A Lasting Difference

Ok, the following is not blog-esque mellow drama.  This is just fact.  Here we go:  Hot. Sweaty. Tired. Sore. Confused. Overwhelmed. Impatient. Thirsty. Thirsty. Thirsty.  Did I mention SWEATY? Linguistically challenged. The whole gamut.  If it seems bothersome and uncomfortable it was probably felt, thought, or experienced.

Ok, so a bit of drama.  I confess.  Cause the truth is--or the greater truth-- is that in the midst of these ranging emotions and experiences the team has truly felt deeply encouraged and blessed.  This is the sentiment that rest within the team after this week's clinics.  The team has seen hundreds of strained eyes & bodies receive much needed glasses, supportive medicine and prevention education.  They watched people come through the clinics knowing they will be able to breath with greater ease.  Knowing they will be able read without squinting.  Knowing they will be able to see more clearly the food they are preparing or motors they are fixing. Knowing they will be able to to see with greater ease the clothes they are mending or the bricks they are laying.  It has been incredibly rewarding to see hundreds of people receive this much needed care.

Thank you to those who have supported this team.  Your partnership has made an incredible difference in the lives of so, so, so many.  A lasting difference that is seeing and breathing everyday.

Do You See What EYE See?

The gift of sight is an incredible one. By sight we can see as far as the stars in the sky or the near words of Scripture held close in hand. We see and appreciate a beautiful meal, a familiar face, a dangerous situation, a sunset, an intriguing painting, get caught up in the pages of a good read, or an ever-present “to do” list. The gift of sight is truly amazing—if you have it. For many this gift is a something never had or a distant memory of years gone by.

This week we are blessed to be working with a long-time partnering church from Canada, Varsity Bible Church (Calgary, Canada). With hundreds of glasses in tow, the team of 13 is working here in the barrio hosting eye clinics in partnership with a church on Street 3 (Iglesia de Cristo Misionera). As you can see pictured, hundreds of people are able to be tested and fitted with an appropriate pair of prescription glasses. A walk around the barrio after the first clinic and you could see all the people who were proudly and thankfully sporting there new lenses. What a great gift!

Additionally, three members of the team specializing in asthma research, treatment, and rehabilitation, in partnership with two local nurses, are providing testing and treatment to those who have asthma or respiratory problems. This unique testing and treatment is an incredible gift for so many who for sufficient breath for basic daily activities.

Meanwhile, over at the T.E.A.R.S. School teacher workshops are underway with our teaching staff and three visiting teachers from the Canadian team. The workshops provide all teachers local and visiting to share both questions and ideas on teaching, class room management and character development with students. Best practices are shared and the teachers have the opportunity to learn from one another about the challenges and great rewards of education.

We are so grateful for the partnerships taking place not only with Canadian and US teams but alongside our neighbors from other churches here in Maria Auxiliadora and around La Vega. It is truly a blessing to see these partnerships and friendships form and to see so many people benefit in practical ways while walls of dvision are challenged and lose their grip. We invite your continued prayers that people would not only receive the gift of vision, breathing, and new learning but that in all of this they would encounter—in a personal way—the One who is the giver of all these gifts. To learn about and know the One—Jesus Christ—who truly gives us Life-giving sight and breath in Him.

More pictures HERE.

Just Plain Dominican

 

Cross of Christ by Candlelight

It can be said--and truthfully so--that power (i.e., electricity) in the barrio is inconsistent. However, it seems that Wednesday evenings, during the study time at el Camino church, the power is pretty consistently non-existent. At times you wonder who "out there in electricity land" wields the power of the switch. Who out there is sitting with their finger on the power switch deciding when the power will flow and when--more often than not--when it won't flow. This remains a mystery.

Now, having said that, I do want to express a certain appreciation for those electricity-free bible studies. There is a certain bonding or unifying element that comes with a candlelit room...where the light from each candle is required to provide sufficient illumination. Over the past month, those gathering at the Wednesday night study have been reading through, thinking through, and challenging each other through a little book called The Cross Centered Life, by C.J. Mahaney. A great book (of Jabez dimensions...so not too demanding) with great content for group discussion, personal reflection, and life application. So, with this in mind, I jot this blog "Cross of Christ by Candlelight".

Recently we were discussing a chapter entitled "Breaking the Rules of Legalism" and I appreciated the following point Mahaney expressed. "It is important to understand that a legalist isn't just someone with higher standards or more rules than you. A lot of us wrongly stereotype a legalistic person as one who doesn't go to movies, or who thinks that music with a beat is evil. Legalism is much more subtle and serious than that. Here's a simple definition that I use: Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God." Mahaney goes on to remind us that we are able to approach the Father only because of what Christ has done not because of what we have done or are doing. (Now, we can certainly have another discussion on the process of sanctification and how human agency--our actions--are part of that process...maybe in another blog).

The point is that to be justified before the Father I need nothing more than Christ--to be clothed in His righteousness. It can be tempting to want to add something to Christ's finished work in coming to the Father...to think deep down..but certainly not say!...that Christ's work just isn't quite sufficient. Oh, how completely sufficient it is. I invite you to pray with us in this: That the Spirit of God would melt our hearts to see that Christ's death and resurrection ALONE are sufficient to justify us before the Father. That we could boast in nothing other that the Cross of Christ. That Christ alone would be the light to our path and not the leanings of our own understanding or our own power--it is not only unreliable it is insufficient.

