Chiapas...

We´re almost half way done with the outreach pase! And although I´ve only posted on or two posts in the past month, there is a perfectly good reason for it... It´s not very easy to find an internet cafe in the jungle. And here I am, in a little shack in San Cristobal, Chiapas, with crappy internet and the rather unpleasant smell of the slums wafting in. Or is that me? I mean, I know it´s been awhile since my last shower, but I´ve done a pretty good job using the river and some baby-wipes. Oh well. The families and kids I´ve been working with don´t smell much better, so I´ve gotten quite accustomed to the smell. In fact, I´d say I fit in rather well considering I have bright blonde hair and white skin. They don´t seem to complain.

I´m honestly loving every minute of it. Whether I´m playing soccer with the kids, or preaching in a church/street to their families, it has been a blessing. An opportunity of a lifetime. An experience to remember. A life to assume? A future to consider??

Ideas storm my brain as I entertain the thought of returning to Mexico for a long-term commitment. My heart breaks for the children of the street. The youth in desperate need of hope. Hope that can only be found in my Savior.

I feel called not only to the crowded streets of India, the trafficking center of the world, Thialand, and the voodoo capital, Benin, but I feel led to start a mission. A mission to ALL of these worlds. An orphanage? A ministry? A refuge? A hope. In all of these, there is a greater hope. A hope of a better day. A hope of a new tomorrow.

First Taste

So it's already been a lil over a week into the Outreach Phase of my DTS (if you count the first 4 days of driving..), and it has blown away any and all expectations!

We arrived at the YWAM base in Guadalajara, Mexico (it's actually a few miles out of Guadalajara in a tiny village called Chapala) last Tuesday, and spent the first couple days recuperating from our long drive. Then the fun began!

On Saturday, we had the amazing opportunity to hang out at a boys orphanage! The boys took quite a liking to myself and another one of the gringos on my team lol. It was a huge blessing, not to mention responsibility, for us to take the role of father figures to these parentless children. I have never seen so much joy in a child's eyes upon our return the following Monday.

Ah, so there really is a ton of stuff going on in my life, in the lives of those around me, and in the people we have been able to impact, but I have so little time to relay it all! All I can say is that God has clearly had a hand in everything we've done. He has revealed Himself time and time again; to us and to the people we are witnessing to. He has opened new doors for my future, and now I'm waiting to see which ones He closes.

We will be going to Chiapas, Mexico on Sunday for some MORE work in the indigenous tribes. ;) I'm not sure I'll be able to adequately put into words the experiences we will be encountering... or the ones we have already had.

Trust Me?

My beloved child, you belong to me and no one will ever tear you from my hand. Fan the flame of your confidence in me. I want you to live each day without anxiety ... to come back again and again to this feeling of unwavering trust until you are never without it. Like a little child who never bothers to ask his father, "where are you taking me?" but heads off with his hand securely slipped in his Dad's - so walk humbly with me - walk trustingly with your hand securely locked in mine. Should worry and anxiety overtake you, offer me with trust your distrust, and give me with peace, your lack of peace. That helps you and gives me immense pleasure. I repeat to you, "Define yourself radically as my beloved child - Do you hear my word? Define yourself radically as my beloved child - this is who you are and how I relate to you. Sh.....Be still.....Listen.....I am here - do not be afraid; Everything will be all right. Nothing can harm you permanently, no suffering is irrevocable, no loss is lasting - no defeat is more than transitory, no disappointment is conclusive. Let the cry ..."Abba, I belong to you" rise often, easily from your heart. Trust me, for I offer no false word and do not be afraid. Do not live in fear little flock, it gives me great pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

Click here to view my News Letter!

Silence + Solitude

Today was by far the most amazing/impacting day of my DTS thus far. The speaker for this week, Jeff Pratt, is talking on "Bringing us home." Essentially, bringing us closer to our Heavenly Father. Making our relationship with Him real, tangible, and intimate.

He told a story of a man who was having trouble with his prayer life, so he sought advice from a speaker at a conference he happened to be attending. The speaker explained that speaking to God should be as easy as speaking to a close friend (only closer than you could possibly imagine). After all, that's what God wants us to be with Him. He told him to imagine that Jesus was sitting next to him, and that all he had to do was talk to him. Ask Him questions. Hang out with Him. So the man tried it. At first, he could spend around fifteen minutes talking to this 'imaginary' friend before he got bored and his mind began to wonder. But after weeks, months, and years of using his image-maker to see his Jesus sitting by him, he would spend hours a day just chilling and laughing with his Savior!

