Tony and I have talked a lot lately about how long we will be here. We have been going through a rough time. He always says don't worry, God will provide. I pray he is right, I pray for faith like his. We have talked about the possibility of having to return to the States because we can't afford to be here. We have accepted that as a possibility, but we hope it doesn't happen anytime soon. We are too busy. We are just getting started.
This week he went for the first time to a home for juvenile boys and showed the William Tyndale Torchlighters movie. {Sorry, they don't let you take pictures}. It was amazing and he was very well received. He'll be going back every other Tuesday night. With the gospel and Bible studies and love and hugs and more movies. To visit these kids that nobody wants in a place where no one is going right now. In talking to the director we have discovered that the kids are pretty bitter about the church. They say churches come once or twice to visit them and never come back. One boy's grandfather is a pastor. But, for whatever reason, they have left their grandson in a home for boys. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you say you are. It is what you do.
If you haven't seen the William Tyndale flick (it's only 30 minutes long) WATCH THE FULL MOVIE HERE! You won't regret it.
Some quotes from the movie I like...
"The Word of God is a light unto our path. It is for all the people to understand, and not for the church only.
I can not see how we can take it upon ourselves to withhold something that God has so freely
and intentionally given to us all?
By God's grace, I am as much a servant of the church, as the church serves God."
In just one more week it will be exactly a year since we started this blog.
And Tony is finally making his first post! He's been so good to not leave me here alone in cyberspace.
But, from a man that still asks me, 12 years later, "Sohow do you attach a file to an email again?" - his idea of blogging is to tell me, "You have to post this verse and this video to the blog."
That's men for you. Straight and to the point.
So, here it is....
Tony's First Post:
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" ~1 John 3:17
[the two verses before and after this one are great, too...]
[and here is a recent video we received from our CCC friends in Argentina and their
This video made me laugh. It's made by a homeschooling mom of 9, and is pretty much verbatim the questions people ask me, and the answers I typically give, when someone finds out we, too, homeschool.
To be quite honest, this video message makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know why, exactly. Maybe because it's true. Maybe because it's hard. Maybe because I'm afraid the message is for me, and I don't want it to be for me. I don't know. I just know it's true.
So, got another invitation to the mission field yesterday.
Ahhhhh!
That's all I have to say (okay, not really).
And this video:
It's important to note that the inivitation is NOT FOR US ONLY(*see below). I find it simply amazing that Campus Crusade for Christ, a world-reknowned ministry with a fantastic reputation, is basically saying, "Please come and help us reach Argentina for Christ". Even if you're not part of CCC. Stunning.
I was talking to Tony tonight about how Americans wouldn't really believe me if I told them that they are welcome, begged even, to come and help spread the Gospel and minister in other parts of the world. We have this notion here in America that we're not "qualified", not "called", "well God would never use me" or "Me? No, what would I do?" mentality. It's just not true. You are NEEDED abroad. NEEDED. Let me say it again, NEEDED. I was so encouraged to read my friends' appeal for help, "God can use your gifts, talents, and abilities on this trip." They have opened up their mission trip next month to the NW of Argentina because the fields are ripe, but the laborers are few.
This is the Director of Campus Crusade for Christ in all of Argentina opening up their mission trip to anyone to come and help spread the Gospel and minister to the needs of the people of the NW region of his country... these are friends of mine. I know them. I've been there. I've seen the need. They are not kidding.
We would go if we had a few thousand dollars laying around. We would take our kids. Children are not a nuisance, hindrance, or inconvenience in most parts of the world, they are a normal part of life. And missions. I know that if I told our friends we were coming with our kids for three weeks to help evangelize the NW of Argentina with them they would say, "Great! Welcome. Thank you! Many blessings:)".
They would.
It's different abroad. It's DIFFERENT. There is such need that there is not the luxury of saying, "Oh, you're not from my denomination, so I can't work with you.", "Oh, well, we have doctrinal differences, so therefore I don't think we can work together", or "Well, it's not a mission trip through my church, therefore I can not go." This does not exist outside of America! We are 60 million Christians in this country. Sixty. Million. We focus on these minor differences. Because we can. Abroad, in a country of 40 million where maybe a 5% or 1% or 0.5% are Christians, there is not that luxury.
Go. Just go. Instead of going to Disney this year, take your family on a mission trip. You will not regret it. And neither will the ones who fall all over themselves to thank you, thank you, thank you for coming. If you are thinking, "Oh, but we need a vacation," did you know that it is actually very relaxing being in a foreign country where no one is in a hurry? It may possibly be one of the nicest vacations you've ever had. God might bless you in ways you could never imagine. His economy says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." He blesses you and fills you when you follow Him. In Him rest is found, even if you are outwardly "working". We definately found this to be true when we went to Ecuador.
"Freely you have recieved, freely give."Mt. 10:8
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*Argentina Mission Trip - Calchaquies Valley (CCCI)
Saturday, July 10-31, 2010
Valle Calchaquies: Salta, Tucuman, and Catamarca Provinces
NW Argentina
THIS IS A MISSION TRIP THROUGH CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL, ARGENTINA. IT IS OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS, MEDICAL AND DENTAL WORKERS, AND VOLUNTEERS.
