Pictures: 1) my roommates singing worship songs in three languages, so beautiful! 2/3) some of my kings kids campers :)
Wow. I don't even know where to start. So much has happened, God has done so much in the last week... so here are a few of my thoughts, memories, events, things I have learned, new revelations, funny moments, etc. of recent days in no particular order:
-King's Kids, a youth camp most YWAM bases have during the summer, ended this weekend - which made me really sad because I got super-attached to some of the kids and loved learning all the worship songs in Spanish with them... learning more Spanish from them, dancing with them, playing with them, praying for them.. it was a special week and God is always stirring more desires in my heart to work with kids (Spanish in particular?)
-King's Kids, a youth camp most YWAM bases have during the summer, ended this weekend - which made me really sad because I got super-attached to some of the kids and loved learning all the worship songs in Spanish with them... learning more Spanish from them, dancing with them, playing with them, praying for them.. it was a special week and God is always stirring more desires in my heart to work with kids (Spanish in particular?)
-this week a few of us girls stayed behind after lunch and taught the worship band Blessed Be Your Name and sang with them while they showed their amazing musical talents in an impromptu jam sesh - some of us could barely understand each other's languages, but when we are singing praises together it doesnt matter! It was such an amazing, special few hours which immediately transitioned into guitar lessons, which I have been practicing each day and can now play the chorus of that song :) I am on my way!
-things I miss: Reality and Sunday School, Home Group and Mon. Night Prayer, my house, my bed, Target, Coffee Bean, Nordy's Cafe, having free time, driving on the freeway, sleeping in, obviously friends and family
-things I dont miss AT ALL: traffic, my cell phone (NOT ONE BIT), wearing shoes (I never do here), paved roads, all the trashy music, TV shows, movies and commercials we're surrounded by, buying gas, American money, my all-white, all-English, wonderbread bubble... I am starting to see the world more and more through God's eyes, without the lines on the map and the language barriers that are only a result of man's sin and desire to glorify himself (think Tower of Babel)
-praying Korean-style is awesome! hearing prayers in Spanish, English, German, Korean, Portuguese, and South African (I forget which language exactly) all at once is so beautiful. I truly believe hearing people pray in other languages reveals a different side of God's character to you. He made that culture and that language different for a reason and it shows another side of His heart to you!
-we are learning about the Father heart of God and how sin in the world distorts the lens through which we see God. He is slowly changing our lenses so we can see Him for who He is - true, just, loving, all-knowing, forgiving, perfect, holy, mighty, righteous, etc.., not who we think He is because of how people are or how sin makes us think. What is holding you back from truly believing God is who the Bible says He is? What parts of His character are hard for you to accept? Try answering these honestly, its really hard.
-our teacher for the week, Claude Bonjour (such a cute French name!), has asked God to send him to a different country each year for speaking and missions and teaching. What a cool request, and God is answering it ten-fold.
-I discovered that none of the dogs I has been training are named "Pulgas". I kept hearing people say that when I played with the dogs, and when I woke up covered in small red itchy bumps I found out pulgas is Spanish for fleas. I am 99.9% sure my bed has fleas now, but I bought Raid so hopefully that will terminate the pulgas. Now I know. Puppy training is over.
-we had an interesting discussion about why God wants us to intercede, if He is all-knowing and all-powerful. the best analogy for me is thinking of Him as a father making cookies with His child - it takes a lot longer, it's a lot messier and He may have to re-do it, He could do it better and much more easily without us, but it's the time learning and spent laughing together in the kitchen that He really delights in and longs for
-learning a new language IS spiritual warfare because we are learning Spanish (or English for some) to serve the Lord's plan, so of course the enemy will attack. But I am asking God for Spanish and He is faithful!
-Chile has never heard of Splenda. It's a difficult cultural barrier to overcome, but I have discovered Dur-Sul, which is basically liquid splenda. So I'm okay now.
-we are learning some interesting dramas to do on the streets for outreaches and Brazilian dances. I am also learning to play futbol Brazilian-style, which is like a dance itself
-sitting in class staring at a world map behind the speaker all day has an effect on my heart and mind all its own. Just seeing it in the background is powerful. So many people who God loves and wants them to know Him.
-I am in love with the name of God Almighty in Spanish - Todopoderoso. Literally translated it says: "all" (todo) "can do" (poder) "one who" (oso)... one who can do all things! Me gusta mucho.
-praise God for who He is, not just for what He's done for you. His character alone is enough to praise forever. all He's done for us is an undeserved bonus reason to praise Him. dont make your praise selfish.