Years later, as the man sat in the hospital expected to die at any moment from the cancer that had spread throughout his body, he asked the nurse if she could place a chair next to his bed. It was in this chair that he imagined his Jesus sitting next to him as he talked with his Lord for the last few days of his physical life. A few days later, the nurse arrived one morning with the man's breakfast to find him leaning out of his bed; his head resting on the seat of the chair; dead. He had spent his last moments on Earth in the loving embrace of his Jesus.

I bet as he lay in Jesus' lap, he was imagining the Lord of all creation stroking his head and showing him the affection of an intimate friend. He probably heard Him say, "I love you, son. And I am going to take you home with me as my lover. I am going to share my house with you. Would you like that?" And there is no more peace in the world than to have our God whispering these comforting, unconditional words of love upon you as you lay in His lap.

I want that. So today I began my intimate relationship with my Holy God. My lover. My friend. Today, I went to the mountains of Ensenada, Mexico to enjoy one-on-one time with my creator. There is no more fitting a place to spend time with the Creator than while enjoying His very creation. All day I spent with Him there. Climbing the mountain side. Wading in the water. Skipping rocks in the ocean. Capturing the beauty of the nature all around me; from the rocks on the shore, the sea urchins covering the ground, the clear aqua-green waves, and the sunrise - to the enormous mountain walls, the sound of rocks being dragged out with the tide, and the sunset. All the while singing praises to Him.

Tu eres santo, santo, santo
No hay nadie como tu.

But this Holy God of mine, who is like no other, is also my friend. And I got to spend hours with Him today. And we just chilled. Laughed together, cried together, held each other, and then started all over again. I didn't have any revelations, I didn't see any visions, I didn't hear any mysterious voices in the clouds, but I didn't need to in order to be sure my God was with me. What more would I need than a friend and a date?

We're Back!

Back in Ensenada this week! We were in Tijuana for the last week's speaker... The base in Tijuana is brand stinking new so the accommodations were absolutely beautiful! But the weather, for Mexico at least, was less than comfortable. Let's just say that I am not looking forward to the biting winter air on my visit home in December!

Anyways... Baja 1000 baby. This past weekend, Ensenada, and all of the Baja peninsula for that matter, hosted the annual Baja 1000 race! We spent a majority of our free time roaming around town, talking to various competitors, talking to famous competitors, watching the races, and looking both ways before we crossed any streets :)

Making the last corner before the finish line!

Some late finishers...

Easily going over 120 mph on the final home stretch!

Cinderella

We've all heard the Walt Disney version of Cinderella. A servant girl living with her evil step sisters and their mother, sneaks off to the ball, loses a slipper, fits the slipper, and then lives happily ever after. But have you ever heard the original version; the story passed down from generation to generation throughout the ENTIRE world? How is it that a beautiful girl with a beautiful name, and probably a beautiful voice, ended up living in such unfortunate circumstances??

The story was first recorded in 1st century BC by the Greek historian, Strabo. His story tells of a servant girl, Rhodopis (the "rosy-cheeked"), who is out washing clothes in an Ormoc stream, a task forced upon her by fellow servants, who have left to go to a function sponsored by the Pharaoh Amasis in order to find himself a wife. At the stream, she leave her sandals on shore and wades into the water in her bare feet. While she is busy washing the clothes, an eagle flies away with her rose-gilded sandal and drops it at the feet of the Pharaoh in the city of Memphis. Taking it as a sign from a god, he asks all of the women of his kingdom to try on the sandal in hopes that the one to whom it belongs will be his wife. Obviously, Rhodopis is a perfect match. They fall in love, marry and rule the kingdom together.

Several more versions of the story appear in "One Thousand and One Nights" (Arabian Nights) including "The Second Shaykh's Story", "The Eldest Lady's Tale" and "Abdallah ibn Fadil and His Brothers", all dealing with the theme of a younger sibling harassed by two jealous elders.

The most popular version, however, was written by Charles Perrault in 1697. His version was the first to introduce the pumpkin carriage, the fairy-godmother, and the glass slippers.

In each of the original versions, however, there is a major difference to the Walt Disney version we are accustomed to.

A long time ago, and far, far away, a prince sought earnestly for a wife fit to be a princess. His father, the king, had agreed that he would not arrange a marriage for his son in hopes that their kingdom would one day be marked by true love. So he arranged a ball. A chance for EVERY woman in his kingdom to dance with the prince. And a chance for the prince to chose a bride from ALL of the women in his kingdom.

