The waiting room: yet another upside to social medicine.

Amber and I spent 3 hours in the waiting room at the local clinic this afternoon. We were the first ones in line to see the ONE doctor that was attending to the entire emergency room. We were being really good waiters up until hour 2, when our fellow waiters started getting a bit disgruntled with all the waiting and fed up with the one doctor attending to bleeding people who were rushed in ahead of the rest of us who had properly put in our time in the waiting room.
(I think that's when it dawned on me that perhaps the locked gate and armed guard separating the waiting room from the hospital is there to protect the one doctor from being bombarded by sick and angry not-yet-patients who are desperate to get out of the waiting room).
One elderly lady appointed herself as spokesperson for the rest of us in the waiting room whether we wanted her assistance or not. You know her. We've all been trapped in a waiting room with her at one time or another. "That elderly waiting room lady," is a character that knows no cultural bounds. We'll call today's lady Carmen since she's Venezuelan.
Carmen talks and talks and talks...informs the armed guard that she must get back to see the doctor because she has hypertension and that bleeding car accident victim can just wait his turn like everybody else. The armed-guard must meet at least one Carmen each day, because just ignores her complaints and doesn't even look up from playing games on his cell phone.
But Carmen is a rule-follower and knowing full-well that we were in line ahead of her, she knew she had to get us in to see the doctor as fast as possible if she wanted to get herself to that promised land behind the locked iron gate.
My favorite moment was when she took the liberty of informing the entire waiting room that I needed to see the doctor right away because I was quite obviously in great pain since my face was so pale. I just smiled and translated the comment to Amber...who was the one who wasn't feeling well and had brought me along as the translator.
I really wanted to inform Carmen that my pallor was more likely due to my ethnicity than illness, but I decided against it in favor of keeping our hard earned place in line.

At the window

This morning I've been watching the snow fall outside my window here in Bozeman.
It's been almost 2 years since I've seen this sort of weather and I can't help but think that God had blessing me in mind when He made today's weather.
Yes, I have very much enjoyed seeing friends in my time here, but one of the biggest things that I've been silently enjoying is the weather. I know it sounds silly but I am absolutely loving walking around in my friend's puffy winter coat, all zipped-in and warm except for feeling the cold air on my face. Call me simple, but I love it.

Bloggin' for Jamie

This one goes out to you, Jamie B.
I'm actually writing this post from Bozeman, Montana. I'll be here for a week to be a part of some wedding celebrating. It's a bit strange to be away from life in Venezuela, but it's such a blessing and joy to be here with so many dear friends.
The day before we left Venezuela I was able to have a really fun conversation with a girl who's very involved in the ministry, Elvia. I challenged her to consider being a part of a delegation of students from Venezuela that we are hoping to send to a worldwide conference in Korea. (Check it out at http://www.cm20007.net ). We are challenging about 15 students from Merida who are committed to the ministry and the mission of seeing university students reached for Christ.
Anyway, it's a short story without an end, but it's something that I get really excited about. I love challenging students to take steps of faith, and for the students that accept this challenge it will certainly be a faith-building experience as they attempt to raise $3,000 each to cover travel costs. It's a lot to raise for a US student, and for our students in Venezuela it's exceptionally daunting...that's over one year's rent on my apartment, if you want to put it into perspective.
That, however, is what I LOVE about this challenge. Truly, these students will be trusting God for something impossible and I can't wait for them to see Him show up.

Getting it.

Sometimes we come across those people who are just ready to hear the Gospel. Pedro was one of those people. I met him at our weekly meeting on the humanities campus on Wednesday. He had come all the way across town from the pharmacy campus just for our Vida Estudiantil meeting.
Amber and I lead a discussion group for new people during the second half of our meeting. This past week Pedro was the only new student. He shared with us that he had come to the Humanities campus several times with the intention of coming to our meeting, several times had stood in the doorway and never entered thinking, "What am I doing here?"
Amber and I looked at each other and exchanged a look that said, "We know exactly why you're here," and we began to share the Gospel with him.
Now, we share our faith all the time. And we even see lots of people receive Christ, but I'd say Pedro (like Natacha) is one of the most striking instances of someone being ready. As we shared with Pedro it was absolutely incredible to watch his face. When we explained how man is separated from God by sin and there is nothing we can do in our own effort bridge the gap, it hit him like a ton of bricks. His face fell and he truly felt the desperation of our situation without Christ. And the joy that came to his face when we explained that there is hope for reconcilliation with God! We showed him a diagram that shows Jesus as the only bridge that can cover the distance between a Holy God and sinful man. I'm sure that if Pedro could have jumped into the diagram and run across the bridge he would have at that very moment! It was a beautiful thing to watch the Lord at work in Pedro's heart that day. Please pray that Pedro continues to respond to God's pursuit of his heart, that he will get connected with students in our movement and begin growing in his faith.

