Blog

Guatemala Trip Report- January/February Trip- 2013

by

Let me introduce you to one of our van drivers. Her name is Betty. She was our van driver that transported our small team from Guatemala City to Monjas the second week of our two week trip. After picking us up from our hostel near the airport in the city, we started the slow journey out of town due to the heavy traffic, as is the norm in Guatemala City. Not long after our travels began, Betty had to stop for traffic and we noticed she was talking to a gentleman outside of the van by her window. Upon further observation, we noticed that her new friend was a double amputee that was sitting by the roadside begging for anything given to him. I also noticed that Betty had her cell phone out and she was entering his number from his phone for some reason. That seemed a little odd to me until we heard more of the story as we started to drive off into the mainstream of traffic. Betty explained that she was a local Guatemalan missionary and she taught in a school that specifically worked with children that were infected with HIV from their mothers. She went on to say that she bought this van (or was still making payments) and she transported people like us as a way to raise funds to support herself and her ministry. She said in a few weeks she was driving for a team that was coming from Wisconsin. She said they had contacted her and said they were bringing a wheel chair with them that had hand cranks on it to be used by someone without the use of their legs. They didn’t have anyone specific in mind of course, but they were relying on Betty to find a worthy recipient for such a great gift. Betty was faithful and found the recipient by the roadside!

Little did that man know that he might receive a gift of such grandeur that his life would change forever in that he might be mobile again. He was just hoping for a few coins and not a whole new way of life. Since we have no way of communicating with Betty to see how the story ended, one can only speculate that the best has happened. Picture with me now that this gentleman has mobility and his life has changed in ways that he could not have imagined or dreamed. Isn’t that just the way God works? Thus this is just one short story from our trip, but this capsulizes a wonderful two weeks in Guatemala. We are thankful for His grace and provisions and we are thankful that we could serve His people in this wonderful country.

‘Tis The Season

by

Oh yes!  Christmas is upon us once again.  The hustle and bustle of it all is very stressful, and magical all at the same time. Shopping, preparing food, watching movies, spending time with family and friends, and cookie baking are all in full swing! It truly is one of the most wonderful times of the year.

And why we celebrate Christmas is also celebrated for most of us too.  The birth of Jesus Christ. But here’s the thing.  The sweetness about Christ’s birth is even more sweet when you think about what things would be like without a Savior.

The reason why celebrating our Redeemer’s birth brings us great joy is not only because we love Him, but because we understand the condition of our hearts and the depravity of sin. Without Christ, we are nothing.  Because of who He is, we are free. That is a reason to celebrate!

Merry Christmas to you all, and we pray that you truly find peace in Who you are to Christ, and enjoy the most important reason for the season.

Instant Message From God

by

I was just recently reading through a devotional book of mine, and the chapter was all about text messaging, and instant messaging. The author talks about how these days, everything has an abbreviation it seems! Especially on the internet or through text messages. For example, one of her friends wrote in an instant message “OTOH.” She then stopped the conversation to ask what that meant, and it means “on the other hand.” There are many more examples of common words and phrases that we make short and sweet to save typing and time.

Sometimes life feels like a big puzzle piece, and we are left deciphering and UN-mixing it all. But God does not talk in abbreviations to us. He does not try to scramble our minds, or confuse us. He wants to provide peace and understanding about what He is saying. Although sometimes it is confusing about what He is really trying to tell us, the more we read His Word, the more we will speak God’s language. And the clearer His intentions will become. God does not need a cell phone or the internet to get our attention. He needs our open hearts and minds.

Through a Child’s Eyes

by

It’s amazing to me how innocent children are sometimes. I work as an assistant preschool teacher, and it absolutely amazes me how perceptive and brilliant little children were created. Throughout my day it is easy to get frustrated with them sometimes, but what is also amazing is how resilient they are.

I think that Christ had a soft spot for children. I always have enjoyed seeing the paintings and pictures of Him with his arms spread out wide, and children just running into them. Children gave Christ life, and he related children to how adults should act in their faith sometimes. He did this for a reason: Because children love with a reckless abandonment. They don’t know fear like we know fear. They haven’t been tainted.

Sometimes during my day, if I feel like I am at my breaking point with the kids, all it takes is one of them to hold my hand, or say something tender to me, and my heart softens immediately. They don’t hold grudges, I do. They don’t hold onto anger, I do. Yet they teach me how to not take life so seriously sometimes.

One of the strongest analogies is that we are God’s children. Whether we are tainted by this world, or see it through innocent eyes, God has his arms spread out wide for us to just run into and collapse. He loves us so tenderly, and is jealous for our hearts. He laughs when we laugh, and he cries when we cry. So what are you waiting for? Run as fast as you can.