Cinderella, meaning 'ash girl' or 'unrecognised', was, as we know, a servant to her step sisters and her step mother. Her father, having died mysteriously, left behind a rather large inheritance for his one and only biological offspring: Cinderella. Originally, however, her name was not Cinderella. No parents in their right mind would name their daughter 'ash girl'. It was not a name, it was a curse. No, the name 'Cinderella' was given to her by her stepmother after her fathers death in the attempt to brain wash the girl. The evil stepmother wanted the inheritance for herself, and so she renamed the girl in order to strip her of her identity; the identity of an heir. She was called 'ash girl' and so she became just that: an ash girl. A servant; forced to sleep by the fireplace in order to attend to the fire throughout the night. She had forgotten her true self, but she was quick to remember her false identity. A lie.

One day, when Cinderella was sorting the mail, she came across a letter that was addressed to all of the women of the household. In some round about way, she decided that she was included in the address, so she read the invitation to a ball.

Her stepsisters had other plans for her, and before she knew it she was busy getting them ready for the dance. And she accepted her fate without complaint. She was, afterall, an ash girl.

In an act of desperation, she left her chores to attend the ball. She washed herself, put on her best dress and slippers, and made her way to the dance she was forbidden to attend.

Once it was her turn to dance with the prince, he was immediately entranced by her beauty and grace. All who were present were entranced by her. Even her stepsisters and stepmother were entranced by this unrecognisable girl. Who was she??

She soon, however, was reminded of her false identity as the clock struck midnight. She needed to go home and finish her chores before the ball ended and her step-family returned! So she ran. Without explaining herself or saying even a word, she turned and ran. The prince, not used to having young women run from him, was confounded. All he had to identify this girl was the slipper she had left behind during her hasty escape. So he went to work.

This is an interesting part. Imagine for a moment that you are Cinderella. You obviously are aware that the prince is going around the country to every household looking for none other than you. He has your slipper and all you have to do to escape from your miserable life is drop your water buckets and run to the town he is currently in to try on the slipper that you know without a doubt fits you. But no. You have accepted you false identity. You believe the lie. You can't be a princess, so why try? Instead, you go about your duties as is routine, and, when your stepmother locks you in the basement upon the prince's arrival, you go without a fight. It is only by some miracle that the prince stumbles upon your presence and recognises your face behind all the dirt and ash. And the slipper fits. You are the one.

Normally, the story ends here. Cinderella and the princeget married and live happily ever after. But that is not the ending of the original story...

When the prince and his new treasure arrive at the castle, she is bathed and clothed as a princess, and sent to stand before the king that he may question her. It is quite apparent that she is not fit to be a princess. Not to mention a queen one day. The king asks, "What is your view on the education of my kingdom?" She had never thought about it. "What do you think about the economy of my kingdom?" She had never thought about it. In fact, herwhole life she had only thought about her situation. She had no finances of her own, why would she worry about the finances of the kingdom? She had no education, why would she be concerned with the educationof others? And so the wedding is postponed until she is fit to rule as a queen. She is sent to royal school in order to learn the way royality. She is sent to re-shape her identity. She is sent to destroy this lie she has believed most of her life and replace it with the identity of a princess. It is only after her graduation that she marries the prince and they become king and queen of the kingdom. Then, and only then, do the live happily ever after.

We are Cinderella. We have been brought up believing a lie from the devil and his demons.

The lie that we are worth nothing.

We could never be good enough,

holy enough,

pure enough,

smart enough,

cool enough,

religious enough,

strong enough.

We could NEVER be His bride.

But we are. And He loves us so much He seeks us out! He gives us a new identity in Him, and He gives us His Word in order that we might learn and grow and develope a relationship with Him. We are His heirs. Let that sink in. Put yourself in Cinderella's slippers again. How would you feel if your true identity was revealed. You finally find unconditional love and this royal identity. How would you feel about that?

Now come back to reality. What you have is way more powerful and REAL than the story of Cinderella! God has spoken, He has chosen you, the slipper fits, and now you're called to grow and learn and develope a relationship with Him so that you can be fit to 'marry' His Son and receive the inheritance He has for us. And yet we sit and do nothing. We accept our false identity of the world and go about our daily routine of serving ourselves or our jobs or our worldly passions.

I'm not saying we need to sell everything and become missionaries (unless that's your calling). I am simply suggesting that we really look at our identity in Christ. To not be so passive in our walk with Him. We have been called to be more than ash girls, so let's drop that identity and actively see God so that our new identity will be what God calls us: His sons and daughters. His heirs.