Who are we serving?

I will preface this post with the information that I am not a regular reader of Oswald Chambers. As divine will would have it, I found myself with time for lunch today, and no TV to watch. No Foxtrot anthology, car magazine, so I went to the bookshelf and ironically instead of reading the world book of facts from 1999 (did I mention I was at the mission house?), I reached for Upmost for His Highest.

I will not quote directly from today's entry, you can find that easily enough online I am sure.

I just found it interesting, the way things just "work out", me reading that lesson, this day.

Just what I needed. A reminder why we are here (on the Earth), and yet another reminder that life is not about me but about God.

We do what we do because we love God...not because we love other people. After all, they are ingrateful ingrates just like us. If we served others because of our love for humankind, we would burn out quickly Oh yeah...they are just like we were....and sometimes still are.

So why are we hooked up with Christ? Once again, it all comes back to God. Praise Him! (so I can wrap up doing what I am supposed to be doing all the time!)

Theft resolved...well, in a manner of speaking

So, last time we left the discussion of the break-in, I was purposely cagey in not speculating too much on what would be the end result as far as getting things back.

Well, after several visits, trips, and conversations, I went to the place downtown where they keep all the prospective booty.

Long story short, I received three bags. No problem there. Howver, what was in those three bags....well, someone got some pretty nice stuff. We got back perhaps half of what they collected as we went with them that day.

So, getting robbed twice of the same stuff, and by people one is supposed to trust is quite an interesting experience. The saddest thing is that I was suprised to get as much back as we did...life teaches you not to expect much, you are less likely to be disappointed.

Still, it would have been nice to get some things we really needed. The flashlight with someone else's name written on it, not functioning, I could have done without. The brand new digital camera, DVD player, my hat, etc. would have been better. Good thing we had low expectations.

In good news, we have not had any unwanted visitors in the past several weeks, nor any attempts (that we know of) to enter into any of the buildings. So, we have that going for us....which is good.

Cold? Nah, not really

Ah, just letting you know we are in the midst of a "cold front", the general term used here for anything that involves cold weather or unusual rain.

So, you can imagine our surprise waking up Saturday morning to find....rain! What? Perhaps this is difficult to grasp if you are from the USA, but here we are accustomed to the seasons here, and in February...this is smack dab, solid in the midst of what is supposed to be our ramp up on temperature, and down on rain...no rain, nothing...brown all around, and the plants finding it not so easy to be green (unless in front of a bank or something...where they water).

Saturday was downright Indianish...woke up spritzing, rained off and on all day, overcast, and cold with winds (great day to drive for a clothing distribution). Today (Sunday) was more of the cold temps and gusty winds, but no rain to speak of. Plenty of time to enjoy those winter clothes, sweatshirts, pajama pants...and getting to know your blanket well.

Does it sound like I am complaining? Quite the contrary....those are changes from the norm, and although I am not missing change enough to want to go up North...way North, for snow, a little change is nice. Wearing different clothes, getting a hankering for chili, and getting to run 70 minutes and not starting sweating for 30 or so (with everyone looking at me like I am crazy...well, looks that imply crazier than normal) has its perks too.

Kids?

We have children. Have I mentioned that?

Well, I thought this forum would be a good place to bring you up to speed on who they are, what they do, how they do it, etc.

This is Cecilia. Or if you are meeting her for the first time, she might introduce herself as, with a slight Honduran accent "estephanie". (Stephanie is her favorite TV character from Lazy Town. If you have not seen it...well, it is best enjoyed watching children, let me just leave it at that)

Cecilia is getting ready to start her pre-k, kindergarten, preschool or whatever you want to use for translation, next week at a Christian Church school that is near our clinic.

Cost for schooling there is much cheaper than the big and pretty schools, and since this is just getting a taste for education, we figured this buys us a year before we have to get serious about homeschooling. Yikes.

Cecilia likes anything pink, anything with princesses on it, in it, or made of real princesses, enjoys playing games on the computer (and figuring out how in less than two keystrokes to get the computer to restart, a task I have yet to master), visiting with friends, and really enjoys working as an assistant in the clinic whenever allowed to do so. She is an incredible actress (just ask those that come in groups when she goes trolling for candy) which brings good and bad things to the table, speaking of which she has had some restraint issues with drawing on it. Did I mention she likes to draw? Above all she likes to watch TV and ask when we will eat again. I wonder where she gets that from?

This is Soren. No, he is not blind. Somehow, using his mutant powers, he can see through rock and concrete by using his blocks.

And, being a mutant, he has to have his blocks with him at all times, a tower of course, as he could be called upon to fight for justice, truth, and Cecilia at any time.

He does well at learning the ways of the force, most importantly making the swoosh sound of a light saber, and then trying to bash everything in sight.

He also likes TV and eating...at any opportunity.

And he does it all without speaking any one particular language. Oh sure, he has his own words and some sort of grammar, but for the rest of us, it just makes for interesting babble. He does very well with ASL (American Sign Language), and uses many signs, but he is not really worried about actual conversation using his mouth. In fact, he does not normally worry about much of anything.

There you have it. Did I miss anything? Feel free to let me know, I can always revise this. Otherwise, this is your update for the year on the kiddos.

Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew?

We received an email today that I found convicting...enough so that you are reading this mental response to it.

Someone wrote to us and mentioned he had just talked to another person that had visited us in Honduras. This person mentioned he could never do what we do here.

This is not the first time I have heard or read this, but it struck me today more and I had the immediate thought....

Neither could/can we!

Sometimes we stress in life, even as Christians, our need to be willing to be brave or step out and do something the world sees as crazy, weird, or just plain stupid. I am reminded of a sermon at the Church here last week (a coincidence I am sure...not!) that talked of reaching out in the great commission, and much to my surprise as I translated for the group that was here Jorge mentioned Oscar and I as examples of such bravery and leaving more comfortable circumstances to be here.

I think that misses the point. I do not recall seeing passages in the Bible about the great bravery of Moses, Mark, Peter, Paul, (and sure, even Mary, although thinking of them getting together to sing does strike me as interesting). Instead I remember Moses whining, Mark being a streaker but not for fun, Peter denying, and Paul being forcefully stopped in his tracks. Sure, these people did some incredible stuff as well, but what they did was not of themselves. None of us has the ability to do such things big or small as leading people out of slavery, proclaiming the Gospel in hostile territory, or whatever else God may give us to do, in and of ourselves.

So if you think the same thing about us, or someone else...that is your cue to give the glory to God, where it should be, because only through Him can we do anything (read Romans 9 for a good little debate on who does what in our relationship with God).

Now allow me to conclude with this tweaking of what is perhaps a familiar song (perhaps we should claim the "rat pack" name with a different twist for Chrstianity? Hmmmm)

Who can take a human, provide good works to do? The God-man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good, and the world tastes good because the God-man thinks it should