The day we met Natacha

Let me tell you why I love my job.
Yesterday morning Amber and I were meeting students on the Humanities campus and felt drawn to a group of three girls. They were all on their way to class, so we didn't have time to do much more than invite them to our weekly Vida Estudiantil meeting. Not knowing anything beyond the fact that we were Christians and that we were talking to her, one girl, Natacha, grabbed my arm as she was leaving and said, "I have to go to class now, but I am really interested in these things. Do you think you can tell me about God another time? I've been meeting with Jehovah's Witnesses, but there's something about them that I don't like."
Seriously, I thought my eyeballs were going to pop right out of my head!
Amber and I got an opportunity to meet with her later that afternoon. And as we shared the Gospel with her we watched this quiet smile spread across her face as she began to understand. As I was explaining the 3rd of the 4 spiritual laws she stopped me and said, "But this is what I want to know: How can I receive Jesus?"
At the end of our conversation and after Natacha prayed to receive Christ she told us something else, "My life has been really difficult for the past several months. And last night I cried out to God and said, 'I can't do this on my own anymore. If You are there I need You to come into my life.' Somehow I don't think that meeting you two this morning was a coincidence."
We don't think so either, Natacha.

How do I even try to put this into words?

When something big happens around here, the students have a great word that they use to sum it all up. Wow.
That's right. It's the same word we use, which is nice since it makes a person feel that much more fluent.
Our team has been on-campus for 2 weeks now and, honestly, it's difficult to comprehend the magnitude of all we've seen God do in that short amount of time. We've been out meeting students, getting into spiritual conversations and sharing about Jesus. And as a result of those conversations we've seen at least 30 students (and a couple of professors) receive Christ. Wow. Some of the experiences I've had have been absolutely unreal and have served as powerful reminders that it's not about me, or my team, or our ability to communicate the Gospel: it's about the hand of God at work in the lives of students and Him allowing us to be His ambassadors at this particular time and in this particular place. Here is one such experience: Sam and I were sharing on the Sciences campus and as we walked past a freshman math student, Patricia, she reached out and touched Sam's arm saying, "My friends told me about a conversation they had with you yesterday. I want to talk to you. I want to know more about God." Seriously. Does this sort of thing really happen?!? I'm trying to imagine what my friends serving in Croatia would do if this same thing happened to them...
Please pray for Patricia, Aries, and Paola --3 first year math students who all trusted Christ last week. Pray that they would continue to meet with us to do follow-up Bible studies and grow in their new relationship with God.
Daily I am reminded of the great honor I have in sharing the Gospel with students here in Merida. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Wow. (There's that word again). I love my job!

On a lighter note...

We've all heard it a hundred times: If you're going to a different country, don't drink the water.
And when friends come to visit us here in Merida some of the first phrases they learn are, "I'd like bottled water, please." And, "No ice." These are wise decisions, especially for those just passing through...
But I'll tell you what, there's something in me that cannot stand to spend money on bottled water, and after living here all last year and with the past 3 weeks to readjust, I've decided that my system is sufficiently innoculated with whatever 'little friends' are supposed to make me sick. That's it! I'm putting my foot down and refusing to be a pansy about the issue. I am drinking strictly tap water from here on out. Go ahead, get a good mental picture of me holding up my glass of water. (Remember that old Cheers episode with Fraiser running around the bar yelling, "I'm running with scissors!") That should give you a pretty good idea of what I did last night....."I'm drinking tap water!"......please don't picture me running with scissors...I believe in taking risks and all, but puhlease, running with scissors? Now that's dangerous.

