Stairway to Heaven...(or at least heavenly moments)

Over a year ago we got to know a lady name Sandra, she’s probably 25 and a single mother.  Life has been hard for her.  We went to her house several times, chatted with her outside – she never trusted us enough to let us in.  I guess a while back, some people came through that claimed to be missionaries and kidnapped someone’s child just a few houses down from hers.  We returned several times at an hour that we had chosen together to start discipleship, but she was never around.  We called, but then her cell phone service went out.  We finally stopped going to her house, when the drunken landlord came out and said some choice words to us because we were standing outside her house yelling for her in hopes that she would come out.   We got the picture, not only did she never let us in her house, she was pretty non-committal and then she continued to stand us up, until we finally decided that are time was better used elsewhere.

Well, yesterday she was on bus as we headed out from Zamacola to go to Hunter, minimally a 45 minute ride.  Apparently she sells vegetables out in Rio Seco, farther north than where we live.  We caught up and as it turned out she did want us to come visit her.  Wendy was in the back of the bus, so I made the arrangements to visit her today in the afternoon.  I think that she is less afraid of who we are now that she sees that we’re still up to the same business over a year later…we haven’t run off with anyone’s kids; which is a valid fear.  I don’t exactly look like many folks from around here.

So today, after trudging through lots of rain water, we arrived at the long series of no less than 100 steps that pass by her home.  About halfway up she resides and had been waiting for us.  She came out and was interested in a lesson.  We had the lesson outside on the stairs – Wendy taught and I entertained her daughter Camila so that mom could focus.  She is looking forward to the next lesson and even said that the next time we can enter the house.  Praise God.  I did a split second hesitation to write that, thinking if any of my friends that don’t have faith read that, it will sound so old-fashion and churchy.  But, I decided, no, I will say exactly what should be said.  Praise God.  It’s been a difficult couple of months realizing that we’re not where we were hoping to be and it’s been discouraging.  Although, we’ve come up short on some man-made goals, we find ourselves in the middle of what God wants for us and he continues to show us right where he wants us to be working.  It’s a beautiful thing. 

Faith In Things Unseen

So the end of 2011 brought a few disappointments for us in Hunter.  As you know, we've come to plant a church here in Hunter among other locations.  What has been difficult for us, is that after discipling folks from anywhere in between half a year to over a year, they have really enjoyed having us in their homes, but were not motivated to begin attending the church.  While, we've been doing what we feel God wants us to do here, our reality and are expectations have fairly big gap between them. And I'm experiencing how weak my faith can be at times.

So we've been praying and at times fasting throughout this process.  I just finished Henry & Richard Blackaby's book Experiencing God, which was a good reminder to keep my relationship with God fresh and not just look for answers.  In the midst of our reality we don't want to force our agenda but see where God is working and to join him in that work - another key theme of the book.  So after a 12 day vacation, we've come back to work learning to submit ourselves to God's will, to have more patience, to observe where he is working and to join him in it -- this serves as good medicine for the anxiety that can come from wanting to do a good job and complete the human goals set on the forefront of our time here -- when in all reality we have little visible signs of accomplishing that with just under 4 months to go.  However, there is a solid base of people that we've been discipling that we continue to pray the Holy Spirit will move to become more involved.  And on a positive note, in Hunter we've seen an alcoholic change his behavior and stop drinking as much, caring more for his family, not running away from home for multiple days.  We've seen the faith grow of many folks and teens recognize there worth.   

Sunday, at our first service of the year, no one arrived by the time we typically get started.  We could not enter the auditorium because they had changed the system of permissions for usuage of the auditorium without notifying us and now we have to have a letter of authorization.  So, Lindy, Tricia, and I went up the street so I could show them some properties up for rent, but both are outside of our budget because it's an urban area and everything costs more.  I really was beginning to feel discouraged and allowing myself to waller in it.  Is that a word - waller? Or just a hillbilly notion of a word?  I'm from West Virginia, ya know.

Anyway, coming back down the street we got back as the town meeting was letting out.  And as always, Señora Sonia was there and started talking to us about another auditorium/location that was closer to all the elderly folks we work with and closer to other folks that we disciple.  As we wrapped up chatting with her, a couple of our teens showed up, then a couple more.  So we decided to have service with them in the park in front of the municple center.  Then Zelmira & Abel arrived with Camila and Zel's two sons that are here on summer vacation.  Yes, it's summer here.  Then Nancy and Shirley with two toddlers showed up at the end of the service when we were getting ready to serve a snack during our community building time, "the share".  This was the first time we had many of our regular folks show up, even if incredibly late...and all were at least a half an hour late.  One of the teens is going to lead worship next week and we're going to get Abel involved with the treasury and offerings if possible.  Monday when we were at Zelmira's new house, (they got kicked out of their other place) she said her favorite thing to do is share and encourage.  So we're going to have a time of sharing and she'll be our first testimony in church. 

There are still many others that we disicpled for over a year that are not attending and we hope them to be involved in the family, that they'll be taken care of when we head off.  We need your help with prayer support: one, that the those we've known and been working with for awhile will want to gather together; two, that we can find a permanent location; and three, that we will always bring in new folks or share with them where they're at and that this concept will be passed on to those we've been working with.  Thanks for reading and please keep praying for Hunter and the formation of both believers individually and as a community.