I’m Not a Fan Of Jesus.

by

That’s right. You don’t need to rub your eyes to make sure you read the title correctly. I am not a fan of Jesus. But it’s not in the way that you think.

Lately, my small group and I have been reading the book called “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman. It’s a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone, but it talks about what it looks like to either be a fan or a follower of Jesus. Because they are two different things.

Unfortunately, many churches, and America as a whole has made following Jesus sound easy, and as if it doesn’t really take much commitment at all. But that is simply not true. If you actually look at the Word, and see what Jesus truly asks of us, they are things such as “take up your cross and follow me,” and “how the way is narrow and the followers are few.” Following Christ, actually following Him, is difficult because he asks us to do things that are WAY out of our comfort zones. And sometimes living for Christ isn’t the most popular thing to do. We live in a world that desperately needs to know God’s love. And sadly, in the end, there may be some friends and family we know that we thought would be in heaven, but won’t be there.

Being a fan of Jesus is saying that, sure, we like Him. He seems nice enough. But fans only admire from a distance. For example, I’m a fan of Chris Tomlin. I really like his music. I bought a few of his CD’s. I would really enjoy getting to meet him someday. But I don’t know ANYTHING about him. I don’t walk my daily life with him. I simply admire him from a distance. And respect him.

If I grasp this concept of not being a fan of Jesus like I think I do, then this is what I understand. Jesus is not interested in people simply being his fans. He wants every single piece of our lives, hearts, minds, actions…the list could go on. He is big enough and confident enough to not need an ego boost of fans. He asks us to be followers. Dedicated, when the rubber meets the road, through all of the hard things that he asks us to do. And with those hard things, He promises peace. It is not to late to become followers instead of fans. Let’s not admire from a distance anymore. Let’s get the front row seats.

My name is Corri, and I am not a fan of Jesus.

There’s Beauty in Being Small

by

I just recently had the most amazing opportunity to accompany my best friend to Soldotna, Alaska, where she grew up and spent her childhood and teen years. Apart from Alaska simply being beautiful, the people in Soldotna were so warm and friendly, and I felt like I was a part of their families by the time I left. It was an awesome ten days.

While there, we were able to partake in a “Fjords” tour; a tour boat that took us out on the waters for six hours to enjoy the beauty, and see all sorts of wildlife such as whales, puffins, sea lions, mountain goats, dolphins and sea otters. It was amazing to see those creatures, but the most incredible part of the tour was seeing a glacier.

Our boat was able to pull through the ice and get right up next to the glacier. The captain turned off the boat and let us just listen to the glacier “cap” right into the water. I’ve never experienced nature like that before. Not only was the glacier huge, it was active, and cracking right into the water.

It dawned on me that as humans, we revel at things that make us feel small. Standing in front of a raging ocean, looking up at a gigantic mountain, viewing the clouds from up above in an airplane, and being seated at the foot of a glacier made me realize how in need of a savior we all are. In my own little town, in my own friend group, and within my family, sometimes it is easy to think that I am in charge of myself, and that I know the best plan for me. But that’s just it. I’m not, nor will I ever be in charge. Thank goodness! God’s plan is always better than mine. I’m okay with being small. As a matter of fact, God made himself the smallest here on earth as Jesus, to send us the biggest solution for our sins. I will forever be in awe of our Savior.

I just recently had the most amazing opportunity to accompany my best friend to Soldotna, Alaska, where she grew up and spent her childhood and teen years. Apart from Alaska simply being beautiful, the people in Soldotna were so warm and friendly, and I felt like I was a part of their families by the time I left. It was an awesome ten days.

While there, we were able to partake in a “Fjords” tour; a tour boat that took us out on the waters for six hours to enjoy the beauty, and see all sorts of wildlife such as whales, puffins, sea lions, mountain goats, dolphins and sea otters. It was amazing to see those creatures, but the most incredible part of the tour was seeing a glacier.

Our boat was able to pull through the ice and get right up next to the glacier. The captain turned off the boat and let us just listen to the glacier “cap” right into the water. I’ve never experienced nature like that before. Not only was the glacier huge, it was active, and cracking right into the water.

It dawned on me that as humans, we revel at things that make us feel small. Standing in front of a raging ocean, looking up at a gigantic mountain, viewing the clouds from up above in an airplane, and being seated at the foot of a glacier made me realize how in need of a savior we all are. In my own little town, in my own friend group, and within my family, sometimes it is easy to think that I am in charge of myself, and that I know the best plan for me. But that’s just it. I’m not, nor will I ever be in charge. Thank goodness! God’s plan is always better than mine. I’m okay with being small. As a matter of fact, God made himself the smallest here on earth as Jesus, to send us the biggest solution for our sins. I will forever be in awe of our Savior.