The Apartment Situation

(Thanks, Taylor, for the reminder). Yesterday we gave our lawyer, Rosanna, the green light to renew the contracts on the 2 apartments that we had last year. We prayed about it a lot and really feel at peace with the decision to stick it out in this complex for the next year. The landlord of the apartment that Bryon and Sam live in has agreed to some badly needed repairs, which should make their place a better home. Another factor in the decision was the difficulty in finding apartments for rent in this town (let alone in the complex you want to live in, and it's a toss-up as to the condition of any apartment we might happen to find). Also, with classes and full-time ministry on-campus starting on Monday, we were very reluctant to commit to a time-consuming apartment search and move. We're praising the Lord for His provision and excited to be able to pour all of our efforts into working with students and leading the ministry.

A complete team.

Finally, our team feels complete. Claudia and Angye have been here in Merida for a week already. It's amazing the amount of life that these two women bring to the team and to our apartment. So, for me, that makes a grand total of 3 roommates with contagious enthusiasm and laughter. Sometimes I wonder what our neighbors think with all of the laughing that spills out of our doorway and into the hallway. I am so blessed by my roommates! We seemed to connect from the very first moment they stepped off the bus here in Merida (and at 5am that's no small feat!) and things have only gotten better from there.

The roommates: Emily, Angye, Amber, Claudia

Both Angye and Claudia are in the process of raising their financial support. As a team we are trusting the Lord to bring them both to full financial support by October 14th. For Angye that's about $400 in monthly support left to raise, while Claudia needs closer to $700 per month. They'll be raising support both through Venezuelan contacts and friends in the US and spending the majority of their workdays focusing on financial support. Once they are at full support, then they will be joining the rest of the team in daily ministry activities on-campus. Please pray with us for Claudia and Angye's full financial support by October 14th.

This week Bryon and I will begin focusing our planning times on the details of ministry. We'll be making decisions about each team member's responsibilities both on-campus and within the team. We will also continue mapping out the calendar for the year and thinking through how we will work with our student leaders. Our first day of ministry on-campus will be the first day of classes, September 25th. Please pray for continued for continued wisdom on our part, as we make decisions and takes steps of faith with our plans. Pray also that we will make decisions and lead our team in such a way that they are equipped and enthusiastic to dive headfirst into all that God has for the ULA students this year.

Things to pray for

As I mentioned in my previous post, this first week has been busy for us. We've been trying to figure out our living situation for this next year. Currently, we have two apartments, but are trying to decide if this is the best place for us to be, or if we should further pursue an apartment search in a different complex.

• Please pray for wisdom for Bryon and I as we make our housing decisions. Thankfully we have a lawyer-friend from church, Rosanna, who is also helping us tremendously as we look at our options. Please pray that Rosanna will continue to give us wise counsel throughout this process.
• Sam and Amber are in language school this week. For Sam, it's a continuation of the Spanish studies he's already done in the state. For Amber, it's the first time she's had formal language education. Please pray for their learning. Amber is such a communicator and I can tell it's frustrating for her to be so limited by language.
• While those two are in class, Bryon and I spend our days planning and making decisions. Please pray for us as we ask God to show us His plans for our team and our students this year.
• On Sunday our Venezuelan teammates, Angye and Claudia, will arrive! Please pray for them as they continue to raise their financial support. For both of them, this will be their first time away from home and families. Please pray that we will welcome them well and be sensitive to their needs. We are so excited for them to arrive!

Getting here.

It's hard to believe but we've been in Merida for nearly a week now. The days have been full of meetings, decision-making, Spanish classes, introducing Sam and Amber to the city, moving into apartments, and ADVENTURE.
The adventures began before we even left our first airport (Spokane) when we found out that our (carefully planned) travel plans to get here had been turned upside down by tropical storms hovering over Miami. Forced to re-route through Dallas, and extend our travel time by an entire day, we got some great experience in being flexible as a team and some extra bonding time. If an 8 hour layover that begins at 3am doesn't bring out your true colors, few things will.

Dallas Airport (hours 5-13 of our travels). Bryon, Sam, Amber, Me.

Although we were tired and anxious to get to Merida our delays served as great team-building times. The Lord gave us many opportunities to pull together throughout our 48 hours of airports and hotels. Bryon and I took a run across the Seattle airport (hour 3 of the trip) in an attempt to get my purse, which I left on the first plane, before it flew off to its next destination. We found it waiting with the agents at the gate. And while we were running back and forth across the airport, Sam was having a monumental phone conversation with his dad. So after only 3 hours, we had already had plenty of opportunities to rejoice with each other!
Although it took a long time to reach Merida, we arrived in good spirits (still able to stand each other...and even enjoying each other!). We were greeted by a handful of students and community friends at the airport, which made us feel very welcomed and loved, and excited to spend the next year here.