Calchaqui Valley is an area in NW Argentina, adopted by Campus Crusade, where every winter (northern hemisphere's summer) since 2004 groups of 150 students, professionals and other volunteers have gone into dozens of villages, in teams of 10-15, to serve the people, to help with their needs, and to share how to have a relationship with God, as well as help them grow in their faith.
During these three weeks in July, 2010 we will have the opportunity to continue the on-going mission and social work in this region.
If you are a student, block out a couple weeks of your vacation time and come participate.
The health needs in this area are many (much needed medical supplies are many times not available, or a person has to travel many miles just to see a doctor). This is why we especially invite professionals in the medical and dental field who would like to participate by offering their services to the people for one, two, or three weeks.
We also invite anyone who would like to be a part of this service project by simply coming as a volunteer.
Ways you can participate, by:
*GOING: traveling and working together with a team in one of the villages (if you are a medical professional, you would participate by offering your services to the people)
*DONATING: the list of needs is updated every year. The greatest need is for shoes (especially children's shoes), school supplies, medicine (ask for the list of supplies by email), tools and paint. Donations are to be taken with you to Argentina, or you may also donate funds to buy needed supplies or in order to support someone going on this trip.
*PRAYING: join us in prayer for social and spiritual change in this region.
*SHARING: We need people to help spread the word so that more are able to participate in order to help the people of this region in Argentina. You may spread the word by mouth, by email (request the promo video by email and we will send it to you), sharing the blog above, by Facebook, or any other means.
Your gifts, talents, and abilities can be used to serve on this trip.
REGISTRATION AND COSTS:
Cost per week: 300 Argentine pesos (approx. US$80) includes all meals and lodging during the trip, a retreat between the first and second week, also includes some assistance in travel expenses to reach the places in which you will be working
Registration: 30 pesos (approx. US$8)
Cost does NOT include transportation to and from Calchaquies Valley.
Note: Registration is for weeks in full, no half weeks or days permitted, in order to be able to count on a full group/team per week per village. There are also minimum group size requirements in order to carry out the work planned in each area each week.
It has been the week from hell. I had forgotten how intense spiritual warfare can be. It just keeps coming, and coming, and coming.
That's when we need to go the the Manual. And Facebook (lol! just kidding). But it's funny how God finds those ways to encourage a weary soul with some good preachin'!
Saw this on FB today:
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" - Eph. 6:12
If we press in, wanting more of God, we need to remember this. I've been reminded this week that I have an enemy who hates me, hates my prayers, hates the plan of God, who came to steal, kill, and destroy. He never tires making war, is subtle, astute, and pulls puches I never expect. But, as a friend reminded me this week, the battle is won. Jesus has won. Jesus always wins.
"For though we walk after the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down all imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Cor. 10:3-5
We were so early no one was even checking tickets, so we walked into the 5,000-seater church to grab some seats for the show. Ten or 12 of us had piled into someone's Suburban and driven the three hours north to Kalispell from the University of Montana campus in Missoula.
There was a single grand piano on stage, a man with long hair bent over the keys, sound checking it we assumed. So we threw down our jackets and wandered back into the lobby to look around. Several minutes later, the long-haired man walked up behind us.
"Hi, where are you guys from?"
It was Rich Mullins! He had grown his hair out so no one had recognized him.
I'll never forget that moment. Not because I was star-struck, because I wasn't really. I didn't really know who he was, didn't know much about him, or that he was so "famous" in certain circles.
What struck me was that he approached us. This really, really well-known {FAMOUS} musician came down from stage to come say hi to us. Just like he knew us. Like an old friend.
He was SO nice. And normal. And human. Just a guy making conversation.
I remember standing there completely shocked that he was so... humble.
Wow, Christians are different.
Not long after that concert, Rich Mullins moved onto an Indian Reservation in the Southwest to share Christ with Native Americans through music.
He probably made millions in his career through record sales, but never knew how much he really made because he gave it all away and lived on a small fixed income from his music sales. He lived for a time in a one-room attic apartment with few material possessions. "Hold me Jesus" was filmed there.
Examine the argument for yourself: Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? (a basic summary of a great exploratory bookon the identity of Christ: More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell)
Steve Saint's (son of martyred mission Nate Saint) organization, i-tec , does just that!
Pastors with no dental experience learning to do dental work in less than 10 days, sharing God's compassion and spreading the gospel in the process! This is great because it helps native peoples all over the world depend less on missionaries and outside help, enabling them to care more for their own needs and the needs of their people.
So, of course, light goes on in brain. Another great, and I think feasible, idea! Love it. :)
So, I said I would post video of the people... here's Part I of a seven part movie we are watching on YouTube. It's about the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina.
Only thing, it's in Spanish. They all seem to be. Worth the view, nonetheless.
Still looking for something in English...
The history in this video series is amazing. The Mapuche use to own 30 million acres of Patagonia. In the early 1900s the President of Argentina had many killed, pushed the rest off their fertile land to the peripheries of the arid desert, and many fled into Chile. That's why there are only 200,000 in Argentina, but 1 million in Chile. The Mapuche now only own 300,000 hectares of the 30 million. Sounds like American history.
