Lunahuaná, to translators dropping out at the last minute and getting even better translators to replace them, God worked mightily throughout the week.

We are SO grateful to the team who came to help others see, both physically and spiritually.

Prince Caspian

Katie and I spent last night with Prince Caspian, cafecito (a little coffee), and keke (pound cake). Prince Caspian is one of my favorite books in the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, and luckily the movie follows the book pretty closely. Every time I read the books or watch the movies, I feel overwhelmed by who God is and what He has done for us.

Lewis's portrayal of Aslan is brilliant. Through Aslan, we get a glimpse of the multifaceted God we have - powerful, mighty, and just, and at the same time gentle, loving, and patient. My heart swells as I think about it.

In each of the other characters, I see myself; namely my faults and my doubts. I identify with Reepicheep's pride, Lucy's fear of going against the group to follow Aslan, Trumpkin's crabbiness, and Peter's self-reliance. The way Aslan changes their hearts through struggle, forgiveness, and guidance helps me see the way Jesus works in my life, and I am overwhelmed by grace.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie:

"But every year you grow, you will find me bigger." -Aslan to Lucy

"To know what would have happened, child? No. Nobody is ever told that. But anyone can find out what will happen." - Aslan to Lucy

"Go and wake the others and tell them to follow. If they will not, then you at least must follow me alone." -Aslan to Lucy

"It's not how I thought it would be, but it's alright." -Peter

If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, I HIGHLY recommend it!

February-April

A Good Reminder

This past week, my two main agenda items were planning for the eyeglass clinic we'll be hosting in June and preparing for a catechism-like class that we want to start next week with a few people from our Thursday night Bible study. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an English or Spanish catechism to help me with the planning, and I needed the registration lists from past eyeglass clinics and couldn't find those either. As a result, I didn't make as much progress with my tasks as I would have liked.

Today as Katie and I were coming home from Bible study in Lucumo, my phone rang. Cindy from Hotel Rumi Wasi was calling to let me know that they were cleaning out some storage at the hotel, and they found 2 boxes worth of stuff that Anthony had stored there. She wanted to know if we could come get it, so we stopped by on our way home.

We opened the first box to make sure it was ours, and sitting right on top was a Luther's Small Catechism in Spanish. There were 29 more in the box. We also found about 10 Spanish Bibles, some crafts and hygiene items that short-term teams had left, and, at the very bottom, the registration list from the 2009 eyeglass clinic.

The hotel workers had no idea why Katie and I kept looking at each other wide-eyed, smiling and laughing. Katie said it all when she looked at me and mouthed, "Thanks, God."

Thanks for what I was looking for, and thank you for the reminder that you're with us, in control, and faithful.