On our way!

It's almost here: departure day. The whole team is here and financial support for the four of us north americans is in (we still have 2 Venezuelan women who are working hard to finish raising theirs) and for that we are giving great thanks to the Lord! It's been so fun to see the way He's provided financially over the past few weeks. The Lord raised up a handful of champions (you know who you are) to fight on my behalf and help me reach a seemingly impossible goal of full financial support. Thank you.
Please pray for our team as we prepare to leave the country for the next 9-11 months. Pray that we will say goodbye to friends/family/culture well and be ready to step into life in Venezuela wholeheartedly. Pray for safety in our travels on Tuesday and Wednesday. Pray for wisdom for Bryon and I as we lead our team into this coming year and start making plans for the ministry. Pray that our team (Emily, Bryon, Sam, and Amber) continues to grow in love and appreciation for one another and that we would love Jesus well together.
(I'll post a picture as soon as I get ahold of one).

The road that lies ahead

I wish you could see the smile on this girl's face. Today we head to the mountains! I'll spend some time with my parents before saying goodbye (for an entire year) on Monday, when our Stint briefing begins in Copper Mountain, Colorado. We'll be coming together for training and commissioning with everyone who is spending the next year overseas with Crusade. It will be the first time that Bryon and I meet our American teammates, Amber and Sam. I can't wait!
Please pray for us in this week (August 14-20). Pray that as we as a team we come together: united in heart and vision for what God has called us to this year in Venezuela. Pray that we will be learners during this week of training. Pray that this week will set the tone for the rest of our year-that as a team we love the Lord well and love each other well. Also, there are some of us on the team that continue to have significant financial need. We continue to step out in faith, trusting that the Lord will provide the means for us to do the work that He has called us into.

Who said learning is easy?

This summer I've been praying that I would be desperate in my dependence on God in this coming year, and that I would also trust Him for impossible things.
He's taken me up on that request (a bit earlier than I expected) and I'll admit that it's been much more difficult than I imagined to really allow myself to enter fully into that desperation. I've always been the kind of person who's been able to be the glue that holds other people together, relying on my own strength to stay calm and steady. Throughout the course of this summer, I've watched situation pile upon situation; driving me beyond the limits of my own emotional and mental strength and to a more complete reliance on God. It's almost impressive how thickheaded I've been throughout the whole process. Just yesterday as I was sitting in the ER at my mom's bedside, amidst the tangle of IV's and ceaseless cacophony of beeping monitors and sounds of hurting people (she's fine now, don't worry) I found myself telling God that I would be fine dealing with raising the rest of my financial support if it weren't for all of these extraneous circumstances (and there are many of them!). "Bingo. Do you get it yet?" is what I heard in response from the Lord. "Are you ready to admit that you can't do it all on your own?"
It's amazing how hard it can be to say that yes, I am ready. I am ready to relinquish control. I am ready to be desperate.

Who put that rocket booster on my calendar?

It's amazing, really, how fast my time in the states has flown (and continues to fly) by at warp speed. There are 2 weeks left for me here at my parent's house in Kansas. In just under a month we will step off a plane onto that familiar Merida tarmac where we will, hopefully, find ourselves welcomed by a handful of familiar, dearly loved, and deeply missed faces of ULA students!
Until that time, it appears that the Lord has much to teach me in the areas of trusting Him for all of my needs, stepping out in obedience to Him and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and how to listen for His voice as I press into Him for wisdom and insight in leading our team.
Too, I am learning daily just how grateful I am to share this responsibility of leadership with my co-leader, Bryon. I'm grateful to see how well we work together and pray that will carry into how we are able to care for our team and lead them in Loving Jesus and trusting Him for the impossible in this ministry He's given to us. And I'm grateful to know that ultimately, Jesus is the One who is leading our team and leading His ministry at the University of the Andes.
There is so much for me yet to learn and I know that when it comes time for us to leave Venezuela a year from now, I will be able to look back and see an entirely different person; one who has been transformed by His refining fire of challenges, successes, and dependence on Him.

Well, here it is