-the other day a dead penguin floated up from the south of Chile (which is really cold and has glaciers, who knew?) and landed on our beach, where the native children proceeded to pick it up, carry it around and play with it to make it waddle. while their mothers watched and laughed. seriously?
-Our church has literally 20 people, 8 being from my DTS. It's run by a family in their home and the worship leader is straight out of Napolean Dynamite, with his glasses and short pants and fist held up in the air very awkwardly as he sings to very old school organ music that grandma plays from the living room. classic. gotta see it to believe it.
I will add pics soon! and I have many prayer requests on the way.
-things I miss: Reality and Sunday School, Home Group and Mon. Night Prayer, my house, my bed, Target, Coffee Bean, Nordy's Cafe, having free time, driving on the freeway, sleeping in, obviously friends and family
-things I dont miss AT ALL: traffic, my cell phone (NOT ONE BIT), wearing shoes (I never do here), paved roads, all the trashy music, TV shows, movies and commercials we're surrounded by, buying gas, American money, my all-white, all-English, wonderbread bubble... I am starting to see the world more and more through God's eyes, without the lines on the map and the language barriers that are only a result of man's sin and desire to glorify himself (think Tower of Babel)
-praying Korean-style is awesome! hearing prayers in Spanish, English, German, Korean, Portuguese, and South African (I forget which language exactly) all at once is so beautiful. I truly believe hearing people pray in other languages reveals a different side of God's character to you. He made that culture and that language different for a reason and it shows another side of His heart to you!
-we are learning about the Father heart of God and how sin in the world distorts the lens through which we see God. He is slowly changing our lenses so we can see Him for who He is - true, just, loving, all-knowing, forgiving, perfect, holy, mighty, righteous, etc.., not who we think He is because of how people are or how sin makes us think. What is holding you back from truly believing God is who the Bible says He is? What parts of His character are hard for you to accept? Try answering these honestly, its really hard.
-our teacher for the week, Claude Bonjour (such a cute French name!), has asked God to send him to a different country each year for speaking and missions and teaching. What a cool request, and God is answering it ten-fold.
-I discovered that none of the dogs I has been training are named "Pulgas". I kept hearing people say that when I played with the dogs, and when I woke up covered in small red itchy bumps I found out pulgas is Spanish for fleas. I am 99.9% sure my bed has fleas now, but I bought Raid so hopefully that will terminate the pulgas. Now I know. Puppy training is over.
-we had an interesting discussion about why God wants us to intercede, if He is all-knowing and all-powerful. the best analogy for me is thinking of Him as a father making cookies with His child - it takes a lot longer, it's a lot messier and He may have to re-do it, He could do it better and much more easily without us, but it's the time learning and spent laughing together in the kitchen that He really delights in and longs for
-learning a new language IS spiritual warfare because we are learning Spanish (or English for some) to serve the Lord's plan, so of course the enemy will attack. But I am asking God for Spanish and He is faithful!
-Chile has never heard of Splenda. It's a difficult cultural barrier to overcome, but I have discovered Dur-Sul, which is basically liquid splenda. So I'm okay now.
-we are learning some interesting dramas to do on the streets for outreaches and Brazilian dances. I am also learning to play futbol Brazilian-style, which is like a dance itself
-sitting in class staring at a world map behind the speaker all day has an effect on my heart and mind all its own. Just seeing it in the background is powerful. So many people who God loves and wants them to know Him.
-I am in love with the name of God Almighty in Spanish - Todopoderoso. Literally translated it says: "all" (todo) "can do" (poder) "one who" (oso)... one who can do all things! Me gusta mucho.
-praise God for who He is, not just for what He's done for you. His character alone is enough to praise forever. all He's done for us is an undeserved bonus reason to praise Him. dont make your praise selfish.
-the other day a dead penguin floated up from the south of Chile (which is really cold and has glaciers, who knew?) and landed on our beach, where the native children proceeded to pick it up, carry it around and play with it to make it waddle. while their mothers watched and laughed. seriously?
-Our church has literally 20 people, 8 being from my DTS. It's run by a family in their home and the worship leader is straight out of Napolean Dynamite, with his glasses and short pants and fist held up in the air very awkwardly as he sings to very old school organ music that grandma plays from the living room. classic. gotta see it to believe it.
I will add pics soon! and I have many prayer requests on the way.
Brooke! Your posts are wonderful to read and give good prayer points! I'm really excited to see how the Lord will continue to open your eyes and heart to His mission down there. I love how He strips away things from our culture that hinder or simply don't matter. Keep pressing in amiga y lo ciento about the pulgas. We miss you at prayer also :)
ReplyDeleteSplenda....versus....Dul-Sur.
ReplyDeleteNow I KNOW that you'll come home someday!!