You Are Here...what....where is Here?

I like maps. It if fun to see where you are. Where "there" is. Where "here" is in relation to "there". Maps help to orient us and give us a sense of place.

Lately, I have felt a bit mapless. Not completely disoriented...just a bit displaced. "Mapmaker Mapmaker make me a map. Find me a Find. Map me a map." (Sorry, the tune came to me as I was walking this morning). Realizing that this is part and parcel of life, being in a new role, new culture...part of change....I haven't been too anxious about this space. Regardless of how expected something is, though, it can still feel a bit confusing, isolating, and displacing. Not the type of terms one loves to marinate in for too long. You can think "Oh, once I learn more about culture it will be better...I'll do that." "Oh, once I make more friends it will feel better...I can do that." "Oh, once I learn the language it will be a lot better...I will do that." Now these are good & important things to do. They are part of a process but not ends to be anchored on.


This morning I was remembering a time when my dad, sister and I went out moose hunting (sounds really Canadian). Ok, so brother and sister were more along for the ride given our age (hmmm...like 4 & 7...kinda guessing...but young) and limited hunting acumen we stayed back in the bush buggy. Now, I wish I could digress and just talk about the bush buggy and what a cool custom bush-trodding vehicle it was (dad's handiwork)...maybe we can dig around for a photo. Anyway, dad went out to call some moose and Cheri and I stayed back in the vehicle. After a while we got that panic-ish feeling of "where are we...we're alone". Now, we were totally fine and this is not a blog about being abandoned...Dad I know we were fine (smile). The point I am slowly arriving at is that Cheri and I decided we would "just sit here and cry". Overwhelmed (I suppose...I'm sort of recreating this in my head...it was a while ago) by our sense of unknowing and anxiety we just thought it would be best to "sit here and cry".


I was out for a walk this morning and I didn't say those exact words but just kinda felt like I wanted to "sit here and cry". Not because I was really sad or could even put my finger on the "whats + whys" of how I was feeling...just seemed like what might feel good. There is just a time when you feel mentally and emotionally congested and you just what to either figure out where you are, how to navigate the terrain....or maybe just sit and cry.


Ok, so I feel like I need to make a point...or just wrap this up. Here's the point: in life you will feel displaced & disoriented. There are times when you might have a sense of "way forward" or you may need to just pause and get your bearings. I feel like I need to pause and get my bearings. Currently on the Darin iPod has been a great sermon series on John by Keller (ala last Monday's link). I have been hit day after day by the reality of Jesus - Immanuel - God with us. This is a good starting point for getting bearings. The reality of God dwelling among us and not just saying "Hey, watch me, I am your perfect example...do as I do." But saying, "I know you can't do this thing called life on your own or figure it out....you weren't made to ...day in and day out I walk with you. You don't need to figure things out or get your act together in order to come to me. I have done it all....lived the life you couldn't live and died the death you should have died. Come and let me come." (I use the quotation marks loosely of course). This is wild. It just seems like Jesus would have felt such an unreal depth of being displaced. Coming to live among us, taking sin upon himself, and dying. Yet he did not pass the cup and exit stage right. He was about the will of His the Father


So, what does this mean for the displaced...those in this space between. I think it is saying, "Jesus, I can't do it. And it feels like so many things--everything. Come Jesus and you do your it."


Hmmm...I feel like that was a rushed and insufficient capturing of the inner-goings-on. However, I hope that if you feel displaced or disoriented you will be able to say (with your heart if not your mouth), "God come. Father, Son, Spirit, be in my midst....come."


D

Friday Link | Footsize?

So, considering the number of fellow world-dwellers there are, my lifestyle suggest there are 3.83 worlds to support my current lifestyle (I think I have that right).   According to the World Wildlife Funds' Ecological Footprint Calculator I am living beyond the world's means.  Weird...I don't heat my house, have consistent electricity or have disposable income for world-depleting gallivants.   I do try to buy local produce (except Granny Smith apples from Washington) and whenever possible I do try to recycle (however, the barrio has yet to implement a Blue Box program).  Today I even brought my own bowl to  buy morro so I wouldn't have to use sytrofoam.  

3.83 worlds?

Well, take a look at the quick & easy online survey HERE and let me know if you are more eco-friendly.  The least world-depleting person wins a steak dinner, a limo ride, and a gift card to a WAL-Mart Supercenter.

Piyamada (PJ Party)

I like to have fun.  I like to eat.  I like to hang out with friends.  I like to play games.  I like to watch movies.  All the better if they intersect.  However, last night they intersected in a less than usual context - a Piyamada (pajama party). Who new that young dudes in the barrio would want to have a pajama party!?  Ok, so the title"Piyamada" expresses the notion of Pajama Party but really it is more like "Hey, cool we can stay up late, eat tons of chips, pop, pizza, cookies and be smelly & hyper" (all while there is no power which means no fan to circulate the sweaty-heavy-boyish air in Darin's increasingly stuffy house...which is otherwise quite fresh and hygienic).   The first movie was about crazy, blood-thirsty sheep (from my perspective), had no subtitles, was in Spanish but barely audible.  The second was Hancock (yup, the not so official and more un-official "street vendor" version) which was in English with no Spanish subtitles.  Interesting situation given the not-so-bilingual audience.  But in true Piyamada spirit this was all ok and we had a great night.  It was  great meet a few new faces and have good guy time...including the boyish scents which are not so charming yet oddly required for a real good guy time.